Chapter 938: Keeping it Real |
As Zhang Jingxu had predicted, none of them caught a single fish in the next two hours.
After confirming that there were no spies around, Yin En sighed and said, "So, does this mean that Kitano Masakazu has discovered our collaboration with Shima Mitsuhiro, or is he just trying to intimidate us?"
"I think it's the latter," Ding Kun shook his head, "If Kitano Masakazu had found out about our collaboration with Shima Mitsuhiro, he wouldn't be playing this game. With his current strength, getting rid of us and Shima Mitsuhiro would be a piece of cake."
"But if that's the case, as you said, Brother Ding, why would Kitano Masakazu go to such lengths to intimidate us? We're already in his grasp, so... he might not be as powerful as we imagined." Zhang Jingxu's eyes lit up.
Yin En couldn't help but glance at Kitano Masakazu, who was still chatting and laughing with Shima Mitsuhiro.
"If that's the case, all of Kitano Masakazu's assets should be on this boat, and there are no Deep Ones on land as he claimed," Zhang Wenbing said, looking towards the shore.
Ding Kun, who was beside them, thought for a moment and said, "The Kitano Family is currently divided, right? And from the current situation, it seems that the main focus of the Kitano Family is on Hokkaido. So, the Island Nation branch of the Kitano Family should have a new head, and Kitano Masakazu probably has his eyes on that position. He might have come to Southern Kyushu with his own men to use the achievements of the puppet Shimazu Family as a bargaining chip for his own advancement."
"That's a possibility, and it also explains why Kitano Masakazu hasn't made a move yet. He probably doesn't have the confidence to take on Shimazu Residence with just this group of people, so he has to wait for the right opportunity. But then, how long will this 'right opportunity' take?"
Just then, a mobile phone rang on the deck.
After the call, they saw a solemn-faced Shima Mitsuhiro.
It seemed that the call didn't bring good news.
Shima Mitsuhiro exchanged a few words with Kitano Masakazu and then walked towards Zhang Jingxu and the others.
"The situation is not looking good. The Ii Family has come to Kagoshima City."
Shima Mitsuhiro got straight to the point, "I don't know what my uncle was thinking, allowing the Ii Family to enter Kagoshima City to search for Ii Naoyoshi. Don't they know that the Ii Family is a member of the Public Faction? And the Ii Family has been our Shimazu Family's arch-enemy for generations."
Then, Shima Mitsuhiro shared the information about the drugs and equipment with Zhang Jingxu and the others.
"I see. But I think the reason why Mr. Shimazu agreed to let the Ii Family enter Kagoshima City is that he had no choice. After all, the Ii Family has a legitimate reason, and Ii Naoyoshi is now a common enemy of the Public Faction and the Warrior Faction. From all angles, Mr. Shimazu couldn't refuse the Ii Family's request. And the Ii Family should have mentioned that all their actions in Kagoshima City would be monitored by the Shimazu Family, right?" Zhang Wenbing asked.
Shima Mitsuhiro nodded helplessly, "Yes, the members of the Ii Family first arrived in Osaka and underwent a comprehensive inspection in a residential area near the Osaka airport. Then, they were escorted by local leaders to various regions to track down Ii Naoyoshi. So, the Ii Family's actions are reasonable, and we can't find any fault with them. But, our Shimazu Family is in a special situation now."
"This time, the members of the Ii Family came by plane, so Shima Takeshi will definitely know about their arrival and guess their intentions. After all, the matter of Ii Naoyoshi has caused a huge stir, and everyone knows about it. I'm worried that Shima Takeshi will take advantage of this situation and play some dirty tricks, like representing the Shimazu Family to monitor the members of the Ii Family. If that happens, we'll be at a disadvantage because Shima Takeshi will be boosting his own presence."
"This is indeed bad news," Zhang Jingxu frowned, "Shima Takeshi can use this opportunity to announce that he has become the heir to the Shimazu Family. Unless you confront him and acknowledge that Shima Takeshi has taken control of Kagoshima City, you'll have to bear this hidden loss. But this loss is not easy to swallow because Shima Takeshi will take advantage of the situation. He will start spreading the word among the public and family business employees that he is the next head of the Shimazu Family, creating an invisible layer of protection for himself."
Shima Mitsuhiro sighed helplessly, "This is a manipulation of public opinion. If we allow Shima Takeshi to spread the message that he is the next chieftain of the Shimazu Family to ordinary people, then the only way to settle accounts with him in the future will be through assassination, and we'll only have one chance. If the assassination fails, Shima Takeshi will use it to his advantage..."
"So, Brother Mitsuhiro, are you planning to meet the members of the Ii Family before Shima Takeshi does? Isn't that too risky?" Yin En suddenly asked.
Shima Mitsuhiro looked at Yin En in surprise and nodded, "How did you guess that I had such a plan?"
Yin En sighed and spread his hands, "From the current situation, if you want to stop Shima Takeshi's potential plan, this is the only thing you can do - become the Shimazu Family's monitor ahead of time. This is probably why Mr. Shimazu called you just now, hoping that you would stand up at this moment."
Shima Mitsuhiro also sighed and said seriously, "Yes, my uncle called me just now for this reason. To stop Shima Takeshi from boosting his presence, I must stand up, or rather, I'm the only one who can stand up now... But this also means that I will expose my position. Shima Takeshi will definitely send people to keep a close eye on me, and if he wants to take a gamble, he might even send people to kill me."
Hearing this, Zhang Jingxu and the others also fell silent.
It was indeed a difficult choice.
