Jiangxia Tongzhi calmly counted the strands of Vermouth-brand apple-flavored killing intent on the table—meticulously plucked out by ghosts and neatly arranged by the mermaid. It gave him a mild sense of satisfaction. Organized hostility was still hostility, but at least it was tidy.
Across from him, the manufacturer of that killing intent—Vermouth herself—was absentmindedly rubbing the small poison capsule hidden between her fingers.
As a "princess" in the Organization, offing a mildly promising but ultimately unremarkable underling like Ouzo might earn her a slap on the wrist. But the boss wouldn't be too bothered.
Sure, Gin might be annoyed—he had clearly taken a shine to Ouzo—but if she acted first and explained later, there wouldn't be much he could do about it.
In short: killing Ouzo wasn't a hard task. At least, that's what Vermouth had believed.
But now, with soft jazz floating lazily through the air, she found herself reconsidering. Ouzo... probably knew more things worth digging into. Even if she planned to kill him eventually, there was no rush. Better to mine him for intel—especially about the still-missing "Kudo Shinichi."
She glanced across the table, eyeing Jiangxia's drinks. Her lips curled ever so slightly.
"...He should be plenty drunk by now."
…
Across from her, Jiangxia noticed her gaze and obligingly propped his chin up on one hand, adding a slight unfocused glaze to his eyes. He wore the loose, tipsy expression of someone who might blurt out anything at any moment. Very approachable.
He knew Vermouth's killing intent was top-tier. Her affection toward Kudo Shinichi and Ran Mouri, her unparalleled disguise skills—frankly, in his mind, she was on par with Gin. A true cadre.
So there was no need to rush collecting her ghost. People died eventually. Might as well let her live a little longer and cough up some residual value first.
If she wanted to go fishing for intel, he'd let her.
After all, that old line "in vino veritas"—truth in wine—wasn't entirely accurate. More often, it's the sober one who gets suckered by the "drunken fool," ends up believing the half-truths, and walks away smugly misled.
…
Vermouth leaned in slightly, resting her chin on her clasped hands. Through the faint haze of alcohol, she threw out a baited question.
"I looked into your past. I've always been curious… why did so many people say you were 'possessed by the ghost of Kudo Shinichi' when you first became a detective?"
Jiangxia's eyes flickered like an old light bulb trying to decide whether to live or die. He appeared to mull over the question slowly.
Then, after a pause, he gave a low snort—Gin-style—and said, "Boring media fabrication."
Vermouth nodded, smiling faintly. "Reporters do love making up nonsense," she said. Then her gaze sharpened.
"But the coincidence is still interesting. You and the 'possessed detective' just happen to be neighbors. Classmates, too. And he vanishes right when you appear out of nowhere. Very suspicious." She tapped the table lightly. "Could it be that your inspiration for guiding others to commit crimes came from Kudo Shinichi?"
As she spoke, she studied Jiangxia's expression carefully.
Oddly enough, he didn't flinch. No visible hatred, no disgust, no twitch when she said "Kudo Shinichi."
Vermouth: "...?" That's weird.
A guy like Ouzo, neck-deep in the Organization, and Kudo Shinichi, the symbol of nosey justice—they should've been natural enemies.
Unless… unless he was like her...
She snapped herself out of the thought by subtly pinching her thigh under the table. Pain cleared the fog a little. In her plan to get Ouzo drunk, she may have ended up slightly drunk herself.
Steadying her thoughts, she casually tossed out another line, almost like office gossip meant to stir the pot.
"The drug Gin used on Kudo Shinichi—it was still experimental. Not 100% lethal. No body was ever found. Officially, the Organization only confirmed his death after Sherry looked into it."
She paused, then added with a shrug, "But now Sherry's defected, and her data's… questionable. Frankly, I suspect Gin messed up. That detective might still be alive."
She said it like a harmless jab at a coworker's screw-up, casually shifting the blame to Gin, masking her real motive behind the chat.
Across the table, Jiangxia slowly touched his wine glass.
Then said flatly, "That's just your speculation. Kudo's dead."
—
*Goal #1: Top 200 fanfics published within the last 31 - 90 days by POWER STONES.
Progress: 7/60(approx) for 10 BONUS CHAPTERS
Goal #2: One BONUS CHAPTER per review for the first 10 REVIEWS.
Progress:2/10*