Tokyo Knights: The Odd Jobs X Files

After Mitsuhiro Hida crashed his car, the fuel tank shook violently. The shaking of the "little gadget" greatly increased the probability of a collision, which would then generate sparks, resulting in the scene before us.

After reading so many cases in the newspaper, Li Xin concluded that there's no need to design so many steps. The simpler the murder method, the fewer flaws it leaves and the less clues it will leave. Those murderers racked their brains to devise so many seemingly ingenious murder schemes, but in the end, apart from leaving a lot of evidence to prove that they were the murderers, it wasn't as useful as they imagined.

Furthermore, compared to a locked-room murder, disguising a murder as an accidental death is much easier to accomplish. For some reason, whenever a locked-room murder occurs, all sorts of detectives—high school detectives, gourmet detectives, coroner detectives, armchair detectives…—will swarm in like sharks smelling blood. No matter how meticulous the murder case, it can always be solved under the bombardment of so many detectives.

Therefore, Li Xin's new three-step plan is to find the target, create an accident, and then evacuate the scene.

The third step is very important because Li Xin has read too many stories in the newspapers about murderers who lingered at the crime scene after committing the crime and were eventually exposed by detectives. Li Xin really couldn't even describe their stupidity.

Why stay at the scene instead of fleeing after doing something bad?

Of course, after seeing so many murder cases, Li Xin also had another thought: the Japanese are too capable of taking action. If they want to kill someone, they usually do it themselves. They don't even know if they have hired a hitman. No wonder Crocodile hadn't gotten a decent job in Tokyo for so many days. The job market here is just too bad!

Chapter Forty-Four: An Irresistible Request

After dealing with Hida Mitsuhiro, Li Xin leisurely returned to the cheap rental house where he was temporarily staying.

Li Xin had already confirmed that there were no surveillance cameras along this stretch of road, and not many people around. The darkness was the best protection for him, so he wasn't worried about anyone seeing him.

Furthermore, even if he saw it, so what? He was just an ordinary passerby. On the surface, he had no conflict with Mitsuhiro Hida, and he had no reason to kill Mitsuhiro Hida. Moreover, he was clean enough that he did not leave any traces at the scene. Even the rubber brake hose that he broke could not have been preserved intact in the fire. So who could prove that Mitsuhiro Hida's death was not an accident?

Back in the brightly lit Shinjuku district, Li Xin ignored the glitz and glamour of the crowds and turned directly into a small alley, a shortcut back to his cheap rental apartment.

Suddenly, a series of orderly footsteps sounded. Behind Li Xin, a group of men dressed in neat black suits and wielding samurai swords caught up. Without saying a word, they swung their swords at Li Xin.

At the exit of the alley, a bearded man glanced at his watch, silently timing the moment. Twenty seconds later, Li Xin emerged from the alley, completely unharmed, his clothes perfectly intact. He looked at the bearded man and asked, "The man you sent?"

In the alley behind Li Xin, the group of men in black suits wielding samurai swords lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. Although Li Xin hadn't killed them, he hadn't shown them any mercy either, as these men hadn't uttered a word and had each of them broken at least one bone.

The bearded man grinned at Li Xin: "That's right, it's me. I originally thought that although these useless guys were pretty good, they could at least hold you off for a bit, but I didn't expect..."

The bearded man waved his watch: "You can't even slow me down by a second."

He had estimated that it would take Li Xin about twenty seconds to walk through the alley at his walking speed. He started timing when Li Xin entered the alley, and Li Xin came out in twenty seconds. This meant that the group of men in black suits and knife-wielding knives did not even manage to delay Li Xin for a second. Li Xin had taken them down with ease.

Although the bearded man called those people trash, in reality, they were all martial arts elites in the gang, each a skilled fighter. Yet, in Li Xin's hands, they truly seemed like trash, which piqued the bearded man's interest in Li Xin.

"Who are you? Are you from the Theobe Alliance?"

Li Xin asked.

The black-suited thugs from before were one thing, but this bearded man in front of me was breathing heavily and speaking with a booming voice. He was also a master with considerable internal strength. It seemed that no other force would send such a large force to deal with me, except for the Theobe Alliance, whose regional leader I had killed.

