Chapter 952: Who Is the Target?
"This guy has been deliberately causing trouble, Lin Wuming!" Misaka Mikoto turned her head to complain.
Hamazura Shiage suddenly looked startled, quickly closed his mouth, and retreated—seeing the 'bilibili' electric sparks flickering all over Misaka Mikoto, he seemed to realize that this girl in front of him was like Mugino Shizuri… No, perhaps an even more powerful Level 5 Esper!
And Lin Wuming, whom he had been provoking, was also a Level 5!
His instinct as a seasoned thug immediately made him back down: "Sorry, I was too arrogant!"
Because his admission of guilt was so decisive, even Misaka Mikoto was stunned and didn't know whether to continue her outburst.
"Forgive him," Takitsubo Rikou stepped forward and said, "After all, Hamazura's companions were also attacked. He's probably worried about them now, isn't he?"
Saying that, Takitsubo Rikou looked at Hamazura Shiage again: "Sorry, Hamazura, not only could I not help you, but I also forcibly dragged you here to help me…"
"It's fine, it's fine!" Hamazura Shiage quickly shook his head, "Komaba and Hattori also broke through and escaped. As for the others, they should have all escaped on their own, right? Even if they were forcibly detained, it's just helping with errands, there shouldn't be any problems."
The leadership of SKILL OUT, namely Komaba Ritoku, Hattori Hanzo, and Hamazura Shiage, the three bosses—after they escaped, SKILL OUT would be a scattered mess and no longer be considered an organization.
This way, when responsibility was investigated afterward, SKILL OUT wouldn't be brought up.
It would just be a minor incident of "individual delinquent youths being coerced into helping," which would likely be left unresolved and not pursued.
"Your SKILL OUT was also attacked and coerced?" Kinuhata Saiai said, "I haven't heard about that."
"Yes," Hamazura Shiage nodded, "It was an intermediary who often contacted us who had a problem."
To survive, bottom-level Armed Unskilled Group like them would usually become subordinate organizations to one or several Dark Side Organization, assisting the Dark Side Organization above them in completing tasks—such as doing odd jobs, running errands, or transporting supplies.
SKILL OUT wasn't so thorough; apart from Hamazura Shiage, the entire organization wasn't affiliated with a specific Dark Side Organization. Instead, like a "jack-of-all-trades," they accepted tasks through intermediaries, and any Dark Side Organization could hire them.
Of course, while this ensured freedom, their income was certainly not comparable to organizations that fully committed to the Dark Side.
SKILL OUT had been surviving quietly and peacefully in this way.
But for some reason, today the intermediary suddenly brought people to their doorstep, wanting to forcibly "hire" SKILL OUT to do work for them.
The tasks included, but were not limited to, creating unrest within Academy City, assisting certain commercial and technical spies in escaping Academy City, and… cooperating in the assassination of a Toku Ko Ri Shi!
Feeling absurd, the three SKILL OUT leaders also realized the danger of the situation, so they broke through the enemy's encirclement and fled separately.
Now, learning that Kinuhata Saiai was also being threatened and that the enemy's target was "assassinating Lin Wuming," Hamazura Shiage immediately connected it to his own situation.
It was then not difficult to conclude—the enemies who attacked and hijacked SKILL OUT were the same group who threatened Kinuhata Saiai, and their target was, of course, Lin Wuming!
Thinking that his companions—including SKILL OUT and Kinuhata Saiai—were all implicated because of Lin Wuming, it was no wonder he couldn't help but complain about Lin Wuming.
"So, are we going to rescue your companions next?" Kinuhata Saiai asked.
Just then, Lin Wuming's phone suddenly rang.
"Accelerator, did he find anything else?" Lin Wuming muttered as he answered the phone.
"Wuming, I've investigated it thoroughly. The enemy's true target is to assassinate Chairman Aleister, and the previous series of thefts were just bait to divert my attention," Accelerator said.
"Are you sure?" Lin Wuming glanced at Kinuhata Saiai and Hamazura Shiage in front of him, "The assassination target is Chairman Aleister, not me?"
"Of course it's Aleister," Accelerator said as a matter of course, "Are their brains broken, to come and assassinate you, a Level 5?"
Seemingly hearing the conversation, Kogawa Meiwei and Shirai Kuroko also nodded repeatedly, looking quite in agreement.
"Indeed," Takitsubo Rikou also said, "Actually, I also feel that making Mr. Lin Wuming the assassination target is a bit unwise, after all, your strength is obvious to all."
That is, the enemy exploited Lin Wuming's "weakness," using hostages to threaten and incite Kinuhata Saiai and Black Night Sea Bird to carry out the assassination, while the enemy themselves had no intention of acting personally.
Reflecting for a moment, Lin Wuming realized he had fallen into a fixed mindset.
After all, to most people outside, the biggest difficulty in assassinating Chairman Aleister only lay in the "No Window Building"; as long as they could break through that building, half the goal would be achieved.
As for Aleister's own strength… honestly, it was largely ignored.
Not everyone understood Chairman Aleister's true strength as deeply as Lin Wuming did.
Therefore, in the eyes of outsiders, excluding the protection of the "No Window Building," the difficulty of assassinating Chairman Aleister was far lower than assassinating Lin Wuming.
Even Accelerator thought so—he recognized Lin Wuming's strength, which is why he found the idea of assassinating Lin Wuming unbelievable.
After all, the enemy was the "Anti-Academy City Forces Alliance"; their assassinations were more for political propaganda purposes, so there was no need to target Chairman Aleister, who was easier to assassinate and had greater influence, while attacking Lin Wuming, who was stronger but less influential than Aleister.
Kinuhata Saiai, however, frowned: "But they did…"
Lin Wuming raised his hand, stopping her words.
"Wuming, could it be…" Accelerator asked, "You encountered an assassination attempt?"
"You could say it was an attempted assassination, right?" Lin Wuming replied, "I'm investigating. By the way, is your judgment supported by evidence?"
It wasn't that Lin Wuming didn't believe him, but simply that there was a discrepancy in the information about the enemy now, so it had to be verified as thoroughly as possible.
"Yes, there's a witness," Accelerator said, "I'm with the guide right now."
"The guide?"
"It's me, Lin Wuming," a familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Kihara Tamski?" Lin Wuming recognized her, "What happened on your end?"
"Simply put," Kihara Tamski sounded very tired, her tone somewhat low, "Someone coerced me into taking them to that building."
