dkrc Chapter 191 The Deadline of 3 Days
Chapter 191 The Deadline of 3 Days
Chapter 191 The Three-Day Deadline
When I was doing dangerous work, Fuchun always stayed by my side.
Fu Chun's ruthlessness had long been notorious.
As long as we don't bother others, others won't provoke us.
Especially after I lost Yang Weimin as my backer, Wu Fuchun became my strongest support.
Wu Fuchun was also encouraged by having me as a partner.
What we did most often was rob innocent young men.
Fu Chun is the first to appear; he will beat up his prey and steal their wallet.
Whenever I get my hands on a wallet, I max out the other person's credit cards.
Buy a large number of train and plane tickets, then take these tickets to a voucher shop and exchange them for 80% to 90% cash.
Then, use the method of returning children's clothing purchases to obtain shopping vouchers, and then take them to the voucher shop to exchange for cash.
In this way, the money will belong to me and Fuchun, with him receiving 40% and me receiving 60%.
Fu Chun knew that in this world, using one's brain was more useful than using one's fists, so he never complained that I received too much.
We're good partners, except—Fuchun has a serious tendency towards violence.
One day, he suddenly killed one of his prey.
This led to us being investigated by various parties.
To lay low for a while, Fuchun and I used our savings to buy the "Caribbean Sea" shop, planning to go back to our old business once the storm had passed.
Unexpectedly, Fu Chun lost interest in running the shop and became a hitman paid by the piece.
Fu Chun did not kill for money.
It seems he's willing to kill even without pay, as long as it's a chance to kill.
I know why he became like this, because his mixed-race identity is not recognized.
People like us are neither liked by Chinese nor by Japanese.
The people on both sides are quite in sync, both calling us bastards.
Once, Fuchun got drunk and said that he was just a clown and nobody treated him like a human being.
When reasoning fails, the best solution is to use fists or knives!
I understand Fuchun's troubles, and I believe I can tame Fuchun properly.
But then I realized I was just dreaming.
So I began to distance myself from Fuchun.
Then, he angered Yuan Chenggui.
The phone rang around nine o'clock.
The last thing I wanted to hear came through the microphone.
"Kenichi, you know why I'm here to ask you today, right?"
Yuan Chenggui's words shattered my nerves like a Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
"I know nothing about Wu Fuchun's affairs."
I spoke softly, as if afraid of waking a sleeping dragon.
"Bullshit! None of you Japanese are any good; nine out of ten things you say are lies!"
"Aren't you and Wu Fuchun as close as brothers?"
"Tell me, when do you plan to come see me? Let's talk in person."
The image of Yuan Chenggui cursing and swearing on the other end of the phone flashed vividly in my mind: "If it's 1:30, I'll let you treat me to a meal."
Although I know that resisting Yuan Chenggui is useless, if I don't put on some airs before obediently complying, it will cause a lot of trouble later.
Yuan Chenggui cursed something in the local dialect, but I couldn't understand a word of it.
He simply said "goodbye" and hung up the phone.
As soon as I stepped out of "Caribbean Sea", I immediately saw Yuan Chenggui's annoying henchmen.
Although I know that these thugs won't lay a hand on me right now.
But if I don't go to see Yuan Chenggui at the appointed time, they will definitely break my hands and feet and tie me up.
I found a phone booth and dialed Huang Xiuhong of "Red Lotus".
"Kenichi, what do you need me for?"
Huang Xiuhong's voice carried a sense of vigilance, which made me feel uneasy.
"Were you with Yuan Chenggui last night? Did he mention me to you?"
I asked directly, "The reason I prepare cheap goods for Xiuhong's girl is to prepare for this kind of situation. It would be too much of a waste not to make full use of them."
"Kenichi, you called to ask about Wu Fuchun, right?"
"I suggest you don't go; that person is furious about it."
"He said he would force you to reveal Wu Fuchun's hiding place."
"By the way, Yuan Chenggui also said that he has already called Yang Weimin, so it's no big deal for you to suffer a little."
"Oh shit!!!"
I kicked the trash can next to the phone hard, my face contorted with disgust.
