Chapter 9

"Sure. I do it often. Pachinko is fun. But I'll just go now."

Jang Jeseu spat again and sauntered out of the alley. Then he suddenly stopped and turned back.

Jang Jeseu, with a serious face he had never shown before, spoke softly.

"Be careful."

"What?"

"Chun Ji is after you."

Jang Jeseu said that and turned to leave the alley.

I followed, but he quickly disappeared into the crowd.

***

Inside the Military Academy, Tian Zhimei can't touch me.

No matter how vast his influence, it's impossible for it to reach the Japanese Empire's Military Academy.

The problem was outside the school.

I had been prepared for this since the conflict with Tian Zhimei, but being under threat of assassination was more troublesome than I had imagined.

I had become accustomed to always being on guard and checking escape routes when entering buildings.

I couldn't live like this forever.

I knew it was time to make a move.

A sunny weekend.

Just going from the Military Academy to the teahouse where Kita Ittetsu was waiting made me extremely nervous.

"Is that really so?"

When Kita Ittetsu heard that Tian Zhimei was after me, he showed a worried expression, but...

Why doesn't he look worried?

Kita chattered.

"Then we can't wait any longer. We must hasten the operation to destroy the Gongwenhui."

"Are the weapons and mercenaries well secured?"

"Money is solid, so there's no worry. We can mobilize twenty men right away if needed."

"If the goal is to target Tian Zhimei personally, we won't need that many."

"That's impossible. These days, if you cut off the head, the body can still grow a new one. The Gongwenhui has an oyabun in name. If Tian Zhimei suddenly disappears, that guy will take over the Gongwenhui."

Kita Ittetsu, who wants a large-scale conflict, is probably still reluctant due to a 21st-century aversion to violence.

I haven't always lived honestly.

Blood and violence have always been close to my life.

But this time is different.

"Is there a suitable time and place? Tian Zhimei is so secretive that even the Alliance doesn't know much about his movements or activities."

"I don't know either, but I know someone who might."

"Who?"

"He's the right-hand man of the Tian family. He studied with you before."

Hmm.

Jang Jeseu would know, but...

"He won't tell us even if he knows."

"We can make him tell. Unlike Tian Zhimei, he's just a kid. If we want, we can capture him right away."

"···It won't be that easy."

"I've heard he's tough, but can he really keep his mouth shut when his limbs are broken and his penis is trampled?"

The image of Jang Jeseu's back came to mind.

His lonely figure fading into the dark alley of the pachinko parlor.

"If you've never seen it, you will. He won't break."

"Then what will you do? We can't start a conflict near the Alliance. The split of the Alliance means the failure of the revolution, so we must do this as much as possible without involving the Alliance."

"If we can't go to him, we can make him come to us."

"Are you suggesting we lure the Tian family?"

"Yes. Since Tian Zhimei is after me, I'll be the bait."

Kita raised his hands as if to dissuade me.

No, he's clapping.

"Good idea! Truly a genius of strategy!"

He's not even pretending to be worried anymore.

Kita, excited, clapped and asked again.

"But even if you are the bait, there's no guarantee that the Tian family will show up. They might send assassins to deal with you cleanly."

"Tian Zhimei will come. He covets my pachinko business."

"Oh, I see."

"Kita-sensei, be careful too. You might be targeted as well."

"I'm fine. By the way, this. You'll need it too."

Kita pulled out something wrapped in white cloth from his coat.

"What is it?"

"Carry it with you."

It felt heavy. I knew what it was immediately.

I lifted the cloth slightly to confirm. A 1926 revolver.

I've fired many rifles, but this is my first pistol.

"Where did you get this?"

"Gifts from here and there."

A man who receives firearms as gifts. Cool.

I might need it.

Kita said solemnly.

"So, how many men do you need?"

"Quality is more important than quantity. We need people who can be as ruthless as necessary. Gathering too many random people will only leak information and cause more chaos."

"Don't worry. I'll select only those who are prepared to commit seppuku if they fail."

If Kita says so, it must be true.

But I can't rely solely on Kita.

I need to find a way to survive on my own.

___________________________________________

The Unrighteous Conflict 2 (Revised)

Tian Zhimei waited and waited.

Waiting was what he did best.

The ashtray was full by the time the sun reached the ridge.

The door of the secret hideout burst open, and a subordinate of the Gongwenhui entered.

Finally, the news he had been waiting for.

"Advisor, we've got him."

"Let's go."

Tian Zhimei's heart strangely raced as he headed to the destination.

He had taken the lives of countless revolutionaries as easily as taking items from a pocket.

