Toru said admiringly, "As expected of Sister, you really do have courage."
"I usually call people who bet all their assets gamblers, but if you're betting all your assets on me, then I can only say your judgment is excellent."
Mary said playfully, "I've lived more than thirty years longer than you. I still have at least this much courage."
"There are some things you can't take with you when you're born or when you die. Instead of letting them rot in my hands, it's better to make the best use of them."
Toru asked again, "Do you know of any overseas supply bases I can use?"
"Overseas supply bases? What do you need those for?"
"To dock and resupply submarines."
"You have a submarine?"
Mary's eyes widened, and even Masumi could not help looking at Toru.
No way, where did you get something like that?
Toru smiled shyly. "It's not that I have one. It's that the Organization that shrank you currently has a submarine docked in the Pacific Ocean."
"I'm thinking of a way to seize that submarine, and then it will be mine."
"However, even if I have a submarine, if there's nowhere to resupply, dock, and repair it, then it will just be for show."
Mary was speechless for a moment.
You haven't even started yet, and you're already acting like the submarine is yours.
Then she frowned and said, "Wait a minute, that Organization even has a submarine?"
Even if it was not a nuclear submarine, just a conventionally powered one, not every country could build that.
Countless thoughts flashed through Mary's mind, and she said seriously, "A submarine used by that kind of Organization must not be active service equipment. It must be retired."
"This submarine is very likely from America, and for the Organization to be able to obtain and use a retired American submarine, its power is even greater than I imagined."
"There must be some high-level figures in America supporting them. It seems I underestimated this Organization in the past, and I need to take it more seriously."
As expected of Mary, just from a submarine, she was able to infer so much and guess at the deep roots of this Organization.
"In the past, I could have introduced you to a shipyard in Ukraine for maintenance, but there's a war there right now, so maintenance there is impossible."
"But if you really want one, I do have a place."
"Britain has a hidden military supply base in the Pacific Ocean. That base was abandoned after the Cold War, but the infrastructure is still there."
"If you need it, I can give you the coordinates. You just need to spend some money to reactivate it."
"Supplying and maintaining a submarine there is doable, and if you need replacement parts, I can also contact some people I know in America. I should still be able to find them for you."
Mary calmly analyzed the situation and gave her solution.
Toru was stunned. He had only asked casually, and he had not expected Mary to actually be able to help him solve the problem.
What else could he say? Only that she was amazing.
A submarine was equivalent to an underwater base. What man wouldn't want one?
So the problem now was that besides taking that submarine, he also needed money.
It was true that he did not need to build the submarine, but the cost of maintaining it was not small.
And as for how to get money.
Besides robbery, the simplest way was to get money from those who already had it.
Toru immediately thought of APTX4869. A drug that could shrink the human body would make countless people rush toward it.
In Silicon Valley, hundreds of billions of dollars flow to all parts of the world every year, funding laboratories researching how to live longer.
And the people investing that money are the major financial groups.
Those laboratories all over the world receive huge sums of funding even though they produce no real results.
If he could produce a finished version of APTX4869, then those rich people with too much money and too much fear of death would definitely support him with all their strength.
Billions, or even tens of billions of dollars, would be easy to obtain.
A man is innocent, but wealth makes him guilty. The problem was that with something like APTX4869 in his hands, he had to be careful not to let it be stolen.
So Toru needed real power to protect himself.
The CIA was his enemy, but if he could make the CIA into his protective umbrella, then it would be enough to deal with those greedy people and keep them from acting recklessly.
Thinking through all this, Toru was very satisfied with this meeting with Mary.
He had gained far more than he expected, and he had never imagined that the connections and influence Mary had accumulated over her lifetime would be so exaggerated.
As expected of an old capitalist empire. Even a declining British intelligence organization still had some real capabilities.
"Regarding the Matsuba Society you asked me to investigate last time, I now have detailed information."
"I used a special line of contact with Shuichi to have him investigate the Matsuba Society, this yakuza organization in Tokyo. It is not as simple as it looks on the surface."
"The real backer behind this Organization is actually the Unification Church."
Mary sat on the sofa, crossing her small, fair feet, and spoke unhurriedly.
