NOVEL NEXT Chapter 150: Setting the Stage
The night in Tokyo was vibrant with neon lights, the bustling streets filled with noise.
Yamamoto Ichiro led Qi Yun and another person to an izakaya with a traditional Japanese style, with two red lanterns hanging at the entrance, giving it a unique atmosphere.
The three of them walked inside, the wooden floor creaking slightly, and the waitstaff all dressed in movie-style kimonos, with their chests half-exposed.
"Mr. Qi, this place is quite famous locally. Their specialty grilled eel and sake are both great," Yamamoto Ichiro warmly introduced.
Qi Yun nodded slightly. He wasn't too picky about food; as long as it was cooked, it was fine.
After entering the private room, the three sat cross-legged, while the waitstaff quickly brought in the food and drink.
Qi Yun picked up the sake and took a sip. The taste was very mild, probably not as strong as Honghu beer.
After setting down the cup, he shifted his gaze to Yamamoto Ichiro and asked, "Lawyer Yamamoto, if we proceed legally, how long will it take at the fastest to retrieve my belongings?"
Upon hearing this, Yamamoto Ichiro furrowed his brows, thought for a moment, and replied, "Although you say the other party has admitted that the items in the house were stolen by her, there is currently a lack of related evidence."
"If the police can find evidence, it could take as little as a month to get your belongings back."
"Of course, when I meet with the other party tomorrow, I will also try to collect some evidence."
Upon hearing it would take a month, Qi Yun felt a bit overwhelmed. He didn't have that much time to spend.
"I need you to put as much pressure on the other party as possible to get my things back."
"Yes," Yamamoto Ichiro quickly bent forward and promised, "Mr. Qi, rest assured, I will do my best to make the other party return them voluntarily."
...
The next day, Qi Yun woke up early.
He got out of bed and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, observing the morning outside.
[Current intelligence points: 3]
"According to last time's experience, querying red intelligence just needs 3 intelligence points..."
If Yamamoto Ichiro couldn't handle the other party today, he would have to try out the intelligence search function.
After going out for breakfast, Qi Yun wasn't in the mood to wander, so he returned to the hotel to continue waiting.
It wasn't until after eleven in the morning that Yamamoto Ichiro hurriedly arrived at the hotel.
Seeing Yamamoto Ichiro's slightly disheveled appearance, Qi Yun asked in surprise, "What's the matter?"
Yamamoto Ichiro showed a slight bitter smile, took out glasses with broken lenses from his pocket, and said, "That family is impossible to communicate with. The old lady not only flatly denied the theft but also had her son kick me out."
After hearing this, Qi Yun's expression darkened. He took a deep breath, then went to the window to call Fukui Sakaeda.
After explaining the situation to the other party, he said in a deep voice, "Mr. Fukui, your aunt is not being very cooperative."
On the other end of the line, Fukui Sakaeda shuddered at Qi Yun's questioning, instinctively glancing at Brother Hui's underling beside him, filled with fear, worrying that an angered Qi Yun might have him dumped in the sea to feed the fish.
"Mr. Qi, I didn't expect things to turn out this way. It has nothing to do with me. I have already advised her, but she doesn't listen and doesn't care about my well-being..." Fukui Sakaeda hurriedly responded.
Qi Yun held the phone tight, his tone cold, "Mr. Fukui, this isn't what I want to hear."
In a panic, Fukui Sakaeda's voice trembled even more, "Mr. Qi, I'll try again. I'll go and find her now and persuade her to relent this time..."
After hanging up the phone, Qi Yun sighed. From Fukui Sakaeda's tone, he had already realized that this lead was completely blocked, and to get that book back, he had to find a way himself.
"Any progress from the police?" He turned to look at Yamamoto Ichiro and asked.
Yamamoto Ichiro looked helpless and shook his head, "Mr. Qi, I contacted the police earlier. They said there's currently no substantial progress."
"There is a lack of surveillance around the house, making it difficult to investigate, but they promised to increase manpower for the investigation, though it's hard to say when results will come."
On hearing this, Qi Yun furrowed his brows, pacing back and forth in the room, thinking for a while before stopping and saying, "I'll go meet them in person, and you come with me."
Although Yamamoto Ichiro thought it wouldn't matter even if Qi Yun went in person, he still bowed and agreed, "Alright."
With that, Qi Yun called Chen Wei and together the three of them drove to Fukui Sakaeda's aunt's house.
Soon, the car entered a luxurious neighborhood and stopped in front of a villa.
Qi Yun was a bit surprised upon seeing the impressive decoration of the villa.
Yamamoto Ichiro stepped forward to ring the doorbell, and a face with an unfriendly expression appeared: "What do you want?"
"Please inform them that my client has come to visit personally to discuss matters with Ms. Fukui," Yamamoto Ichiro slightly bowed and replied.
The person glanced at Qi Yun and Chen Wei behind, then turned and left.
"Is this family quite influential?" Qi Yun asked.
Yamamoto Ichiro glanced at the door and replied in a low voice, "I did some investigating. Her son is a small leader in the Yamaguchi Group, not easy to offend."
"Therefore, please be sure to control your emotions later, to avoid any conflict."
Qi Yun did not respond but turned to look at Chen Wei beside him.
Chen Wei maintained his stern demeanor and gave him a slight nod.
Qi Yun felt reassured. He wasn't there to cause trouble, and with Chen Wei, a strong bodyguard, by his side, he wasn't too worried.