Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 225: Men’s Flower Arrangement (8)

Dragon Raja 3

“Wha…what does that mean?” Lu Mingfei quickly asked, eager for an explanation. He was the type to cram right before a test, and with only ten minutes until the interview, he needed to learn fast.

“Japan is surrounded by the sea, so the Japanese worship the ocean. In the ocean, the whale is the most powerful creature. Whale meat is also considered an aphrodisiac, so a man with the title of ‘Whale’ is the most powerful among men,” Chu Zihang explained.

“The most powerful… are you talking about that idiot flapping his little wings across the dance floor?” Lu Mingfei was puzzled.

“Even though he seems a bit crazy… don’t you think the Principal sometimes looks crazy too?” Caesar replied. “But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a terrifying person.”

A black Maserati sat at the end of the winding mountain road. Anjou was sitting on the hood of the car with his arms crossed, gazing at the procession in the distant valley, where torches flickered.

The monks, dressed in white, walked at the front of the line, followed by Hasegawa Yoshitaka, who carried a portrait of the deceased. The hearse was flanked by girls in black dresses, and behind them, family members in black suits and white ties carried flower lanterns and offerings. There was no sound of weeping, nor any paper money fluttering in the wind. Instead, the monks’ serene chanting echoed through the long valley, like countless Buddhist scriptures swirling in the air, rising and falling like ocean waves. When they reached the crossroads, Kanano placed a white banner that read “Inuyama Family Funeral” into the ground. The long procession passed by the banner in silence, climbing towards the high peak at the valley’s end. There, a steep stone staircase ascended to the mountaintop, where a burnt torii gate stood hidden among the maple trees, and behind it lay a vermillion shrine.

It was the Yamata no Orochi shrine. Since the Heian period, every head of the family had been buried in the cemetery behind the shrine. The graves were identical, with the only difference being the ink-brushed names on the tombstones. Many years ago, Anjou had been invited to visit this sacred place, but now it was a forbidden zone to him.

Tomorrow was the funeral of Inuyama, and tonight the members of the Inuyama family were carrying the coffin up the mountain. Tomorrow, the cars of the yakuza leaders would fill the valley.

Even if Yamata no Orochi allowed him to attend, Anjou had no desire to go to the funeral. He had no condolences to offer, no pleasantries to exchange with the family, and he hadn’t prepared any money for incense. He had attended too many funerals in his life and was exhausted by it. He had come only to watch the hearse pass by.

At the foot of the stone stairs, Hasegawa Yoshitaka stopped and looked around, as did Inuyama’s goddaughters. Anjou pulled a cigar from his coat and lit it with a bright ethane lighter. Hasegawa and the girls noticed the flame from the mountain, and they bowed in unison.

The black procession began ascending the stairs. Anjou turned around, got into his Maserati, and drove away without looking back. He had too much to do, and no time to waste on mourning.

The car’s Bluetooth system beeped, signaling an incoming call. Anjou pressed the answer button. “Hello?”

“Is this Mr. Anjou? This is Mitsui Real Estate. We have news about the matter you entrusted to us,” the voice on the other end spoke in a fawning tone.

“Don’t talk about it over the phone. I’ll be at your office in thirty minutes.” Anjou hung up and sped off, the red taillights tracing a curve of light along the mountain road.

The doors painted with blue mimosa flowers opened one after another, each guarded by towering men in black suits. Lu Mingfei felt like he wasn’t going to an interview, but entering a palace. Maybe a princess inside was waiting to favor them… or maybe they were about to be selected as eunuchs.

This was the top floor of Takamagahara, a nightclub housed in a grand four-story building. The first floor was a stage and dance floor for grand performances and wild parties with female guests. The second floor housed the spa and beauty salon. The third floor, named “Fujitsubo,” was a kaiseki restaurant and tea house. Senior hosts had their own suites on the third floor, but up-and-coming stars like Basara King and Ukyo were still stuck living in the basement—or more accurately, in the bathhouse, which explained their love for soaking in the tub. The fourth floor was a restricted area, accessible only by the manager’s invitation. Within Takamagahara, the fourth floor had a nickname: “The Ocean.”

Naturally, the “Great Whale” lived in the ocean, and the entire floor was his residence. The main color theme was ocean blue—blue walls, blue carpets, blue curtains, even the tableware was ocean blue. The bodyguards had tattoos of sea turtles, starfish, and crabs on their bald heads.

“Just how much does the manager love flaunting the fact that he’s a whale?” Lu Mingfei muttered under his breath.

Fujiwara Kansuke stopped in front of the last ocean-blue door, raising a hand to signal them to halt.

“Before the interview begins, there’s something I need to tell you,” Fujiwara Kansuke looked each of them in the eye. “Not as someone from this club, but as your senior.”

“Is there a standard answer you can teach us, senior?” Lu Mingfei asked, suddenly excited, thinking that this burly man in front of him might be a version of Finger—maybe he’d pull a photocopied answer key out of his loincloth?

“There is no answer,” Fujiwara Kansuke slowly shook his head. “The boss’s questions never have a standard answer. The manager never asks the same question twice, and for the same question, one person’s answer might be right, while another’s might be wrong. The key is whether you’re honest.”

“Yes, yes, honesty! We’ll definitely be honest! We stowed away to Japan, wandering the streets with no one to rely on. If it weren’t for the manager taking us in, how would we have food to eat and clothes to wear today? If we’re not honest with the boss, we’d be ungrateful scoundrels!” Lu Mingfei’s face was full of sincerity.

Fujiwara Kansuke nodded slowly. “It’s good to have that awareness. To impress the manager, you have to show your true self. The manager has said that every interview is a clash between men’s hearts, with sparks flying and bloodshed.”

With that, he stepped aside. “Good luck!”

The final door slowly opened, and the fresh scent of seaweed washed over them, accompanied by the sound of water, as if they were facing the crashing waves of the ocean.

Behind the door was a circular hall, its walls made of a giant transparent aquarium. Clusters of soft coral grew on the rocks, seaweed swayed in the artificial currents, and a sea turtle lazily floated upwards. Before it could reach the top, a two-meter-long tiger shark had already circled the hall.

Even Caesar was awestruck by the sheer opulence. Before entering this circular hall, the fourth floor had felt like a children’s playground; now, it felt like the most luxurious children’s playground imaginable. There was an aquarium inside!

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