Detective Conan: Shadow Legion Office

21: Chapter 21 Gin’s WrathOn the other side, in the courtyard of the White Dove Pharmaceutical Factory, the smell of blood mingled with the dampness of the rain, permeating the cold air.

The heavy rain had stopped, but the dark clouds still hung low, as if they wanted to completely swallow this land of sin.

Pale moonlight occasionally leaked through the cracks in the clouds, illuminating the corpses strewn across the ground—

These were the bodies of peripheral members of the Black Organization; each one stared with terrified eyes, with a neat wound on their chest or neck, clearly killed by a single blow.

Gin stood in the middle of the corpses, the hem of his black trench coat flapping in the night wind.

Ever since communication with the White Dove Pharmaceutical Factory had suddenly cut off a dozen minutes ago, Gin had felt that something was terribly wrong, and he had hurriedly brought his men to rush to this branch.

But the result was this scene before his eyes.

Gin’s expression was colder than the corpses on the ground, his eyes scanning each body like poison-tipped ice picks; the cigarette at his fingertips burned to the end, and he didn’t even notice as it scorched his fingers.

”Big Brother...”

Vodka stood behind him, his face pale, his voice trembling.

He had followed Gin on countless missions and had seen more corpses than he had eaten meals, but he had never seen such a bizarre scene—

Dozens of people, all killed silently, with no signs of struggle, no gunshots, and not even an alarm had been triggered.

This simply didn’t seem like something a human could do.

Gin ignored him, instead slowly crouching down and extending a black-gloved finger to gently touch the wound on a corpse’s neck.

The edges of the wound were smooth and even, the depth was just right, having severed the carotid artery precisely; the technique was as accurate as a scalpel.

”This was done by professionals.”

Gin stood up, his voice as low as if it came from hell,

”And not just one.”

To be able to take out all the peripheral members in such a short time while remaining silent, the enemy’s numbers and strength far exceeded their estimates.

Just then, a surviving Black Organization member came stumbling over, an arm wound deep enough to see the bone, blood soaking his raincoat, his face full of lingering fear:

”B-Big Brother! We’ve checked... everyone in the entire branch... is here...”

His voice carried a sobbing tone, clearly terrified by the scene before him:

”Everyone was killed in a single blow, no survivors... except... except for Miss Sherry... she’s gone!”

”Ah, Sherry...”

Gin repeated the name in a low voice, the killing intent in his eyes almost solidifying.

Miyano Shiho, the genius scientist he had hand-picked and promoted, the ”trump card” the organization had spent countless resources to cultivate, had actually gone missing at this moment.

Combined with the scene before him, the answer was self-evident.

”Heh...”

Gin let out a cold laugh, the sound filled with mockery and fury,

”Traitorous wretch. I knew it; just like her sister, she has the blood of betrayal flowing in her bones.”

He had originally thought that telling Miyano Shiho the news that her sister was dead would completely break her will and make her obediently work for the organization.

Unexpectedly, this had instead become the fuse. It seemed that Miyano Akemi hadn’t died at all, and she had even found help to turn around and rescue Miyano Shiho.

”It’s Lin Long.”

Gin’s eyes suddenly became sharp,

”It must be them.”

Other than that man who could control eerie shadows, he couldn’t think of anyone else with the ability to dare run wild on the Black Organization’s turf.

The score from Tsukikage Island hadn’t been settled yet, and now he was here to snatch people again; did this Lin Long really take him for a pushover?

”Big Brother, are you saying... this was done by Lin Long from the Lins Office?”

Vodka widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief,

”How could he dare...”

”What is there that he wouldn’t dare do?”

Gin interrupted him, his tone cold,

”He even dares to shelter people the organization wants to kill; is there anything he wouldn’t dare to do?”

He turned and walked into the factory,

”Go check the surveillance.”

Vodka hurriedly followed. The factory’s surveillance room was a mess; the hard drive had been taken, and all video data had disappeared without a trace.

”The other party is very cautious.”

Gin looked at the empty surveillance host, his eyes growing colder,

”They know how to destroy evidence.”

He walked to the door of the gas chamber; the metal door was wide open, and the inside was empty, with only traces of low-concentration neurotoxins remaining on the floor.

The ventilation duct in the corner was intact; clearly, Miyano Shiho hadn’t escaped on her own.

”She was taken away by someone.”

Gin said with certainty,

”And it was voluntary.”

If she had been forced, given Miyano Shiho’s personality, she would definitely have left some kind of clue.

But this place was as clean as if it had been washed with water, with only traces of deliberate cleaning.

”Big Brother, what should we do now?”

Vodka asked, at a loss,

”Should we notify headquarters and send people to search and capture them?”

”Search and capture?”

Gin sneered,

”Search for whom? Lin Long? Or Sherry? We don’t even know the other party’s background, how are we supposed to search for them?”

He walked to the window and looked at the pitch-black night sky outside:

”This Lin Long is trickier than we imagined.

His influence and his methods both exceed our expectations.”

The failed sniper shot on Tsukikage Island, the raid on the White Dove Pharmaceutical Factory—in both confrontations, he had been at a disadvantage.

For Gin, who was accustomed to controlling everything, this was an absolutely intolerable humiliation.

”Vodka.”

Gin turned around and looked at him with cold eyes.

”Yes! Big Brother!”

Vodka shuddered and quickly stood at attention.

”Investigate for me.”

Gin’s voice carried an unquestionable command,

”Use all available resources to investigate Lin Long’s background, check his office, check his relationship with the Miyano sisters, check the forces behind him...

I want to know everything about him, even what he ate last night!”

”Yes! I’ll go investigate right away!”

Vodka didn’t dare to delay and turned to run.

”Wait.”

Gin called out to him, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes,

”Also, keep a close eye on Mouri Kogoro.”

”Mouri Kogoro?”

Vodka was stunned, not understanding why this detective was suddenly mentioned.

”Lin Long and Mouri Kogoro had contact on Tsukikage Island.”

Gin said slowly,

”Although that detective looks very unreliable, this person is not simple at all. Perhaps there is some connection between them.”

Gin had always been cautious in his actions and would not let any possible clues go.

”Understood!”

Vodka nodded, then hurried out to start arranging manpower for the investigation.

Only Gin was left in the courtyard.

He stood in the middle of the corpses, looking up at the gloomy night sky, and relit a cigarette with his fingertips.

Amidst the swirling smoke, his eyes grew colder and colder.

Lin Long, Sherry... do you think you can escape like this?

Too naive.

People who dare to betray the organization never have a good ending. Miyano Akemi was like this, Miyano Shiho is like this, and Lin Long will be no exception.

Gin slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white from the force.

”The game has only just begun.”

Gin said in a low voice, his tone filled with a bloodthirsty desire.

He would let Lin Long know that provoking the Black Organization, especially provoking him, Gin, was the biggest mistake of his life.

He would tear apart Lin Long’s disguise bit by bit, dig out the forces behind him, and then completely crush them along with the Miyano sisters.

As for Miyano Shiho... this former ”trump card,” now a traitor, he would let her know that the price of betraying the organization was far more painful than death.

The night wind blew, picking up the smell of blood from the ground and drifting into the distance.

The White Dove Pharmaceutical Factory was like a dead giant beast, silently crouching in the darkness, witnessing this bloody game that had just begun.

In the Lins Information Consulting Office, Lin Long seemed to sense something and raised his head to look into the dark distance.

”Gin, is that you?”

”No rush, take your time, let’s wait and see!”