Tokyo: My Superpower Refreshes Every Week

Shinjuku, Okubo, Minnie High-end Club.

Inside VIP room 302, the dim lighting cast an overall dusky atmosphere. The sofa and coffee table, with their rich colors, looked exceptionally luxurious.

Jin Yuqiang sat in the middle of the sofa. He was Korean, dressed in a black suit, his slight paunch hinting at a comfortable lifestyle. He looked more like a businessman than a Yakuza ruffian. Much like in Japan, Korea's underworld figures had long since transformed into gray-area businessmen. Respectable on the surface, they engaged in all sorts of dirty deeds behind the scenes.

He personally placed empty wine glasses before his guest and said with a smile, "Dr. Takeda, we invited you here today because we hope you can publish a medical paper in a journal, introducing how effective Seven Star Pharma's new drug for ALS is."

Takeda Eijiro sat opposite him. He appeared refined and scholarly, and indeed, he was. At only thirty-three, he had already become a widely recognized Ph.D. in the medical field. He was famous in medical circles but lacked wealth; not a single hospital was willing to hire him as a chief physician. This was because he couldn't generate profit for hospitals and, in fact, sometimes had a negative impact. It was rumored that the Public Security Bureau's General Affairs Division was secretly monitoring him, suspecting he showed signs of "turning red."

Takeda Eijiro's past actions did indeed suggest such tendencies. He had once ruthlessly exposed the dark dealings of a hospital that employed him, revealing that its doctors were prone to prescribing expensive medications intentionally. They would also deliberately delay patient discharges, among other things. He was even willing to testify for patients, which led to that hospital's closure. He, too, lost his high-paying job.

"Judging by your tone, this ALS drug must be ineffective," Takeda Eijiro voiced his suspicion. "Are you hoping to use my reputation to promote it?"

"We're all intelligent people here." Jin Yuqiang chuckled. He believed everything in this world had a price. He picked up a briefcase from beside his feet, placed it on the table, and opened it to reveal stacks of US dollars.

"Here's thirty million US dollars. All you have to do is write a paper on how effective our ALS treatment drug is, and it's yours. I heard you're worried about your daughter's tuition fees. Private school tuition is no small expense these days. Think about your parents. They worked so hard to educate you, not for you to end up earning nothing."

Jin Yuqiang dared to invite this man because he knew of his current financial predicament.

"Don't worry about this paper damaging your reputation. No drug in modern medicine can cure ALS. We're merely offering a sliver of hope to those desperate patients. Even if there's only a one percent chance, they're willing to pay a hefty sum for it. Since it's only a one percent chance, it's perfectly normal if it doesn't result in a cure. It's just their bad luck if they fall into the other ninety-nine percent." Jin Yuqiang smiled faintly.

All he wanted was to use this drug to make a name for Seven Star Pharma. What happened to the ALS patients in the future was not his concern. When the time comes, a little pressure on public opinion will take care of any issues.

Takeda Eijiro pushed up his glasses and said gravely, "I studied diligently for over a decade, not just so I could live comfortably. I am a doctor. My duty is to treat the sick and save lives, not to sit here and take your dirty money!"

Jin Yuqiang's brow furrowed slightly. He thought perhaps Takeda was dissatisfied with the amount. Considering the potential profits from the drug and Takeda's reputation, he said, "In that case, let's add another ten million US dollars. Mr. Takeda, that's a very generous offer. Refusing again would be a bit greedy, don't you think?"

"I've already told you, I won't write that kind of paper."

"Twenty-five million US dollars." Jin Yuqiang knew human psychology well. He directly took out stacks of US dollars from the case. Since Takeda was being insatiable, he might as well reduce the amount to pressure him.

"Please reduce it to zero," Takeda Eijiro said, getting up and walking towards the door.

Jin Yuqiang, noticing no hesitation in Takeda's movements, felt a flash of impatience. He stood up and said, "Mr. Takeda, let's stop pretending. Name your price. I can report it to my superiors."

Takeda Eijiro turned his head. "You're truly pathetic. You've completely become a slave to money."

"I think Mr. Takeda is being too sanctimonious," Jin Yuqiang said, his amiable expression vanishing. He had assured his superiors before coming that he could get Takeda to write the paper. "Don't you think about yourself, your parents, or your daughter and wife? It's because of your selfishness that your family lives in poverty. You clearly have the ability to provide them with a better life, yet you make them endure such hardship—all to satisfy your own saintly self-image. Mr. Takeda, your hypocrisy is nauseating!"

Takeda Eijiro remained unmoved by Jin Yuqiang's accusations; this wasn't the first time he'd heard such words. He stated calmly, "They are my family. They are comrades who stand with me, sharing the same societal position, not uninvolved bystanders. My critiques of society, my struggles—they cannot possibly be unrelated to them. Secondly, you need to understand that the real reason my family and I live in poverty is because of monsters like you. You distort society for personal gain, blindly chase wealth, and trample on morality and conscience. My greatest wish is for people like you to vanish from this world!"

