【Chi'an】All the force of his surrender

After several consecutive days of high-intensity work day and night, the case was successfully resolved.The few subordinates with families who were trapped in the search headquarters for a long time were finally able to go home to reunite with their wives and children, and now it was just in time to put the children to sleep.And Fuguya declined the invitation to go to an izakaya for a drink with the rest, and generously suggested that they could swipe their own cards.

He likes this kind of time, which is a new habit he has developed since his return: he was the only one left in the huge conference hall in a short time, he took off his suit jacket and hung it on the back of the chair, stretched his muscles and bones, and started Remove and file the clues pinned with magnets on the search board one by one, wipe off the indicator marks left by markers of various colors, and clean up the coffee paper cups and ashtrays left on the conference table.These "chores" can give him a real and down-to-earth sense of security and belonging, and at the same time, it also gives him the freedom to think about trivial things in his mind.

For dinner, you can have macaroni bolognese, which is fast and filling; the instant noodles at home should also need to be restocked; there are three suits left in the dry cleaners, and I don’t have time to pick them up these days, so I can take them away tomorrow, he Where did you put the receipt?Last time in the waiting room, the traffic department was dragged to make up the number of fellowship members, and he had to remember to ask for forgiveness and refuse; if possible, I really want to sleep late, if tomorrow is not an early morning shift in Poirot——

No, Poirot would not reserve any time for him again.

No more sandwiches on discount bread, although he did happen to feed the Captain once on a very, very occasion when he passed Poirot.There will be no more little guys who call him "Brother Amuro". Even the kid who insists on calling him Brother Zero has turned into a high school detective.There will be no more late-night calls from the Witch with Thousand Faces, and the passenger seat of the RX-7 has been empty for a long time.There is no need to speak half-truths, no need to pretend anytime, anywhere, and there is no need to switch back and forth between three accounts and three tones when replying to emails. He has not even fired a gun outside of the shooting range for almost half a year.

He's still getting used to it.

Someone was knocking on the door, and then pushed the door open to come in.

"Mr. Jiang Gu, sorry, can I take a moment of your time?"

Kyoko Okuda was a newcomer who had only been reported to join the team three months ago. He had just turned 22 not long ago, and he was recruited into the Security Planning Division by name.Even Jiang Gu's superiors had heard about her outstanding performance in the police academy, and Jiang Gu went on a field trip before she graduated and had a conversation with her.Okuda gave him the impression that she is quite independent, intelligent, tough, assertive and good at thinking, and she is an admirable and outstanding woman.The old instructor commented that she "sometimes can't help but think of you ten years ago" - Jiang Gu just laughed it off.

But if he had any other selfish motives, he couldn't deny that the fact that Okuda was also an Omega won him a part of his favor.The female Omega was born in a remote area without a prominent family background. To some extent, Yu Gu felt that he could understand her situation.All he could do for her was to treat her like everyone else.It is also because of this that Okuda respects that he is different from ordinary superiors, and there is also an imperceptible intimacy mixed with it.

"Mr. Furuya... Mr. Kazami said that you will be here at this time."

She left a gap in the door, and stopped there after taking a few steps closer.Jiang Gu observed her and her body language: she was still wearing a dark gray suit without a coat, obviously it was not as simple as saying hello before leaving the office; her hands were clasped in front of her body, tightly clenched , looking at his toes instead of looking directly at him.Rarely do you see such hesitation in someone like Okuda.She is nervous, worrying about something, Jiang Gu thought, but not in a bad sense.Rather, she seemed excited about something.

Jiang Gu put the eraser in his hand aside and leaned against the edge of the table.He loosened his tie, unbuttoned his cuffs, and slowly rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and said casually: "It's already off work, just talk about it if you have anything to say."

She took a deep breath, stroking the metal strap on her left wrist with her fingertips.

"I know this is a very unreasonable request... But Mr. Jiang Gu, I want to apply for a one-month vacation, please approve it."

Jiang Gu raised an eyebrow.Okuda may be the last person who will apply to him for a long vacation.But on the other hand, hearing this sentence from her mouth did not surprise Jiang Gu.In the three months since he joined the company, there are only a handful of days that Okuda really rests. Even on weekends when no serious crimes occur, he often spends time in the file room and training ground.Perhaps it was finally difficult for her to bear such intensive intensity, but Jiang Gu knew it was impossible.

He thought he knew what was going on.

