65: Chapter 65: Send Shuichi Akai to bomb the sacred toilet.

In the temporary office of the FBI's Tokyo branch, fluorescent lights hummed, and the air was filled with the mixed scent of coffee and printer paper.

Akai Shuichi sat at his desk, his fingertips holding a blurry surveillance screenshot—in the image, a figure wearing a clown mask was moving through the banquet hall where the tomizawa family was holding a wedding.

This was the only clear image he could find of the 'Clown'.

For days, he had barely closed his eyes, reviewing all surveillance around the tomizawa family, vetting the testimonies of dozens of witnesses, and even risking contact with several informants lurking on the periphery of the Black Organization, but the identity and purpose of the 'Clown' remained a fog.

This organization was like a ghost, disappearing without a trace after stirring up a storm of blood, leaving behind only chaos and countless mysteries.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The sound of knocking interrupted his train of thought.

"Shuichi, this is the supplementary report you wanted regarding the Noguchi Shigehiko case."

Jodie pushed the door open, placed a stack of files on the desk, and looking at the dark circles under his eyes, couldn't help but frown, "You need to rest. If you keep going like this, your body will collapse."

Akai Shuichi shook his head and picked up the report to flip through it quickly:

"I can't rest yet. The death of Noguchi Shigehiko is definitely related to the Black Organization, and the 'Clown' is likely involved as well, not to mention that the Clown might also have connections to those people in the military. This is the key clue for us to find their link."

Jodie sighed and stopped trying to persuade him. She knew Akai Shuichi's personality too well; once he set a goal, he would hold onto it like a hound.

Just then, an abrupt cell phone ringtone broke the silence of the office.

Akai Shuichi picked up his phone and saw that the screen displayed a completely unfamiliar number, with no location information at all.

His brow furrowed instantly—this number was his private line, and except for core members of the FBI and a few trusted people, almost no one knew it.

"Who is this?" Akai Shuichi pressed the answer button, his voice low and vigilant.

There was no immediate response from the other end of the line; there was only the buzzing sound of electricity, as if the signal was poor.

A few seconds later, a mechanical and hoarse voice, processed by a voice changer, rang out with a creepy playfulness:

"Hello there, Akai Shuichi."

Akai Shuichi's pupils contracted sharply.

The person on the other end not only knew his name but had also accurately dialed this private number, clearly knowing his situation like the back of their hand.

"Who are you?" His fingers subconsciously gripped the pistol under the desk, his muscles tensed, and he entered a state of high alert.

"Who are we?"

The voice chuckled, like rusty gears grinding, "I heard you've been looking for us lately. What's the matter, don't you recognize us now that you've found us?"

The Clown!

Akai Shuichi's heart sank. He didn't expect that before he could find them, they would come looking for him first!

"It's you."

He suppressed the shock in his heart, his tone icy, "What do you want?"

"What do we want?"

The mechanical voice drew out the tone, "Of course... to talk. But before we talk, there is something I want you to know."

The voice paused, speaking word by word, as if announcing a cruel verdict:

"Your mother, Akai Mary; and your sister, Sera Masumi. They are in our hands now."

"What?!"

Akai Shuichi stood up abruptly, the legs of his chair scraping harshly against the floor.

His voice cracked for the first time, filled with incredulous fury,

"What did you say?! How could they be in your hands?!"

He knew about Mary and Sera Masumi coming to Tokyo, but for the sake of safety, he specifically didn't let them contact him and didn't tell anyone about their whereabouts. How did these people find them?!

"Want to know?"

The mechanical voice laughed even more merrily, "It's very simple. Just come to this place alone at midnight tonight, and we'll tell you."

"Oh, right, what do you think would happen if the world found out your mother has reverted to her youth?"

Before Akai Shuichi could press for more, the call was rudely hung up.

"Hello? Hello!"

Akai Shuichi shouted into the receiver, but only a busy signal replied.

He gripped the phone tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

Calm down, Akai Shuichi, calm down! He repeatedly warned himself in his heart, but the danger his mother and sister might be facing burned his reason like a fire.

Just then, the phone "dinged," and he received a message.

The sender was the same strange number from before, and the content was just one address—an abandoned steel mill on the outskirts of Tokyo.

