At this moment, Fujiwara Shunsui had no idea what was happening at his home, nor did he know about Nissho Taro's new perception of him.
He just felt an itch in his nose as he stood at the entrance of his residential area, waiting for a taxi.
"Achoo!"
Fujiwara Shunsui instinctively rubbed his nose and looked back at the residential area: "Is someone missing me already, right after I left?"
Just then, a taxi pulled up in front of him. Harumizu didn't hesitate and got straight in.
"Higashikawa Club!"
...Somewhere in Shinjuku,
"Attention everyone, emergency! Everyone online for a meeting!"
Six or seven monitors in front of the man lit up simultaneously.
Within almost five minutes,
Virtual avatars appeared on all the monitors, just like before.
One of them lowered his voice, suppressing his anger to the extreme, and said hoarsely:
"We've already endured immense pressure for you and delayed for as long as you requested! If you don't have a valid reason to gather all of us again this time, I think I'll have to reconsider your position in the organization."
The others on the monitors echoed his sentiment.
"The client wants to see the item within a week, but how long has it been? And the client is still waiting! We can wait, but can the client wait? Can the person who needs that item wait?"
"If this continues, our organization's reputation will be completely ruined!"
"Before, people who benefited were willing to keep our secret, but if one thing isn't handled well, we'll never recover!"
"..."
It seemed everyone shared the same core thought: "this matter" wasn't handled well, and everyone was very nervous.
Their line of work inherently emphasized "timeliness," not to mention their clients were all wealthy and influential. If they mishandled something, they could be completely uprooted.
The person in front of the computer was clearly impatient hearing their words and spoke directly:
"You're the ones who said 'caution makes for a safe journey of ten thousand years,' and now you're the ones rushing things. What are you all thinking?"
"If it weren't for me hiding our identities on the internet, and the communication system I provided, we would have been wiped out long ago, okay!"
"Besides, our opponent this time is from the Sankou-gumi. Have you forgotten the huge commotion that kid caused before? If you want to get caught, don't drag me into it."
"Or are you saying you want to directly go to war with the Sankou-gumi? Don't drag me into that either; I still want to die a natural death!"
What the man said was true. Although they had previously disguised themselves well through the dark web, times had changed.
The man they had jointly pushed to the forefront had disappeared, and they unanimously believed it was Fujiwara Shunsui's doing. So, in a moment of collective outrage, they practically "bypassed" him to retaliate against Fujiwara Shunsui!
However, subsequent intelligence clearly showed that neither Fujiwara Shunsui nor the Sankou-gumi were responsible for the incident.
That's why they chose to lie low, even if the client was pressing them urgently, they could only wait patiently.
"Stop beating around the bush, Number Two. Notifying all of us to come online so early shouldn't just be for simple complaints, right?"
A man on the screen who had been silent spoke up.
Number Two adjusted his glasses and said to the camera:
"Fujiwara Shunsui has temporarily left his apartment. This might be one of the few opportunities this month. I think what we're doing is meaningless; we should abandon the mission."
It was already the 20th, and several days had passed since the client's deadline. They had been trying to meet the client's demands.
But they also needed to ensure one thing: their own safety.
Fujiwara Shunsui was the general manager of Sankou-gumi's Shinjuku branch. If they clashed with him directly and offended the Sankou-gumi, their "Syndicate" would surely not last long. So they were waiting, waiting for an opportunity.
"Number Two, are you sure?"
Number Two heard one of them question him, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes. As the most cautious person in the Syndicate, he would not joke about such matters.
"If you don't believe me, you can investigate it yourself. Don't question me."
The others also sensed the impatience in Number Two's tone and quickly changed the subject.
"Can we make a move now?"
"The previous two attempts failed!"
"Are we going to force our way in?"
When everyone heard the news of Fujiwara Shunsui leaving, their first thought was that an opportunity had arrived. They weren't provoking the Sankou-gumi for no reason, nor were they seeking revenge for Mino Hisashi. Clearly, there were greater Syndicate interests at stake for them to take such a risk.
However, the previous two "accidents" had not succeeded, which led to the assassination plan being temporarily abandoned at Number Two's strong insistence.
