I think carefully about Shijukara's attitude on that day. Although I feel that he was beaten into submission in the end, his confusion when Ciri questioned him didn't look like an act... If it was, then I'm confident to say that he is a better actor than 90% of the actors in the current entertainment industry.
With this thought in mind, I decide to ask Kurone Toujou for more details.
[player]Do you remember if those thugs had any obvious characteristics or features?
[Kurone Toujou]Um... It was too dark that night, and I couldn't see them clearly.
[Kurone Toujou]But...
[player]But?
[Kurone Toujou]If you want to start investigating with the thugs, I think I know of someone who can help you.
[player]Who?
[Kurone Toujou]Raven is the largest gang in One Han City, and all the thugs in the east side of One Han City listen to its orders.
[Ciri]No, they could be the ones behind this. There's no way they would help us sincerely.
[Kurone Toujou]Oh? Can you tell me why?
Hearing Kurone Toujou's somewhat surprised inquiry, I smile bitterly and quickly tell her what happened yesterday.
[Kurone Toujou]With that said... actually, Raven has been undergoing a transformation in recent years and now operates many legal businesses, so they operate on both sides of the law.
[Kurone Toujou]Countless Springs is a customer of one of those legal businesses, so I also have some dealings with Soumu, the boss of Raven.
[Kurone Toujou]Based on my humble opinion, Soumu doesn't seem like someone who would do something like this. Or should I say he disdains to do something like this? There might be a misunderstanding.
[Kurone Toujou]Please give me a moment.
[Kurone Toujou]You'll be able to find members of Raven here. This is their nearest hideout around Countless Springs.
[Kurone Toujou]I shouldn't get involved because I'm a third party, but I hope you can listen to my advice.
[Kurone Toujou]Don't be impulsive. Try to resolve everything peacefully. It would be best if you could solve everything through amicable communication.
Kurone Toujou makes a lot of sense. Not to mention, no matter how good Ciri is in a fight, we'll be heavily outnumbered on their turf.
Ciri and I exchange a glance and decide to see what their attitude is like before discussing further plans.
After bidding farewell to Kurone Toujou, Ciri and I go to the address and arrive at the entrance of the Raven hideout. I don't know what to say... It's actually an ordinary mahjong dojo.
Just as Ciri and I are hesitating about whether we should go inside, we see someone familiar: Shijukara.
It's obvious that Shijukara also saw us too. The moment our eyes lock, both he and Ciri start moving quickly.
He started running away, and she started chasing after him. There's no way he is getting away.
Ciri drags Shijukara in front of me by his collar, and I sigh when I see him.
[player]Sigh, you keep showing up. We've seen you a lot in the last two days.
[Shijukara]Do you think I'm doing it on purpose? I don't want to see you either. Nothing good happens when I run into you.
[player]It's not that bad. We have come in peace this time.
[Shijukara]You can't fool me!
[player]I'm serious. Kurone Toujou told us to come here. Look, this paper with this address on it also has Countless Springs's logo on it
Shijukara dubiously takes the note from my hand, then he looks over it a few times.
[Shijukara]So what have you come here for?
[player]Can I talk to your boss, Soumu? There's something we want to ask him.
[Shijukara]Hah! Do you think our boss is someone who any random person can see?
[Shijukara]But... I have to show our major customer Countless Springs some respect. It just happens that the boss is here checking up on our business. I'll bring you to meet him.
Ciri tells Mojito to wait for us outside the dojo, then we follow Shijukara inside the dojo. It is bustling with people inside, and there really are many ordinary citizens playing mahjong here.
[player]Why is your gang hideout a mahjong dojo?
[Shijukara]You don't understand, right? We do business legally here.
[Shijukara]What business is more legal here in One Han City than a mahjong dojo?
I think he makes a lot of sense.
[Shijukara]What's more, most of the dojos in the west side of One Han City are run by Strix. Well, we can't lose to them! We must outnumber them.
Is this some mode of business war that I'm unaware of?
[player]Nowadays, most businesses compete by making snide comments on each other's CatChat posts, or by arranging fights between the leaders and streaming the process live... I never expected that there are still people who compete honestly in terms of the number of stores they run.
[Shijukara]Haha, it's obvious that you haven't followed the CatChat accounts of the bosses of the two gangs. There's no way they wouldn't take part in a real business war like what you mentioned.
Shijukara's words manage to capture my attention. I must watch it the next time I get a chance.
We follow Shijukara into a room at the back. As soon as I enter the door, a person with an imposing back throws a mahjong tile in the smoke, which makes a crisp sound when it collides with the discarded tiles.
[???]West Wind.
The player who moves after him is facing us from the side. He is wearing a suit and has a slicked-back hairstyle. He plays a 1 Pin with a confident expression on his face, then we see a guy with a side part hairstyle smack the table hard.
[Guy with Side Part Hair]What's wrong with you? No one plays a 1 Pin after 3 West Winds.
[Guy with a Crew Cut]That's right! You're making trouble on purpose and trying to curse us, aren't you?
[Guy with Slicked Back Hair]You have nothing to worry about if you have a clear conscience. Look, the boss hasn't said anything yet.
Just as the atmosphere becomes tense after three of the people stand up, the man with his back to us takes a puff of the cigarette in his hand, then he speaks calmly after casually dusting the ashes into the ashtray next to him.
[???]Is it necessary to talk so much when playing mahjong?
The other three players instantly fall quiet. Although they don't look happy, none of them speak, and they all sit back down.
It looks like this person must be Soumu, the boss of Raven.
Shijukara sneers disdainfully beside me then walks up to the man with his back to us and speaks to him in a low voice.
[Shijukara]Boss, Countless Springs referred these two people to us.
