Tokyo Soft Rice King

"Mr. Kuroba, excuse me, are we making you nervous?"

"Huh? What?"

"We will never hurt you, please rest assured."

The bodyguard in the black suit probably thought that it was his image and serious expression that made Hei Yuming feel uneasy, so he took the initiative to apologize.

Hei Yuming then realized that his nervousness had been transmitted to those around him, so he put away his constipated expression and spoke in a lighter tone.

"No, it has nothing to do with you. I'm not the kind of guy who judges people by appearance, and I'm not afraid of hunky men. Besides, you've already produced something that can prove your identity, right?"

Hei Yuming got into the car with them only after seeing the two bodyguards take out the invitation letter representing Uncle Zi Zhigong.

However, the fact that they dared to drive directly to Xiaolin's house to find him actually proved that they were not scammers.

Now that he knows how powerful the Kobayashi family is, Kuroba Ming really doesn't think that ordinary people would dare to cause trouble near the Kobayashi family.

"Most people look at us with fear because they think we're yakuza... so we're really grateful for your trust in us."

"You're so polite. You've been secretly protecting Ziyin, haven't you? In that case, I should thank you for your silent protection."

"That's our duty. We were indeed hopeless gang members in the past. It was Mr. Kazuhiro who saved our lives. So, to repay this favor, we will swear to protect the young lady's safety at all costs!"

This is actually what makes me most nervous... Hei Yuming felt ashamed.

If Uncle Murasakimiya were to judge that he was a bug that had harmed his daughter, these two currently friendly, tough bodyguards would probably sink him into Tokyo Bay with menacing looks on their faces.

"Come to think of it, I haven't asked about the destination yet. Where are we going?"

Are you going to Zi Zhigong’s house?

Are you going to pay a visit now?

"Ah, I forgot to tell you our destination. We are heading to Ginza. Mr. Kazuhiro owns a bar there."

"Oh, Ginza..."

When I bought new clothes for Ziyin before, I went there with Hongxiang, Ziyin and me.

But when we talk about bars, we generally refer to 'Ginza at night'.

Ginza is a world-class commercial district during the day, but becomes a world of "women" at night.

In other words, the whole of Tokyo takes on a completely different look at night... a world of decadence and extravagance.

From Ginza to Akihabara Electric Town, and then to Kabukicho in Shinjuku, men and women, modern people, otakus, office workers, and big bosses can all find entertainment venues that "fit their own positioning."

I won’t mention Akihabara, but there’s the Meidou Café, which is considered the “most simple” one.

Then there is Kabukicho in Shinjuku. This small area is packed with over 500 bars, big and small, and the number is double in Ginza.

But there is a slight difference between being a hostess in Shinjuku and in Ginza. The difference is probably similar to that between a prostitute and a geisha in a brothel?

If the women that can be bought with money are also divided into high and low grades, the cheapest are probably the streetwalkers, followed by the "official" ladies in Kabukicho.

If you are pretty, speak nicely and can smile, you can go on to become a hostess in bars and nightclubs.

The top of the list are the hostesses in Ginza's high-end nightclubs... They are similar to the courtesans in brothels who "sell their art but not their bodies". By reaching this point, the positions are reversed, and it is no longer the men who choose the women, but the women who choose the men.

Although the hostesses in Shinjuku will not openly declare that they "sell their smiles and bodies", most of them will use their actions to show that they can be dealt with with money, and they will also mock the hostesses in Ginza for being whores and pretending to be saints.

That being said, Shinjuku girls still try their best to squeeze into Ginza, hoping to get the title of Ginza girl.

After all, people always strive for higher positions. Even if they are both prostitutes, being a prostitute in Ginza means you are considered a "celebrity".

Because there are many big bosses in Ginza, if you are lucky enough to find a rich man and be kept by him, you don’t have to work hard anymore.

Women empty men's pockets, and men play with all the women in the world... This is the materialistic night life of Tokyo.