Of course, many of them had never witnessed the terror of the Sankou-gumi. Number Two hadn't either, but to ensure stability, he had overruled all objections.
"Let's ask Number Two's opinion."
Number Two sat in front of his computer, feeling very tired. For the first time, he felt that these incompetent teammates were dragging him down!
If it weren't for me, could you all safely count money behind your computer screens? If Number One hadn't been able to contact Mino Hisashi directly before, would you have received your money with peace of mind?
Their organization was actually entirely connected by Number One, but from the very beginning of its formation, Number Two was already a designated member, because without Number Two's technology, their organization might not even exist.
Too many of them couldn't stand in the public eye like Fujiwara Shunsui and declare to the world: I am Fujiwara Shunsui, I am the Shinjuku manager of the Sankou-gumi.
The things they did destined them to be gutter rats for life.
And Number Two's role was to provide these gutter rats with a reasonable "shelter" and also ensure "regular feeding."
However, since the last incident, their "feeder," Mino Hisashi, had disappeared, which made the rats who originally had a huge cheese become frantically restless!
Hungry, so hungry.
Mino Hisashi's disappearance caused the rats, who could originally coexist peacefully, to become irritable, anxious, and even made them conceive the idea of rushing out of the sewers.
This was very dangerous.
Although all the monitors displayed virtual images, they could capture the other party's facial movements in real-time. Number One's brows were already furrowed into a "river" character!
He never imagined that the organization he had personally built would now be in such internal conflict just because one person was missing. These people had actually forgotten their identities in the face of profit.
Self-destruction,
This can't continue.
This was Number One's truest thought at this moment. He had founded this organization almost ten years ago, operating steadily with Number Two's technology and his own connections, and the profits were indeed substantial.
But these people were like insatiable parasites, having lived too many comfortable days, they had forgotten how timid they were in the beginning.
Sometimes, they just had to be this way.
Because life is more important than money!
"Quiet!"
Another person who had been silent spoke up, he was Number One!
Number One's anger was rare, which immediately silenced everyone. Instead, Number Two felt a different sensation rise in his heart, and his attitude changed from initially casual to serious.
Number Two was the only one among them who didn't care about money.
His relationship with Number One was different from the others.
The team's restlessness confirmed to Number One that Number Two's decision to overrule all objections earlier was correct.
He couldn't even imagine now what would happen if they truly clashed head-on with the Sankou-gumi; not a single one of them would be able to handle it.
"Temporarily tell the client to cancel the cooperation, return five times the deposit, and continue to observe Fujiwara Shunsui. Post a mission on the dark web to create confusion."
"What?"
"Five times the deposit back?"
"When have we ever done something like this!"
"How will the client see us if we do this!"
Number One's words were like a drop of water falling into hot oil, instantly igniting everyone's emotions.
Hearing the other members speak, Number One's face grew even darker, while Number Two, out of place, began to laugh.
"What exactly does Number Two want to do?"
Number One's heart was pounding. Although his mood was extremely gloomy, he knew clearly that even if Number Two would defy and contradict him, sometimes his perspective on matters was much more comprehensive than his own.
"Number Two, what are you laughing at?"
Although he didn't ask, someone else asked the question he wanted to ask.
Number Two revealed an inappropriate smile and said with a laugh: "I'm a little embarrassed, but I wanted to know if Fujiwara Shunsui got your real information, would he let you go for money?"
Number Two's words sounded like a question, but even more like a threat.
Everyone present had witnessed Number Two's divine technology; stealing phone data and computer information was child's play.
Silence,
Still silence.
When everyone realized their lives might be threatened, money didn't seem so important anymore!
"Number Two, tell us your thoughts."
Number One knew that Number Two saying this clearly had his own ideas, but these people in the team might have truly disappointed him.
"Returning the deposit is a must. Currently, Fujiwara Shunsui has uncharacteristically stayed at home for a week, and we have no opportunity to contact him. So the longer we drag it out, the more it torments the client. If we ultimately can't accomplish this, offending the client is inevitable, and we even risk offending the Sankou-gumi."
"Secondly, Mino Hisashi's issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Our funds need to be clean to ensure that everyone on this ship can sail smoothly and peacefully."