The moment he hears the words Countless Springs, he turns his head and glances at us out of the corner of his eye. After that, he turns his head back and continues to play mahjong. After one turn, just as Ciri's patience is about to run out, he finally says something to us.
[Soumu]People from Countless Springs? Did you just come here to sit quietly and say nothing?
Hmm... It looks like it'll be difficult to get along with this man. While I'm still thinking of a tactful way to ask my question, Ciri speaks fearlessly.
[Ciri]Are you behind the recent wildlife trafficking in One Han City?
She really is a superwoman.
Soumu sucks hard on the cigarette between his fingers, then speaks sarcastically after exhaling the smoke.
[Soumu]Raven isn't that short of money yet. There are so many businesses for me to choose from every day. I might even end up with the police on my back if I go to such lengths to capture some animals... Haha, are you stupid, or do you think I'm stupid?
[Soumu]3 Pin... Didn't you guys eat anything before shuffling the tiles?
Standing on my tiptoes, I glance at the discarded tiles in front of Soumu. He played a 3 Pin tile in 3 consecutive turns. His tile luck is quite amazing.
Ciri naturally doesn't believe what he's saying. She snorts coldly and has already started reaching for the whip on her waist. I quickly grab her hand.
[player]Let me take care of this.
[Soumu]3 Pin...
I take a small step forward, but then I step back quickly after hearing that he played a 3 Pin. This distance is safer after all.
I quickly explain the events of the other day and share what Kurone Toujou told us to Soumu.
Although I deliberately omit the part where Ciri beat up Shijukara and the others, Soumu sneers. Damn, I think I said the wrong thing.
[Soumu]So you're the ones who beat them up the other day.
He doesn't look back at us when he says this, so I don't know what expression he is making and can't tell if he mentioned this because he is thinking of getting revenge for Shijukara.
Clap--Clap--Clap-- While I'm still thinking of an explanation, Soumu puts down the mahjong tile in his hand and starts clapping.
[Soumu]Good job.
[player]Huh?
I watch with surprise as Soumu turns around and suddenly kicks Shijukara next to me fiercely.
Shijukara rolls all the way to the sofa on the other side of the room and only manages to stabilize himself after grabbing a handrail while kneeling on the ground, which shows that the kick is just as powerful as Ciri's whip lash the other day.
[Soumu]I've been too busy dealing with business matters recently, so I haven't had time to train these trash. If you didn't make them realize that they are useless...
[Soumu]Hah! If they keep degenerating like this, how can I expect these trash to fight bravely for me?
I want to remind him that there are many peaceful ways to resolve disputes in modern society, but I choose to keep my mouth closed after seeing the shape of his pectoral muscles under his tight clothes and his massive fists.
Even if Ciri can beat Shijukara, it doesn't mean she can beat Soumu. It's completely unnecessary to start a conflict.
Soumu lights up another cigarette and blows a few smoke rings in the air slowly before he seems to have made a decision.
[Soumu]I can't turn a blind eye to it since this happened on our turf. Come here at this time tomorrow, and I'll give you an answer.
Ciri and I exchange a glance. This outcome is already a lot better than we expected, so there's no reason to not accept it.
[player]Okay, thank you.
Soumu looks at Shijukara, then Shijukara limps over to Ciri and me and leads us back out from the way we came.
At the same time, we hear Soumu's threatening voice behind us...
[Soumu]If the next tile is also a 6 Sou, I'll make all of you into mahjong tiles.
On our way to the exit, we pass by a shrine against the wall that is located on the north side of the building, and several people are praying there in silence. I've never seen this type of shrine in any of the mahjong dojos I've been to, so I can't help feeling a little curious.
[player]Who do you worship at this shrine?
[Shijukara]Who else would you worship at a mahjong dojo? The priest of Mahjong Soul Shrine, of course.
[player]Eh? Why would it be... the priest of Mahjong Soul Shrine? Is it because he controls the mahjong force?
After talking to Shijukara all this time, his speaking habits are starting to rub off on me.
[Shijukara]How would I know? This shrine is in all our Raven hideouts, so we pray to it whenever we have time.
[Shijukara]In our line of business, it's good to worship a few more gods. A lot of people have been saying recently that the Mahjong Soul Shrine tournament is starting again soon, so everyone has been worshipping it more diligently.
Suddenly, he stops walking and also makes me stop. After there's some distance between Ciri and us, he lowers his head and whispers to me mysteriously.
[Shijukara]Since you helped me stop that ferocious woman yesterday, I'll tell you a secret.
[Shijukara]We're the ones who spread the rumor about the Mahjong Soul Shrine tournament starting again soon. The lady from Countless Springs told our boss, and our boss told us. We were then told to spread the news.
[player]Why would you do that? If you're the only ones who know... about this, then wouldn't you have fewer competitors?
[Shijukara]Do you think you would be worthy of talking to me like this here if I could guess what the boss is thinking?
Although I came here to ask about the red-crowned crane, I seemed to have learned something even more incredible. I recall what Saturne said earlier about a certain person receiving word about the competition and presume he heard the news Shijukara and the others had spread.
Shijukara makes a throat-slitting gesture.
[Shijukara]You must not tell anyone this secret... Do you understand?
I nod furiously. In fact, I don't think anyone will believe me even if I tell them...
Shijukara returns after guiding me to the exit. Ciri is waiting for me at the entrance by the time I walk outside the dojo. Mojito is pacing back and forth around her, and its impatient look reminds me of Soumu, which makes me regret leaving it at the entrance when we went inside.
If we brought Mojito inside, maybe they would have a fight?
This reminds me of a question that has been circulating on the Internet: "Which one is more powerful, a tiger or a XXX?" For example, the question: "Which one is more powerful, a lion or a tiger?" has been around since I was a child, and people are still debating it even now.
Should I ask Ciri this question?
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