This is Yang Weimin's style.
He probably thought I wouldn't be killed, so he sold me to Yuan Chenggui as a favor.
Huang Xiuhong was startled when she heard the sound coming from my side.
"Kenichi, you'd better hide somewhere?"
"You've offended Yuan Chenggui, and Yang Weimin isn't protecting you anymore. You have no place in Kabukicho now."
Hearing Huang Xiuhong's words, I couldn't hold back any longer: "Wu Fuchun and I are no longer related, Xiuhong, please plead with Yuan Chenggui for me?"
Upon hearing my words, Huang Xiuhong said in a cold tone, "Yuan Chenggui won't believe what you're saying."
"However, I think you should be able to save your life—"
I hung up the phone, my face filled with fear.
The situation couldn't get any worse; I have to figure out a way to get through this.
I went to the pharmacy and found Yang Weimin.
"You sold me to Yuan Chenggui long before you told me Fuchun was coming back, didn't you?"
Yang Weimin shrugged and said without any hesitation, "Kenichi, there's nothing I can do. Nobody wants to mess with Yuan Chenggui."
"If we anger him, we Taiwanese will get ourselves into trouble. I have to be responsible for my own people."
I retorted angrily after hearing Yang Weimin's words, "So you're not responsible for me? Weren't you my protector before I turned eighteen?"
"Are you really going to stand idly by if Yuan Chenggui bullies me?"
Yang Weimin glared at me: "Don't talk nonsense. Yuan Chenggui won't kill you. He just wants to scare you."
I became anxious when I heard Yang Weimin's words: "Don't lie to me, Grandpa. Although I am no longer your person, or rather, I was never your person."
"But we've helped each other for so many years, why are you betraying me now? How could you be so treacherous?"
I am unwilling to give up this last glimmer of hope. If Yang Weimin abandons me now, it would be tantamount to sending me to my death.
"Kenichi, Wu Fuchun is your burden, not mine."
Yang Weimin's cold words made his attitude clear, so I could only rephrase it: "Grandpa, you don't want to see me suffer too much at the hands of Yuan Chenggui, do you?"
"If it's alright, I have a couple of things I'd like to ask you."
Yang Weimin looked at the newspaper and slowly said, "Tell me about it."
Getting him to speak up was already a victory for me: "Grandpa, I'd like you to help me meet Cui Hu."
Upon hearing my words, Yang Weimin looked at me with a lecturing tone and said, "Who are you talking about? Cui Hu? Don't even think about it."
"That guy is insane; you'll never get away with messing with him."
Cui Hu—this is clearly not this guy's real name.
He is currently the representative figure of the Beijing school, and he often clashes with Yuan Chenggui of the Shanghai school, causing bloodshed in Kabukicho. Whenever a fight breaks out in Kabukicho, there is a 60% chance that this guy is involved.
"Grandpa, isn't using this guy the best way to get Yuan Chenggui's attention?"
Yang Weimin snorted coldly: "Jianyi, if Cui Hu knew that you were supplying goods to the Shanghai faction, he probably wouldn't be too happy either. If we drag this guy into this, it might cause a war between the Beijing faction and the Shanghai faction."
I shrugged indifferently: "That's none of your business. I just heard that Cui Hu wants to rent a house in 5-chome."
Yang Weimin nodded after hearing what I said; he knew what I was thinking.
Although my identity is ostracized by both Chinese and Japanese, I still possess the identity of a Japanese named Kenichi Takahashi.
Many Japanese landlords are now unwilling to rent their properties to foreigners.
If I can use my identity to help Cui Hu get a house, Cui Hu should protect me from being killed.
"I see, Kenichi, you've found a good solution."
Yang Weimin glanced at the clock: "At this time, Cui Hu should be having dinner at Tianle Garden."
"I'll give him a call, then you can go find him."
Yang Weimin did me a great favor, but I haven't forgotten about another matter.
That woman named Xia Mei —
It's definitely no coincidence that you're calling me at this time.
I borrowed a genie named Xu Rui from Yang Weimin and sent him to the "Fenglin Club" to stalk a woman named Xia Mei.
