Tokyo's bubble economy: From literary giants to great entertainers

"Where...is this?"

The sound of water dripping in her ears, her eyelids feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds, Suzuki Honami endured the intense headache and slowly opened her eyes.

Before me stood a dilapidated warehouse. Dim streetlights shone from above, casting dappled, distorted shadows on the floor through the dusty green glass windows. Fine dust particles hung in the air, as if time itself had stood still.

She instinctively tried to stand up, but as soon as she moved, a sharp pain shot through her wrists from the tight bindings. Her hands were firmly tied behind her back to the chair, and her mouth was sealed with transparent tape! In an instant, memories flooded back like a tide.

"Yes... I've been kidnapped!"

The thought had barely crossed her mind when a sinister-looking man in a floral shirt, twirling a butterfly knife, appeared in her line of sight.

"Oh dear, our 'prosecutor' overflowing with a sense of justice has finally woken up."

The voice was shrill, and Honami Suzuki's eyes widened instantly. The sinister man squatted down in front of her, gesturing with a small knife against her delicate chin. "Judging from your eyes, you still seem quite resentful, huh? What, still want to hide behind the TV like before, judging us Yakuza from a high and mighty position?"

He seemed to harbor resentment towards Honami Suzuki; as he spoke, his eyes gradually turned fierce and crazed, and the knife almost sliced ​​open Honami Suzuki's cheek. At this critical moment, a thin man on the sofa behind him spoke.

"Lian Tian, ​​now is not the time to make a move. Don't slash her face."

"It's the boss! Tch!"

Lian Tian spat, his face full of resentment, and sheathed his sword, standing up and stepping aside.

Although he harbored deep resentment towards Honami Suzuki because the report of his brother's arrest was broadcast by her, she was, after all, a top anchor at Asahi Shimbun. Once he was truly harmed, especially with visible external injuries, there would be no turning back.

They dared to take such a huge risk today because they were prepared to die together with everyone else, after all, they had received a death order from above. But unless absolutely necessary, no one wanted to really lose their life here.

The thin man got up and walked over, squatted down, and reached out to tear off the transparent tape from Suzuki Honami's mouth.

"It seems you've calmed down, Miss Suzuki." His tone was steady, even somewhat refined. "Then I won't beat around the bush. Our presence here could be a simple warning, or it could involve several lives. It all depends on your choice."

If you hand over the film and promise not to pursue this case again, we'll leave now, and the higher-ups will give you a generous reward. If you disagree...

To be honest, my family has been placed in a safe location by the organization, but it's more like they're being held hostage. Therefore, if I can't get the right answer from you, my family might suffer a terrible fate... So please consider this carefully.

His tone was calm, even somewhat polite, but the threat was all too clear.

An overwhelming fear flickered in Honami Suzuki's eyes, but then she recalled the pale little faces she had seen on the hospital beds these past few days, and the doctor's diagnosis of "possible lifelong mental disability"...

Her fingertips trembled slightly under the rope, but there was still a hint of struggle in her eyes.

"Hey, why bother? Wouldn't it be better to make things easier for both of us?"

Seeing the change in her eyes, the gaunt man stood up and clapped his hands. The next moment, to Suzuki Honami's gasp, a woman who had been beaten beyond recognition was pushed in and lay on the ground like a corpse.

"Kobayakawa! What did you do to her?!"

Honami Suzuki struggled and trembled. The gaunt man, hands in his pockets, turned and looked quietly into her eyes. "She said she didn't know where the negatives were, but I think she did. Yet, the truth is, she really doesn't seem to know. But whether she knows or not, she'll find out soon enough."

As he spoke, he raised his chin, and a burly man with a lewd grin on his face walked out from the side.

"To be frank, once this step is complete, whether you agree or not, she will be sunk into Tokyo Bay, so please—think it over carefully one more time."

The gaunt man spoke, then suddenly snapped his fingers, took an exquisitely wrapped gift box from his subordinate, pulled out a greeting card, and said, "Oh right, there's this too. Let me see... [To Shuichi-kun:]"

congratulations.

From now on, you are "Writer Shuichi".

Stand tall and walk forward with confidence and composure.

——Honami. 』

Tsk tsk tsk, Shuichi? Nice name. Looks like he's someone you value a lot. Even when you're so busy, you still went out of your way to pick out a suit. Is it as a coming-of-age gift?

A young boy who just turned eighteen... Speaking of which, the theme of pretty boys and effeminate men seems to be quite popular in the AV industry lately.

"you!"

