I'll stop talking now. I need to go call Matsuda Jinpei; if I don't even get to see him one last time, I'll be filled with regret.
All that remained was the cold beeping sound. In the darkness, Sawada Tsunayoshi whispered, "It's okay, I will protect you all. No one will be hurt."
Sawada Tsunayoshi picked up the internal phone, his voice calm: "Everyone, listen up. Starting now, I will serve as the commander-in-chief. According to information from a reliable informant, I have already pinpointed the criminal's location and know his detailed plan."
Now, everyone split into three teams and follow my commands.
Contact Matsuda Jinpei for me; I need him to do something.
Chapter 67: Conan Live Day 27
After arranging a series of tasks, Sawada Tsunayoshi picked up the phone and dialed Hara Kenji's mobile phone.
Hello, little Tsunayoshi, how did you know that my calls to Matsuda Jinpei wouldn't go through? It seems we really are telepathic.
On the other end, Hara Kenji's voice carried a sense of tenderness and playfulness, feigning a relaxed tone.
I didn't expect that you wouldn't even be able to manage the final conversation. What a shame. Sawada Tsunayoshi, you'll have to look after Matsuda Jinpei for me in the future. He's a very impulsive person; make sure you don't let him seek revenge for me.
Sawada Tsunayoshi coldly interrupted him: "Stop talking."
Hara, begin defusing the bomb. Follow my orders.
Hara Kenji, who had been leaning against the corner of the wall, straightened up and looked at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Mm-hmm, I know Sawada Tsunayoshi can't bear to let me go, but it's just not possible. I used to think I was a selfish person; I didn't join the police academy for any noble ideals, just to find a job."
Unexpectedly, when the time came to make a choice, he was able to think of nothing at all and drove the others out immediately.
Because he was the first person to come into contact with the bomb.
Because he is not married yet.
Because he still has an older sister at home to care for their parents.
And why else? Perhaps it was because of a sense of responsibility—that sense of responsibility he thought he didn't possess.
In the end, the choice he made was one that neither betrayed the clothes he wore nor betrayed the oath he made before the cherry blossoms.
Hara, I'm not joking. Start defusing the bomb now. If you don't have the ability, I'll get someone else.
Hara Kenji could hear the seriousness and firmness in Sawada Tsunayoshi's tone; he was almost never this assertive. Hara Kenji frowned, "Sawada Tsunayoshi, now is not the time for emotional outbursts. Outside.."
"Hara, defuse the bomb." The voice on the other end of the phone was calm and certain, carrying a tone that brooked no refusal.
I'll handle the rest. Now, listen to me.
Disassemble it, or I'll find someone else to do it.
Hara Kenji took a deep breath, as if trying to cast away all the hesitation and vacillation in his heart. Two seconds later, he answered with calm certainty, "I'll defuse it."
The design of this bomb was quite novel; he had to be extremely, extremely careful, focusing all of his concentration upon it.
He had originally thought about sacrificing himself, so he hadn't given any thought to how to solve it; now he had to dismantle it, he had to find a perfect solution within a limited amount of time.
Hara Kenji picked up the tools, looked at the complex wires, licked his dry lips.
Time to go, Hara Kenji.
Because he wasn't fighting alone; his friends were still waiting for him.
Sawada Tsunayoshi called Matsuda Jinpei's mobile phone again, the voice on the other end was calm and cold: "I will arrive at the destination in three minutes."
Tsunayoshi said, "Hara has also started the disassembly work over there. You need to successfully complete the disassembly within the time limit on your end as well, Matsuda. Can you guarantee it?"
Matsuda Jinpei rode his motorcycle rapidly through the complex streets, a sharp fighting spirit in his eyes: "Don't worry, I guarantee it."
Alright, the bomb disposal team is in position; what remains are the tasks of apprehension and pacifying the criminals.
Get me into the Public Security's internal lines; I need their help.
Sawada Tsunayoshi contacted the Public Security mole, before the person on the other end could even speak, he opened his mouth: "If you don't want Public Security's funding to be cut in half next year, then get this done perfectly for me."
Right now, I need you to go to a certain place and bring out two extremely dangerous criminals. It must be a one-hit kill; they must not have any ability to resist.
There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by a soft breath and a reply: "Yes."
A moment later, as the estimated time approached, Hara Kenji was the first to call Sawada Tsunayoshi: "Commander Sawada, Hara Kenji has already defused the bomb; only one wire remains."
Immediately after, Matsuda Jinpei also called: "There's only one wire left; tell me when to cut it and I'll do it."
Sawada Tsunayoshi said in a low voice, "Alright. You must keep the call active; only act when I say it's time."
Yes.
Understood.
After waiting another two minutes, the internal phone rang, a calm voice came from the other end: "The two suspects have been apprehended by us and are unable to resist. Two controllers were discovered during the on-site search, they have now been destroyed."
Kazama watched the criminals being suppressed by the Public Security officers, their entire bodies immobilized and having been injected with two shots of muscle relaxants; their mouths were covered with rags, their eyes were filled with nothing but terror.
There's no helping it; that's just how the Public Security operates.
Moreover, in order to secure next year's funding, everyone was bringing their best.
A clear voice came from the other side of the phone, "Stand by at your current position and wait for my next instruction."
Kazama replied with an "As you command."
