Gin is a very punctual person. When he says eight o'clock, it is eight o'clock.
As usual, he only had Vodka with him.
Following his older brother into the pub, Vodka greeted Hayashi Yoshiki.
His voice was a few notches lower than usual.
"Good evening, Mr. Vodka,"Hayashi Yoshiki still looked polite.
Gin ignored him and sat down with his hands in his pockets.
"You've read all the information—how confident are you?" he asked directly.
"If I were given more detailed intel and a chance to get familiar with the environment, it shouldn't be a problem."
"Good."Gin was very satisfied with that answer.
He took out a cigarette and lit it.
Yoshiki still had a smile on his face. He wiped his hands carefully with a hot towel and then looked at the dish names on the menu in front of him.
"Give me a glass of plum wine first, and then a bowl of stewed pork in clear broth."
"OK."The chef began to prepare the order.
The small cup of plum wine served first was chilled, with a plum soaking inside. It was cool, sweet, and sour with a gentle aroma—quite appetizing.
"So when are we gonna take action? I'm getting impatient waiting. Gulp, gulp—Ah, so refreshing!!"
Chianti picked up her beer and chugged it in one go. When she put down the glass, she let out a deep sigh like a middle-aged man.
She looked exactly like Kogoro Mouri at that moment.
Just as Yoshiki's mind briefly overlapped Chianti's image with Kogoro's, she suddenly raised her beer glass toward him:
"Cheers."He clinked his glass with her and downed the beer.
Although Tequila hadn't intended to drink with him, after seeing Chianti do it, he didn't want to be left out. He also raised his glass and drank with gusto.
Seeing this, Hayashi Yoshiki just smiled and said:
"I thought I'd see some new faces tonight besides you and Mr. Vodka."
"No need to see them."Gin stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray without even looking up.
"Especially the intel unit. They're all obsessed with secrecy, but most of the time they're just a pain. If you want to avoid trouble, it's best not to deal with them."
"Seems like workplace relationships here aren't too healthy," Yoshiki said with a smirk.
Gin snorted coldly as if mocking.
He indeed had a hard time getting along with the intelligence members.
The biggest problems were Bourbon and Vermouth—too self-centered. Bourbon was tolerable, but Vermouth often pretended to obey while doing her own thing... even Rum had friction with Gin sometimes.
Especially since Rum had allowed his subordinate Pinga to provoke Gin openly, trying to replace him. Gin didn't retaliate then, but when the chance came, Pinga was drowned at sea in a trap Gin personally designed.
"Better keep your identity hidden, or some rat in the gutter will out you one day."
True.Yoshiki had no intention of revealing himself in front of Amuro Tooru—and it was unclear how many spies from international agencies might be embedded in the organization.
Yoshiki ate his food quietly.
Gin ate a few bites too—then abruptly stood and left.
Cohen, seated two spots behind Yoshiki, had already had a few cups of sake and looked like he was itching to say something.
"Cointreau, I've thought of a new name."
"How about this one?"Cohen suggested a name.
It was... a very generic name. Just like him. Low-profile, nearly invisible.
"Sounds good. I'll give it serious thought," said Yoshiki politely as he jotted it down.
Cohen happily drank a few more glasses.
Meanwhile, Chianti found a dish she really liked and immediately ordered three servings. Tequila fetched another beer, toasted Yoshiki, and then joined Vodka for more drinks.
Without Gin, the atmosphere felt surprisingly casual—even friendly.
But the moment Gin returned and sat down, the mood chilled instantly. It was clear: no one liked dining with their boss.
Still, Yoshiki noticed something curious—Gin actually seemed to enjoy good food. He usually subsisted on fast food and energy bars, but if he had the time, he'd indulge in French cuisine, like an old-fashioned aristocrat.
Despite the pleasant setting, the whole group couldn't sit longer than 40 minutes.
Yoshiki put his mask and hat back on.
Instead of riding in Tequila's Hummer, he got into Vodka's car.
"Brother, it looks like your bounty went up again."
Vodka reported this while driving.
"Those hitmen are already chatting about how much it'll go up next. Some seem really eager to try their luck..."
"Let them come. Useless flies—just buzzing noise."
Gin's eyes turned cold as he checked the forum thread.
The Brewery was, of course, fully aware of the Zoo's bounty lists and had been tracking data from the assassin platform for some time.
"Recently there's this new killer, code name Kira. He's getting famous—sets traps and complete jobs with insane efficiency."
"Traps?"Hayashi Yoshiki perked up from the back seat.
"Yeah. Apparently, Kira kills targets by preparing traps ahead of time. People think he has a team helping him, since he's working across multiple regions. But still—not someone who could compare to you, Cointreau."
"Still... sounds interesting."Yoshiki smiled faintly.
Of course, Kira's methods had to differ from Cointreau's. If both used "accidents" to kill, Gin would suspect him almost immediately.
But Gin didn't seem interested in Kira at all. Looking forward, he simply said:
"Drive toward the 'target'."
Vodka turned the wheel, heading in the direction Gin indicated.
They weren't going to strike tonight—just to familiarize Cointreau with the surrounding terrain.