MinisterTakahashihandedHirayamaapieceofstringandthesquare-shapednomiandturnedtocontemplatetheShinjukuskyline.Hisfacewasaninscrutablemaskofresolve.ThemovecaughtHirayama,whowashoveringnearby,pletelybysurprise.Thewholeepisodewasjustablur.Heheldthestringlimplyinhislefthandandstaredintospace,seeingnothing.Hehadjusttoldtheoyabunthebadnews.HismenhadfailedtopreventtheDianeJoplingirlfrombeingspiritedawayfromrightunderneaththeirnoses.AndinHongKong,HideoSatoandMiyagihadfailedtocaptureCadCaldwellandretrievetheconsoleontwoattempts.Thewholethingwasturningintoafiascoandsomebodyhadtotakeresponsibility.Whydidithavetobehim?
TheywereinoneofTakahashi’smanybusinessofficesdottedaroundTokyo.Ahugewall-to-wallwindowrevealedabreathtakingvistaofShinjukustretchingouttothesnow-coveredoutskirtsofthecity.Theviewoutsidewasadensesprawlofgrayconcreteandneon.Hirayamastudiedthecarpet,watchingthememoryfibersresurrectthemselves,erasingtheimprintleftbytheirshoes.Inthebackgroundwasthelowbutindistinguishablehumofmerceandenterprise,windshearagainstthewindowsandthesubliminalsoundsofametropolistickingover.
TheputercontrolledshojihadbeenslidapartconjoiningTakahashi’sofficeproperandhisvisitorareatoformanexpansivespacecharacterizedbyelegantsimplicity.Zen.AplasmascreenpulsatedsilentlyinonecornerflippingthroughlistsofunintelligibleNikkeiindices.Intheseatingarea,minimalistsquaredesignerchairscoveredinextinctbuffalohideandframedwithchrome.Takahashi’sdeskwasasmoothplaneofblackwithahigh-glossurushifinish.Theareaaroundthedeskwasuncarpeted,exposingtexturedgraygraniteandcanalsofcrushedwhitestone.
Evenasheboweddeeply,Hirayama’smindwasracingthroughtheconsequences.IfhehadhadanyhopeofreplacingKenzoYamamotoassecond-in-mandintheconvolutedhierarchyoftheYamaguchi-gumi,thatchancehadlongdisappeared.Hirayamahadalwayshopedthathewouldneverhavetothesubjecthimselftothehumiliationofyubizume,theritualseveringofasectionofthelittlefingerasrepentanceformistakes.HehalfsuspectedthattheMinisterknewofhisambitionsandbyrequestinghimtoperformthegruesomeactwasdeftlynippinghisaspirationsinthebud.
Hirayamacouldn’thelp,atthismoment,reflectingontheunfairnessoflifeandthinkingofhisdeadmother.WhenhehadjoinedtheYakuzaalmosttwentyyearsago,hismotherhadaskedhimnevertoreturntothefamilyhome.Hirayamahadagreedimplicitlybymovingoutandneverturningback.ItwaspartoftheYakuzacodeandonjoininghehadsworntoplacetheinterestsoftheYamaguchi-gumiaboveallelse,includinghimselfandfamily.That’swhyHirayamahadnevermarried,preferringthefleetingfortofpaidinterstitialsextotheconformityandresponsibilityofmarriage.Hehadkeptawomanforawhile,anAVstarletwhosecareerwasonthedive,butaftershestartedbeingtoodemandingandaskingunanswerablequestions,Hirayamahadquicklycutherloose.Thelasthe’dheardwasthatshewasaddictedtosomecocaine-baseddrugandplyingthetradetoconstructionworkerssomewhereinthesuburbsofTokyo.Thatwasthewayofthewaterbusiness.
Hirayamawrappedthestringtightlyaroundthelittlefingerofhisrighthandandpulledittight.Hewatchedtheblooddrainfromhisfingerasitstartedtogonumb.HewalkedovertothesittingareainTakahashi’sofficeandplacedhisfingerontheglasscoffeetablewithitsetcheddrawingofthewillowworld.Glancingoveratthebroadbackoftheoyabun,Hirayamaheldthenomifirmlyinhislefthandandplaceditjustabovejointofhisfinger.Allhecouldhearwasthescrapingsoundsofarobotoutsidethewindow.Usingthethrustofhisbodyweight,Hirayamaleanedforwardandfeltthebladeofthesmallchiselslidethroughhisfinger.Thesoundoftheamputationwasnotmuch.Hirayamawasvaguelyremindedofhismotherinthekitchenslicingcabbage,butthepainwasintense.Itdidn’tlastlongbutHirayamaknewthatpsychologicallyhewouldneverbethesamepersonagain.
Hewrappedthestubofhisfingerwithahandkerchiefandwatchedthewhitesilkturnasicklyred.Pickinguphisseveredfinger,thesoftlifelessfeelofhisownfleshembalmedinthesilkatoncestrangeandcuriouslyfamiliar,Hirayamawalkeduptotheoyabunandbowingdeeply,offeredthefingertoTakahashi.Takahashiturnedaround,noddedtowardshisdeskandgruntedhisacceptance.Hirayamacouldswearhesawalittleboysmilingbehindtheoyabun’semotionlesseyes.Hewalkedslowlytowardsthedeskandplacedtheblood-soakedhandkerchiefshroudinghisseveredpinkieontheshinyblacksurface.Zen.
“OrderSatoandMiyagibacktoTokyoimmediately.Ifthatinpetentfoolwasnotadistantrelation,Iwouldhavehadhisheadlongago,”Takahashisaid.
“Yes,oyabun.”Thiswasnotimetoquestiontheoyabun’sdecisions.
“NowthatHYDRAissoactivelyinvolvedwecan’taffordapoliticalscandal.Wewillfixthisproblemattheroot.”
“Yes,sir.”
“AndYamamoto’skiller?”
“Wefoundoutwhoheis.HeisaffiliatedwiththePLAandisreputedlyunderthedirectmandofMajor-generalWangofthePLA’sThirdDepartment,oyabun.”
“TheChinesearedeclaringwaronus?”
“Yamamotowasprobablyspyingonthem,oyabun.Ibelieveit’sallrelatedtotheconsoles.”
“Thatwouldseemtobethecase.FindoutwhereinNewChinathisGeneralWangisrightnow.”
“Weknowthatalready,oyabun.ThelastmunicationwasthatheisplanningsometriptoShanghai.”
“Shanghai?AssoonasthosetwoarriveinTokyo,IwantyoutopersonallygowiththemtoShanghai.”
“Shanghai,oyabun?IhaveneverbeenoutofJapan.”
“Hirayama,IwantMajor-generalWangdead.Doyouunderstand?Idon’tcareifSatoorMiyagilosetheirlivesdoingit.”
“Yesoyabun.”
“We’lltakecareofthegirlandhernew-foundfriendshereinTokyo.”
“Isee.”
“AndHirayama?”
“Oyabun?”
“Ifyoufail,youarenolongerweleinJapan.”
Hirayamagrimacedandlookeddownattheblood-soakedstubofhisfinger.Thegodswerecertainlyconspiringagainsthim.HesworequietlytohimselfthatonedayNobuTakahashiwouldpayforthishumiliation.
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