Chapter 2141
“When you put it that way… I guess it is possible. After all, the culprit was daring enough to deal with such a strong, special forces soldier here, of all places. Normally, only you could pull something like this off, which means that the culprit is probably only slightly weaker than you. With that said, maybe he really is a Crawford cultivator… However, why would that person look for trouble with a special forces soldier from Yanam? Is there some sort of dispute between the Crawfords and the Yanam military…?” muttered Master Ghost as he stroked his goatee.
“There’s no point thinking about it. Good for him that he’s only here to deal with the special forces soldiers from Yanam. Regardless, even if he does come for us, there’s nothing to be scared of with me here,” scoffed Gerald as he crossed his arms while narrowing his eyes.
By the time Gerald’s sentence ended, the competition had already begun and special forces soldiers could be seen lined up in a neat row. Each of them had the latest sniper rifle models in hand, and everyone watched as they aimed for their targets for the shooting competition that stood nine hundred feet away from them.
Multiple shots could soon be heard, and the results were announced shortly after.
Gerald himself had little interest in this kind of competition, so after spectating for a while, he eventually got up and left. Seeing that, Master Ghost made sure to follow him closely as well.
The second the duo left, a car came to a stop at the training ground’s entrance…
Shortly after, a youth in a floral suit stepped out, followed by four of his bodyguards. As the group of five walked into the training grounds, they were just seconds too late to notice Gerald and Master Ghost taking a turn to enter an elevator, disallowing the two parties from meeting…
As expected, the youth was none other than Kai.
Since Ryugu hadn’t assassinated Gerald even after a week had passed, Kai decided to take things into his own hands. He knew for a fact that Gerald would attend the competition, which explained his presence here today.
Whatever the case was, whenever he thought about the humiliation he suffered that night, Kai’s desire to put Gerald down for good only increased. With that in mind, he wasn’t against using his high status to get the military to step forward and subdue Gerald. Regardless, when the colonel saw Kai, he immediately got to his feet before asking, “Oh? Mr. Kanagawa!
Fancy meeting you here, of all places!”
“I’m just here to have a look around,” replied Kai as he waved his hand, his eyes darting around the entire time.
“Well, whatever the case is, welcome, Mr. Kanagawa! It’s unfortunate, but since we’re currently hosting a competition, I’m afraid we won’t have much time to attend to you. With that said, I hope you won’t affect our event either. Don’t worry, once the competition is over, I’ll make sure to treat you to a proper drink!” said the colonel, not daring to offend Kai.
“Affect? Why would I do anything like that? I was just bored so I came out for a stroll. In other words, I’m just here through sheer coincidence. Regardless, just continue doing whatever you were doing and don’t bother about me. I’ll just be having a look around!” replied Kai with a smile.
Following that, Kai made a small gesture, prompting his bodyguards to scatter. The hunt for Gerald was on…!
Hearing that, the colonel opted to believe Kai and simply continued paying attention to the competition. The colonel, for one, knew that this wasn’t Kai’s first time here anyway, so as long as that youth wasn’t here to cause any trouble, he didn’t really care where Kai went.
It was half an hour later when Kai’s subordinates reunited with him.
The second Kai saw them, he immediately growled in a low voice, “Well? Did any of you manage to find him?”
“Apologies, but we couldn’t find him no matter how hard we looked! The only people present are the international special forces soldiers! ” replied one of the subordinates as the rest of them shook their heads.
“What? Was that b*stard Ryugu lying to me…?” grumbled Kai, a deep frown on his face…
Chapter 2142
Through this period, Kai had constantly been contacting Ryugu to get updates on Gerald’s assassination. However, not only did Ryugu fail to assassinate him, but that b*stard actually dared to tell him this morning that he had to temporarily cancel all his assassination missions!
Though it annoyed Ryugu to no end, it wasn’t as though he could do anything about it. Thankfully, Ryugu did mention that Gerald was going to participate in the special forces competition, which was why Kai had rushed over in the first place.
Even so, to think that he’d fail to find Gerald after searching for a good half-hour!
“I’ll have to disagree with that. Ryugu wouldn’t ever dare to lie to you,” replied another bodyguard as he shook his head.
The guards had previously met Ryugu together with Kai, and they knew for a fact that Ryugu respected Kai a lot. Since Ryugu didn’t even dare to raise his voice back then, there was no way he would be daring enough to lie to Kai!
“You say that, but did you manage to find Gerald?” grumbled Kai.
“… Unfortunately, no…” replied the guards as they shook their heads once more.
“…Let’s head back for now. I’m meeting Ryugu in the flesh to see what he has to say about this!” scowled Kai as he clenched his fists, clearly assuming that Ryugu was playing tricks on him. After all, thinking back, though Ryugu had told him that Gerald was here to participate in the special forces competition, Gerald wasn’t a special forces soldier. With that in mind, there was no way he would be a participant here!
Besides, Kai had seen Fujiko earlier, and if Gerald truly was here, he should be by her side. With his mind made up, Kai then gestured for his men to leave the training ground…
Noticing that Kai and his men were leaving, the colonel walked up to him before asking, “Oh? Leaving already, Mr. Kanagawa?”
“Indeed. I have some affairs to attend to, so I’ll be heading back first,” replied Kai as he got into his car. Watching as the car swiftly left the scene, the colonel couldn’t help but mutter, “Why on earth did he come here in the first place…?”
Hearing the colonel’s comment, a military officer took the chance to reply, “He may have come here to look for someone. After all, his subordinates were scanning this place high and low earlier. I’m assuming they left since they couldn’t find the person they were looking for.”
“Hmm? As if there’d be anyone he’s looking for here, of all places…” muttered the colonel as he shook his head in disbelief…
Moving back to Kai, while he was in the car, he made sure to call Ryugu to tell him to meet him in the teahouse where they had previously met… and it was about half an hour later when Kai himself arrived at the appointed venue.
Watching as Kai stepped out, Ryugu who looked slightly reluctant to be there forced a smile before
walking up to Kai and saying, “Mr. Kanagawa, I apologize, but I’m extremely busy at the moment. Just skip the formalities and tell me what you need. I have to leave as soon as I can…”
Scoffing in response, Kai then sneered, “Hah! Before anything else, allow me to congratulate you for successfully making a fool out of me!”
Raising a slight brow as he watched Kai walk past him, the puzzled Ryugu was prompted to ask, “… Make a fool out of you? Why would I ever do such a thing…?”
Though he never really liked Kai, he wouldn’t ever dare to make a fool out of Kai. With that in mind, he ran after Kai who had already entered the teahouse before hurriedly adding, “Please elaborate, Mr.
Kanagawa. How exactly did I make a fool out of you? You can’t just label me a liar that unfairly!”
Ignoring Ryugu, Kai simply looked at the shop’s owner before ordering, “Two pots of tea.”
Completely confused by this point, Ryugu who didn’t want Kai to be offended any further then said, “Please tell me what the problem is, Mr. Kanagawa…”
Chapter 2143
“Playing dumb? Fine! Since you wish to know so much, I’ll spell it out for you! You told me that Gerald had gone to the military training grounds this morning, remember? Then why the hell wasn’t he there?” growled Kai as he glared at Ryugu.
“You… went over?” replied the surprised Ryugu.
“Did I stutter? Regardless, my subordinates searched for half an hour to no avail! While Fujiko was there, there were no traces of Gerald at all! With that said, are you trying to continue fooling me or something?” sneered Kai.
“… I know for a fact that Gerald participated in the special forces competition together with Fujiko. With that said, he should be there with her. Could he have noticed you before you saw him? That would’ve definitely prompted him to hide till you left!” suggested Ryugu as he scratched the back of his head.
“It’s needless to say that now. Either way, since we’re already here, allow me to ask why you haven’t gotten rid of Gerald even after that week I gave you. Hell, you even told me not to make a move on him for the time being. Are the Hanyu assassins not capable enough to take him on?” scoffed Ryugu, not wanting to hear any of Ryugu’s excuses.