If Shima Mitsuhiro didn't choose to step forward, Shima Takeshi would boost his presence and make the major families believe that he had officially become the next heir to the Shimazu Family. But if Shima Mitsuhiro did step forward, then Shima Takeshi would be keeping a close eye on him. It wouldn't be easy for Shima Mitsuhiro to disappear from under Shima Takeshi's nose, as Kagoshima City had already become Shima Takeshi's territory.
So, Shima Mitsuhiro would either face a life-threatening situation or be closely monitored by Shima Takeshi, making it difficult for him to make any further moves.
That's why Shima Mitsuhiro looked so lost at this moment, as he didn't know which choice to make. Both options seemed to have no benefits for him.
One option might force him to withdraw from the competition for the position of the head of the Shimazu Family, while the other might lead to his mysterious death...
Zhang Jingxu and the others didn't know what to say, as it was a life-or-death decision. They all felt that it was better not to get involved in this choice to avoid being blamed later.
However, after exchanging glances, they reached a consensus: it would be best for Shima Mitsuhiro to meet the members of the Ii Family before Shima Takeshi, but he must not bring his group to their deaths.
So, Zhang Jingxu and the others had already made up their minds: if Shima Mitsuhiro insisted on going, they would firmly state that they would stay behind to 'protect' him in secret.
No one wanted to follow him to their deaths.
Shima Mitsuhiro probably understood this, so after thinking for a moment, he shook his head and left on his own.
It seemed that Shima Mitsuhiro still didn't know what to choose.
Yin En shook his head and said, "It seems like Shima Mitsuhiro will have a headache for a while, as he can't even describe his situation as a dilemma."
"Yes, Shima Mitsuhiro is now in a dead end. His position as the head of the family is almost impossible to keep, so I'm curious about what choice he will make. Will he let Shima Takeshi become the new head of the Shimazu Family and live as a wealthy man with nothing to do, or will he drag Mr. Shimazu down with him, ensuring that no one can become the head of the Shimazu Family?" Zhang Wenbing stroked his chin, "I think it will be the former, as Shima Mitsuhiro is not the kind of person who is not afraid of death."
"Unless Shima Takeshi pushes Shima Mitsuhiro to the brink, he will not choose to die with Shima Takeshi. After all, it's better to live than to die, and it's even better to live well," Ding Kun laughed, "If I were Shima Mitsuhiro, I would look for an opportunity to talk to Shima Takeshi and tell him that I'm willing to assist him in becoming the next chieftain of the Shimazu Family, as long as Shima Takeshi lets him leave the Island Nation to manage the Shimazu Group's businesses in other countries. This is like dividing the family assets, and I believe Shima Takeshi will agree."
"But will Kitano Masakazu agree to Shima Mitsuhiro's plan?"
Yin En's question hit the nail on the head, and everyone shook their heads in agreement.
"It's easier to invite a god than to send him away. Shima Mitsuhiro has no choice but to accept Kitano Masakazu's 'suggestion', so we'll have to see what Kitano Masakazu chooses." Zhang Jingxu reeled in his fishing line, "I think Kitano Masakazu will most likely send Shima Mitsuhiro to Kagoshima City. Once Shima Mitsuhiro's whereabouts are exposed, he will seek protection from Kitano Masakazu, who can then extort another favor from him."
"More importantly, Kitano Masakazu can use Shima Mitsuhiro as bait, forcing Shima Takeshi to send his trusted subordinates to attack Shima Mitsuhiro. This will weaken the defense of the Shimazu Residence, allowing Kitano Masakazu to lead his men to attack. Then, while Shima Mitsuhiro is still in Kagoshima City, Kitano Masakazu can take advantage of the situation and gain more benefits from the Shimazu Residence. He can blame Shima Takeshi and leave Shima Mitsuhiro with no choice but to bear the loss."
Zhang Jingxu paused and continued, "This time, Shima Mitsuhiro is truly finished. He has no chance of breaking free."
Yin En and the other two nodded, agreeing with Zhang Jingxu's statement.
"So, we also need to find a way to escape, or we'll be buried with Shima Mitsuhiro." Yin En stretched and said, "Should we follow Shima Mitsuhiro to Kagoshima City and then find an opportunity to run away?"
As soon as Yin En finished speaking, they heard Shima Mitsuhiro arguing with Kitano Masakazu again.
However, Shima Mitsuhiro remembered that he was a guest, so even though he was angry, he didn't dare to shout at Kitano Masakazu. Therefore, even though Zhang Jingxu and the others tried to listen carefully, they couldn't hear what Shima Mitsuhiro and Kitano Masakazu were arguing about.
Of course, they all knew what the argument was about.
Unexpectedly, Kitano Masakazu spoke up so soon.
After a while, Zhang Jingxu and the others saw Shima Mitsuhiro sitting in a chair with a dejected look, staring blankly at the sky.
It seemed that Shima Mitsuhiro had been 'persuaded' by Kitano Masakazu.
Kitano Masakazu, with a smile on his face, waved to Zhang Jingxu and the others, signaling them to come over.
When they approached, Kitano Masakazu said with a smile, "I just had a good chat with Brother Mitsuhiro, and we've decided that you and a few of my Deep Ones will escort him to Kagoshima City. Officially, you'll be monitoring the members of the Ii Family, but in reality, you'll be looking for an opportunity to assassinate Shima Takeshi."
Just as they thought.
Zhang Jingxu and the others knew that the decision had been made, so they nodded in agreement with Kitano Masakazu's plan.
Seeing their compliance, Kitano Masakazu's smile became even brighter.
Finally, on the second day, Zhang Jingxu and the others were able to set foot on land again.
Yin En stamped his feet and laughed, "It's indeed reassuring to keep it real."
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