Takeshigerou was a kaiseki-ryōri restaurant that had been building up a reputation for itself in Tokyo of late, securing three Michelin stars within the first two years of its opening.
This was a reservation-only restaurant, and no photography was allowed. Every single table was situated in rooms with exceptional privacy, and the classic Nipponese-style construction, soft tatami mats, and faint incense fragrance in the air gave the entire place a Zen-filled aura.
It was already 1 AM, clearly not within business hours, but those rules only applied to the majority, and there were always some people who transcended beyond the rules.
Iwasaki Kyouya was clearly among that type of people.
One delectable dish after another was brought on, and despite the late hour, the entire restaurant was brightly lit. The hostess of the restaurant was wearing a beautiful kimono and an equally gorgeous smile. The tip for this meal alone exceeded a million NPY, and she couldn’t help but smile at the image of Fukuzawa Yukichi on the 10,000 NPY bills.
Iwasaki Kyouya closed his eyes with a blissful expression as he swallowed a mouthful of bluefin tuna belly. The intramuscular fat was completely devoid of any undesirable flavors, and it felt like heaven as it melted in his mouth. Only after basking in the blissful sensation for a long while did Iwasaki Kyouya set down his chopsticks.
“It’s been far too long since I’ve felt something like this.” He raised a hand, and Iwasaki Ichiro immediately picked up a pristine, warm towel before wiping his hand in a respectful manner.
“Ever since I was admitted into the hospital, all I could eat was congee that had been boiled into mush. Amaterasu-ōkami knows how much I missed this delicious sashimi.” He turned to Qin Ye with a smile, then said, “This is my adopted son, Iwasaki Ichiro, and he’s also the heir to a fifth of my estate.”
The towel slipped out of Iwasaki Ichiro’s hand and fell onto the ground as he turned toward Iwasaki Kyouya with a stunned expression.
Iwasaki Kyouya looked back at him and said, “This is what you deserve. Setting those trivial matters aside for now, let me introduce to you Mr. Qin of Cathay.”
Iwasaki Ichiro was only 35 years of age, but he had been serving Iwasaki Kyouya for close to 20 years. Never during his time with Iwasaki Kyouya had he heard something so astonishing.
A fifth of Iwasaki Kyouya’s estate equated to tens of billions of USD, and it was being brushed off as a trivial matter in comparison with introducing this young man!
Did this mean that this young man could make even tens of billions of USD pale into insignificance?
He cast a wary gaze toward Qin Ye. He knew that Qin Ye definitely had to be someone from the “other side”. Having been with Iwasaki Kyouya for close to 20 years, he had seen far too many unfathomable things. He knew of the existence of another world, but never had he seen someone from the other side capable of reinvigorating someone on the brink of death like this.
Everyone that they had consulted, both from this world and the other side, had told them that Iwasaki Kyouya had reached the end of his lifespan, yet this young man had allowed Iwasaki Kyouya to return to the height of his powers without even lifting a finger!
This was nothing short of a divine miracle!
“Greetings, Mr. Qin.” He reached out with both hands in a respectful manner, and Qin Ye casually shook his hand.
Iwasaki Kyouya took a sip of sake, then filled Qin Ye’s cup as a hopeful look appeared in his eyes. “Mr. Qin, can you really not…”
“I can’t.” Qin Ye cut him off with a smile. “Unfortunately, you’re Nipponese. If you were in Cathay, I’d be able to extend your lifespan for several years. By all standards, you’ve lived an exceptional life, so you should be able to die with no regrets.”
He raised his cup as he continued, “Don’t fear death, it’s just a new beginning.”
Iwasaki Kyouya smiled in response. He was already prepared to lie on the deathbed and wait for his demise, yet he now had two weeks at the peak of his physical condition. He couldn’t wait to see everyone’s reactions once he declared his will the next day.
“Please pardon my rudeness.” He extended a deep bow while supporting himself with his hands on his knees. “I didn’t get to learn your identity last time, Mr. Qin. Would you be able to enlighten me this time?”
A faint smile appeared on Qin Ye’s face, and at the same time, countless dark shadows flickered around the room. Iwasaki Ichiro almost sprang to his feet upon seeing this, but he was held down by Iwasaki Kyouya.
In that instant, it was as if they had entered the depths of hell, but in the next instant, everything faded like an illusion, and only then did Qin Ye reply, “I am a Yama-King of the Cathayan Underworld, Qin Ye.”
A Yama-King?!
Iwasaki Kyouya’s eyes sprang wide open with shock upon hearing this. As the leader of one of the six major corporations that were supporting Nippon,he knew exactly what the term “Yama-King” entailed. It meant that Qin Ye was standing at the very peak of the pyramid in the Cathayan Underworld’s power hierarchy!
“I must say, this is quite a surprise.” He took a deep breath, and his mind was racing as he said, “I am honored to be in your presence. It’s a pity that it won’t be easy for us to meet again once I enter the underworld. I wonder if immigration is possible in the underworld.”
Qin Ye smiled once again as he gently traced a finger over the rim of his cup. “You sure like to talk in roundabout ways, Mr. Iwasaki.”
It was clear that he wanted to hang onto Qin Ye’s coattails. His fear of an unknown world was entirely understandable. If he could establish a connection with a Yama-King, it would be far better than having to go to the Nipponese Underworld alone.
