MinisterTakahashiwasincensed.Hisdarkruggedfacehadturnedacrimsonredandtheveinsinhisneckpulsedlikewormsinabaitbox.Oneofhiskeylieutenants,hiswakagashiraandsecondinmand,hadbeenmurderedinawaythatwassoshamefulthathewastemptedtoorderthewholegang,whohadbeenattheexclusiveCherryBlossomclubindowntownTokyothatnight,tomitseppuku,theritualslicingopenoftheirownstomachs,instantly.ButNobuTakahashiwasapatientman,avirtuethathadseenhimrisefromthesonofalowlyKyotoshopkeepertooneofthemostimportantmeninJapan.Hehadorderedthegang,throughhissaiko-komonorpersonaladviserHirayama,fortheoyabunhimselfhadminimalcontactwiththeYakuza,toleavenostoneunturnedtofindthekillerandbringhimtoaswiftandbloodyjustice.
ButthatwastheleastofTakahashi’sproblems.UponnewsofYamamoto’sembarrassingdeath,HirayamahaddiscoveredalistofYamamoto’scontactsaroundtheworldandthedeceased’slaptopshadrevealedasideinterestthatthreatenedtodestroyeverythingthatTakahashihadworkedsohardfor.Therehadalwaysbeenrumors,deniedreligiouslyofcourse,thatTakahashiwastheheadofthepowerfulYamaguchi-gumiYakuzafactiontowhichKenzoYamamotobelonged.AndYamamoto’sblackmailvictimsincludedpowerfulpeopleinJapaneseandinternationalsociety.Luckily,thedeceasedwakagashirahadkeptextensiverecordsofhisactivities,encryptedandprotectedbymega-virusesbuttwentyputersandtwenty-fourhackerhourslater,theextentofYamamoto’sbetrayalwascleartosee.
ItappearedfromKenzoYamamoto’smunicationlogsthatthevastmajorityofhiscontactswherebasicmules,hackersandinformantswhohadnoideawhattheinformationtheyprovidedwouldbeusedfor.Whatworriedtheministerhowever,werethereceiptsfortwomailedDHLpackagesthatYamamotohadsentabroadjusthoursbeforehisdeath.ThereceiptshadbeenfoundonYamamoto’sbodybutthestubsforthepackages,theonesthatwouldlistthenamesandaddressesoftherecipients,weremissing.ItappearedYamamotohaddestroyedthem.AndwhywouldYamamotohavethereceiptsinhiswallet?Thatsuggestedthathehadsentthepackagespersonally.WhydothatwhenhecouldhaveinstructedanyoneofanarmyofYakuzatodoitforhim.Takahashiwantedtoknowwhatwasinthepackages.
TheChinesehadactuallydoneTakahashiafavor.WithoutYamamoto’sdeath,thescaleofhisbetrayalwouldhaveremainedasecreteatingawayathislegacy.Withintwenty-fourhours,theYamaguchi-gumi’sarmyofhackershadgainedaccesstoYamamoto’sSwissBankaccountsandsecuritydepositboxesanddiscoveredassetsandcredittothetuneofonebillionEuros.Thescaleofitwasshocking.MoneythatshouldhavegoneintothecollectivepocketoftheYakuzahadbeensiphonedoffforYamamoto’spersonalbenefit.TakahashiwasdeterminedtoseethecreditlandinhisownmyriadsetofSwisscreditaccounts.
HopefullyhisadviserHirayamawouldbringhimsomegoodnewsbeforetheydepartedhissecludedmansionontheoutskirtsofTokyo.TheministerwassoontoleaveTokyoforarentedluxuryhideawayonGuamIslandwhereheandafewofhismostimportantkyodai,hisbloodbrothers,hadplannedtospendafewdaysofextra-curricularactivitiesandalittlebusinessbeforereturningtoTokyo.Yamamoto,ifhewerestillalive,wouldhavebeentheretoohelpingtokeepthebarkingdogsamongtheranksatbay.Hemighthavetocancelthetrip.
HehadalreadyspokenprivatelytotheprimeministerandgainedhisassurancethattheinvestigationintoYamamoto’sdeathwaspurerigmarole,apublicrelationsexercise.TheprimeministerwasmorethanpleasedwiththefinancialarrangementsTakahashihadmadeonhisbehalf.Theywereafterallchildhoodfriends.Unliketheprimeminister,Takahashihadnevermarried.Hepreferredtoplaythedashingbachelorpoliticianwhiletheprimeministerhadgoneontogivenewmeaningtothetermextendedfamily.
