Tokyo Knights: The Odd Jobs X Files

Saeko Nogami glared at the man in the white suit and said to him, "Stop him now!"

"That's not a good idea..."

The man in the white suit shook his head.

"If he just leaves like this, Liao, I won't get the reward I promised you!"

Nogami Saeko threatened.

"hateful!"

The man in the white suit revealed a gritted-teeth expression, then said to Li Xin's back, "Hey, don't go yet! Just give me some face and listen to what this vixen has to say!"

Li Xin acted as if he hadn't heard.

"Or I'll shoot!"

Li Xin turned his head. Although the rubber bullets hitting him wouldn't hurt him, they would still hurt.

Seeing that Li Xin finally stopped, Nogami Saeko stepped forward and said, "I have a general understanding of your strength. I have always been willing to befriend someone as capable as you."

"It's exploitation, isn't it..."

The man in the white suit muttered something under his breath, then received a glare from Saeko Nogami.

"Is that so? But I don't want to know people who don't keep their word."

Li Xin said coldly.

Li Xin wasn't a petty person, but he would remember Nogami Saeko's deception of him regarding money for the rest of his life!

"That's right, that's right, you don't keep your word, you bad woman!"

The man in the white suit whispered again, then let out a cry of pain. It turned out that Saeko Nogami had stomped hard on his toes with her high heels.

Saeko Nogami coughed softly, then said, "We were complete strangers just now, and I needed to test whether you really had the ability to become my partner, which is why I did that. Once we actually work together, you'll know that I'm a woman of my word."

"Really? I don't believe it, unless you come with me..."

Before the man in the white suit could finish speaking, Nogami Saeko punched him in the face.

Saeko Nogami chuckled dryly, “Hehehe, this is my old friend Ryo Saeba. He just likes to say things that don’t make sense. By the way, speaking of which, he’s also your colleague. He’s a cleaner, nicknamed ‘City Hunter.’ If you want to do business in Tokyo, you might as well cooperate with him.”

"Saeko, what nonsense are you spouting? I won't work with anyone who isn't a beautiful woman; that's my principle!"

"I'm rubbing my nose," said the man in the white suit, Yao Yu Liao, anxiously.

Upon hearing that Ya Yu Liao was one of his peers, Li Xin became interested.

He hasn't actually done much legitimate business since coming to Tokyo. If he could get to know someone in the same industry and have them introduce him to business opportunities...

However, it's said that competitors are enemies, would he be willing to do that?

Just ask, it doesn't cost anything anyway.

So Li Xin asked, "You and I are in the same business, do you have any business to recommend to me?"

"Get lost! I'm already overwhelmed with requests from beautiful women, how could I possibly recommend them to you!"

Ya Yu Liao looked at Li Xin with the eyes one would use to look at an enemy.

"..."

Li Xin paused for a moment, then said, "I'll take any job that makes money. I don't care about the client's gender or appearance."

"Oh, okay, then."

Yao Yu nodded: "I'll have my partner keep an eye out for you, but according to industry practice, we charge a commission."

"I understand, fifty percent, right?"

Li Xin nodded.

Crocodile had always told him that in their line of work, the hitman and the agent split the profits 50/50.

Ryo Saeko and Saeko Nogami exchanged a glance. There's a little white rabbit here!

After a quick glance around, Ya Yu Liao immediately said in a serious tone, "It is indeed fifty percent. Young brother, you are very familiar with the rules of the underworld!"

These days, it's so rare to meet a complete novice, so why not take advantage of them to the fullest extent!

Li Xin frowned. He had noticed the eye contact between Ryo Yaba and Saeko Nogami. Given their behavior, could it be...?

"Cough cough!"

Ryo Saeba sensed that Li Xin seemed to doubt him, so he quickly said to Li Xin, "By the way, although I just tested your strength, it was in a small alley, and you had to protect Saeko, so you couldn't really unleash your full power. How about we go to an open place and have another match? Of course, this time I'll still use rubber bullets, how about it? Let's go?"

