Setting a trap and questioning
In the deep darkness of the night, five towering black buildings stood out, conspicuously and arrogantly asserting their presence.
At this moment, on the top floor of the port's Mafia.
This entire floor was used as the leader's daily office and rest area, but the spacious office area had not seen its owner for a long time.
There was a hidden door directly opposite the desk, behind which was a room where the leader lived. Inside, several port Mafia officers stood silently in front of the bed.
The air in the room was slightly stuffy, with a mixture of disinfectant and medicinal smells permeating the air, and the air freshener sprayed to dispel these odors had a rather strong fragrance.
An elderly man with gray hair and slightly sunken eyes was lying on the bed. He was wearing an oxygen mask and his left hand, which was resting on the blanket, was receiving an IV drip.
Despite his terminal illness, he exuded an exceptionally terrifying aura.
The port Mafia leader removed his oxygen mask, his breathing becoming heavy as he gasped for breath. His voice was hoarse and sinister: "I don't care whose fault it is, we must find that missing shipment before dawn!"
The cadres didn't dare to raise their heads. After being reprimanded, they left the room one after another.
"How's the interrogation of Hongye going?" The old leader coughed softly and looked up at the person in the corner of the room.
"His lips are tightly sealed; he hasn't opened his mouth yet."
"Hmph, quite the romantic." The old leader's mood was not very pleasant when he thought about Hongye's elopement, but the matter at hand was more important.
"Release her. Let her participate in the investigation. If she discovers any disloyal individuals, let her deal with them directly; that will be her way of atoneing for her past mistakes."
After giving these instructions with all his might, the old leader gasped for breath and picked up the oxygen mask next to him, putting it back on.
"Yes, Chief."
The old leader waved his hand, signaling the other party to step back.
-
Inside a small clinic on Leibo Street.
After carefully closing the doors and windows to ensure there would be no unexpected situation, Tsurumi Kawakami turned around and ran back to his desk, where he, along with Dazai Osamu and Mori Ougai, stared at the dozen or so antique ornaments of various sizes on the desk.
In bright light, these overly beautiful ornaments with their strong exotic flair seem to sparkle.
Mori Ougai was silent for a few seconds, then looked up at Dazai Osamu, who seemed indifferent to the situation, and Tsurumi Kawaru, who looked carefree and innocent.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, somewhat speechless, and sat wearily in the large office chair, looking as dejected as a corporate slave tormented by life: "So, can anyone tell me what's going on here? Where did all this stuff come from?"
Tsurumi Kawara raised his head, his bright golden eyes revealing a clear gullibility. He opened his round eyes and looked at Dazai beside him with an innocent yet earnest expression.
"...We opened up all the wooden crates and searched them thoroughly. Only two out of the dozen or so crates contained the real stuff, so in the end we split them equally. These are mine and Dazai's!"
With a jubilant tone that revealed his desire for praise, Tsurumi Kawaru stood with his hands on his hips, looking at Mori Ougai with a smug expression.
Dazai Osamu, who was mentioned to the side, put one hand in his pocket, smiled slightly, and nodded indifferently.
Mori Ougai paused, his expression pained, his hands trembling as he reached out to the nearest celadon horse figurine, wanting to touch it but not daring to.
Even if he doesn't care much about smuggling, these items are clearly highly suspect and punishable by torture.
Moreover, judging from the words of Tsuru and Kawakami, the port magistrate clearly took this smuggled goods very seriously; otherwise, they wouldn't have used more than a dozen fake boxes to conceal the real goods and assigned two shifts of guards to watch over them.
Just thinking about how this might hinder his plans caused Mori Ougai to immediately wear a mask of anguish.
He couldn't help but open his mouth as if to say something, but when he looked up and met Tsurumi Kawaru's expectant golden eyes, the words stuck in his throat.
Tsurumi blinked, looking at him innocently, and asked, "Dr. Mori, are these things very valuable?"
Although he didn't know the value of these items, from the different emotions expressed by Dazai and Chuuya, Tsurumi Kawakami had a vague concept of equating these antiques with each other.
Antiques = valuable = can buy a lot of food
Mori Ougai's lips twitched. He could see right through Tsurumi Kawaru's thoughts, and the latest information he had received about the port Mafia was running through his mind at lightning speed.
He paused, then gave a flawless, fake smile: "Yes, it's very valuable. But it might be difficult to sell it in the near future, since the port mascot will definitely investigate anything that's gone."
Tsurumi Kawakami didn't care about the questions that followed; he was determined to find out roughly how much these things were worth.
"How much pork chop rice can I get in exchange? Or beef rice bowl? Hmm... Sukiyaki and grilled meat would also be fine."
The black-haired, golden-eyed boy was conflicted, because he liked them both, and if he could, Tsurumi Ryu would want them all.
Now it was Dazai Osamu's turn to be speechless. He glanced at the spineless Ryu, then turned to see Mori Ougai, whose expression kept changing. His eyes darted around and a malicious smile appeared on his lips.
