Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 248 The person I'm waiting for hasn't arrived yet [Basic update 4k]

Kiryu Yaya leaned against the wall, his gaze sweeping over the few thugs still groaning in the workshop. He smiled and said, "President Kuroda guessed right."

"Today, Ms. Miyazawa and I were planning to acquire a small factory called Marui Fiber, but we ran into people from the Kansai Fiber Industry Cooperative Association. They have yakuza connections and are now preparing to call in reinforcements to beat me up."

"Ms. Miyazawa has already called a group of people over, but there might not be enough time."

"I wonder if President Kuroda knows anyone in East Osaka."

There was a half-second silence on the other end of the phone, then Kuroda Shuichi scoffed: "Kansai Fiber? You mean—that group that Yasuda Shuhei is protecting?"

"Shuhei Yasuda?"

Kiryu Yaya's gaze sharpened slightly as he memorized the name: "It should be one of theirs. The leader is called Matsuda. He just called for reinforcements, and I estimate that fifty or sixty people will arrive in a few minutes."

Upon hearing this, Kuroda Shuichi chuckled softly, as if he had heard something extremely amusing: "Kiryu-kun, if Yasuda Shuhei is considered part of the yakuza, then there's no such thing as a legitimate society in Japan."

"His so-called brothers are at best small-time thugs who collect protection money on the street; they don't even have an official gang number."

He then changed the subject: "Where in East Osaka are you? Marui Fiber?"

"Yes, Marui Fiber Industries, Ltd., in Meiwa-cho, Higashi-Osaka."

"I see."

Shuichi Kuroda's voice held a hint of seriousness: "How long can you hold out?"

"Seven minutes."

Kiryu Yaya glanced at the clock on the wall: "Seven minutes at most. Any longer and the scene here might not look so good."

"Seven minutes is enough."

Shuichi Kuroda answered decisively: "Within five minutes, I will first send a group of people over to help you quell the situation, and then I will personally come to Higashi-Osaka."

After he finished speaking, there was a hint of sarcasm in his tone: "I haven't seen Yasuda Shuhei in a long time. I happen to have some free time today, so I'll help you sort this out."

Kiryu Yaya held the receiver and, without much formality, simply said, "Then I'll have to trouble President Kuroda."

"What's the trouble? If you collapse in Higashi-Osaka, who will I ask to take care of things for me?"

Kiryu Yaya smiled.

For Shuichi Kuroda, this was a time when he absolutely could not afford to collapse.

After all, the land in Lingkong City hasn't been officially handed over yet.

Moreover, Keiko Miyazawa was right there beside her.

If Kuroda Shuichi wants to take over Rinku Castle, he has to help him out today no matter what.

After hanging up the phone, Kiryu Yaya calmly placed the receiver back on the landline, turned around, and nodded slightly to Miyazawa Keiko.

Keiko Miyazawa understood his gaze and breathed a sigh of relief.

As the eldest daughter of the Miyazawa Group, this was truly the first time she had faced such a situation.

If Kiryu Yaya hadn't been there, she really wouldn't know what to do at that moment.

Kenji Matsuda was still sitting in that folding chair, legs crossed, a cigarette that was already half-burned dangling from his mouth.

He tilted his head, his gaze lingering on Kiryu Yaya's face for a moment, before snapping, "Call for help?"

"Go ahead and call, I'd like to see who you can summon."

"In this small corner of Higashi-Osaka, who wouldn't give Kenji Matsuda some face?"

Kiryu Yaya was too lazy to pay him any attention.

Time passed second by second.

All the sewing machines in the workshop had long since stopped running, and the workers huddled behind the machines, no one daring to look up.

The four thugs recovered and stood behind Matsuda Kenji again, though they looked at Kiryu Yaya with some fear in their eyes.

As for Makiko Marui and Accountant Terada, they huddled behind a machine, but their positions were facing towards Yaya Kiryu.

About four or five minutes passed.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the workshop.

Judging from the footsteps, there were at least thirty or forty people.

Matsuda Kenji's ears twitched, and a smile immediately spread across his face.

He took the cigarette out of his mouth, stubbed it out on the ground, then stood up and straightened the collar of his flashy Hawaiian shirt.

"They're here."

He turned around, facing the direction of the roller shutter door: "Kid, you can still leave now. But if my men come in later, it won't be as simple as just getting a beating."

Kiryu Yaya did not respond.

He simply stood quietly in place, still holding the wooden handle of the mop in his hand, his gaze fixed on the direction of the roller shutter.

Which side will be coming?

If Matsuda's men arrive first, he will definitely lead Miyazawa Keiko out first.

This place is too dangerous.

At that very moment, the roller shutter was lifted from the outside.

