A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1304 Helping our own people settle down, helping the Japanese immigrate! (Please subscribe!)
In front of an old-fashioned house in Hyakunincho, Shinjuku.

Hua Shier reached out and knocked on the courtyard gate. After a short while, the gate opened, and a handsome young man poked his head out. The moment he saw him, he immediately became excited:
"Thank God, I thought you wouldn't make it. The news just reported that a smuggling boat ran aground on the shore and many people were arrested. I'm so glad you're alright, so glad you're alright!"

A-Jie is a younger brother from the same village. He has followed Tie-Tou around since he was a child. Because he was timid, he was always bullied by the other children in the village. Tie-Tou always helped him fight back. He came here a few years ago, but he has never lost touch with his hometown.

In the original story, Ah Jie's ending was not good because he was timid and could not make a living through shady means. So Tie Tou and the others got Ah Jie a cart to sell roasted chestnuts to make a living.

However, because his other companions were using tricks to make money in the Tainan gang's territory, the unlucky Ah-Jie was caught by the Tainan gang and forced to reveal the whereabouts of his companions.

Despite having one hand chopped off and his face disfigured by the Tainan gang, Ah-Jie did not betray any of his companions.

However, after losing his hand, Ah-Jie's personality changed drastically. He not only became eccentric but also got involved in the drug trade, which led to his tragic death far from home.

Seeing Ah Jie, who looked just like Daniel Wu, Hua Shier sensed the other person's genuine enthusiasm and patted him on the shoulder with a smile:

"Long time no see, Ah Jie!"

Hua Shier completely agreed with this younger brother who was disfigured and had lost a hand but refused to betray his companion. He secretly decided that since he was now a tough guy, he couldn't let the former end up like the one in the original story.

"Come in quickly, I'll introduce you to someone!"

A-Jie led Hua-Shi-Shi through the gate, across a small courtyard of a dozen square meters, and into a low-ceilinged old Japanese-style house.

A television was playing in the living room, and tatami mats were laid on the floor. Several men were sitting around a low table, and they all turned to look at them.

A-Jie first introduced those people:
"Let me introduce you, this is Tie Tou, the eldest brother in my village!"

The other party nodded politely, and A-Jie then introduced Hua Twelve, pointing to a fat man who looked remarkably like the second-in-command of the Axe Gang:

"That's Old Ghost, and the one next to him is Old Dai!"

A girl brought Hua Shier a cup of hot water from the kitchen, next to a middle-aged woman.

Ah Jie introduced, "This is Aunt Hao and her daughter, Xiao Mei."

Hua Shier nodded to everyone in the room and greeted them with a smile.

Old Ghost sized Hua Twelve up and down:

"Your clothes are great, better than the ones we got. To get such a nice outfit right after the sewing, young man, you have potential. Why don't you work with us from now on?"

"Smooth?"

Hua Shier raised an eyebrow.

Old Dai laughed and said, "It's taking it, but without paying!"

Ah Jie quickly waved his hand; "Don't corrupt my older brother, he's an honest man!"

After saying this, he gestured for Hua Twelve to sit down and asked:
"Are you hungry? Here are some rice balls, have some!"

Hua Shier glanced at the rice balls on the table and lost his appetite. He called out:

"I'm new here, how can I let you treat me? How about I treat everyone to a meal instead?"

Before anyone else could speak, Old Ghost waved his hand:

"We're all from the same network, we all know each other. Why are you acting like a big shot? You're tough, not a big shot. The little money you brought won't last long. Don't try to save face!"

"Alright, alright, we appreciate your kindness, but you can treat us to a meal once you've settled in here!"

In the original story, this old ghost took good care of Tie Tou. Although he eventually got involved in the drug business, he never had any intention of turning against Tie Tou. After Hong Kong Boy betrayed him and stabbed Tie Tou, he stepped in to break up the fight, saying that people shouldn't fight each other. Then Hong Kong Boy slit his throat.

Hua Twelve, hearing the old man's words, realized that although there was a hint of imperiousness in them, he genuinely meant well for him. He immediately smiled and said:
"Thank you for your consideration, Ah Gui, but I still have to treat you to a meal."

He took out a wad of Japanese yen from his pocket, probably around thirty or forty thousand, and stuffed it into the younger sister's hand.

"Little sister, could you please buy some Chinese food nearby? I can't get used to the food here in Japan!"

The younger sister immediately smiled:

"I know a Chinese restaurant nearby that's really authentic."

When everyone saw him take out his money without any change in expression, as if he were pulling out tens of thousands of yen as easily as taking out two coins, they looked at each other in bewilderment, wondering whether he was just showing off or if he was really not short of money.

Old Ghost swallowed hard: "Damn, brother, you didn't just get ashore and already pulled off a big heist, did you?"

Hua Twelve, like everyone else, sat cross-legged at the low table before smiling and saying:
"Of course not, Ah Jie knows I've always been a law-abiding citizen!"

Ah Jie snapped out of his shock and quickly helped Hua Shier confirm:
"Yeah, Brother Iron Head won't break the law!"

