Tokyo Knights: The Odd Jobs X Files

Seeing how eager Li Xin was to prove something, Lai Sheng Lei felt a little relieved and whispered to Li Xin, "There's going to be a sword exhibition in Tokyo soon, and a Western sword that my father collected will be on display there. So I'm thinking of taking this opportunity to steal that Western sword."

How can I help you?

Li Xin immediately asked.

Lai Sheng Lei said to Li Xin, "When I held the jewelry exhibition last time, I found that if I could directly intervene in other people's security, I could save a lot of trouble. So I plan to send an exhibit to the sword exhibition as well, and on this condition, I will arrange for you to be part of the exhibition's security."

"And then assist you in stealing that rapier?"

Li Xin asked about the next life, tears welling up in his eyes.

"No, all you have to do is protect the exhibit we sent over."

Lai Sheng Lei smiled slightly.

Li Xin looked completely bewildered.

Lai Sheng Rui didn't keep them in suspense and quickly explained, "From what I know, the security system for that sword exhibition will be handled by JACES, the largest security company in Asia. Because phantom thieves have been appearing frequently recently, JACES introduced the most advanced security system at this exhibition to prove their company's strength. Once an accident triggers the alarm, all the swords in the display cases will be instantly put into safes and then transported to the explosion-proof vault in the underground of the exhibition hall."

Li Xin thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up, and he said to Lai Shenglei, "So, your plan is to create a commotion and then switch the security box?"

Lai Sheng's eyes gleamed with appreciation: "That's right. Those security cases look exactly the same, except for the serial numbers on the outer shells. So, if we find the right opportunity, we can swap the serial numbers of the exhibits we send with the rapiers we want to steal, and then we can take the target away afterward."

Li Xin pondered Lai Sheng Lei's plan for a moment and felt that it was indeed very feasible. The key was that it was not dangerous. He nodded and said, "Okay, no problem. I will protect your exhibits."

Lai Sheng Lei glanced at Li Xin and said to him, "There are still a few days until the exhibition. I've found a pretty good ancient sword and I plan to send it as an exhibit. If you're free tonight, Ah Xin, would you like to come with me to meet the seller?"

"it is good!"

Li Xin answered without hesitation.

Seeing Li Xin's enthusiasm, Lai Shenglei couldn't help but smile slightly, but quickly suppressed it.

Hmph, I can't just let it go like that about lying about my age!

....................................

That evening, Li Xin changed his appearance again. Besides being sexy and charming, he got into a car with Lai Sheng Rui, who looked completely different from before. However, this time, the driver was not Uncle Yong Shi, but Lai Sheng Rui herself.

Uncle Nagaishi is the person that Kisei Rui trusts the most, and only he can Kisei Rui feel at ease letting him manage the business in Europe.

The success of "Cat's Eye" operations is not primarily due to the wisdom of Kisugi Rui and the skills of Kisugi Hitomi, but rather to the enormous financial resources provided by the Heinz family. Without the Heinz family's vast wealth, where would Kisugi Ai have found those props and equipment that are several generations ahead of the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as Li Xin, a powerful external ally?

So after the Luca Rox incident, Uncle Nagaishi returned to Europa to continue managing the business there for Rui Kisugi and providing her and her friends with a steady stream of financial support.

Li Xin and Lai Sheng Lei arrived at a Japanese-style house. Led by the nanny, Lai Sheng Lei met the owner of the house, an elderly man with a kind and benevolent face.

Upon seeing Kisaki Rui, the old man immediately knelt down before her and said, "Miss Yoshikawa, after careful consideration, I have decided not to sell that sword. It was a gift from my old friend, a testament to our friendship. If I were to sell it, it would be a betrayal of our friendship. I... I simply cannot do this. Please forgive me for my momentary lapse of judgment in deciding to sell it..."

Looking at the old man in front of her, whose voice was trembling with sobs, Lai Sheng Lei sighed and said, "In that case, I'll add another $100,000. Is that alright?"

The old man burst into tears, crying, "My dearest friends and family, my brothers and sisters... I'm so sorry!"

Then he quickly stopped crying and said to Laishenglei, "Deal!"

