Chapter Summaries

Jiang Xia tested hiding a Blood Bag inside Matsuda Jinpei's Puppet Clay so he could fake bleeding if shot. The experiment succeeded without affecting Matsuda Jinpei's sight or movement, though the blood sloshed loudly inside his head.

• Jiang Xia's attention wandered while he adjusted Matsuda Jinpei's Puppet Clay, crushing the first Blood Bag and making blood spill from Matsuda Jinpei's mouth.
• Jiang Xia cleaned up the spilled blood, remade Matsuda Jinpei, and brought him a box of Blood Bags to try again.
• Matsuda Jinpei inserted another Blood Bag into his head, and Jiang Xia confirmed it remained hidden inside the Puppet Clay.
• Jiang Xia checked whether Matsuda Jinpei could see, think, and move; Matsuda Jinpei confirmed he could, despite hearing the liquid slosh loudly in his head.

Jiang Xia trained Matsuda Jinpei to operate his puppet, then headed to meet Gin with 100 million yen. Worried Gin would see Matsuda as a threat, Jiang Xia sent him to wait in a café nearby and prepared him for the possibility of being shot.

• Jiang Xia made Matsuda Jinpei repeatedly practice stuffing Blood Bags into the puppet, replenishing him with Ghost Mint when he tired.
• Jiang Xia retrieved the 100 million yen he had hidden and had Matsuda pack it into a Briefcase.
• On the way to meet Gin, Jiang Xia worried that bringing Matsuda directly could provoke Gin, who was wary after Akai Shuichi's failed ambush.
• Jiang Xia told Matsuda to wait in a nearby café, gave him cash to order something, and instructed him to lie down and play dead if someone shot at him.

Jiang Xia coached Matsuda Jinpei on how to pass Gin’s test and gave him 100 million yen to present to The Organization. As Matsuda waited at the coffee shop, Gin arrived to meet Jiang Xia, who hoped the money would improve his standing and help his puppet blend in.

• Jiang Xia told Matsuda Jinpei to imitate Vodka’s useful-pawn behavior, while warning him not to imitate Vodka’s intelligence.
• Jiang Xia encouraged Matsuda by promising future missions, new teammates, and a chance to gather intelligence on The Organization for the state.
• Matsuda Jinpei took the briefcase containing 100 million yen and went to the coffee shop to await Gin.
• Jiang Xia watched Matsuda from nearby and considered the cash a useful offering to Gin, since he had little need for the money himself.
• Gin arrived in a black sedan and suspected that Uzo had killed the two criminals from whom he claimed to have recovered the stolen money.

Gin reconsidered his decision to withhold assassination assignments from Uzo and decided to resume sending him targets to keep his murder schemes directed at people who deserved to die. Jiang Xia joined Gin and Vodka in the car, where Gin teased him about Bourbon returning unharmed, and Jiang Xia complained that none of the weak opponents could defeat the exhausted agent.

• Gin concluded that Uzo would keep staging murder cases whether or not he received assignments, so he decided to send him assassination lists again.
• Gin suspected Jiang Xia had hidden the 100 million yen he claimed he had found and prepared to help him transport it.
• Jiang Xia got into Gin and Vodka's car, and Vodka drove them away.
• Gin told Jiang Xia that he had lost badly because Bourbon had returned without a scratch.
• Jiang Xia said Bourbon had slept less than three hours a night and driven nearly ten hours a day, yet nobody had been able to beat him.

Jiang Xia told Gin and Vodka about the money he had collected and pointed out where he had left another 100 million yen. Gin watched a suspicious man at a coffee shop from the car, and the chapter ended with the man appearing to meet Gin’s gaze before looking away.

• Vodka recalled how Uzo had nearly drawn him into a deadly confrontation with Bourbon and edged away from Jiang Xia.
• Jiang Xia’s longing look at Gin’s Killing Intent made Gin warn him to put his thoughts about Bourbon aside.
• Jiang Xia told Gin he had collected 100 million yen in Gunma Prefecture and had buried it, then asked Vodka to stop near the location of another 100 million yen.
• Jiang Xia pointed out a black-clad, curly-haired man with a briefcase at a coffee shop, and Gin inspected him through binoculars.
• The man glanced toward Gin’s car, prompting Gin to tense and aim his Beretta before the man looked away and resumed stirring his drink.

Jiang Xia introduced Gin to Matsuda Jinpei as a double who could act as Uzo’s loyal subordinate and personal protection. Gin agreed with the idea and planned to place Jiang Xia under Uzo’s command to keep Rum and Bourbon from claiming either of them.