"Have you received an invitation from the ICPO?"

He was pretty sure that was the case, but he still used interrogatives instead of declaratives, not wanting to frighten her with his attitude.

Okuda nodded slightly.

ICPO (Interpol) is a politically neutral, independent international agency that maintains close relationships with the National Central Bureaus of its member countries.Their recruiters search for the most promising rookies among intelligence officers, law enforcement officers, secret agents, etc. from various agencies around the world, and send them invitations to a one-month training camp around November every year.The ostensible purpose is to "enhance personal military literacy and provide an international exchange platform", but in fact it is more or less poaching, and everyone knows it well.Furutani himself had received such an invitation many years ago. He was not interested, and he did not think that it was only the job opportunities abroad that attracted Okuda.

He bluntly expressed his doubts: "You have your own choice, and I have absolutely no intention of blocking the path you want to take...Akuda, I am just curious, after all, there are not many things that can impress you."

"No, that's not the case," she quickly denied, and then bit her lower lip, as if unable to speak, looking in a dilemma.She glanced at Jiang Gu briefly, and Jiang Gu felt that she was the cause of her various struggles, and couldn't help but feel a little baffled: "I'm just because... it is said that they hired a special instructor this year."

"who is it?"

"...The ace sniper of the FBI, Shuichi Akai."

Ao Tian himself may not have noticed that when she mentioned this name, there was a kind of soft and pious longing and admiration in her tone.Only a little bit, but enough to make a layer of tiny goosebumps appear on Jiang Gu's skin.Just hearing this name once made him feel as if a cold and sharp dagger had been pierced through his lungs, but now... now he is not quite sure how he should react.

He probably shouldn't react in particular, other than a slight headache.

His trance was only for a moment.Jiang Gu lowered his head and rubbed between his brows: "You admire him a lot?"

She straightened up uncomfortably, with a rare expression of ordinary young girls showing her shyness: "I am a loyal fan of Mr. Kudo Yusaku and the series of 'The Scarlet Investigator'. I heard that the protagonist is based on Mr. Akai. After that, I checked a lot of relevant information about him, and I have always wanted to meet him."

Jiang Gu has nothing to say. "Since this is the case, I have no reason to stop you from meeting your idol. Submit the formal application tomorrow, and I will approve it." He shrugged in surrender.

Okuda blinked in disbelief, a genuine smile that reflected her joy more quickly and faithfully than her reason: "Thank you very much, Furuya-san. I didn't expect it to be so easy... ..."

"Even if it is to reward you for your outstanding performance in the past three months." He replied, showing a sly smile, "It is also to reward you for not hiding the real reason from me just because of hearsay."

Okuda bowed his neck slightly ashamed: "I was at a loss after receiving the invitation. I discussed it with Mr. Yamashita in private. Mr. Yamashita reminded me that it is best not to mention Mr. Akai and the FBI in front of you." After saying this, she seemed relieved breathed a sigh of relief.And Fugu could only smile wryly, Yamashita participated in the failed capture operation at Kudo House.Jiang Gu never explained the cause and effect to them, presumably they secretly had a lot of guesses about the grievances between themselves and Akai.

He shook his head: "Go back and rest."

He was left alone again.He maintained his original posture in a daze for a while in the room, and then something prompted him to jump off the table, walk quickly into his office, and completely unable to control himself to lock the door behind him.The bottom drawer on the left hand side of the desk, Jiang Gu knew that what he was looking for had always been sleeping there.He tapped his fingers on the edge of the table and stared at the drawer handle as if some kind of scourge were locked inside.

That locks nothing at all.

He squatted down and simply sat cross-legged on the floor.A black corner was first revealed from the gap in the drawer, and then a thin loose-leaf folder was displayed in front of his eyes.Furuya took it out and put it on the ground, and opened the first page without much hesitation, and Akai Shuichi's file was in sight.

The entire volume of his investigation materials on Akai Shuichi back then, by accident, was not thrown away when he sorted it out, but was pressed firmly on his desk, in the deepest part of his memory.Jiang Gu thought that one day he would be able to throw it away like a shoe, but unexpectedly it will see the light of day again.

In the upper left corner of the filing paper was clipped a scrap of paper hastily torn from a notebook with a string of phone numbers scrawled in black pen.There is also a candid photo taken three years ago on the back of the paper. The focus is not accurate, but it is clear enough.In the photo, Akai is standing in the middle of a bustling street in New York, with his left hand on the holster, turning his head and talking to the FBI agent behind him.He looked at the camera from the corner of his eyes, as if he had noticed the existence of the sneak shot, and it seemed to be just a coincidence.When taking off the paper, Jiang Gu's fingers casually caressed his face.

