Disclaimer: Detective Conan is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
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1-12 Sekido-cho, Nishitama City, Tokyo.
Meisen Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
As he drove into the research facility's parking lot, Ritsu deliberately glanced at the building across the street.
The Nishitama City Hall. This organization really had some nerve, setting up a research lab right across from a government office, out in the open… it was almost amusing.
After parking neatly in the space, Ritsu got out and checked the car from every angle to make sure it was perfectly aligned before letting out a breath. He had a bit of an obsession with parking, if the car was even slightly crooked, it bothered him like nails scratching on a chalkboard.
Vodka shut the car door and motioned for them to follow. Instead of entering through the main entrance, he led them through a side door connected to the parking lot.
A password had to be entered, followed by a fingerprint scan. Once the automatic electronic door opened, Ritsu surveyed the interior of the facility. From what he could see, it looked no different from any other biopharmaceutical research lab.
Well, except for one thing.
The two men in black standing by the side entrance. The bulges in their trouser pockets made it obvious, they were carrying handguns.
Armed security at the entrance wasn't something you saw every day. This organization was clearly more complex than he had imagined. No wonder it wasn't enough to just insert him, they had also arranged for Rei, who specialized in intelligence gathering, to support him.
Or perhaps the thinking was like scooping goldfish: if there's only one fish in the tank, it becomes the sole target. But with two… they can cover for each other. One can use the other to escape, or sacrifice themselves to ensure the other survives.
Placing two undercover agents inside was indeed far better than relying on a lone wolf.
"Follow me."
Ritsu noticed that Shiho didn't look well. Ever since seeing that Porsche 356A, her expression had darkened.
Was she afraid of the car's owner… Gin?
His body instinctively shifted closer to the wall on the right. As they passed the second corner and went deeper inside, Ritsu also sensed someone approaching from behind.
He didn't believe his identity had been exposed so whoever was trailing him was either monitoring him… or testing him.
Sure enough, just as Vodka stopped in front of a laboratory door, something cold pressed against the back of Ritsu's head. At the same time, Shiho's face showed clear fear. It wasn't hard to guess who was pointing a gun at him.
His body didn't tremble. In fact, he stood there as if nothing were happening.
Gin narrowed his eyes and walked around from behind to stand in front of Ritsu, examining the man who had earned "that gentleman's" expectations up close.
Those pale blue eyes stared straight at him without fear, calm to the point of being unsettling. His breathing was steady, his heartbeat unchanged. Did he think the Beretta M92F in Gin's hand was a toy?
"Gin… what are you doing?!" Shiho shouted, summoning her courage.
Ignoring her completely, Gin moved the gun to Ritsu's pale neck. Curiosity colored his tone as he asked, "Aren't you afraid I'll pull the trigger?"
"I'm just an unarmed civilian. If you really intend to shoot, fear and begging would be pointless. I might as well stay calm and die with some dignity."
"What do you think?"
Delivering the prepared response without hesitation, Ritsu showed no fear of Gin's probing. He even turned the question back on him.
After a few seconds of silence, Gin lowered the gun and slipped it back into his pocket. He let out a soft chuckle without answering, but the faint smile at the corner of his lips made it clear. He was satisfied with Ritsu's reaction.
Shiho let out a quiet sigh of relief when Gin put the gun away. If Ritsu had actually been killed, she would have been consumed with guilt. After all, she was the one who brought him here and she had intended to use him.
Even Vodka hadn't expected his boss to act like that. Internally, he couldn't help but admire this newcomer. Someone who could stand unfazed under Gin's overwhelming pressure had real potential.
'Such courage, yet he looked so frail… probably hadn't even killed a bird before. Someone like that would only be suited for the research division.'
"Vodka, I'll leave the rest to you."
"Yes, Aniki!"
Ritsu glanced at Gin's retreating figure. His long silver hair reached his waist, paired with a black trench coat and a high-collared dark green inner layer. Like everyone else in the organization, he favored black attire, topped off with a black hat larger than Vodka's.
His build seemed slightly smaller than Vodka's, though he was a bit taller. Without the heavy coat, he was probably on the slimmer side.
But most striking of all was that chilling, razor-sharp aura of a killer, like a gray wolf ruling over its territory on a frozen plain. The sheer pressure he exuded was unmistakable. No wonder he was one of the organization's key figures.
If he could earn Gin's trust, it would be equivalent to stepping halfway through the organization's door.
Standing at the lab entrance, Vodka quickly tapped in an eight-digit code on the electronic panel. After confirming it and scanning his palm print, the door finally opened.
The lab was empty. The nearly 100-square-meter space was filled with advanced equipment. Clearly, whatever drug the organization was developing was of great importance to them, they had spared no expense.
"Lab No. 5 will be shared by the two of you. These are your ID cards. The password is this eight-digit number, and you can register your palm print using the card."
After handing them their IDs, Vodka added, "The two rooms further inside are your dorms. As for the drug development… Nanase, you'll be taking instructions from her."
Ritsu looked at his ID card. It clearly read: Deputy Director, Meisen Biological Laboratory.
"Oh, Vodka-san, may I ask you something?"
"Heh, go ahead."
"Don't we need to sign any contracts? Like confidentiality agreements?"
Vodka chuckled, growing more fond of this perceptive newcomer. "All researchers in this facility aren't allowed to leave… Didn't Miyano mention that?"
Seeing Ritsu freeze for a moment, Vodka patted his shoulder and said with a grin, "Do a good job and you might get a chance to see the outside world again. Don't try anything funny. I'll be off now."
With that, the spacious lab was left with just the two of them.
Shiho hesitated for a moment before lifting her head to look at him, speaking softly, "I'm sorry."
Ritsu, who had been thinking about how to approach Gin under the guise of a researcher, was momentarily caught off guard by the sudden apology. After a beat, he replied casually, "No need to apologize. I don't mind."
"Huh? But…"
"They seem fairly easy to get along with. And the salary is high enough, losing a bit of freedom isn't a big deal."
Easy to get along with?
Shiho blinked in disbelief. Did he completely misunderstand what this organization was?
Ritsu flipped through the contract on the desk. An annual salary of 10 million yen and that didn't even include pension, medical insurance, health insurance, or employment insurance.
A truly "generous" company.
No wonder the organization kept growing larger and larger, there was clearly a reason for it.