Living in Tokyo, all I want to do is laze around.

She crossed her arms, facing the afternoon sunlight filtering through the beech leaves, and nodded slightly, saying:

"Don't be so lazy. It's better to go and wait earlier. That idiom... 'waiting for the rabbit to take the bait' means you have to go and wait early!"

Banping Suzhi shook his head and rubbed his forehead: "It's like waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump, meaning waiting for the rabbit to run into the stump by itself, not like waiting for stocks and the rabbit will run into your bowl."

Kitagawa Sakakisa tilted her head slightly: "That's how my brother taught me. He said that '株' means stock. As long as you hold onto your stocks, lots and lots of rabbits will come running in on their own."

That's incredibly clever.

Banpei Suji smiled at the young lady.

He didn't understand the Kitagawa family's affairs.

"We still have some time before heading to Shingoshi after school. Shall we grab something to drink nearby?"

"Really?"

Kitagawa Sakakisa tilted her head. "Hanpei, didn't you say you were broke?"

Hanpei Suji recalled how she drank plain water like tea every day: "3 yen is enough for two cups of tea."

"Thank you then."

Kitagawa Sakaki laughed. "I always felt that you, Hanpei, didn't seem like one of my brother's men."

With his hands in his pockets, Banping Suzhi's thin face remained calm as he continued to follow behind the girl in the black dress.

"That kind of thing is just boring now."

--------

On the other side, ordinary-painted private cars were parked near Kamikoshi High School.

Hanamaru Hiroki and Ishibashi Kazutsukasa, dressed in casual clothes, stepped out of the car.

At the other end of the street, separated by a wall, Ishibashi looked up and saw the teaching building of Kanzaki-Koshito Private School, and couldn't help but sigh:

"The tuition here must be very expensive."

"Including tuition and fees, it's 325.4 million yen per year." With a bang, Hanamaru Hiroki slammed the dark door of the Toyota Crown behind him.

"That's almost as much as my annual salary," Ishibashi Kazuji couldn't help but say, pouting.

Hanamaru Hiroki concealed the pistol with the safety on its belt inside his clothing:

"Ishibashi, you have a bright future. If you work hard for a few years, you can become a police inspector. At that time, headquarters will probably transfer you to the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division."

"Chief Inspector, is this the First Investigation Division?"

"If you want to."

Ishibashi Kazushi's pupils trembled slightly, and he suddenly bowed to him.

"Don't be so formal, this wasn't something I arranged on my own initiative."

Hanamaru Hiroki's face remained expressionless as he spoke in a normal voice, "This is just a normal promotion path for the professional group."

As he spoke, he glanced at the vehicles passing by.

"Compared to your colleagues with similar qualifications, Ishibashi, you still lack a bit of confidence."

"Superintendent, Superintendent."

Shiqiao, turning to the side and looking diagonally ahead, interrupted Hanamaru Yuuki with a serious expression.

Extending into the distance along the sidewalk across the road, you'll see Banping Suzhi leaning against a tree trunk, smoking a cigarette; his thin face is easily recognizable.

"These guys were prepared."

In Hanamaru Hiroki's view, this was already an action taken by the Kitagawa Association in order to kidnap his daughter.

Although it's unclear which faction within the Beichuan Association was responsible, it's really unreasonable not to raid their home after they've gotten involved in something like this with their own daughter.

The man smoking in front of him, Hanpei Suji, was someone he recognized from previous cases. He had even checked the police station's existing records about him before going out to meet him.

He was a former henchman of the Sumiyoshi-kai, but after retiring from the life of crime, he was recruited by the young master of the Kitagawa-kai.

This guy has been quiet for the past few years and hasn't committed any crimes. Apparently, he works as a tour guide in Kabukicho.

"That guy is quite skilled; he knows martial arts. Don't rush over yet. Observe whether they have any accomplices."

Hanamaru Hiroki gestured for Ishibashi and Tsukasa to wait on the other side of the road.

“People from the Kitagawa Association usually know me. You walk past him on that sidewalk, pretend to be a passerby, go around behind him, and you know what to do next.”

"clear."

