Chapter 86
Usuha Izuki said enthusiastically: "Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, let's laugh it off and forget our grudges..."
Miyano Akemi secretly pinched herself to keep her expression from revealing any bad emotions.
The person had already been unlucky enough to be hit by her car, but before even getting compensation, he'd inexplicably heard about the organization... Although it was just two codenames, he now knew they weren't ordinary people!
Given the organization's methods, they would never just let this Moroboshi Dai go.
Sure enough, Usuha Izuki continued: "How about this—since you also know we're not ordinary people, you shouldn't stay in this hospital anymore..."
Miyano Akemi finally couldn't help speaking up: "Sir, he's just an ordinary person..."
There's really no need to make someone pay for your misunderstanding!
But Usuha Izuki looked at her strangely: "He's not an ordinary person though?"
Miyano Akemi: "...?"
She looked at Akai Shuichi puzzledly. Akai Shuichi, whose nerves had gone somewhat numb, tensed up again.
What? Where had he been exposed? Or was this another baseless assumption from this person?
"He has gun calluses on his hands." After saying this, Usuha Izuki touched his chin and fell into thought. "Oh no, adding this detail makes him even more like Gin..."
Akai Shuichi felt he was getting a headache.
So this guy's observation skills were that strong—he'd underestimated him. Indeed, you couldn't underestimate any organization member, even mental patients weren't to be taken lightly.
Miyano Akemi was very shocked and carefully raised a question: "Well, if he has gun calluses, could he be police..."
"No way." Usuha Izuki said confidently. "With his temperament, he couldn't possibly be Japanese police. Even if he were, he could only be one of those unlikeable American types who shout 'FBI!' and break down doors—the difference between having killed people and not is huge!"
Akai Shuichi, who was indeed FBI: "............"
All his FBI training and cases combined hadn't been as thrilling as these past few minutes.
Was this really not knowing and asking deliberately?! But what would be the point of knowing and asking deliberately?! Shouldn't they just arrest him directly?! Or were they planning to play a long game?
Or was he really just a genius with mental problems?
He seemed to have seen some research in America saying that certain people received too much information at once, leading them to conclusions they themselves didn't know how they reached. Then, because they lacked evidence and others didn't believe them, they appeared overly erratic in temperament and thinking, with logic so incomprehensible it seemed like mental illness.
Though Akai Shuichi had only known Usuha Izuki briefly, he already had a vague sense of the organization's talent diversity.
Faced with such a confusing scene, he could only remain silent for a few seconds before responding: "Yes, I have indeed killed people."
"You should thank us for not calling the police to turn you in." Usuha Izuki seriously patted Akai Shuichi's shoulder. "Speaking of which, are you short on money?"
How could someone from an international criminal organization have the nerve to call police to turn someone else in? Even lying should have some credibility...
Akai Shuichi grumbled internally while speaking probing words: "A bit. Jobs are hard to find now and it's easy to get scammed. Since you know about my work, you should understand—in this situation, even if I get scammed, I can't report it to police..."
He was trying hard to hint: Although I did hear a bit about you all, on one hand you only mentioned two names, and on the other hand I'm the same type of person as you. Rather than silencing me, wouldn't recruitment be a win-win?
He just didn't know if this guy who seemed mentally ill could understand. If not, he'd have to be more direct.
Fortunately, this time Usuha Izuki got his meaning.
"Oh my, how pitiful. No wonder you don't have a wallet and no identification either." This was all information Miyano Akemi had told Usuha Izuki when they were emailing about the situation, which he conveniently used now. "I almost thought you were deliberately staging a collision earlier, and when I saw you I suspected you two were conspiring to bilk the organization's compensation..."
Akai Shuichi, who had indeed deliberately staged the collision: "...I just lost them."
"No problem! Our work doesn't require identification! If you want a job, I can help introduce you... Almost forgot, I'm Usuha Izuki, an ordinary interviewer sincerely inviting talented people to recommend themselves."
After speaking, Usuha Izuki suddenly became moved: "Thinking about it carefully, you seem to be the first person to recommend yourself to me. Everyone else I approached and invited just gave me attitude and refused... I don't mind that you're like Gin anymore—let's call it even."
"...Well, thanks. Anyway, I don't have any other choice but to join now, right?"
Akai Shuichi pretended to be not very happy.
Usuha Izuki was surprised: "How could that be? You could also choose to die!"
Akai Shuichi: "...I'll join."
He went through everything that had happened today from the beginning and felt like the start was right, the process had gone off to another galaxy, but the result somehow barely achieved the goal...
He had originally wanted to get closer to Miyano Akemi first, then find a way to enter the organization through her connections. Now the progress bar seemed to have suddenly accelerated...
As for his own responses, they were generally okay but had quite a few flaws. For instance, his original target Miyano Akemi seemed hopeless now, and because of the other party's unpredictable behavior, he'd been silent too much... But saying less meant fewer mistakes. Who knew what strange places this mental patient might randomly associate from one of his sentences.
He already thought he was like the FBI... If this guy had been more confident, he might already be captured by now.
If this guy really hadn't discovered his identity and just had brain problems, then this organization's recruitment was truly unconventional.
Usuha Izuki put his hands on his hips: "Alright, since you're already one of us, there's no point wasting hospital fees. Get up. Once your investigation results come back clean, you can start working."
Even Miyano Akemi didn't question such a capitalist statement.
After all, in her view, this Moroboshi Dai being able to stay alive was already a very good result. As for compensation and such things—compared to life, those weren't important.
Akai Shuichi was also very sensible about not mentioning compensation.