Sawada Tsunayoshi turned back and let Hara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei cut the last wire. Following the crisp snip of the scissors, sighs of relief came from both sides.
Hara Kenji, mission accomplished perfectly.
Matsuda Jinpei, mission accomplished.
Sawada Tsunayoshi also couldn't help but relax his back and release his clenched hands: "Very good. I'll send someone to pick you all up later. Thank you for your hard work."
In the darkness, Sawada Tsunayoshi sat down, his heart still thumping wildly.
His palms were covered in sweat; the feeling of carrying the lives of a whole group of people on his shoulders while racing against a psychopath for time was not an easy sensation.
But only when you are in a high position, only when you have the strength, will others follow your command.
To hold a position is to bear its responsibilities.
One must bear whatever responsibilities come with their position; he simply grew exhausted just by serving as an official during such a rapidly changing time.
And what about Vongola?
With more life, a more massive system, an even more intricate structure, can he really handle it?
In truth, he already had the answer in his heart.
Sawada Tsunayoshi lowered his head and sent a message to Gin: those two failed their mission and were even arrested by the police.
Gin replied immediately: "Two useless wastes. Tell them to shut up; they must not leak any information related to the Organization."
Sawada Tsunayoshi returned with a simple, "I understand."
Soon, the police happily announced to the public that they had apprehended the criminal and defused the bomb, asking all citizens to trust that the police would never let any lawbreaker go.
Please show your support for the police's work and refrain from spreading panic and other such things.
In the evening, Hara Kenji, with bruises on his face, invited Sawada Tsunayoshi to an expensive yakiniku restaurant. After requesting a private room, he sincerely thanked Sawada Tsunayoshi; without him, there wouldn't be a lively Hara Kenji today.
Matsuda Jinpei was also there, he also expressed his sincere thanks to Sawada Tsunayoshi.
None of them drank alcohol, but they ate a lot of food, Sawada Tsunayoshi ate until he was stuffed and slumped on the floor.
I'm so tired. I feel like I don't want to go to work for a whole month; it feels like I could just lie here until I grow old.
They say that one gets drowsy after a full meal, Sawada Tsunayoshi is exactly like that; no matter how urgent or tense things were during the day, he had relaxed now. As for whether Gin would see through his lies.
Let's think about this matter tomorrow.
Hara Kenji also lay down beside him: "Ah, this is truly comfortable. After work, having a feast of secret-recipe BBQ paired with a nice soda, I feel like all the misfortunes in life have been washed away."
Oh man, it would be even better if I didn't have to go to work tomorrow; I really wish there were fewer extremists in society.
Matsuda Jinpei sat with one leg raised and the other pressed against the ground, sneering, "Rather than praying for fewer people with broken brains, you'd be better off just building a human disappearance device; I guarantee it would let you lie down and die of old age in no time."
Sawada Tsunayoshi narrowed his eyes in comfort and murmured, "That's terrifying, Matsuda-kun. That is a textbook villainous statement."
Hara Kenji buried his head directly in Sawada Tsunayoshi's neck, rubbing against him contentedly. "Little Sawada Tsunayoshi is so small, he's just the right size to hold."
It's fine. If little Matsuda Jinpei becomes a villain, I'll go catch him, then get a promotion, a raise, quit my job, open a shop so we can just lie flat together.
Matsuda Jinpei gave a cold laugh, seemingly mocking their wild fantasies.
He stood up and hauled the two koalas up. "Wake up! Be serious for me. Don't forget you have to work tomorrow, a whole bunch of things are still waiting. Now is not the time for resting. All of you, go home and sleep!"
Sawada Tsunayoshi and Matsuda Jinpei wailed together.
It was already quite late when he returned home. Sawada Tsunayoshi turned on the lights in the room and was startled by a dark figure sitting on the sofa: "Big Brother Gin, what are you doing here?"
A tall figure, long hair, a ruthless expression—could it be anyone other than Gin?
Gin stood up, his tall figure almost enveloping Sawada Tsunayoshi, his sharp eyes staring at him, as if no concealment could remain hidden beneath that gaze.
Oh no, why is Gin here? He couldn't have discovered that he was lying, could he?
Ahem, Big Brother Gin, I've already made those two shut up. Not a single word of the Organization's information will ever be leaked.
It was a lie; in fact, he didn't intervene after that.
Sawada Tsunayoshi intended to take the initiative, speaking some news first to shut the other party up.
Gin gave a subtle, cold sneer. "Zero vigilance. If I were someone with hostile intent toward you, you would have died a dozen times over by the time you walked through that door."
Did you wash your brain clean at the police academy?
Wow, such vicious words, such aggressive words.
Sawada Tsunayoshi gave an awkward laugh and added, "Yes, yes, I'll be more careful in the future."
But I'm sure Big Brother Gin won't hold any hostility toward me, so I'm at ease about that.
Gin simply turned around, too disdainful to answer his question: "Naive."
Keep up. There are three newcomers to assign tasks to tonight; each of them has some potential. I need to head to Italy to carry out a mission, so I'm leaving their codename assessment mission to you to oversee.
Meanwhile, at another base, the three people met.
Furuya Rei knew that he would be meeting with two other somewhat famous organization members today; they needed to carry out a mission together, then compete for a position among the codename members.
Before the meeting, he had already decided that he must take the lead and give the other two no chance at all.