Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 249 Who is this young man? [Basic Update]

The air in the workshop suddenly became tense.

The henchman at the door backed away, his face pale: "Boss—there are more than forty cars parked outside."

Matsuda Kenji stood behind Yasuda, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

He wasn't unfamiliar with big scenes, but with forty-odd vehicles, that meant at least three or four hundred people.

In a place like Japan, where even village squabbles can be written into history, this must have been a grand spectacle.

The two sides in the standoff walked outside.

Under a gloomy sky, dozens of cars were blocking the entrance to Marui Fiber.

Leading the way was a row of black sedans, including Toyota Crowns and Nissan Cedrics, which certainly didn't look cheap.

Several cars had their headlights on, the beams of light shining on the roller shutters opposite.

Further back were black vans, and at the very back were several extended black SUVs.

The cars were packed very close together, one after another, filling the entire street and stretching all the way to the corner.

At this moment, quite a few people had already jumped out of the car, but they were all thugs from the back seats.

The important figures in the cars ahead have not yet shown themselves.

Seeing this scene, Yasuda Shuhei's face turned completely dark.

He glanced at Kiryu Yaya, then looked at Sakamoto Taku, who was closest to him, and asked in a low voice, "Sakamoto, who exactly is behind this brat?"

Sakamoto Taku glanced at him sideways, but remained silent as if he hadn't heard him at all.

It was at this time that...

The door of the silver-gray Toyota Crown in the very center of all the vehicles was pushed open.

A middle-aged man in a dark gray suit got out of the car.

He was about forty-five years old, thin, with very short hair, and wore frameless glasses.

He didn't look at anyone, but simply turned to the side and stood by the car door, as if waiting for someone to speak.

The second person to get off the bus was another burly middle-aged man.

He had a buzz cut, wore a black short-sleeved shirt, and had sharp eyes.

The third person to get off the bus was wearing gold-rimmed glasses, a dark blue suit, and carrying a black briefcase.

He stood beside the car, keeping a distance from the two people in front of him, and his posture was more relaxed than theirs.

The three people got off the bus without speaking, stood in a line facing the direction of the workshop, and waited quietly.

Seeing this scene, no one in the workshop spoke.

Even the thugs held their breath, staring intently at the back seat of the silver-gray Toyota Crown.

A dozen seconds passed, but it felt like an eternity.

The rear door of the Toyota Crown was then pushed open.

Shuichi Kuroda got out of the car.

He was wearing a dark gray suit today, without a tie, and his shirt collar was unbuttoned, his posture unusually relaxed.

After getting off the bus, he even took the thermos handed to him by the person next to him, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip.

Then he handed the thermos back to his deputy, looked up, and gazed past the henchmen at the door and onto the workshop.

"Wow, it's quite lively here."

Upon seeing Kuroda Shuichi's familiar face, Yasuda Shuhei's previous arrogance vanished completely.

A smile broke out on his old face: "President Kuroda, what brings you here?"

As someone who lives in Osaka, Shuhei Yasuda might not be recognized by others.

But as the person in charge of urban development in Kansai and a well-known figure in the Kansai real estate circle, it's impossible for him not to know him.

Surrounded by several people, Kuroda Shuichi slowly walked forward to Yasuda Shuhei and smiled, saying, "Mr. Yasuda, it's been a long time."

Shuhei Yasuda's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he found that his throat was a little tight.

He swallowed hard before finally managing to squeeze out a sentence: "President Kuroda... isn't there some misunderstanding?"

"Misunderstand?"

Kuroda Shuichi glanced at Kiryu Yaya, and after seeing him shake his head, he softened his tone and looked at Yasuda Shuhei with a smile, "I think this is also a misunderstanding."

Upon hearing this, a hint of relief appeared on Shuhei Yasuda's face.

But then, Kuroda Shuichi added, "Whether this is a misunderstanding or not depends on what my brother here has to say. What do you think, Kiryu-kun?"

As soon as Kuroda Shuichi finished speaking, everyone's eyes were focused on the young man, Kiryu Yaya.

At this moment, not only Yasuda Shuhei's side was curious, but even Kuroda Shuichi's subordinates were.

Everyone found it strange.

What kind of magic does this young man possess that makes a big shot like Shuichi Kuroda respect him so much?

Anyone with eyes can see it.

If it weren't for Kiryu Yaya, Kuroda Shuichi wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

Shuhei Yasuda is such a nobody.

One of his men could easily handle it.

In other words, Kuroda Shuichi put on such a grand show entirely to support Kiryu Yaya.

Kiryu Yaya naturally understood this principle as well.

He nodded slightly to Kuroda Shuichi, knowing that he had handed the reins over to him.

How Yasuda Shuhei handles it is entirely up to him.

So he took two steps forward and stopped in front of Yasuda Shuhei, his posture composed.

"Mr. Yasuda, can you listen to me properly now?"

Shuhei Yasuda nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, yes! Please let me know what the arrangements are!"

At this moment, in his eyes.

