Onion Men Tearing Each Other Apart (Bonus Chapter)

"So, the reason they're targeting me is because they think I have something my parents left behind," Tang Ze said, hugging his arms and leaning against the headboard, turning the toy gun in his hand. "Then why send me all the way to Tokyo? To make me 'disappear' legitimately?"

Tooru Amuro wordlessly handed him a photo. It showed a small, detached house engulfed in flames, the towering inferno consuming the entire structure. Tang Ze stared, a suffocating sensation climbing into his throat.

This was Tang Ze Zhao's home.

"Three days after you left Kyoto, your house caught fire."

"Looks like they turned the place upside down," Tang Ze said, crumpling the photo. "So, is your mission to find those things on me too?"

"Yes."

Tang Ze fell silent for a moment, then averted his gaze. "...I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you then."

"That's good," Tooru Amuro smiled, completely at ease. Even if Tang Ze really had something, he wouldn't hand it over casually now.

Besides, his current job wasn't at the stage where he needed to transfer technical data. What he needed to do first was to follow the lead, use Tang Ze's case to find the Organization's mole within Public Security, and identify politicians whose affiliations were questionable. Secondly, he had to assess the extent of Tang Ze's importance.

...For example, whether he was important enough to be exchanged for a mole who had been undercover for many years.

"So, they, I mean, my parents, how did they..." Tang Ze hesitated for a moment before asking.

"Research institute accident," Tooru Amuro lowered his gaze, inwardly clenching his jaw. "While they were working in a high-risk laboratory, dangerous substances were accidentally leaked, and they both tragically died."

Teacher Elena also died mysteriously in a so-called laboratory accident. The teacher's two daughters subsequently fell completely under the Organization's control. Not only could he not rescue them, but he didn't even have a chance to contact them. All he knew was that the teacher's younger daughter was a teenage genius scientist working in one of the Organization's research institutes.

Then there was Tang Ze. It all felt like an endless cycle. The fate of Teacher Elena's family seemed to foreshadow Tang Ze's hopeless end.

He wouldn't repeat the same mistakes again. He was going to save this child.

"Accident..." Tang Ze let out a cold laugh, silently finding the Organization's perfunctory and crude methods of silencing people exasperating.

Why not just shoot him eight times in the back and rule it a suicide?

"That's why I found a way to take on the task of monitoring you," Tooru Amuro boasted, having climbed his way up purely by luck. "You're very unsafe right now, and you've already been attacked. I'll do my best to buy time, but the other monitoring group, their actions are unpredictable. I can't be by your side all the time, so you have to be careful."

So stop playing house with the kids upstairs. Kazami and the others are already swamped with investigating networks and suppressing the constant stream of news. You really need to stay put in the shop. Rye is a very strong sniper, and you'll be in danger if you run around outside.

Tang Ze pretended not to understand the underlying meaning and instead asked, "Then, what can I do to help you?"

"Describe to me everyone involved in your case," Tooru Amuro said seriously, focusing his attention. "The people you had friction with, the woman you saved, the officials who interrogated you, the thugs who beat you in prison... everyone. Try to recall as much detail as possible. They might all be like me, acting under orders. If we don't figure out the source, neither you nor I can resist."

Tooru Amuro slightly exaggerated the severity of the situation and portrayed himself as a helpless individual coerced like Tang Ze, hoping Tang Ze would take this part seriously.

"Okay," Tang Ze nodded solemnly.

The reason is a bit far-fetched, Mr. Furuya. But whatever, just consider me an easily fooled child. It's not a bad thing.

"I'll make arrangements and prepare an escape method for you," Tooru Amuro said, slightly relieved, before getting to the main point. "There might be some unexpected incidents and chaos to help you logically break away from my surveillance. Someone will be there to meet you step-by-step and help you get a new identity. This isn't a simple matter, so give me some time. But please trust me."

Tooru Amuro reached out and patted Tang Ze's head. "I'm your guardian, and I'll protect you."

This was the second time he had said this, but the meaning was entirely different from the last time.

"Then what about you? Your mission is to find something on me. If I disappear, what will happen to you?" Tang Ze asked softly, his head still under Tooru Amuro's hand.

"Don't worry about me. Adults have their ways," Tooru Amuro said, rubbing his palms through his hair.

Tang Ze guessed his thoughts. It would likely involve shifting blame to Shuichi Akai, to other unfortunate members of the Organization, or simply giving up. After all, there were more than one or two useless people in the Organization. At worst, he'd lose some skin; one failed mission wouldn't cost Bourbon his life.

Unfortunately, if Tang Ze's conjecture about cognitive power was true, his standing in the Organization's eyes was probably more significant than that. If they truly lost him, the mole within Japan's Public Security would be done for.

Fortunately, he had no intention of escaping.

Thinking of his plan, Tang Ze smiled.

The outcome would definitely be good, but for the plan to be successfully implemented, Tooru Amuro couldn't know about it.

He hoped that when Furuya Rei discovered the truth, he would be less angry given the circumstances.

"I told you, stop patting my head," Tang Ze flinched, pulling away from Tooru Amuro's hand.

For some reason, ever since he mentioned it, Tooru Amuro seemed to be deliberately going against him, staring at his head whenever he had the chance. A malicious adult.

Tooru Amuro felt that they had exchanged enough information and that more details could be discussed later. He rolled up his sleeves and stood up. "You didn't have dinner today, did you? I'll make something simple in the kitchen. Oh, what should I call you now? Should I call you Akihiko?"

Considering the posts on the forum, the "intermediary" always called people by their names. Tooru Amuro wondered if he should also switch to this nickname to bridge the distance a little.

"...Let's not," Tang Ze was actually very unaccustomed to being called by his given name. After all, in his previous life, his full name was Tang Ze. If someone called him Akihiko or Akihiko-kun, he wouldn't have time to react.

Moreover, regardless of what kind of relationship Tang Ze Zhao and he had, or where he was now, he didn't want to steal the name. He wanted to leave something for Tang Ze Zhao.

"Just call me Tang Ze, Mr. Amuro," Tang Ze said, tilting his head up to look at the low ceiling of the attic. "I'm the only one left. There won't be any other 'Tang Ze' anymore."

The Sera family's genealogy is truly a sea of red, a family of loyal martyrs...

I wonder if I'll have a chance to save the Miyano sisters. There aren't many relatives Shuichi Akai can still contend with.

Tooru Amuro, who was preparing to go downstairs to cook, paused. Not knowing what he had misunderstood, he reached out and covered Tang Ze's eyes.

"Remember to come down for dinner," Tooru Amuro said, turning back without looking at Tang Ze's expression and quickly heading downstairs.

Tang Ze, suddenly having his face covered: ...

Did Tooru Amuro think I was crying...?

Realizing that his image in the eyes of the undercover agent, who liked to overthink things, had become even more weak and helpless, Tang Ze, who was full of cheat skills, could only sigh.

Oh well, as long as he's happy.

ψ(｀)ψ Thank you all for your monthly votes and tips. Today's extra chapter~