Her heart clenched suddenly, and a chilling fear gripped Suzuki Honami instantly. She opened her mouth to stop her, but the next moment, *smack*!

A heavy slap landed squarely on her face!

The gaunt man suddenly went berserk, slapping Kobayakawa across the face and then violently lifting her up from the ground, shoving her cheek against Suzuki Honami's face.

"Enough! I've lost my patience. Five more seconds. If you don't hand over the film, you'll watch as everyone around you is raped and murdered, and you'll be the last! May Fourth!"

Honami Suzuki was stunned and stood there, looking at the floral shirt that was walking towards her with a wicked smile. She couldn't help but let out a scream of emotional breakdown.

Just as the man raised his hand again to cover her mouth—

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A loud bang!

A black motorcycle crashed through the warehouse window and sped in, smashing through a floral shirt like a beast. Amidst the flying shards of glass and dust, a blood-covered figure leaped off the motorcycle.

"Shu...Shuichi?"

Looking at the figure in front of her, Honami Suzuki's voice trembled and became almost incoherent.

The gaunt man roared in disbelief, "How is this possible! Where are the people outside?!"

Before he could finish speaking, in his dazed gaze, Kanbaru Shuichi stood up, picked up a samurai sword, patted his dizzy head, and blood dripped down his trembling black hair.

He was still wearing the same black tracksuit he had worn during the day, but now it was tattered and torn, with knife and stick wounds of varying depths on his chest, arms, and even back. The fabric was torn, revealing the bleeding muscles underneath.

But he didn't care. He simply took a step to the side, shielding the stunned Honami Suzuki behind him, and looked up to scan everyone in the warehouse.

"Those stray dogs outside? They're no match for them."

"you!"

The gaunt man wanted to say something, but Shuichi Kanbara, whose eyes were as cold as stars, had already charged forward with a knife.

As he kicked him away, he scooped up the woman, Kobayakawa, from the ground and threw her into Suzuki Honami's arms, then charged into the crowd again with his knife.

Inside the warehouse, all that could be heard for a moment were the sharp sounds of clashing weapons, agonizing screams, beast-like roars, and even the sound of pistols firing!

Honami Suzuki stood frozen in place, her mind blank and numb. She still couldn't believe that Shuichi Kanbara would have barged in all alone.

Why is he here? How does he know he's here?

These questions couldn't even get into her mind at that moment. The extremely bloody and terrifying scene before her had frozen her thoughts; she had no strength left to even move a finger.

But as if possessed, watching Shuichi Kanbara's retreating figure, the scenes of their time together over the past few days flashed through her numb mind like a revolving lantern.

The chaotic sounds of fighting gradually subsided into deathly silence, and the sound of police sirens grew louder as they approached from outside the window. When a blood-soaked right hand was extended in front of her, she looked up as if waking from a dream, only to see Shuichi Kambara's gentle smile.

"It's alright now."

.

a few days later.

Early morning, hospital ward.

"Mr. Kambara is fortunate. Although the bleeding was significant, no vital organs were damaged. The main issue is a fracture in his left forearm, which will require immobilization for about two months. Based on the current situation, we will observe him again this morning, and if there are no abnormalities, he can be discharged this afternoon."

"That's good, thank you so much, Dr. Kanzaki."

"I dare not accept such praise."

Dr. Kanzaki bowed deeply, almost at a 90-degree angle, and the nurses behind him also bowed in unison. "It is our good fortune to have journalists like Ms. Suzuki who dare to speak out for the truth, and young people like Mr. Kanbara who act bravely and righteously."

"Thank you. I'm sure Shuichi would be very happy to hear that."

Honami Suzuki returned the greeting, and after the doctors and nurses left, she sat back down by the bedside and looked at Shuichi Kambara, who was still fast asleep on the bed.

Several days had passed since the warehouse battle, and everything about Mushan Foods and Xicheng Group had been made public.

Frankly, a few years ago, things wouldn't have been resolved so easily. The power of such enterprises is far beyond what ordinary individuals can contend with, but right now, they happen to be at the forefront of a nationwide crackdown on organized crime.

When a leading company like Mushan Foods, specializing in the infant and toddler market, encounters problems, it's bound to attract intense public scrutiny. What's more, no one expected that Mushan Foods would be so brazen as to hire gangsters to kidnap a television reporter!

As expected, on the night Honami Suzuki tearfully rushed Shuichi Kanbara to the emergency room, the roll of film she had hidden was made public by TV Asahi.

The following day, the whole country was in uproar.

