Chapter 245 Covert Operations Unit, The Shinomiya Family Upheaval
Hakuto continued to press Kenzo for information about the Restoration Society. Unfortunately, like Souichirou, he was just an executive, not one of the twelve cabinet members.
So Kenzo only knew about this mission. Besides that, he only knew the Restoration Society's members he had recruited.
The person who always issued orders was in single-line contact with him. Hakuto realized that although the Restoration Society were beasts, they weren't without brains.
Think about it. If they were brainless, how could the Restoration Society have lasted this long?
Hakuto looked at Kenzo. He had him gather all the operatives. Then Hakuto turned them all into Deep Ones. There was no need to turn these cannon fodder into Faceless Ones.
Moreover, these cannon fodders were purely combat personnel. Turning them into Deep Ones was best. Deep Ones had stronger combat abilities than Faceless Ones.
But unexpectedly, during the transformation into Deep Ones, one of the cannon fodder Hakuto had assumed was a grunt resisted for a long time before finally being transformed.
He knew this guy was no ordinary cannon fodder, so Hakuto asked him, "Who are you?"
"In reply to my Lord, I am Asama Kento. A member of the Covert Operations Unit. Code name: Shadow 21. My mission was to monitor Katsura Kenzo. If he showed any sign of betrayal, I was to immediately eliminate him."
Hearing this, Hakuto couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
'This Restoration Society was truly intricate. Not only were they extremely secretive, but they had also planted such a person within their own organization. If a member betrayed, they would be immediately backstabbed and silenced.'
'If there was someone like this by Katsura Kenzo's side, was there someone like this by Takagi Souichirou's side?'
This thought popped into Hakuto's mind. His expression instantly darkened. Fortunately, he hadn't had Takagi Souichirou do anything.
'Wait, could the arrival of Takagi Yuriko and Takagi Saya have...'
A flash of alarm and anger passed through Hakuto's eyes. Then he immediately called Takagi Souichirou. After that, he had Yakumo Yukari take him to the Takagi Residence.
Following Hakuto's instructions, Takagi Souichirou had gathered all his subordinates. Then Hakuto appeared and turned them all into Deep Ones.
Unsurprisingly, he caught another member of the Covert Operations Unit, code name Shadow 18.
Apparently, the other party had already suspected Takagi Souichirou. But he hadn't acted yet or transmitted any information. So this time, by a stroke of luck, Hakuto had preserved the asset of Takagi Souichirou.
But this gave Hakuto an in-depth understanding of the Restoration Society. Their secrecy work was extremely thorough.
It was really difficult to catch the Restoration Society by the tail.
After dealing with the Covert Operations Unit's member beside Souichirou, Hakuto returned to the Totsuki Resort. He looked at Kenzo, deep in thought.
[The Restoration Society's trail is too hard to catch. So I might be able to try something. Kenzo's order is to kill the chefs at Totsuki and collect their blood. So if I have Kenzo carry out this mission, will he be able to follow the clues to find the Restoration Society?]
[Even if he can't find the Restoration Society, as long as he can find the Legendary Cooking Utensil and prevent it from being contaminated, this won't be a waste.]
[It's worth a try. It'll cost the lives of a hundred or so people. Whether I find the Restoration Society or the Legendary Cooking Utensil, it's a huge win for me.]
[But I need to in advance find an excuse to send Sonoka, Alice, and Erina away. Got it. I'll pretend I'm injured. Then Sonoka, Erina, and the others will definitely come to see me. That should logically dispel their suspicion. Then I'll have Kenzo lead the attack on the Totsuki Resort.]
[The plan is crude, but as long as it works, that's all that matters. Why care about anything else? So, arrange a scene now, trick Erina and the others away, and then have Kenzo launch the attack.]
Erina looked at Hakuto's diary and couldn't help but grind her teeth, 'It's not your family's property, so you don't feel the pain, right? The Totsuki Resort is one of Totsuki's most important assets. If something happens to it, Totsuki might not go bankrupt, but at the very least, it will have to take a hit.'
'And if an attack really happens, Totsuki's reputation will plummet. Who would dare trust Totsuki after that?'
'This guy Hakuto, knowing the Restoration Society is coming to attack the Totsuki Resort, not only doesn't help but actually plans to let them succeed. Bastard!'
Erina and Alice both ground their teeth in anger.
[Although doing this is a bit unfair to Erina and Alice, I believe they will also understand.]
Erina: I don't understand!
Alice: I can't understand!
Sakaki Ryoko: Could I possibly not want to understand?
[But it doesn't matter if they don't understand. Anyway, Erina and Alice won't know that this has anything to do with me. They'll only think it was those bastards in the Restoration Society who did it. So I can completely ignore these concerns. At worst, I'll compensate Erina and Alice properly later. No big deal.]
Erina: Big deal!
Alice: I'm not that easy to appease, you bastard Haku!
Ryoko: I'll probably be dead by then. Should I go butter up Hakuto now? Since I could be considered...
Just as Hakuto was about to decide to have Kenzo lead the attack on the Totsuki Resort, he suddenly realized that the contingency he had planted in Shinomiya Gan'an's body had been triggered.
"Yakumo Yukari, come out and help."
Yakumo Yukari: What do you mean by that? What do you mean? Am I, the Yokai Sage, your mount?
Yakumo Yukari really wanted to grab Hakuto by the collar and demand. But considering that this guy was black-hearted and ruthless and would probably hold a grudge, Yakumo Yukari's face darkened. Still, she took Hakuto to the Shinomiya Residence.