Li Xin was taken aback by the old man's quick change of expression, thinking to himself, "Isn't that what you call your 'beloved relatives and brothers'? You're just going to sell it for an extra $100,000?" Although $100,000 was indeed a lot of money.

Lai Sheng Lei instructed Li Xin to open his briefcase, revealing it filled with bright green US dollars, and then took out twenty bundles and placed them in front of the old man.

The old man's eyes weren't on the dollars in front of him; instead, they were fixed on the dollars in his suitcase.

Lai Shenglei said calmly, "If the old gentleman feels that two hundred thousand dollars is not as important as his feelings for his 'beloved relatives and friends, brothers and sisters,' then I will have no choice but to reluctantly give up this deal."

Lai Sheng Lei is indeed very rich and doesn't care about spending money, but that doesn't mean she's willing to be taken advantage of, and she repeatedly lets the other party raise the price on the spot.

For an obscure ancient sword, $200,000 is already a very high price. Compared to art and jewelry, the market for antique swords is actually quite small. Unless it's a very famous sword with significant historical importance, which is more like a cultural relic than an antique, it's difficult for other ordinary antique swords to fetch a high price.

Even this sword exhibition is a very niche event. If it weren't for the fact that many of the exhibitors are very influential figures, an exhibition of this caliber wouldn't be able to get a security giant like JACES to handle the security work.

Seeing that Laisheng was about to turn hostile, the old man immediately said, "I have already promised Miss Yoshikawa, how could I go back on my word? I understand, I will fetch the sword right now."

As he spoke, the old man displayed agility far beyond his years, quickly getting up from the ground and returning to the room shortly afterward with a long sword box in his arms.

He stroked the sword case gently and said to Laisheng Rui, "Miss Yoshikawa, this is truly a memento from my friend. If possible, please treat it well."

Lai Sheng Lei suppressed his nausea, opened the sword box, and after confirming the ancient sword inside, said to the old man, "Of course."

After Li Xin took the sword case, Lai Sheng Rui and Li Xin left the Japanese-style house together.

After getting into the car, Li Xin suddenly asked Lai Shenglei, "Little Lei, that box of money from before, wasn't it the money Luca Rox used to buy paintings?"

He noticed that the suitcase was the same style as the one Luca Rox had used before.

Being called "Little Tears" by someone much younger than herself made Lai Sheng Lei feel a little strange, but she still said, "This is indeed the box of money that Luca Rox gave me during the previous transaction."

Why use that box of money for the transaction?

Li Xin couldn't help but wonder, "It's already strange to use US dollars for transactions in Japan, so why specifically use that box of Luca Rox's money?"

"Because it's counterfeit money."

"Tears of the Next Life," she said softly.

"what?"

Li Xin was taken aback. Was that counterfeit money?

"Why do you think Luca Rox is so rich that he can bid a staggering fifty million dollars for an oil painting? It's because he actually submitted counterfeit money to the auction house. On the surface, he's a shipping tycoon, but in private, he's also the head of a massive money-printing syndicate."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I faced Li Xindao in my next life.

Shipping is indeed a very profitable business, but the pressure on cash flow is also great. If Luke Rox only occasionally spends a fortune to buy those works of art at exorbitant prices, that would be one thing. But he buys works of art very frequently and only takes in without giving out. The fact that his shipping empire is still in operation can only mean that he has other sources of income on the side.

With Luca Rox's death, his ship came under police investigation, and the printing plant located on the ship was discovered, exposing his printing syndicate. As a result, Lai Sheng Rui became suspicious of the batch of US dollars that Luca Rox had given her. After careful examination, she found that the US dollars were indeed counterfeit.

After thinking for a moment, Li Xin asked again, "Then why use counterfeit money to buy that ancient sword?"

Lai Sheng Lei's smile was somewhat mocking: "Because that sword wasn't given to him by his friend. Fifty years ago, he was an officer in the Kwantung Army of Japan. Where do you think he got this sword?"

Kwantung Army?

Upon hearing this name, Li Xin's expression instantly turned cold. As a man from the Central Plains, his first reaction to this name was naturally anger. And if an officer of the Kwantung Army had an ancient sword from the Central Plains, was there any doubt about the origin of that sword?