TakahashipouredhimselfaRemyMartinfromanexpensive-lookingcrystaldecanteratthebarandstrolledtowardstheexpansivetopfloorbalconyofhismansion.BelowthebalconylaythesublimebeautyofhisexquisiteZengarden.Inthedarkness,hecouldmakeoutthegildedformsofhisprizedkoiastheyswamaboutintherockpools.Livingart.Heneverfailedtobeamazedbythesymmetryandharmonyofitall,thebalancecreatedbythedarkshadowsthathadretiredtoonesideofthegarden,LEDsblinkingintermittentlyinthewinternight.ThatharmonyhadnowbeentemporarilybrokenbyYamamoto’sshamefuldeathandhistreachery.
NobuTakahashiwasofmediumbuildbutstockywiththehairyfeaturesofJapanesefromsouthernJapan.Histhickblackhairwasstreakedwithgray,naturallycurlyandflowedbackinthickkeratinwavesfromhisimpressiveforehead.Hisnosethoughslightlyonthelargesidewasnotlargeenoughtobealiability.Hewasoftendescribedinthemediaas‘ruggedlyhandsome’,muchtohiswellconcealeddelight.
Hissaiko-komonsvoicewaftedthroughthehalfopendoorofoneofthemansionsroomsthatservedasoffices.Hirayamawastyinguplooseendswiththeinvestigations.TheviewofTokyocityatnightwastrulyimpressive.Hesighednostalgically,ponderinghowJapancouldregainthetechnologyleadthatNewChinahadtakenawayoverthelasttwodecades.JapanwasstillaninnovatorbutitwaslaggingbehindNewChinainalmosteveryotherareaoftradeandindustry.Andwhattodoaboutthosetwonamesonthelist?
Hirayamawalkedcalmlyouttothebalcony.
“Ihopeit’sgoodnews,”Takahashigrowledwithfeignedgruffness.Hirayamawasadogtobekeptdownatalltimesotherwisehiscaninesmightstarttoshow.
“WefoundoutthedetailsonthepackagesYamamotosentandwherehesentthem.Theyweresenttotwoaddresses.OnewassenttoaDr.JamesJoplininBostonandanothertoaCadCaldwellinLondon.Ourmenaretrackingthemdownrightnowoyabun.”
“Interesting,andwhatwasinthem?”
“ItappearsYamamotogotawaywithoutdeclaringthecontents,”Hirayamadeliveredthisnot-so-goodnewswithhisheadbowed.
“ButwecanfindoutfromDHL,right?Theymusthavethatinformationintheirsystems.”Itwasmoreofastatementthanaquestion.
“Ourtechniciansarecurrentlyattemptingtoretrievethisinformation.SofaritseemstherearenorecordsofthecontentsatDHLJapanbutwemightbeabletogetsomethingfromtheiroverseassystems.Ireallydon’tunderstandwhy,inthisdayandage,hewouldsendthosepackagestotheseforeigners,oyabun.”
“Yamamotowasadeviousmanandatraitor.”
“Yes,whowouldhaveguessedit?”
“Yet,westillrevengeourown.AnyIDontheassassin?”
Hirayamabrokeintoasmile.
“HetookoutalltheCCTVsinthebuildingbutitappearsthattheCherryBlossomhadhiddencamerasinsidethetoiletsofthemen’slavatorytoo.Whyonearththeywouldwanttofilmthegenitalsofamaneasinghimselfisbeyondunderstanding.ProbablysomenewdemandfromyoungJapanesegirlsturningthetablesonpervertedmalechauvinistpigs.JustyesterdaytheYomiuriShimbunreportedthatasalarymanwasgropedinbroaddaylightonthewayhomefromworkbyagroupofteenageschoolgirls.Anyway,thekillerwascaughtoncameradoctoringthetoiletseat.Astillimagewassenttousafewminutesago.AnothertoiletattendantattheCherryBlossomhasconfirmedseeingasmallChinesemanhangingaroundthetoilets.Theanalysisofthetoxinconfirmsthistoo.It’saChinesenanobotvariantoftheneuromusculartoxinbotulinum.”
“RuntheimageagainstthedatabasesandthepatternrecognitionAIs.Findoutwhoheis.TelltheothersthatthetriptoGuamiscancelled.Weneedtotieuptheselooseends,quickly.”
“Yesoyabun.Pleaseacceptmyapologiesfortheslowprogresssir.”
“Quitethecontrary,oncetheassassinandthoseforeignersaredeadandtheconsolesretrievedsafely,youwillbewellrewarded.”
“Theyareasgoodasdead,oyabun,”Hirayamapromised,ashisvoicedriftedoutintothecoolTokyonight.
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