Itsukushima Shrine
Is the Organization short of money?
Gin can give an extremely affirmative answer.
Short of money.
Very short of money.
It had become the norm for all departments of the Organization to complain about poverty every day.
Otherwise, there would not have been the incident of threatening and bribing Akemi Miyano to rob a bank (a mere 1 billion yen) in the original timeline.
How much money is there for robbing a bank?
For a transnational criminal syndicate, even this amount of money wasn't worth the risk and exposure. So one can imagine how cash-strapped the Organization truly is.
Therefore, Gin would not miss any opportunity that might bring wealth to the Organization.
Treasures…
Those worthy of such praise must be very valuable.
Gin had once participated in an auction of the rich class in order to assassinate a target. That auction made Gin experience the embarrassment of poverty firsthand.
Because he went to the auction in his Porsche 356A.
It was a classic car model from the last century.
That made Gin look so out of place among the luxury modern sports cars and sedans. What made him even more jealous were the various auction items that he thought were useless.
That day, a single painting was directly auctioned for 200 million US dollars.
Therefore, Gin was very interested in the "Treasure" rumored to be hidden in this Shrine.
If possible, he wanted to use the treasure to at least afford a new wax job for his old car…
Gin was very patient.
He notified Vodka to come here to take his shift, and he went back to the room to rest first. A partner who is not smart enough should do what he can.
The Next Day
The sky was still gloomy. It was dawn, but the sun struggled to rise through the heavy clouds.
Gin heard Vodka's code from the communicator.
"The man in the room has gone out…"
Gin quickly got up, put on his black trench coat, and calculated the time needed before they had to leave for the cruise ship transaction.
Soon, Gin avoided the sight of the clergy and easily stepped into the room he had spied on last night—the room of Yoshitomi Kamo.
Vodka was responsible for keeping watch not far outside the house.
It was even darker inside. The gloomy sky made the interior only vaguely visible.
Gin did not turn on the lights to avoid being noticed. He just searched every corner of the room using a UV penlight.
He was searching for all the objects he thought were clues to the treasure.
After all, he was a professional. He quickly discovered a hollow partition on the wall. After a few attempts, he finally pried out the hidden panel.
At this moment, even Gin's cold, dead face couldn't help but crack a small smile.
Would an ordinary person make a mechanism like a hidden partition?
Obviously not.
So the word "Treasure" was very likely to be real. He excitedly shone the penlight into the extended partition.
A square combination lockbox came into view.
He tried to pick the lock roughly, but it didn't work.
Gin immediately attached a silencer to his Beretta.
Snap…
The lock broke open.
But there was a smaller combination lockbox inside.
"...…"
Psycho.
With a blank expression, he used the silenced pistol to shoot the second lockbox again, finally revealing the contents.
"A Notebook?"
Gin was not very satisfied with what was hidden inside.
Because it meant that it only contained clues to find the "Treasure," and he still had to work hard to locate it.
He flipped through a few pages of the notebook.
It was a Diary.
It recorded the daily practice experience of a man named Yoshitomi Kamo.
But Gin didn't care about the spiritual ramblings.
Because since this diary was hidden again and again by the owner inside multiple safes, there was clearly a suspicion of trying to cover up the truth. The clue to the treasure must be in the diary.
After putting the diary in his pocket, Gin calmly left the room, grabbed Vodka, and left Itsukushima Shrine. They specially found a hotel that would not leak customer information.
Now Gin was not in a hurry to go out to sea.
He cared more about funding his beloved old car.
However, Vodka was puzzled as he looked at his Big Brother, who seemed fond of a dirty notebook.
It was rare to see Big Brother with such an expression…
But Vodka finally got a vacation, and instead of rushing out to sea for the next mission, he decided to relax. Looking at the electric kettle that was still boiling, he started to browse his phone out of boredom.
Gin closed the curtains, sat on the sofa, and opened Yoshitomi Kamo's diary.
The Diary Entries
[Entry Date: Unknown]
It's hard, hard… Today's practice is still useless.
Or, is it useful, but I can't detect it?
God…
Please keep an eye on your believers.
[Entry Date: Unknown]
Is it really useful to cultivate virtue? I began to be confused.
But I dare not forget my father's dying admonition. Is the shrine really my Kamo Shrine?
I, the Chief Priest, can't even command a single minister!
Frowning, Gin was not interested in Yoshitomi's daily complaints about shrine politics.
He couldn't help but flip through the pages faster.
[Entry Date: Unknown]
I am old, I am really old.
God… do your people still have a chance?
Today I told a believer not to be superstitious, but to believe in science.
God… forgive me, my faith in you will not waver.
Complaints, still complaints.
Gin could see that this man had a firm belief in God. But as time went on, a certain kind of hesitation and doubt was deeply entangled in his words.
Occasionally he confessed his unsteadiness of faith, and occasionally he talked about the misery of being old and weak despite believing for most of his life.
And Gin also formed a rough impression of this man.
A Devout Believer.
An Ignorant Devout Believer.
Such people were rare in the modern age. It is difficult to ask modern people to practice with a pure heart and few desires every day just for an illusory faith.
Rubbing the paper, it seemed to be a bit old, and the first few pages even had yellowed oxidation marks. This was enough to prove that what Yoshitomi wrote was not false.
He really believed for most of his life.
Foolish old guy.
Gin seemed to be watching a devout believer's futile struggle in life. The foolishness of struggling desperately in the flashy world, the ignorance of seeking the so-called mercy of the gods.
As a cold-blooded killer, Gin could not empathize with them.
The more he read, the more he could smell the despair of a man who knew there was no bright future, but had no choice but to bite the bullet and move forward.
He turned a few pages back again.
Then, his fingers paused.
[Entry Date: Recent]
No! No!!
Really! It's all true!!
Hahahahaha… Really! I saw it!
I saw it!!
His eyes were not affected at all. Gin still looked at the diary calmly.
Is this old man finally crazy?
[Entry Date: Recent]
I can't believe it! Unbelievable!!
I got the ticket to see God!
God…
Thank you for your generosity, your people will always believe in you…
Hahahahahaha...
He frowned and looked at the spots on the paper. There were condensed dark red stains and yellow tear marks.
Madman…
Can I really get clues to the treasure I am looking for from this notebook?
Gin began to doubt.
[Entry Date: Recent]
God is concerned about my health. In fact, I have to admit that I am old.
God…
How merciful.
My son thinks I am crazy.
Hahahahaha…
How could I be crazy?
How could I be crazy!?
I am right!
I am right!!
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