Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

Although the Sasaki faction is leaderless, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. There are always some capable and ambitious people who are unwilling to be buried with their old master.

Finally, Kujo Renji's tone became more subtle:

"As for your father, Mr. Yamamoto, you're a smart man. These plans are the result of your careful consideration and your determination to overcome all objections. It's time for you to demonstrate your ability and courage, and let your father see that you can now stand on your own. I don't need to teach you how to make these suggestions appropriately, do I?"

"I totally understand, Ms. Toyokawa!"

Yamamoto Ryuichi's voice was a little hoarse due to excitement:

"I'll arrange it right away!"

...

After the phone call ended, Yamamoto Ryuichi couldn't calm down for a long time.

He looked at the brightly lit night view of Tokyo outside the window, and for the first time felt that he seemed to be only one step away from the peak of power that was once out of reach.

At the same time, in the heavily guarded mansion in Roppongi, Kitamura Chiaki's office was brightly lit.

The actual controller of the Kitamura Group was gracefully shaking the red wine glass in his hand, and the scarlet liquid left ambiguous traces on the wall of the crystal glass.

Before her lay a detailed report on the Moon Shadow Pavilion bombing. Its level of detail was almost on par with the Metropolitan Police Department's internal report on the First Investigation Division, and even more in-depth and bold in its analysis of certain details.

A faint arc appeared at the corner of Kitamura Chiaki's mouth.

She put down her wine glass and tapped the smooth mahogany tabletop with her slender fingers.

After preliminary analysis, she immediately realized that the explosion was "not simple".

Unlike the simple and rough style of general gang fights that focus on spectacle and deterrence, the explosion in Yueying Pavilion seemed too precise and efficient.

The goal is clear, the technique is clean, and no unnecessary traces are left.

She couldn't help but think of the series of plans that had taken place against the Toyokawa Group not long ago, each of which had accurately caused a loss of "16.8 billion yen."

Those also demonstrated the chilling planning ability and almost paranoid control of every detail of the manipulators behind the scenes.

A strong sense of familiarity came over her.

Kitamura Chiaki's eyes fell on the speculation about the choice of explosives in the intelligence report.

It could be some kind of military-grade mixed explosive, or a controlled substance that requires extremely special channels to obtain. And the timing of the detonation was precisely chosen: it happened to be a late-night secret meeting when the core leaders of the Sasaki faction were at their most relaxed and their guards were at their lowest.

The unusually "clean" state of the scene left almost no clues that could directly point to a specific individual or organization.

Bold, efficient, leaving no trace, and even with a touch of morbidity, this "aesthetic" sees destruction itself as a form of art.

She didn't think that the bombing was just to help that good-for-nothing Yamamoto Ryuichi get to the top.

Based on her understanding of Kujo Renji, that man's ambition is definitely more than that.

Completely disrupting the Yamaguchi-gumi, which has long been stagnant and rotten, and breaking up and reorganizing its internal power structure, this is more like Kujo Renji's style.

Use the opponent's force to your advantage, win both black and white, and use the smallest cost to leverage the biggest chess game.

This kind of hair-raising gesture made her feel both familiar and excited.

"So it's you, or rather, the current Miss 'Toyokawa Shoko'?"

Chiaki Kitamura picked up her cell phone and tapped the screen quickly with her slender fingers.

A moment later, an encrypted email was quietly sent to a specific mailbox.

The content of the email was simple, just one sentence, but it was filled with hints and temptations that only “like-minded people” could understand:

"The fireworks Ms. Xiangzi set off in Tokyo recently were truly dazzling, lighting up the entire night sky. I wonder if the next grand performance will require some more professional stage props and lighting effects?"

Kujo Renji received this "greeting email" from Kitamura Chiaki almost immediately.

Of course he understood the subtext in Kitamura Chiaki's email.

It was simply a hint that if he needed it, the Kitamura Group could provide him with deeper assistance through its vast network of resources.

For example, by influencing certain official channels, the "great purge" within the Yamaguchi-gumi was cleverly characterized as "internal gang conflict within the controllable range," thus avoiding the premature intervention of higher-level forces.

Or, provide a more secretive and secure funding channel to provide ammunition for his subsequent actions.

There seemed to be a thin veil between the two of them, and a silent game was going on.

They tested and evaluated each other, but at some level, they reached an unspoken understanding.

..

Under the secret "guidance" of Kujo Renji and the forced "outstanding performance" of Yamamoto Ryuichi, the Yamamoto faction was like a hungry wolf with chicken blood. In the chaos after the explosion, they seized the initiative at an astonishing speed.

The "fat meat" that was once so coveted by the Sasaki faction

——Control of casinos, red-light districts, lucrative loan sharking networks, and those gray-area smuggling channels all changed flags and hoisted the flag of the Yamamoto faction within just a few days.

Ryuichi Yamamoto, who was once seen by many as a second-generation rich man who relied on his father's influence, showed "decisiveness" and "foresight" that was inconsistent with his past experience in this sudden "power feast".

He carried out every instruction of Miss Toyokawa almost perfectly, and incorporated the interests that originally belonged to the Sasaki faction into the territory of the Yamamoto faction in an almost crude but extremely efficient manner.

For a time, Yamamoto Ryuichi's reputation within the organization rose rapidly like a rocket.

Those elders who once looked down on him began to look at him with scrutiny; those middle-level cadres who once pretended to obey him also began to show unprecedented respect in front of him.

After all, in the world of the underworld, fists and interests are always the most powerful passes.

Shinji Yamamoto felt extremely complicated as he watched his son's performance, which seemed like a complete transformation.

On the one hand, there is the great joy brought by the unprecedented expansion of the Yamamoto faction; on the other hand, there is the deep suspicion about his son and the unknown forces that may be hidden behind him.

