Chapter 128
Hagiwara Kenji felt the piercing gaze from Matsuda Jinpei beside him, but could only force a smile and pretend not to notice while changing the subject: "It's already done? Should we go confirm with the boss again whether he really wants to use this method?"
Kudo Yusaku put away his surprised expression and picked up the conversation: "I've already confirmed with the boss. The rest is up to Samukawa-kun."
The FBI side hesitated to speak.
They had long since received word from local police about yesterday's farce at the station, but because it sounded so bizarre and nothing had happened, they figured there might be some misunderstanding... Turns out this really was operation without measuring instruments?
No one believed this guy didn't know proper procedures, and even fewer believed he was simply trying to slack off.
Most people's thoughts were unified.
Why did this person not value his own life at all...
Judy couldn't help thinking: Would someone who didn't even value his own life really care about others' lives? Japan actually let this kind of person become a police officer—they really had nerves of steel.
This FBI agent had raised a question countless people had wondered about.
—How on earth did Samukawa Shinryu pass his police interview?!
Not having to ask the boss again was fine. Usuha Izuki didn't want to be dragged down by this case too long either. He genuinely wanted to vacation, so without a word, he took the explosives the bomb expert had brought, pinched off a small piece of the rubber clay-like plastic explosive, and handed it to the expert: "Just this much. Go make a remote detonation device."
"Okay." The bomb expert instinctively responded, not bothering to ask why he still wasn't using measuring instruments this time, and cheerfully trotted off to work.
So what if he was dangerous? The danger wouldn't affect him personally. Could the guy really insist on killing him while surrounded by FBI?!
Regardless of the other's identity, he seemed like a real big shot anyway, definitely stronger than his mentor who went to meet God, so of course he should take advantage of the big shot's presence to learn more!
Opportunities to work with big shots didn't come often!
Of course, he knew people wouldn't teach for no reason, so wasn't he hurrying to assist, hoping to salvage the bad impression from yesterday? Maybe if the guy was in a good mood, he'd share some exclusive techniques?
The FBI weren't blind—everyone could see their bomb expert had completely made himself the foreigner's lackey! He didn't even care that he was over twenty years older than the guy!!!
Such a disgrace to America!!!
If the other party really was some vicious criminal, the FBI would actually be more cautious. Now knowing he was a police officer, they were all getting a bit cocky.
But needing his help, they couldn't be sarcastic. Even yesterday's incident of two American officers having their guns taken by a foreigner couldn't be pursued for accountability—they could only accept it. Several incidents combined left these arrogant FBI agents with darkened faces.
Heh, with such reckless methods, it would probably still fail. Once it failed, they could mock him coldly! No need to rush!
No one thought about what they'd do if it failed. Failure was just failure—how many times had American police failed? This failure would at most blow up a building, at least no one died!
Not a big deal.
The bomb expert didn't think it was a big deal either, just a bit regretful about blowing up such a special, memorable control box, but the person who drew the blueprints was right there—he could beg him to draw a more detailed one.
So like a responsible errand boy, he quickly ran to get a detonation device, then ran back for Usuha Izuki's review.
Usuha Izuki nodded and went to install the device.
Since everyone knew the failure rate was high and that the surrounding area would be blown through if it failed, everyone waited far away to avoid being caught in the explosion.
Hagiwara Kenji wanted to follow but was stopped by Usuha Izuki, so aside from Usuha Izuki and the bomb expert, no one else stayed in the building.
After an unknown amount of time, Judy's phone suddenly rang. She looked closely and saw it was the bomb expert, quickly answering: "Hello?"
Calling her at a time like this—had something gone wrong?!
"Is there, is there anyone who can stop, stop him?" The bomb expert was panting heavily, seemingly running.
Judy was confused, only knowing that 'him' referred to Samukawa Shinryu: "Stop him from what? What did he do?"
"He wants to... he wants to detonate directly!"
The bomb expert was running as if fleeing for his life. Judy could even hear the whooshing wind on his end.
This statement was confusing—wasn't making plastic explosives supposed to involve detonation anyway? But FBI minds worked quickly. Judy immediately analyzed the specific situation based on the fact that the bomb expert was running away.
She was greatly shocked: "What?! You mean he wants to detonate directly? Without getting far away?! Where is he now?!"
"Still at the original spot..." The bomb expert's heart was bitter.
With the attitude of learning from the big shot, he had cheerfully followed the big shot to the room where the bomb was placed, watched the big shot personally install the plastic explosive on the control box, then he had invited:
"Let's go, Samukawa-san. Everyone's waiting for us. Once we get there, we'll detonate this and try it."
The bomb expert's plan was that during such a long walk, it would definitely be boring to go empty-handed, so they'd surely chat about something, right? If he guided the conversation a bit, couldn't he chat and laugh with the big shot and maybe learn something?
But the big shot said: "Let's detonate first."
The bomb expert was stunned: "...? This distance is too dangerous. If it fails..."
"It won't fail." The big shot calmly picked up the detonation button, his dark red eyes having a kind of indifference that treated life as nothing, as if the person being watched would meet death the next second. "If you're afraid..."
Before the big shot could finish, the bomb expert turned and ran!
Are you kidding? This wasn't the time to be stubborn. When you need to run, you run! If you don't run, you'll lose your life!
Even if the big shot was incredibly capable, this plan's failure rate wouldn't drop much! Staying to bet on the big shot's skills—success might show trust and earn some favor, but failure meant his life. Forget it!
He wasn't actually that eager to learn!!!
Besides, the big shot not using measuring instruments might not just be skill and confidence, but also some self-destructive tendencies!
What if he wasn't confident in his high skill level, but thought failure and death was no big deal?!
Geniuses more or less had strange world-weariness, but this one was particularly outrageous!