But this Thousand Ghosts was really annoying, and Wu and I had a few words exchanged.
As a result, he was scolded again by that damned Yang Weimin.
"Kenichi, you've never been popular with young people."
"Do you know what's going on? You don't know how to hold your position for long, and that's how things end up like this. You're not respected by the younger generation, and you'll suffer when you get old."
I shrugged indifferently: "Grandpa, do you really think I'll live to be a hundred?"
Kenzaki Ushiki sat on the sofa, clenching his fists in excitement.
"Grandpa, do you really think I'll live to be a hundred?"
This sentence, which conveys helplessness, yet also a sense of detachment, coldness, and cynicism, truly resonated with me!
The first ten chapters of "Never Sleeps" truly showcase the essence of "hard-boiled mystery"!
The woman of unknown origin — a dark and talented individual —
An unacknowledged dual identity — a crisis that accompanies the deaths of corpses in the streets of the metropolis —
A world filled with lies and betrayal — a complex web of power struggles —
And who is Xia Mei? What is she going to do?
Why did Wu Fuchun come back? What is Wu's purpose in returning?
How can Liu Jianyi get out of this predicament?
This feeling that a slight misstep could lead to a death in the street is reminiscent of Dashiel Hammett's "The Bloody Harvest," a work by the "father of hard-boiled literature."
Kenzaki Ushiki could not contain her excitement.
I reopened the manuscript of "The City That Never Sleeps," eager to know what Liu Jianyi's story would continue—
11:30.
I arrived at "Lotte Garden," where Choi Ho was eating noodles.
Wu had short hair and wore silver-rimmed glasses, looking like a student who had been punished for failing to complete his studies.
But Wu's eyes still concealed a complex expression, flashing with a unique, ugly light that gave Cong a headache.
As soon as I entered the room, Cui Hu's henchmen stood up.
Cui Hu waved to stop the Wus and gestured for me to sit in the chair opposite him.
"Yang Weimin called and said you needed to talk to me."
I didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "I heard you're looking for a place to live. I might be able to help."
Cui Hu had clearly misjudged me: "What are the conditions?"
I smiled and said, "Yuan Chenggui and I have a bit of a misunderstanding. If something happens to me, I might not be able to help you."
Upon hearing my words, Cui Hu snorted coldly: "I remember you and Yuan Chenggui weren't on good terms, were you?"
"How did things suddenly turn out like this?"
"Just because of a misunderstanding?! Just because of this, you specifically came to me to plead for them?"
"You bastard, haven't you always looked down on us?"
After Cui Hu finished speaking, he splashed all the noodles in the bowl onto my face: "You bastard, you think I'm an idiot, and now you come to me for help when something happens."
"Help me rent a place? I can put a gun to your head, and you won't be able to refuse!"
I clenched my fist and said calmly, "But you wouldn't do that."
"Because you're afraid of Yang Weimin and Yuan Chenggui."
I had barely finished speaking when I was punched in the face and sent flying backward: "You think you can mess with me? I'm not afraid of anyone."
"Yang Weimin is just a decrepit old man, and Yuan Chenggui is just a coward."
"If you dare say that again, I'll kill you right now!"
Although Cui Hu was stubborn, Wu had always longed to be able to rent a house using my identity.
We quickly agreed on the terms of the exchange, and I helped Wu get a house in 5-chome.
Wu called Yuan Chenggui and asked him to sell me a favor.
Before leaving, I borrowed a Black Star pistol from Cui Hu.
Since that old bastard Yang Weimin is no longer protecting me, I need to have something to protect myself.
I went back to the Caribbean and took a shower.
It was 1:32.
I changed into clean clothes, took the "mobile phone" I got from the black market, and went to "Xianmu Restaurant".
This is the place where Yuan Chenggui and I made our promise.
Yuan Chenggui, as always, was dressed in an expensive suit, looking like a businessman.
Beside Wu was a somber figure, Sun Chun.
This guy is Yuan Chenggui's confidant, and has no fewer than five orders on his hands.
He's a formidable figure known throughout Shinjuku.
"Kenichi, Choi Ho just called me."