Yet, this was the first time he felt this way. Was this time special?

Tian Zhimei recalled his first encounter with Hanxin.

At first, he thought Hanxin was just a bright young man, but after a brief conversation, Tian Zhimei realized Hanxin was someone he could never control.

Hanxin had no interest in the revolution to overthrow the Manchu and restore the Han.

He harbored unknown intentions that he never revealed.

This meant that Hanxin was a threat to the Alliance, which should operate under strict hierarchy with Sun Yat-sen at the top.

At the time, Tian Zhimei decided to watch and wait.

But it was a mistake. Hanxin's growth was faster than he could imagine.

Taking control of the Military Academy and influencing the Military Academy, Hanxin's influence had grown to an unmanageable size, leading to this situation.

"He hides a bottomless pit in his heart."

"Excuse me?"

"I can't tell what he's thinking or what future he envisions... I have no idea..."

The subordinate, realizing Tian Zhimei was talking to himself, remained silent.

Tian Zhimei, lost in thought, spoke again.

"Tell me the details."

"As you said, we were lying in wait, and he fell into the trap without resistance. We're just waiting for the highest advisor to arrive."

"Is there anything suspicious?"

"By suspicious, what do you mean?"

"Usually, he slips through our nets like an eel. This seems too sudden and suspicious."

"Yuto and I grew up together in the same neighborhood. He would never lie. You can trust him."

This operation was spontaneous.

The news that Hanxin was preparing to open a new pachinko parlor.

The information that he would receive pachinko machines from Britain was obtained this afternoon.

The information was relayed by a subordinate who had infiltrated the pachinko parlor "Possibility."

Tian Zhimei quickly sent armed subordinates to lie in wait at Tokyo Port.

After a long wait, he heard the news that Hanxin had been captured and immediately left his hideout.

"It's not that your friend lied. I'm concerned that Hanxin might have deliberately spread false information."

"Surely not... Yuto has no connection to the Gongwenhui and a clean criminal record. He couldn't have been caught."

Tian Zhimei thought so too.

But the unease in his heart didn't go away.

Whenever he dealt with Hanxin, unexpected things often happened.

"Where is Zhang Zhongzheng?"

"···He said he won't participate in this."

"That's understandable. He lives and dies by his principles."

Tian Zhimei didn't have any bad habits.

He didn't want to pit his two close friends from the Military Academy against each other.

Most importantly, he couldn't predict what would happen if they faced each other.

Losing control of the situation was what Tian Zhimei hated most.

"We've arrived."

The deserted Tokyo Port was silent except for the sound of the waves.

"Search the area."

"Yes."

Over forty men, including the subordinates who had been lying in wait at Tokyo Port and those who had arrived with him, had gathered to capture one man, Hanxin.

"This way."

Following the subordinate's lead, they entered an old warehouse.

Without proper lighting, it would be completely dark inside once the sun set.

Hanxin was sitting calmly in the center of the warehouse.

Seeing Tian Zhimei enter, he stood up with a blank expression and greeted him.

"Hello, Advisor."

"···You look fine."

Tian Zhimei glanced at his subordinates as soon as he entered.

Hanxin's hands and feet were not bound, and there were no signs of him being beaten.

A subordinate explained.

"He said he wouldn't resist and asked for freedom of movement. We've effectively captured him."

Indeed, the warehouse was packed with yakuza. There was no way for Hanxin to escape.

Tian Zhimei decided to act confidently. The situation was absolutely in his favor.

"Hanxin, how did you end up like this?"

"Like this? What do you mean? You just said I look fine."

"Cut the crap. If you had listened to me, we could have been good friends."

"True. We could have been sworn brothers."

The goal was to take over Hanxin's pachinko business.

Tian Zhimei spoke in a seemingly gentle tone.

"It's not too late. Our relationship can still be salvaged."

"How so?"

"We are people gathered under the banner of overthrowing the Manchu and restoring the Han. We are all men with revolutionary dreams. You've strayed from the path, but if you rejoin us, we can be friends again."

"You mean I should hand over the pachinko business to you."

Tian Zhimei smiled.

Negotiating with a captured prey was his favorite pastime.

"I'm not asking for it for myself, but for the revolution. Set aside petty personal desires and choose to serve China truly. Pour the immoral money you've earned from gambling into the revolution and elevate it to a noble cause."

"And you'll manage that money?"

"Yes."

Tian Zhimei didn't like Hanxin's calm demeanor.

He wanted to see Hanxin's smug face turn to despair.

"What happens if I don't hand over the business?"

"Your head will roll."

"What if I do hand it over, will my head stay on?"

"