Chapter 359: At The Peak of Tokyo
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Located at the Shiba Park of central Tokyo, The Tokyo Tower was the tallest building in the city. Standing three hundred meters tall, It was modeled after the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Even from afar, one could see its white and red bands erected above the rooflines of skyscrapers.
Before the construction of the Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower had been the tallest structure in Japan and also one of the most popular tourist attractions.
When Chen Fan arrived at the base of the tower, many martial artists had already gathered there. The perimeter of the tower had been blocked off to visitors.
“What is going one today? Why is Tokyo Tower closed to tourists?” Ai Jinqi asked annoyedly.
The long-legged hottie was at Shiba Park, standing with a throng of tourists from all over the world just outside the entrance to the Tokyo Tower. Before them were a group of Law enforcement units from Tokyo’s police department. They had set up a perimeter around the tower with yellow tape.
“Could there be anything wrong with it?” Ren Hao asked with furrowed brows.
Although the Tokyo Tower could be closed from time to time for maintenance, the presence of police force was unusual. It was as if they were investigating a murder.
“I have no clue. I have heard that you could even see Fuji Mountain from the top of the tower, so I thought to visit Tokyo Tower as the last stop of our trip to Japan. But it’s closed. My flight is tomorrow morning, and I don’t think I will be here for a while.” Ai Jinqi lamented.
The trip was ruined by not only her bad luck but also by Ren Hao’s unwanted companionship. He was as clinging and sticky as a piece of gum at the bottom of her shoe.
“I wonder where Chen Beixuan is right now? It had been days since I last saw him at the Susano Shrine. Sigh… I should have asked him for his number. Maybe I can even make a move on him.” Ai Jinqi said wistfully.
Suddenly, a swell of murmurs rose from the crowd.
The crowd spread apart in the middle, making way for a long convoy to file through. The first vehicle was a Toyota Land Cruiser, and it was followed by a slew of luxurious cars: Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce. It was like a high-end vehicle exhibition.
The convoy pulled over near the yellow tape as a group of men in black suits and sunglasses emerged. They stood in a column on both sides of the road. Their intimidating appearances had scared the crowd as people backed away from the perimeter and watched them from a distance.
“Looks like some kind of a hotshot is coming. I thought it was the prime minister.” Ai Jinqi pouted and complained.
“Miss Jinqi, please be careful about what you say.”
A Japanese man beside the girl suddenly spoke to her in Chinese.
“Touche, Xiao Qi, we don’t want to mess with these people.”
A middle-aged woman put in.
“Sister Xu, Who are these men? Why can’t I even talk?” Ai Jinqi asked indignantly.
The girl had been spoiled by her parents and was not accustomed to caution as she always spoke her mind readily. Otherwise, she would not have chatted with Chen Fan as soon as she saw him on the plan.
Sister Xu and the other Japanese man who spoke to her were a couple she met during her travels. The woman’s Japanese husband was called Takanori Suke. Sister Xu was from also Zhong Hai and therefore had a lot in common with Ai Jinqi.
“They were all from Tokyo’s underground world, the so-called Yamaguchi.” Before sister Xu had a chance to talk, Takanori Suke spoke up. His voice was laced with disdain.
For Takanori Suke, all Chinese people lived in a backward country and was far behind Japan. If not because Ai Jinqi’s pretty face that was pleasing to his eyes, he would have already left the girl with his wife.
“Yamaguchi?”
Ai Jinqi tucked her tongue out fearfully and didn’t speak again. Even Ren Hao’s face changed colors.
Yamaguchi was famous even in China and Ai Jinqi had heard many terrifying stories about them.
In contrary to most people’s belief, Yamaguchi Was not a specific criminal group, it was a term used for all groups of the underground world in Japan. It was no different than the term mafia. What made Yamaguchi stand out was its legal status. They were legally registered groups with full constitutional rights. Most of them were disguised as debt collection companies. The Yamaguchi were ancient, but it was still thriving and made over tens of billions of US dollars a year.
Ai Jinqi surveyed the entrance and noticed these men had blocked off the gate in two columns. It was as if they were waiting for someone’s arrival. She asked: “Who are they waiting for? The boss of the Yamaguchi?”
“You bet.” Takanori Suke replied readily. However, questions quickly flickered in his eyes.
