Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 100: Every Tortoise longs for its puddle (4)

Dragon Raja 3

“Living only in the present?” Caesar repeated the words.

“In China, you have a man named Cao Cao, the greatest warlord during the end of the Han Dynasty. He once said,” Chisei looked into Lu Mingfei’s eyes and spoke each word clearly, “‘If not for me, how many would be kings and how many would be emperors?’”

At that moment, a fierce wind blew, making his black coat flap like a banner. The young yakuza leader exuded the majesty of an emperor, inspiring involuntary awe.

“So, I haven’t made up my mind to crawl back to my own swamp yet. I can give up my power and status, but I can’t destabilize the foundation of my family,” Chisei returned to the table and sat down. “Enough of these meaningless talks. There’s nothing on your schedule tonight—any plans? The family has a reserved box at the Kabuki theater. The Inuyama family’s Tamamo-mae club is said to have the most beautiful women in Tokyo. Turkish bathhouse? Or should we go to a temple to offer incense for your mission tomorrow?”

Caesar slowly finished the wine in his glass. “You say it’s so interesting, but then suddenly stop? I’m not interested in any of those. Why don’t you take us to see what you called the real Japanese underworld?”

Chisei frowned slightly. “Those places are not exactly suitable, and I can’t guarantee your safety in that kind of environment.”

“We’ll take care of our own safety. I’m not interested in fancy places either. Local street food and alley diners are the real local flavor,” Caesar shrugged. “We like the local underworld.”

Chu Zihang nodded. “It sounds interesting.”

After a moment of hesitation, Chisei pressed the intercom button on the table. “Sakura, prepare uniforms for our three guests, and retrieve a dart from the Liaison Department—one in Shinjuku Ward.”

“Young master, the situation in Shinjuku tonight is very tense,” Sakura’s voice was slightly hesitant. “There’s a conflict between the Numagawa-kai and the Kato Group. Hundreds of people are gathering in Kabukicho, and violence could break out at any time. The elders from the Strategic Department are meeting with both groups to calm the situation. I don’t recommend you and the guests approach Kabukicho at this time.”

“Isn’t that perfect? Let the main branch’s elite agents see the real shadow society. As for safety…” Chisei said calmly, “If they’re the top agents of the Secret Party, surely they wouldn’t fear a few street thugs with sticks?”

A crimson Ferrari FF roared along the elevated highway, the large engine rumbling loudly.

Sakura, who hadn’t drunk, was driving. Chisei sat in the front passenger seat, while Caesar and his team sat in the back. Despite Sakura’s gentle and low-key appearance, her driving style was like that of a professional racer. The Ferrari weaved through traffic, leaving one car after another behind.

“Your assistant is amazing!” Caesar shouted. He admired any girl who drove fast because every fast-driving girl reminded him of Nono.

Chisei handed back a dart from the front. It was one Sakura had retrieved from the Liaison Department’s map, and every dart represented a problem that needed to be dealt with. This one was pinned in Kabukicho, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo’s most notorious red-light district and a place rife with conflicts.

“A shop in Shinjuku Ward asked for our help. The local gang suddenly demanded a 15% increase in protection fees, threatening to smash the store if they refused. Gang members have been sitting in the shop for three days, scaring off any customers,” Chisei said.

“Something that minor?” Caesar looked a bit disappointed. “It’s just a change in rates. I was expecting gang leaders negotiating in a shrine, surrounded by black-suited bodyguards.”

“It’s not as simple as smashing a convenience store,” Chisei explained. “Shinjuku Ward is a major source of protection money. Many nightclubs and bars near Kabukicho pay a fee regularly, which is 20% of their profits. Strip clubs and places with hostesses pay even more. If the entire Shinjuku Ward’s protection fee rate is increased, the gangs could collect billions more yen every year. This is not something the family can ignore. Plus, strip clubs and similar places have their own security, and if the bouncers clash with the gangs, there could be casualties. This is not a small matter.”

“You mean we’re going to crash into a club full of short skirts and long legs? Gangs lounging on sofas, weapons on the table? Now that sounds more interesting.” Caesar snapped his fingers. “Should we point a gun at the leader’s head, hand him a cigarette, and tell him to leave through the front door after he finishes smoking, warning him that if we see him in Shinjuku again, we’ll chop off a finger each time?”

“That’s how gangs in their rebellious phase behave,” Chisei said. “Usually, there’s no need for extreme measures. We just need to sit on the opposite sofa, and when they see our uniforms, they’ll understand who we are. Then it’s all about polite greetings and reminding them of the rules—that if they want to change the rates, it must be discussed at the family’s New Year’s meeting. And since it’s business hours, we kindly ask them not to make trouble in public.”

“Is that really gang-like behavior? It sounds more like a financial advisor at a bank,” Lu Mingfei said.

“But if there’s any resistance after I say those words, I’ll draw my gun and shoot them in the foot. I doubt a banker would do that,” Chisei replied. “However, needing to use a gun is rare. Once they realize your identity, they’ll often excuse themselves to the restroom, and you’ll barely get to say three words. One thing I must remind you: please stay with me at all times. Coincidentally, the Numagawa-kai and the Kato Group are having a conflict in Kabukicho. These two gangs control the logistics system going in and out of Kabukicho. The Kato Group is expanding, but the old gang Numagawa-kai refuses to give up their turf. Both sides have gathered hundreds of people in Kabukicho. Representatives from our family are already mediating, and the Metropolitan Police are also closely monitoring the area.”

“Since we’re in these uniforms, we follow your lead, young master.” Caesar had a cigar in his mouth. “We’re going to deal with the trouble in a strip club—who cares about a bunch of logistics workers?”

“I’m flattered. You act more like the boss than I do, even smoking such a manly cigar.” Chisei teased.

At half-past seven, the clock on the shelf showed the time. Every night, the punk who collected protection money came right on time, rain or shine, for a week straight.

“The rain tonight was especially heavy, and the water on the street was ankle-deep. Maybe that fierce guy wouldn’t come tonight?  Asou Makoto secretly prayed.

Makoto was eighteen years old. After graduating from high school, she didn’t take the university entrance exam but found a job at a toy store. She couldn’t afford to continue her studies—her parents divorced when she was young, and she had been living with her grandmother, relying only on her grandmother’s pension. However,  Makoto hadn’t given up on her dream of going to college. She was determined to work hard and save money for her education. She hadn’t experienced love yet and wondered what kind of boy would be waiting for her in college. But her luck was terrible. Who would have thought that a toy store could be extorted by gangsters? A street gang insisted that the store used to pay them protection money, and just because it became a toy store didn’t mean they could stop paying. If they refused, they’d smash the shop. Every night before that, they’d send someone to sit in the shop. Who would dare visit a toy store selling toys and manga when a fierce gangster sat inside?

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