• Jiang Xia told Gin that Matsuda Jinpei was the double he had chosen to handle Uzo’s work with teammates and serve as a bodyguard.
• Jiang Xia argued that a loyal subordinate would protect him when he investigated dangerous criminals without weapons or help from the organization.
• Gin considered the risk that Rum might recruit Jiang Xia through Bourbon and decided to make Jiang Xia report to Uzo instead.
• Gin planned to assign several Peripheral Members as Uzo’s direct subordinates, including Jiang Xia, to block a transfer and secure their place under his command.
• Gin had also prepared supporting measures to keep Jiang Xia’s Peripheral Member status from causing trouble for him.

Gin investigated Uzo’s new subordinate, Kurosawa Sa, after learning that Jiang Xia had created a convincing double. The file looked ordinary, but Gin found it hard to reconcile its mediocre subject with the sharp man he had seen in the café.

• Gin recalled Jiang Xia using a young child to collect Miyano Akemi’s ten billion yen and considered how capable the child had seemed before Uzo silenced him.
• Gin asked Jiang Xia to send him Kurosawa Sa’s file so he could decide whether the new double was suitable.
• Jiang Xia sent the file and resolved to protect Amuro Tooru’s undercover identity, fearing that exposure would keep him from working outside the National Police Agency.
• Gin read the file and found Kurosawa Sa’s ordinary, unlucky life story at odds with the sharp black-clad man he had seen in the café.

Gin questioned the credibility of Cito’s background and demanded his real file, while Jiang Xia defended his recruitment and explained how he had verified Cito’s story. The Organization would have to investigate the scattered records itself, and Gin was left recalling Jiang Xia’s connection to the R&D Department.

• Gin asked Jiang Xia for Cito’s real file and challenged him over choosing the surname Kurosawa.
• Jiang Xia said Cito had entered Japan illegally from Myanmar and claimed that tracking down his past records would be too troublesome.
• Jiang Xia had secretly fabricated a detailed paper trail for Cito, portraying him as a former circus tool trained by criminals across Japan and Myanmar.
• Gin grew angry that Jiang Xia had recruited someone whose identity he had not properly checked and warned that the Organization executed people of unknown identity.
• Jiang Xia said he trusted his judgment, had confirmed Cito’s story with the Circus Master, and could use an interrogation drug if necessary.
• Gin remembered that Jiang Xia’s mother had worked in a Laboratory and that Jiang Xia had obtained drugs from the R&D Department.

Gin considered whether Cito could be recruited into the organization and decided to screen him in person. After learning how Cito’s former Troupe Leader died, Gin ordered a meeting near Railway Bridge and authorized him to kill Cito if he proved unsuitable.

• Gin remembered the New Interrogation Drug, while Vodka worried that Uzo might treat subordinates cruelly.
• Gin asked where the Circus Master was, and Jiang Xia said the man had died in an accident the week before last.
• Jiang Xia sent Gin a news report explaining that a murderer had mistaken the Circus Master for his intended victim and killed him with a falling-steel trap.
• Gin considered Cito’s abilities and decided that he wanted to meet the newcomer himself before approving his recruitment.
• Gin told Jiang Xia to have Cito wait near the Railway Bridge west of Greenery Park and ordered him to bury Cito there if he proved unsuitable.
• Jiang Xia agreed to assess Cito objectively, while Vodka silently resolved to remain a good subordinate to Gin.

Jiang Xia brought Matsuda Jinpei to meet Gin and presented him as Cito, a subordinate equipped with bombs for mutual destruction. Gin allowed Matsuda to disarm and surrender his weapons, leaving the interview to continue without them.

• Jiang Xia messaged Matsuda Jinpei Gin's meeting location and left the café with his briefcase.
• Matsuda Jinpei hid Jiang Xia's motorcycle beneath Green Railway Bridge and waited for Gin and Vodka to arrive.
• Jiang Xia warned Gin and Vodka that Cito carried bombs, prompting Gin to order Cito to dismantle them and hand over his weapons.
• Jiang Xia called Matsuda Jinpei over, and Matsuda handed his bombs and weapons to Vodka.
• Vodka sealed the bombs in a box and planned to retrieve the motorcycle later, while Gin showed some appreciation for Cito's new subordinate.

Vodka searched Cito while Jiang Xia watched through the Matsuda Jinpei puppet, and the Ghosts harvested the Killing Intent Vodka produced. The inspection ended with Vodka finding only a Peeling Knife, while Matsuda Jinpei remained under suspicion and amused the Ghosts with his reactions.

