Chapter 220
Hearing Vodka's words like a resentful woman questioning a scumbag who had deceived her feelings, Akai Shuichi slowly developed a question mark above his head.
During a gunfight between both sides, you actually called—that was already absurd enough. Having finally gotten through, asking such a meaningless question made it even more absurd!
It was to the degree that made one suspect whether he'd been possessed by Botanist!
When Akai Shuichi fell silent, Vodka's side gradually became hysterical: "Say something! Why aren't you talking?!"
Quickly say you're not FBI! Quickly!!!
This obviously mentally broken emotion was truly infectious—even through the phone, everyone who heard it could empathize with Vodka's breakdown.
Judy was shocked: "Is being FBI or not that important...? Does he have a grudge against the FBI?"
Using such a precious opportunity to ask this seemed like a joke.
Akai Shuichi actually spoke well of Vodka: "It's understandable."
After all, anything involving Usuha Izuki would take a rather strange turn.
Moreover, he might not answer other intelligence questions, but which organization's undercover he was didn't necessarily need hiding, so there was a chance of getting an answer.
Most importantly, whether he was FBI related to many people's worldviews, dignity, and intelligence in the organization...
Just thinking about how everyone had treated Usuha Izuki as mentally ill, only to turn around and discover Usuha Izuki was completely right while they were all wrong...
It was equivalent to overturning their lifelong understanding of the world, even making them wonder if they themselves were the sick ones.
And with Usuha Izuki's personality, they'd be despised by him for life—even Gin probably couldn't maintain that disdainful attitude anymore... Vodka, who had just very haughtily blacklisted Usuha Izuki not long ago, couldn't accept this reality—perfectly normal.
Asking this was probably to die with understanding.
Akai Shuichi, who had once doubted his own life for a whole night because of a few words from Usuha Izuki, felt sympathetic.
Left hanging, Vodka's voice was hoarse as he indignantly questioned: "You have time to answer other people's questions—why won't you answer mine? Yes or no, just one answer—is that so difficult?!"
If not for considering this was a male organization member, Judy would seamlessly transition this into the female lead of her soap operas.
Even as an enemy, Judy wanted to question: Your radio communications are also on, right? You're doing this in front of other organization members? Is there no one left in this world you care about?! Or do all organization people like talking this way?!
For a moment, the Black Organization's reputation fluctuated violently in this FBI agent's heart.
Don't say—quite a few people in the organization's communication channel were anxiously waiting to hear Akai Shuichi's answer.
After all, Botanist constantly saying Rye was FBI had long spread throughout the organization, but no one ever took it seriously.
Because members who hadn't directly contacted Botanist would be immediately told after hearing such rumors: Don't take it seriously—Botanist is just mentally ill. If what he said was true, Rye would have been in the interrogation room long ago.
But now the world was overturned, as if suddenly being told that what they'd learned about Earth being round was wrong. Everyone couldn't quite accept it and was waiting for the truth.
So not only did they not think Vodka's question was problematic—they even empathized.
Akai Shuichi was starting to feel sorry for Vodka. Anyway, with so many FBI returning from Japan to America, they didn't need to hide their purpose and sneak around anymore. They'd definitely leave many traces that weren't hard to investigate. Telling Vodka the correct answer early wasn't bad.
But just as he was about to admit it, Akai Shuichi suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
Having been tormented by Usuha Izuki for so long, Akai Shuichi was quite familiar with some of Usuha Izuki's commonly used rhetoric. At this moment, he couldn't help wondering how Usuha Izuki would answer.
He fired another shot, blowing out another car's tire. After confirming that because police were about to arrive, those people had decided not to continue pursuing, he took the phone from Judy and responded:
"Guess."
Click—hung up and blacklisted the number.
A little mental manipulation of the organization before leaving could be considered wrapping up his undercover mission.
In the organization's communication channel, deathly silence.
Scotland coughed: "Vodka, calm down. Although Rye did betray the organization, we still can't confirm he's actually an undercover agent..."
