stonecrandall Page 65
Page 65
Yuki Takada remained silent for a moment.
Shirley's intuition was surprisingly accurate.
He certainly had his reasons—after all, he didn't want to fully integrate into the organization and spend his days doing unrelated, irresponsible things.
Over the years, he had carefully concealed his true thoughts, but unexpectedly, this young scientist saw right through him.
“Even so,” Yuuki Takada finally said, “I can’t support you doing this. The organization’s capabilities far exceed your imagination; they will definitely find you. And then…”
“I know I’ll die a horrible death then,” Shirley finished his sentence, her tone still calm. “But I can’t stay here any longer. The drug I developed… APTX4869… it…”
Shirley suddenly stopped, seemingly realizing she had said too much.
Yuuki Takada keenly noticed her hesitation: "What's wrong with APTX4869? Isn't that the drug the organization asked you to develop?"
Shirley took a deep breath: "There are some things you're better off not knowing. In short, I can't continue my work. Every step of research and development means more people will die as a result."
Yuuki Takada stared at Sherry and saw the unwavering determination in her eyes. He knew that trying to dissuade her was futile.
"What are your plans?" he finally asked.
Shirley seemed somewhat surprised: "You...aren't you going to stop me? Or report it?"
Yuuki Takada gave a wry smile: "Just as you said, I'm not that loyal to the organization. And..." He paused, "I understand the desire to break free from the past."
Shirley gazed at him, the wariness in her eyes easing slightly. "Thank you. I can't tell you the specifics of the plan; it's better for both of us. But I've already made the arrangements, and we'll be moving in soon."
Yuuki Takada nodded. "I understand. Well then, good luck."
The two fell into a brief silence.
Footsteps could be heard occasionally outside the dormitory, each time interrupting their conversation for a moment.
“Actually,” Shirley suddenly spoke, her voice barely audible, “there’s another reason I came to see you. I want to remind you that Rum doesn’t completely trust you.”
Yuuki Takada raised an eyebrow: "Oh? How did you know?"
“I stumbled upon a report,” Shirley said. “Rum recommended that you undergo a more rigorous review.”
He believes your performance at Baijiu Pharmaceuticals is 'too perfect,' and suspects you're hiding something from the organization.
Yuki Takada's heart sank.
Rum's paranoia was well-known within the organization, but he didn't expect to arouse suspicion so quickly.
“Thank you for reminding me,” he said sincerely. “I will be careful.”
Shirley stood up, seemingly preparing to leave.
She walked to the door, but then turned back and took a small USB flash drive out of her pocket.
“Here you go,” she said, handing over the USB drive. “It contains some…information that might be useful to you. You can take a look if you need it after I leave.”
Yuuki Takada took the USB drive and felt an unusual heaviness in it. He understood that it was not just a carrier of information, but also a symbol of Sherry's trust in him.
"Why do you believe me?" he couldn't help but ask.
Shirley smiled slightly: "It's probably a gut feeling. Also... my sister mentioned you before."
Yuuki Takada looked up in surprise: "Akami mentioned me?"
“Yes,” Shirley nodded. “She said you are different from the other members of the organization. You helped her when she was in trouble without asking for anything in return.”
Yuki Takada thought for a while and finally remembered.
During a simple mission, the intelligence transmission that Mingmei was in charge of almost went wrong, and he helped cover it up.
Unexpectedly, she remembered this small incident and told her sister about it.
"That was just a small favor," Yuuki Takada said casually.
“In an organization, there is no such thing as a ‘small favor’,” Shirley said meaningfully. “Every action has a purpose. And what you did that time seemed to be purely out of goodwill.”
Yuki Takada didn't know how to respond.
Having spent too long in the dark organization, he had almost forgotten what pure goodwill was.
Shirley walked to the door again, this time with her hand on the doorknob.
“Wait,” Yuuki Takada suddenly called out to her, “If you need help… on the way out…”
Shirley shook her head: "No, you can't get too involved. Rum is already suspicious of you, and any unusual behavior could put you in danger."
She paused, her voice softening, "But thank you so much. If... if there's a chance in the future, perhaps we'll meet again in another place."
Yuuki Takada nodded solemnly: "I believe it will. Take care, Sherry."
"Take care, Yuuki Takada." Sherry smiled slightly, gave him one last look, then gently opened the door, and after confirming that no one was in the corridor, quickly left.
The door closed gently, and the dormitory returned to silence, leaving only Yuuki Takada alone.
He looked down at the USB drive in his hand, feeling its heavy weight. Shirley's farewell was more than just a goodbye; it was more like a entrustment.
He walked to the window, lifted a corner of the blinds, and looked out at the pitch-black night.
Organized within this vast labyrinth, yet another soul attempts to escape.