Hearing that, Ryugu could only sigh as he replied, “… It is a bit inconvenient for us to deal with this case…”
After all, not only had he yet to save Endo and Izumi, but he had lost several other Hanyu assassins in the process as well. With how humiliating this defeat was, there was no way Ryugu was going to willingly embarrass himself by telling Kai what had happened.
“Inconvenient? I’ve been cooperating with the Hanyus this entire time, no? Actually, I do wonder if you’re hiding something from me,” growled Kai as he frowned.
For Ryugu to fail to take Gerald out even after being given all this time… What was the issue? He had to get to the bottom of all this today! Otherwise, Gerald would simply be able to continue living free and easy!
Though he was reluctant to talk about it, Ryugu knew that Kai wasn’t going to let him off that easily if he continued keeping his mouth shut. With that in mind, Ryugu then asked, “Do… you really wish to know the entire situation…?”
“Cut the cr*p and just tell me already!” grumbled Kai as he took a sip of tea before slamming the teacup onto the table.
Sighing, Ryugu then replied, “I… think you know Endo and Izumi, right…?”
“Of course. They’re both team leaders of your family’s many assassination teams, no? You know, if you had just sent those two to get rid of Gerald, I’m sure the mission would have been over in a single night! Are you worried that I can’t afford to commission those two or something?” said Kai slightly impatiently.
“… Actually, they were the first I sent out- ”
“Then what’s the issue? Did they go rogue or something?”
Taking a deep breath, Ryugu then said, “… If you could just let me finish, Mr. Kanagawa… The truth is, they’ve gone missing ever since they entered the Futaba manor!”
“… Missing?” replied Kai with a deep frown.
Though he wasn’t a Hanyu, he was well aware of how strong Endo and Izumi were. Killing Gerald should’ve been a cinch for them…
“Indeed… Ever since they entered, I haven’t gotten news about them till this very day…” muttered Ryugu with a heavy sigh, making it clear that this was an extremely worrying incident to him. After all, if Endo and Izumi really were dead, then his family wouldn’t be able to bear the losses…
Chapter 2144
What more, as long as Gerald was in the picture, there was a high chance that the Hanyus wouldn’t ever be able to kidnap Fujiko to threaten Takuya.
“… What? You sent both of them yet neither of them has reported back?” replied Kai in bewilderment.
“I wouldn’t lie about something like this… Regardless, after losing contact with them, I pursued Gerald a few days ago… Unfortunately, he killed several of my men in the process. If you want proof, just head to
the Yamashita family’s deserted mountain… I left their corpses there…” explained Ryugu as he shook his head in resignation. This was honestly beyond humiliating for him to admit. After all, this loss was unlike anything the Hanyus had ever faced before…
“… Is Gerald really that strong…?” muttered Kai with a frown. Kai, for one, had only briefly met Gerald. As far as he knew, Gerald was just an average Joe. While he could ’ve hired an ordinary killer to go after Gerald, he had opted to get Ryugu’s help since he wanted the murder to be perfect. It truly hadn’t occurred to him that the Hanyus would have trouble taking Gerald out!
“We would’ve taken him out ages ago if he wasn’t!” replied Ryugu as he sighed again, wondering how he was going to get more information about Endo and Izumi’s situation. Ryugu, for one, figured that the patriarch hadn’t learned of the duo’s disappearance yet. Once he did, however, the patriarch would surely fly into a rage…
“… How truly odd… How did the Futabas get acquainted with such a strong person..? I heard that Gerald was just a family guest. However, if Takuya’s family had such a powerful ally, why did he only ask for Gerald’s help after his family got reduced to such a state?” muttered Kai as he poured another cup of tea for himself before taking a sip.
“That’s the reason I told you to lay low for the time being. I wish to investigate further into Gerald’s background first. Speaking of which, since I’ve already said this much, you should know about an incident that happened back when we were on that deserted mountain. You see, we bumped into an elder of the Yamashita family. Some things happened, but long story short, that old man gave Gerald and Fujiko a chance to escape while I wasn’t paying attention!” explained Ryugu in a slightly reluctant tone.
Though he didn’t really want to share this information, he figured that Kai would only continue to misunderstand the situation if he didn’t tell him the full story. By telling Kai all this, not only would Ryugu avoid more unnecessary trouble, but he could also potentially get some help from the Kanagawas.
“… What? You’re telling me that the Yamashitas have a relationship with the Futabas? That’s impossible! I’ve never heard of this before!” replied Kai.
“…Whatever the case is, I’ll be focusing on investigating Gerald’s strength and background for the time being. I’ll also be looking into the relationship between the Futabas and the Yamashitas. With that said, the Hanyus won’t be making a move till we get sufficient information on the situation. After all, while we can afford to offend the Futabas, offending the Yamashitas will surely spell doom for my family…”
Chapter 2145
Since he had already said this much, Ryugu figured that he may as well just reveal all his thoughts on the situation.
“… I see. Thank god I asked you about this first… Otherwise, I could’ve easily gotten myself killed if I continued pursuing Gerald today!” replied Kai who was already drenched in cold sweat after hearing all that. After all, who could’ve guessed that Gerald was actually this strong? He was strong enough to take on two of the Hanyu family’s strongest assassins for heaven’s sake!
Thinking about it, had Kai bumped into Gerald earlier and caused a scene, he was now worried that the soldiers wouldn’t have been able to protect him at all…
“Indeed… Regardless, what’s your decision on the matter…?” asked Ryugu.
“… I’ll be heading back first to consider all this… However, I still want Gerald dead by the end of all this. No matter how much it takes, I won’t rest easy till he’s six feet under!” growled Kai, gritting his teeth as he clenched his fists tightly.
Nodding in response, Ryugu then rubbed his hands for a while before asking, “…Before that… There’s something I’d like you to clarify, if you don’t mind…”
“Ask away,” replied Kai.
“Well… your family will soon be united with the Futabas, right…? Through marriage? With that in mind, isn’t Gerald a guest of the Futabas? Why are you so hell bent on killing him…? That’s just me being curious, feel free not to answer…” said Ryugu, worried that Kai would overthink his question.
“… That doesn’t concern you. Also, don’t ever ask me about this again!” grumbled Kai as his gaze turned gloomy. He was going to carry this secret to his grave! Had it not been for the fact that Ryugu was the leader of the Hanyu’s assassin team and that Ryugu was still slightly useful to him, Kai would’ve already ordered his subordinates to kill that man for asking such an outrageous question!
“… Understood,” replied Ryugu, not wanting any unnecessary trouble from Kai.
“Either way, let’s just call it a day for now. I’ll start investigating Gerald and the Futabas once I get back. I’ll be sure to inform you if I find anything. As for you, don’t think about slacking off on this mission.
Remember, as long as you kill Gerald, I’m willing to pay triple of what I initially promised!” declared Kai as he finished his tea and got to his feet.
Watching as Kai walked out, Ryugu simply replied, “No problem…”
Ryugu, for one, was sure that the Kanagawas would be able to find out more about Gerald without too much trouble.
Regardless, once Kai got into the car, he lit a cigarette before crossing his legs.
With the car doors now closed, one of his men couldn’t help but say, “… He’s lying, right…? There’s no way Gerald would be strong enough to kill so many of the Hanyu family’s assassins. It’s even more unbelievable to think that he’s capable enough to defeat Endo and Izumi! And the Futabas having a good relationship with the Yamashitas? As if that would ever happen!”
Chapter 2146
“… I feel that Ryugu wouldn’t lie about this,” replied Kai as he shook his head. Though he didn’t contact Ryugu much, he understood the man’s character well.
“… But if what he said was true, then Gerald truly has inhuman strength…! He’s definitely not someone
we can deal with! Do you think he’s related to those Weston cultivators…?” asked the subordinate who knew about these things since he had been working for Kai for so many years.