He wasn't trying to speak well of Rye because they were both undercover agents—rather, he actually resented Rye somewhat. How could he be so incompetent? Getting exposed just like that, and possibly implicating others...
Mainly, if Rye really was FBI, the organization would start taking seriously what Usuha Izuki had said before, and both he and Bourbon would be in trouble.
So regardless of the truth, he had to try making this seem more coincidental to help himself and his undercover friend.
Gin, who had been silent just listening to the broken Vodka's hysteria, finally spoke.
Gin's tone was vicious—clearly in an extremely bad mood, sounding like he'd bite whoever he saw.
"The facts are right in front of us, yet you're still speaking for that traitor. Scotland, you're not actually an undercover agent, are you?"
Scotland paused: "...Gin, do you know your current speech pattern sounds a lot like Botanist?"
Gin was disgusted into silence: "..........."
Vodka still supported his big brother: "Scotland, don't change the subject. How dare you still speak for Rye?!"
"First, I'm not speaking for him. I'm just saying he might not be an undercover agent—maybe he only recently colluded with those people? That way he'd just be a traitor, right?"
Scotland presented the reason he'd desperately thought of while slacking off during the pursuit: "Is it possible he was actually driven to betray by Botanist?"
Everyone: "...???"
"After all, his workplace experience was really terrible. Before even joining, he was hit by Botanist's subordinate's car and hospitalized, but wasn't allowed to stay—made to discharge the same day. Then working for Botanist, supposedly helping him find work, but secretly acting as a black-hearted middleman, swindling lots of money. When discovered, claiming it was agency fees, and this money still hasn't been returned..."
Scotland, as someone who had a decent relationship with Usuha Izuki back then and even went to Usuha Izuki's house to chat with the then-Akai Shuichi, recalled these events like counting family treasures.
"Rye finally escaped Botanist and joined the organization, no longer being swindled for agency fees, but Botanist went around the organization claiming he was FBI. Even after Rye got a codename, he wouldn't use the codename but directly called him FBI—pure bullying."
"On Rye's missions too, Botanist would occasionally call to warn others not to associate with Rye, to ostracize him. Even Gin was swayed recently and investigated Rye again, finding no problems, right?"
"So Rye really wasn't an undercover agent—it's just that Gin's investigation was the last straw, so he couldn't stand the organization's atmosphere and decided to collude with other organizations to betray us... That's not impossible, right?"
"It's more convincing than saying Gin is also an undercover agent and didn't find anything because Gin was covering for Rye, isn't it?"
After Scotland finished this speech, the communication channel fell silent again.
Organization members who had little contact with Botanist and only heard of his codename trembled.
Was Botanist such a terrifying guy... He could even conduct bullying within the organization... What kind of pervert was this...
After a long while, Vodka spoke gloomily: "I admit what you said has some logic, but Rye's missions were basically all in Japan. If he didn't have prior contact, where would he suddenly find a bunch of foreigners' organizations to defect to?"
Scotland thought this was bad—Vodka, who had been mindless just now, suddenly grew a brain.
Vodka's tone grew darker: "And I heard those foreigners speaking English. I couldn't distinguish the accent clearly, but it definitely didn't sound British—most likely American..."
Scotland tried to persuade him: "Think positively—what if it's CIA? After all, FBI usually handles domestic affairs while CIA handles international ones!"
Real CIA undercover Mizuno Rena: "...???"
I didn't even know Rye was an undercover agent—he's definitely not our CIA!
But this made her even more curious about how Botanist discovered Rye was an undercover agent.
So Mizuno Rena couldn't help asking: "What did Botanist use to discover Rye was an undercover agent? Have you asked?"
Not mentioning it was fine, but bringing this up made Vodka's barely assembled rationality start crumbling again.
"He said today he dreamed it..."
Scotland sighed: "Anyway, let's wait for news from the intelligence team. If he's not FBI, everyone can relax."
At this moment, everyone who had been named by Usuha Izuki as undercover agents was praying in their hearts.
Please, Rye, you must not be FBI! Even CIA would be fine!!!
As long as it's not FBI! Even if you told us you were an undercover agent from an environmental organization, we could accept it!!!