Tokyo Mystery Writers

Chapter 102 The World of Civilization

Inside a dilapidated office building in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Maishiro Kyosuke sat in his chair, looking at Cheng Yi holding a knife in front of him. Although he was already terrified inside, he still put on a calm and composed expression.

"Mr. Cheng, you can simply dispose of me right here."

"But you need to think carefully: is it more advantageous for you to kill me, or to keep me alive?"

"As long as you agree to my conditions."

"Mr. Cheng, I can give you something that no one else can."

"More precious than money."

Cheng Yi stared at Mai Cheng Jingjie, then suddenly drew his sword and stabbed at Mai Cheng Jingjie's hand, which was resting on the table.

Although in the end it only stuck between Maijo Kyosuke's index and middle fingers.

But seeing that Maijo Kyosuke didn't even blink, Cheng Yi smiled with interest: "Good, I, Cheng Yi, admire people with backbone the most. Seeing a knife aimed at your hand and not even blinking, you've got guts!"

"Tell me, what advantage do I gain from making a deal with you?"

Upon hearing Cheng Yi's words, Mai Cheng Jingjie's face revealed a rare fierce expression: "Today I was captured by Mr. Cheng's men and almost had my hands chopped off."

"I admit that this is the result of my foolishness, my carelessness, and my lack of vigilance."

"But the enemy is in the dark while I am in the light. No matter how I try to hide, I will face this calamity sooner or later."

"Therefore, I have figured out the rules for governing my own life."

"That is, there are only two kinds of people in this world: bullies and the bullied."

"Even if I give you money today, it will only make you stop. But what about tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? And later?"

"What if I leave here and then get kidnapped by another group of people the very next minute?"

"I don't know, and I dare not think about it."

"All I know is that if I don't want this to happen again, and if I don't want to be bullied for the rest of my life, I need to reverse my status!"

"From being bullied to bullying others!"

Maishiro Kyosuke placed his hands on the table and looked at Cheng Yi sitting in front of him: "Mr. Cheng, I make a living with these hands. If someone wants my hands, they want my life!"

"But you should know that as long as I keep my hands, I can create countless values."

"I don't know if you've read my book, but I can promise you that as long as you help me deal with the people who want to hurt me."

"I can not only bring you money, but also help you escape this place, become respectable businessmen, and achieve wealth and prosperity, so you don't have to live this life of constant danger!"

Maishiro Kyosuke's words caused a subtle change in Cheng Yi's previously sinister gaze: "Makishiro-sensei, do you mean... you want us to protect you?"

Maijo Kyosuke nodded, then shook his head: "The newspapers keep saying that we live in a civilized world."

"But Mr. Cheng, you and I both know that's utter nonsense!"

"In fact, we live in a world like a primitive society, where the strong prey on the weak! At least Tokyo is such a place."

.

"The president of the Social Thought Club is a mad dog, you're a mad dog, everyone here is a mad dog! Mad dogs, in order to survive and to eat more meat, will only choose to kill each other!"

"I won't bully others, but I won't let others ride roughshod over me either."

"If the president of the Social Thought Society dared to target me today, he would have found someone else to do it to me sooner or later if he knew I was alright."

"Therefore, what I need is not just protection, but someone who can remove all obstacles from my path!"

"Or to put it another way, I'll make the president of the Social Thought Society pay the price he deserves, so that everyone will fear me and dare not lay their hands on my plate!"

Cheng Yi was taken aback when he heard what Mai Cheng Jingjie said.

He then forcefully pulled the knife out of the table, turning it around as he smiled at Maijo Kyosuke: "Truly a master of words, able to describe such a blatant double-cross so tactfully."

"I've always liked decisive people, especially someone like you who looks frail but is actually quite shrewd."

"Just as you just said, Tokyo is a garbage dump, it has all kinds of garbage, and there are a whole basket of garbage people. When there are too many people, there isn't enough food, and in the end, it can only fight to the death."

"But Mr. Wucheng, you should know that we Northeasterners are all quite straightforward and don't understand your literary ways of being so convoluted."

"So, what I really want to know is, what kind of wealth and glory did Teacher Wu Cheng mean by that?"

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

Before Maijo Kyosuke could speak, the phone next to him suddenly rang.

Cheng Yi casually hung up the phone, signaling for Maishiro Kyosuke to continue speaking, but the phone rang again just a second after it was hung up.

Cheng Yi frowned as he answered the phone. A high-pitched voice quickly came through: "Old Yi, it's me, Hiroki Osawa from the Osawa Group."

Upon hearing this voice, Cheng Yi said with some disdain, "Judging from your half-dead snort, I can tell it's you, you bastard!"

"Speak, what do you want from me?"

A dry laugh came from the phone, followed by the voice saying, "Old Yi, we at Daze Group know perfectly well what kind of work your Northeast Gang has been doing behind the scenes."

"Tell me, is that guy, Keisuke Maijo, in your hands?"

"I have a good brother, you know him too, he's Mikoshiba Yasunori, who used to hang out with me in Shinjuku."

"I owe him a favor. If Maijo Kyosuke were to lose an arm or a leg, it would be very difficult for me."

Upon hearing Hiroki Osawa's words, Cheng Yi glanced up at Kyosuke Maishiro and immediately hung up the phone.

When the phone rang again, Cheng Yi decisively reached out and unplugged it: "Teacher Wucheng, it seems you really are very valuable."

"Even Hiroki Osawa, that stingy miser, came to me demanding that someone be released."

"Tell me, what will I get in return if I help you clean up the mess down there?"

Maijo Kyosuke calmly pointed to his head with his index finger: "Thanks to this."

"As long as Mr. Cheng helps me get rid of the dog that's in my way."

"I could write a story about your Shinjuku."

"At that time, all you need to do is set up a film and television company, recruit some crew members, and turn the script I authorized to you into a movie."

"That will transform you from dogs on the ground into people standing on the ground."

Cheng Yi looked at Wu Cheng Jingjie and laughed in anger: "You, Wu Cheng! Are you making fun of me?"

"Do I look like someone who would make movies?"

Maijo Kyosuke shook his head solemnly: "Whether you can direct it or not is not important. What is important is that in all of Japan, only your company can obtain the script authorized by me."

"You know my reputation. Once you get my script, countless directors and production crews will be vying to work with you."

"Whether the film is good or bad, it will definitely make you a fortune. You might only need one shot to earn the money you've made in this godforsaken place over the past twenty years."

"As for finding actors? Aren't you all just playing yourself?"

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