N-A-A Page 64
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Access granted, the door slid open.
Yuuki Takada rushed in with his gun. The laboratory was brightly lit, and Sherry stood pale-faced beside the main experimental table, one hand pressed tightly against her chest, the other hand still holding the small alarm.
On the ground in front of her lay a small, inconspicuous metal box-shaped object, still faintly emitting a burnt smell.
"What's going on?!" Yuuki Takada quickly scanned his surroundings but found no other intruders.
Sherry, still shaken, pointed at the metal box, her voice trembling, "It...it suddenly fell out of the vent...and then...and then it started smoking...I...I pressed the alarm..."
Her body was trembling slightly due to extreme tension and fear.
Yuki Takada cautiously stepped forward and poked at the metal box with the muzzle of his gun.
It looks like a simple trigger device, which seems to have malfunctioned for some reason, but hasn't caused any unnecessary trouble.
Was it set up by the enemy who infiltrated earlier?
Or... was it someone inside who did it?
Yuki Takada's face was terribly gloomy.
He walked over to Shirley, looked her over carefully, and only after confirming that she was not injured did he ask in a deep voice, "Are you alright? Did you smell anything strange? Or do you feel dizzy?"
Shirley shook her head: "No...it just smoked a little and then stopped."
Yuki Takada felt a little relieved, but his vigilance was at its highest.
He shouted sternly into his headset, "Team C, immediately conduct a full search of all ventilation ducts and hidden corners of the lab! Thoroughly check all personnel records for entering and exiting today! Immediately!"
Yuuki Takada looked at Sherry, whose eyes were still filled with fear as she stared blankly at Yuuki's bleeding ribs.
"You...you're injured?" Her voice trembled slightly.
Yuuki Takada didn't answer the question, but instead gave her a deep look, his eyes filled with a complex and unfathomable expression.
Tonight's attack was coordinated from within and without, employing a variety of methods, with an extremely clear objective: to kill Shirley.
The madness and determination of the people behind the scenes exceeded his expectations.
Shirley, this seemingly fragile genius scientist, appears to be more than just a target to be protected.
What else is she hiding that has attracted so much attention and scramble among various factions to kill her?
Yuki Takada took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie, quickly and skillfully applying pressure to his wound.
“Come with me,” he said, taking Shirley’s arm, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We can’t stay here any longer.”
Regardless of whether there are still hidden dangers in the laboratory, he cannot let her out of his sight again.
Shirley did not resist, letting him pull her away from the laboratory where a silent horror had just occurred.
Her hands were icy cold, and her fingertips were trembling slightly.
Everything that happened tonight made her realize once again the danger of her situation, and... the reliability and mystery of the man beside her.
Yuuki Takada protected her time and time again, and was injured in the process.
His cold, commanding side, combined with his current actions of leading her away from danger—though injured, forceful yet cautious—creates a perplexing yet reassuring picture.
Yuki Takada, with Sherry in tow, did not return to the dormitory, but went directly to his private safe house—a reinforced bunker located underground in the research institute, known to very few people.
On the way, he received a brief interrogation report from Chianti: [They were very stubborn; we had to use drugs to get a little open. They mentioned a name—'Scorpion.' Also, their goal is indeed to capture or destroy 'Sherry,' and it seems someone is more interested in what the organization is researching.]
Scorpion? A code name for North American mercenaries?
Yuki Takada's gaze deepened.
Things seemed to be more complicated than he had imagined.
Sherry's value, or rather, the secrets about APTX-4869 that she was unaware of, might be the key to all of this.
Yuuki Takada glanced at Sherry, who remained silent beside him, and tightened his grip on her arm slightly.
Whether it's because of orders from the organization or for something else, Yuuki Takada has to protect her.
This was not just about the mission, but it seemed to have become a responsibility that he himself had not anticipated.
Chapter 88 was quite fruitful.
When Yuki Takada returned to his office, he instinctively saw a short, thin old man with a prosthetic eye.
"Hennessy, it's been a long time." The other person greeted Takada Yuuki in front of him, and then said, "Thank you for your hard work these past few days, guarding the White Hato Pharmaceutical Company."
ding ding ding...
As Yuki Takada heard the text message notification on his phone, he was about to take it out when the other person interrupted him, saying, "Hennessy, no need to look. I think it's time for Lord Karasuma Renya to send you away from Shirakage Pharmaceutical Company."
"I've taken care of things here. Leave the rest at Shirakura Pharmaceuticals to me." The other party said coldly, "Originally, Lord Karasuma Renya intended for me to carry out this mission, but unfortunately, a while ago I..."
"We chose you to handle the affairs of Baijiu Pharmaceutical Company later. We originally thought that you would be lucky if you could last a day at Baijiu Pharmaceutical Company, but we did not expect that you would actually last more than half a month at Baijiu Pharmaceutical Company this time."
"That surprised me a bit."
“I see.” Takada Yuki looked at Rum in front of him and smiled faintly. “In that case, it seems that my trip to Shirakage Pharmaceutical Company will end here.”
