"How cruel~ You were just talking about me, and now you don't even recognize me?"
Gojo Satoru lamented, leaning down to bring his face close to the muzzle of Pinga's gun, showing no fear that the man might pull the trigger or that it might accidentally discharge.
In contrast, Pinga's finger twitched.
That cheerful tone, which sounded as if it were soaked in marshmallows, only served to heighten his vigilance. However, after processing what the man had said, he began to scrutinize him carefully.
A black suit with a slightly exposed collar; white hair falling over a blindfold that tightly concealed his eyes, leaving only the lower half of an exceptionally handsome face visible; and long legs crossed casually.
Even in a seated position, one could sense his towering height and... a bone-chilling, suffocating pressure.
Every characteristic pointed to the very name he had just been mentioning.
Beside him, Curacao had already lowered her gun and was walking over slowly.
"...A pleasure to meet you, Master Caesar."
[Ding! Impression Points from story character Pinga +1000. Analysis: Dread.]
[Impression Points from story character Curacao +500. Analysis: Surprise.]
Oho, another bountiful day.
Pinga also lowered his weapon, immediately bowing his head to admit his fault. "What I said just now was mere nonsense. Please do not take it to heart."
"Is that so?"
Gojo Satoru hopped off the desk with agile precision, looking at him with a smile that didn't quite reach his words.
Curacao, having regained her composure, spoke bluntly: "Master Caesar, my code name is Curacao. Since you know Pinga... you must know me as well. Because you were three hours late and Pinga has an urgent mission to attend to, he was merely venting. We ask for your understanding."
Both of them had realized one thing.
Regardless of whether this mysterious member transferred from above held a higher status than Rum, the sheer ability to appear behind them without a sound meant he was not someone they were currently in a position to question or criticize.
Seeing Curacao speak up for him, a flicker of surprise flashed in Pinga's eyes.
In truth, because her status was higher than Pinga's, Curacao had received more information about Caesar from Rum—including the fact that the man was an extremely rare Ability User. Therefore, his ability to pull off such a feat was not entirely unexpected to her.
Gojo Satoru, who knew the original movie plots like the back of his hand, was well aware of their character profiles.
According to the original trajectories of the two people in front of him, after the first year of the "Conan Era," one would be killed by his own people, and the other would sacrifice herself to save others.
Pinga was a bottle of pure "Black Label" wine—ruthless and ambitious. In the future, he would constantly seek to usurp Gin's position, only to be sent to his death by Gin in the end; he was quite a charismatic villain.
As for Curacao, she was someone who could be reformed just by spending a little time with children after losing her memory... Though it sounded absurd, this beautiful lady with heterochromatic eyes was indeed kind-hearted by nature. Her loyalty to Rum was born out of gratitude for him saving her life. Her death remained a point of lingering sorrow for many readers. Viewed in this light, it was quite normal for her to speak up for her colleague, Pinga.
Maybe I can try to win her over later, Gojo Satoru thought.
"Alright, I'm not some petty guy," he said, waving a hand. The overwhelming pressure vanished instantly as he took control of the room's atmosphere. "I'll forgive you this time, Pinga."
"After all, I was late," Gojo Satoru shushed them, then casually dropped one of Kakashi's famous lines with profound gravity: "Because I got lost on the path of life."
"..."
Sensing that Caesar's "vibe" was drifting into strange territory, both Curacao and Pinga were a bit bewildered.
Regardless of the process, the three of them had successfully linked up.
Pinga reported the news to Rum and then, together with Curacao, took Gojo Satoru on a tour of the base while explaining his future arrangements.
In short, Caesar did not need to follow Rum's direct orders. However, he had to complete a necessary monthly mission quota. Whether it was assassination, trade, or infiltration, he could choose as he pleased—as long as the results satisfied the Boss. If he performed well, he might be able to return to the Mexico headquarters soon.
The perks were also excellent. He could choose any office or lounge in the building, and his salary would be deposited into his account immediately upon mission completion.
The members working diligently on intelligence in the building were also briefed by Pinga; when they saw Caesar, they bowed with the respect due to a superior.
Gojo Satoru watched from the side, thinking Pinga was quite "on the ball." Of course, the man was likely just afraid that Satoru might suddenly pop up behind him and snap his neck if he wasn't careful.
In reality, achieving that high-level mysterious entrance involved a lot of hidden effort they couldn't see. He had to use consecutive teleports to bypass the building's internal lookouts and infrared alarms, precisely locate Curacao and Pinga, and go through the trouble of temporarily disabling the surveillance network.
It was like striking a bizarre pose in the eyes of a passerby just to get one perfect photo.
Being cool comes with a price.
Gojo Satoru, who appeared to be listening intently while his mind wandered to nonsense, was interrupted by the man with the cornrow braids.
Pinga, while wondering how this man saw where he was going through that blindfold, asked keenly, "Master Caesar, are you listening?"
"Ah, of course."
Gojo Satoru extended a hand toward them.
"By the way, I didn't finish what I was saying earlier. First time meeting you... from now on, please treat me well."
Pinga and Curacao exchanged a subtle glance before taking turns shaking his hand—a brief, professional touch.
"...Please treat us well, Master Caesar."
The two, who were originally full of dread toward the man, suddenly felt: Actually, Caesar's attitude toward us... is pretty good?
Gojo Satoru: Two walking Impression Point machines~ Come into my bowl!