BONUS CHAPTER #8
After deciding to "coincidentally bump into" a certain someone, Jiangxia Tongzhi remembered something important.
When he got home, he pulled out the organization's special device and sent a message to Gin:
"Do official members need to report if they're traveling? I want to visit Osaka, but I'm worried you won't be able to find me if you suddenly need me. Or worse, you'll just send someone to silence me for escaping."
…
Far away, Gin had just finished some business and returned to his car with a bag of documents. Vodka immediately hit the gas and pulled them out of the scene like a pro.
Gin, now settled into the passenger seat, casually tossed the bag down at his feet. He glanced at his phone and saw Jiangxia's message. It gave him a rare moment of satisfaction.
—Members who actually care about their boss are getting rare. Even rarer are ones like Ouzo—not just some useless puppet, but someone who can get things done quickly and creatively while keeping the organization's interests in mind.
He replied, coolly:
"No need."
If the organization has a big mission, they'll notify everyone in advance. If it's a minor job, anyone nearby can take it. If you're not around, someone else will do it. No need to file travel reports like you're on some school trip.
Besides, Ouzo was still in his probationary period—under hidden observation. For now, Gin had to act as a go-between for him and the boss. But give it a few years, and Ouzo would be a senior member, pulling missions straight from higher-ups.
Gin checked the time and sighed. Hopefully, he could find more competent people before that happened. Otherwise, when Ouzo moved up, the workload would shift, and Gin would probably have to "deal with" a bunch of other members for being incompetent.
Still, Ouzo being based in Tokyo meant they'd have plenty of chances to team up.
As Gin thought about Ouzo's track record, another matter came to mind—
—He'd just received new intel about Kiichiro Numabuchi in Osaka.
Numabuchi had once been part of the organization. He was originally trained as a hitman, but he flunked out and got demoted to "human experiment subject." (A classic career downgrade.)
But Numabuchi wasn't exactly the sit-still-and-die type. He escaped under cover of night.
Unfortunately, that incident seriously wrecked his mental state. Ever since, any time he sees someone in black clothes, he assumes it's an assassin from the organization and flips out—often fatally. Several innocent pedestrians in black jackets had been killed because of this.
The police eventually caught him and tossed him in jail.
But it didn't last. He broke out again and disappeared.
That was until a few days ago—someone spotted him in Osaka.
Gin had gone over Numabuchi's file before. Based on that, he figured the man hadn't spilled any secrets when arrested. Or maybe he had, but no one took him seriously—they probably just assumed he was a madman.
Regardless, someone who knows that much about the organization is a risk. Best to silence him.
So Gin packaged up the Osaka sighting, along with Numabuchi's updated profile, and forwarded it to Jiangxia.
Sure, someone else had already been assigned to handle the matter. But since Ouzo was heading that way, why not give him the option to do some cleanup on the side?
From Gin's perspective, Ouzo probably had no real goal for this trip—he'd just heard that Osaka folks were warm and talkative, and figured it was a good place to enjoy the culture... and maybe hunt down a few victims along the way.
Assassination, after all, required a bit of social finesse. Gin figured Osaka's extroverted types were better bait than Tokyo's tight-lipped salarymen.
He had no problem with Ouzo's little hobby—he just thought it was a bit inefficient. So why not toss him a side quest to make it productive?
Still, Osaka was unfamiliar ground for Ouzo. Finding one fugitive there would be like finding a ghost in the fog. So Gin marked the mission as optional.
Also, it was partly a warning: Numabuchi tended to go berserk on anyone in black. And Ouzo, being a proud follower of "organizational aesthetics," was basically a walking target.
…
Jiangxia skimmed Numabuchi's file, memorized the key points, and then deleted the message.
The sudden mission didn't stress him out.
First of all, it wasn't mandatory. He could just coast.
And second, Jiangxia vaguely remembered that this time, when he went to investigate Heiji Hattori's case, he'd likely run into Numabuchi anyway.
He'd just deal with it if it came up. Act like he was trying. Sort of.
…
A few days later, Hattori Heiji finally managed to convince Kogoro Mouri to visit. The whole Mouri family boarded a train bound for Osaka.
Jiangxia tagged along too.
When Heiji came to meet them at the station, he was a little tense at first.
But then he saw that Conan hadn't brought Jiangxia. Heiji relaxed and cheerfully began giving them a tour of Osaka.
None of them noticed a winged ghost quietly floating in their midst.
After enjoying some very "murderable" scenery, it was time for dinner. Heiji took them to a restaurant he liked.
Jiangxia positioned himself diagonally across from the restaurant and peeked inside through the open doorway.
He'd already spotted the group back at the tourist spot. But scenic areas were crowded—if Heiji had ducked out there with some excuse, it would've just been Conan left behind. Who knows if that would have triggered a case?
Restaurants were better. Not quite public space, but not too private. Once the food hit the table, Heiji wouldn't be able to bail so easily.
Jiangxia lingered by the door, waiting.
When the food finally arrived, he was just about to waltz in for a "random" encounter—when he caught movement in the corner of his eye.
He turned.
A high school girl with a high ponytail was staring at him, clearly suspicious.
Jiangxia had never seen her before. But judging by her hairstyle and the fact that she was here in Osaka, a name popped into his mind—Toyama Kazuha.
Toyama Kazuha, Hattori Heiji's childhood friend, and supposedly his crush.
The reason for "supposedly" was that Kazuha was practically glowing with love, but Heiji was so dense he probably thought "romantic tension" was some kind of mystery meat.
Kazuha was here today for one reason: to check out the "Kudou" girl that Heiji wouldn't shut up about.
*Goal #1: Top 200 fanfics published within the last 31 - 90 days by POWER STONES.
Progress: 3/60(approx) for 10 BONUS CHAPTERS
Goal #2: One BONUS CHAPTER per review for the first 10 REVIEWS.
Progress:2/10*