The bearded man sneered, "Theobe Alliance? Heh, they don't have the power to order me around!"

"Then who are you?"

Li Xin was puzzled. He had only been in Japan for a short time, so when had he offended an organization that seemed to have a significant background?

"Hmph, if you want to know who I am, let me see what you're capable of first!"

The bearded man lunged at Li Xin as he spoke...

Five minutes later.

"Hahaha! Brother Ah Xin, you really are amazing! I didn't believe that kid Liao when he said you were incredibly skilled, but now that I've experienced it for myself, I know that kid can be honest sometimes!"

The bearded man let out a hearty laugh, his attitude towards Li Xin having undergone a complete transformation.

Li Xin patted off imaginary dust from his body and then pulled the bearded man out of the concrete.

The bearded man, now covered in dust and bruises, had completely lost his previous arrogance. He said to Li Xin, "Brother Xin, thank you for showing mercy earlier..."

The bearded man considered himself a master, but he only managed to hold out for two minutes against Li Xin. For the remaining three minutes, he became Li Xin's sitting duck, getting beaten up like a punching bag.

He had originally intended to be tougher and wait for Li Xin to ask him who he was, but he wouldn't say. So Li Xin stopped asking and just kept beating the bearded man like a grandson. Even the bearded man's father had never beaten him like that. After being beaten for three minutes, the bearded man finally couldn't take it anymore and told Li Xin that he was a friend of Ya Yu Liao and had been introduced by Ya Yu Liao to ask Li Xin for a job.

"No need for pleasantries, what's the request?"

Li Xin asked the bearded man.

Previously, Ya Yu Liao had said that if the client wasn't a beautiful young lady, he could transfer the case to Li Xin. Unexpectedly, business came in so quickly. To be fair, Ya Yu Liao seemed unreliable, but he was quite good at handling things. It's just that this client didn't say anything and started with this kind of greeting, which Li Xin found a bit unbearable.

Of course, it wasn't actually Li Xin who couldn't stand it, but rather the client who couldn't stand it.

Li Xin thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "You're not going to make me pay for those people's medical expenses, are you?"

Li Xin was referring to the black-suited thugs lying in the alley. He had no idea they were testing him. Seeing the knives in their hands, he went a bit too far. He figured they wouldn't be able to recover in a year or two.

The bearded man's face twitched, and he shook his head repeatedly: "It is their honor to be able to fight against a master like Brother A-Xin. Therefore, their injuries can only be blamed on their lack of training. How can you blame Brother A-Xin!"

Li Xin said calmly, "Since that's the case, please explain your request."

Li Xin had never liked people who were arrogant at first but obsequious later, and his attitude towards them was rather cold. He was already being lenient by not forbidding the other party from calling him "Brother A-Xin" because the other party was his employer.

The bearded man shook his head slightly and said to Li Xin, "I am not your client, Brother Xin."

"no?"

Li Xin raised an eyebrow. If that was the case, then he should settle the matter of addressing the bearded man.

Before Li Xin could speak, the bearded man pointed to a black extended Bentley parked not far away and said, "The client is in the car. Brother Xin, please come with me to meet the client."

Li Xin didn't recognize the Bentley logo, but he knew that such an extended car must be very expensive, and that people who could ride in such luxury cars must be rich. So, for the sake of his wealthy employer, Li Xin once again gave up arguing with the bearded man about the issue of address and nodded, saying, "Okay."

Led by the bearded man, Li Xin got into the extended black Bentley. The moment he sat down, the comfort made him realize what true luxury meant.

This car must be very expensive, right?

The genuine leather seats alone made Li Xin realize that this car was extraordinary; he simply couldn't imagine its overall value.

Inside the car, a man with a mustache bowed respectfully to Li Xin after he sat down and said, "Hello, Mr. Li Xin, I apologize for my rudeness earlier."

Li Xin shook his head slightly, about to say it was alright, when he saw the man with the mustache nod his chin to his subordinate sitting next to him. The subordinate immediately handed something to Li Xin. Li Xin took a closer look and immediately took a deep breath. The thing was actually a thick bundle of 10,000 yen bills, which he estimated to be about one million yen.

