Yama Reborn

Chen Nuo was silent for two seconds without speaking.

Domoto Hideno added two more sentences, "Shall I come over and report to you in person?"

"No need." Chen Nuo rejected the offer. "The place I'm at isn't convenient for you to come over."

"Then, shall I send a car to bring you to the company?"

"We won't go to the company. Find a suitable and quiet place instead." After thinking for a while, Chen Nuo suddenly laughed. "Perfect, we can also grab some late-night food. Find a place where we can eat, and send a car to pick me up."

"Yes! I will arrange it right away and send a car to pick you up!"

After hanging up, Chen Nuo paused to think for a moment and then walked upstairs.

He arrived at Xicheng Xun's door and knocked three times.

After a rustling sound inside, the door opened a crack, and Xicheng Xun peeked out with half of her head, looking at Chen Nuo warily.

The girl had even wrapped herself tightly in her clothes.

Through the crack in the door, Chen Nuo could see that the girl had already changed into pajamas—snowy white pajamas with cartoon patterns on them. Combined with the girl's petite figure, it gave off a cute vibe.

"What's the matter? I was about to go to sleep!"

Chen Nuo squinted his eyes. "Then get up and get dressed. I have something to attend to and need to go out. You'll accompany me."

"Huh?!"

"You don't think I'd leave you alone at home, do you? We had an agreement; you must stay by my side for three days."

"...But I was about to rest!"

"Stop wasting your breath; you wouldn't sleep this early. And... there's a late-night feast waiting for us outside." After saying that, Chen Nuo added, "You have ten minutes to change. Hurry up."

Without looking back, he went downstairs.

Ten minutes later, Xicheng Xun came downstairs dressed in casual clothes: a T-shirt and a miniskirt. The girl looked full of energy.

But her expression was very reluctant.

Without makeup, her natural beauty was apparent.

"Don't look at me like that. Tonight is our last night together. If nothing goes wrong, I'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon."

"On our last night, I'm taking you out for something nice to eat. Shouldn't you be happy?"

Officer Takamoto was sitting in an alley, his gaze fixed on the car at the intersection and the gate of Xicheng Xun's house.

It was late at night, and there were few people on the street. Only street lights were on, with an occasional person cycling by.

The driver at the intersection seemed to have received a phone call. He quickly started the car, drove forward a short distance, and stopped in front of Xicheng Xun's gate. Then he got out of the car and waited respectfully by the roadside.

After a moment, Officer Takamoto saw a young man walking out of Xicheng Xun's gate.

The driver bowed respectfully and even opened the car door.

Then Xicheng Xun followed. She and the unfamiliar young man got into the car one after the other. Then the driver quickly hopped into the driver's seat and started the car.

The car swiftly left the street.

As it passed the mouth of the alley where Officer Takamoto was, he took out a small notebook and pencil from his pocket and quickly jotted down the license plate number.

Xicheng Xun did not talk to Chen Nuo along the way—apparently, because there was an outsider in the car, the girl was not interested in talking, just staring out the window in a daze.

Half an hour later, the car stopped on a somewhat secluded road.

This place was far from both the commercial and residential districts.

Some carefully pruned green plants could be seen by the roadside.

The car stopped in what seemed to be a courtyard, exuding an antique charm.

Inside the courtyard wall, there was a bamboo forest, tall and dense, though not very large in area.

The courtyard gate consisted of two push-together wooden doors that bore a sense of history.

Among the green moss and grass on the ground, pieces of bluestone were laid to form a path.

Chen Nuo and Xicheng Xun were greeted by two men in black suits at the door and walked into the courtyard.

Once inside, they found the courtyard was spacious. It featured a corridor where a woman in a kimono knelt. She greeted Chen Nuo with a bow, then stood up. Stepping forward in small, shuffled steps, she led Chen Nuo and Xicheng Xun through the corridor, past a covered gate, and into a smaller courtyard within.

She slid open the door of a room straight ahead and stepped back with a bow.

In the room, Domoto Hideno, dressed in all-black attire, was kneeling at the entrance. As the door slid open, he immediately bowed deeply to Chen Nuo.

"Sir, please forgive me for not greeting you at the door! There are still many strangers around, and I worry that being seen by outsiders at the gate might..."

"That's alright, it's good to be low-key," Chen Nuo motioned with his hand, walked in first, and sat at the low table. Then he turned back and waved to Xicheng Xun. "What are you standing around for? Come in."

Xicheng Xun clearly looked out of place.

