Isn't it very scientific to use the Death Note to kill people?

A mixture of chill and disbelief surged within her, causing her previously calmed heart to waver violently once more. Looking into Lin Jiashu's eyes, which seemed to see through everything yet remained calm to the point of being cold, she finally asked the question that had been weighing on her heart:

"Why……?"

"You knew all along what was going to happen... so why did you just stand by and watch it all unfold?"

Her eyes were filled with incomprehensible confusion and excitement.

There's probably still some anger involved.

After all, they were companions to whom she could entrust her life.

Lin Jiashu therefore did not answer immediately.

He picked up the slightly cooled cup of black tea, walked to the edge of the balcony, and gazed at the outline of the mountains and forests shrouded in the morning light.

After a long pause, he slowly began to speak, his voice steady as he introduced a new topic:

Before answering your question, let's talk about rum.

He turned to Judy and asked, "How much do you know about him?"

"Rum..."

Judy frowned, trying to recall the fragmented and vague information in the FBI database. "The number two figure in the Black Organization, mysterious, dangerous... supposedly of extremely high status, second only to the rumored BOSS."

"That's right, the organization's second-in-command."

Lin Jiashu nodded. "However, this second-in-command is not content to remain in second place forever."

He walked back to the table, put down his teacup, and gently tapped the smooth porcelain surface with his fingertips.

"Within the organization, the mysterious mastermind has not actually shown himself for many years, and all instructions are transmitted through layers of encrypted channels."

"And time always nurtures ambition."

"Rum vaguely knew about the extraordinary effects that APTX-4869 could bring—like, as you know, Shinichi Kudo's rejuvenation."

Judy's pupils contracted slightly.

"He thus began to suspect... that perhaps that man had already used this drug to change his appearance and hide among the crowd. Therefore, he needed a tool, a pair of eyes that could see through time and disguise, to find the target he wanted to usurp."

“Age tracking system…” Judy murmured.

"exactly."

Lin Jiashu affirmed her words, "And James Black was Rum's collaborator from the very beginning. Their alliance is far longer and stronger than you might imagine."

He sat down again, his gaze calmly meeting Judy's complex expression:

"So, Miss Judy, do you understand now?"

"Understand what?"

Although she had already guessed what he meant, Judy's voice was a little dry.

"The cross-age identification system is the only key that could potentially lead to the discovery of the mastermind behind the scenes."

"And such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... can only be truly realized through their own hands, through Rum's ambition."

"Only by finding the BOSS hidden deep within can we completely and fundamentally uproot this organization that has been entrenched for half a century."

"Compared to the countless crimes this organization has committed over the past decades, and the many more sacrifices that may be made in the future..."

He paused, his tone almost cruelly calm:

"The lives of several FBI agents in this operation... were well worth the sacrifice."

Sunlight streamed onto the balcony, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air, but Judy felt a chill creep up her spine.

She had no way to refute Lin Jiashu's words.

Judy chose to remain silent.

It feels like facing the classic trolley problem—sacrificing one side to save the other.

When discussing these topics in the classroom, people often get caught up in moral and logical dilemmas, leading to endless debates.

But when it's simplified into a cold mathematical problem, when the option of "sacrifice one to save ten" is laid bare before you, the vast majority of people will ultimately choose to save those "ten".

Rationally, she understood this principle.

In order to destroy that massive dark organization and prevent more innocent people from suffering in the future, some sacrifices... seem unavoidable.

Emotionally, those agents who sacrificed their lives were her colleagues, living, breathing people with their own families and dreams, not just cold numbers on paper.

"But all the FBI agents who volunteered to come to Japan to undertake the dangerous mission of investigating the Black Organization had already set their sights on destroying the organization from the moment they set foot on this land, and were probably prepared to take the corresponding risks."

“I understand what you’re thinking, Judy.”

"It's not that you can't accept their sacrifice, but that you can't accept them dying because of betrayal."

"So ultimately, it all comes down to James Black."

Chapter 106: Tell me, where is Karasuma Renya?

The afternoon sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the high-rise apartment, casting dazzling spots of light on the floor.

Vermouth stood in front of the full-length mirror in the dressing room, giving herself a final look. A well-tailored light beige trench coat, layered over a silk shirt, perfectly concealed the barely noticeable changes in her waist and abdomen.

She instinctively wanted to put on her favorite high heels, but after her gaze lingered on the shoe cabinet for a moment, she finally reached for a pair of soft, flat sheepskin ankle boots.

(This is really... outrageous.)

A self-deprecating thought crossed her mind as she walked to the coffee table in the living room and picked up the small medicine box.

Nowadays, taking folic acid and related nutrients every day has become a habit.

Take it with this half cup of warm water.

She picked up her handbag and checked its contents—keys, cell phone, a lipstick-shaped stun gun, and other odds and ends.

After confirming that everything was alright, she left the house.

The elevator descended smoothly, its metal walls reflecting her delicate yet slightly pale face. The fatigue of early pregnancy and the occasional bouts of nausea were silently eroding her once-proud alertness and physical strength.

