Conan: Begins to collaborate with Miss Bayonetta and become famous

"They each have their own predicaments, or so he would say." Rum tilted his neck deliberately, his eyes hooked. "Does this sound familiar to you?"

Grace spoke slowly, her voice trembling slightly. "What happened to Mary?"

Rum maintained a serious expression, his tone gentle but sharp: "Every woman he used met the same fate."

Suddenly, the temperature in his eyes dropped sharply, like extremely cold frozen soil where no grass grew.

"Just like the person who touched the key, he doesn't care about the lives of those people. He only cares about his own goals."

Rum's tone gradually became sharper, and his words were like ice spikes piercing bones. "And now, the only person standing in his way is you, Grace."

"Then what reason do I have to believe you now?" Grace asked half-doubtfully, trying to grasp a shred of rationality in her despair.

"Indeed not." Rum responded indifferently, as if he had already anticipated this question.

"Because you've now entered a world of lies," he said, his expression cold as steel. "No one will tell the truth now."

"When he said he would protect you, remember what I just said." Rum's voice rose slightly.

Just at this moment, inaudible footsteps were heard from behind.

Then, that familiar, nightmare-like voice clearly entered Grace's ears: "Grace."

Grace immediately turned her head and her eyes met Baijiu.

However, Baijiu's gaze did not linger on her, but passed her and locked sharply on Rum beside her.

Behind Baijiu, Vermouth quietly emerged like a phantom in the dark night.

She opened her clear yet deep eyes, first scanning Rum, then her gaze fell back to Baijiu's side, her tone calm but with weight: "Long time no see, Kil, I didn't expect you to have changed so much."

Kil didn't respond verbally, but just raised a very faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

She slowly pulled out the sharp knife from her waist. With a flash of cold light, half of the blade was exposed. Her palm firmly grasped the handle.

In an instant, her expression turned cold as ice, and she exuded a fighting spirit ready to go.

Rum was the first to break the suffocating silence. With an almost calm smile on his face, he looked at Baijiu and said, "It's been a long time since we last met, Baijiu."

"Yes." Baijiu nodded calmly, but his eyes were filled with unquestionable determination. "You should have killed me when we met before."

He added coldly, each word carrying weight: "Or rather... if I knew you would take this step, I would have killed you in advance, even at the risk of being a global wanted person."

"Good evening, everyone." A leisurely and slightly lazy female voice came from not far away.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman with long flowing white hair walking towards them leisurely and calmly.

"It's a pity that this identity is fake." The White Widow walked straight to Baijiu and stood beside him.

She blinked her enchanting and charming eyes, reached out and gently tugged at Baijiu's tie, and said with a hint of joking: "But until you tell me your real name, I have to continue calling you Lak."

"I'm glad we meet here again." Baijiu nodded politely in response, and at the same time, with a gentleman's gesture, he gently pushed the White Widow aside, "Alana, or should I call you the White Widow."

"What a good man." The White Widow gave a charming low laugh and tactfully kept a distance from Baijiu. However, out of the corner of her eye, she keenly caught sight of Vermouth staring at her hungrily.

"Oh, right, this old man with a beard..." The White Widow opened her palms, half-closed her eyes, and looked at Rum with a scrutinizing look, "You are Rum, right? If I remember the name correctly."

She moved lightly towards Rum, her tone provocative. "To be honest, you're the first man I know nothing about. I thought you'd be a strong, handsome young man."

"I didn't expect..." The White Widow's eyes suddenly turned, revealing undisguised disgust and annoyance, "It turned out to be an ugly old man half buried in the ground... It's even worse than my lowest expectations."

"The lady next to you..." The White Widow then turned her gaze to Grace, who was standing motionless beside her, and her eyes became inquiring. "Your name should be Grace, right?"

Grace gave him a puzzled look.

To be honest, coming to this party tonight was one of the worst decisions she had ever made in her life. Of course, compared to the upheaval brought about by her acquaintance with white wine, it might not be ranked first for the time being.

"Should I...know you?" Grace asked warily, tilting her head.

The White Widow didn't answer her question directly. Her originally flattering and gentle eyes faded in an instant, becoming extremely cold and stern. She pointed out bluntly: "You should have what I want."

"So..." Grace's mind raced, already understanding the complex situation before her. "You hired me, right?"

"Indeed." The White Widow chuckled and admitted, her tone full of confidence that she was in control of everything. "I chose you specifically."

Before she finished speaking, her brother walked towards Grace with a resolute look on his face.

Seeing this, Baijiu immediately exchanged a serious look with Vermouth.

On the other side, Grace subconsciously gripped the key tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the force.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire space became extremely tense, and a conflict involving multiple forces was about to explode.

Baijiu took a big step forward without hesitation, and stood firmly in front of Bai Widow's brother.

Although he had no personal grudge against the White Widow, their relationship was far from good enough to become allies.

At this moment, Baijiu could not fully trust anyone present.

In his calm calculations, this crucial key must be in his own hands.

"Ah!" However, the White Widow's brother showed no mercy, even though there was no grudge. The magic contained in this key was so powerful that it was enough to make people abandon all restraints. His eyes sharpened, and with a clenched fist, a whistling sound, he resolutely smashed down on Baijiu's abdomen.

Baijiu felt as if his abdomen was hit violently by a speeding truck. A sharp burning pain exploded from the center and quickly spread to the surroundings, almost suffocating him.

He groaned, his body curled up slightly due to the sudden heavy blow.

Seeing this, Vermouth instantly slid the dagger from her sleeve to her palm. She took a few swift steps forward, her sharp eyes fixed on the man's next move, her muscles tense, ready to execute the Plan B she had agreed with Baijiu - if the man continued his attack, she would seize the key at all costs and fight her way out!

Rum looked at the sudden chaotic situation in front of him calmly. Instead of being panicked, his face showed an expression as if he was watching caged animals fighting for food, full of contempt and cold ridicule.

"Don't mess around!" Grace saw this and screamed, trying to stop the situation from escalating.

However, White Widow's brother didn't buy it at all.

In the law he believed in, in the face of absolute power advantage, all resistance seemed pale and ridiculous.

He pressed Grace's shoulder hard with one hand, raised a finger with the other hand, glared at her viciously, and threatened: "Don't mess around, don't be shameless!"

As he spoke, he began to apply pressure with the hand that was pinching Grace's neck, gradually increasing the force, intending to force her to submit.

Grace felt a suffocating sensation on her neck and immediately gave up resisting. She opened her arms and allowed the man to check and search her body.

On the side, Baijiu endured the severe pain in his abdomen, half squatted down to relieve the discomfort, and at the same time quickly gave Vermouth a firm and restrained look.

Signaled her to hold back for the time being and continue to wait and see.

After all, everything that is happening now is most likely part of Rum's carefully woven script.