Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 205 Get ready to head to Southeast Asia, kid!

The funeral hall was colder than the waiting room.

The monk was already seated on the left side of the altar, wearing a dark purple robe, holding prayer beads, and waiting with his eyes closed.

In the portrait at the very center of the altar, Miyazawa Hara's expression was calm, with a hint of a smile.

Following the directions, Kiryu Yaya took his seat in the middle of the guest area.

As soon as he sat down, he caught a glimpse of Keiko Miyazawa in the family section out of the corner of his eye.

She knelt down slightly behind Miyazawa Michiko, her black mourning clothes making her figure appear even thinner.

Her gaze was turning back from the direction of the spirit platform when it met Kiryu Yaya's gaze in mid-air.

Keiko Miyazawa nodded slightly.

Kiryu Yaya understood the meaning behind that gesture and reassured himself that he was alright and there was no need to worry.

He nodded in agreement and waited for the ceremony to begin.

The monk struck the handbell.

A crisp, metallic sound gently spread through the mourning hall, and everyone unconsciously sat up a little straighter.

The monks began chanting sutras.

The chanting of the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit filled the mourning hall.

The first round of incense offering throughout the night begins with the family members.

Michiko Miyazawa was the first to get up.

Her body was visibly swaying, and Akio Uesugi reached out to support her, but she gently brushed him off.

She walked to the altar, clasped her hands together, bowed her head and closed her eyes.

He paused for about ten seconds, then bent down and gently inserted a stick of incense into the incense burner, took a step back, bowed, and turned back to his seat.

Then there's Keiko Miyazawa.

Her movements as she got up were more steady than Miyazawa Michiko's.

After standing still in front of the altar, put your hands together, close your eyes, and bow your head.

She paused for a few seconds longer than Miyazawa Michiko, then bent down to place incense, stepped back, and bowed.

Then, the guests offer incense.

According to the etiquette of Japanese all-night prayers, the order in which guests offer incense is usually arranged according to their closeness to the deceased.

First came the old retainers and former subordinates of the Miyazawa Group, then their counterparts in the Kansai financial world, and then representatives from banks, securities firms, and other financial institutions.

The first person to stand up was Yutaro Kamiya.

He stood before the altar, leaning on a black cane, and bowed his head with his palms together.

When Yutaro Kamiya returned, he passed the family section, paused in front of Michiko Miyazawa, and whispered something.

Michiko Miyazawa lowered her head and nodded slightly.

Next were Matsubara, Inoue, and others.

Then came several old acquaintances from the Kansai business community, and several local councilors.

The first representative from financial institutions is Kouichi Kou.

He stood up after being signaled by the staff, stood in front of the altar, bowed his head and put his palms together.

Kouyu Tianyan closed his eyes, listening to the monks' chanting flowing gently in his ears.

The trembling fingertips gradually calmed down at this moment.

Just a moment ago.

He was genuinely a little frightened by Kiryu Yaya.

But now that he's come to his senses, he realizes that he's just a newcomer with no real connections in the bank.

He was just a desperate orphan who used hatred to climb to where he is today, and then he finally said those words that he had kept bottled up for five years in front of his enemy.

But what's the point of saying it?

Kouyuhiko slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the portrait of Miyazawa Hara in the very center of his mind.

He has been operating in this city and this country for thirty years.

How could a mere newcomer possibly shake the foundation built up over the past thirty years?

Kouyuhiko's fingers slowly loosened, and the trembling stopped.

He bowed deeply before the altar, then bent down and gently inserted the incense sticks into the incense burner. He took a step back, turned around, and returned to his seat.

His gait regained the composure of a senior bank executive.

Kouyuta made his decision.

Since Kiryu Yaya had the audacity to say those words to him, he would retaliate in kind.

Get ready to head to Southeast Asia!

Kid!

The chanting in the mourning hall had just ended, leaving a lingering echo in the air.

Under the guidance of the staff.

Kiryu Yaya stood up and stepped out of his seat.

His steps were light, but they attracted a lot of attention.

Senior executives of the Miyazawa Group.

Yutaro Kamiya, Director Matsubara, Director Inoue —

The Miyazawa family.

Keiko Miyazawa, Yumi Miyazawa, Michiko Miyazawa —

There are also those from the Kansai financial sector.

Shuichi Kuroda.

And those in the banking sector.

Ko Utahiko—

Kiryu Yaya walked step by step to the portrait of Miyazawa Hara, bowed his head, and clasped his hands together.

He closed his eyes.

The sound of monks reciting their mantras could be heard in my ears.

At that moment, Kiryu Yaya remembered many things.

The chanting in the mourning hall gradually subsided, then slowly rose again.

Kiryu Yaya opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the portrait of Miyazawa Hara in the center of his spirit platform.

Death, for him.

Perhaps it's a relief.

But Kiryu Yaya sensed his will.

Kiryu Yaya took the incense sticks out of the box and gently held them on his fingertips.

Then he bent down and gently inserted the incense stick into the incense burner.

The ash in the incense burner was very thin. When the incense stick was inserted, it wobbled slightly and then stood upright.

Kiryu Yaya took half a step back, clasped his hands together, and closed his eyes again.

He thought to himself, "Mr. Miyazawahara, I have received your request."

"I'll finish what you couldn't do."

Kiryu Yaya opened his eyes and took one last look at the portrait.

In that black and white photo, Miyazawa Hara's smile is faint, as if he no longer needs to pretend.

Sandalwood incense rose from the incense burner, swirling into fine white mist under the lamplight before dissipating and settling into the shadows deep within the mourning hall.

He turned around and went back to his seat.

As he sat down, he glanced at Kouyuhiko diagonally across from him.

Kouyuu Hiko was also looking at him.

Their eyes met briefly in the air, but both understood each other's meaning.

This one.

It is a war to the death.

The all-night ceremony was drawing to a close.

The monk struck the final bell.

The staff member lifted the white curtain and bowed slightly: "Distinguished guests, the all-night ceremony has now concluded. Thank you all for coming to say goodbye."

People in the seats gradually stood up.

Some people walked towards the family section and whispered polite words to Michiko Miyazawa, such as "Please accept my condolences" and "Take care of yourself."

Some people went to the registration desk to retrieve their return gifts, while others chatted quietly in twos and threes at the entrance.

Kiryu Yaya sat in his seat for a while longer, and only after the crowd had dispersed did he stand up and slowly walk out.

As he reached the door, Akio Uesugi suddenly called out to him, "Mr. Kiryu, please wait a moment. Miss Kiryu would like to speak with you after she has finished dealing with matters here."

Kiryu Yaya nodded and walked to a relatively quiet corner outside the waiting area, where he waited quietly.

The people in the waiting room gradually dispersed.

About ten minutes later, the side door was pushed open.

Keiko Miyazawa came out and saw Yaya Kiryu standing in the corner. She paused slightly and then walked towards him.

She gave a slight bow, then got straight to the point: "Kiryu-kun—"

"I know you know a lot about my uncle, and I also know that you haven't mentioned it to me in order to protect me."

"But I've thought about it for a long time last night and today. I can't turn a blind eye to my uncle's death."

"So—please tell me the reason, okay?"

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