That guy!
After hanging up the phone, Hashimoto Miho sat in a daze, feeling a dull pain beginning to creep over her body.
To prevent her husband from seeing her bruises, she had not worn her light skirts this evening but had instead put on a tightly wrapped kimono, completely covering her delicate body.
"Miho, what’s wrong? Whose call was it?"
On the sofa, Takizawa Shikou, who was playing with their five-year-old daughter, saw his wife spacing out after the call, furrowed his brow in confusion, and asked.
"Husband, there’s an ergency at the court. I need to handle it," Hashimoto Miho finally ca to her senses and explained with a sowhat pale face.
Takizawa Shikou nodded, "Make it quick and co back soon."
"Hi!" Hashimoto Miho got up to leave, making a complete act of it by even grabbing her bag. She changed into white high heels at the doorway and then left through the door.
Standing at the entrance, looking at the silver-gray Toyota Corolla, Hashimoto Miho took a deep breath. The humiliation and fear from last night surfaced, her hands inside her sleeves trembled slightly as she gathered the courage and slowly lifted her leg.
Suddenly, she saw Aoyama Xiu Xin glaring.
Instantly, she felt a shiver all over her body.
She knew she had done sothing wrong.
But... this was at her own doorstep!
And it was just past ten o’clock; neighbors might pass by at any mont. What if she were seen?
Biting her red lips, appearing pitiful, she looked pleadingly at Aoyama Xiu Xin, hoping he would show rcy.
But Aoyama Xiu Xin stared back expressionlessly.
Ultimately, it was fear that gave her the courage.
Hashimoto Miho slowly lay on the ground, crawling towards the car on all fours, her face filled with sha and ignominy. To avoid being seen, she crawled quickly, ignoring the pain in her knees and hands, and knelt down beside the car.
"Get in."
Hashimoto Miho quickly scrambled into the passenger seat.
"Dressed in so much, aren’t you hot?" Aoyama Xiu Xin casually asked.
Hashimoto Miho replied pitifully, "Because I need to cover the bruises, I can’t let my husband see them."
"He doesn’t touch you?" Aoyama Xiu Xin asked again.
Hashimoto Miho pursed her lips, "He has been unable to perform for two years now, and we’ve been sleeping separately since then."
Although Takizawa Shikou was only 55 and considered in his pri in his career, he was essentially old and had played too hard when young, leading to his early impotence. He used to complain about Hashimoto Miho being frigid, but now he was thankful that his wife was so.
"Transfer Takazawa Chiyu to Tokyo District Court."
Hashimoto Miho looked at him, her lips twitching as if to say sothing, but eventually, she replied, "Hi!"
She knew he only needed her compliance.
"Alright, go back," Aoyama Xiu Xin said indifferently without taking any further action.
Hashimoto Miho obediently got out of the car and entered the house with a standard smile of a virtuous wife, "Husband, I’m back."
"That quick?" Takizawa Shikou hadn’t realized his wife was becoming soone else’s pet.
"It was just a trivial matter," Hashimoto Miho replied with a slight smile, sitting next to him and taking their daughter into her arms, "Let’s transfer Chiyu to work closely with ."
"Hm?" Takizawa Shikou looked at her in surprise.
Wasn’t his wife always at odds with their daughter?
Hashimoto Miho smiled gently, "Actually, I’ve been aning to talk about this. Though Chiyu isn’t my biological daughter, she is nominally my daughter, and it’s ti we helped her in her career."
She knew Aoyama Xiu Xin had placed Takazawa Chiyu close to monitor her, but she had no choice but to follow his orders for now.
"Miho, I’m so happy you feel this way. You truly are an understanding woman!" Takizawa Shikou, beaming, would be overjoyed if his wife and daughter could reconcile and the family could live happily ever after.
If he knew the truth, it would probably kill him.
.........
The next day.
At breakfast, Aoyama Xiu Xin successively received calls from Yamakawa Ichiro and Zhao Qinghong. Both stated they had not been able to help in finding Noda and had prepared a generous gift to apologize, hoping to express their apologies in person.
Aoyama Xiu Xin accepted, arranging to et both at a club in Kabukicho.
Of course, not now, but in the evening.
While going to work at the Police Headquarters, Aoyama Xiu Xin also learned that Fujimoto Ryosuke’s promotion to Assistant Inspector had been finalized today. He had beco the fastest person from a non-professional background to rise to this rank among police officers.
"Ryosuke, congratulations. You’ve beco a legend now," Aoyama Xiu Xin called him into his office and congratulated him on his promotion.
Fujimoto Ryosuke bowed, "It’s all thanks to your guidance."
"What’s the matter, aren’t you happy about your promotion?" Aoyama Xiu Xin observed his deanor.
Fujimoto Ryosuke forced a smile, "No, I’m just exhausted from last night, that’s all. I didn’t get much rest."
The issue with Iihara Aiko weighed on him like a mountain, suffocating him, but he dared not tell anyone else and lived every day in tornt.
"Health is essential; you must take extra care of it," Aoyama Xiu Xin advised.