Kiryu Yaya, this guy who's unbelievably young, is nowhere near the brat who used to steal his business.

With a powerful figure like Shuichi Kuroda backing him up, all he wanted to do right now was avoid getting into trouble.

No matter the cost, we should get rid of this Buddha statue as soon as possible.

The Kansai Fiber Factory is not a place for someone like Kiryu Yaya to roam freely.

Kiryu Yaya lowered his eyes and stated his meaning: "First of all, I have reached a verbal agreement with Ms. Marui regarding the acquisition of Marui Fibers. This is President Miyazawa of the Miyazawa Group, who is also the actual investor in the acquisition."

He turned to the side and gestured in the direction of Keiko Miyazawa.

"We are going to acquire Marui Fibers in the next couple of days. Regarding this, as part of the Kansai Fiber Industry Cooperative Association—"

Kiryu Yaya paused here, then looked at Yasuda Shuhei.

Shuhei Yasuda understood his meaning and quickly said in a humble voice, "Director, Director—"

Kiryu Yaya responded with an "oh," and continued, "Director Yasuda, I'd like to ask your opinion on this matter?"

Although Yasuda Shuhei felt reluctant to let Kiryu Yaya's question be answered.

But he knew in his heart that with a big shot like Kuroda Shuichi backing Kiryu Yaya, he had no choice but to compromise.

Putting aside everything else, just from what he knew, there were rumors that Kuroda Shuichi had close ties with several section chiefs at the Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters.

And he was the leader of a street gang.

In the eyes of the police headquarters section chief, he was just someone who could be replaced with a single word.

So he lowered his head, which had been so self-righteous, and put on a fawning smile: "Mr. Kiryu, regarding Marui Fibers—I will no longer concern myself with that matter."

Kiryu Yaya looked at him and nodded: "That's good."

After saying that, he looked at Makiko Marui again and asked, "But after I make the acquisition, Mr. Yasuda won't cause trouble for Ms. Marui, will he? I'm kind-hearted and can't bear to see others being bullied."

Shuhei Yasuda's lips twitched slightly.

He could certainly understand the underlying meaning in Kiryu Yaya's words.

It means he can't even touch the Marui family.

But he suffered such a huge setback at Marui Fiber today, if he doesn't even teach the Marui family a lesson.

What authority does he still hold in Kansai Fiber?

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something polite to save face.

But after his gaze swept over Kuroda Shuichi's ambiguous smile and then over the dark mass of people inside and outside the workshop, he ultimately swallowed his words back.

He turned his head to look at Makiko Marui, who was huddled in the corner, then turned back and said in a low voice, "Don't worry, Mr. Kiryu, Ms. Marui will be fine. I guarantee it with my personal reputation."

Kiryu Yaya looked at him but didn't reply immediately.

He tilted his head slightly, as if examining something, and after a few seconds nodded gently: "That's good."

Kiryu Yaya thought for a moment and then said, "If we have any orders that we can't handle in the future, we'd like to ask Mr. Yasuda for help. I hope Mr. Yasuda won't refuse?"

As soon as Kiryu Yaya finished speaking, Yasuda Shuhei was clearly taken aback.

He originally thought that Kiryu Yaya would take advantage of Kuroda Shuichi's influence to extort money from him or embarrass him in public.

But the way he said that clearly indicated he wanted to have further cooperation with him.

Shuhei Yasuda stood still, his gaze lingering on Yaya Kiryu's face for a moment before confirming, "—What exactly do you mean by 'helping', Mr. Kiryu?"

"It means exactly what it says."

Kiryu Yaya said, "Marui Fiber's current production capacity is not large, but we should gradually expand production after we take over."

"If the order volume exceeds our own production capacity, we may need to have external factories share the burden."

"As a director of the Kansai Textile Industry Cooperative Association, Mr. Yasuda must know quite a few factories that can take his orders, right?"

Shuhei Yasuda did not answer immediately.

Of course he knows.

He had a list of more than 30 member factories in his hand, and he knew the equipment, workers and production capacity of each one.

But he knew in his heart that the point of Kiryu Yaya's words was not to ask him to help find a factory.

He meant:

I won't take your concessions for nothing.

If there are any benefits in the future, I will naturally think of you.

Shuhei Yasuda, who has spent over a decade on the streets, is best at weighing the pros and cons.

Since Kiryu Yaya and Miyazawa Keiko's involvement is inevitable, there's no need for him to strain the relationship.

He paused for a few seconds, then slowly nodded: "If Mr. Kiryu needs it at that time, I can indeed contact several factories with sufficient production capacity."

"Then thank you in advance, Mr. Yasuda."

Kiryu Yaya smiled and said nothing more.

As soon as he finished speaking, Kuroda Shuichi, who was standing next to him, smiled even more broadly.

He took another sip from his thermos and slowly said, "Yasuda, my brother here is a very honest man. If he ever needs your help with any orders in the future, do what you can to help."

"Cooperation is something that develops gradually over time."