Having said this, Takeda Eijiro left the VIP room. Before he came, he had still harbored a sliver of hope that such a miraculous drug, one capable of curing ALS, truly existed in the world. But in the end, he was disappointed. The drug was fake; naturally, Takeda Eijiro couldn't write the paper. He hadn't spent all those years studying just to serve people like them.

...

THUD.

The door to the VIP room closed.

Jin Yuqiang pursed his lips, his expression slowly turning grim. The others in the room were too frightened to speak.

"Bastard!" Jin Yuqiang slammed the wine bottle from the table onto the floor, roaring, "Who does that guy think he is? A pauper who can barely afford his daughter's tuition, still pretending to be so high and mighty! What I spend on one meal could feed him for months!"

"Boss Jin, what should we do?" one of his underlings asked timidly.

A cold smile spread across Jin Yuqiang's face. "I promised my superiors I'd get Takeda to write that paper. If he refuses the easy way, he'll get the hard way. Kidnap his daughter, wife, and parents! Bring them to me!"

Jin Yuqiang didn't believe Takeda Eijiro would dare refuse his money under such circumstances. Once he takes the money and publishes the paper, he won't have the guts to call the police. Even if he did call the police, it would be useless. His earlier conversation had made him realize that the rumors about Takeda being monitored by the Public Security Bureau's General Affairs Division were true. The man's thinking had become quite dangerous. How dare he not be greedy for money in a capitalist country? If he actually calls the police, the Public Security Bureau's General Affairs Division will likely use it as a pretext to throw Takeda in jail.

"Alright." The underling took out his cellphone to make the arrangements.

CRACKLE! SNAP! Suddenly, sparks leaped from the cellphone's charging port.

"AH!" Startled, the underling threw the phone.

Just before it hit the ground, more sparks erupted from within it.

"What?!" Before Jin Yuqiang's shocked eyes, the dazzling sparks condensed into a tall figure.

"Is this some kind of special effect projection?" Jin Yuqiang blurted out, his eyes sweeping over his six subordinates. He wanted to know which one of them was trying to scare him—they clearly had a death wish.

"No," a mechanical voice, like one produced by an electrical current, responded.

Jin Yuqiang jumped. The phantom can speak?

"Who's playing tricks? What do you want?"

"I have no need to explain anything to you," Aozawa said slowly. "You only need to know that you won't survive tonight."

Aozawa had been hiding within various electrical devices and outlets, using his Catalyst sensing ability to observe the outside. Because he was somewhat interested in Takeda Eijiro, he had listened to the scene a bit longer. He didn't dislike those willing to uphold the justice in their hearts.

"Don't tell me... you're the Yakuza Hunter?" Jin Yuqiang's face was etched with shock as he recalled recent rumors circulating in the underworld. Rumor has it that many local Yakuza have been eliminated by the so-called Yakuza Hunters. He had always dismissed it as a rumor; he never imagined they were dealing with this kind of monster!

"Fire!" Jin Yuqiang shouted. In these chaotic times, his subordinates naturally carried guns. They all drew their handguns and fired at Aozawa.

BANG! Six shots rang out as one.

Aozawa stood motionless. The bullets didn't pass through his body; instead, they were embedded in the crackling electric current surrounding him.

He reversed the bullets' direction. Raising his hand, a burst of electricity shot from his index finger into a nearby electrical socket, instantly drawing immense power into his body. The club's circuit breakers tripped instantly.

The dim lights vanished, but the room didn't plunge into darkness. Instead, the electric light became blindingly brilliant, and Aozawa's form swelled, nearly reaching the ceiling. Within the dazzling light, currents gathered at the base of the bullets, like bowstrings drawn taut.

A look of terror appeared on Jin Yuqiang's face. He shouted, "Stop! You can have any amount of money you want, just spare my life! If you kill me, the Seven Star Gang won't let you off!"

"I've lost count of my enemies," Aozawa spoke leisurely. He then released the six bullets embedded in his electric form, sending them flying back much faster and more fiercely than they had arrived.

WHIZ! WHIZ! The six subordinates were struck in the chest, and their upper bodies instantly exploded. Bright red blood splattered, illuminated by the electric glow.

CRACKLE. SNAP. To Jin Yuqiang, the faint crackling of electricity sounded as loud and ominous as a temple bell. He collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face. "I'll give you all my wealth! I can even help you seize the Seven Star Gang's assets! Please, spare my life! I don't want to die!"

"Tsk." Aozawa raised his hand.

A concentrated bolt of electricity shot from Aozawa's fingertip, striking Jin Yuqiang squarely on the forehead.

CRACK! The electricity dissipated, leaving a scorched mark on his forehead.

He fell to the ground.

CRACKLE! SNAP! Aozawa's body, crackling with electricity, vanished from the room, plunging it into complete darkness.