Sunlight streamed in from outside, illuminating the workshop for a moment.

Matsuda Kenji subconsciously squinted, but when he saw who had come in, he was first stunned, then breathed a sigh of relief, and even took two steps forward to greet them.

"Brother Tuo?!"

The man who came in was around forty years old, with a very short buzz cut and a scar on his left eyebrow.

He was wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.

He was followed by about thirty people, all wearing dark coats.

This person's name is Sakamoto Taku.

He is the head of the "Takushinkai," a local community organization in Higashi-Osaka.

I usually have a fairly close relationship with Shuhei Yasuda, since we both make a living in Higashi Osaka, have met at banquets, and have helped each other out in small ways.

When Matsuda Kenji saw him, a smile returned to his face: "Taku-nii, did Yasuda send you over to help? Someone's causing trouble here in Marui and even hit my men. Can you hold that kid down for me?" Sakamoto Taku didn't reply.

His gaze swept across the workshop, passing over Matsuda Kenji's face without lingering, before he asked, "Which one of you is Mr. Kiryu?"

The workshop fell silent for a moment.

Kenji Matsuda's smile froze.

Kiryu Yaya took half a step forward: "That's me."

Sakamoto Taku nodded, turned to the side, and gave him a slight bow: "President Kuroda sent us. Mr. Kiryu is in trouble, so he asked us to come and keep watch."

After saying that, he turned around, facing Kenji Matsuda, and gestured with his chin toward the thirty or so people behind him.

The people silently dispersed, forming two rows beside and behind Kiryu Yaya, creating a rather oppressive atmosphere.

Upon seeing that Sakamoto Taku was sent by Kuroda Shuichi, Kiryu Yaya and Miyazawa Keiko exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief.

Shuichi Kuroda can be reliable at times.

But Kenji Matsuda was completely stunned.

"Brother Tuo, what does this mean?!"

His voice held an incredulous astonishment, his gaze shifting between Sakamoto Taku and Kiryu Yaya: "Weren't we together? Why are you standing on the other side?!"

Sakamoto Taku glanced at him, his tone somewhat indifferent: "Matsuda, things are different today. My superiors personally gave me instructions, you know, in our line of work, it's all about rules. Even if your boss Yasuda comes, it's the same."

Kenji Matsuda's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

Sakamoto Taku's arrival made him realize that the background of this brat across from him seemed to be extraordinary.

But he couldn't back down; Boss Yasuda had given him a death order to take down Marui Fiber.

Kenji Matsuda gritted his teeth, took out his phone, and dialed Shuhei Yasuda's number again.

"Boss—Takuya Sakamoto is here. He brought thirty or forty men and stood on the other side. He said someone from above gave him instructions."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Then Yasuda Shuhei's cold voice came through: "Alright, I'm almost there."

Kenji Matsuda breathed a sigh of relief.

Forty or fifty seconds after the phone call ended, a series of hurried footsteps could be heard outside the workshop.

It was a bit more scattered than when Sakamoto Taku arrived, but there were significantly more people.

The roller shutter door was opened again.

Shuhei Yasuda walked in.

He was wearing a dark blue short-sleeved shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing a large tattoo on his chest.

More than fifty people followed him in single file.

Shuhei Yasuda glanced at Kenji Matsuda, his displeasure evident in his eyes, but he didn't react immediately.

Then he turned his head and his gaze fell on Sakamoto Taku.

"Sakamoto."

He narrowed his eyes: "Are you going to turn against me?"

Sakamoto Taku met Yasuda Shuhei's gaze and said calmly, "Yasuda, I'm not trying to turn against you. I can't ignore what my boss ordered me to do. If you're not happy about it, you can talk to him yourself when the higher-ups arrive."

Shuhei Yasuda stared at Taku Sakamoto for a few seconds, then snorted.

His gaze then swept across the workshop, finally settling on Kiryu Yaya and Miyazawa Keiko, and he asked menacingly, "You're the guy who wanted to recruit Marui?"

Kiryu Yaya did not avoid his gaze, and said calmly, "That's right, I have reached an agreement with Ms. Marui regarding the acquisition of Marui Fibers."

Shuhei Yasuda scoffed, "A mere brat dares to come to Higashi-Osaka and talk to me about acquisition? Does he even know that the entire textile industry in Higashi-Osaka is my territory?"

Kiryu Yaya replied with a smile, "I didn't know before, but I do now."

Shuhei Yasuda narrowed his eyes: "Then you still have the guts to acquire Marui Fiber?"

Kiryu Yaya countered, "Why not?"

Shuhei Yasuda laughed in exasperation: "Young man, do you think you can start construction normally just because you bought Marui?"

"Without my approval, you can't even get the fabric in."