Now that she had reached an agreement with Toru, she felt much more relaxed inside, and her whole mood seemed lighter.
The Unification Church?
Seeing his expression, Mary guessed that he did not know this Organization at all and explained, "The Unification Church is a religious Organization that has been deeply rooted in Japan for decades."
"Do you remember the former Japanese Prime Minister who was assassinated not long ago? The person who assassinated him did it because he supported the Unification Church."
"This religious-type Organization has been entrenched in Japan for many years, and many officials are connected to it. To a certain extent, it can even manipulate some elections."
"However, this shouldn't have much to do with you. As long as you don't take part in elections, you won't come into contact with them."
No, Sister, you're wrong. I just happen to be taking part in elections.
In other words, even if he did not want to come into contact with the Unification Church, they would eventually come to him on their own?
If that was the case, then he hoped those people would behave themselves. He was different from the other Japanese officials. He preferred solving problems physically.
A cold light flashed in Toru's eyes.
Mary then said, "There's something I need your help with."
"Go ahead."
"I hope you can find a time to let me meet my niece."
Mary's expression was a little complicated.
She had not expected her sister's daughter to still be alive, and the reason she had become like this was also connected to her sister and this niece.
Toru nodded and said, "I've already told Haibara in advance, and she's willing to see you."
As he spoke, Toru took a pill bottle from his pocket and placed it on the coffee table in front of him.
"What is this?"
"It's a one-time medicine that can restore your original appearance. The specific principle is too complicated to explain."
Toru briefly explained the effect of the medicine to Mary. "...If you run into danger and this child's body isn't useful, you can take this medicine to return to your original state."
"But you have to remember that after taking it, during the process of growing back, you'll feel severe pain in your heart. So don't wait until the crisis has already arrived before using it. Take it in advance."
"You don't need to worry too much. Haibara has already done human trials with this medicine, and she even tested it on herself, so there won't be any side effects."
"However, to avoid drug resistance, it's still best to use this medicine as little as possible unless absolutely necessary."
Mary put away the pill bottle and said, "This is enough. I can treat it as an extra layer of protection."
"As expected of my niece, she can even make this kind of medicine."
Toru smiled and said, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed a medicine like this could exist."
"All right, I've stayed here long enough, so I'll be leaving now. We're allies now, so if you need anything, send me a message. As long as I can do it, I will."
Mary had given him quite a lot, and Toru was returning the favor.
What Mary had given Toru was exactly what he needed most right now.
"Then I won't keep you for dinner. Don't worry, if I really need something, I definitely won't be polite with you."
Toru stood up and said goodbye to Mary and her daughter.
As soon as he left the hotel room, Masumi, who had mostly stayed silent, frowned and said, "Mother, I don't need you to do this for me, and I don't need anyone else to protect me."
"I can protect myself just fine."
As she spoke, Masumi took up a boxing stance, let out a "heh," and threw two punches into the air, producing a sharp snapping sound.
Mary sighed softly and said, "Masumi, this is different from the detective games you usually play."
"Toru accepted an MI6 mission to find me, but now he is being hunted by the CIA."
"MI6 will no longer trust him, so this mission will be handed over to someone else. There's a very high chance that MI6 agents have already entered Japan and are searching for me."
"Don't underestimate a country's intelligence organization. In my current state, I have no confidence in protecting you, or even myself. We need a strong shield."
"For your safety, your mother is willing to give up everything."
Although Mary always gave off a cold impression, she was actually a good mother who cared deeply for her family.
...
In the hotel parking lot, Toru looked at the application form sent to him by the Yukinoshita family.
It was the preliminary invitation letter for the National Karate Tournament, requiring him to go to Chiba Prefecture to complete the pre-tournament preparations.
Toru still wanted to participate in this karate tournament. He really wanted to compete with the strongest man in the Conan world, Makoto Kyogoku.
(To be continued.)
Check out my new books under Junkdog_787; you can also access them under my reading list in my profile.
■ Naruto: Multiverse Character Templates
■ I Make Games Inside a Mobile Game?! (Trust me, this is a gem, just try out the first few chapters to see)