"Yes!" Fujimoto Ryosuke responded, then added, "If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now."
Aoyama Xiu Xin nodded in agreent.
After bowing, Fujimoto Ryosuke turned and left.
Aoyama Xiu Xin stared at his retreating figure, squinting slightly, his intuition told him that Fujimoto Ryosuke was definitely hiding sothing big from him.
However, since the other party didn’t want to talk,
he didn’t pursue the matter further.
That evening, after dinner at ho, Aoyama Xiu Xin headed to Kabukicho to et with Zhao Qinghong and Yamakawa Ichiro.
Zhao Qinghong and Yamakawa Ichiro had already arrived, both showing a mont of surprise upon seeing each other, clearly not expecting Aoyama Xiu Xin to have invited both of them at the sa ti.
Although they had never t before,
they had both researched each other’s backgrounds.
"Chairman Yamakawa, I’ve long admired your great na; seeing you today, you truly possess an imposing aura, undoubtedly Mr. Aoyama’s right-hand man," Zhao Qinghong expressed his goodwill.
Yamakawa Ichiro, cheerful and harmless-looking as the deity Maitreya Buddha himself, replied, "Chairman Zhao, I too have long admired your na. We are both serving Mr. Aoyama, we are insiders, no need for such formality."
"Hi! Chairman Yamakawa is right, it’s just being too formal," Zhao Qinghong apologized with a smile.
At that mont, Aoyama Xiu Xin entered through the door.
"Mr. Aoyama!"
The two discontinued their talk and simultaneously stood up to bow.
Aoyama Xiu Xin walked to the center of the sofa and sat down, then faintly uttered three words, "Everyone, take a seat."
"Hi!" Both sat up straight and proper.
Zhao Qinghong spoke up first, his face bearing a sycophantic expression, "Mr. Aoyama, the Fulong Gang has failed to find Noda quickly, which did not et your expectations. I heard your car was severely damaged during the arrest yesterday, so I have prepared a new one for you."
As he finished speaking, he pulled out a car key and went forward to present it respectfully with both hands to Aoyama Xiu Xin.
The reason he spoke first was because he feared Yamakawa Ichiro might also be planning to offer a car, and if he followed by presenting a car afterward, it would seem inferior.
"Where is the car?" Aoyama Xiu Xin, who indeed needed a car now, caught the keys without courtesy.
Zhao Qinghong replied obsequiously, "It’s driven here; it’s parked right outside the clubhouse."
"Let’s drink," Aoyama Xiu Xin nodded.
After Zhao Qinghong bowed and sat down, his eyes turned towards Yamakawa Ichiro, curious about what he would present.
Yamakawa Ichiro, with a large belly, stood up, looking serious compared to Zhao Qinghong’s obsequiousness, and said in a low voice, "Sir, the more your rits stand out, the more enemies you make. Ichiro always worries about your safety, and although the sons of Yamakawa Family would shed their last drop of blood for you, they are re mortals after all. Failing to protect you or your family would be a trendous fault."
The words made Zhao Qinghong’s eyes widen; damn, how could this little Jap be slicker than ; I never uttered such skin-crawling words even to my own father.
"So, I’ve been seeking the right security personnel for you, hoping you’ll be satisfied with them."
As he finished speaking, he clapped his hands.
"Clap, clap!"
Then, the room’s door was pushed open, and a man and a woman walked in, both looking to be around twenty-five to twenty-six years old.
The man was about five foot seven, not brawny but well-proportioned, with a determined face and dark skin, dressed in a neat black suit.
The woman, slightly taller than the man, was a Caucasian, with bouncy blonde hair, distinct features, a voluptuous figure, and wheat-colored skin, similarly dressed in a black suit and trousers.
"His na is Jin Yucheng, from the North Country, had served in the special forces before defecting; since coming to Japan, he has been engaged in underground boxing; her na is Elena, served in the Soviet Union’s special forces, lost her job due to the chaos after the Soviet Union disbanded last year, and she’s an excellent marksman."
Yamakawa Ichiro introduced them individually.
Zhao Qinghong knew he had t his match; the person’s offer was far superior to his own gift of a car.
If these two indeed beca security personnel at Aoyama Xiu Xin’s household, should they perform well in protecting either Aoyama Xiu Xin or his family, then Aoyama would rember him, and he, as their recomnder, could also use them to gauge Aoyama Xiu Xin’s thoughts.
"They currently don’t have legal status in Japan, but I believe you can resolve that, which is one of their conditions for serving you."
Yamakawa Ichiro added another line; he certainly could solve this problem himself, but he left this opportunity to grant favors to Aoyama Xiu Xin so that the two would feel grateful to Aoyama, not to him.
"Yoshi yoshi, Mr. Yamaoka, well done!"
Aoyama Xiu Xin was indeed satisfied; he occasionally needed enhanced security, not to ntion his sister-in-law did as well, given he had made too many enemies.
"Sir!"
Elena and Jin Yucheng both bowed to him simultaneously.
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