...

At three in the morning, the moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, and the whole world was plunged into a thick darkness.

At the entrance of the abandoned steel mill, the rusty iron gate was wide open, like a giant mouth waiting to devour people.

Akai Shuichi walked in alone, his footsteps echoing in the empty factory area, startling a few crows perched on the beams.

He didn't bring any weapons, nor did he notify anyone—since the other party dared to set the meeting here, they must have made full preparations, and any unnecessary move could endanger the safety of Akai Mary and Sera Masumi.

Just as he walked into the main factory building, a dozen blinding beams of light suddenly lit up all around, locking his figure firmly in the center.

"Don't move!"

"Raise your hands!"

A dozen armed men in black tactical gear and black masks rushed out from the shadows, their automatic rifles and submachine guns pointing straight at him, the pitch-black muzzles gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the lights.

Akai Shuichi's gaze swept quickly around, and his heart sank—there were faint reflections from at least five high vantage points; those were sniper scopes! The red dots of laser sights moved across his body, from his chest to his forehead, each representing a lethal threat.

He slowly raised his hands, not resisting.

"Wow~ I really didn't expect the FBI's ace to be so obedient."

A playful voice rang out with an exaggerated tone. Following the voice, a slender figure walked out from behind the armed men—he was wearing a purple tailcoat and a white clown mask with a wide grin; it was the "Clown."

The Clown's steps were exaggerated, as if performing on stage, each step with a deliberate twist, and he walked up to Akai Shuichi and circled him.

"Welcome to my 'theater,' Mr. Akai Shuichi."

The Clown spread his hands, his tone excited, "Isn't it a big surprise? Isn't it unexpected?"

"What exactly do you want?"

Akai Shuichi's face was grim, his eyes fixed on the Clown, trying to catch a clue from his posture and tone, "Where are my mother and sister?"

He was quickly calculating the distance—there was only three meters between him and the Clown, and with his speed, he could completely pounce on him before the other party could react and use him as a hostage.

But there were too many armed men around, and there were snipers; if he made a move, he had no chance of winning and might even directly provoke the other party, harming Akai Mary and Sera Masumi. Not to mention that the other party also knew about his mother's reversion to youth.

"Don't be in such a rush."

The Clown seemed to see through his thoughts, chuckled, and waved his hand behind him, "Bring the 'gift' up."

An armed man immediately walked up holding a laptop, placed it on the open ground in front of Akai Shuichi, and opened the screen. The image that appeared on the screen made Akai Shuichi's pupils contract sharply—

Akai Mary and Sera Masumi were tied tightly to chairs, their mouths taped shut, unable to speak.

Akai Mary's eyes were still sharp, and she kept struggling, trying to break free from the ropes; Sera Masumi looked a bit flustered but was still trying to maintain her composure, observing her surroundings vigilantly. They didn't look injured, but their faces were a bit pale, clearly having been frightened.

"See that?"

The Clown walked to the screen, pointed at the two people in the image with his finger, and said in a flippant tone,

"We didn't rough them up, oh, they're eating well and sleeping well, it's just... they miss their family a little."

"Snap!" He suddenly closed the computer, and the screen instantly went black.

"What exactly do you want?"

Akai Shuichi's voice carried suppressed anger, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, his nails almost digging into his flesh.

"It's very simple."

The Clown turned around, the smile on his mask looking particularly eerie under the lights,

"I heard that Mr. Akai has been looking for us. Since you want to meet so much, we took the initiative to come out. As a 'greeting gift,' we have prepared a deal for you."

He leaned close to Akai Shuichi, almost face-to-face, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"As long as you help us do one thing, your mother and sister can go home safely."

Akai Shuichi's eyes flickered; he knew the other party would never make a simple request. "What thing?"

The Clown took a few steps back, spread his arms, as if announcing some great plan, his voice suddenly raised:

"Go and bomb Yasukuni Shrine."

"What did you say?!"

Akai Shuichi looked up sharply, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

Yasukuni Shrine?!

That is the spiritual symbol of the island nation, where Class A war criminals of World War II are enshrined, and it is a pain in the hearts of the people of countless Asian countries.

