Chapter 200
The next day, Usuha Izuki received a call from Hagiwara Kenji.
Hagiwara Kenji was a bit worried he might have encountered something, so he asked with concern. After confirming he was indeed fine, he chatted about new developments in the FBI case.
"Pretty much as you guessed—that guy thought those recruited people should pay with their lives." Hagiwara Kenji said. "The original plan was to wait until the code was decoded, then use 'you're being targeted, so it's best to enter FBI protection' to get them concentrated in a hotel. Using his FBI identity, he could place bombs there and find reasons to lead innocent people away, blowing up everyone he thought deserved to die together..."
Summarized, it seemed crude and simple, but the feasibility was actually quite high.
Especially since Blade wasn't just FBI but also a bomb expert who attended this conference. If they needed someone to reassure these people who were threatened while in a foreign country, his superiors would think choosing him was most appropriate—having common ground would indeed make his manipulations convenient.
And the FBI wasn't as omnipotent as portrayed in TV shows and movies. Their various mistakes and mission failures were countless.
If Blade hadn't run to the conference venue that day and stood in front of Usuha Izuki, maybe his plan would have already succeeded, and today's newspaper headlines would probably be reporting this news.
But everything was discovered and suppressed while still in its early stages. Plus the FBI didn't want such scandals to become widely known, so the outside world had no information about this.
"Then, didn't the conference end early? But Little Jinpei got along well with someone, so we'll probably act together with this person temporarily." Hagiwara Kenji reported his side's itinerary. "What about you, Little Shinryu?"
Usuha Izuki thought for a moment and honestly confessed part of it: "I encountered a kind woman here, and we'll also be acting together for a while."
Hagiwara Kenji was greatly shocked and almost thought he'd misheard: "...Ah?! What?! Are you sure?!"
A kind woman?! Really?! This happening to Little Shinryu?!
Though he might be used to seeing Little Shinryu's face and thought Little Shinryu was actually handsome and should be very popular with girls, didn't ordinary girls usually get too scared to look directly at Little Shinryu?!
Usuha Izuki patiently repeated: "You heard correctly. I arranged with a kind woman to travel around America together recently."
Hagiwara Kenji blurted out: "Did you encounter a honey trap!"
Usuha Izuki: "...They wouldn't dare."
Hagiwara Kenji calmed down and thought that was true.
Who would dare play honey trap games with Little Shinryu? Besides, Little Shinryu wasn't someone who'd fall into such traps. He'd definitely spot it at a glance—if in a good mood, he'd toy with them; if in a bad mood... uh...
Hagiwara Kenji comforted himself that this was a foreign country, so Little Shinryu would restrain himself somewhat.
But if it wasn't a honey trap, then the woman Little Shinryu encountered...
Hagiwara Kenji asked: "What kind of woman?"
"Blonde and blue-eyed, mature and beautiful, considerate and gentle." Usuha Izuki unhesitatingly gave an evaluation that would make Vodka spit. "I really like her."
Hagiwara Kenji was dazed: "...I-I see... Then have fun together. I won't disturb you..."
He hung up, unable to digest the information density in those few sentences for a moment.
Uh... Though Little Shinryu lacked interest in group dates, and given how he ruined the atmosphere, he didn't really invite Little Shinryu much, but Little Shinryu had indeed reached that age. His constantly cold demeanor before might have been because he hadn't encountered any girls who interested him.
But facing girls who feared and worried upon seeing him would indeed make it hard to be moved.
So this time he finally encountered a woman who wasn't afraid of Little Shinryu's dangerous aura?
...Right, this was America!
Americans seemed naturally adventurous—even serial killers could be adored, with love letters sent to prisons by the boxful. After seeing Little Shinryu, those who liked thrills might not only be unafraid but think they'd found true love.
Truly America...
Hagiwara Kenji sighed sentimentally and turned to Matsuda Jinpei, who happened to push the door open: "Little Shinryu might get a girlfriend."
Matsuda Jinpei: "...Are you telling a horror story?"
"No, it's real. I just called Little Shinryu and he said he'd be acting with a 'kind woman' recently. Do you understand what this means?"
Matsuda Jinpei dropped the towel in his hand: "???"
"So you need to work hard, Little Jinpei." Hagiwara Kenji said. "Very likely among us three, you'll be the one who can't find a girlfriend!"
Matsuda Jinpei's eyes went straight.
So scary! This trip to America—encountering bus explosions, conference murder threats—none of it was as terrifying as this news!!
To the degree that if told to Metropolitan Police colleagues, they'd think April Fool's Day got rescheduled!
Hagiwara Kenji laughed: "Anyway, as long as Little Shinryu can have fun, we don't need to worry too much about him."
More than not needing to worry, Usuha Izuki was like a fish in water.
Because he was brought by the major star Sharon—not as an assistant or anything, but Sharon said he was a friend's child, with a very doting attitude—the crew members were all especially kind to him.
Vermouth was guest-starring this time. The crew had begged her to come, so whatever requests she had, the crew tried to fulfill—wasn't this just diva behavior? They were skilled at dealing with stars of this status!
So Vermouth's scenes, which originally could have been filmed leisurely over several days, were compressed to two days at her request without anyone raising objections... at least not openly. The entire crew appeared to be cooperating.
So two days later, Vermouth took Usuha Izuki onto a plane to Los Angeles.
They even took Vermouth's private jet. At her status level, buying planes and yachts counted as normal consumption. Even those clamoring about environmental protection traveled by private jet—it would be strange if she didn't have one.
It was still daytime when they arrived in Los Angeles, with very ample time.
Vermouth asked: "Want to see Hollywood? Or Universal Studios? Disneyland?"
Usuha Izuki was quite reserved: "I'm already an adult, so I'm not really interested in amusement parks... But I'd like to see Hollywood."
Vermouth was forthright: "Then let's go to Hollywood!"
She took Usuha Izuki around Hollywood. To avoid being recognized, she even disguised herself to accompany him—truly very dedicated.
"Tonight we'll stay at my house in Beverly Hills." Vermouth smiled. "Then tomorrow, I'll take you to meet someone..."
Usuha Izuki had already guessed: "Gin's trading partner?"
"Right." Vermouth didn't care much about who she could share this intelligence with—if asked, she was just taking Usuha Izuki to visit acquaintances. "Eddie Cassano, Italian-American, famous Hollywood producer... That's on the surface. Privately he's a mafia boss—most of Hollywood's drugs flow through his channels."
Such dangerous people generally weren't suitable for valued people to contact.
But Vermouth felt no need to worry about Usuha Izuki in this regard—nowhere was more dangerous than the Middle East. Plus Yarik had always detested drugs, not even dealing them in smuggling operations. Usuha Izuki was definitely the same. Her warning now was enough for Usuha Izuki to know how to be careful.
Usuha Izuki was very curious: "Do people in your circle all know about his activities?"
"Quite a few know, but drug use is common in Hollywood. Interest groups keep their mouths shut, plus they fear being silenced." Vermouth shrugged. "The FBI keeps watching him but hasn't caught him red-handed."
Usuha Izuki sighed: "Even the all-pervasive paparazzi failed."
"...They either died or were bought off. Paparazzi value their lives too." Vermouth said. "Even the Los Angeles police probably... But none of this concerns us. He's having a pool party tomorrow—I'll take you. Given my face, he probably won't slip you anything he shouldn't, but be careful yourself."
Usuha Izuki smiled: "Don't worry, no one understands risk avoidance better than me!"
—With [Universal Navigation] active, how could anything doctored get in his mouth? What a joke!