Although he couldn't hear what was being said on the other end of the phone, from Judy's words, Hagiwara Kenji could also deduce the situation there. His face immediately changed drastically as he quickly pulled out his phone to call Usuha Izuki.
Hagiwara Kenji put it on speaker, listening to the dial tone feeling like every second was a year.
Fortunately, according to the ransom note, if it failed, the building would definitely explode—anyone with eyes could see it—so since it hadn't exploded yet, there should still be time to stop him!
After an unknown amount of time, maybe half a minute, maybe just one breath, Hagiwara Kenji heard his worrying friend's voice.
"Kenji?"
Hagiwara Kenji immediately asked: "Are you okay? Come out quickly! The expert said you actually don't want to come out and want to detonate directly..."
Everyone around, including Kudo Yusaku and the FBI, held their breath, wanting to hear what the person involved was really thinking! Did he not want to live anymore?!
"Oh, already detonated. Done. The control system has malfunctioned. Just have someone move the bomb box and business can resume."
Everyone: "...???"
Complete silence.
Hagiwara Kenji was more used to this kind of stimulation and reacted fastest: "Why didn't you come back before detonating?"
"Too much time wasted. Detonating now means you can directly send people to clean up."
Hagiwara Kenji's mentality was about to collapse: "What if it failed—"
"There was no 'what if.'" That voice with its usual casual feeling said flatly, "I don't do things I'm not confident about."
Hagiwara Kenji didn't know how the call ended or what he himself had said, only feeling his heart beating violently.
...He felt like he hadn't come on vacation, but to undergo tribulation.
Kudo Yusaku didn't know what to say either: "Samukawa-kun this... um... is he occasionally like this, or always?"
Hagiwara Kenji's face was wooden as he began planning post-autumn reckoning: "Occasionally."
Kudo Yusaku looked at Matsuda Jinpei's expression and silently translated: Frequently.
The FBI side was still discussing with the bomb expert whether this was real or fake.
The bomb expert expressed his doubts, worried the other had actually done nothing and just wanted to trick them all back, then detonate and kill them all, taking everyone down with him.
"That guy's a lunatic!" The bomb expert, apparently stimulated by something, could no longer listen to reason.
Judy agreed in her heart but could only persuade in front of foreign colleagues: "Not necessarily... If he wanted to kill us, he has plenty of methods. No need to go through this trouble."
The bomb expert, who thought he'd nearly died, calmed down a bit: "True."
Kudo Yusaku, who had witnessed the entire process: "............"
This method of consolation was truly a first... He had inspiration again!
Finally, this phone call ended when their discussion subject tapped the bomb expert who was stopped halfway arguing on the phone from behind. The bomb expert screamed and hung up.
Judy was a bit worried.
She had already felt Samukawa Shinryu didn't value his own life, and now confirming this point, she felt the danger level had doubled!
Judy thought for a moment, moved closer to Matsuda Jinpei, and quietly asked: "Excuse me, do you have interviews to become police in Japan? Do you focus on mental health?"
"............"
Matsuda Jinpei wanted to say something but didn't know what to say, feeling a rare loss for words. After a long while, he dryly said: "...Yes, really."
Judy didn't look very convinced but still politely said: "Perhaps Samukawa-san should see a doctor."
Matsuda Jinpei was also fed up—going abroad once, not doing anything else, but first giving foreign friends a bizarre impression of his country's police...
Finally, the bomb expert reluctantly went back to check and found that indeed, as the other had said, the control box had been blown up without affecting the bomb box below. As long as there was no violent impact, it could be moved elsewhere for detonation. The hotel was now safe.
After confirming safety, the group returned to the hotel, planning to hold a summary meeting.
At this point, the bomb expert's attitude changed again, like a chameleon, treating the other as a big shot again, showering him with endless flattery.
Such a high-difficulty plan with such low success rate had actually succeeded! And the process was smooth as flowing clouds and lifting heavy weights as if they were light—now he didn't think not using measuring instruments was arrogance or unprofessional. He firmly believed this was the big shot's talent, that he was just that awesome!
If others did this and easily failed to meet God, that only proved others weren't good enough!
Even the previously unfriendly FBI had to admit after such a display of skill that the foreign bomb expert was indeed impressive, coming forward one by one to cozy up to Usuha Izuki—knowing such an awesome big shot was their fortune! America had explosions every day, who could guarantee they wouldn't encounter such cases again?!
"I feel ashamed of my previous prejudice." A very typical old white man felt a bit nervous facing the "Black Screen Aura" but still sincerely apologized, though he couldn't help asking unwillingly at the end, "Would you consider immigrating? If we encounter such cases again in the future..."
"No." Usuha Izuki refused without hesitation. "I think we won't have opportunities to meet again."
The bomb expert had gone to pour juice for Usuha Izuki and returned just in time to hear this, immediately becoming anxious.
"Why?! Which prison are you in? I'll apply for visitation. Could you please not refuse?"
Everyone: "............"
The atmosphere froze. All the FBI looked at the bomb expert in shock, not understanding how he could say such things.
Judy's mouth twitched: "Um, this is a Japanese police officer... Didn't anyone tell you?!"
Bomb expert: "...???"
Wait, the idea that he was a big shot from prison helping police solve cases to reduce his sentence seemed to be entirely his personal speculation, never verified... He had unconsciously taken it as fact!!!
A Hawaiian police officer coughed: "We mentioned it once, but he was studying the bomb at the time and didn't seem to hear..."
The bomb expert stiffly turned his head and found the usually expressionless big shot showing a half-smiling expression.
The nearly fifty-year-old middle-aged man was so scared he almost cried, apologizing with tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry..."
—You couldn't blame him for not guessing! What kind of terrifying human Gotham was Japan, where all police had this style?!