“Hold on a second… Genyōsha, Seiwakai, Nihsen….”
“Bosses of all seventeen underground groups are here. Something big is happening.”
Takanori Suke worked as a manager in an entertainment company and had to work with these groups on a daily basis. Therefore, he was able to recognize some of these men.
What kind of event could have brought all the prominent groups in the underground world together?
What Takanori saw next shocked him to the core.
He watched as these leaders came up to a Mercedes-Benz S-series and the leader of the Seiwakai—who Takanori knew personally—opened up the door with great respect and held it for a gorgeous woman in a white outfit to get out of the car. The woman’s face was cold, severe but extremely attractive. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and was carrying an Uchigatana.
The bosses of the underground bowed to the woman in white with great respect.
“How… how is that possible?” Takanori Suke gaped at the development in disbelief.
Takanori Suke knew these bosses as powerful tycoons who lorded over their group’s territory. Not even the high profile bureaucrats dared to cross them. Who could have made them bow as a subject would to their master?
Could it be the owners of the mega-corps, or, the so-called Zaibatsu, was here?
What happened next completely changed Takanori Suke’s perspective on the world he lived in.
He saw the woman in white get out of the car, and stand by the entrance instead of getting into the park. She was waiting for someone. Soon, another slew of luxury cars pulled over and powerful magnates emerged from the cars.
“The CEO of Sony, Toyota, Mitsui Group, Head of the Peace Current Judo, Vice President of Sumitomo, Deputy Mayor of Tokyo and many parliament representatives.”
The name of powerful men and women come out of Takanori Suke’s mouth one after another.
Ai Jinqi had heard of some of the names, but not all of them. She knew Sony and Toyota like all the other Chinese people. This tycoon walked over to the entrance, and just like their underground world counterparts, they stood by the gate and waited.
They waited patiently from the afternoon till dusk.
As more and more prominent figures showed up, the entrance became crowded. Tourists were pushed off the road and were forced to stand on the road’s shoulders and ditches. However, none of them wanted to leave. They wanted to find out what was going on.
It was evident that these men and women were waiting for someone even more influential and powerful than them. It made sense to the crowd now why the police forces had closed the tower today.
“I bet it is the prime minister himself, or someone as powerful as him.” Someone guessed.
“Not likely. Didn’t you see the manager from Mitsui Group? I say its a leader from the western countries.” Another person put in.
Everyone put in their two cents. Despite hunger and thirst, they were determined to find out the answer.
“Sister Xu, do you think it’s someone from China?” Ai Jinqi asked.
Before Sister Xu could say anything, Takanori Suke snorted and said: “The leader of the Mitsui Group is highly respected even in the Japanese parliament. No Chinese person is worth his time. ”
Ai Jinqi was miffed by the rude remark, but she didn’t act up.
China was already on the verge of surpassing Japan in terms of economic power, but most Japanese people still held deep prejudice against the Chinese. Sister Xu looked embarrassed by her husband’s remark, but the embarrassment quickly turned into a helpless resentment. She had to deal with her husband’s bias every day.
As the night fell and the lights on the Tokyo Tower lit up, many onlookers finally lost their patience and were about to leave. Suddenly, they saw a young man in a black outfit walking with a purple-haired female toward the entrance. The woman was taken aback by the crowd already gathered at the Tokyo Tower, but the young man didn’t much care.
A security guard in a black suit came up to them and was going to stop them.
Many others smiled gloatingly: “He is courting death. What makes him think that he could walk on the road occupied by these tycoons?”
Ai Jinqi and Ren Hao were stunned when they recognized the young man. He was Chen Beixuan who they met on the plane.
“It’s my lucky day!” Ai Jinqi waved her hand, gesturing Chen Fan to get off the road.
Suddenly, she saw the woman in a white outfit come up to Chen Fan and bowed.
“Mr. Chen Beixuan, we have been waiting for you.”
Mitsui Yuto, Ito Imi, Yamamizuki Sho and many other Japanese Grandmasters, along with the bosses of mega-corporations and all of their cohorts bowed deeply at Chen Fan.
Before them, a few hundred guards wearing black suit also bowed in unison.
A deadly silence fell over the park. Ai Jinqi rounded here eyes, mouth gaped in disbelief as her hand froze in the air.
“What the heck?”