Stepping out of the apartment lobby, she planned to go to the organic food store a few blocks away to buy some things and get some fresh air.

The sun is shining brightly today.

She chose the path she usually took, which was relatively quiet and shorter.

However, just as she turned a street corner and walked into a sparsely populated area, a sudden sense of unease made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

She slowed her pace, her hand silently slipping into her handbag to grasp the lipstick stun gun. A glance out of the corner of her eye revealed a black van following her at an unusually slow pace.

(Here he comes.)

She sneered inwardly and immediately changed direction, attempting to return to the main road.

But it was too late.

The van accelerated suddenly, then braked abruptly to a stop in front of her. Almost simultaneously, the doors slid open. Two men in jackets, moving with unusual speed, jumped out and approached her from the left and right.

Vermouth didn't react much. The moment the other person reached for her arm, she slid to the side and back like a cheetah, avoiding the grab, and at the same time, she thrust the hand holding the stun gun forward!

Sizzle—!

A blue arc of electricity exploded, striking the man precisely in the neck. He groaned, his body trembling violently as he collapsed.

But the other man didn't react at all, as if his companion's fall had nothing to do with him. He seized the opening Vermouth had made during the attack and slashed at her weapon-wielding wrist!

Vermouth cried out in pain as the stun gun flew out of her hand.

Without hesitation, she raised her knee to strike the other person's groin, but the other person blocked it with their arm. The impact of the force made her frown slightly. Normally, she could have been faster, which would probably have been enough to temporarily incapacitate the other person, but now, she was mindful of the restraint on her abdomen and instinctively held back her strength.

(Damn it!)

In a flash, she changed her move with lightning speed. Her right leg, which had been parried, stomped down to regain her balance, and at the same time, she raised her hand to attack her opponent's temple.

The man seemed to have not expected her to be able to counterattack so swiftly after losing her weapon and missing her target. He took a solid hit, his vision went black, and he staggered backward.

Without the slightest hesitation, Vermouth turned around and wanted to leave this place of trouble.

However, her steps froze the next second.

In the direction she came from, and in the shadows of the alleyway ahead, four more men dressed in the same casual clothes appeared out of nowhere.

They were expressionless, their eyes cold, each holding a pistol, the dark muzzle of the gun steadily pointed at her, completely blocking all her escape routes.

What made her heart sink even more was that the two men were holding tranquilizer guns, not lethal weapons.

(Trying to capture me alive?)

Unable to figure out where these people came from, her heart sank.

She could try to fight to the death and maybe take down one or two more.

But in an open area, with four guns pointed at her, her chances of survival were extremely slim. Moreover, the violent movements and the possibility of gunshot wounds... she instinctively covered her lower abdomen with her hand.

(We can't take the risk...)

For the first time, this thought so clearly overwhelmed her instincts, and she brazenly raised her hands.

The man with the tranquilizer gun seized the opportunity.

call out--!

A soft whooshing sound.

Vermouth felt a mosquito bite on her neck, followed by a wave of intense numbness that spread rapidly from the injection site, instantly engulfing her limbs and bones. Her vision blurred, her strength was quickly drained, her legs gave way, and she fell forward.

Before her consciousness completely faded into darkness, her last sensation was that someone roughly grabbed her body and dragged her toward the black van, followed by the dull thud of the door closing, cutting off all sunlight and sound from the outside world.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"So that's it, it really is Conan."

It's still that same villa.

Lin Jiashu put down his teacup. From their conversation, it was clear that Judy hadn't been hiding her own backup plan.

—Conan Edogawa

This was entirely unexpected for him.

After all, it was Conan who came up with the idea of ​​setting a trap to capture Gin after the code was leaked, and Conan was involved in the FBI until they were forced to change their base.

Jodie has always trusted Conan a great deal.

Before she stood up and pointed a gun at James last night, she had already contacted Conan and told him all her findings and suspicions.

In this way, even if she really did disappear last night, Conan would still have information in his hands... and might even be able to more completely confirm James's problem.

Just as Lin Jiashu was pondering Conan's possible actions, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket.

Excuse me for a moment.

He nodded slightly to Judy, got up, walked to the French windows in the living room, and pressed the answer button.

Pu Siqinglan's voice came from the other end of the phone, concise and to the point: "Mr. Lin, I have confirmed that Vermouth was ambushed on her way to the store and has been taken away by the other party."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

Lin Jiashu responded softly, "If there are no other abnormalities, you can come back first."

After confirming that there were no problems, he hung up the phone immediately.

When he turned around, his face was once again adorned with that gentle smile that no one could fault.

But perhaps because of what happened last night, Judy was a little tense, and she subconsciously asked:

"What happened?"

Lin Jiashu walked back to his seat and said with a smile, "It's nothing, it's just that Rum is more anxious than I expected."

His words made Judy somewhat uneasy.

Especially now that the second-in-command has confirmed Ai Haibara and Conan Edogawa's identities... she's worried that Rum and James will take action against them.

However, Lin Jiashu's composure calmed her down a bit.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Lin?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.