When Li Xin heard that Ya Yu Liao wanted to have a match with him, he agreed without hesitation, "Okay!"

He could inquire about the profit-sharing later if he had the chance. He was also feeling a bit frustrated about what had just happened, and since Ya Yu Liao wanted to have another match, he was naturally willing to oblige. Moreover, as long as it was in an open area, he didn't think the pistol could hit him.

The two moved to the rooftop of a nearby building, and Saeko Nogami followed suit, eager to witness such a battle.

"Ten paces away, six bullets, is that alright?"

Ya Yu Liao addressed Li Xin.

Li Xin nodded, and then Ya Yu Liao slowly loaded the bullets.

Snapped!

As the magazine clicked shut, Li Xin moved instantly, approaching Ya Yu Liao in a zigzag pattern at lightning speed.

Unperturbed, Ya Yu Liao fired two shots at Li Xin, who was moving. Li Xin kept his eyes fixed on Ya Yu Liao's pistol, calculating the trajectory and quickly dodging the two bullets. Just as he made his move to dodge the two bullets, two more bullets came flying at him, landing right where he had dodged.

Li Xin twisted his body again, trying to dodge the other two bullets, but at the same time, he sensed two more bullets coming towards him. This time, his dodging ability had reached its limit, and he had no room to dodge them. So, Li Xin was shot. He remained where he was and said calmly, "I lost."

Ya Yu Liao fired six shots, but in reality only three shots rang out, because each pair of shots was fired in quick succession. The first four shots were not intended to hit Li Xin, but to make Li Xin act according to his plan. The last two shots were his killing blows.

Neither of the two shots hit Li Xin; instead, they struck the buttons on his collar. If such small buttons could be hit, then hitting Li Xin's eyes would be no problem at all.

Li Xin was protected by the "Wedding Dress Divine Skill," which allowed him to deflect even bullets. Therefore, if he was hit by a bullet, he would only suffer a graze. However, if it were a vulnerable spot like the eyes, even a graze would be fatal. Moreover, Ya Yu Liao could fire two shots at the same time in a very short period of time, hitting the same spot. The "Wedding Dress Divine Skill" might protect him once, but it might not be able to protect him a second time.

Li Xin wasn't the type to argue unreasonably. Seeing that Ya Yu Liao had the ability to kill him, he willingly admitted defeat.

A gunman who is quick to fire, accurate in marksmanship, and extremely resourceful can truly be called a gun god.

Sure enough, Tokyo is a big city with many capable people. Even the once invincible "Wedding Dress Divine Skill" couldn't protect him forever.

Yao Yu Liao blew away the gunpowder smoke from the muzzle and said to Li Xin, "Young brother, let me tell you something. Your speed and strength are very strong, even stronger than some of the cyborgs I've met before. However, you're too straightforward and easy to guess. I think you should learn some martial arts. That would effectively enhance your strength."

Li Xin didn't think that Ya Yu Liao was mocking him. After listening carefully to Ya Yu Liao's words, he nodded to Ya Yu Liao and said, "Thank you, I have learned a lot."

Ya Yu Liao is absolutely right. The "Wedding Dress Divine Skill" only contains the method of cultivating internal energy, without any moves. So he is only stronger and faster than ordinary people, which is enough to deal with ordinary people, but it seems far from enough to deal with a master like Ya Yu Liao.

You're welcome, see you next time!

Ya Yu Liao waved goodbye to Li Xin warmly.

After Li Xin left the rooftop, Ryo Saeko lit a cigarette. Saeko Nogami walked up to Ryo Saeko and said, "As expected, Ryo, you're still the better one!"

"Haha, of course! Don't you even know who you are!"

Ryo Saeko laughed loudly, but quickly stopped laughing and said to Saeko Nogami, "But this kid is not simple either. I feel like he didn't use his full strength. His physical fitness is like a monster. He took a few rubber bullets from me before, but he didn't even flinch. I even suspect that he is a cyborg."

