The Ghost Uncle Attains Buddhahood / A Clash with the Mafia ...
Inukane Group Leader, glanced at Shirou and Mashiro, then at the terrifying vengeful spirit beside them, and then... he immediately knelt down in a dogeza (a deep bowing gesture) before the purple Ghost uncle.
Chapter 826 The Ghost Uncle Becomes a Buddha
A person's reputation is important, just as a tree needs bark, but if there's no substance, no matter how beautiful the exterior is, it's useless.
Having spent years navigating the treacherous waters of war, constantly facing death, this underworld boss has developed his own philosophy of life. He believes that kneeling is necessary when necessary; in Japan, kneeling is not shameful. The real shame lies in losing one's life and status.
Inugami immediately knelt on the ground, but the purple Ghost uncle ignored him, leaving him standing there, and instead chatted with Shirou and Mashiro who were sitting to the side.
"Mashiro- chan, you said before that you wanted to interview this old man? Sure, this old man is very free now, so feel free to ask me anything. I'll tell you everything I can. But now that I'm mostly dead, it seems like there's nothing I can't say, hahaha~!" the ghost old man said with a laugh.
"Well then..." Mashiro really ignored everyone else, then took out her notebook and interviewed the ghost uncle.
"Yes, that's right..." The ghost uncle answered the girl's questions one by one, recalling his dramatic past.
The purple Ghost Uncle, whose surname is Mitsui, is actually from the countryside. When he was in high school, his parents died in an accident, and he suffered all kinds of bullying and contempt from his relatives. So, in a fit of anger, he dropped out of school, sold his property, and ran to the big city to make a living.
After more than a decade of hard work and countless hardships, he finally managed to make a name for himself in business during Japan's economic boom. However, he also developed some bad habits during this time, including alcoholism, gambling, and staying out all night, which ultimately led to his current predicament.
The purple Ghost uncle really let loose, answering the girl's questions without reservation, revealing everything he knew.
"Thank you, sir, for telling us all this." Shirou and Mashiro thanked the ghost uncle together.
"Thank you..." Mashiro lowered her head.
"It's nothing, it's nothing, don't mention it. Mashiro -chan, Shirou-kun, thank you too. Otherwise, I would have become an ugly demon by now, waiting to be exorcised. You guys saved me. Eek, you two are really a perfect match. If only you had found a wife back then, things might have been different." The purple Ghost uncle replied with a smile.
"No, I just don't want to see a tragedy. It's time for things to come to a reasonable conclusion." Shirou chuckled and pointed to the yakuza boss in a black suit kneeling beside him.
"Ah, why is there someone kneeling on the ground? And who are you?" The purple Ghost uncle nodded, giving Shirou face, and turned his head to the other side for the first time. Only then did he seem to notice the yakuza boss kneeling on the ground, and grinned as he asked.
Inugami apologized to the ghost, saying, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Mr. Mitsui! I really didn't mean it! I've felt deeply guilty about this! That bastard who sold the medicine got beaten to death not long after the incident; he deserved it!"
"Yes, but aren't you guilty too? Why haven't you been punished by heaven and instead become the leader?" The ghost uncle looked down at the Yakuza Boss on the ground and said slowly.
The business world is like a battlefield. He himself fought his way out in a chaotic era. It would be impossible for him not to have some skill or shrewdness.
"This..." Inujin was embarrassed and didn't know how to answer.
"Forget it, I'm a businessman too. To be honest, I don't think there's anything in this world that can't be traded. But now that I'm dead, Inujin! What do you think you can still do for me?" the ghost uncle asked.
"Yes, I don't even have a tombstone now. After I made my fortune, I found a feng shui master in Hong Kong for my parents and found them a good burial site, which was my way of fulfilling my filial duty. But I never expected to die so suddenly, leaving nothing behind." Uncle Ghost recalled the past. His parents died early, and he had no relatives who cared about him. After he grew up, he struggled alone in the business world. Everything was just a charade. He never got married and never had a lover. He was always alone.
"I will erect a tombstone for you in Mr. Mitsui's hometown and offer incense for you every year! Please spare me here! This building is innocent! My brothers outside are innocent too!" Inukane Group Leader, abandoned his previous tough stance and knelt on the ground, shamelessly begging for mercy.
"And my property isn't something you can just take for free. Those ungrateful bastards back then! When my parents died, they all looked down on me, treating me like a plague. When I became rich, I never intended to acknowledge these relatives! If I were to die, I would burn all my money! I wouldn't give them a single penny! And they actually dared to come and claim my inheritance! I'll teach them a lesson!" Uncle Ghost said, revealing a fierce look in his eyes.