“Idiot, any one of these things could make you want to throw up after eating all of what you just mentioned.” Dazai Osamu said, turning his gaze to Mori Ougai, his expression earnest as he asked for confirmation, “Am I right, Mr. Mori?”
Mori Ougai knew perfectly well that it was Dazai Osamu who had set him up, but under Tsurumi Kawaru's persistent questioning, he could only swallow his anger and nod with a stiff expression and a forced smile.
Seeing that he nodded, Tsurumi Kawakami cheered excitedly, "Yay! Can I eat a little more from now on?"
He stretched out his index finger and thumb to make a slit, looking at Mori Ōgai with expectant eyes.
When Dazai Osamu saw him taking the opportunity to further his own agenda, he almost burst out laughing. His shoulders trembled as he suppressed a laugh and looked at Mori Ougai behind the desk: "Mr. Mori will agree, won't he?"
Mori Ougai paused, then looked away from the two of them and instead focused his gaze on the antique ornaments on the table.
Although the problems these things bring are somewhat difficult to handle, their inherent value cannot be ignored. If these things are handled well, his plans can probably be brought forward.
Mori Ōgai fell into deep thought. After careful consideration, a gentle and kind smile returned to his face.
He nodded with a smile, agreeing to Tsurumi Kawakami's request.
Dazai Osamu squinted, crossed his arms, somewhat surprised by Mori Ougai's reaction. He glanced at Tsurumi Kawakami, who was laughing heartlessly with his eyes crinkled, and curled his lips in boredom.
-
Leibo Street, Sheep Territory.
The plan to split into two groups was executed perfectly. Shirase and the others from the Raiba Street raided the Port Mafia's supply warehouse. Because Chuuya had repeatedly instructed them to keep a low profile before setting off, by the time the Port Mafia realized what was happening and sent people to check, they had already emptied more than half of the warehouse.
Although the people of Leibo Street are greedy, they are also more sensitive to danger. No one will fall behind at this time and lose their life for greed.
This counterattack went very smoothly. Not only did the sheep profit greatly, but other small organizations and groups that had grievances against the sheep also reaped substantial rewards.
Shirase politely saw the group off, then returned to the house and looked around at the others who were busy moving things. He grabbed Sota and asked fiercely, "Where's Chuuya? Hasn't he come back yet?"
Kusa shrank back, somewhat afraid of Shirase, and stammered, "I just saw Chuuya-nii go back to his room."
Shirase released his hand from the other's collar, turned around to look at the others in the house behind him, patted Sota on the shoulder, and walked quickly past him toward Chuuya's house.
Meanwhile, Chuuya Nakahara stood in the room holding a pile of ornaments, looking conflicted, his gaze sweeping over several places in the room from time to time.
Thanks to Dazai Osamu's explanation, he now had a clear understanding of the value of the items in his arms.
But because it was so valuable, Chuuya Nakahara felt like he was holding a piece of soft tofu. Just thinking about the possibility of accidentally bumping or damaging it made his heart race.
Chuuya Nakahara walked back and forth between the two cabinets in the room several times before finally choosing the larger wardrobe.
He opened the cabinet door, took out the clothes at the bottom, and then carefully put the items back inside.
After finishing all this, Chuuya Nakahara breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and was about to put the clothes back to cover him.
"Chuuya!"
At that moment, Shirase suddenly pushed the door open and came in.
He saw the person squatting in front of the wardrobe and walked over with a puzzled look. "Chuuya, what are you doing?"
Chuuya Nakahara instinctively blocked his view, threw the clothes into the closet, turned around and closed the closet door: "Nothing, what did you want to see me about, Shirase?"
Shirase glanced curiously at the wardrobe, but his attention was diverted by his words. Remembering the purpose of his visit, his face immediately fell.
His gaze toward Chuuya held a hint of wariness and suspicion, his voice sharp and piercing as he bluntly questioned, "Chuuya, are you planning to leave the Sheep?! That guy named Tsurumi Kawakami and Dazai Osamu keeps coming to see you. When did your relationship become so good?"
Whether it was the last time or this time, those two annoying guys always come to the sheep to find Chuuya, and they seem to have a very close relationship.
Especially that guy named Tsurumi Kawakuri, who would bring some food to Chuuya every now and then.
Now, not only Chuuya, but also Sota and others have been bribed by him with food.
Shirase felt indignant about the attitude of some people in the Sheep Club recently, and his disgust for that black-haired, gold-eyed guy grew stronger.
Before today's plan was implemented, after Chuuya Nakahara decided to act with them, another emotion from the depths of Shirase's heart surged up.
Shirase began to panic, and in his fear, he abandoned them and the sheep, leaving them behind.
At this moment, he was perfectly aware that Yang's success today was due to Zhong's presence.
Chuuya Nakahara looked bewildered. He looked at Shirase in disbelief, not understanding why he would think that way, assuming that Shirase asked because he disliked Dazai and Ryu.
So, after a few seconds of silence, he said seriously, "Shirase, I never thought of leaving Yang, and Ryu and the others are my friends."
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