"Ashin, if there's anything you want to do, please wait until after the exhibition ends, okay?"

When Lai Shenglei spoke to Li Xin, his words, though meant to dissuade him, actually sounded more like encouragement.

Li Xin nodded and said, "Okay!"

Shortly after Li Xin and Lai Sheng Lei left, a man in black quietly arrived at the Japanese-style house.

The old man who had sold his ancient sword was staring at the US dollars on the ground with shining eyes. He picked up a bundle, held it to his nose, and sniffed it intensely, saying, "US dollars, US dollars... fragrant US dollars..."

Just as the old man was completely absorbed in his moment, a sword was placed against his neck, and a voice filled with murderous intent said, "Where is the ancient sword you stole from the Central Plains?"

The US dollars fell from his hand, and the old man froze in fear, stammering, "Sold...just now..."

A bloody welt appeared on the old man's neck. He felt the pain and the threat of death, and tears streamed down his face. "I really sold myself," he cried, "to a woman. She said she wanted to exhibit me at a trade fair! That's all I know! Please, please, spare me. I'm over seventy years old. Have pity on me, let me have a chance..."

A flash of sword light, and the old man's head fell, blood gushing out and staining the entire room crimson. The voice roared angrily, "You? You dare to die a peaceful death?"

After killing the old man, the man in black set fire to the room, and the raging fire burned everything inside to the ground.

Having done all this, the man in black left the mansion, muttering to himself, "An exhibition, huh..."

PS: At this moment, a down-on-his-luck painter in Vancouver saw a news report on TV about the dismantling of Luca Rox's money printing syndicate. He was stunned at first, then fell into deep thought. Finally, he said to his roommate, "Uncle Xin, I've decided. I don't want to be a supporting character anymore. I want to be the protagonist!"

Chapter Ninety-Two: White Jade and Purple Lightning

The news of the elderly man's murder made the newspapers the next day. The murderer's methods were extremely cruel, and afterwards, the elderly man's house was set on fire. All clues were destroyed in the fire, and given the efficiency of the Metropolitan Police Department, of course, nothing was found in the end.

When Lai Sheng Lei saw this news in the newspaper, she subconsciously thought of Li Xin, but quickly dismissed the idea.

According to the newspaper, Li Xin was with the old woman when her house caught fire. Li Xin is indeed very capable, but it is absolutely impossible for him to be in two places at once. Therefore, the person who committed this murder and arson must be someone else.

"This is troublesome."

"In the next life, tears welled up in my eyes as I frowned and said..."

If the old man dies and she takes his ancient sword to an exhibition, what if someone recognizes that the sword belongs to the old man? Wouldn't she get into legal trouble?

Although the identity of "Yoshikawa" is fake, and even if trouble comes her way, it won't affect Rui Kisei. But the problem is, at least until the operation is over, she needs to use this identity as a cover.

Therefore, that ancient sword cannot be sent to the exhibition; we will have to buy another one temporarily.

Fortunately, when making the plan, Lai Shengrui had already found several alternatives, so she quickly contacted one of them and prepared to go there in the afternoon to buy the antique samurai sword from him.

Accompanied by Li Xin, Lai Sheng Lei arrived at a Japanese-style house. Although it was also a Japanese-style house, it was undoubtedly much larger than the former Kwantung Army officer's house that they had visited yesterday.

"Maru Denjiro is a well-known collector in the industry. Of course, although he is called a collector, he is actually just a middleman who lends money at high interest rates. People who borrow money from him are required to use antiques or works of art as collateral. If the other party defaults on the loan, he will immediately confiscate the collateral and resell it."

Before entering the room, Lai Sheng Lei whispered to Li Xin.

"So you're not a good person, right?"

Li Xin summarized it briefly.

"You could say that."

"Later Life Tears" nodded.

Upon entering the house, the owner, Maru Denjiro, a bearded middle-aged man in his fifties, greeted Kisei Rui with great enthusiasm, saying, "Miss Yoshikawa, welcome, welcome!"

With a professional smile, Kisugi Rui asked Maru Denjiro, "Mr. Maru, where is that sword you mentioned? May I take a look at it first?"