• Vodka noticed Cito watching him with unsettling anticipation and grew suspicious of his motives.
• When Cito handed Vodka the Briefcase, Vodka drew his gun, then lowered it after realizing Cito had not reacted with fear.
• Uzo reassured Vodka that Cito carried no weapons besides a Peeling Knife, and Vodka searched him.
• Jiang Xia watched Spider Lady harvest the Killing Intent that surfaced from Vodka as Matsuda Jinpei operated the puppet.
• Vodka completed the inspection and found only the Peeling Knife in Cito's pocket.

Jiang Xia brought his supposed new weapon, Cito, to meet Gin, who questioned whether Cito had helped kill the former Circus Master. Jiang Xia deflected Gin’s suspicion and covered up a telltale flaw in Matsuda Jinpei’s puppet, leaving Gin and Vodka puzzled by his explanation.

• After Gin confirmed Cito was unarmed, he brought Jiang Xia and the puppet to a chemical plant he used to destroy corpses and erase traces.
• Gin showed Jiang Xia a news photograph that appeared to place Cito near the former Circus Master’s murder and asked whether Cito had lured the victim to his death.
• Jiang Xia compared the Circus Master’s death to an elephant breaking free from an abusive trainer, then hastily claimed Cito had merely been nearby by chance.
• Jiang Xia spotted a corner of the puppet’s Blood Bag showing through its hair and pressed it back into place before Gin could investigate.
• Jiang Xia claimed Matsuda Jinpei was outside his speaking hours because a landmine had injured his head, then pointed out the puppet’s supposed scar.

Jiang Xia kept up his cover story about Cito’s landmine injury while Gin assessed Cito’s obedience and the risks of Uzo’s treatment of subordinates. After Jiang Xia hid the blood bag in Cito’s head, he casually stroked Vodka’s head, startling him into calling for Gin.

• Gin examined Cito’s apparent temple scar and suspected that Uzo had caused his intermittent aphasia by forcing him to take too much interrogation drug.
• Gin considered whether Uzo’s harsh treatment might undermine subordinate loyalty, then judged Cito to be obedient and focused on Gin and Vodka.
• Matsuda Jinpei worried that the blood bag hidden in his head would slip out as Jiang Xia petted him, but Gin and Vodka failed to notice it.
• Gin asked whether Cito had stepped on a landmine in Myanmar, and Jiang Xia claimed he had threatened to send Cito there to dig up mines if he performed poorly.
• Jiang Xia pushed the blood bag back into place and explained Cito’s speechlessness as a nervous flaw that did not interfere with his role as an execution machine.
• After Vodka furtively watched Jiang Xia pet Cito, Jiang Xia stroked Vodka’s head too, making Vodka call out to Gin.

Jiang Xia tried to keep Vodka from panicking during the drive, but Gin’s attempt to stop him sparked a brief gunfight in the car. Jiang Xia defused the clash, and Gin put away his weapon while warning that Matsuda Jinpei lacked restraint.

• Jiang Xia rubbed Vodka’s head until Gin ordered him to stop, but Vodka’s startled driving kept the car swerving.
• Gin aimed his Beretta at Jiang Xia, and Matsuda Jinpei pressed the gun’s slide and redirected it.
• Gin drew a second gun, but Jiang Xia stopped Matsuda Jinpei from interfering and shoved the puppet aside as Gin fired into the rear window.
• Jiang Xia separated Matsuda Jinpei from Gin’s weapon and explained that the newcomer was unused to the organization’s way of speaking.
• Jiang Xia concluded that Gin had not intended to kill Cito, then hid Matsuda Jinpei behind the seat as Gin put away his guns and criticized the Ghost’s lack of restraint.

Jiang Xia tried to present Matsuda Jinpei, posing as Cito, as a capable new subordinate after Matsuda grabbed Gin’s gun. Gin decided to test Cito in a fight as they arrived at an organization stronghold, while Jiang Xia worried that the organization might claim his new Persona.

• Jiang Xia told Gin he would add him to Cito’s list of superiors so Cito would not grab Gin’s gun again.
• Gin assessed Cito’s reflexes and strength, then asked Jiang Xia what he was good at.
• Jiang Xia said Cito excelled at repairing machinery and boxing, and suggested he spar with Vodka.
• Gin volunteered to test Cito himself, leaving Jiang Xia to wonder whether Gin wanted a fight or meant to recruit Cito.
• Jiang Xia and the others arrived at an old chemical plant that served as an organization stronghold.

Gin brought Jiang Xia and Matsuda Jinpei to a factory yard for a sparring test, with Chianti and Korn covering them from rooftops. As Matsuda prepared to fight, Miyano Akemi planned to use her invincibility skill to protect Jiang Xia if a sniper fired.