Inspector Ishibashi nodded solemnly in response, and then walked to the other end of the street where the vending machine was located.

Hanamaru Hiroki sat back in the Toyota Crown, staring at the tiny figure leaning against the tree trunk in the rearview mirror:

Why did the Kitagawa Association kidnap my daughter? What new moves are they trying to make to hinder me?

Moreover, according to Xiaokai, there had been harassing text messages about Hanabi before, so kidnapping shouldn't involve these extra things.

Or was this just a personal act?

He fell into thought.

"Things are a bit strange."

----------

As the sun sets, crows caw, and layers of swirling clouds, tinged with gray and gold, intertwine to create a crimson sunset over Tokyo.

"Hanabi-chan~ See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow."

Hanabi Hanamaru waved goodbye to her classmates and friends, then turned to look at Kai Uesugi, who was gazing at her from the side.

Her little hand tugged at the hem of his clothes.

"Kai-kun...why did you bring this today?"

She was referring to the wooden sword that was in Uesugi's hand and was in a bag.

Kai Uesugi looked at her smooth hair, which was bathed in the scorching heat of the setting sun: "Didn't Hanabi tell me yesterday that someone was following you? This is obviously an action to protect you."

"But those kinds of people... they probably won't come out..."

"Yeah, I only dare to hide in the shadows." Uesugi Kai walked out of the glass door of the teaching building.

Hanabi Hanabi followed beside him as they descended the steps bathed in the setting sun.

Kai Uesugi didn't want to talk about that kind of annoying guy.

"Let's talk about something happier."

"What does Kai-kun want to say?" Hanabi Hanamaru, wearing bright blue sneakers, stepped down the stairs one step at a time.

"Today, the sports meet is coming to a close, and Xiaohuahuo is performing a cheerleading dance."

"Is it... not good-looking?"

Girls always care about these things.

"She looks beautiful, especially her legs and tummy under her short skirt," Uesugi Kai smiled at her. "Hmm~ They're so white and slender, they have a very girlish feel to them, and you just want to touch them."

Hanabi Hanabi took a small step away from him, turned her head to look directly at him.

"What's wrong?" Uesugi Kai asked.

"Kai-kun...you clearly said it wouldn't work last night..."

"What do you mean, 'not allowed'?"

"Don't touch it randomly."

I agreed to his request yesterday, and he's now taking advantage of it.

"That was what Uesugi said yesterday. What does it have to do with Uesugi today?"

"How could this be...?"

"Is it easy to understand?"

As they walked out of the school gate together, Uesugi Kai was thinking about how to continue teasing her in a legitimate way. "If Hanabi doesn't agree, I'll have to take your shark back."

"Can't!"

Hanabi Hanamaru really liked the life-size shark body pillow, and quickly grabbed his hand, giving him a pleading look.

"If you don't want to, make a choice: do you want to take a bath with me tonight, or do you want me to wash Hanabi's feet?"

It was all embarrassing. He thought about touching his own toes every day, but Hanamaru Hanabi didn't want to agree.

"Hanabi...wearing a skirt for Kai-kun to see..."

There is no third option.

Kai Uesugi glanced at the Toyota Crown parked on the side of the road.

It seems my father-in-law was prepared. I wonder if he's caught them yet?

"Where did Hanabi go when school was almost over this afternoon?"

"Go...go..."

Hanabi Hanamaru didn't want to say that she had made friends with Kitagawa Sakakisa because Sakakisa-chan said that Uesugi hated her.

"You went to see your new friends?" Uesugi Kai smiled.

"Kai-kun...you knew?"

"Now, there's very little that Hanabi can hide from Kai-kun."

------------

Let's go back an hour.

After ordering a can of cherry blossom flavored soda from the vending machine, Ishibashi Kazushi spoke into the miniature walkie-talkie next to his ear:

"Chief Superintendent, we haven't found any accomplices. He should be alone. Shall we move in now?"

Hanamaru Hiroki's voice came through the walkie-talkie:

"Hmm...that's fine. With the evidence that Lin Tian took before, that's enough. But first, find a reason to make contact and see what Kitagawa wants to do."