“Can it!” retorted Kai as he frowned deeply. Cultivators, in general, couldn’t be talked about so casually. Even though Kai and his subordinate weren’t cultivators, if word got out about the existence of cultivators -and the cultivators found that they were the source of the information leak-, they would surely be ruined!
Even though Kai was no stranger to using his family’s name to commit all sorts of crimes, he knew better than to pick a bone with cultivators. He, for one, understood that even his family would be burdened by all this if such a scenario came to be, so he wasn’t counting on them to protect him.
“I-I’m sorry, Mr. Kanagawa! P-putting that aside… Should we start investigating Gerald…?” asked the subordinate as he immediately lowered his head.
“… Leave him be for the moment. There’s something else that’s much more important at the moment,” said Kai with a sigh.
“… Are… you referring to the relationship between the Futabas and the Yamashitas…?” asked the subordinate.
“Indeed. The existence of ninjas has always been a tricky topic to confirm. After all, nobody’s ever claimed to see one before. However, now that Ryugu’s personally witnessed one, things could get a lot messier if there really is something between those two families,” replied Kai as he took a deep breath. Though he desperately wanted Gerald gone, with the
Yamashitas now in the equation, he knew better than to act rashly.
It certainly didn’t help that Gerald was capable of defeating Endo and Izumi despite their combined strength. Unless he hired the top international hitmen in the world, Kai was pretty sure he wouldn’t ever pose a threat to Gerald…
Thinking about it, Kai raised his hand before saying, “… Stay silent for a moment”
It was about ten minutes later when his frown finally eased a little. In fact, Kai soon revealed a victorious smile as he said, “… Tell me, what’s Endo and Izumi’s rank in the international assassin list?”
“They should be somewhere near rank twenty,” replied the subordinate who as Kai’s subordinate needed to know the positions of all the influential people in Japan.
“If that’s the case, I just need to hire the top ten assassins to finish Gerald off, right? With their level of expertise, I’m sure they can do the deed without the Futaba and Yamashita family’s knowledge!” declared Kai as he held onto his chin.
“That’s definitely a viable solution, Mr. Kanagawa! However… if Gerald really is as strong as Ryugu described him to be… What if the assassins fail to take him out…?” asked the subordinate.
“… What? Those from the top ten are capable enough to assassinate presidents from the Western Union! With that said, there’s no way they’d have trouble dealing with a small fry like Gerald! At the very least, even if they do fail to kill him, I believe that their professional ethics will protect our identities! Because of that, I have no doubts that this mission will be completed without a hitch once I hire them!”
Chapter 2147
After hearing what Kai had to say, the four subordinates exchanged glances before saying, “… We suppose you’re right!”
Just as Kai had said, even if the assassins did fail to kill Gerald, they probably wouldn’t expose who had hired them. While this probably meant that more money needed to be spent, what was money to the Kanagawas? Honestly, hiring a hitman was probably cheaper than what Kai was used to spending at bars every night!
“Then that settles it! Hurry and use my name to contact the top ten assassins on the list! The closer they are to us, the sooner that b*stard dies! Also, make sure to tell them that if they fulfill their mission, I’ll increase their payment to up to thirty percent higher than the market price!” declared Kai as he slapped his thigh.
After all that had happened, Kai knew better than to trust the Hanyus with this case. Not only would relying on them be a waste of time, but he was pretty sure that the deposit he paid them was going to end up being a complete waste of money as well.
Regardless, just as Kai’s subordinate fished his phone out, the man suddenly froze before turning to look at Kai and whispering, “…Um… Mr. Kanagawa…?”
“…What? Just say it already! ” muttered the impatient Kai.
Gulping, the subordinate then stuttered, “W-well… If the master learns about all this…”
Aside from being Kai’s subordinates, these men were also members of the Kanagawa family. With that in mind, the subordinates knew that if anything happened to Kai, they would have to bear full responsibility. It was the reason why they always notified the Kanagawa patriarch whenever Kai stepped out of line. Doing so prompted the patriarch to step forward and resolve the matter…
Either way, upon hearing that, Kai who hated it when his subordinates used his father’s name to threaten or discipline him then retorted, “He won’t find out as long as all of us keep it a secret, right?”
After working as Kai’s subordinates for so many years, these men were honestly no different than his confidants. While they knew everything about Kai, Kai himself knew that they were only hired by his father to keep a close eye on him.
Though that meant that his father now knew every move he made, Kai couldn’t just banish his men away. After all, not only would doing so lose him his freedom, but he also needed them to do lots of things for him.
Whatever the case was, Kai was well aware that his father usually turned a blind eye as long as he didn’t do anything excessive. Even if he did end up creating a mess, as long as it wasn’t over the line, his father would surely step in. However, now that he was hiring the top ten assassins, even Kai knew that he was clearly pushing it.
“B-but the master told us to inform him of your every move, Mr. Kanagawa…! If you’re really going through with this, it’s impossible that we hide it from him!
After all, if those assassins create a mess here, the unprepared master won’ t be able to resolve it that easily!” cried out one of the subordinates.
All of Kai’s men knew that if things went south and they didn’t report any of this to the patriarch, none of them would be able to bear the responsibility…!
Hearing that, Kai sighed before taking a cigarette out and lighting it. Puffing onto it for a moment, he eventually said in a low voice, “… How long have you men worked for me?’
“Almost ten years by now, young master!” replied the men in unison.
“Since I’ve never asked about the specifics of what you reported to my father throughout these years not that I’m blaming you, I only ask in return that you don’t inform him about what I’m about to do. Just this once,” said Kai with a frown.
Chapter 2148
Kai, for one, understood that this was his best shot at getting rid of Gerald. If Gerald somehow left Japan before he managed to do the deed, then Kai was positive that he would lose track of Gerald for good. If that came to be, then he’d have to keep all this bitterness in his heart forever!
“… T-that…” muttered his men as they looked at each other in dismay, wondering how to even proceed.
Seeing how worried they were, Kai then fished a few bank cards out from the car’s compartment and handed one to each of them before saying, “Here. Each of these has a million dollars in them. Feel free to finish the cash up.”
After looking at the cards for a while, eventually, all the subordinates could do was accept them. For one, they knew that Kai was really desperate to end Gerald’s life and that this was his best chance of doing so. However, they were also well aware that they would have to face his mighty wrath if they declined.
Whatever the case was, as all of Kai’s subordinates thought about it, they slowly assured themselves that such high profile assassins were extremely confidential with their information. With that in mind, as long as nobody said anything, the patriarch would never find out.
Regardless, after the last of his subordinates accepted his cards, Kai was prompted to ask, “… I assume we’re all in agreement, then?”
“… Only this once, young master… However, know that if the master learns about this, we’ll be in boiling hot water…” muttered one of his subordinates. Though the stakes were high, the subordinates couldn’t deny that a million dollars was equivalent to six years’ worth of salary.
“Cut the cr*p and contact those assassins already! We still need to see who’s willing to take the mission! Remember, the sooner we get rid of Gerald, the sooner this affair will be done with! ” replied Kai as he gestured for them to get to it in a slightly impatient tone.
“Loud and clear!” declared his subordinates who immediately got to work…
Back at the training grounds, an entire day of competitions had passed, and it was finally time for the results. Though Aiden didn’t score too high, his results weren’t bad either. At the very least, his results were above average.
Gerald himself had no idea that Kai had come looking for him in the first place. Since he had rested in
the morning, he felt particularly energetic by the time night came. With that in mind, before Aiden returned, Gerald made sure to head to a nearby restaurant to buy him a mountain of food for dinner.
Soon after, Aiden entered the room, looking quite bewildered as he said, “… You’re not going to believe this but… Ms. Fujiko got much higher results than me…!”
“How much higher?” asked Gerald as he watched Aiden take his coat off.