However, doubts remain.

Faced with huge benefits at his fingertips and under pressure from other factions within the organization, Shinji Yamamoto had to hand over more power and responsibilities to Ryuichi Yamamoto.

He needed a strong successor to consolidate the Yamamoto faction's vested interests and deal with the potentially more brutal internal struggles that followed.

Ryuichi Yamamoto was completely immersed in the dizzying feeling brought about by this rapid expansion of power.

Every time he successfully annexed a piece of territory, every time he saw those who once looked down on him bowing down before him, his adrenaline surged wildly.

His awe and dependence on the mysterious "Miss Toyokawa" also reached its peak.

He almost regarded her words as imperial decrees, obeying her every word and not daring to disobey in the slightest.

However, under the intoxication of power, a faint but stubborn uneasiness began to grow quietly deep in his heart.

He began to feel vaguely like a puppet controlled by invisible strings. Although he shone brightly on stage, his ultimate fate was completely in the hands of the invisible manipulator. This feeling filled him with both excitement and fear.

At the same time, other factions of the Yamaguchi-gumi felt unprecedented shock and fear at the almost crazy speed of the rise of the Yamamoto faction.

The collapse of the Sasaki faction was like a mirror, reflecting their own fragility.

Some factions chose to endure temporarily, like poisonous snakes lurking in the dark, waiting for the moment when the Yamamoto faction revealed its flaws.

Other factions with a stronger sense of crisis began to contact each other secretly, trying to unite and jointly curb the Yamamoto faction's aggressive expansion momentum.

New conflicts, new hidden wars, like a volcano about to erupt, are accumulating destructive power beneath the surface. The air is filled with the smell of gunpowder and betrayal.

Toyokawa main residence.

Through his vast intelligence network that spans all walks of life, Toyokawa Sadaharu learned about the dramatic changes within the Yamaguchi-gumi and the many suspicious points in the Tsukikage-tei bombing case almost simultaneously with the police and Yamaguchi-gumi's top brass.

He sat in the spacious study. On the desk was a briefing on the recent developments of the Yamaguchi-gumi and a profile report on the recent activities of "Toyokawa Shoko".

Although Toyokawa Sadaharu was not sure who was the specific mastermind behind the Tsukikage-tei bombing.

But his intuition told him that Xiangzi might be involved behind this matter.

Especially for Chiaki Kitamura, the recent seemingly casual contacts with "Shoko" have raised his vigilance to the highest level.

Toyokawa Sadaharu knew very well what kind of person Chiaki Kitamura was.

She would never show such a "friendly" attitude to a female high school student who is still in high school for no reason.

Behind this, there must be some kind of transaction or conspiracy that he has not yet noticed.

Toyokawa Sadaharu vaguely felt that a huge, invisible net was quietly spreading, and the target seemed to be the Toyokawa Group that he controlled.

.........

The instigator of all this, Kujo Renji, was now watching coldly the chaos and fighting within the Yamaguchi-gumi caused by his moves.

Everything was as he expected, and even went smoother than he expected.

Yamamoto Ryuichi was a more useful chess piece than he had imagined. The taste of power, once tasted, was addictive.

And fear is the best catalyst.

He looked at the screen and saw the latest "battle report" and almost flattering "request" sent by Yamamoto Ryuichi.

It's time to make a deeper layout.

He picked up the encrypted communicator and contacted Yamamoto Ryuichi again.

"Mr. Yamamoto, congratulations, the initial results are very good."

"But the Yamaguchi-gumi is not clean enough right now."

"What does Ms. Toyokawa mean?"

Jiujo Liansi paused and chuckled:

"This position of the head has always been held by capable people since ancient times."

"Your father has worked hard over the years."

"It's time for him to retire."

.....

PS: This chapter has 8,000 words, four in one.

Chapter 125: Tokyo Today is Really Extraordinarily Peaceful

"It's time for him to retire."

Kujo Renji's light and casual words, as if he was just discussing the weather, were clearly transmitted to Yamamoto Ryuichi's ears through the encrypted communicator.

"retire?"

Of course he understood the true meaning behind the words "Ms. Toyokawa".

The word "retirement" is often closely associated with blood, betrayal and the ruthless transfer of power.

Especially at this critical juncture, his father, Shinji Yamamoto, a young leader who has been immersed in the Yamaguchi-gumi for many years, is at a critical period of expanding his power.

Let him "retire"?

Isn't this just the lower class overthrowing the upper class?

"Ms. Toyokawa, what do you mean?"

"Literally, Mr. Yamamoto."

There was no emotion in Jiujo Renji's voice:

"Your father has toiled for the Yamamoto faction and the Yamaguchi-gumi for most of his life. It's time for you to step down from this burden and enjoy your retirement. And you, Yamamoto Ryuichi, are young, promising, and capable, making you the perfect person to shoulder this responsibility. Could it be that... Mr. Yamamoto has no confidence in himself?"

confidence?

Yamamoto Ryuichi smiled bitterly.

He knew that from the first time he accepted "help" from "Ms. Toyokawa", he had embarked on a path of no return.

"I……"

Yamamoto Ryuichi's Adam's apple rolled with difficulty. He felt as if his tongue was tied and he couldn't say a word.

"Mr. Yamamoto, you should understand that opportunities often only come once. If you miss it, you will never get it again."

There was a suffocating silence on the other end of the phone.

After a long while, Yamamoto Ryuichi finally managed to squeeze out a few words from between his teeth:

"I understand, Ms. Toyokawa."

He knew he had no choice.

He can only go down this path until the end.

.....

In the following days, the power structure within the Yamaguchi-gumi, as if after experiencing a severe earthquake, began to enter a short and strange "stability period."