Some people were initially unhappy when they heard they had to abandon the mission,
But Number Two brought up the issue they cared about most: money.
This group of people gathered together,
Some provided social connections, some offered consultations; everyone had their own roles.
But these people weren't together for some grand ideal; they were clearly all together for money, and Number Two understood this very well.
So as long as the money could flow normally,
These people would not have thoughts of "rebellion" and would always obediently listen to Number One.
"I agree."
"I approve!"
"Number Two's plan is indeed feasible. I think we need to lie low for a while."
Sure enough,
As long as the money was in place, these people would naturally shut up.
"Finally, I need a large sum of money. We still need to continue collecting information on Fujiwara Shunsui on the dark web. We need to be proactive! Because I have a hunch that he is also investigating us! Moreover, this client is not someone we can easily offend. Even if we return five times the deposit, the other party won't care. We need to prepare for both eventualities!"
"If the client agrees, everyone's happy; if the client doesn't accept, we have two choices: either our Black Dragon Society completely disappears! Or we can only bite the bullet and go head-to-head with Fujiwara Shunsui."
"You all think about it yourselves!"
After speaking, Number Two cut off his video, leaving only Number One and a few others in the meeting.
"What kind of attitude is that from Number Two? Why did he disappear without a word!"
"Is the situation really as serious as he says?"
"Disband the Black Dragon Society? Is that something he can decide!"
"I don't agree to disbanding!"
"I think Number Two makes sense. We need to seriously consider Number Two's proposal."
Once Number Two left, the meeting once again fell into a brief clamor.
Finally, Number One's speech quieted everyone down again!
"Quiet! Quiet! Look at yourselves, you're all respectable figures, and now you're acting like hawkers haggling in a market!"
"For now, follow Number Two's arrangements. Do not privately contact Fujiwara Shunsui or anyone from the Sankou-gumi. You don't need to handle the deposit matter; I will communicate with the client."
"As for the issue Number Two mentioned..."
At this point, Number One's voice clearly paused.
"As for the issue Number Two mentioned, everyone, please consider it and think about how we should respond if the worst-case scenario truly occurs!"
After speaking, Number One directly cut off everyone's calls.
As Number One of the Black Dragon Society,
He always had this authority, but this was his first time using it.
He also didn't expect that after ten years of development, the Black Dragon Society, which was about to have an opportunity to "sit at the table," had unexpectedly provoked someone they shouldn't have. This was where his headache lay... At the entrance of Higashikawa Club,
Fujiwara Shunsui had thought the "nightlife" here would be quite rich, but to his surprise, there were quite a few people at this time of day.
People exercising and people staying overnight were all coming and going at this hour.
In the third-floor office,
Nagasawa Kawa had been waiting for Fujiwara Shunsui's arrival for a long time.
He didn't know why Shunsui-kun was in the mood to come to the club so early in the morning,
But no matter the reason, he had to accompany this "God of Slaughter" well.
"Mr. Harumizu, long time no see!"
Nagasawa Kawa pushed the prepared tea in front of Fujiwara Shunsui.
"I didn't expect Mr. Nagasawa Kawa not to have the habit of sleeping in. I apologize for disturbing you! I came this time to ask about the matter I troubled you to investigate earlier!"
Fujiwara Shunsui directly stated the purpose of his visit, which surprised Nagasawa Kawa.
He truly didn't expect anyone to be so direct nowadays!
Most importantly, how could I, an ordinary family member, find out something that you couldn't even figure out with the Sankou-gumi's resources?
Nagasawa Kawa also felt a bit regretful. Actually, he had felt a little dejected after Higashisho Ji asked him that day.
He also realized that at the time, he had been so desperate for the position of "Patriarch" that he had agreed to cooperate with Fujiwara Shunsui.
Fortunately, the other party hadn't contacted him since, which made Nagasawa Kawa believe that the other party had probably just been "saying it casually."
He didn't expect that after more than a week,
Fujiwara Shunsui had actually come in person to inquire about the progress, which gave him a huge headache.
Finally, under Shunsui-kun's "intense" gaze, Nagasawa Kawa said with some hesitation:
"We've always been in single-line contact with the other party on the dark web. We've tried the previous methods many times, but there's been no response."
"The other party... the other party probably ran away."