“She got fourth place in the competition today, which means that she’s ten ranks above me!” replied Aiden with a shrug. Honestly, he had expected her to rank last.
“Fujiko wasn’t given the title of ‘Queen of Soldiers’ for nothing, you know? I have a feeling that if you two duel against each other, she’ll probably win. You could invite her for a duel if you’d like to test that statement!” replied Gerald with a smile.
Gerald was confident in Fujiko’s martial arts skills. After all, he had witnessed how well she had held her ground back when she was being attacked behind the hotel that night. Had it not been for the fact that her physique held her back, she could have definitely taken her assailant out. If that had happened, then Gerald wouldn’t have had to step forward to save her.
“I’d rather not… I’m exhausted enough after competing for an entire day… Now I just want to have dinner and rest for a while before preparing for tomorrow’s events…” said Aiden as he shook his head. After a full day of competitions, he felt that he was going to collapse at any moment.
“Then let’s eat so you can head to bed early once we’re done,” replied Gerald as he gestured toward the dining table.
With that said, they then began having their meals, making sure to discuss any other issues that needed resolving in between bites…
Fast forward to the next morning, Aiden and Fujiko left for the training ground again to resume the competition. Gerald and Master Ghost, on the other hand, remained in the living room to discuss the secrets of the sea map…
Shortly after, a fishing ship could be seen docking the coast of Japan…
Chapter 2149
Following that, a man donning black clothes who looked to be around six feet tall got out of the ship. Since his face was covered by a mask, only his sharp eyes were visible…
Though he wasn’t holding onto anything, anyone who came across him kept their distance. There was just something off with his aura…
Regardless, the man eventually entered a black car by the coast before being driven off…
Fast forward to half an hour later, Kai could be seen smoking in a villa near the Kanagawa manor. Sitting on his left and right, were two young, naked women, and standing before him, were a few of his subordinates.
Though Kai’s hands continuously groped the two beauties, the subordinates looked completely unfazed, almost as though they were already used to witnessing such scenes. Aside from occasionally glimpsing at their bodies, the subordinates mostly kept their eyes to themselves. After all, they knew that they’d eventually get to play with the women as well.
Usually, after Kai had his fun with his women, he would then pass them over to his men as ‘rewards’. Due to that, Kai’s subordinates had had the pleasure of playing around with not only prostitution models, but also some of the lower ranked celebrities in Japan!
Either way, it wasn’t long before Kai’s phone began to ring. After picking it up, Kai remained silent for a while before lowering it and saying, “He’s here.”
“… Huh? Who’s here?” asked one of the subordinates.
“What do you mean who’s here? It’s the assassin! He’s arrived in Japan and is currently on his way over in his car! He should be here within the hour…” grumbled Kai.
“Oh? Should we leave, then?” asked the two women.
“Just stay here. However, I want both of you to immediately forget what you’ve heard later on, got it? Expose us and it won’t belong before the consequences catch up to you. And don’t say anything unnecessary, understand?” replied Kai as he firmly grasped their shoulders. Kai, for one, hadn’t satisfied his lust yet. So what if they were meeting an assassin? It wasn’t as though he was doing anything wrong.
Hearing that and understanding how important this was, the women immediately nodded before saying, “Understood!”
The two girls had already witnessed how terribly things could go wrong if people like them failed to obey their orders. With that in mind, as long as they obeyed Kai’s words, not only would they be granted just about anything, but they’d also avoid a horrible death.
Nodding in response, Kai then looked at one of his subordinates and asked, “So, where’s the assassin from?”
“He’s from the southeast and his code name is Vulture. Ranked eighth on the assassin list, he’s wanted by both the Western Union and a few of the European countries. Though he’s a world-class criminal, nobody’s been able to capture him,” replied his subordinate as he read out the information on his phone.
“As expected, those from the top ten truly are extraordinary… To think that he’s been able to escape the Western Union’s grasp this entire time! With how capable he is, I’m sure it won’t be long till Gerald finally meets his end! ” declared Kai as he nodded in satisfaction.
Had he thought about this earlier, he wouldn’t even have bothered looking for the Hanyus. With how vicious those on the top ten were, Gerald could’ve been dead by now! Being professionals, Kai was also sure that Gerald’s corpse would be dealt with so efficiently that his murder would never be solved…
Not long after, a knock could be heard on the door, prompting Kai to immediately get to his feet as he exclaimed, “Vulture is here!”
Upon hearing that, the door was opened and in stepped the man in black from before…
The second he entered, everyone could immediately feel how immensely pressuring his aura was. Even the two women from before immediately looked toward the floor, not daring to look the assassin in the face…
Chapter 2150
After glancing around for a bit, Vulture immediately stared straight at Kai before asking in a low and hoarse, “… Kanagawa Kai, I presume?”
“That, I am. Since you came all the way from the southeast, do get some rest first. Speaking of which, I’ve also prepared these two beauties for you. Feel free to do whatever you want with them,” replied Kai as he gestured toward the two women.
“I see. Then I’ll be thanking you in advance, then!” declared Vulture who wasn’t about to say no to such beautiful women. After all, the women from where he came from were all unsightly, to say the least.
They were incomparable to Japanese women!
With that said, Vulture then removed his coat before placing his arms on the two women’s shoulders and guiding them into one of the rooms.
Once they were inside, one of Kai’s subordinates couldn’t help but ask, “… Um… Mr. Kanagawa…? What
if they end up… you know… dead…?”
While it was true that Kai’s men were no strangers to crime and they weren’t against hurting women, murder was a line none of them dared to cross.
Hearing that, Kai simply waved his hand before replying rather nonchalantly, “What’s there to be afraid of? They’re just two random university students. As long as he kills Gerald, I’m willing to let him have his way with even famous local stars!”
With that said, Kai then lit a cigarette before smiling, prompting his men to remain silent as they waited for Vulture to be done. From how pleased Kai looked, it was almost as though he could already see Gerald’s demise in Vulture’s hands…
Whatever the case was, it wasn’t long before Vulture exited the room. Slipping his clothes on, he then said, “Apologies for keeping you waiting, Mr. Kanagawa.”
Taking a peek into the room, Kai saw that the two women were lying on the bed, motionless. It almost felt like they were dead… Even so, Kai felt more envious than anything. After all, after binging on wine and women throughout the years, his body had been completely ruined to the point where he found it hard to even get erect.
As Kai was resenting that fact, Vulture finished buttoning up his coat and sat on the couch before laughing as he added, “Still, those two were far too weak!”
Feeling more humiliated than ever after hearing that, Kai then nodded before replying, “… Either way, now that you’ve had your fun, could we get to business, sir?”
Shrugging, Vulture simply said, “Fine with me.”
“Alright, so… There’s this person called Gerald Crawford, and he’s a guest of the Futaba family. I haven’t
managed to fully investigate his background, but I do know that he’s rather strong. After all, not even the Hanyus were able to hurt him,” explained Kai as he gestured for his men to bring over Gerald’s details before handing them to Vulture.
“Hah! What kind of crappy family is the Hanyus? Do they even deserve to be called assassins?” scoffed Vulture, not even bothering to read the notes he had been handed. All he did was stare at Gerald’s photograph for a while before snorting disdainfully.
Though Kai was left momentarily stunned, he quickly laughed aloud before replying, “You got that right!”
While it was true that Endo and Izumi were ranked quite high on the assassin list, there was undoubtedly a massive gap between them and the top ten assassins… With that in mind, Vulture had every right to look down on the Hanyus…
Chapter 2151
With how confident Vulture sounded, Kai was sure that Gerald would definitely be murdered this time…!
After looking at Gerald’s picture for a while and memorizing it, Vulture couldn’t help but feel that Gerald looked slightly familiar. While he couldn’t tell why that was, he made sure to hide his curiosity by asking, “Regardless, while I can definitely finish him off, about the commission…”
Hearing that, Kai gestured at one of his men before saying, “Bring it over.”