His current persona was someone with ability but no connections, who'd been scammed by others into crime. Reporting to police was impossible, and if the other party refused compensation he couldn't do anything about it. Getting some work to earn money wasn't unacceptable—very tactful. After all, everyone was in this line of work, so there was no need for direct silencing. Usually they'd recruit first, and only silence if recruitment failed and important intelligence was exposed.
Even ordinary recruitment failures didn't usually result in deaths. He wanted to make money, so cooperating was normal.
Now he just had to wait for the organization's investigation. As long as his fake identity passed perfectly, he'd basically have initially entered the organization.
...This mad dog-like progress bar was a bit much even for him.
Logically, the organization should have other evaluations... As long as whoever came was normal, he could handle it.
Akai Shuichi was somewhat worried about his future.
Facts proved his worry was justified.
Usuha Izuki, as always completely lacking crisis awareness, directly brought the person home.
Unlike the feelings of others visiting for the first time, Akai Shuichi observed the place and concluded that people lived here regularly—it was very lived-in and might really be this guy's long-term residence...
How could someone have so little vigilance? Wasn't this supposed to be common sense? Didn't the organization emphasize this? Or was there some conspiracy here?
Akai Shuichi, an FBI undercover, seeing Usuha Izuki's behavior, couldn't help but be speechless about the organization's education for a moment. But he quickly began rationally analyzing whether Usuha Izuki had ulterior motives.
For instance, this house looked full of life but was actually just used to paralyze him—the test had already begun. Maybe before long Usuha Izuki would go out, leaving him alone at home, then tell him certain rooms were off-limits... How could that be possible? Everyone had read the Bluebeard fairy tale—no one would fall for that.
But just as Akai Shuichi was reining in his wandering thoughts, he heard Usuha Izuki speak.
"Don't be polite, just treat this place like your own home. I won't charge you rent—consider it your compensation... You can sleep in this room, but you can't enter the room across from you or the room at the end."
Akai Shuichi: "...Alright."
How could an international criminal organization use such idiotic tests!
But looking at Usuha Izuki's mentally unstable outfit, he wasn't entirely sure. Maybe this guy was acting on his own... After all, some people always insisted that simpler was more effective. Maybe someone really would be clever enough to fall into the trap.
Just then, Vodka called Usuha Izuki.
"How's it going? Where is he?" Vodka asked worriedly. "Can you handle it? If not, I'll come check the situation."
"What's there I can't handle?" Usuha Izuki said confidently. "Don't you know my eye for people? This guy isn't a good person either—he's like FBI."
Akai Shuichi: "............"
Akai Shuichi was both speechless about Usuha Izuki and nervously waiting for the organization member's response.
After all, this was an international criminal group. Hearing "FBI" should provoke some reaction, right?
But Vodka said: "What do you mean? Who are you calling FBI? What did big brother do to you that you're saying he's an FBI undercover!"
Akai Shuichi: "...???"
What kind of strange logic was this person using?!
Usuha Izuki vehemently denied: "I'm not, I didn't, you said it yourself!"
"Stop pretending! You said this someone was like big brother earlier, now you're saying he's like FBI—aren't you implying big brother is FBI?" Vodka was indignant, feeling he'd seen through Usuha Izuki's purpose. "I was wondering why you specifically called me earlier—turns out you laid all that groundwork for this... Why do you keep saying big brother and I are undercovers? Can't you pick someone else?"
"I don't only say you two are undercovers."
"Anyway, your eye for spotting undercovers is terrible. Don't be so confident in the future." Vodka said. "I'm having the intelligence team investigate that Moroboshi Dai. Remember to answer unknown calls—don't hang up thinking they're spam."
"Got it. I'll send you the recruitment list in a bit."
Vodka acknowledged and hung up.
He didn't continue worrying about Usuha Izuki messing up—since Usuha Izuki said there was no problem and the other party wasn't a good person, Vodka actually felt relieved.
After all, Usuha Izuki was quite professional at predicting others' actions. As long as he wasn't guessing who was an undercover, his eye for people was fine.
There was another important reason: Usuha Izuki had lived this long without being beaten to death, proving his self-preservation abilities were definitely strong. This guy had also claimed to be good at escaping, so worst case it would just become another silencing mission—he was familiar with those.
But the free-range Akai Shuichi was currently questioning life.
Was such a major international organization really this casual? Hearing that a suspicious person was like FBI, their first reaction was that the other party was slandering a colleague?
And one sentence of "don't you know my eye for people" could make the other party stop raising any objections?
...He'd already tried hard to take this seriously, but it seemed he'd still underestimated this interviewer who seemed like a mental patient.
To be so trusted by codename members, have such freedom, and have such a bizarre personality... The seemingly mentally ill state that some geniuses displayed wasn't uncommon.
He needed to be even more cautious.
Miyano Akemi didn't think as much as Akai Shuichi. After looking around, she naturally asked: "Sir, should I start cleaning now?"
"Sure." Usuha Izuki felt Miyano Akemi's suspicion value was a bit low, so he smiled and looked up. "You can go anywhere in the house. Those two rooms Moroboshi Dai can't enter, you can enter too, but you can't tell him what they look like inside. Remember to close the doors."
Miyano Akemi: "...Yes."
What exactly was problematic about those two rooms?!
"I'm going out for a bit." Usuha Izuki waved. "You two get along well. Contact me if there are any problems."
Akai Shuichi: "Alright."
Forbidden rooms, the homeowner going out on business... This must be the test, right?
He absolutely couldn't fall for it.
For now, he'd watch Miyano Akemi's reaction and try to guess.