"My name is Hiroji Ueyama. I have nothing of value but some meager wealth. I don't know what Mr. O-Shin likes, so I can only offer these mundane items. Please don't take offense, Mr. O-Shin!"

The man with the mustache bowed to Li Xin again.

Li Xin swallowed hard, trying his best to control his excitement, and tremblingly accepted the one million yen. It wasn't that he hadn't seen money before, but receiving one million yen so easily, just for an apology, was a first for him.

This client is rich!

Li Xin's attitude towards this man with the mustache, namely Ueyama Hiroji, immediately changed. This ordinary-looking uncle seemed to gleam with light in Li Xin's eyes, well, a golden light.

"Mr. Ueyama, what would you like to ask me to do?"

Li Xin asked Shangshan Hongci about this.

Hiroji Ueyama said to Li Xin, "Let me first explain my identity to Mr. O-Shin. I am Hiroji Ueyama, the new chairman of the Black Tiger Society, a second-level organization of the Yamaguchi-gumi."

Li Xin frowned slightly after hearing Hiroji Ueyama's self-introduction. Essentially, he really didn't want to get involved with the yakuza, which was why he had previously refused Haitang's invitation. However, this time Hiroji Ueyama was offering far too much, so Li Xin decided to listen to his explanation of the commission before deciding whether to accept it.

Hiroji Ueyama continued, “A few days ago, I invited a gambling master to a gambling game near Hong Kong. This game is of great importance to me and cannot be lost. However, the opponent in that game is a very cunning and treacherous person. I am worried that he will harm the gambling master I invited. Therefore, I hope that Mr. Ashin can accompany the gambling master and protect him until the end of the game.”

Then, Hiroji Ueyama continued, "To be honest, I originally intended to commission 'City Hunter' Ryo Saeba for this job. However, Mr. Saeba was unwilling to serve as the bodyguard for that gambling expert and instead recommended you, Mr. Shin, to me. Since I am not familiar with Mr. Shin's abilities, I sent my subordinates to test him. Please forgive me for any offense!"

Forgive me, forgive me, of course I forgive you. If I could, Li Xin would even like to say to Ueyama Hiroji, why don't you offend me ten more times and I can give you a 10% discount!

Of course, this couldn't be said aloud. Li Xin asked Ueyama Hiroji, "How long will this commission last?"

Although he wasn't too keen on working for the yakuza, Hiroji Ueyama only wanted him to be a bodyguard to protect one person, and that person wasn't even a member of the yakuza. Li Xin accepted the request without much psychological resistance.

Ueyama Hiroji told Li Xin, "The betting will begin in half a month, and I will cover all expenses incurred during that time."

"Then, the reward is..."

Li Xin's Adam's apple bobbed.

If an apology alone costs one million yen, how much would the commission be? It must be at least ten million yen, right?

"One million..."

"That's what Hiroji Ueyama replied."

Li Xin frowned immediately.

No way, you give one million yen for an apology and one million yen for a formal commission? What kind of nonsense is this?!

"……Dollar."

After Hiroji Ueyama stated the currency unit, Li Xin immediately and decisively replied, "Yes, Mr. Ueyama, I agree. When shall we depart?"

Upon seeing Li Xin agree, Ueyama Hiroji immediately said happily, "Of course, the sooner the better. The gambling expert I invited and his wife plan to have a good time in Hong Kong before the gambling begins. If everything is settled, Mr. Li Xin, we are ready to set off tomorrow."

Li Xin frowned.

Crocodile hasn't returned yet. He's going to Hong Kong, a place he doesn't know well. Without Crocodile, that old fox, he'd actually feel a bit guilty. Although Ueyama Hiroji seems like a pretty good person, how would Li Xin know what kind of person he really is?

"Could you wait a few more days? My partner is unavailable and may not be back for a few more days."

Li Xin said to Shangshan Hongci.

Hiroji Ueyama's face was full of embarrassment.

He had witnessed Li Xin's skills clearly from the car. The arrogant, bearded man who was so domineering in the Black Tiger Gang had just been beaten like a grandson by Li Xin. This trip to Hong Kong was dangerous, and without a master like Li Xin by his side, Ueyama Hiroji was uneasy.

However, he also dared not neglect the gambling expert he had invited. Thus, caught in a dilemma, Hiroji Ueyama chose to raise the price!