"Wu said that if you were missing an arm or a leg, it would be very difficult for him to do his job."
"You rascal, have you gotten involved with the Beijing School of martial arts now?"
When Yuan Chenggui first arrived in Kabukicho, he was a country bumpkin-like guy.
But beneath his country bumpkin face lies a very intelligent mind.
In less than a few years, Wu brought together the scattered Kaichou community in Shinjuku and established Kaipai.
Later, he started a restaurant business, trade, and acting as a middleman.
Overall, Wu is now considered a successful entrepreneur.
However, before Wu gained momentum, I provided him with some assistance.
Although Wu often tells me that he still owes me a debt of gratitude and that I can ask him for help if I need anything.
But I understand that saying one thing and doing another.
If I truly believed that Wu owed me a debt of gratitude, I probably would have died long ago.
I just hope Wu will let me do some shady business in Hai Cong's circle.
"Kenichi, I don't care who you find, whether it's Yang Weimin or Cui Hu."
"I just want to know where Wu Fuchun is hiding!"
"You two were acting like brothers before, I don't believe you don't know where Xi Wu is!"
I really don't know how to answer this question.
"Fuchun and I did need a lamp before, but I really don't know where Xi and Wu have gone."
Yuan Chenggui was clearly furious and no longer believed what I said.
However, considering Cui Hu's intervention, Yuan Chenggui gave me a final deadline: "Kenichi, I don't believe your nonsense. I know you're lying."
"If you let me hear the light, I'll grant you a heavenly sanctuary. No matter how you die, you must bring Wu Fuchun to me after the Heavenly Empress. Otherwise, you'd better prepare your own coffin in advance!"
Upon hearing Yuan Chenggui's words, my expression turned somewhat grim: "If you touch me, Cui Hu might get involved!"
Yuan Chenggui revealed a cold expression: "Why would I care about that kind of coward?"
Left with no other choice, I received a new job.
Gong Tian found Wu Fuchun and handed him over to Yuan Chenggui.
The reason I failed to become Yang Weimin's confidant was because of a poor, short man named Lü Fang who was stern-looking and always scheming against others.
The evil deeds of Lü Fang could be recounted for seven days and seven nights without exhausting the list.
He killed a lonely mother and daughter, and cut someone else's brother in half like slicing a king oyster mushroom.
In short, this guy hates dogs and sees me as a thorn in his side.
There are two reasons why Wu hates me. One is that I am half Japanese.
On the one hand, Lü Fang couldn't stand how good Yang Weimin was to me.
So Wu called me a bastard while harassing me both physically and mentally.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and set a trap.
They staged the scene where Lü Fang was murdered.
My setup was so perfect that it fooled everyone.
Ren Weidan did not deceive Yang Weimin.
"I didn't expect you to be able to kill for so long, you're really impressive!"
I wanted to explain because I didn't want to lose Yang Weimin as my backer.
But Yang Weimin had no intention of listening: "It's no use saying anything now, Kenichi. You've violated the cardinal rule of killing yourself, and you've already betrayed my trust in you."
""
"Your father is the most immoral scoundrel, and your mother is a slut."
"I thought I could educate you, but now I realize I was wrong. Old habits die hard."
Yang Weimin's description of the lamps is like saying, "I really failed Wu's expectations."
But in reality, it was just that Lu Fang's mother had some connections.
That old bastard Zhao is just eager to distance himself from me.
Although Wu continued to sponsor me until I graduated from high school.
But I never went to Wu's house for a meal again, so I can no longer be considered Wu's follower.
I soaked in the hot spring for more than an hour.
Back in Kaiquan of "Caribbean Sea", he received a call from Yang Weimin's Thousand Ghosts Xu Rui.
Xu Rui told me that Wu had found the woman named Xia Mei.
Unexpectedly, Xia Mei was a bar girl.
Moreover, judging from the way they speak, they are probably of mixed Chinese and Japanese descent.
I found Xu Rui and followed Wu to Xia Mei's residence, room 203 of "Benten-sou".
I walked past room 203 to room 204, and knocked on the door using the name on the mailbox: "Mr. Ye, the light hasn't been turned on for a while, please open the door."