In the young girl's eyes, this place felt very expensive at first glance. The gate at the entrance, the courtyard outside, the layout and scenery within, that long corridor, and all these things… Xicheng Xun had only seen them on television before. In the heart of Tokyo, where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold, carving out such a serene little courtyard... must be something only a conglomerate could manage! The elderly man with graying hair in the room had a stern and dignified air, giving off a powerful aura. He surely must be a person of high status. And this person, showing such respect to Chen Nuo, left Xicheng Xun somewhat stunned.

She walked in and, at Chen Nuo's gesture, sat down next to him. The girl was visibly nervous, seemingly not knowing where to put her hands or feet.

Chen Nuo smiled and gently patted the back of her hand.

Domoto Hideno gave Xicheng Xun a puzzled look.

He had not expected Chen Nuo to bring this girl with him. Although he knew that Chen Nuo had taken a girl back to his hotel for the night and then stayed at the girl's home for a day... he had not expected Chen Nuo to bring her along again when he came to report on an urgent work matter in the evening. What was this situation? The girl looked beautiful, but for someone like Domoto Hideno, who was in a position of power, beauty was never a scarce resource. She might be beautiful, but to him, women were all the same. He couldn't believe that this special envoy of the Abyss Organization was so infatuated with a woman. To bring her along for an urgent work discussion in the middle of the night? Was he truly addicted to her? Just what kind of spell had she cast on him?

Suppressing his curiosity, Domoto Hideno didn't show anything on his face.

After a light cough, Domoto Hideno said, "Sir, about the matter I mentioned to you on the phone, some work-related issues..."

"Hmm," Chen Nuo nodded. "What do you want to discuss with me?"

Domoto Hideno did not speak but glanced at Xicheng Xun.

Chen Nuo understood. He pondered for a moment and looked toward another door in the room. "There are other rooms here, right? Let's find a place to talk, and let my friend rest here while waiting."

"Good!"

Domoto Hideno sighed in relief and clapped his hands three times.

A few seconds later, the door slid open, and the woman in the kimono knelt in the corridor with her head down. "Do you have any instructions?"

Domoto Hideno said, "Prepare some refreshments for this lady."

"Yes!" The woman bowed her head in response, then lifted her head again to look at Xicheng Xun. "May I know what kind of refreshments or beverages you would like?"

"...Um..." Xicheng Xun was obviously intimidated—she had never been to such a place before.

"It's alright, just say what you'd like to drink," Chen Nuo said nonchalantly, patting the back of the girl's hand again.

Xicheng Xun's face flushed, and she quickly said, "Ah, no need for such trouble... I, I don't need anything. Just... just any drink will do. A... a Coke is fine."

Coke? The woman outside was stunned. Coke?! Are you kidding me! In this place, even the tribute tea reserved for the Emperor is available! To actually... order a Coke?!

After being frozen for a few seconds, Xicheng Xun seemed to realize something wasn't quite right and tentatively said, "If it's too much trouble, then never mind. Just... just give me a glass of water, please."

Domoto Hideno was the first to snap out of it, scolding the woman outside, "What are you daydreaming about? So rude! Our distinguished guest has asked for a Coke. Aren't you going to prepare it?"

"Ah! Yes! Yes! My apologies! I'll prepare it right away!" the woman said, sweat beading on her forehead as she quickly bowed.

"One moment," Chen Nuo spoke as if nothing was amiss.

"Yes, yes! Do you have any instructions?"

"A Coke. Bring me one too, with ice," Chen Nuo said, smiling at the woman.

"Yes! I'll take care of it immediately!" The woman bowed timidly, then closed the door and hurried off.

Chen Nuo withdrew his smiling gaze, then smiled at Xicheng Xun and said with a gentle tone, "You wait here for me. I'll go talk some business with him in the other room."

Xicheng Xun bit her lip lightly, gently tugging on Chen Nuo's sleeve. She leaned her head slightly closer and whispered, "I... was I being very rude just now?"

"It's no big deal. Why can't you drink Coke if you want to? You should drink whatever you like. I tell you, more than half of those people who put on airs with their tea ceremonies don't actually understand anything, nor do they truly enjoy drinking tea; they're just posturing."

"You're still young. Don't learn the pretenses of those old men."

"...Oh." Xicheng Xun pursed her lips, her eyes softening considerably. After glancing at Chen Nuo, she let go of his sleeve but couldn't help adding, "Then... come back soon."