There are many strange and wonderful things in this world. When Ya Yu Liao was working before, he encountered some extraordinary people, including cyborgs. These cyborgs, thanks to modern technology, possessed superhuman strength, were incredibly strong, and had no sense of pain. They were even difficult to be hurt by bullets. When he encountered those cyborgs, it took him a lot of effort to deal with them.

Although Li Xin is not a cyborg, he felt very similar to him, which is why he used this example.

"That's precisely why it's worthwhile to cooperate with him—he has to be extraordinary!"

Nogami Saeko smiled, her smile full of pride.

"Hey Saeko, this kid looks cold, but he's actually quite honest. Don't take advantage of him."

As someone who is often tricked by Saeko Nogami, Ryo Saeba is very worried about his little brother's future.

"Don't worry, I'm not a good person... no, I'm not a bad person either, why would I cheat anyone!"

Saeko Nogami laughed.

Ya Yu Liao immediately revealed a lecherous expression: "Is that so? Then give me my reward and come with me..."

Before she could finish speaking again, Saeko Nogami kicked Ryo Saeba off the rooftop, then dusted herself off and left, leaving Ryo Saeba clinging to a protruding spot below the rooftop, desperately calling for help in the cold wind.

Chapter Twenty: The Arduous Path of Study

Li Xin did not feel disappointed or resentful about losing to Ya Yu Liao, since it didn't involve money.

On the contrary, Ya Yu Liao pointed out Li Xin's problem, which made Li Xin very glad that he had a match with Ya Yu Liao this time. Otherwise, it would have been terrible if this problem had been exposed at a critical moment.

If there are shortcomings, then improvements must be made.

Li Xin's way of thinking is very simple, and he is also very proactive. He didn't go back to Cat's Eye Cafe, but instead went back to his cheap rental house and asked Crocodile Lao where he could learn martial arts. He believed that Crocodile Lao must have inquired about this matter.

"You've come to the right person. I actually know the answer."

Crocodile nodded to Li Xin.

He was a conman by trade and was most skilled at dealing with all sorts of people. He was well-versed in the art of "speaking human language to human beings and ghost language to ghosts," and could blend in well wherever he went.

When he was hanging out with the Tainan gang, he not only became sworn brothers with the gang leader Kao Chieh, but also got along very well with his men. He even made contact with Kao Chieh's top henchman, who seemed to think that there was no future in the underworld and wanted to switch sides to Crocodile's gang as an assassin.

Of course, Crocodile didn't agree, but he didn't refuse either, so he stalled for the time being. In order to prove his strength to Crocodile, the number one henchman told Crocodile that he was a disciple of the number one martial arts school in Japan. Although he was just an ordinary disciple, he could easily take on ten ordinary people and would definitely be a capable and good assassin.

Unfortunately, while that thug might have the potential to become a good assassin, the problem is that Crocodile isn't a true assassin agent.

“I’ve inquired about that school of thought. Whether it’s the best in Japan is debatable, but it’s certainly very strong. Ashin, you can go there and see if you can learn anything from it.”

Crocodile Lao picked up a pen and wrote an address on a notepad, then handed it to Li Xin.

Li Xin is his partner, and it's a good thing that he's willing to improve his professional skills; Crocodile Boss naturally agrees wholeheartedly.

Since it was still early, Li Xin didn't wait until tomorrow. He took the note given to him by Crocodile Man and set off on the road to find the so-called "number one martial arts school in Japan".

Is this the place?

After searching for a long time, Li Xin arrived at the address written on the note and murmured as he looked at the unassuming temple in front of him.

He originally thought it would be easy to find this dojo, which claimed to be the "number one martial arts school in Japan". However, even with the address, he had to ask many people before he finally found the dojo. On the way, he almost mistook it for a karate dojo called "Kyokugenryu". This time, he stared at the signboard at the door for a few moments and finally confirmed that it was the right dojo before pushing the door open and entering.