Jiang Gu took out the phone from his back waist.He entered the numbers almost mechanically, pressed the call button, and then listened intently to the ringback tone on the microphone.He didn't know if the number was still valid, and he didn't know if the owner of the number would answer the call.He can't think about it.Something stopped him from thinking.

The other side didn't make him wait too long.

"Shuichi Akai."

Only Jiang Gu knew how much effort he had spent so he didn't hang up the phone impulsively.

"It's me." He said restrainedly, thinking that his voice might sound distorted.

Akai was silent for at least three seconds.It probably wasn't that long, but Jiang Gu felt as if it had been more than a year since they parted, as if the past three years had been run through by his unprovoked hatred.He held his breath, and three seconds later he heard the long honking of the car horn and the sound of the engine restarting.Of course he was in the car, Jiang Gu stared at the photo, wondering where else he could be.

"Mr. Jianggu," the other party said in the same way, as if making some unnecessary confirmation. "You have my number."

Yes, I have your number.No one else knows but I've always had your number.Jiang Gu tried to understand his words on a deeper level, he had never felt his brain was so stuck.In the end, only one conclusion can be drawn.

"Do you think your number is difficult to check?" He absently touched the edge of the photo with his fingertips, "Don't underestimate the Japanese police."

Akai exhaled, which sounded like a low laugh, or a sigh: "You're always trying to misinterpret my meaning, Furutani-kun. I'm just talking about you."

Jiang Gu decisively decided that they could not continue to entangle on this topic.

"One of my subordinates just came to talk to me about the ICPO training camp," he said as calmly as possible, and found that he was actually not as angry as he imagined. "When did you leave your job? Or are you helping ICPO now? One of the FBI's jobs?"

"If there is such a thing, I believe the Japanese public security will get the news soon."

"..." Jiang Gu stopped talking.

"The person in charge of this ICPO training camp, I owed him a favor in Lithuania two years ago, so when he invited me to be an instructor this time, I immediately agreed." Akai began to explain, with a deep voice Word by word hit his eardrum and his chest.He didn't have to do this in the first place, he always seemed to have more patience with himself than with others, and Jiang Gu had only gradually realized it dimly until now. "As for the poaching you mentioned, I don't deny that they have intentions in this regard, but the final decision is in the hands of the students. It's all up to you, and I'm just passing on some experience. You can rest assured—if That's what you're worried about."

"I know." Jiang Gu said dryly, that's all he could say.He heard the sound of traffic on the road in the distance, not sure if he just wanted to hear Akai keep saying this, no matter what he was going to say, because he didn't know what he was going to say.

Assuming one wants to move on from a conversation with someone else, simply throwing out "I know" has to be one of the worst possible options.So Akai had to be quiet too, the sound of traffic completely replaced his voice.It took him a while to think about it.

"If you really care about your subordinates so much, why don't you come yourself?" Compared with his proposal, Akai's tone was too bland.

Jiang Gu's first, second, third, and fourth reactions were all: he wasn't serious.

"I'm dying," he said, his throat clogged with soot and ash.

"I can apply for an instructor position for you." Akai continued nonchalantly, while someone on the other end of the phone was anxiously honking the horn. "Think carefully and don't rush to refuse."

Jiang Gu didn't respond.He literally cut the call.

He should put it away, or throw it away.But he found that he couldn't move while holding the phone. The phone was hot in his palm, like a beating heart.

I should go.He stared at the relatively young Akai in the photo, and a thought took root in his mind and went on a rampage.He should go, why not?

He should go, even if it's just to see Akai.He has no resentment or anger, so this must be his calmest, clearest, most lucid moment.Even at such times, he found that Akai still had an unstoppable influence on him.For example, he just said a sentence that was ambiguous, and the voice couldn't get away from Jianggu's chest, and he started thinking stupidly and scratching his stomach because of this, trying to convince himself that it meant "don't rush to reject this position" , rather than "don't rush to reject me".

There is still a lack of closure between them, Jiang Gu thought deeply.If a meeting can solve his long-standing crux, then he will not hesitate.

He picked up the phone, typed "Okay" calmly, and sent it to Akai as a text message.

TBC