Marudenjiro glanced at Li Xin behind Kisuke Rui, a knowing look flashing across his face, before smiling as he welcomed Kisuke Rui and Li Xin into his collection room.

Maru Denjiro took a beautiful samurai sword from the collection room and said, "This sword is called 'Kikuchiyo.' It is an excellent samurai sword and is in very good condition. I have tested it, and its sharpness can easily cut through bamboo and wooden stakes. Please take a look, Miss Yoshikawa."

Lai Sheng Lei smiled and said, "I'm a woman, I don't understand these things."

As he spoke, he gestured to Li Xin with his eyes. Li Xin stepped forward, took the samurai sword, and drew out a section of the blade. A sharp, cold light reflected from the sword. Li Xin nodded slightly, drew the sword completely, and slashed it into a wooden shelf in the collection room, splitting the shelf in two.

Marudenjiro glanced at Li Xin with considerable apprehension. He practiced Kendo and had reached the third dan level. He immediately recognized the power in Li Xin's strike. If that strike had landed on him, he probably wouldn't have fared much better than the wooden frame.

But Maru Denjiro quickly forced a smile and said to Kisei Rui, "Well, Miss Yoshikawa, is this sword to your liking?"

"It's really good."

Lai Sheng Lei nodded, then asked, "How much?"

Maru Denjiro's smile became much more genuine this time. He said with a smile, "Miss Yoshikawa, ten million yen, I think that price is quite reasonable, isn't it?"

"It's really not expensive. Okay, I'll buy it."

"Riri" said to Maru Denjiro.

After putting away "Kikuchiyo", Li Xin suddenly noticed a white jade sword placed in the niche.

This sword is flawless, radiant, and very beautiful.

When Kishou Rui noticed Li Xin's gaze, she couldn't help but look at the white jade sword. Seeing that Kishou Rui was interested in the sword, Maru Denjiro immediately asked, "Miss Yoshikawa, are you interested in this sword?"

Laisheng Lei smiled and said, "This sword is very beautiful, so I took another look."

"Miss Yoshikawa certainly has excellent taste!"

Marudenjiro was overjoyed. He smiled and introduced it to Raiichiro, saying, "This is something I collected a few years ago. I don't know what kind of craftsmanship was used. Although it is made of jade, it is extremely sharp and can cut through hair with a single breath."

Lai Sheng Lei examined the white jade sword carefully, then quickly shook her head: "This sword is beautiful, but..."

When Marudenjiro saw that Kisei Rui was like this, he knew what she was worried about. He couldn't help but curse inwardly, thinking that he must have been blind to have accepted such a piece of junk.

This white jade sword is indeed very beautiful, but as a sword, it has an awkward problem: its material is too brittle and it cannot be used in actual combat.

Collectors who enjoy collecting edged weapons, in addition to artistic value, also seek practicality; simply put, they want weapons that can be used in actual combat.

This white jade sword is beautiful, and it seems that some special process was used in its manufacture, making its sharpness comparable to that of famous swords. Maru Denjiro's statement that it can "cut hair with a breath" is not an exaggeration, but rather that he actually tested it with paper and hair, and it can indeed be done.

But the problem is, this is a sword made of jade. Who would dare to use it to fight someone? What if it gets damaged?

Therefore, the white jade sword was destined not to be sold as an antique sword.

Okay, it's so beautiful, so it can be sold as jade, right? Haha, no way.

Yes, the white jade sword is beautiful and flawless, but that's the problem. Real jade can't be this beautiful. The word "jade" itself implies that jade has flaws. Perfect jade is obviously fake. Therefore, the white jade sword cannot be sold as a jade artifact. At most, it can be considered a craft item. But if a craft item doesn't have a story behind it, it won't sell well.

Therefore, this white jade sword has been sitting in Marudenjiro's possession for many years, and no one has bought it. Even he himself regrets that he was deceived by the beautiful appearance of the white jade sword and accepted it back then.

Can I take a look?

Li Xin said to Maru Denjiro.

Maru Denjiro was overjoyed when he heard Li Xin say that: "Yes, of course!"

You'd better break it so I can force you to buy it!