Nodding in response, the subordinate then disappeared into another room before quickly returning with a suitcase…
Watching as his subordinate opened it before Vulture, Kai then crossed his legs before adding, “There’s two million dollars in there. If you kill Gerald within three days, I’ll transfer five million more dollars into your bank account as the rest of your commission. If it extends past three days, however, I’ll have to lower it to four million dollars instead. Even so, I believe you’ll need a week at most to take him out.
What do you say?”
“Fine by me,” replied Vulture. After all, he was being given seven million dollars when the target wasn’t even a tycoon or senior government official! As long as he planned right and did everything correctly, this mission was going to be a cinch!
“Very well, then! Your task begins tomorrow morning! Speaking of which, feel free to rest here in the next few days, sir. Those two women will naturally remain here for your pleasure. However, if you don’t think they’re enough, feel free to ask for more! As long as you’re able to kill Gerald within the allocated time, I’ll grant you anything!” declared Kai with a smile.
Following that, Vulture watched as Kai and his subordinates left the villa. Once they were gone, he took a sip of water before returning to his room…
As for Kai and his men, after getting into their car, one of his subordinates couldn’t help but ask, “Where to now, Mr. Kanagawa…?”
“To the entertainment company. They organized a selection event recently, right? Let’s see if there are any beauties around! It’s high time we celebrated!” replied Kai delightedly. Since Gerald was now as good as dead to him, Kai was so elated that he honestly wanted to have a car race just to show how overjoyed he was.
“Got it!” replied his subordinate with a nod before driving the car toward the Kanagawa’s entertainment company…
As for Gerald, he naturally had no idea about any of this. Regardless, after a good night’s rest, the energized youth decided to walk around the training grounds alone while Aiden and Fujiko headed off to participate in more competitions.
Naturally, he wasn’t doing this just to have a stroll. The truth was, Gerald wanted to locate the Crawford cultivator from before.
After all, before hitting the hay the night before, he had momentarily sensed that person’s presence. From what he could tell, the person was either within the training ground or somewhere near it. Since this was an urban area, there were numerous hotels for that cultivator to hide in.
While Gerald wasn’t really afraid of that person, he was worried that trouble could brew if he allowed the cultivator to do as he pleased. Gerald, for one, didn’t want those close to him to get affected by that.
As he was walking around, Gerald bumped into Ichiro who was quick to jog over before asking, “Oh? What are you doing here, Mr. Crawford?”
“I’m just taking a stroll,” replied Gerald with a faint smile.
Chapter 2152
“If you don’t mind, could we talk for a bit, Mr. Crawford?” asked Ichiro as he heaved a sigh. Ichiro, for one, couldn’t talk to his colleagues about some things and he didn’t have any close friends nearby. With that in mind, he figured that Gerald would be the perfect listener.
“Sure. I don’t mind,” replied Gerald with a nod, figuring that he could possibly learn more clues about the person who had murdered the Yanam special forces soldier. What more, this was his chance to see if the Japanese military had managed to figure out that he was Adler’s murderer.
“I’m glad you agreed! Please, follow me. You know, my family mailed some good tea to me recently, I’ll let you try some,” said Ichiro with a smile.
Following that, the duo soon found themselves walking into Ichiro’s office. Upon entering, Ichiro immediately told his secretary to get some tea ready before gesturing for Gerald to take a seat
“The problems keep stacking up, Mr. Crawford… If I’m to be honest, I don’t even know where I should start investigating! But if I don’t start getting results, I may not even be able to keep my job! ” muttered
Ichiro in resignation.
“You’re telling me. There truly has been quite a bit going on around the Japanese training grounds recently Still, haven’t you managed to obtain other clues about the two murders since the last time we talked?” asked Gerald with a nod.
“Nothing with Adler’s case… To think that we haven’t been able to find anything even after half a month has passed! There just doesn’t seem to be any traces of the man left! I truly think that Adler’s disappearance is an unsolvable case… As for the other person, we’ve found his corpse and sent it back to Yanam. While we’re currently doing a thorough investigation based on the clues the murderer left behind, we don’t know if we’ll be able to sniff him out in the end…” explained Ichiro.
Ichiro was only speaking this casually about all this since he knew that Gerald wasn’t part of the military. He was also pretty sure that Gerald wasn’t involved with either of the cases, which was why he didn’t mind sharing all these details to let off some steam.
“I see… For your sake, I hope you’ll be able to find the culprit soon…” replied Gerald with a nod.
“Thank you… You know, the colonel told me that if I continue failing to uncover these two cases, not only will the colonel be fired, but I’ll be forced to resign as well. You can tell that they’re serious just by how many Japanese military soldiers are standing guard over the training grounds now. After all, a third case would be disastrous… I’ll be frank and say that I’m thankful that the only victims are those from Yanam. It means that we only need to compensate Yanam with gifts or something else. If the cases involved someone from Weston, the Western Union, or any of the European countries, we’d truly be in hot water! ” said Ichiro as he shook his head with a sigh, clearly vexed out of his mind.
As Ichiro’s secretary returned with some tea prompting Ichiro to hand a glass over to Gerald, Gerald couldn’t help but ask, “Indeed… Speaking of which, there’s a lot of hotels nearby, right? Since you have the murderer’s height and general body description, maybe you could find him within the hotels in the area. Just a thought…”
Naturally, Gerald was only suggesting this since he was planning to do so himself in the first place. However, Ichiro simply replied, “I’ve already done that to no avail Hell, we did it the day after the
incident, but there simply were no traces of our culprit. I suspect he must have immediately fled after doing the deed…”
Frowning slightly, Gerald was prompted to ask, “… Are you absolutely sure…?”
While he initially had his doubts that the person was a Crawford cultivator, after what Ichiro had just told him, it seemed that the culprit really was a cultivator…
Chapter 2153
However, the fact that the Japanese Military hadn’t been able to locate him even though Gerald had clearly sensed that person’s presence the night before was puzzling, to say the least.
“Of course, I am! Don’t worry, the investigation isn’t anything confidential so there’s no reason for me to lie,” replied Ichiro as he waved his hand.
“Indeed… Well, I wish you luck with your investigations! Do tell me if you require any help. I don’t mind since I feel we get along well,” said Gerald with a subtle smile.
“… Do… Do you really mean that, Mr. Crawford?” asked Ichiro after momentarily freezing.
“What reason would I have to lie?” replied Gerald with a chuckle.
“That… That’s wonderful! With how strong you are, the culprit will definitely be caught in no time!” exclaimed Ichiro rather excitedly. Ichiro, for one, knew that Gerald alone had caused quite a mess within the Yanam Military, and only someone exceedingly strong could achieve such a feat.
“You flatter me. Regardless, I’ll stick to my word,” replied Gerald as he stuck his hand out for a handshake, knowing full well that he was only doing this in hopes of easing his search for the Crawford cultivator.
What more, with the Japanese military’s investigation team involved, the culprit couldn’t just reveal his cultivator abilities, thus forcing him to take on Gerald with only his martial arts skills.
Regardless, once Ichiro calmed down a little, he couldn’t help but ask, “…Come to think of it, what benefit do you get from all this, Mr. Crawford…? After all, you’ll only be wasting time and energy by helping us…”
Chuckling in response, Gerald thought up an excuse on the spot before replying, “As I’ve said, I just feel that we get along well. Besides, though Aiden’s busy with the competition, I don’t have anything better to do.”
“I see… Well, whatever the case is, please accept my thanks on behalf of the military investigation team! If you manage to capture the culprit, I’ll surely ask my military superior to record your merits!” said Ichiro as he returned Gerald’s handshake. Since Gerald was willing to lend his aid at his lowest, Ichiro now saw Gerald as a good friend.
Laughing in response, Gerald released their handshake soon after before replying, “Let’s work hard and capture the crook as soon as we can, then!”