"Yes! I'll send people to investigate immediately! Those ingrates who dared to do that back then will definitely pay the price!" Inukane Group Leader replied, kneeling on the ground without raising his head.
With Shirou and Mashiro as witnesses, the ghost uncle made various requests to Inukin, who agreed to them all, thus settling their feud.
"Hmph, then it's settled! If that's the case, I feel like I can become a Buddha." The ghost uncle seemed to feel some comfort; if the regret in his heart could be made up for, his resentment would subside.
"Eek, Mashiro- chan, Shirou-kun, I think I should go reincarnate, otherwise I'll be falling behind the times." The uncle said with sudden regret.
"Is that so? It's good that you've thought it through." Shirou nodded and said.
"Uncle, farewell. Thank you for telling me the story." Mashiro waved to the ghost uncle.
"Okay, Mashiro- chan, I'm off now, Uncle. You're all good people." The ghost uncle smiled and waved to the girl.
The gang leader standing to the side bowed and said with a fawning smile, "Yes, yes, then please leave quickly!"
"You bastard, Inujin! Remember what you said, or I'll be waiting for you at the gates of hell!" The ghost uncle turned around and roared at him.
"Yes! Yes! Mr. Mitsui, I will definitely remember your words." Inukane Group Leader lowered his head and agreed repeatedly.
"Is that so... then so be it, farewell! Land that gave me birth and nurtured me! I have had my glorious life, and I have no regrets." The ghost uncle nodded and closed his eyes.
Then a golden beam of light shone down through the ceiling, and the purple hue on the ghost uncle's body gradually faded, eventually returning him to his normal human form. Inside the beam of light, he slowly rose into the sky, being welcomed into the afterlife.
Chapter 827 Conflict with the Gang
As the golden light completely dissipated, Inukane Group Leader instantly stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and once again regained the imposing demeanor of a gang leader, as if he had never knelt at all.
"Eek, that troublesome old man is finally gone. Thank you! Thank you! Young man, we'll cover all your expenses. If there's anything you need done, please let us know." Inukane Group Leader said enthusiastically, but his real aim was to recruit Shirou into his organization.
"Yes, I do have something I need your help with. I don't have any identification, so I'd like to get a valid document. Um, please make sure it's one with a clean record." Shirou smiled as he told his team leader his request. Even if this hadn't happened and Inugami hadn't asked, he would have gone to him for help anyway.
If you can find a way, there really aren't many things in this world that are truly impossible to buy.
Identification documents are essential in any country; they prove you belong there. You need them for business trips, school enrollment, and various other transactions.
Identification is very important, and once lost, it is extremely difficult to obtain.
For example, in Israel, many of the original inhabitants who lived there before the United States allocated land to them for the establishment of their state chose to move away due to issues such as religion. Those who remained became non-permanent residents, but their original state no longer exists.
This raises an awkward problem: if they commit some offense and have their residency revoked and be deported, they will become like the Roma and Kurds, without a country of their own, with no place in the world that truly belongs to them.
When someone is desperate for money, they might even sell their ID card. Although Japan doesn't have ID cards, in recent years they've started implementing something called a personal identification number.
It's actually used for the same purpose as an ID card number. Whether you're Japanese or a foreigner working here, you need one if you want to move around in Japan. Even tourists get one when they enter the country, and then cancel it when they leave. So if someone has nothing left to sell, they can use this to exchange for money.
After all, this world is not perfect, and the operation of social systems is flawed. Otherwise, there wouldn't be cases of elderly people living alone who die for years, or even decades, without being discovered because no one visits them.
Before a person's personal ID is cancelled, anyone with the connections can use it to make money, such as registering shell companies, taking out online loans or high-interest loans, legally marrying a second wife, or doing anything else they can.
A person who sells their ID card might check online a few months later and discover that they were actually quite wealthy, having unknowingly acquired several companies in some remote, unfamiliar place. If those companies run into problems, they will be burdened with millions in debt.
Of course, the people selling these items might not be good people; they might even be fugitives with murder on their hands. If you use them, you might get caught by the police.
This is a completely gray area of the industry chain. Shirou wants to create an identity, but he doesn't want to hurt anyone. Ideally, it would be a mutually agreeable and completely innocent situation.
"That's fine, although it will take some time. Young man, can you wait a few days?" Inugami changed his mind. Although he was grateful to Shirou, he wanted to recruit someone as capable as Shirou to his side.
"Yes, we're leaving tomorrow morning, but I'll come back to see you," Shirou said, subtly conveying his refusal.