"Two million US dollars, Mr. Ashin, please come with us tomorrow. Thank you!"

Ueyama Hiroji bowed to Li Xin.

Li Xin gasped.

How could this person be so sincere? How could Li Xin refuse?

"Alright, alright, since you're being so sincere, Mr. Ueyama, I won't say anything more..."

Li Xin's muscles were trembling all over. He said, "As for my partner, I will leave him a message and tell him to come to Hong Kong to find me after he returns. He is a local of Hong Kong. If Mr. Shangshan needs to do anything in Hong Kong, it may be of some use to find him."

Two million dollars, what's there to hesitate about? Let's do it!

Hiroji Ueyama smiled and said, "Mr. Oshin, if you trust me, you can have my men wait for your partner. Once your partner has finished his business and returned, my men will naturally bring him to Hong Kong!"

Li Xin nodded: "Okay, it's decided then!"

Hiroji Ueyama smiled broadly: "Then I will send my men to pick up Mr. O-Shin tomorrow!"

Li Xin was about to nod when he hesitated for a moment and then suddenly said to Ueyama Hiroji, "Mr. Ueyama, why don't you tell me a time and place, and I'll go by myself? I'll be leaving Tokyo for at least half a month, so please allow me to make some arrangements."

Hiroji Ueyama nodded and said, "Okay, no problem. Arrive at Haneda Airport before 1 p.m., is that alright with Mr. Oshin?"

One morning?

Li Xin thought for a moment, then nodded to Hiroji Ueyama and said, "No problem, I will definitely be at Haneda Airport before 1 p.m. tomorrow."

"Okay, then we'll have to rely on Mr. Ashin from now on!"

Ueyama Hiroji bowed to Li Xin again.

After making the appointment with Hiroji Ueyama, Li Xin declined Ueyama's offer to drive him back to his cheap rental apartment and got out of the car alone.

Watching the black extended Bentley slowly drive away, Li Xin felt not only excitement but also a touch of reluctance.

Tomorrow, let's go say goodbye to Xiaolei and the others.

Li Xin said in his heart, and then quickly added, "I just asked Xiao Lei and the others to keep an eye on the commission for me, that's all!"

Chapter Forty-Five Farewell

The next day, Li Xin left a letter for Crocodile Man, explaining Ueyama Hiroji's request, and then left the cheap rental house.

Of course, he didn't go to Haneda Airport; instead, he first visited Chin Gentsai.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Master Zhen Yuanzhai was Li Xin's savior. In Li Xin's mind, he already regarded him as half a teacher. This time, he would be leaving Tokyo for at least half a month, so of course he had to explain to Zhen Yuanzhai in advance.

“Oh, Hong Kong… Speaking of which, I have an old friend in Hong Kong. Ah-Xin, if you have time during your trip to Hong Kong, please visit him for me.”

Zhen Yuanzhai was still drunk. When he heard that Li Xin was going to Hong Kong, he went back to his room and searched around for a while before taking out a small porcelain bottle and giving it to Li Xin.

"Here, this is a healing elixir I found a few years ago. Ah-Xin, if you're going to visit him, please give this to him for me. If you're not going..."

Zhen Yuanzhai scratched his head, then smiled and said, "Ah Xin, you'd better figure it out yourself. If you don't take this medicine soon, it'll expire!"

Li Xin dared not neglect Zhen Yuanzhai's request. He assured Zhen Yuanzhai, "Master Yuanzhai, rest assured, I will definitely deliver this bottle of medicine to your old friend!"

After speaking, Li Xin hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "Master Yuanzhai, is your old friend injured?"

Zhen Yuanzhai nodded and said, "My old friend broke his leg in a fight a few years ago and it hasn't healed since. I don't know if this medicine of mine will be of any help to him... Anyway, Ah Xin, if you have time, please go and visit him for me!"

After a pause, Zhen Yuanzhai said to Li Xin, "Just give him the medicine. If he asks you for money or tries to sell you any secret manuals, don't listen to a word he says, don't believe a word he says. Just deliver the medicine and leave, understand?"

Li Xin was somewhat bewildered, not understanding why Zhen Yuanzhai would say that, but he still replied, "Okay, I understand, Master Yuanzhai."