46: Chapter 46 Lin Long's Speechlessness

The blackout curtains in the lounge were drawn tight, leaving only a sliver of a gap that let in a hint of ambiguous, dim yellow light, just enough to outline the curled-up figure on the bed.

Vermouth's eyelashes fluttered, like the wings of a startled butterfly.

A hangover-like dizziness still lingered in her temples, but more dominant was a bone-deep sense of vigilance—

She snapped her eyes open, her blue pupils contracting sharply in the dim light, her muscles tensing instantly as she entered a state of maximum alert.

"Awake?"

A teasing male voice sounded in her ear; it wasn't loud, but it pierced the silence of the room like an ice pick.

Vermouth stiffened, rolling off the bed almost reflexively.

Her movements were lightning-fast, her right hand instantly reaching for her lower back—where a specially made micro-pistol should have been hidden, her trump card for survival.

But all her fingertips touched was smooth fabric.

The gun was gone.

Vermouth's heart sank, and only then did she belatedly realize where she was, and... what had happened.

Last night, she had drugged Lin Long, but ended up being outplayed, drinking red wine laced with sleeping pills.

The last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was Lin Long's face, wearing a wicked grin.

And now, she was lying in the lounge of Lin Long's office; although her clothes were intact, her most important weapon was missing.

"Where is my gun?"

Vermouth's voice still held a hint of sleep-induced huskiness, but the timidity of Akagi Yuko had faded, replaced by the coldness that belonged to Vermouth.

Lin Long was sitting on the single sofa by the bed, toying with a small silver object in his hand—it was her micro-pistol.

Lin Long looked up, his red eyes glowing strikingly in the dimness, like a beast lurking in the dark night.

"You mean this?"

Lin Long weighed the gun in his hand, his tone nonchalant, "As an 'employee,' hiding something like this in your boss's office doesn't seem very appropriate, does it?"

Vermouth's gaze swept over his face, trying to discern something from his expression. Had he done anything to her? How much did he know?

But Lin Long's face only held a playful smile, as deep as a bottomless lake, making him impossible to read.

Panic was useless now. Vermouth took a deep breath, suddenly switching to a tearful expression, her voice softening with a touch of coquettishness:

"Oh, Boss, why do you like playing these kinds of tricks? I was just... just feeling a bit insecure, so I carried it for self-defense."

As she spoke, she took two steps forward, trying to get close to Lin Long and use her usual beauty trap to muddle through. Her blue eyes were watery, looking innocent and pitiful, enough to soften anyone's heart.

However, Lin Long just raised an eyebrow at her, as if watching a clumsy performance.

"Stop acting, Vermouth."

Lin Long spoke suddenly; his voice wasn't loud, but it struck like a thunderclap in Vermouth's ears.

"What did you say?"

Vermouth's footsteps came to a sudden halt, her expression freezing instantly, as if she were hearing that name for the first time.

Lin Long smiled, stood up, and advanced toward her step by step. He was tall, and when he looked down at her, the pressure he exerted almost made her unable to breathe.

"I said, stop acting."

Lin Long's gaze was as sharp as a scalpel, as if it could pierce through the human skin mask on her face and reach straight to her soul,

"Black Organization operative, 'vermouth,' also known as the big Hollywood star, Chris Vineyard. Am I right?"

Every word struck Vermouth's heart like a heavy hammer.

He knew! He actually knew!

Vermouth's heart raced, and the color drained from her face instantly.

She couldn't understand how her disguise, which had been flawless, had been seen through by Lin Long. Where had she slipped up?

Was it that bottle of red wine? Or was her probing over the last few days too obvious?

Before she could figure it out, Lin Long closed the distance by another step, close enough for them to feel each other's breath. His gaze rested on her face with a hint of playful curiosity:

"And, guess what I did while you were unconscious?"

Lin Long smiled mysteriously, extended his right hand, and twitched his fingers—clamped between them was a small black camera.

A camera!

Vermouth's pupils contracted sharply, and a chill rushed from the soles of her feet to the top of her head!

What did he take pictures of with the camera?!

Was it her appearance while unconscious? Or... her face after removing the disguise? Or perhaps...

This bastard! If he really dared to do that, I'd risk everything to kill you.

Vermouth seemed to think of something, her face flushing slightly, then she glared at Lin Long with fury.

"You..."

Vermouth's voice finally trembled; looking at the camera in Lin Long's hand, her eyes were filled with wariness and anger.

This man was too terrifying! Not only did he see through her identity, but he also had this trick up his sleeve!

Lin Long watched her panic, feeling satisfied. Playing mind games with him? Vermouth was still a bit too green.

He deliberately shook the camera in his hand, smiling even more playfully:

"Don't worry, I didn't do anything inappropriate to you. However... your sleeping posture is actually quite cute."

This sentence was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire.

Vermouth stared daggers at Lin Long, her blue eyes swirling with anger, humiliation, and a trace of imperceptible panic.

But after all, she was the Vermouth who had weathered many storms, and she quickly forced herself to calm down.

Anger wouldn't solve the problem; in the current situation, she was at an absolute disadvantage.

Since she had been exposed, there was no point in continuing the act.

Vermouth suddenly smiled, a lazy and beautiful expression, with a sense of 'what the hell' abandon. She raised her hand and gracefully tore off the human skin mask on her face—revealing that face that could topple nations.

Her golden wavy hair fell to her shoulders, her blue eyes were like poisoned gems, and the corners of her mouth held a subtle, enigmatic curve. This was the real Vermouth: beautiful, dangerous, and carrying a lethal allure.