As the door opened, I slipped in a 10,000 yen note, and then I naturally entered Mr. Ye's room.
Through my conversation with Mr. Ye, I learned that Xia Mei is a mixed-race bar hostess.
Because Xia Mei was good-looking, Mr. Ye took a lot of interest in her.
The night before last, I heard Xia Mei calling Kai Quan from a public phone outside the door, shouting "Help!" in Beijing dialect.
I left my phone number with Mr. Ye and asked him to keep an eye on Xia Mei.
If the other party makes any moves, contact me and I will give Wu the appropriate reward.
I don't know what Xi Xiamei is trying to do.
What is she trying to sell me?
But I know that she is a woman who makes me feel uneasy.
But I'm not in the mood to care about her anymore.
I don't have many rooms left. If I can't find Wu Fuchun's whereabouts in the Gongtian room...
Even Cui Hu can't save me.
Back in the Caribbean, I received a call from Yuan Chenggui's men.
They received information that Wu Fuchun was spotted near Ikebukuro.
So I went to the horse racing shop and found "Yuanze" there.
This guy used to be a famous reporter, but because of his gambling addiction, he ended up homeless.
Wu is one of my earliest friends.
Because as long as I give this guy money, Wu can help me find the clues I need.
"Yuanze, I'm in big trouble. If I can't find Wu Fuchun within three days, Yuan Chenggui will kill me."
Yuanze, without even looking up, asked, "How much money can you give me?"
I opened my palm: "Five hundred thousand yen. Aren't you in Ikebukuro, Aritomo? Help me out."
"By the way, please help me find out about Wu Fuchun's mother, and ask around if anyone knows where Wu Fuchun is."
Upon hearing my words, Yuanze reached out his hand to me, and I took out 100,000 yen and placed it in Wu's hand.
"This isn't enough, Kenichi. If the reward is 500,000 yen, at least give us half first, right?"
I know this bastard too well. If I give him 500,000 yuan all at once, he will definitely gamble big and forget all about my promise.
Yuanze seemed to see through my thoughts and cursed at me: "You son of a bitch, don't think you're so great. One day you'll be crippled too."
I sighed and looked at Yuanze, saying, "My feet are already covered in mud!"
As I was walking down the street, Xia Mei called me again.
"Mr. Liu, I am Xia Mei————"
"I'm sorry, I can't help you right now. You should go find someone else!"
I had no interest in continuing to argue with this woman, so I hung up the phone, which then rang again.
To prevent the woman from calling back, I turned off my cell phone.
I recently stayed at the hotel where Wu Fuchun stayed, hoping to find out his whereabouts.
But this was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It seemed that everyone had received Yuan Chenggui's message and turned pale at the mention of Wu Fuchun, and no one wanted to have anything to do with Wu Fuchun.
Just as I was about to return to Kaiquan in the "Caribbean Sea", a sharp police siren suddenly sounded in the street.
The sound of sirens continued to move in the direction of "Fenglin Hall".
Moreover, there were so many police cars deployed that it was as if all the police cars in Tokyo had gathered in Kabukicho!
I followed the police car to the vicinity of the Fenglin Clubhouse and grabbed a familiar-looking member of the Thousand Ghosts Questioning Hall: "Hey! What happened up ahead?"
The demon stopped in his tracks, looking at me with a panicked expression: "Ah? It's Mr. Kenichi!"
"Turn off the lights! Turn off the lights!"
"Red Lotus" — Wu Fuchun, that guy from Red Lotus, stormed into Red Lotus with a gun!
When I heard those words, I felt like my head was going to explode, and my ears were ringing!
Wu Fuchun! It's Wu Fuchun again!
Why did this guy come back?
What do you want to do when you come back?
What was Wu's purpose in attacking Cong in "Red Lotus"?
I suppressed my unease, pushed through the crowd, and walked toward "Red Lotus." Soon I saw a woman being carried out on a stretcher.
Her face and limbs were completely bloodless, while her body remained a deep crimson.
The character relationship diagram for "The City That Never Sleeps" is a bit messy, but it's the best I can do to explain the relationships between these characters.