"Yes, why don't you stay here a few more days? You must be tourists, right? I can have someone show you around and help you get to know the area," Inujin said with a smile, trying to persuade you to stay.
"No, no need, we already have somewhere to go. But regarding Mr. Mitsui's matter, when does Inukane Group Leader plan to take care of it?" Shirou asked.
Inukane Group Leader's smile had changed; it had shifted from its previous amiable and friendly demeanor to cold and cruel. He slowly lit a cigar, exhaled smoke, and stared directly at Shirou before asking:
"Hehehe... Young man, are you trying to teach this old man how to do things?"
Inugami's gaze sharpened as he looked directly at Shirou. When he cast such a cold look at his men, even the most ruthless thugs would lower their heads, and the other young men would tremble.
But now Shirou is smiling, meeting his gaze without wavering.
From the very beginning of his life, in the life he was Kiritsugu, Shirou frequently interacted with Yakuza and similar figures in the underworld. After all, Sister Fuji was the heiress of a major yakuza organization. As a child, he often spent time with Sister Fuji's intimidating father, a top-tier yakuza boss in Fuyuki, for pocket money. Through this exposure, he became quite familiar with organizations like the Japanese Yakuza. The Fujimura family was, after all, a 'tiger,' while this group was merely dogs.
Having figured out their tactics, Shirou really had nothing to be nervous about. Since he had promised Uncle purple Ghost, he naturally had to make Inugami keep his word.
"Young man, you need to understand, those are monsters! We are human. Even in fairy tales, Momotaro is the target of Minamoto no Minamoto no Raikō's extermination. There's no need to be trustworthy with a guy like that," Uncle Inugami said, waving his hand.
If he actually went to erect a monument for the ghost, wouldn't that mean he admitted to killing the other person? Not killing an enemy, but mistakenly buying fake medicine that killed his benefactor, and now being retaliated against by an evil spirit? That would be incredibly humiliating. His prestige would be greatly affected, and his subordinates might not be so afraid of him anymore.
Shirou shook his head and said, "No, I just happen to believe that humans can get along well with other races. Although there will be friction, as long as we can understand each other, we can still become friends. Whether it's Shuten-doji, Ibaraki Doji, or other demons and monsters, it's all the same."
Well, the Ibaraki Doji he'd met was just a little brat who could be appeased with candy and snacks, while Shuten-doji was connected to his sister from a parallel world. More often than not, the most terrifying thing in this world isn't demons, but rather our own kind of humans. And the fox spirit who once brought ruin to the country has reformed and now only wants to be a virtuous wife and loving mother.
What's there to be afraid of?
Chapter 828 Backstreet Girls Make Their Debut
In the hallway outside the office, Inujin glared fiercely at Shirou and asked again:
"Young man, have you really thought this through before you interfere in my affairs?"
"Please keep your promise," Shirou calmly replied.
The subordinates around him seemed to sense something was wrong. They had only thought of Shirou, but it turned out that he was more than just someone who could see ghosts. Even disregarding that, his aura was definitely not that of an ordinary person.
Could he be an assassin trained by some secret organization? Or a mercenary returning from the battlefield? The more they thought about it, the more likely it seemed. At such a young age, he was already so skilled. It was said that assassins and mercenaries were trained from a young age, because it was more difficult for them to succeed, making people wary and thus increasing their chances of success.
Mercenaries, on the other hand, are young soldiers sent to scout ahead, testing the waters with their own bodies. They are demons who have emerged from despair, and in fact, they live in hell every day.
Because they live in a harsh environment where life and death are at stake every day, anyone who survives to adulthood is bound to be honed into a highly skilled expert, possessing extraordinary luck and a keen sense of danger that surpasses most people.
Gangs are no longer the same as they used to be, fighting every day. Especially in a highly socialized environment like Japan, people living in bustling metropolises, indulging in pleasure and debauchery, live in a completely different world from assassins and mercenaries. They are less like strong humans and more like demons from hell.
In typical gang fights, the key is to use violence and numbers to intimidate others and make them submit. It's like when they call in a group to fight; everyone who shows up gets a share of the money, and if the fight actually starts, they have to pay another sum.
So, the kind of fighting that happens all the time is only in the storylines of Crows Zero, since it's mostly just a battle of egos, and you can beat the other side until they back down. But if it's the Yakuza or the underworld, once it really comes down to fighting, you have to be swift and decisive, killing the other side in one fell swoop, otherwise, there will be endless trouble, and your side might be ruined.
