There must be some kind of supernatural power in this world.
These supernatural forces may not greatly affect reality, but that does not mean they do not exist, and they absolutely cannot be denied.
For example, the APTX4869 that Haibara is researching is completely unscientific. Toru had discussed this topic with her before.
According to Haibara, there was indeed an incredible mysterious substance within the Silver Bullet that her parents developed.
Her parents merely replicated that mysterious substance.
However, what they created was still a counterfeit, which is why it had various flaws.
It did not work on everyone. Most people who took it simply died. Only those with specific genes would experience bodily shrinkage after taking it.
Haibara even suspected that the gene-specific activation was something her parents forcibly added during the drug's development.
Otherwise, if her own shrinking and Kudo Shinichi's shrinking were coincidences,
Then Akai Mary, who is related to her by blood, shrinking as well could not be explained as coincidence.
It was highly likely that when her parents developed the Silver Bullet, the bloodline and genetic material they used came from themselves.
"If I can obtain the original source of that mysterious substance my parents discovered, the Silver Bullet can be fully completed."
That was what Haibara told Toru.
She had that confidence because she believed she was a more talented biologist and pharmacologist than her parents.
However, what that mysterious substance capable of shrinking the human body actually was, and where it came from, she had no idea.
Toru was different.
Based on memories from his previous life, he strongly suspected that substance was Pandora's Tears.
That was also one of the reasons he wanted Kaitou Kid to work for him.
Besides Kaito's abilities, he was the only one who had been consistently searching for the jewel Pandora.
Eternal youth and immortality, not only the Black Organization, even Toru would be tempted.
"Are you even listening to me?"
Seeing him slightly distracted, Haibara spoke with dissatisfaction.
She stood with her arms crossed, glaring at him, clearly upset.
"Haibara, I know you're worried about me. Don't worry. I value my life very much. If I wasn't absolutely confident, I wouldn't do something that reckless."
Toru reached out and patted her head.
Haibara slapped his hand away irritably.
"How many times have I told you? I'm not a child, stop patting my head. And I wasn't worried about you, don't be so narcissistic."
With that, she pouted and walked aside, sitting on a high stool in front of the lab bench and typing rapidly on her computer.
Toru smiled faintly.
He was simply maintaining his persona. He was not someone who would recklessly risk his life just to save someone.
The main reason was his trust in the bulletproof vest provided by the system. He had tested it many times. Ordinary handguns could not penetrate it at all.
If Pisco had been holding an assault rifle that day, he would never have stepped in front of the muzzle so foolishly.
Unless one day the system provided him with an even stronger bulletproof vest, one that made him completely immune to standard firearms.
At that point, he might truly rampage through this world without fear.
"The deceased Masuyama Kenzo, I investigated his identity. He was Pisco from the Organization."
"Pisco?"
Haibara's fingers froze over the keyboard. A trace of fear flashed across her face.
"...If he was from the Organization, then suicide is impossible. It's highly likely he was silenced by the Organization."
"At that banquet, besides Pisco, there must have been other members present."
Haibara reached that conclusion immediately.
Toru admired her judgment. It was not about intelligence, but about her understanding of the Black Organization.
She knew that anyone who failed a mission would be eliminated.
"For an Organization like that to have survived until now, I can only say it's quite something."
"What do you mean?"
"Masuyama Kenzo was the chairman of a well-known automobile company in Japan, holding significant power. To cultivate someone like that, the Organization must have invested enormous resources."
"But they had him personally commit murder, even use a gun. That's simply wasting resources."
Toru clicked his tongue.
It was like nurturing a billionaire who controlled a listed company and vast social resources.
And he was loyal.
Yet for the sake of killing a single person, they had him do it himself. That was simply foolish.
Haibara muttered, "Usually Gin handles this kind of thing. Maybe Gin was injured and couldn't act, which is why Pisco was used."
Even so, it was still a case of sacrificing long-term value for short-term gain.
Haibara looked worried again.
"You disrupted their plan and exposed Pisco. Be careful. The Organization might target you."
"Don't worry. That Organization won't act against me. If they dare, it's them who will be finished."
Kir's position in the Organization was not core, but high enough.
If they planned to move against him, she would inform him in advance.
Even if she did not know, Vermouth certainly would.
Her actions already proved she was not as loyal as she appeared.
That woman with thin brows and large eyes could become a traitor at any moment.
And even if the Organization acted, Toru was not afraid.
Others might fear Gin, but he truly did not.
As for the other members, they were even less concerning.
If it really came to it, he would simply take a gun and have a proper conversation with Rum.
The one he was truly wary of was never Rum or the thugs beneath him.
What made him cautious was the unseen Boss of the Organization and the hidden forces backing it.
Compared to assassins like Gin, if the Organization mobilized dozens or hundreds of elite special forces, that would concern him more.
But such large-scale movement would not escape the eyes of the CIA.
Seeing his indifferent attitude, Haibara hesitated, then chose not to say more.
Perhaps the Organization that terrified her was not such a big deal in his eyes.
Around five in the afternoon, Sakiko arrived at the Western-style mansion for work as usual.
When she saw Toru, she immediately bowed.
"Mr. Fujiwara, Mutsumi told me everything. Thank you for saving her."
Mutsumi's personality was cold and her speech slow. She could not clearly describe how dangerous the situation had been.
But even so, what Sakiko heard was enough to frighten her.
Mutsumi was one of the few friends she could confide in. If something had happened to her, Sakiko, already struggling under life's pressure, might have completely collapsed.
"I didn't expect you to know about it too, Sakiko. It was just a small matter. Don't worry."
"How could I not worry?"
She shook her head.
But seeing that he did not want to dwell on it, and that he was unharmed, she did not press further. She simply kept her gratitude in her heart.
"I suddenly suspect that you saved her for ulterior motives."
Haibara glanced at Sakiko in the kitchen, as if she had just realized something.
Earlier, she had been too worried about his safety to think clearly.
Now that she had calmed down, something felt off.
"Haibara, how can you say that? I didn't expect Pisco to suddenly act. That was just instinct."
"If he had tried to abduct you, I would have blocked the bullet for you too."
Toru spoke sincerely.
Haibara gave him a suspicious look.
"Forget it."
She did not continue the topic.
Because she believed that he truly would take a bullet for her.
After some practice, Sakiko's cooking skills had genuinely improved.
After dinner, Haibara returned to her computer, Toru sat on the sofa chatting on his phone, and Sakiko, dressed in a maid outfit, began cleaning.
[Curacao, eliminate these two. Make it look like a traffic accident. Leave no evidence.]
Toru sent Kayako Kawamata's parents' information to Curacao and ordered her to act.
A monk from Thailand had come to Japan and was still monitoring Kayako. That made him uneasy.
Now that he had a capable subordinate like Curacao, he did not need to handle everything personally.
If only Gin could work for me, that would be perfect. A true workaholic, ruthless, never asks questions. No need to worry about moral hesitation.
Toru found himself starting to like him a little.
Unfortunately, that was only a thought.
Unless he replaced Rum.
[Kir, continue monitoring that monk. Don't let him out of your sight. Wait for me to arrive.]
He decided to capture the monk and extract information from him.
However, in case there were truly powerful supernatural forces in this world, he needed to be cautious.
[Received, Boss.]
After seeing the replies, Toru put away his phone.
He needed to prepare first. This troublesome matter had to be handled cleanly.
As long as it involved people, he was confident he could solve it.
What he feared most were mysterious and eerie forces.
After all, he did not currently have the ability to kill a god just to prove a point.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)