Chapter Thirty-One: The Wild Village Store

When Yan Yagyu’s body crashed to the ground, the face of Heitaro Inu in the audience immediately darkened, while the eyes of Onozura beside him lit up with excitement. Standing triumphantly in the ring, Wei Hua addressed Heitaro Inu with a smirk, “Inu, thanks for your fifty million dollars! I was a bit short lately, and this sum will keep me going for a while.”

Heitaro Inu’s face was livid as he retorted, “Chinese! Don’t get ahead of yourself. That fifty million isn’t yours yet. Don’t forget, this isn’t a formal match—it’s a duel. As long as my man can still fight, we won’t surrender. Not unless he’s dead or loses his ability to fight!”

He strode quickly over to Yan Yagyu, shouting, “Yan Yagyu! Get up! You fool! How can you just lie here? You’re a samurai—where is your samurai spirit? Get up and defeat that Chinese for me!”

On the ground, Yan Yagyu struggled to open his eyes, moving his lips but unable to speak. Onozura came over, reached out to examine Yan Yagyu, then whispered something in Heitaro Inu’s ear. After hearing Onozura’s words, Heitaro Inu’s face grew even darker. He shot a furious glare at Wei Hua, then barked to his attendants, “Carry Yan Yagyu out. We’re leaving!” With that, he stormed out of the dojo. Onozura bowed politely to Wei Hua, Kinoshita, and the others, then departed with his two attendants.

Back at the hotel, Heitaro Inu was beside himself with rage, cursing Yan Yagyu thoroughly, paying no heed to the fact that Yan Yagyu had been sent to the hospital with a spinal injury. The reason for Inu’s fury was clear: this move against Wei Hua had not been approved by his father, Taro Inu—it was entirely his own initiative. He’d thought he could easily eliminate Wei Hua, cut off the Kinoshita family’s support, and win himself a major credit, boosting his credentials for one day succeeding as president of the Black Dragon Society. The fifty million dollars had been borrowed from Onozura of the Yamaguchi-gumi’s American branch. Now, not only was the money gone, but Yan Yagyu was gravely injured, with his recovery uncertain. If his father learned of all this, there would be no glory—only disaster. The Black Dragon Society operated under a strict, ruthless hierarchy, modeled after the old Japanese military; even as the president’s son, such losses would not exempt him from blame.

Heitaro Inu paced his room like an ant on a hot skillet for two or three hours, wrestling with his dilemma. At last, he made up his mind, left his room, and knocked at Onozura’s door next door. Onozura let him in and settled on the sofa, waiting for Inu to speak. Inu’s cheeks twitched a few times, then he spoke:

“Onozura, I messed up this time—lost fifty million dollars and got myself into big trouble. I have no other options now but to eliminate Wei Hua. The Black Dragon Society has little influence in America, so I’d like to ask you to help me find some assassins to take care of Wei Hua. Price isn’t an issue. But as for the fifty million dollars I owe your group, I can’t pay it back right now. Could you possibly give me some time to raise the funds and repay the debt?”

“O Inu, let’s handle the issues separately. I can arrange for assassins, as long as you can pay. Nowadays, the economy’s bad—there are plenty of people willing to take on such work. As for the fifty million you borrowed, we’ll need to discuss that in detail.”

“O Inu, your standing in the Black Dragon Society is similar to mine in the Yamaguchi-gumi. You’ve got lots of elders above you; I have an older brother above me, which is why I was sent to America. On the surface, it looks like I’m managing things independently, but in truth I’ve been banished to the frontier, exiled. The fifty million I lent you is the product of years of saving here in America—it wasn’t easy for me either. But if you can help me with something, you won’t need to repay the debt.”

Onozura spoke slowly.

“What is it? Please tell me directly,” Heitaro Inu replied.

“It’s simple. Your Black Dragon Society has tentacles reaching every corner of Japan, after nearly a century of history. I’m sure you know a lot about the Yamaguchi-gumi. I want you to keep an eye on internal developments, especially concerning my older brother, and report his activities to me. In short, anything related to the Yamaguchi-gumi—keep me informed promptly. How about it?”

“That’s all you ask?” Heitaro Inu inquired.

“For now, yes. You must understand, your position in the Black Dragon Society is much like mine—neither high nor low. Your father isn’t grooming you to succeed him; otherwise, you wouldn’t have taken such a reckless risk and landed yourself in this mess. To cooperate further, we both need to amass greater power. I have the ambition for it—do you?”

Onozura countered.

“I dream of becoming president of the Black Dragon Society, but I lack both the strength and the credentials,” Heitaro Inu said with a hint of resignation.

“That’s why we need to work together. But partnership must wait until your American affairs are resolved. Also, be careful with your operations here—this isn’t Japan. The Mafia here is wary of Japanese groups like ours. Moreover, I don’t know why you’re targeting the Kinoshita family, but if it were me, I’d try to ally with them, not undermine them. I have a feeling that Wei Hua is no ordinary man. Your mission won’t be easy. Pray for success,” Onozura advised.