Shuhei Yasuda understood perfectly and nodded vigorously: "President Kuroda, rest assured, Mr. Kiryu's affairs are my affairs. As long as I can help, I, Yasuda, will not hesitate."

Shuichi Kuroda nodded in satisfaction.

Kiryu Yaya nodded slightly, then turned and walked towards Marui Makiko: "Ms. Marui, no one should bother us anymore today. I'll bring the letter of intent tomorrow at noon, and if there are no problems, we can sign it on the spot."

Makiko Marui stood there, her lips moving slightly as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just nodded vigorously: "—Thank you. Really, thank you."

Kiryu Yaya did not linger any longer.

He looked at Keiko Miyazawa and waved to her: "Let's go back."

Keiko Miyazawa understood and stepped forward. When she reached his side, she glanced at Shuhei Yasuda and narrowed her eyes slightly.

Shuhei Yasuda felt a little uneasy under the gaze of those young and calm eyes and couldn't help but look away.

The two walked out of the workshop side by side, with Kuroda Shuichi following closely behind.

He stood there, watching the vehicles slowly beginning to leave outside the door, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Matsuda Kenji leaned in from behind and cautiously began, "Boss—so, what do we do today—"

"What's today?"

Shuhei Yasuda turned around abruptly and glared at him: "That's it for today. From now on, you're not allowed to touch Marui Fiber again. Anyone who dares to touch it, I'll be the first to not let them off the hook."

Matsuda Kenji shrank back and replied repeatedly, "Yes, yes, boss."

Outside the workshop, the sky grew even darker, as if it were about to rain at any moment.

Marui Makiko leaned against the cutting table, her legs still feeling a little weak.

Accountant Terada walked over, gently patted her shoulder, and whispered, "It's alright."

The sky was overcast, and the wind blew through the narrow alleys of the Higashi-Osaka Industrial District, making the GG banners on the utility poles along the roadside flap loudly.

The convoys on the street have begun to leave one after another.

The thugs slipped back into the carriage in twos and threes, the sound of the doors closing echoing throughout the carriage.

But Kuroda Shuichi didn't rush to get on the bus.

He walked towards Kiryu Yaya and Miyazawa Keiko, smiling, and said, "Kiryu-kun, are you satisfied with this setup today?"

"I'm satisfied, but it's a little scary."

Kiryu Yaya smiled slightly: "President Kuroda, thank you for today."

He said this without any further explanation.

He knew that Kuroda Shuichi didn't like listening to those empty pleasantries.

Shuichi Kuroda waved his hand: "It's nothing, just consider it a short trip to clear my head."

Looking at the massive scene, Kiryu Yaya asked, "President Kuroda, you brought so many people—shouldn't this attract the attention of the police?"

Even in 1991, when organized crime was rampant, a force of dozens of vehicles and hundreds of people would have been enough to alarm the local police station on any street.

After hearing this, Kuroda Shuichi did not rush to answer.

He waited for the cars behind him to disperse, then gestured angrily towards Kiryu Yaya.

Kiryu Yaya looked in that direction and saw two police cars parked at the corner.

The officers watched as the vehicles left, and they got into their cars one after another, but they remained parked in the same spot.

Kiryu Yaya understood instantly.

The reason why Kuroda Shuichi dared to bring so many people was that he had already made arrangements.

Although the Miyazawa Group is a large company, it is still a legitimate enterprise.

If we're talking about the relationship between the legitimate and criminal worlds, someone like Shuichi Kuroda probably has more influence.

However, in any case.

Even the police were mobilized this time, so Kiryu Yaya owes Kuroda Shuichi a considerable favor.

However, Kiryu Yaya didn't say it aloud, but simply said, "When I have some free time in a couple of days, I'll invite President Kuroda for tea."

Kuroda Shu nodded: "Then I'll accept your offer. It's getting late, let's head back soon."

"Thank you for your help, President Kuroda. See you later."

After seeing Kuroda Shuichi off, Kiryu Yaya and Miyazawa Keiko got into the Toyota Crown, started the engine, and drove away.

Akio Uesugi followed behind in a security department car.

"That was close today."

Keiko Miyazawa spoke slowly as she drove.

Kiryu Yaya turned to look at her: "Were you startled?"

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded honestly: "A little. But I wasn't so scared when you were standing in front of me."

Suddenly, Keiko Miyazawa glanced at him and asked, "Kiryu-kun, have you considered what would have happened if President Kuroda hadn't arrived in time today?"

"I've thought about it. I'll probably drag you through those people and fight our way out, then wait for Mr. Uesugi's men to arrive before we fight back."

Keiko Miyazawa couldn't help but chuckle softly, "You really do hold grudges."

She paused for a moment, then said, "But you were really amazing today!"

Kiryu Yaya knew she was referring to how he took down those thugs with just a mop, so he laughed and said, "It's alright, I practiced kendo for a while in college."

"As expected of Kiryu-kun!"

The two chatted and laughed as the Toyota Crown drove toward Mitsubishi Bank.

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