"To climb the ladder of power with unorthodox moves, you need not only strong personal strength and the support of the military but also the tacit approval of Japan’s ’wild dad’ and the Arican bigwigs."
So, after getting hamred with Ueda Hikoshu, Fushan Yingzhao, and others, Xiu Xin Aoyama sobered up in the evening. Not bothering to go ho, he called Richard, the head of the CIA team in Japan.
This was the only channel he currently had to get into the high circles of the United States, and he had to maintain good relations.
Playing the humble servant before becoming the master, there’s no disgrace in that.
"Hey, Mr. Richard, it’s Xiu Xin Aoyama. I’m back in Tokyo, and I’ve brought so local specialties from Hokkaido for you and Miss Annie. Are you free to grab a drink tonight? If it’s convenient for you," Xiu Xin Aoyama cheerfully invited after the call connected.
"Haha, Mr. Aoyama, it seems you weren’t just putting on an act for the news; last night’s gunfire didn’t faze you at all. You’re even in the mood to invite us out for drinks," Richard was surprised to receive the call from Xiu Xin Aoyama and teased him after a mont of astonishnt.
Xiu Xin Aoyama laughed along twice, dismissively replying, "re clowns. If that scared , how could I ever be worthy of calling myself a friend to a CIA elite like you, Mr. Richard?"
The path to climbing higher is paved with mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Those killed beco dry bones, while those who can’t kill him turn into the steps made from those dry bones, which he steps on to rise to the top.
"Good! Mr. Aoyama, just hearing your words makes feel more impressed than before. Tonight, we must have a drink to your courage, I’ll pick up the tab, nine sharp, don’t be late," Richard nad a bar.
Xiu Xin Aoyama checked his watch; it was just past five. He replied, "Alright, don’t be late."
There was still plenty of ti, so after hanging up, he went back to the Asakai family’s house, planning to have dinner before going to the eting.
After eight o’clock, he arrived at a bar in a bustling area with Jin Yucheng, and loud music, heatwaves, and the scent of perfu hit them as they entered.
Xiu Xin Aoyama couldn’t understand why Richard always liked to set up etings in bars; it wasn’t like this was the only place to have a drink.
Maybe Aricans just like these dingy places – after all, they are pretty dirty themselves.
His eyesight was excellent, spotting Richard among the crowd in his white suit and red tie, provocatively twisting his body around a young woman.
Annie was not in sight, so Xiu Xin Aoyama looked toward the bar and, sure enough, saw Annie, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a white shirt with jeans, simple yet elegant.
Her thin shirt was tight around her bust, and her legs were long, appearing even longer under tight jeans, and her high heels were killer.
He didn’t bother with Richard, instead walking over to Annie, "Hi Miss Annie, long ti no see."
Only when close did he notice her shirt wasn’t buttoned up completely, showing a hint of light blue lace peeking out provocatively.
"It’s been a while." Although Annie didn’t respect soone like Xiu Xin Aoyama, a traitor to his country, Richard’s earnest teachings taught her that the more n like him there were, the better for the United States, so she managed to give him a forced smile.
People are constantly growing and maturing. She used to make no secret of her disgust with Xiu Xin Aoyama, and now being able to hide it was progress.
Xiu Xin Aoyama took the seat next to her, ogling her tight face without restraint, tapping on the bar, "One like hers, please."
He was genuinely lusting after Annie’s body, but there was also an elent of performance, deliberately making himself seem lecherous.
Though, to be honest, he indeed was.
"Hey!" The bartender quickly mixed a brightly colored cocktail and pushed it toward Xiu Xin Aoyama, "Chief of Police Aoyama, this one’s on ."
"Thank you," Xiu Xin Aoyama turned and showed a friendly smile to him, bowing slightly.
The bartender was sowhat excited and thrilled, "Please, don’t ntion it. It’s my honor to mix a drink for soone like you. How could I possibly charge you?"
"The drink is good," Xiu Xin Aoyama took a sip and praised, then shrugged at Annie, "I didn’t expect Japan had started using face paynt."
"Heh, very funny." Annie’s mouth twitched. When one starts off prejudiced against soone, that prejudice usually endures.
Both Xiu Xin Aoyama and the bartender thought it was all about the police-civilian fellowship, but she saw it as Xiu Xin Aoyama taking advantage of his fa to eat without paying.
"Hey, Mr. Aoyama, seducing our CIA’s prized flower again while I’m away?" Richard walked over and slapped him on the shoulder, chuckling, "She’s a rose with thorns, you know, everyone who has tried to pluck her ended up getting pricked."
The advantage of a bar beca apparent – they couldn’t be heard without getting closer.
"No problem, my skin’s thick. I’m not afraid of any thorn," Xiu Xin Aoyama shrugged.
Richard laughed heartily, slinging an arm around his neck, "You’re as humorous as ever."
"And you’re still leading the dance floor as ever," Xiu Xin Aoyama held up his glass.
"Thanks for the complint," Richard raised his glass in return, took a sip, and wiped his mouth, "By the way, what about the local specialties you ntioned on the phone, Mr. Aoyama? I’ve been looking forward to them."
"Right here." Xiu Xin Aoyama beckoned.
Jin Yucheng imdiately handed over a bag to him.
Xiu Xin Aoyama passed it straight to Richard.
Richard set down his glass, curiously unzipped it, peeked inside through a small gap, and his expression imdiately lit up.
Annie, too, saw what was inside and a scornful look flashed in the depths of her eyes as she turned away to drink on her own.
"Mr. Aoyama, these Hokkaido specialties seem quite similar to those in the United States!" Richard zipped the bag shut, securing the full bag of USD, and remarked.
"Specialties are more or less the sa worldwide," Xiu Xin Aoyama said with a slight smile.