“Actually… There might be a way,” Qin Ye said as his eyes narrowed slightly. “It just depends on whether you’re willing to explore the option.”
Here comes the main topic of discussion…
Iwasaki Kyouya was naturally aware that there was no way a Yama-King would visit him solely for the purpose of catching up. It was clear that he was here to make some type of proposal.
“I’m listening.”
With a wave of Qin Ye’s hand, the entire restaurant was silently enveloped in Yin runes so that no one would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation. Only then did he lean forward as he said, “Before that, I have a question for you. Does the Mitsubishi Corporation have a foundation in the Nipponese Underworld?”
Iwasaki Kyouya’s smile faded as he asked, “How will my answer influence this discussion?”
Qin Ye leaned back against his chair in a casual manner as he replied, “If the answer is yes, then I need a favor from you. If not, then you’ll have missed out on an opportunity.”
Even late at night, Tokyo was still a thriving hub of activity, but the atmosphere in the restaurant was quite tense.
Iwasaki Kyouya didn’t reply right away. Instead, he was gently tapping the table with his middle and index fingers in a contemplative silence. Iwasaki Ichiro knew that this was a habitual gesture of his whenever he had to make an important decision.
Furthermore, he could sense that this was the most difficult decision that Iwasaki Kyouya had ever had to make as he had never looked this hesitant and indecisive before.
Iwasaki Ichiro’s hands involuntarily balled up into tight fists. No matter what important figures Iwasaki Kyouya had met with in the past, never had he shown such an indecisive side of himself.
He could see things from Iwasaki Kyouya’s perspective, so he couldn’t understand why he was hesitating, nor just how much pressure he was under in Qin Ye’s presence.
Only after a full five minutes did Iwasaki Kyouya ask, “Can you give me some time to think about it?”
“I’m afraid not,” Qin Ye replied with a shake of his head.
Iwasaki Kyouya gritted his teeth momentarily before cutting straight to the chase. “Alright, then please pardon me for being blunt, but what will we receive in return for helping you?”
Qin Ye replied, “How about this? At the moment, the number one consortium in the Nipponese Underworld is the Sacred Treasure Consortium, followed by the Hongan-ji Consortium. If our collaboration succeeds, I can’t guarantee that I’ll elevate you to the same status as the Sacred Treasure Consortium, but I can at least assure you that you’ll be able to take the place of the Hongan-ji Consortium.”
Iwasaki Kyouya fell silent once again.
Having been in the business world for so long, he had learned a poignant lesson: the greater the reward, the greater the risk and effort that had to be taken.
The fact that Qin Ye was promising him such a staggering reward was a clear indication of how arduous the task was going to be.
Another five minutes passed by before Iwasaki Kyouya suddenly abruptly raised his head. “Mr. Qin, I don’t want to lie to you, and I’m very tempted by your offer, but at the moment, the foundation that our Mitsubishi Corporation has established in the underworld most likely won’t be able to fulfill your requirements.”
Before Qin Ye had a chance to reply, he continued, “Our Mitsubishi Corporation was established in 1893, so we’ve only been around for less than 200 years. According to my knowledge of the Nipponese Underworld, both the Sacred Treasure Consortium and the Hongan-ji Consortium are powerhouses that have been running for hundreds, perhaps even over 1,000 years! The influence that they have on the Nipponese Underworld cannot be understated, and there’s simply no chance for us to overtake them! Throughout the course of our corporation’s history, only four or five generations of our Iwasaki Family’s patriarchs have entered the Nipponese Underworld, so we’re sorely lacking in manpower and wealth in contrast with our competition.”
Qin Ye nodded in response, and instead of continuing to pursue this subject, he suddenly asked, “I recall that the Mitsubishi Corporation was previously into heavy industry and manufacturing, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Initially, the corporation focused on sea freight and once dominated the shipbuilding and sea freight industries in Asia. Additionally, the world’s first-ever aircraft carrier, Hosho, was constructed by Mitsubishi, right?”
Iwasaki Kyouya was just about to reply when Qin Ye raised a hand to stop him. “I don’t need you to have an enormous amount of wealth in the underworld right now, all you need to do is tell me how much of the sea freight industry of the Nipponese Underworld you have control over.”
Iwasaki Kyouya took a deep breath before asking, “What do you need?”
Qin Ye looked deep into his eyes as he replied, “I need to transport 200,000 Yin spirits from Chubu to Hokkaido without being discovered.”
A sharp gleam flashed through Iwasaki Kyouya’s eyes, and he gave Qin Ye a meaningful look before replying, “I’m afraid I can’t give you an answer right now…”
“But you have no choice in the matter.” Qin Ye raised his head, and a cold smile appeared on his face before he brought one of his hands up from under the table. After spreading open his palm, a piece of folded parchment paper was revealed, and it transformed into a sheet of paper that was half a meter in size.
Both Iwasaki Kyouya and Qin Ye’s names were inscribed on the sheet of paper!
“This is a Heavenly Dao scroll. From the instant that you heard what I had to say, you lost the right to divulge this information to anyone else.” Qin Ye slowly hovered up into mid-air, and specks of netherfire and gusts of Yin wind swirled all around him as he cast his gaze toward Iwasaki Kyouya with a faint smile on his face. “I’ll give you three days to think but I want an answer after that! Before you find your ancestors, make sure to keep the Heavenly Dao scroll with you at all times. Otherwise, believe me when I say that I can take back everything that I gave you in an instant!”