Since Gerald had agreed to help, Ichiro wasted no time and immediately led Gerald to the colonel’s office.
Upon hearing from the colonel’s secretary that the case could potentially be solved soon, the colonel prioritized returning to his office instead of continuing to watch the competition.
Once the colonel got there and sat at his desk, Ichiro immediately began reporting all the recent incidents to him while Gerald remained seated on a couch within the room.
A few minutes later, the colonel got to his feet and scanned Gerald from head to toe before asking, “… Gerald Crawford, correct?”
“That, I am,” replied Gerald as he got up before nodding.
“As you already know, I’m the colonel of the Japanese military, and I go by Shin Oda. Ichiro has told me that you’re willing to help us solve the two murders. While I’m happy to hear that, I do wonder if you have any hidden agendas…” said Oda as he returned a nod…
Chapter 2154
“Oh…? What agendas could I probably have?” asked Gerald as he raised a slight brow, clearly not expecting the colonel to ask that.
“Don’t get me wrong, but since I’m the one in charge, I need to remain vigilant at all times. We’re all aware of the giant mess you created back in Yanam, Gerald. With the Yanam military’s leader missing which is why Carter is now in charge I’m simply worried that you may do the same to our military,” replied Oda as he stated at Gerald.
With how dangerous this mission was, Oda knew that if things got out of control, there was a high chance that anyone present would be as good as dead…
Hearing that, Gerald burst out laughing before explaining, “While I can understand where you’re coming from, I’m afraid you still don’t understand how I operate. You see, I only did that to the Yanam military since they kidnapped my friend. They even used his life to threaten me, you see. With that in mind, I assume you’ll see things from my point of View?”
“I have heard about that too,” replied Oda who had previously been told the same thing while he was researching the Yanam incident.
Honestly, Oda would’ve tried his best to save his friend as well if they were kidnapped by the Yanam military. Of course, he wasn’t as strong as Gerald, so he would’ve used other methods to do so.
Whatever the case was, Gerald then said, “Either way, I’m just helping you since I get along well with Noda. I won’t deny that I’m just doing this because I’m bored either. However, if you still think I’m too dangerous, feel free to reject my offer. If you do, I won’t ask any further about this affair,” said Gerald in a low voice.
While there was an instant change in Ichiro’s expression upon hearing that, since Oda was present, Ichiro remained silent on the spot…
Shaking his head, the colonel quickly replied, “Just to be clear, this affair is between you and Ichiro. I have nothing to do with any of this, and I’m just making a routine inquiry. With that said, you’re free to help, though if anything happens, know that Ichiro’s to bear full responsibility.”
Oda, for one, knew better than to mess with a strong person like Gerald. Even so, he couldn’t deny that Gerald was a very viable solution to capturing the culprit. Regardless, since this conversation had been recorded by the recording system in the office, Oda now knew that if any trouble arose, Ichiro would be the one to blame instead of him.
“Don’t worry, sir! Gerald and I will definitely capture all the culprits in no time flat!” declared Ichiro as he patted his chest.
“I await your good news, then. Speaking of which, you’re a Westoner, right, Gerald? I’ll be giving you a temporary identity in the meantime since I can’t think of any other way to justify you working for our military’s investigation team. This’ll make things much more convenient for you as well,” replied Oda as he opened his drawer and took an insignia out before handing it to Gerald.
Looking at the words on the insignia, Gerald then read out, “Investigation team temporary investigator…”
“Indeed. That will be your current identity. Thankfully, you don’t hold any governmental positions in Weston or this would be against your country’s laws… Regardless, go ahead and start investigating. I’ll be heading back to monitor the competition, but if there’s anything you two find, inform me immediately, got that?” said Oda as he nodded before leaving the office.
Regardless, now that Oda had agreed, Ichiro instantly felt relieved. With Gerald’s help, they were certainly going to crack the case in the nick of time! Now fully motivated, Ichiro turned to face Gerald before declaring, “I’ll be counting on you from now on, Gerald!”
“Likewise. And don’t worry too much, I’m just using this as an excuse to pass time,” replied Gerald as he smiled while shaking his head…
Chapter 2155
“Either way, let’s get you to the office first! I’ll call over the other investigation team members to introduce you to them. While we’re at it, I’ll take the chance to explain your temporary role in this investigation! ” said Ichiro as he placed his hand on Gerald’s shoulder.
“Can we talk while eating?” asked Gerald as he patted his belly.
“Of course! You know where my office is, right? Go wait there for me first as I head out to get some food!” replied Ichiro. Forget eating, even if Gerald had requested to be someplace else, Ichiro would’ve readily rented someplace within the military grounds.
Fast forward to half an hour later, everyone from the investigation team had arrived. Naturally, upon seeing Gerald there, they were all rightfully curious. After all, to all of them, he was a suspect in Adler’s disappearance. While they had no evidence that he had committed the deed, in the end, Gerald still had a motive to commit the crime. With that in mind, since Gerald was just sitting there, many of them thought that Gerald had taken the initiative to surrender himself.
Just as they were deep in thought, Ichiro entered the office with a few bags in hand. As the pleasant scent of roasted chicken filled the room, Ichiro declared, “I’ve brought over some roasted chicken, so be sure to share among yourselves. I’ll detail all of you as you eat.”
Following that, he placed a roasted chicken in front of Gerald making sure to hand out the rest to the other team members as well before sitting on the main seat and drinking a glass of water.
After clearing his throat, Ichiro then said, “Now that everyone’s here… I’ll cut straight to the chase. Gerald and I have just returned from the colonel’s office, and we’ve gotten the green light to make Gerald a temporary investigator. With that said, he’ll be helping us investigate the two murders from today onward.”
“…What? Why is he suddenly joining our investigation team?”
Ichiro’s announcement was like an exploding bombshell, and everyone couldn’t help but look at Gerald with incredulous gazes. After all, how on earth had a suspect suddenly become their colleague?
On the contrary, Gerald looked cool as a cucumber as he ate his roasted chicken, barely even caring about their gazes and comments.
“I’m excluding Gerald from our list of suspects. After all, the case is already half a month old and we still have no evidence against him. Due to that, I say that that’s enough to prove his innocence! Besides, Gerald’s been kind enough to willingly help us with this investigation! With that said, please put your shock aside and start revealing any information you’ve obtained! It’s high time we solved these cases!” explained Ichiro.
“Loud and clear!” declared everyone as they nodded, not daring to disobey Ichiro.
Following that, they all placed their written reports on the table, prompting Ichiro who had just sipped on more water to say, “Alright, take turns explaining what you found in the past two days.”
Hearing that, everyone did as Ichiro ordered. While everyone else was dead serious as they read their reports, Gerald who had his legs crossed simply continued eating his roasted chicken…
Chapter 2156
By the time the others were done, Gerald had just finished his roasted chicken.
Watching as Gerald wiped his hands, Ichiro handed two tissues to the youth before asking, “So… Figured anything out?”
“Hardly. To be completely frank, the information was near useless, so I wasn’t really paying attention. Though I have to say, the roasted chicken is pretty good, so you guys should eat it while it’s hot,” replied Gerald as he wiped his mouth.
“You…! ” growled the other investigators, clearly annoyed that Gerald was just dissing on all their hard work. What a waste of breath!
“What’s wrong?” asked Ichiro.
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing major. Regardless, you guys should start investigating the hotels around the training ground. I advise you to register every non Japanese staying in the vicinity! Believe me when I say that that’s the only information that’s going to be useful for now!” replied Gerald as he waved his hand.
“Do you honestly think that we haven’t already investigated the surrounding area? Also, all the foreigners? Do you think registering all of them and putting them on file is going to be a cinch or something? You’re not even a proper member of the investigation team! What would you know about our work and authority?” retorted several of the other members.