Although he had no affection for this place, he also knew what bombing it meant—it would be a provocation to the entire island nation, triggering unprecedented diplomatic turmoil and social unrest!

Once the matter was exposed, not only would he become a public enemy of the entire island nation, but the FBI would also be dragged into the turmoil, and it might even affect US-Japan relations!

"Are you crazy?"

Akai Shuichi's voice was trembling, not because of fear, but because of the madness of the request,

"Do you know what consequences bombing that place will trigger?"

"Consequences?"

The Clown laughed, his tone carrying a trace of mockery,

"Of course I know. But what does that have to do with you? You just need to know that if you complete the mission, your family will be able to come back safely."

He walked up to Akai Shuichi, patted his shoulder, his tone cold and unquestionable:

"Remember, I am not asking you, I am ordering you."

"I'll give you ten days." The Clown held up a finger,

"Within ten days, if I don't see Yasukuni Shrine turned into ruins on the news, then you will see on the news—two corpses thrown at the entrance of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department."

He paused and added: "Oh, right, we will 'kindly' leave a little 'clue' on the bodies, so that everyone will know this is the 'masterpiece' of the FBI's ace, Akai Shuichi."

"By then, everyone in the world will know that Akai Shuichi murdered his mother and sister, and that would be... tsk, tsk, tsk."

Akai Shuichi's body trembled slightly, not because of fear, but because of anger and humiliation.

He never thought that he would be threatened with his family's lives to do such a crazy thing.

"How about it, Mr. Akai?"

The Clown tilted his head, his tone playful, "Is this deal worth it?"

Akai Shuichi stared fixedly at the Clown, trying to find a flaw behind that cold mask, but all he saw was pitch darkness. He knew he had no choice.

Akai Mary and Sera Masumi were the only relatives he had in this world, and he absolutely could not let anything happen to them.

"... Fine." After a long time, Akai Shuichi squeezed a word out through his teeth, his voice as hoarse as if it had been ground by sandpaper, "I agree."

The Clown seemed to have expected him to agree, clapped his hands with satisfaction:

"A wise choice. Well then, see you in ten days."

He waved his hand at the armed men: "Show him out."

A dozen armed men immediately made a path, but their muzzles remained firmly locked on Akai Shuichi.

Akai Shuichi didn't look back and walked out of the steel mill step by step, each step feeling like walking on the tip of a knife.

Only after walking out of the factory area, with the cold night wind blowing on his face, did he slowly clench his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, oozing blood.

Yasukuni Shrine...

The Clown...

A flash of determination crossed Akai Shuichi's eyes.

He didn't want to do such a thing either, but before that, he had to ensure the safety of his mother and sister first.

As for the consequences after Yasukuni Shrine was bombed, Akai Shuichi couldn't care that much right now. He didn't join the FBI because of patriotism; he just wanted to use the FBI identity to investigate his father's whereabouts.

For Akai Shuichi, for the safety of himself and his family, he could do whatever it takes.

And after he left, the lights in the steel mill suddenly went out, leaving only the Clown's figure standing in the darkness.

"Heh." Lin Long took off the clown mask, revealing a young and cold face. He looked in the direction where Akai Shuichi disappeared, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Bomb Yasukuni Shrine?

This was not only an obsession hidden deep in his heart from his past life as a Chinese person, but also a good move to kill two birds with one stone.

Let Akai Shuichi do it; if he succeeds, the island nation will be in chaos, the FBI will be dragged into the water, and he will reap the benefits; if he fails, Akai Shuichi's family will die, he will completely break with the FBI, which can also create more chaos for the Black Organization and the FBI.

No matter the outcome, he is the winner.

"Boss, what's next?" The captain of the Shadow Squad walked up behind him and asked in a low voice.

"Keep an eye on those two." Lin Long threw the mask to him, his tone indifferent,

"Also, keep a close watch on Akai Shuichi. I want to know his every move."

"If he really takes action and fails in the process, help him out."

"Remember, no matter what, I don't want to see that so-called shrine anymore."

"Yes." Lin Long turned and walked out of the steel mill, the night wind blowing the corner of his clothes. He looked up at the moon obscured by clouds, a cold light flashing in his eyes.