He didn't know if Shirley would succeed, but he admired her courage.
Just as Yuki Takada was taking a break, a passage of text suddenly flashed through his mind:
Host: Yuuki Takada
Age: 25 years old
Position: Police Inspector
Combat: 450 (This skill level improves, allowing for the unleashing of corresponding power and the development of combat instincts during battle.)
Speed: 310 (Increasing the speed value will allow you to reach the pinnacle of agility, enabling you to move nimbly through confined spaces, as elusive as a ghost.)
Disguise: 310 (The higher the disguise ability, the more perfectly one can imitate the appearance, voice, and behavior of others.)
Apprehended: 370 (The apprehended value has increased, significantly enhancing the ability to track and predict criminals.)
Weapons: 390 (The higher your weapon proficiency, the more significantly your accuracy, rate of fire, and reload speed will improve.)
Reasoning: 110 (Improved reasoning ability; able to quickly sort out complex clues, see through the surface of things, and reconstruct the whole picture of an event from the details.)
As he watched the various attributes gradually increase, Yuuki Takada smiled faintly. This trip to Shirakyu Pharmaceutical Company had been quite fruitful.
Yuki Takada took out his phone from his pocket and saw a new message from Rum instructing him to report to the airport early the next morning, where a private plane would pick him up.
The hasty handover of the mission further confirmed Shirley's warning—Rum did indeed have some suspicions about him.
He carefully put the USB drive away, deciding to check its contents in a safe place. Now, he needed to focus on dealing with the immediate crisis.
Yuuki Takada began packing his things, but Sherry's determined yet melancholic eyes kept flashing through his mind.
He had a premonition that this parting would not be forever, and that their paths would cross again.
As night deepened, Yuuki Takada lay in bed, but couldn't fall asleep.
He recalled his past, the reasons that led him to join the organization, and the truth he had been searching for.
Sherry's courage inspired him, and perhaps one day he could be like her and completely break free from this dark organization.
The next morning, Yuuki Takada walked out of the dormitory building on time with his luggage.
A black sedan was already waiting at the door. The window slowly rolled down, revealing Rum's face with a prosthetic eye.
"Are you ready, Hennessy?" Rum's voice was as cold and hard as iron.
Yuki Takada nodded, giving a professional smile: "Ready to serve, Mr. Rum."
He opened the car door and glanced back at the Baijiu Pharmaceutical Building one last time. Behind one of the windows, he seemed to see a streak of brown hair flash by.
The car door closed, carrying him into the unknown future.
But this time, Yuki Takada felt that he was no longer so lonely.
On this dark road, at least one other soul is risking its life for freedom.
The USB drive in his hand may well be the first key to the light.
Chapter 89 Metropolitan Police Department Meeting
Yuki Takada quickly arrived at Haneda Airport in Ota Ward by car.
The airport was soon arrived, but it wasn't a regular passenger terminal; it was a dedicated area for private jets.
The vehicle drove into a special passage at Haneda Airport and parked directly next to a small private plane.
The driver glanced at Takada Yuki in the back seat and said calmly, "Lord Hennessy, we've arrived."
"The private jet is ready for you." The driver said respectfully to Takada Yuuki, a glint in his eyes. "Once you arrive, someone will meet you."
Yuki Takada picked up his simple luggage, nodded slightly to the driver in farewell, and turned to board the plane.
After the plane took off, he looked down from the window at the gradually shrinking campus of the Shiraiu Pharmaceutical Company, feeling a mix of emotions.
How is Shirley doing now?
Has she already begun implementing her escape plan?
What secrets are hidden in that USB drive?
In short, let's find some time to see what's on that USB drive.
Half an hour later, the plane landed in Tokyo.
Yuki Takada switched to his original phone and immediately received several messages—mostly from colleagues at the Metropolitan Police Department, asking when his "sick leave" would end.
After giving a brief reply, he hailed a taxi and went straight home.
Not long after, Yuki Takada put on his neatly pressed police inspector uniform and stood in front of the mirror, carefully tidying himself up.
His expression in the mirror was calm, his gaze sharp, showing no signs of the exhaustion from almost a sleepless night.
He carefully hid the USB drive Shirley had given him in the spine of a thick criminal law book on the bookshelf, deciding to look at it at a more opportune time.
"Inspector Takada, welcome back!" As he walked into the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division office, he was greeted by many of his colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Department, who warmly welcomed him. "I heard you had a bad cold before, are you feeling better?"
Yuuki Takada was slightly taken aback, then remembered the excuse the organization had made up for his absence, and quickly nodded: "I'm much better, thank you for your concern."
His desk was piled high with unprocessed documents, and next to it were several boxes of gifts left by his colleagues.