"Oh my, little boss, you've discovered it."

Vermouth's voice returned to its original tone, lazy and bewitching, with none of the previous timidity or pretense,

"It seems I still underestimated you."

She stopped trying to get closer, instead stepping back, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, and scrutinized Lin Long with a critical gaze.

"Tell me, what do you want?"

Vermouth got straight to the point,

"Taking my picture, do you want to threaten me? Or do you want to use it to blackmail the Black Organization?"

She admitted that Lin Long had exceeded her expectations. But she didn't believe Lin Long would dare to do anything to her—

Her position in the organization was special, and The Boss had always been indulgent with her; if anything happened to her, the organization would never let it go.

Lin Long looked at her revealed face and had to admit that Vermouth did have the capital to be proud. This face was enough to make countless men go crazy.

But he was clearly not among them.

"Threaten you? Blackmail the organization?"

Lin Long laughed, pocketing the camera,

"Vermouth, you think too highly of yourself, and you think too highly of the Black Organization."

His tone carried a nearly arrogant confidence, as if the Black Organization were nothing more than a trivial character in his eyes.

Vermouth's brow furrowed even tighter. She didn't like Lin Long's attitude, and she liked this feeling of being unable to control things even less.

"Then what do you want to do?"

Vermouth's voice turned a few degrees colder,

"Since you know my identity, yet you still dare to keep me here, aren't you afraid of playing with fire?"

"Playing with fire?"

Lin Long seemed to hear a joke,

"I actually hope they come; it would be a good chance to stretch my muscles."

He walked up to Vermouth, reached out, and gently hooked her chin.

His fingertips were icy, and the sensation made Vermouth instinctively want to pull away, but he held her firmly.

"I'm keeping you for a reason, naturally."

Lin Long's voice was low, carrying a hint of danger,

"Haven't you always been looking for the Silver Bullet to destroy the organization?"

"Have you found it? Oh, right, I remember you seem to have an angel, too."

"Hmm... what was her name? Oh, it seems to be Mouri Ran."

Lin Long muttered to himself.

Vermouth's heart skipped a beat; she looked up, a flash of urgency and killing intent in her eyes.

"Enough! What exactly do you want? Just say it."

Vermouth said, staring at Lin Long with cold eyes, her voice laced with anger and embarrassment,

"I know you want to leave the organization; I can help you."

Lin Long's red eyes locked onto her blue pupils,

"But the premise is, you have to obediently listen to me."

"Listen to you?"

Vermouth seemed to have heard something incredible and scoffed,

"Lin Long, do you know who I am? To make me listen to you, you're not qualified enough."

She was the vermouth of the Black Organization; when had she ever been threatened like this?

"Whether I'm qualified or not is not for you to decide."

Lin Long's fingers applied slight pressure, forcing her to tilt her head up,

"Right now, you have no room to bargain."

"Either cooperate obediently, and I can help you destroy the organization or solve the problem with your body."

Hearing Lin Long say he could solve the problem with her body made Vermouth's pupils contract sharply!

Lin Long even knew about the problem with her body?!

Who on earth is he?!

Lin Long watched her shocked expression, knowing he had grasped her Achilles' heel.

Vermouth had taken an immortality drug, so her age and physical functions were frozen at their peak.

But this drug was not without side effects; many had tested these drugs, and only Vermouth had survived, and thus, Vermouth had to endure the pain of her cells being rapidly torn and decomposed every day.

"Either,"

Lin Long's tone turned suddenly cold,

"You can just die. Don't say I don't cherish the fair sex; I've already been very merciful to you."

This was a naked threat, but it precisely struck Vermouth's Achilles' heel.

Vermouth looked at the gleam of certainty in Lin Long's eyes and knew he wasn't joking.

This man not only had courage and methods, but more importantly, he seemed to really possess many secrets of the organization.

Cooperate? That meant being controlled by him, becoming his pawn.

Don't cooperate? The consequences were unimaginable, no. If she didn't cooperate, what consequences would there be? She'd just be dead and gone.

A battle raged in Vermouth's heart.

She had lived for so many years and had never been so passive.

Vermouth knew deep down that choosing to cooperate was the best way out, but the intimidation of the organization for so many years still made Vermouth afraid to easily choose betrayal.

Lin Long didn't rush her, just watched her quietly, giving her time to think.

He had enough patience to wait for her to make a choice.

The air in the lounge seemed to solidify, leaving only the sound of their breathing and the faint hustle and bustle of the city outside the window.

For a long time, a very long time...

Vermouth slowly, slowly curled the corners of her mouth, revealing a bewitching and dangerous smile.

She reached out and gently stroked Lin Long's cheek, her fingertips tracing his jawline, her tone carrying a hint of resignation, yet also a hint of unwillingness:

"Fine, little boss."

Her voice was as soft as water, yet carried a hint of edge,

"I agree to you. However..."

She leaned close to Lin Long's ear, whispering:

"If you dare to lie to me, I will let you know how terrifying the revenge of the vermouth is."

Lin Long laughed, released his grip on her chin, stepped back, and put some distance between them.

"Happy cooperation, Vermouth."

"Happy cooperation, President Lin Long."

Vermouth also smiled, but a flash of imperceptible calculation flickered in her eyes.

A temporary compromise did not mean permanent submission. She wanted to see what kind of tricks this mysterious man could come up with.

Unfortunately, what Vermouth didn't know was that Lin Long didn't trust her either and intended to forcibly convert her into a dark creature.