Chapter 394: Mutual Exchange
Toru Amuro choked on his words for a fraction of a second. A sharp urge flared in his chest to ask Keqing a very simple question: If the Balladeer was such an exceptionally capable helper, why didn't the Teyvat Organization just keep him? But the seasoned intelligence officer swallowed the inquiry before it could pass his lips. He didn't need to ask. He could already piece together the unspoken answer from the sheer friction in the air.
Noting Amuro's sudden, contemplative silence, Keqing shifted her weight. She crossed her arms over her chest, her amethyst eyes narrowing with clear irritation. "Did you linger behind specifically just to dig into this?" she demanded, her tone crisp and impatient. "I certainly didn't expect you to care so deeply about the Balladeer's whereabouts."
"Of course not." Amuro snapped out of his brief reverie, offering a smooth, flat denial. He adjusted his posture, slipping effortlessly into his charismatic Bourbon persona. "I simply feel that, given the current landscape, we have a unique opportunity to deepen the connection between myself and your organization."
Keqing frowned, genuinely failing to grasp the blonde man's angle. Regardless of which of his many masks he was currently wearing, they operated in entirely separate spheres. They weren't in the same faction, let alone the same syndicate. How exactly were they supposed to deepen their connection? Never one to mince words, she voiced her skepticism directly, demanding a clear explanation.
A confident smile touched the corners of Amuro's mouth. "I've mentioned this before. I am an intelligence officer. Gathering, analyzing, and using information is my lifeblood," he explained, his voice taking on a persuasive, measured cadence. "Under these circumstances, I firmly believe that your organization and I can establish a mutually beneficial trade. We can exchange what we have for what we desperately need."
He took a slow step forward, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "The Boss of the Black Organization has taken a very keen interest in the Teyvat Organization. If I can manage to secure and deliver more concrete intelligence regarding your operations, both the Boss and Rum will undoubtedly place a much higher value on my capabilities."
"Therefore, you can feed me some surface-level, non-confidential information. Scraps that won't harm your core operations," Amuro continued. "In exchange, I can provide you with highly classified intelligence regarding the Black Organization's internal movements." He offered a casual shrug, the charming smile never leaving his face. "After all, we already share a solid foundation of cooperation. You should understand my character by now; I am always exceptionally honest with my partners. I am merely proposing a shift in the nature of our arrangement, establishing deeper, more lucrative transactions with your faction under my personal name. It is the very definition of a win-win situation."
"I will elevate my status within the Black Organization using the breadcrumbs you provide. Meanwhile, you can use the high-grade intelligence I supply to gradually dismantle and encroach upon their sphere of influence. We both walk away with exactly what we desire."
Keqing listened to the proposal in silence, her expression unreadable. When he finished, she let out a soft scoff, her tone dripping with subtle irony. "You truly are an outstanding member of your syndicate. To climb the ranks and improve your own standing, you wouldn't hesitate for a single second to help outsiders tear it down from the inside?"
Amuro waved a hand nonchalantly, playing the part of the ruthless, self-serving criminal to perfection. "The Black Organization belongs to the Boss. For a relatively minor operative like myself, my only true concern is figuring out how to stand on a higher pedestal within it." His gaze hardened slightly, a glint of cold ambition flashing in his eyes. "Every man for himself, or the heavens will destroy him. It is perfectly natural to seek out a few shortcuts to secure one's own future. Besides, a little bit of external friction won't damage the deep roots of the syndicate in the slightest."
In truth, there was a far deeper, hidden motive driving his proposal. Recently, Amuro had stumbled upon a highly suspicious anomaly. Out of the detailed list of Rum's subordinates he had previously traded with Glenlivet, two of the second-in-command's most die-hard loyalists had suffered catastrophic failures during their latest missions. Both had met unfortunate, highly fatal ends. More, after conducting his own covert investigation into the incidents, Amuro had detected the faint, unmistakable shadow of Glenlivet lingering over both crime scenes.
There was no hard evidence, nothing that would hold up in a court of law or a syndicate interrogation room. Yet, Amuro's razor-sharp intuition screamed that Glenlivet had carefully engineered those accidents. But to what end? What was his ultimate purpose? Why go out of his way to specifically target Rum's faction? It was a puzzle that had been gnawing at Amuro's mind for days.
Acting solely in his personal capacity, Glenlivet had absolutely no logical reason to provoke the second-in-command. However, the moment Amuro factored the Teyvat Organization into the equation, the dense fog of confusion shrouding his vision instantly evaporated.
The conclusion was glaringly obvious: Glenlivet had to be maintaining secret contact with the members of the Teyvat Organization. At the very least, he was operating from the shadows to actively clear obstacles for them. But that realization only birthed a new, equally baffling question. Given Glenlivet's notoriously abrasive and selfish personality, why on earth would he willingly offer his assistance?
Amuro didn't believe for a second that the intense, venomous hatred Glenlivet displayed toward his Mother was merely an act. It was also a verified fact that Glenlivet had caused a massive amount of chaos within the Teyvat Organization back when he operated under the title of the Balladeer. Consequently, it was an open secret that certain departments within Teyvat actively despised him, nursing a deep, unresolved rift.
It made no sense. Under such hostile circumstances, and factoring in Glenlivet's overwhelming arrogance, how could he possibly swallow his pride and maintain contact with them? Ultimately, however, the underlying reasons didn't matter. Whatever messy grievances and emotional entanglements existed between Glenlivet and the Teyvat Organization, it didn't change the facts on the ground. It certainly didn't stop Amuro from placing a massive, glaring question mark over Glenlivet's true loyalties.
Through observing these covert maneuvers, Amuro had cemented a crucial theory: the Teyvat Organization had absolutely no sincere desire to cooperate with the Black Organization. Instead, they harbored deep-seated ill intentions toward the syndicate and had already begun taking lethal, decisive action to undermine them.
This revelation was the primary driving force behind Bourbon's sudden push to deepen his ties with Teyvat. His sole purpose for infiltrating the criminal underworld and enduring the grueling life of an undercover agent was to completely dismantle the Black Organization. Yet, the longer he stayed submerged in the darkness, the more terrifyingly clear it became just how deeply the syndicate hid its true, monstrous strength. They were a leviathan, their tentacles wrapped around every facet of society.
Now, an entirely unknown faction had suddenly emerged from the ether. The Teyvat Organization appeared even more enigmatic, resourceful, and potentially powerful than the Black Organization itself. If played correctly, they could be the perfect weapon to bleed the syndicate dry.
If he could manipulate the board so that both monolithic factions heavily wounded each other in a war of attrition, that would naturally be the ideal outcome. But if forced to choose a victor, Amuro was far more willing to bet on Teyvat. From what he had observed, the members of the Teyvat Organization operated with a strict code. They didn't blatantly butcher innocents or trample over the law with the same sickening, indiscriminate cruelty as the Black Organization.
There was just one lingering complication. Although he had no idea what methods Cointreau had employed, it was an obvious fact that the other operative had beaten him to the punch, successfully establishing a highly favorable relationship with Teyvat. If Amuro wanted to maintain his edge and secure his own pipeline of information, he couldn't afford to waste another second. He had to seize the initiative and make his move now.
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