"Too lax, you need to punch harder!"

"Where has your perseverance gone? Where has your spirit gone?!"

"With a skill level like that, you can't stay in our 'Extreme Flow'!"

As soon as Li Xin entered the training ground, he heard a middle-aged man shouting and cursing, verbally abusing the group of apprentices who were practicing.

Beside the dojo, a girl with a single braided ponytail yawned and muttered, "With Dad being so strict, I wonder how long these apprentices can last..."

In terms of strength alone, the current head of "Kyokugenryu" karate, Takuma Sakazaki, is known as the "God of Karate," and his strength is undeniable. "Kyokugenryu" karate is also very famous in the martial arts world of Japan. However, in the secular world, "Kyokugenryu" karate does not have much popularity, simply because there are too few disciples of "Kyokugenryu".

It wasn't because no one wanted to learn from them that the number of disciples dwindled, but because Takuma Sakazaki, the head of the "Kyokugenryu" karate school, was too strict. He would train those who came seeking his expertise until they were spitting blood. In order to save their lives, the disciples often had to leave "Kyokugenryu" after only a short time. The thug who claimed to be a disciple of "Kyokugenryu" was actually not even an ordinary disciple. He was a "deserter" who quit "Kyokugenryu" after only one month of training.

To date, the only people who have successfully completed a full year of training in Kyokugenryu karate, besides Ryo Sakazaki, the eldest son of Takuma Sakazaki, are his foreign disciple Robert Garcia.

Takuma Sakazaki didn't think he had done anything wrong by the fact that his apprentices and disciples kept running away. Instead, he believed it was because young people these days lacked perseverance.

"Extreme Flow" is named after the limits and challenges the limits of human beings. If you can't even endure this "little" bit of hardship, you might as well get lost and save his time!

As soon as Li Xin entered, the middle-aged man who was scolding the apprentice, Takuma Sakazaki, immediately sensed something, his tiger-like eyes widened, and his sharp gaze shot towards Li Xin.

When Li Xin met Sakazaki Takuma's gaze, he immediately felt an immense pressure, realizing how insignificant he was in front of this man, and involuntarily took a half step back.

This person is incredibly strong!

Li Xin said with lingering fear.

Having witnessed Yao Yu Liao's spear skills, he thought he had finally begun to encounter the strong in this world. But now it seems that his vision was too short-sighted. The real strong one should be the one standing before him.

While Li Xin was in a daze, Takuma Sakazaki was scrutinizing him closely.

His breathing was deep and even, his heartbeat was strong, his limbs were well-proportioned, and his physique was robust... He was a trained fighter. Did he come to my "Extreme Flow" to challenge me?

Thinking about this, Takuma Sakazaki became very interested.

In fact, after Kyokugenryu Karate moved back to Tokyo from South Town, many Japanese martial arts schools came to challenge them, but they were all defeated by Takuma Sakazaki and his two disciples, Ryo Sakazaki and Robert. This is why Kyokugenryu Karate earned the title of "Japan's No. 1 Martial Arts School".

Takuma Sakazaki, who enjoys fighting, doesn't dislike this kind of recreational activity that allows him to loosen up his muscles. However, after making a name for himself and even defeating the "Dansui-ryu," which was originally known as the "number one martial arts school in Japan," against the "Kyokugenryu," fewer and fewer people dare to challenge the "Kyokugenryu" dojo. So when a new toy came to his door, Takuma Sakazaki was very happy and even planned to personally take to the field for the first time in a long time.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under Takuma Sakazaki's gaze, which was like that of someone eyeing prey, Li Xin didn't forget why he was there. He slowly stepped forward, enduring the sharp, piercing look, and said, "Hello, I've come to 'Kyokugenryu' to become an apprentice. Are you the master of 'Kyokugenryu' karate?"

Are you here to become my apprentice?

Takuma Sakazaki frowned, then quickly "had an epiphany".