Everyone was relieved upon hearing this. Although they were involved in shady dealings, they were only petty thieves. They wouldn't feel at ease if a ruthless bandit were brought in.

Old Ghost shifted his position:
"Brother Tie Tou, if you ever come across a way to make money, don't forget to give me a heads-up. We're all Chinese, after all!"

The others nodded in agreement. The seven or eight of them were crammed into this dilapidated house. They couldn't even find decent jobs. They didn't want to do anything illegal, so they did odd jobs and earned much less than the locals. People like Lao Gui and Lao Dai did some petty theft, but they didn't make much money.

Nobody wants to miss out on a chance to make money.

Hua Shier smiled and said, "I do have some ideas, but I've just arrived and I'm not very familiar with the situation here yet. Let me learn about the situation first, and we'll talk about it in a few days!"

Everyone nodded in agreement; that made sense.

A little while later, the younger sister returned with the groceries and a bottle of wine. She returned the remaining money to Hua Twelve and then said very warmly:

"Brother Tietou, I know you're from the same hometown as Brother Jie, so you must also be from Northeast China. I specially bought you some authentic Northeastern cuisine. That restaurant is the one Brother Jie ate at and said was the most authentic!"

Hua Shier looked at the three delicacies laid out in front of him: pickled cabbage with rice noodles, sweet and sour pork, and stir-fried pork with green peppers, and was speechless.

"No, girl, I eat this kind of food at home. If I come all the way to Tokyo and still eat this kind of food, then I've wasted my trip!"

Everyone burst out laughing upon hearing this, and the younger sister felt quite embarrassed.

Hua Shier invited everyone to sit down, and then poured wine for each of them:

"It's fate that we've met in a foreign land. Come on, let's all have a drink together!"

That's how men are; they can become friends over a single meal, or at least drinking buddies.

Old Ghost and his friends were even more enthusiastic than in the original story, insisting on arranging for Hua Twelve to take a bath, saying it was to welcome him and wash away the dust of his journey.

They all went to a nearby bathhouse. As soon as they entered the men's bath, Hua Twelve looked down on it. "Is this supposed to be a bathhouse? It's tiny. It's not even as big as a toilet in a bathhouse in Northeast China in later years."

Half of the bathroom was a shower room, and the other half was a hot spring bath. Old Gui and his gang were making a lot of noise after drinking, but they became quiet as soon as they entered the bathroom because three heavily tattooed Japanese soldiers were sitting in the hot spring bath.

Those three Japanese devils were also arrogant, shouting loudly in Japanese:

"What the hell are you yelling about!" "How can there be so many random people? Tokyo is getting more and more chaotic!"

A-Jie quickly reminded Hua Twelve, "Don't look at them, they are Yakuza, the Japanese underworld!"

Of the three Japanese soldiers, the one sitting in the middle pointed at Hua Twelve:

"What are you looking at!"

Although it was spoken in Japanese, these words stirred up Hua Twelve's longing for his hometown, and he replied immediately:
"What are you going to do about it!"

Not satisfied with just saying it in Chinese, I also translated it into Japanese.

Ah Jie, Lao Gui, and the others were shocked. They didn't know that Hua Shier could speak Japanese, and they were also shocked by his arrogant attitude. They whispered to him not to cause trouble and to apologize quickly.

The three Japanese soldiers immediately stood up from the pool. Hua Twelve walked over and slapped each of them, making their noses bleed.
"Baka, squat back down!"

The slightest hint of his imposing aura sent a chill down the spines of the three Japanese soldiers, as if they had been dragged into a vast army and subjected to repeated attacks.

Then the three Japanese Yakuza men became like timid girls, bowing repeatedly and apologizing incessantly. They squatted in the water, heads bowed, no longer daring to be arrogant.

Old Gui and the others' eyes lit up. In the past, they had always had to compromise in such situations, but today they could finally hold their heads high. They all gave Hua Twelve a thumbs up:

"Brother Iron Head, you're awesome!"

Hua Shier waved his hand with a smile: "These people are bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. They're nothing!"

While showering, everyone chatted about their hometowns, the future, and women. Old Gui even said that he would take Hua Shier to experience the local customs when he made some money, which he was really looking forward to!
Having charged enough, Hua Twelve called out to the three Yakuza:

"Come here and give us a scrub!"

The three Yakuza had been terrified by the slight aura he exuded, so they dared not disobey and obediently scrubbed the men's bodies, afraid of not getting them clean enough.

On their way back after taking a shower, Ah Jie, Lao Gui, and Lao Dai felt a sense of joy that they hadn't experienced in years, and they couldn't help but sing along the way.

Back at his lodgings, Old Ghost addressed Hua Twelve:
"Brother Ironhead, go to sleep early. Tomorrow I'll show you the work we do. If you can't find any, come work for me!"

Ah Jie quickly stopped him: "Old Gui, don't lead Brother Tie Tou astray. He works a proper job with me!"

Hua Shier shared a room with A-Jie and another compatriot from Beijing. Looking at the shabby living conditions around them, he thought that he must find a place to live and move out tomorrow.

