Chapter 142: New Cooperation
Mizunashi Rena's professional smile was fixed in place, but her expression was a study in controlled confusion.
For a fleeting moment, a cold suspicion had gripped her. Was this man, Ganyu, toying with her? Did he somehow know she was approaching him with an ulterior motive and was simply deflecting with a nonsensical answer?
But one look at his face dispelled that notion. The sincerity in his eyes was utterly disarming, his earnestness genuine. It left her grappling with an even more bewildering question: could a person like this truly exist? Someone who subsisted on a diet of only fruits and vegetables, possessed an almost fanatical love for work, and demonstrated unmatched competence?
'Where on earth did Miss Ningguang find such a subordinate?' Rena mused, a flicker of professional envy stirring within her. Even Gin would covet an asset this useful… if he could stomach the vegetarianism.
"But speaking of favorite restaurants," Ganyu's voice broke through her thoughts, his expression brightening considerably. "There is one place I'm particularly fond of—Wanmin Restaurant. It's located at 10, 39-ban, 5-chome, in Beika Town. If you're free one day, Miss Mizunashi, I would be happy to take you there. Their vegetarian dishes are the best I've ever tasted, though I hear the other dishes are excellent as well."
Relief washed over Rena. Finally, a tangible thread she could pull.
The two chatted for a few more minutes, the conversation now anchored to the comfortable topic of food. They exchanged contact information with the practiced ease of new business acquaintances, promising to arrange a meal at Wanmin Restaurant when their schedules aligned.
Soon, the group arrived at the entrance to the company building. After a final round of polite goodbyes, Mizunashi Rena and her crew departed for the TV station. They still had a long night ahead, organizing the footage from the day's interview for tomorrow's broadcast.
On the ride back, while the other staff members were preoccupied with their own tasks, Rena discreetly pulled out her phone. Under the guise of reviewing notes, her thumbs flew across the screen, composing a message to Gin. She summarized the information she had gathered and concluded by asking for his next set of instructions.
After sending it, she waited. When no immediate reply came, she wasn't surprised. She slipped the phone back into her pocket, setting the matter aside for the time being. An operative learned patience.
Elsewhere, Gin's Porsche 356A was a silent, black predator in the city's concrete canyons. The screen of his phone cast a cold, white light on his face as he read the email from Kir. He considered its contents for a moment, his expression unreadable, before composing a short message of his own and sending it to Cointreau.
A reply arrived not long after.
He opened it. The message was brief and to the point.
[Understood. I'll ask him. — Cointreau]
Knowing the matter was being handled, Gin dismissed it from his mind. The cooperation with that man, Kaeya, was Cointreau's responsibility. Unless absolutely necessary, he had no intention of interfering.
In truth, Gin had long suspected a connection between Ningguang and Kaeya. He even surmised they were part of the same mysterious group—the Teyvat Organization.
He possessed a general understanding of the "silver bullet" that had been part of their initial trade with Kaeya, and he was well aware of the line of skincare products Kaeya had subsequently developed using that information. After all, a key component of their agreement was Kaeya's assistance in helping the Black Organization establish a foothold in Country H. Consequently, the Organization held a stake in the cosmetics company Kaeya's family had established there, giving Gin insight into the remarkable effects of their products.
And now, this Ningguang, a recent arrival in Japan, had launched a branch selling skincare with strikingly similar properties. Yet, Kaeya and his people had remained completely silent.
Gin refused to believe that a man as cunning and fox-like as Kaeya hadn't noticed. If he hadn't reacted, it could only mean one thing: Ningguang and Kaeya were on the same side.
As for whether a new cooperation was possible, that would depend entirely on the outcome of Cointreau's conversation.
Cointreau stared at the message from Gin and let out a long, weary sigh. Honestly, that man had a real talent for finding him more work.
The trade had finally settled into a smooth rhythm, and the subsequent phases only required supervision from Irish and the ever-enthusiastic Bourbon. He had been planning to use this quiet period to finally track down Natsume for a proper conversation.
They hadn't seen each other since parting ways at the Twilight Mansion. In the time that had passed, he couldn't shake the feeling—perhaps an illusion, he hoped—that the tone of her messages had been growing progressively… Cointreau paused, searching for the right word. Irritable. Yes, that was it.
He had a sinking feeling that if he didn't explain himself in person soon, the longer he delayed, the harsher the "lesson" would be when they finally met. He could have sworn his sister's attitude towards him had softened considerably a while ago, which was why he hadn't been in such a rush. Why had it soured again so quickly? Were all girls this fickle?
Now, with this new task, their meeting would have to be postponed yet again.
'I should probably hold onto a few more of those restorative potions Kaeya trades us,' he thought grimly. The last thing he needed was to be unable to treat his injuries after a "reunion" with his sister, raising awkward questions from others in the Organization.
Yes, Cointreau was already mentally preparing for the aftermath of getting beaten up by his own sibling.
Shaking his head, he focused on Gin's message and decided to deal with it directly. He dialed Kaeya's number. The two spoke for some time, their conversation a swift and efficient negotiation. They reached a consensus on most points, with the discussion only stalling on a few minor details. Finally, under Kaeya's cheerfully delivered threat to tell Natsume everything, Cointreau reluctantly conceded the point.
After hanging up, Cointreau took a moment to organize his thoughts. He then composed an email to the Boss, outlining the new trade agreement he had just brokered with Kaeya and requesting his approval.
It didn't take long for a reply to arrive. The Boss agreed to the trade. There was, however, a change in management. The operation would no longer be led by Cointreau; it was being handed over to the Organization's second-in-command, Rum.
Cointreau wasn't surprised. Given the old man's deeply suspicious nature, it was impossible that he would be entrusted with another matter of such importance. And since Gin wasn't suited for this kind of diplomatic maneuvering, the task could only fall to Rum.
But it didn't matter. As long as the trade proceeded smoothly, it was all the same to him. In fact, handing it off to Rum was even more beneficial for Cointreau. This way, if anything went wrong, the failure would land squarely on Rum's shoulders, leaving him completely clear of the fallout.
A faintly malicious smile touched Cointreau's lips at the thought. He then forwarded the relevant trade details and Ningguang's contact information to Rum. It would be up to him to arrange for personnel to contact her and hammer out the specifics of their cooperation.
With the matter resolved and the follow-up no longer his concern, Cointreau promptly put it out of his mind. It wasn't until the next day that he finally remembered to send the final results to Gin.
Gin glanced at the message that had just arrived on his phone, a flicker of cold annoyance crossing his features.
He had already learned the gist of the situation from Rum last night. And this man, Cointreau, was only now getting around to informing him.
Beside him in the passenger seat, Vodka noticed the subtle shift in his boss's mood. "Big Brother," he asked with a hint of concern, "is something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Gin replied, his voice flat and dismissive. He had no intention of explaining. Vodka would find out soon enough, and Gin couldn't be bothered to waste his breath.
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