“Just do as he says. Remember, the colonel has given him permission to be on our team, so the colonel and I will be bearing all the consequences. With that said, if you disagree with Gerald, you can either take this to the colonel’s office or leave!” growled Ichiro as he slammed his fist onto the table.
Hearing that, everyone became so frightened that they instantly fell silent. While Ichiro was usually an amiable person, everyone in the investigation team knew that Ichiro was the kind of person who didn’t make any exceptions to who he grew angry at, not even his family. In fact, he had such a bad temper in his earlier years that he was known for driving several people out!
With that in mind, the rest of the investigation team could only yell, “Loud and clear!”
Knowing that they could only obey Gerald’s orders for now, the group of people quickly tidied up their documents before walking out of the office…
Gerald himself simply shook his head before saying, “It’s such a pity that they didn’t eat their roasted chickens…”
Watching as Gerald took the remaining chicken and began feasting once more, Ichiro waited for his secretary to close the door before looking at Gerald and asking, “Truth be told, I’m finding it hard to see the logic of your order… After all, we’ve already scanned through all the hotels in the vicinity multiple times. While it’s true that there are multiple foreigners, none of them look like the murderer at all…”
“Tell me again what that murderer’ s physique was like. And did he leave behind any footprints?” asked Gerald as he looked back at Ichiro.
“From what we’ve gathered, the person is around six feet tall and has a rather sturdy looking figure. Aside from that, his footprints were size twelve… As I’ve previously said, we found nobody who matched the description, which is why we assume that the culprit has left the area,” explained Ichiro.
“Just a thought, but couldn’t the culprit have worn platform shoes? Also, it’s easy to look sturdy if you have piles of clothes on. As for the shoe size, couldn’t the murderer just have worn larger shoes?” asked Gerald in between chews.
“… That…” muttered the stupefied Ichiro as his voice momentarily trailed off…
Chapter 2157
Though he was in the investigation team, Ichiro didn’t specialize in solving mysteries. The cases he usually dealt with were dangerous, but straightforward. With that in mind, what Gerald had just said had never crossed his mind.
It was also at that moment when Ichiro realized that the footage from the surveillance camera could be completely useless. While it was true that they had managed to capture the man’s face, after hearing what Gerald had to say, Ichiro now wondered if the culprit had been wearing a rubber mask as well…
“I don’t blame you for being speechless. Regardless, that’s why I said the information your subordinates provided earlier was completely useless. It’s also why I told them to quickly identify any foreigners living in nearby hotels. Call it a gut feeling, but I have a hunch that the person is still here,” replied Gerald with a subtle smile.
“… Hold on, why only foreigners?” asked the confused Ichiro.
“You’re free to investigate the locals if you want, but I feel that the murder is more of an act of revenge. After all, the culprit only killed those from Yanam, which is why I don’t think the locals did it. I could be wrong, though,” replied Gerald.
Gerald, for one, knew for a fact that he was only ‘helping’ them in order for him to locate the Crawford cultivator. While he admitted that it was a selfish motive of his, he also believed that the cultivator was the murderer of the Yanam special forces soldier. With that in mind, he had reason to believe that investigating the locals would only be a waste of energy.
“… I see! Either way, don’t you worry! I’ll order my subordinates to run thorough investigations on all the surrounding hotels!” declared Ichiro who now trusted Gerald more than ever. After all, Gerald had just given them new leads to look into. Now, there truly was a chance for them to crack the case!
Gerald himself who had just finished his second roasted chicken released a large burp before saying, “I’m sure you will. By the way, the roasted chicken really is delectable. You wouldn’t mind me taking the rest back, would you?”
As Gerald was thinking about letting Master Ghost have a taste as well, Ichiro simply laughed heartily as he replied, “Feel free! Honestly, if you like them so much, I’m willing to send them to you every day!”
“There’s no need for that. Either way, I’ll be heading back first. I’ll contact you again tonight,” replied Gerald as he carried the remaining roasted chicken away with him…
Watching as Gerald left, Ichiro then stood on the spot for a while, slowly taking the time to process all that Gerald had said. Eventually, he grabbed his coat before dashing off to keep an eye on the investigation efforts…
Gerald himself soon got back with the roasted chicken in hand. Upon entering the room, Master Ghost who was watching television couldn’t help but get to his feet as he asked, “Is that roasted chicken I smell?”
“Bingo. Noda Ichiro, the head of the Japanese military’s investigation team, got them for us. Well, me. I ended up becoming a temporary investigator for them to hopefully ease my search for the Crawford cultivator,” explained Gerald.
“I see. With the investigation team on our side, not only will your odds of finding the cultivator increase, but even if the cultivator discovers you, he probably won’t dare to attack,” replied Master Ghost after thinking about it for a bit.
“Indeed. Either way, eat up. The chicken’s untouched, if you’re worried about that,” said Gerald with a nod as he placed the chicken before Master Ghost.
“Glad to hear. You know, I was just about to head out to get some food earlier, but it seems you returned in the nick of time,” replied Master Ghost as he took a good whiff of the chicken before tearing off a drumstick and stuffing it into his mouth.
“I suppose. Speaking of which, I’m heading out to the hotel tonight to have a look around. With any luck, I’ll find the Crawford cultivator and quickly get rid of him,” said Gerald as he sat before Master Ghost. “Would you like me to join you?” asked Master Ghost with a nod.
“Well, with the investigation team there, you should be safe. With that said, sure, why not?” replied Gerald after thinking about it for a bit.
Chapter 2158
With night swiftly approaching sometime later, Gerald and Master Ghost quickly began making their way to where Ichiro and the others were.
As for the members of the investigation team, after investigating throughout the day while constantly being urged by Ichiro, they managed to scan through at least half of the surrounding hotels and guesthouses. Aside from being registered, any foreigner living in those places were temporarily detained under the Japanese military, and were currently being guarded by Japanese soldiers…
Regardless, as the duo continued making their way to where Ichiro was, Gerald made sure to detail what he had encountered in the past two days to Master Ghost. After listening to all that, Master Ghost couldn’t help but say, “It honestly surprises me that the investigation team would obey your orders like this…”
To Master Ghost, Gerald should’ve been the prime suspect of Adler’s disappearance. Even so, he was simultaneously glad that the investigation team hadn’t been monitoring Gerald too closely. After all, it allowed Gerald to actually join their team! What more, Ichiro sounded like he really trusted Gerald.
“Truth be told, I wasn’t expecting things to go this smoothly either, though I’m not complaining. Regardless, since I’m making my move under the guise of an investigation team member, the Crawford cultivator will surely not anticipate the presence of
Another cultivator. With that in mind, once I gain sufficient knowledge about him, it’ll be easy for me to take him out,” replied Gerald with a nod as he continued walking forward.
Shortly after they left the training ground, the two of them were greeted by the sight of several investigation team members and nearly endless Japanese soldiers on both sides of the street, all of them vigilantly guarding the entrances of all hotels and guesthouses in the vicinity.
Though several drivers immediately turned to leave the area upon seeing all this, there were still quite a number of spectators. These people lived around the training ground, and they were well aware that it was a rare occasion for the military to get this riled up. With that in mind, it was only natural for them to start discussing what was happening among themselves.
Either way, upon noticing Gerald’s presence, Ichiro immediately dropped whatever he was doing and jogged over to the youth while shouting, “Gerald! Over here!”
Since Gerald had agreed to help him, Ichiro treated him like a friend now, which explained why he dropped the formalities when addressing Gerald.
Smiling in response, Gerald was prompted to ask, “How are things going, Mr. Noda?”
“Things are going well. We’ve temporarily detained all the foreigners living in the vicinity, and they’re currently being guarded by soldiers. Though you told me not to, I also registered all the locals in the area, just in case. Regardless, we’ve found a few suspicious people throughout our investigation, and I’d like you to have a look at them,” replied Ichiro with a grin, clearly expecting the case to be cracked soon.