Thinking of this, Kuroba Ming felt that Akihabara was more suitable for him.

However, the bar that Kuroba Ming came to today was very unusual. It was located in the center of Ginza Pedestrian Street, the most prime location, but it was a small underground bar without even a sign.

After getting off the car, the two bodyguards did not follow, but signaled Hei Yuming to go down alone.

Hei Yuming walked into the small bar alone.

Normally, at this time close to evening, the bar should have started to have customers, but there was not a single customer in this bar.

It seems to be a private bar that can be booked out when needed.

Hei Yuming walked to the bar and sat down. The middle-aged bartender with gray hair smiled at him and asked.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Sorry, I don't drink."

"This is a bar, but you're not going to drink?"

"I'm still a minor, didn't you know that a long time ago?"

"How would I know?"

"Because you are Uncle Murasaki, aren't you?"

"..."

Mr. Bartender... Mr. Shizumiya Kazuhiro raised his eyebrows, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously rose, his expression revealing surprise and joy.

"I didn't expect you to notice me right from the start. Is my acting really that bad? In order to avoid being recognized by you, I even had someone change my image and even my voice."

"No, there's nothing wrong with your appearance, behavior, and attitude. I came to this conclusion based on logical reasoning."

"Oh? Logic?"

"Yes, I think you asked me to come here to have a confidential conversation. And it's definitely not about business matters, but about 'family matters', right?"

"Yes, today we are going to talk about 'family matters'."

"In this case, in an occasion where 'outsiders' are unnecessary, no matter how trustworthy this bartender is, he is still 'superfluous'. So there is only one answer..."

This elegant bartender is Uncle Murasakimiya Kazuhiro.

"You are younger than I thought, Uncle Zizhimiya."

"Haha, you're too kind. It's you, Hei Yu-kun, who is so young, yet possesses a maturity far beyond your years. That's truly remarkable."

Murasakimiya Kazuhiro was very satisfied with Kuroba Akira's performance and poured him a glass of purple grape juice drink.

"Well, as a reward for answering correctly, this is my treat. It's a non-alcoholic drink, so feel free to drink it."

Hei Yuming picked up the triangular cup pushed in front of him and took a sip before asking.

"Are you dressed like this specifically to test me? Or is this just a personal interest of yours?"

"Both. I was actually looking forward to what expression you'd make when you found out I was Murasakimiya Kazuhiro... but in the end, I was actually a little shocked when you revealed me. I was actually outmaneuvered, haha."

Murasakimiya Kazuhiro said, rubbing his chin.

"Kuroba-kun, you're one of the few people who saw through this little trick from the beginning, but there are actually quite a few people who have been fooled by this trick of mine, right?"

"I don't suppose you opened a private bar specifically for pranks or for your own amusement, or even pretended to be a bartender, did you?"

"I usually do this to get a sense of the other person's true character in advance. I'll see how he treats 'servants' like the bartender, what kind of drinks he'll order, and so on... Based on this information alone, I can roughly judge what kind of person he is."

In fact, it is just like a secret visit.

Everyone behaves differently in front of different people, and Murasakimiya and Hiro use this method to observe the different faces of each person.

"And you, Kuroba-kun...are even better than I expected."

"No, no, you are flattering me."

"This way I can rest assured and leave my daughter to you..."

"what?"

"Did you think I would say that?"

Suddenly, the kind smile on Murasakimiya Kazuhiro's face became even more "kind-hearted". A big hand pressed down on Hei Yuming's left shoulder, and the force gradually increased, pinching Hei Yuming's shoulder so hard that it began to hurt, as if it was going to crush his shoulder.

"The 'inspection' has just begun, Kuroba-kun, don't think you can get away with it just like that, okay?"

"Okay, okay..."

It turns out that no father would give up his daughter so easily.

Although Murasakimiya Kazuhiro is Murasaki's stepfather, he is also a daughter-con.

