Refuse to allow Conan to join the main storyline

"let's start."

The code members present here (except for a few fools) are all smart people. They all know that in such situations, the one who speaks first is a fool, and the second move is the safest.

And smart people all know what the purpose of today's gathering is and who is the centerpiece.

So as soon as the gentleman on the monitor spoke, the scene became quieter.

Everyone's eyes were on Rum, Gin and Koizumi.

In this somewhat eerie quiet atmosphere, Koizumi chuckled and stood up first.

Okay, okay, the overall situation has been decided, and it doesn’t matter whether I take the first or the last step, so I’ll be the first to take action.

She stopped Nekozuka from following her, walked to the monitor alone, stood still, and spoke with a bright smile and a tone that was a little too exaggerated and full of emotion.

“Dear leader…”

Koizumi bowed slightly to the black silhouette on the monitor, then turned and nodded to everyone present.

"My dear colleagues..."

Finally, he gestured in the direction of Emanuel and Taro Yamada.

"And to all distinguished guests, everyone, Happy New Year! I wish you all a happy new year here!"

There was dead silence.

The codenamed members of the organization and Rum's black-clad minions all looked at her as if she were an idiot, with stunned expressions on their faces.

Oh, not all of them.

Both Fūya Rei and Morobushi Kagemitsu had cramps at the corners of their mouths.

Vodka was infected by Koizumi's emotions and subconsciously raised his hand to applaud, but he suddenly turned his head to look at Gin's face and quickly put his hand down again.

Taro Yamada covered his face with his hands and his shoulders shook rapidly.

Nekozuka: "Happy New Year, Boss!"

With his shout, Ken Takagi followed suit and shouted, "Happy New Year, Boss!"

Then, I don’t know who took the lead, but all the people on TSE’s side began to applaud enthusiastically and shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Happy New Year, Boss!"

"Happy New Year, Master Mello!"

"Boss, will you raise your salary in the New Year?"

"Does the boss give me a girlfriend?"

"Boss, can I get a free meal at the Dark Lotus Club next time?"

Some people even took the lead in cheering and whistling.

Just by listening to the voices, Koizumi knew without even looking that it was the two funny guys, Hagiwara and Matsuda.

Koizumi smiled and let everyone have fun for a full half minute before he raised his hands in the air and made the gesture of a symphony conductor at the end of a piece.

The laughter gradually died down and the scene became quiet again.

However, the atmosphere in the bar at this time became much more cheerful and harmonious than the solemn and depressing one at the beginning.

Koizumi glanced at Rum's ugly face and smiled even more brightly.

Yes, she did it on purpose!

I'll warm up the place and create a great atmosphere for you first, and then when it's your turn to perform the rum, it'll depend on whether you can catch it or not!

"With the nature of our work, it's very rare for us to get together, and I'm happy to see that everyone is still alive and well."

"Pfft..."

Amidst all the weird expressions, I wonder which bastard actually burst out laughing at this critical moment.

Koizumi looked in the direction of the laughter and said: "I am not joking. This is a very serious matter. This is determined by the nature of our work and is also my expectation for everyone's work in the future."

She said with a serious expression: "Whether it is the work of the organization or TSE, it is a high-risk industry after all.

"I hope that while everyone is working smoothly, they can take care of themselves first. If you lose your life, then there is nothing more to say."

Of course, those who understand know that high-risk occupations also include police and undercover agents.

Seeing that no one was sneering anymore, Koizumi nodded with satisfaction.

“It is a rare opportunity for us to gather together. On the occasion of the New Year, please allow me to extend my sincerest New Year wishes to everyone on behalf of myself, my Melo Action Team, and TSE’s supervisors and financial team. I wish you all good work, happy families, and good health in the new year.”

There was a burst of applause.

It’s still TSE’s own people who are supporting it.

However, there were also sporadic sounds of cheering from Rum's black-clad minions.

"Looking back on the past year, we have faced many challenges, including the high-load promotion of projects, structural adjustments to the company's personnel, and pressure from various aspects such as funding sources and technological innovation. However, under the wise leadership of this gentleman..."

Koizumi turned around again and bowed slightly to the black silhouette on the monitor.

"And the strong financial support from the Rum team..."

Koizumi nodded at Rum.

"And with the joint efforts of all my colleagues..."

Koizumi smiled and nodded to Gin's table and Cohen's table.

“We ended up having quite a bit of success.”

Koizumi took a deep breath, making his expression and tone more excited and exaggerated.

“So I want to say that this is not an individual victory, it is the result of our joint efforts and a victory for every member of the organization!

"With everyone's joint efforts, the organization will surely usher in a more glorious tomorrow!"

Koizumi looked at the expressionless code members in front of him with a smile.

how is it?

I have given you a compliment, and it is politically correct. If you don't accept it, you will not only be disrespecting me, but also disrespecting that gentleman.

Before these guys could react, a solitary applause came from the loudspeaker.

Koizumi was stunned for a moment, then turned around to look.

On the monitor, the black silhouette of the gentleman finally moved for the first time.

Karasuma Renya was actually clapping and supporting her.

Koizumi felt awe-inspiring again, but his facial expression did not change at all.

She turned around and stood up with a smile on her face, placing her right hand on her heart and bowing her head slightly in greeting.

“I am very glad to receive your recognition.”

Under pressure from Karasuma Renya, these cold-hearted and even antisocial guys finally had to give in.

There was a burst of sparse applause at the scene.

Regardless of other people's reactions, Koizumi only focused on the expressions of Gin and Rum.

Gin still had a cold expression on his face. He clapped his hands twice slowly and impatiently and then put them down.

But Koizumi clearly saw that his eyes were fixed on the back of Rum's head, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, clearly an expression of gloating.

As for Rum, he still looked like a decent and well-educated man, sitting upright with a calm expression on his face, but his gaze was like a poisoned knife.

It's really interesting.

Koizumi smiled and looked away.

“Finally, I want to say that in the new year, let us work together to meet every challenge, create more achievements, and strive for the glory of the organization!

"Once again, I wish you all a happy new year! I hope I can still see you alive on this day next year. That's all."

After saying that, Koizumi walked leisurely back to his seat.

Taro Yamada smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

Okay, now it depends on your performance, Mr. Rum.

However, the clever Rum-kun did not take over the situation immediately as Koizumi expected.

He sat in silence for a while, waiting for the atmosphere in the bar to cool down naturally and return to its original atmosphere. Then he put his hand on his forehead and spoke softly as if he was a little distressed, setting the tone for his subsequent remarks.

He said: "Ha, this is really a farce."