"Furthermore, Lord Karasuma Renya asked me to tell you that you can go back to carry out your previous mission." Rum revealed a cold smile.
"Brother Rum, the rest is up to you." Yuuki Takada greeted Rum warmly before returning to his dormitory.
……
dong dong dong.
Yuuki Takada heard a knock at the door, walked slowly to the door, and asked softly. When he learned that it was Sherry from the next dormitory, he immediately opened the door to his dormitory.
"Sherry, what brings you here?" Takada Yuuki asked, looking at the short, brown-haired woman who walked in.
"What, can't I come to see you if there's nothing wrong?" Sherry glanced at Takada Yuuki lightly: "You're not going to be so ungrateful, are you?"
"Hey...okay, no more joking around. What brings you here?"
Yuki Takada stepped aside to make way for Sherry, who gracefully entered his dormitory, her sharp eyes quickly scanning the room.
Her gaze finally fell on the luggage that hadn't been packed yet, and her eyebrows rose slightly.
"Are you leaving?" Shirley turned around, her short brown hair swaying gently with the movement. "Thank you for protecting me again today."
Yuuki Takada gently closed the door and nodded: "I just received a notification that the mission at Shirakage Pharmaceuticals is over, and I have to go back to continue my previous work."
Shirley was silent for a moment, then walked to the only chair in the room, sat down, crossed her legs, and said with an elegant and calm demeanor, "I guessed so. Rum, the organization's number two, is here, isn't he?"
Yuki Takada was somewhat surprised, but quickly regained his composure.
He should have realized long ago that Shirley, as a core researcher in the organization, would naturally be aware of the movements of the higher-ups.
"How did you know he was already here?" Yuuki Takada asked curiously, as he walked to the bedside and sat down opposite Sherry.
Sherry's lips curled into a faint smile: "Nothing in this building can hide from me."
“Not to mention someone as conspicuous as Rum.” She pointed to her eyes. “Even if he tries to be inconspicuous, his unique prosthetic eye and physique make him instantly recognizable on surveillance footage.”
"Moreover, the fact that the organization sent Chianti and Cohen this time suggests that this is definitely not going to be simple. Therefore, I suspect that Rum might come and take over your future operations."
Yuuki Takada couldn't help but laugh: "As expected, nothing escapes your eyes. So, you didn't come to see me just to confirm my schedule, did you?"
The dormitory lights were dim, casting a shadow on Shirley's face that made her expression somewhat inscrutable. She remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering her words.
“Hennessy, or rather, should I call you Yuuki Takada?” Sherry suddenly spoke, her voice very low. “During your years in the organization, have you ever thought... whether it was all worth it?”
Yuki Takada's body tensed slightly.
Within an organization, this problem itself is fraught with danger.
He responded cautiously, "I don't quite understand what you mean."
Shirley looked him straight in the eye, her gaze sharp enough to pierce his soul: "Stop playing dumb."
“I know you’re not the kind of person who blindly follows others.”
“I have seen too many members of the organization who are either fanatically devoted to Karasuma Renya or driven by fear.”
"But you are different."
Yuki Takada did not answer immediately.
He got up, walked to the small refrigerator, took out two cans of coffee, and handed one to Shirley.
"Thank you." Shirley took the coffee, but didn't open it; she just twirled it in her hand. "You know what? My sister has been trying to persuade me to leave the organization."
Yuki Takada paused.
He knew that Miyano Akemi was Sherry's older sister and a low-ranking member of the organization.
But he had never heard of Mingmei having any intention of letting Shirley leave.
This is dangerous, extremely dangerous for both sisters.
After all, the fates of the two sisters were indeed not to be underestimated. One eventually died, while Sherry escaped the organization after being imprisoned and forced to take drugs she had developed herself.
"It's best not to say things like that so casually," Yuuki Takada whispered a reminder, glancing warily at the door.
Shirley, however, seemed unconcerned: "Don't worry, I've already taken countermeasures. After all, I'm one of the building's security consultants, and I know how to avoid surveillance."
Yuuki Takada sighed, opened his coffee, and took a sip: "So, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Shirley's expression turned serious: "Hennessy, I'm leaving."
"What do you mean?" Takada Yuuki frowned. "The organization is assigning you to another place?"
“No,” Shirley shook her head, “it’s my own choice to leave. To leave completely.”
Yuki Takada almost choked on his coffee.
He put down the jar and lowered his voice: "Shirley, do you know what you're saying?"
“This is too dangerous! The organization would never allow someone who knows so many core secrets to ‘leave’ like this, and your project is not even completely finished yet.”
“I know,” Shirley said calmly, “but I’m prepared. I just… want to say goodbye before I leave.”
Yuuki Takada looked at her incredulously: "Why are you telling me? Aren't you afraid I'll report you to Rum right away?"
Shirley smiled slightly: "You won't."
“I can see that you, like me, are not that loyal to this organization.”
“You may have your own reasons for staying in the organization, but it is definitely not out of faith in Karasuma Renya.”