• Jiang Xia and Matsuda Jinpei arrived at the factory and spotted Chianti and Korn concealed on opposite rooftops.
• Gin explained that the Snipers had one rifle aimed at Jiang Xia and another at Cito, as a safeguard in case Cito proved hostile.
• Jiang Xia accepted Gin’s precautions while Matsuda Jinpei eagerly flexed his puppet fingers in anticipation of the spar.
• Gin and Matsuda Jinpei moved into an open area where they could fight under the Snipers’ aim.
• Miyano Akemi assessed the Snipers’ Killing Intent and prepared to shield Jiang Xia with her One-Second Invincibility skill, then help the other Ghosts capture the Organization members.

Jiang Xia watched Gin and Matsuda Jinpei fight as he considered the Blood Bag and chatted with Vodka. The battle left both fighters trading hard blows, while Vodka reluctantly admitted Cito was impressive and Uzo suggested he should get a subordinate.

• Miyano Akemi eyed Vodka with greed, making him wary when Jiang Xia noticed him.
• Jiang Xia reminded his Ghosts not to grab Gin's hair or Trench Coat, while Matsuda Jinpei warned that the Blood Bag might fail soon.
• Jiang Xia approached Vodka and asked whether he thought the newcomer was any good.
• Matsuda Jinpei hesitated to use a grappling move, then took Gin's kick and crashed through an Iron Fence before charging back into the fight.
• Gin sent Matsuda Jinpei flying, but Vodka then watched Gin get thrown and conceded that Cito was not bad.
• Jiang Xia told Vodka that having a subordinate could handle errands, dirty work, and unwanted blame, leaving Vodka puzzled.

Jiang Xia watched Gin and Matsuda Jinpei fight while trying to draw Killing Intent from Vodka, and Gin grew suspicious of both Jiang Xia’s thoughts and the sound coming from Matsuda. The chapter ended with Matsuda spitting blood into Gin’s incinerator, apparently concealing damage to his Blood Bag.

• Vodka assumed Jiang Xia was showing off his ability to fight Gin and secretly resented him, producing a brief wisp of Killing Intent that Jiang Xia noticed.
• Jiang Xia observed Matsuda Jinpei fighting Gin and judged that Matsuda’s boxing experience made the puppet more effective than his own combat skills.
• Gin abruptly stopped the fight, aimed his gun at Matsuda, and warned Jiang Xia to put away his crooked thoughts.
• Gin heard a faint sound of water and asked what Matsuda was carrying, so Jiang Xia claimed Matsuda had an old bleeding problem and little time left to live.
• Matsuda understood Jiang Xia’s hint, spat blood into Gin’s incinerator, wiped his mouth, and closed the door.

Jiang Xia’s plan to place Matsuda Jinpei in the Organization as his subordinate survived Gin’s test, though Gin ordered a background investigation and warned Jiang Xia not to drug recruits. As they rode back to the city, Jiang Xia fed Matsuda Jinpei fresh Killing Intent, and his phone suddenly rang.

• Jiang Xia urged Gin to let Matsuda Jinpei handle Organization work related to Uzo, while Gin pointed his gun at Matsuda Jinpei and declared him unqualified.
• Jiang Xia accepted Gin’s apparent decision to kill Matsuda Jinpei and joked that the Organization should compensate him with another subordinate.
• Gin fired a blank at Matsuda Jinpei to test Jiang Xia’s attitude, then approved sending Cito’s details to Human Resources for investigation and review.
• Gin told Jiang Xia he could report other capable, loyal recruits, but warned him not to fill them with drugs; Jiang Xia silently decided to ignore that advice.
• Gin had the Snipers withdraw and rode back toward the city with Jiang Xia, Vodka, and Matsuda Jinpei, who left the puppet and drifted beside Jiang Xia.
• Jiang Xia fed Matsuda Jinpei a Ghost Mint cigarette infused with Gin’s Killing Intent, and his phone rang during the ride.

Jiang Xia received four peripheral members from Gin to serve as subordinates for Uzo and found Okiya Subaru among their résumés. The discovery left him wondering why Akai Shuichi’s future disguise was already listed in the Organization’s files.

• Gin sent Jiang Xia four peripheral members and instructed him to assign them missions at least once a month and keep them alive.
• Jiang Xia reviewed the files and recognized Okiya Subaru in the last résumé.
• Jiang Xia recalled that Okiya Subaru was Akai Shuichi’s disguise after he faked his death, but Mizunashi Rena was still living peacefully as an undercover agent.
• Jiang Xia wondered why Okiya Subaru appeared among the Organization’s members when the events that would create that identity had not yet happened.