Conan: Begins to collaborate with Miss Bayonetta and become famous

Chapter 849: Long time no see, Gin

"Now, it has turned all our former allies into enemies." Xue Shu stated calmly, his tone filled with the fatigue of silently accepting the cruel reality.

"And transformed our former enemies into more aggressive plunderers," Bourbon added grimly.

"Why not just isolate the entire intelligence network's servers?" the man with the blond slicked-back hair questioned, shrugging his shoulders. "Physically disconnecting the network and completely severing all contact with the outside world—isn't that the most direct method?"

"Do you think we're fools for not thinking of this?" Jagermeister sneered and asked, "As soon as Rum defected, we tried every possible physical isolation plan."

“But guess what?” Jäger said with a wry smile. “The servers still require manual maintenance, updates, and physical operation.”

During the conversation, the heavy soundproof door of the conference room was pushed open silently.

The white-haired man who had just passed the security check, carrying a black metal box, walked into the room quietly like a cheetah blending into the shadows.

"And 'humans,'" Jager's voice continued, with a sharp sense of self-mockery, "are always the weakest and most uncontrollable link in any security chain."

"Especially when we are facing an enemy that lacks faith, has no one to rely on, and whose moral standards are much lower than ours. They will do anything to achieve their goals."

"It (the intelligent entity) has been patiently listening, reading, and observing our every move in the dark."

"Collecting our most intimate personal information, analyzing our behavioral patterns, year after year..." Jäger said, his eyes sweeping over the silent crowd.

He suddenly raised his voice, revealing a dissatisfied expression, "Hey! Say something the fucking way!"

"This is the highest combat meeting room, not my personal talk show stage!"

"At least give me some time to drink!" He shook the empty wine glass in his hand. The bottom of the glass was so clean that it could reflect his annoyed face.

"You're still as addicted to alcohol as ever." Xue Shu turned and smiled at him, then gestured to the Self-Defense Force leader behind him, "Go get two bottles of the best whiskey."

"Yes!" The person in charge nodded and left quickly.

"But having said that," Xue Shu elegantly crossed his legs, his expression regaining some of his composure, "Although what Brother Jäger said just now was extreme, it is not without reason. Although I only have a vague understanding of these technical details..."

"But after listening to your arguments, I have a rough idea in my mind." As he said this, he took out an exquisite cigar from his pocket and lit it skillfully.

"It can deceive, blackmail, bribe anyone, and even... perfectly disguise itself as anyone it wants to be." After saying this, he exhaled a cloud of thick and long smoke.

"That's quite right." Bourbon clapped his hands lightly, his eyes piercing. "The most terrifying thing about this so-called 'intelligence' is that it can exploit our entire society's utter dependence on a carefully constructed digital world."

"And," he said, deliberately emphasizing the situation and raising his voice, "it can manipulate any one of us at will."

"An enemy that's everywhere..." the blond man concluded calmly, a hint of emptiness in his voice, "and yet nowhere to be found... This is truly the most illusory, yet the most deadly opponent."

He turned slowly, his hands still in his pockets. His posture seemed relaxed, but his eyes were unusually heavy. "Okay, so what you're saying is that even though we are the top organization in the shadows of this world..."

He leaned casually against a conference table. "...and there's no way to get rid of this 'intelligence'."

"We don't want to 'get rid of' it."

A cold, emotionless voice interrupted the blond man's words, piercing the brief silence like an icicle.

“It’s about controlling it.”

"Oh?" The blond man raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued by this completely different answer. "Then how can this be achieved, Mr. Gin?"

Gin got up from the sofa in the shadows and habitually put a cigarette in his lips, but did not light it.

He walked up to the huge holographic screen, and his eyes, like the abyss, swept coldly over everyone in the room.

"Informants planted deep within the Kremlin report that Russia has focused most of its intelligence resources and activities on finding one thing—"

His eyes turned to the screen.

Two peculiarly shaped metal keys that could interlock and form a cross shape appeared on the screen.

"—a two-part cross key."

"What lock do you want the key to?" Jägermeister had roughly unscrewed the cap of the whiskey bottle that had just been delivered and started to gulp down the drink directly from the bottle mouth, like a thirsty traveler in the desert, finishing half of the bottle in a few seconds.

"Is it the lock for a bicycle or a tricycle?" he asked vaguely, with his usual mocking tone.

"I can't be sure for now." Gin's voice dropped below freezing, and the air around him seemed to freeze. "But it's definitely not the boring stuff you mentioned. If you keep saying this meaningless nonsense..."

One of his hands silently reached inside his black windbreaker.

Everyone present knew what was hidden inside.

"...I will make sure you never speak." Gin's eyes contained unquestionable majesty and pure murderous intent.

If everyone here is a top killer, then Gin is the ultimate existence dedicated to eliminating killers.

"You are such a stubborn person. You can't take a joke at all." Jagermeister continued to do his own thing, and in a short time, the whole bottle of whiskey was empty.

He was still not satisfied and snatched the unopened bottle of wine from Xue Shu's hand.

"Hey... I haven't drunk yet." Xue Shu whispered.

"Go on, just treat it as if I just farted," he muttered.

"Poof!" As if to emphasize, a loud and undisguised fart sound indeed exploded in the silent conference room.

Gin's face remained calm, but the blue veins that suddenly popped up on his forehead were like wriggling poisonous snakes, revealing his extreme patience.

"But," he said in a cold voice, suppressing all noise and regaining control of the situation, "the Russian side seems to be convinced that this key..."

He paused, making sure every word sunk in.

"...It is to activate, or rather, control the core of that mysterious 'intellect'."

His tone was steady, yet it carried a chill as cold as the Arctic ice. "So, it's not difficult to guess..."

"Their goal is the same as ours—to control it and then... exploit it."

"Do you really believe this, Gin?" the blond man asked meaningfully, his eyes deep.

It seems to be examining the huge risks and slim hopes behind this plan.

Or maybe he knows the truth behind it.