"Suppliers are afraid to supply you, customers are afraid to place orders, and banks are even less likely to lend you money. You're a new boss with no track record; what are you going to offer for a loan?"

"If that's the case, are you still going to insist on acquiring Marui Fiber?"

After he finished speaking, he put his hands on his hips, glared fiercely at Kiryu Yaya, and waited for a conciliatory answer.

Faced with Yasuda Shuhei's threat, Kiryu Yaya glanced at the clock on the wall and chuckled, "Take it easy, let's talk when everyone's here."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a new sound came from outside the workshop.

It was a series of screeching sounds.

The sounds of tires rolling over the road and car doors being slammed shut rose and fell, growing louder as they approached, finally stopping outside the factory gate.

Immediately afterwards, the roller shutter was opened again.

Before she even entered, it was Uesugi Akio's voice that came in first: "Young lady, are you alright?"

The person has arrived.

Akio Uesugi was followed by more than thirty people.

The people behind him were uniformly dressed and acted with discipline, clearly a well-trained security team.

After entering the room, Akio Uesugi didn't look at anyone. His gaze first locked onto Keiko Miyazawa standing next to the cutting table. Only after confirming that she was safe and sound did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He strode through the stalemate and stood before Miyazawa Keiko, bowing slightly: "Miss."

"I'm fine."

Keiko Miyazawa shook her head, turned her gaze to Yaya Kiryu, and smiled: "With Kiryu-kun here, nothing went wrong."

Akio Uesugi then turned to look at Yaya Kiryu, his gaze lingering on him for a moment before he nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

The men he brought silently dispersed in the workshop, standing on the other side of Sakamoto Taku and his group, protecting Miyazawa Keiko.

Shuhei Yasuda looked at Akio Uesugi, his expression darkening slightly.

He could naturally tell that the people led by Akio Uesugi were well-trained and organized personnel.

But this is his territory, and if he wants, he can call in another hundred or so people.

But before that, he needed to confirm Uesugi Akio's arrival, so he squinted and asked, "Which gang are you from?"

Akio Uesugi stood beside Keiko Miyazawa and said in a calm tone, "Miyazawa Group Security Department."

Upon hearing the words "Miyazawa Group," Shuhei Yasuda's gaze sharpened slightly, then he looked at Yasuya Kiryu: "You brat, is this the person you've been waiting for?"

"I know the Miyazawa Group is in the transportation and hotel business. But you can't control things in the textile industry, can you?"

"No matter how far your Miyazawa Group's reach is, it can't extend to the textile industry in East Osaka."

Akio Uesugi didn't reply, but instead asked, "And you are?"

"Shuhei Yasuda."

Akio Uesugi nodded slightly: "Mr. Yasuda is joking. The Miyazawa Group is not involved in the textile industry, but since our president is here, my duty is to ensure her safety."

"As for who calls the shots in the textile industry in eastern Osaka, that's not my business, nor is it something I should be concerned with today."

Shuhei Yasuda snorted and glanced at Yasuya Kiryu: "Kid, you know how to call in reinforcements. You even called in the Miyazawa Group's security department. Looks like you do have some connections. But one..."

He took half a step forward: "Even if you call the Miyazawa family, plus Sakamoto, there will only be sixty or seventy people."

"I've been in Higashi-Osaka for so many years, one phone call and I can summon a hundred people in just a few minutes. Do you really think you can acquire Marui Fiber today?"

When he said those words, Shuhei Yasuda was actually a little guilty.

Because at that moment there were only forty or fifty people behind him.

They were not superior to the sixty or seventy men that Uesakamoto Taku and Uesugi Akio combined.

Moreover, the people that Uesugi Akio brought were clearly a well-organized and trained security team, not the same as his street thugs.

Kiryu Yaya sighed helplessly, his gaze falling on the bluffing Yasuda Shuhei: "Mr. Yasuda, as I just said, the person I'm waiting for hasn't arrived yet. If you're willing to wait a few more minutes, there should be someone there."

An answer that will surprise you.

Shuhei Yasuda lost his patience.

He slammed his hand on the sewing machine beside him and roared, "Damn it, who the hell are you waiting for?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground outside the workshop suddenly began to shake.

This commotion is different from when Sakamoto Taku and Uesugi Akio arrived earlier.

It was definitely not the commotion of just a few or a dozen cars.

The sound stretched from the alleyway all the way to the factory gate.

The sounds of brakes and car doors slamming shut were so dense, it was like a torrential downpour falling on a whole sheet of tin roof.

Hearing this, the two groups of people facing off exchanged glances and then walked out of the workshop at the same time.

This kind of commotion probably means the Self-Defense Forces are on the move.

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