It was no longer an ordinary public opinion storm, but a wave of anger sweeping the whole country!

In particular, on the morning of that day, the police held an emergency press conference. According to the confessions of the arrested members of the West City gang during police interrogation, the gangsters had even devised a meticulous plan.

—Inciting biker gangs to create chaos in Shimokitazawa to distract the police. If negotiations go smoothly after the kidnapping, that's ideal; they can pretend nothing happened. But if negotiations break down, they'll kill them to silence them and pin the blame on some unfortunate biker gang member.

In an instant, the anger in the hearts of the people who had suffered under the underworld for many years was completely ignited.

Large-scale protests have erupted in major cities, with people calling for a crackdown on organized crime and a thorough investigation of companies and politicians involved in organized crime.

In an instant, the once-arrogant thugs disappeared without a trace,不敢露面 (daring not to show their faces). The political arena was also thrown into turmoil, with lawmakers appearing on television one after another, either taking the opportunity to fiercely criticize opposing parties or staging the old-fashioned kneeling apology.

The outside world was in an uproar, and public sentiment was indignant.

Logically, she should be standing under the television spotlight right now, hosting this nationally sensational news story. After all, she had once been hit in the shoulder by a ricocheting bullet while reporting live from the scene of a bank robbery, yet she still insisted on going on stage to broadcast the news that night.

Unfortunately, for someone with no connections or background, the effort required to gain a foothold at Asahi TV is far beyond what most people can imagine. Moreover, even if you reach a high position, you still have to face ambitious subordinates, and if you relax even slightly, you could easily be kicked out.

In the past, her life was always packed with activities, and she always made time for work.

But this time, it's different.

—[That concludes our report. I'm Megumi Oishi, the host of "Evening News." See you tomorrow night at the same time.]

Honami Suzuki sat by the hospital bed, slowly peeling an apple.

The TV was rebroadcasting last night's "Evening News," and the "TV Asahi" logo was clearly printed in the upper left corner of the screen. However, the host in front of the camera was no longer her; instead, it was a relatively well-known newcomer from the TV station.

Although she had voluntarily taken a long leave, she would usually feel anxious and uneasy in similar situations. But this time, even as she watched the news broadcast to its finale, she felt surprisingly calm.

This change felt strange to her, and a hint of unease flickered in her usually elegant and composed eyes. Just then, she heard Shuichi Kambara's mutterings from beside her.

"Honami... what time is it?"

Her voice was languid, but Suzuki Honami's previously absent-minded eyes instantly brightened. She put down the apple, hands on her hips, and said irritably, "You dare ask?! It's past nine in the morning, the doctor has already been here!"

"Huh?! They're here? How come I didn't know?"

"Hmph, you're sleeping like a log, you wouldn't even react if someone pried open your mouth to check your tongue! If I weren't here, you probably wouldn't even know you're no longer being sold."

"..."

Shuichi Kanbara stopped, trying to sit up. But as soon as he exerted force, a tearing pain shot through his lower back.

He didn't have any major injuries, mainly a broken left hand. But when he killed that skinny man, his lower back was slashed open by the floral shirt. Although it didn't damage his internal organs, the wound was deep and required dozens of stitches.

Now, whenever I exert force in my lower back, it hurts like it's being torn apart.

Honami Suzuki quickly stepped forward to help him up, saying, "Slow down! You're such an idiot!"

A very intimate gesture.

A strand of hair fell down, lightly touching the tip of his nose. Shuichi Kanbara was slightly startled, turned his head to look, and met the other person's concerned gaze.

In an instant, the world fell silent.

This was the first time the two had been so close, and Suzuki Honami felt a sudden, inexplicable flutter in her heart. But before they could say anything, the sound of a nurse's footsteps passing by the door broke the delicate atmosphere.

"Cough cough... I think... I can sit up by myself?"

"Oh...I see."

Honami Suzuki awkwardly tucked her black hair behind her ear, while Shuichi Kanbara rubbed his nose. "So... can we process the discharge papers now?"

"Ah?! I...I...I'll go get it right away!"

Honami Suzuki grabbed her handbag and left the ward in a slightly flustered manner.

Shuichi Kambara watched her figure disappear through the doorway.

After a long while, he slightly raised the corner of his hand and slowly looked at the crookedly peeled apple on the bedside table. Involuntarily, the image of her running beside the gurney, tears streaming down her face, and shouting hoarsely, before he was wheeled into the emergency room a few days ago flashed through his mind.

"Speaking of which..."

"I haven't given her that pen yet."