"But there's no need to be nervous, Hei Yu-kun. I won't cause you any trouble because of Zi Yin's matter. I just wanted to meet you today to learn about your next plans...about Zi Yin's arrangements."

Sure enough, I asked this question.

Hei Yuming pursed his lips, frowned slightly, and repeatedly considered what to say in his mind.

To be honest, if he just wanted to 'get by', he would have a hundred reasons to fool his father-in-law, but he didn't want to deceive this good father who cared about his daughter.

But... to be honest, he'll definitely get mad...

Just as Kuroba Akira was hesitating, Shizumiya Kazuhiro seemed to see Kuroba Akira's distress, patted his shoulder and said.

"Relax, Kuroba-kun. I don't want to force you to make a decision, nor do I want you to say something against your will... How about this, I tell you my reasons first?"

"What's your reason?"

"Yes, before I act like a father to test you, I have to prove myself first, right? After all, I'm not Shion's biological father. I'm sure you're also wondering why I married Shion's mother, Fumiko."

"Well... I'm a little curious, because I heard that you're a very powerful figure in the business world."

With Murasakimiya Kazuhiro's business at such a high level, he can get any woman he wants and there is no need for him to marry a woman with a daughter.

So after thinking about it, there are only two possibilities... one is Boss Cao's hobby, and the other is true love.

"Big shot... Kuroba-kun, you know what? This bar is the first 'non-alcoholic bar' I opened in Ginza."

"A non-alcoholic bar? Can that even be open?"

"Haha, unexpectedly, business is quite good. Although 99% of people who come to Ginza are here to get drunk, there are also some who crave a 'sober encounter'."

Murasakimiya Kazuhiro shook the goblet in his hand, which was also filled with grape juice, not wine.

"For me, meeting Fumiko was a 'sober encounter'."

From this point on, Murasakimiya Kazuhiro began to talk about his past.

"Actually, our Zizhigong family isn't some big, famous family. We used to be just an ordinary family of three. However, due to an accident at a construction site, my father lost a leg and his ability to work. Because the insurance company went bankrupt, we didn't receive any compensation."

"This is too abominable!"

"That happened not long after I was born. When I was little, my impression of my father was that he was an alcoholic, moody, and beat up his family... To me at that time, my father was simply the devil."

"...I think your father is probably angry at his own incompetence, which is why he becomes so irritable."

Because Hei Yuming was in the same situation in his previous life, he can understand it very well.

But, it really shouldn't affect my family.

"Maybe... Anyway, I don't know whether to call it fortunate or unfortunate, but my alcoholic father died of a cerebral hemorrhage when I was in elementary school."

Now that Murasakimiya Kazuhiro is a father, he feels very complicated when he mentions his father again.

"It's because of my father that I don't drink alcohol, and that's why I opened this alcohol-free bar."

"I see."

"Let me continue. After my father died, my mother raised me alone. Life was extremely difficult. To pay for my schooling, she worked three jobs. At her busiest, she worked sixteen hours a day... So at that time, I always thought that I must make a lot of money in the future so that my mother could live a good life... However, just when I was about to graduate from high school, my mother passed away due to illness."

"This... please accept my condolences."

"I couldn't get over it, and I suddenly lost my life goals. Then I started making money as a 'revenge'. When I came to my senses... I was already a billionaire."

This sentence sounded like a pretense, but Hei Yuming heard sadness in it.

"But what's the point of me having so much money? In the end, my mother couldn't even enjoy it..."

"..."

"Just when I was feeling lost, a new applicant came to the bar I opened... She was Fumiko."

"Ah... So this is how you and Shion's mother met."

"That's right. I don't know if it's a chance God gave me, but Fumiko looks so much like my mother... She even had a similar experience. Both of us were ruined by bad men and had to raise children alone. It was very difficult."

"I see……"

Hei Yuming understood immediately.

This is empathy.