In another room at the end of the corridor, Domoto Hideno closed the door behind them. He and Chen Nuo walked to a table, where Domoto Hideno first bowed formally to Chen Nuo and then took his seat.

"Speak. What's so urgent?" Chen Nuo asked lazily, leaning back in his chair.

"There's a bit of a problem." Domoto Hideno took a deep breath to steady himself before starting his explanation.

"Previously, the company's business expanded into the shipping sector. We reorganized the maritime transport routes in East Asia. To fill the gap in our services and also for capital market backing, the company must expand its shipping operations, especially its coverage in the East Asia region."

"So, last year we identified a target—a company from South Korea."

"Hmm?"

A company from South Korea? Could it be... such a coincidence!

Chen Nuo froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing suddenly.

"...That company is of medium size but possesses the capacity for two very mature transport lines, and its operational aspects also show great potential."

"...And then?"

"We made two plans. One was to establish a new company, formulate a business strategy, and then slowly compete to seize market share."

"But as you know, this might take a very long time, so we aren't inclined towards this plan."

"The second plan was to directly acquire the South Korean company I mentioned earlier."

"By acquiring this company, we can open up the shipping route from South Korea to Japan, and simultaneously cover the maritime transport business down to Huaxia."

"However... we encountered difficulties."

Hearing this, Chen Nuo suddenly felt a strange sensation and casually asked, "What difficulties?"

"They refused our acquisition offer."

"So then?"

"The operator of their company is a very strong-willed person. We had previously made some progress in discussions with the former operator, even proposing to invest in the company, and talks had reached a certain stage."

"But the former operator died last year, and the succeeding operator nullified all our previous progress regarding the acquisition of shares."

"We made many efforts, but to no avail."

"..."

Chen Nuo's expression seemed calm as he looked at Domoto Hideno. "You say you've made many efforts?"

"Yes!" Domoto Hideno did not shy away. "We applied pressure through various channels, but they still refused to yield."

"As you know, we don't have very deep connections in South Korea, so it's difficult to forcibly suppress our opponents."

"This target is exceptionally rare; it would be too regrettable to give up on it. Its scale and operational status are both very suitable for acquisition. Moreover, after acquiring it, the expansion of the company's business would see results in the shortest possible time."

Chen Nuo suddenly smiled.

"So, you're telling me all this because you want me to do what?"

Domoto Hideno took a deep breath, placed his hands on the table, and leaned forward slightly. "It's simple! Just like the support the Abyss Organization has given me before! When faced with an opponent that's difficult to overcome in the short term... then, just eliminate them, like pulling weeds!"

"..." Chen Nuo didn't speak, intentionally looking coldly at Domoto Hideno.

"According to our intelligence, although the operator of this company is tough, their internal team is not very united. Moreover, if this operator were to... no longer exist... the company would quickly fall into disarray!"

"At that point, perhaps acquiring it would meet no further obstacles!"

Chen Nuo suddenly smiled. "Eliminate? You mean physically?"

"...Yes." Domoto Hideno was frank. He then glanced at Chen Nuo, chose his words carefully, and slowly said, "After all, this isn't the first time for such a thing, is it, Mr. Special Commissioner?"

"Hmm." Chen Nuo nodded, then suddenly looked into Domoto Hideno's eyes. "Before reporting to me, have you already undertaken a similar 'action'?"

"...No." Domoto Hideno immediately denied it. "For such abnormal special operations, I have always reported to the Abyss Organization and obtained its support before taking action. I would never act rashly on my own—besides, without the Organization's support, I am just a normal businessman. I don't have the capability to do such things!"

Hmm? This old fellow is lying! Chen Nuo immediately sensed the slight changes in the other party's heart rate and breathing frequency, as well as the subtle contraction and dilation of Domoto Hideno's pupils at that moment.

"Alright, let me see the target's information. You should have brought it, right?"

"Of course!"

Domoto Hideno immediately took out a file and gently pushed it in front of Chen Nuo.

Opening the file, he looked at the photo in the top-left corner of the first page... a familiar face.

And the name of the target company... as well as the name of the target company's actual Controller:

Jiang Yingzi.

Chen Nuo couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

When he looked up at Domoto Hideno, the expression on Chen Yanluo's face became especially genial.

What's that saying about searching high and low only to find it effortlessly? And what about heaven's path being open, yet you don't take it, while hell has no door, yet you insist on breaking in? So... it was you! You old thing!

"This person must be eliminated!" Domoto Hideno said in a solemn tone. "And preferably as soon as possible."

"No problem at all!" Chen Nuo replied with a smile.