As dawn broke, everyone got up to wash and get ready. Ah Jie called to Hua Twelve:
"Brother Iron Head, it's time to go out. The sooner we get there, the better we'll find work!"

Hua Shier knew what Ah Jie was going to do: jobs that locals wouldn't do, like sorting garbage at the landfill or cleaning sewers.

He waved his hand and said, "Ah Jie, don't go to work today. Take me out for a walk. Also, you can work for me from now on!"

Ah Jie was amused by his words: "Don't joke around, Brother Tie Tou. You're new here and don't know anything. Do you think I'd starve with you?"

Hua Shier patted him on the shoulder: "Ah Jie, just tell me, do you believe me or not?"

Ah Jie hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed and said, "Okay, then I'll rest for a day and show you around!"

After eating the rice balls made by Aunt Hao, everyone went out to work. A-Jie took Hua Twelve out with Lao Gui, saying he wanted to show Hua Twelve their way of life.

At a street corner, a Guangdong boss who works there started to count the undocumented workers for the day, saying that he needed to go to work on a construction site, and many undocumented workers came to sign up.

Ah Jie explained, "We usually hire him for work, but the jobs he recommends all involve pumping water. You'll see when the time comes!"

Old Ghost called out, "Let's go! Let Brother Tie Tou see how I make money. I'll treat you guys to lunch later!"

Old Gui led the two to the commercial street next door, and then took advantage of the opportunity to steal to the extreme, filling up a large pile of bags. When they had enough, they went directly to a black market to sell the stolen goods, which would buy them back for 10% of the price.

Hua Shier shook his head. The old man had been busy all morning, even carrying a bundle of golf clubs to sell, but he had only earned less than 10,000 yen. The black market had taken the lion's share.

At noon, Lao Gui treated a few people to barbecue and beer. The skewers here in Japan were so small that Hua Shier, who was used to the big skewers from Northeast China, couldn't help but twitch at the sight. No wonder Japan is a country of dwarfs; even their food is tiny.

Old Ghost proudly raised his chin:
"How about it, Brother Iron Head? I make money fast here, right? Work for me from now on!"

Hua Shier's gaze wasn't on him, but rather on the people eating around him, listening to them speak in various dialects from all over the country, and asked:
"Old ghost, are these all fellow countrymen?"

Old Ghost nodded: "They're all unregistered residents. Because they don't have ID cards, they can't find any good jobs, so they can only come here to spend money!"

After he finished speaking, he asked again, "Did you hear what I just said? I don't usually take people on this kind of job!"

Hua Shier laughed: "You say they can't earn enough money to come here to spend, but aren't you the same? I don't think you earn much money in a day either. From now on, you and A-Jie will both work for me. I've already figured out what I want to do!"

Old Ghost looked suspicious, while Ah Jie asked, "Brother Tie Tou, what are you trying to do?"

Hua Twelve said calmly:
"We help people obtain legal status, and we charge five million Japanese yen per person. That's not expensive, is it?"

Old Ghost laughed: "Brother Iron Head, stop joking, you're still an unregistered resident yourself!"

Hua Shier waved his hand: "You'll find out tonight!"

After lunch, Hua Shier said goodbye to Lao Gui and A Jie, saying he had some things to take care of, and parted ways with the two of them.

That evening, Hua Shier returned to A Jie's residence and threw a brand-new identity document on the table:

"See for yourselves, this is a newly issued legal status!"

Old Gui picked it up and glanced at it: "Wow, this looks just like the real thing!"

"It's so fresh, it's the real thing!"

In the original storyline, even a triad gang could process identities, so why can't Hua Twelve, with his extraordinary connections, do the same?
He went out and found a senior official from the Immigration and Residence Administration Bureau. After a deep and friendly conversation, the official offered to help him with his residency registration, and even expedited the process, completing it on the same day. The documents are still fresh in his mind.

This was in the 1990s. Ten years later, with the widespread use of the internet, the identity verification process for the Huashi Twelfth Office would no longer be so complicated; it could be handled directly by AI.

Once everyone confirmed that the ID card was genuine, they all became excited.

They are not doing well because they have no legal status and cannot find formal employment. Even if they do the dirty and hard work that locals are unwilling to do, they still earn much less than normal wages.

So who wouldn't want an ID card?
Old Ghost leaned closer and said, "Brother Tie Tou, there's no need to say anything more. I'll work for you from now on!"

Ah Jie was also a little excited: "Brother Tie Tou, I'll work with you too!"

Lao Dai and others also expressed their opinions.

Hua Shier waved his hand, signaling everyone to calm down:
"I told Old Ghost before that the business I want to do is help people get legal status. It's five million Japanese yen for a legitimate identity, no bargaining. You guys recruit people, and you get half a percent commission for each one you recruit."

"Furthermore, our business doesn't stop there. You can go find those Yakuza who want to immigrate, or Japanese people with criminal records, serious offenders, or those in prison, and tell them that you can help them immigrate to the United States or Western countries!"

Thanks to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for their donations, and thanks to the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you very much.