"True, true, I really like this specialty. Thank you, Mr. Aoyama," Richard accepted the bag wholeheartedly, without any pretense of restraint.
Aoyama Xiu Xin admired this unpretentious nature of his, raising his glass and saying, "It’s only right, exchanging gifts between friends is quite normal, isn’t it?"
"But having received Mr. Aoyama’s gift, I really don’t know what to give in return." Richard sighed and put on a troubled face, curious about what Aoyama Xiu Xin intended to gain by courting him in this manner.
Beyond occasionally utilizing the CIA’s excellent intelligence network to provide so trivial pieces of information, he didn’t have anything that could directly help Aoyama Xiu Xin.
On hearing this, Aoyama Xiu Xin smiled aningfully and said, "Lacking a suitable return gift now doesn’t an there will never be one in the future. Mr. Richard need not rush, as friendship builds over ti."
Richard understood, Aoyama Xiu Xin was paving the way for his future, hoping to use him to catch the eye of so Arican elites in the future. After all, without their support, it wouldn’t be easy for a local Japanese politician to ascend to and secure a high position.
Richard didn’t know what to say about Aoyama Xiu Xin’s foresight and sagacity, but he was certain that such a traitor was exactly what they needed - soone like him in power would benefit them, so he really didn’t mind helping out with this.
After all, one of his tasks was to identify so capable and pro-Arican Japanese officials, submit their nas for higher-ups to vet and then support.
He had already submitted a list including Aoyama Xiu Xin to them, but there hadn’t been further instructions from above. He felt it was necessary to submit Aoyama Xiu Xin’s information again separately, emphasizing his abilities, prospects, and stance.
"To friendship," Richard raised his glass.
Aoyama Xiu Xin responded, "To friendship."
............
"To your mother’s frien–!"
Park Guochang smashed his glass, delivering a hard slap across the face of the underling who had offered a toast, furiously screaming with spittle flying, "I asked you idiots to gather information, what have you got? Anything useful at all? Am I feeding you just so you can loaf around?"
It was almost midnight, and each tick of the second hand felt like a death knell. Yet still, no word related to the shooting had co through any of his channels.
Under imnse pressure, he beca very irritable.
The henchn in the private room were trembling, not daring even to breathe loudly as they guiltily lowered their heads.
"Big... big brother." Only a thin young man cautiously raised his hand before speaking with a swallowed gulp, "I... I caught wind of sothing."
"Then why the hell didn’t you say so sooner! Must you give the runaround?" Park Guochang was far from thrilled; instead, he shouted in annoyance.
The thin youth shivered with fright and shook his head in pale terror, "No no no, that’s not it. I wasn’t sure, so I didn’t say it right away."
"Spit it out, already!" Park Guochang yelled.
Typical, brazenly Korean.
"Yes!" the thin young man hurriedly reported, "I have a... bed partner, she told that she was called to a hotel last night to service a client. In the elevator, she t two strange n in trench coats, one of whom had a gun on his hip. Judging by the ti she encountered them, it was less than half an hour after Police Chief Aoyama was shot."
This is the power of mobilizing the people; with so many people in Tokyo, soone might have just happened to encounter the suspected gunn or their vehicle last night.
"Ah, damn!" Park Guochang felt as if his life had been revived. He jumped onto the couch to grab the thin young man, demanding, "Call your hooker bedfellow right now, and ask her what the hotel’s na is."
"Yes!" the thin young man agreed, then looking up after so ti, said, "Big brother, I don’t have a phone."
Cordless phones were quite expensive these days. Unless one was wealthy or particularly needed one, they wouldn’t buy it.
A small-ti thug could buy it but couldn’t afford to keep it.
"A phone! My phone!" Park Guochang turned and bellowed impatiently at the others.
A henchman hastened to hand over his cordless phone with both hands, "Big brother, here’s your phone call."
"Dial," Park Guochang said, thrusting the phone at the thin youth.
The thin young man took the cordless phone and quickly dialed a number, asked for the hotel’s na as soon as the call connected, and after hanging up, looked up at Park Guochang to say, "Shinjuku 1-cho, Nanfeng Hotel."
"Yo, if it’s really them, you’ll be handsoly rewarded!" Park Guochang enticed him with a promise and quickly snatched the phone to dial Nakamura Shinichi.
While waving for the others to leave, such matters of reporting to the police shouldn’t be known to the underlings.
After everyone had left and the call connected.
"This is Nakamura Shinichi, what’s your report?"
"Detective Nakamura, after much effort, I finally got so information, but I can’t guarantee its accuracy," Park Guochang preluded with a disclair.
Nakamura Shinichi succinctly commanded, "Go ahead."
"Shinjuku 1-cho, Nanfeng Hotel, exact room number unknown, two people, checked in last night wearing black trench coats," Park Guochang relayed everything he knew.
"Thanks," Nakamura Shinichi hung up and got out of his seat. He departed alone, heading straight for Shinjuku 1-cho.
Planning to first confirm the specific room number of the two n and whether they were still residing there.
He would then report to Aoyama Xiu Xin, use police resources to check the identities and last night’s whereabouts of the two n to ascertain whether they were the killers.
Listening to the busy signal on the phone, Park Guochang looked up at the clock’s hands nearing midnight and let out a long sigh, sitting down sowhat deflated.
Nakamura Shinichi’s dominance left him breathless.
Damn, he had to figure out a way to free himself from Nakamura Shinichi’s control. Otherwise, with the dirt he held, he could be at Nakamura’s rcy for life.
If this continued, he might well end up retaliated against for snitching to the police one day and lose his life. And the police certainly weren’t going to give him the treatnt of a public servant dying in the line of duty!
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