Ichiro, for one, had a hunch that the culprit was among the people whom he deemed were suspicious. From what he could guess, the person had probably remained here since he still wanted to murder more of Yanam’s soldiers.
“That’s great to hear. Do lead the way,” said Gerald as he turned to look at Master Ghost with a smile.
Following that, the spectators watched as the duo followed Ichiro into one of the hotels…
After walking past the soldiers guarding the hotel’s entrance, Gerald was greeted by the sight of several hotel staff members gathered at the lobby. Though there were soldiers in here as well each armed with a gun, Gerald was more interested in the six people seated on the couch.
Watching as Ichiro pointed at them, Ichiro himself then said, “Those are the suspects, Gerald. Though you told me that the culprit was probably an expert at disguising himself, I went ahead and gathered people who looked similar to the individual captured on the surveillance system. I don’t plan to let them go till you have a good look at them.”
The second Gerald’s name was mentioned, one of the men seated on the sofa who was wearing a Windbreaker slowly lifted his head. Upon seeing Gerald, he couldn’t help but frown.
The man himself was none other than Amare, the Crawford cultivator…!
Chapter 2159
Based on the time limit the patriarch had given him, this was supposed to be Amare’s sixth and final day in Japan. If he was still unable to locate Gerald, he would still have to leave tomorrow, thus failing to complete the mission Will had assigned him…
Just as he was feeling that all hope was lost and that he was going to fail to get on Will’s good side, Gerald appeared before him! Amare couldn’t have asked for anything better! Still, with so many Japanese soldiers in the vicinity, Amare knew better than to act rashly. With that in mind, he took a brief glance at Gerald just to confirm his identity before quickly averting his gaze.
The second Amare averted his gaze, Gerald immediately noticed that someone had been staring at him. Raising a slight brow, Gerald then turned to look at the individuals seated on the sofa…
While he couldn’t pinpoint who had been staring at him earlier, the person in the middle stuck out a bit more from the rest. With that in mind, Gerald took a deep breath before activating a small portion of his Herculean Primordial Spirit… Only to realize that there wasn’t even the slightest fluctuation of essential qi. With that, he quickly retracted his primordial spirit.
Though there weren’t any essential qi fluctuations, Gerald couldn’t help but feel that that person wasn’t an ordinary man. Trusting his gut, Gerald made sure to take note of that man…
Seeing that Gerald was staring so intently at those people, Ichiro leaned closer to him to ask, “Do you have any methods to get the truth out from them? Since they’re all foreigners, we can’t just lock them up and interrogate them since that will cause trouble with the embassy.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not the best at interrogating, so I’ll leave that to you guys. Regardless, there are some things that I’d like to think through first,” replied Gerald, his gaze still fixed on the man with the Windbreaker.
Gerald’s intuition was practically screaming that the man in the Windbreaker was the Crawford cultivator. Even so, Gerald wasn’t planning on doing anything till he sensed essential qi from that suspicious individual…
Regardless, upon hearing that, the slightly disappointed Ichiro could only say, “… Alright…”
However, Ichiro’s mood quickly lifted after he reminded himself that Gerald wasn’t a professional investigator. He was just here to help, and it wouldn’t make sense for him to know how to properly interrogate people…
Either way, if they really wanted to get information out of these foreigners, the best course of action would probably be to get the local police officers over. If they set up a temporary interrogation room instead of bringing the foreigners to the police station, it would only become a ‘questioning session’, thus avoiding the embassy’s involvement. Besides, if they did that and the suspects became vindictive, it wouldn’t affect him or his team.
Whatever the case was, after sizing the man up for one final time, Gerald turned to look at Master Ghost before saying, “… Let’s head back for now. We shouldn’t interfere with their jobs.”
Master Ghost had already been with Gerald for such a long time that he could already tell what Gerald’s slightest actions or movements indicated. With that in mind, he simply nodded in response, prompting the duo to leave the hotel…
Ichiro immediately got to work as well, quickly contacting the local police station to get some interrogators over…
Though Gerald remained silent throughout their journey back, upon entering their room and closing the door behind them, Gerald immediately heaved a heavy sigh as he took his coat off. Following that, he lit a cigarette and took two puffs of it…
Chapter 2160
“Sensed anything back there?” asked Master Ghost who had a vague idea of what Gerald had experienced.
“Indeed… Remember that man in the Windbreaker? One of the suspects sitting on the sofa?” replied Gerald with a slight frown.
“I do. I made sure to memorize all their appearances,” said Master Ghost with a nod.
“Well, I have a feeling that he’s the Crawford cultivator, though I can’t be certain just yet…
Regardless, I’m heading out later tonight,” replied Gerald as he continued huffing on his cigarette. In no time flat, the cigarette’s lifespan had ended…
“Are you planning to secretly get rid of him?” asked Master Ghost.
“Negative. Again, I specify that it was only a gut feeling. Until I’m sure, I won’t lay a finger on him. Regardless, since I was able to notice him, I’m sure he noticed me as well. In fact, it was probably when Ichiro first mentioned my name when I realized I was being stared at. Either way, my plan tonight is to slightly expose my cultivation to draw that person out. Once I confirm that he’s a Crawford cultivator, I’ll get rid of him swiftly,” explained Gerald as he placed his burnt out cigarette in an ashtray.
“I see… Speaking of which, were you able to get a grasp of how strong he was? After calculating for a bit, I feel he’s weaker than you, though you shouldn’t let your guard down till you’re absolutely sure,” replied Master Ghost in a slightly worried tone.
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t really treat anyone from the Crawford family seriously aside from Will who wants to compete with me so much just to secure his position as ‘heir of the Crawfords’. Quite honestly, I’d like to meet him just to see how well my grandpa’s insight is,” scoffed Gerald before shaking his head with a smile.
“Well… Since you’ve said that, I won’t ask any further than that… Still, do be careful. After all, in the end, the Crawfords are still a cultivating family. After suffering consecutive losses in your hands, I’m just worried that they sent a stronger cultivator after your head this time…” muttered Master Ghost. While it was true that Gerald was inhumanly strong, the Crawfords still had hundreds of years’ worth of experience as cultivators. With that in mind, nobody truly knew how strong that family was…
Hearing that, Gerald simply chuckled before patting Master Ghost’s shoulder as he said, “If you’re so worried, why don’t you do some calculations to see how dangerous this encounter will be.”
“That’s unnecessary,” replied Master Ghost as he waved his hand…
Following that, Gerald took a cold shower. Once he was done, he took the photographs of his parents, elder sister, and Mila out… By the time he finally peeled his gaze from the pictures, the sky was already darkening…
Upon hearing a few messy footsteps walking past his window, be carefully returned the photographs into his pocket before lighting a cigarette and heading toward the window to look downstairs… Only to see Ichiro and the rest of the investigation team walking away.
From how dejected they looked, Gerald figured that they hadn’t been able to gather anything. Then again, if the Crawford cultivator truly was the one responsible for that death, then it was pretty much impossible for regular people like them to gain any new hints.
Whatever the case was, once they were out of sight, Gerald tossed his cigarette away before slipping his coat on…
Soon enough, he was walking past the training ground’s large entrance… and the second he left the area, Gerald immediately activated his Herculean Primordial Spirit, making sure to expel some essential qi at the same time…
Barely even seconds later, Amare who had just been cleared of his suspicion was alerted to the sudden fluctuation of essential qi.
With that, he opened his room window… and in no time at all, his figure vanished from the spot.
He only had a day left before he had to leave Japan… He needed to act quickly or Daryl would surely punish him for returning late…
YOU ARE READING
The Invisible Rich Man by: Two Ears is Bodhi
FanfictionGerald also received a text message stating that someone had transferred money into his bank account! "[Daxtonville Bank] Nineteen years. The balance of your account ending in 107 is USD 1,500,000.00." Gerald was stunned when he looked at the series...