Nobody wants to suffer such a bitter consequence, so they usually only choose to ambush or beat someone when they're down. A real fight is beyond the capabilities of the underworld; those who can do that are already considered warlords.
The cowardly fear the fierce, the fierce fear the tough, the tough fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear the reckless. However, overly violent behavior is more likely to fail and cannot last.
Desperados, however, show no fear, and in this situation, the underworld has no chance against them.
Seeing Shirou's composure, the thugs became uneasy and afraid. If Inukane Group Leader, were to turn on them, they could very well die in a fight. Although they were all prepared for the dangers of the underworld, they were generally aware of the risks involved.
They don't go out into the underworld to die; they come to live the life of a chivalrous outlaw, where hundreds of brothers respond to a single call, enjoying the freedom and power of the martial world. They're respected wherever they go, eating the best food and chasing the best women. But if they die, all of that is gone.
Their palms, gripping the steel pipes and machetes, were red and swollen, cold sweat beaded on their backs, and their legs trembled uncontrollably. Yet, none of them dared to take a step forward. Although they didn't think their opponents were powerful enough to take on a dozen armed men single-handedly without any weapons, no one wanted to be the first to suffer.
The dozen or so people opposite him each had their own thoughts and schemes. Some wanted to escape long ago, while others wanted to negotiate, but they were afraid of being punished by Inukane Group Leader later.
Inukane Group Leader also realized that some of his subordinates were no longer reliable.
'Damn it... They were talking so well just now, but now they're all useless guys.'
Just then! A series of clattering footsteps came from outside, like someone running in high heels.
Three girls dressed in flowing dresses like idols were running towards them. Although they looked quite cute, their running movements were as powerful and energetic as those of athletic men.
"Boss! We heard some bastards are causing trouble! We're on our way from the concert!" the woman with long brown hair, who was leading the group, shouted.
"Boss!" the second person, a mature young woman with dyed blonde hair, called out.
"Which bastard is it! Where are you! We'll chop you to pieces!" At the very back was a cute girl with black twin tails.
"Damn it! How dare you cause trouble on our turf!"
Inukane Group Leader turned around and slapped the three idol girls, sending them flying one after the other. He said with exasperation, "You're all hopeless!"
"Baka yarou!!! As an 'idol'! Even if there's an earthquake or tsunami, you have to perform on the stage I'm on! And you should all call me 'teacher'!"
"Yes! I'm sorry, teacher!"
Three girls dressed as idols knelt on the ground, tears welling in their eyes, and looked at Inukane Group Leader with emotion, loudly agreeing.
"Well done! You guys! It wasn't a waste of time to train you!" After slapping them, Inujin gave his three transgender subordinates a thumbs up. It was because of these three guys that he had a way to save face.
Inukane Group Leader shouted, "Don't talk nonsense! These two are our team's distinguished guests. The enemy we just dealt with has been perfectly resolved through our joint efforts!"
The other subordinates around him understood immediately and nodded in agreement.
That's exactly what I meant!
"We've fought side by side as brothers!"
"Yeah! I'd really like to buy you guys a drink!"
The tense atmosphere vanished instantly, and everyone burst into laughter.
"So? You've agreed to keep your promise?" Shirou asked at this moment. After all, it was the Ghost Uncle's last wish, and he would rather give up his own business than let the other person's wish be fulfilled.
"Of course! Hahahaha! Brother! Since it's your invitation, of course we have to help! We're all friends in the underworld! Yakuza is all about loyalty and righteousness! Everything's easy to discuss! This little thing, our group can take care of it for you right away." Inukane Group Leader, agreed matter-of-factly, then burst into loud laughter.
"Is that so? Thank you then," Shirou said with a smile.
The yakuza boss, Inugami, confidently stated, "Yes! We also have to thank Shirou-kun and Mashiro- chan. We'll definitely fulfill our promise. The identification you requested, I got it for you this morning."
Chapter 829 Going back to my room to sleep
"Identity document?" Mashiro asked, puzzled.
The girl, who only knew how to draw, genuinely didn't understand, but the Yakuza Boss thought she had concerns.
So he began to explain, "Please don't worry, all the procedures are legal. One of our men just made a mistake and is being sent to the other side of the sea to sell grass. Since they're unlikely to be back for at least twenty years, we'll just use their personal codes. We guarantee there won't be any problems." The bearded gangster uncle said with a smile.
"Is that so? Thank you. Let's do it that way then..." Shirou said, frowning. This was the way of life in this world, a result of the choices those people made.
Just like the outlaws and heroes of ancient China who valued 'righteousness,' the Japanese Yakuza also valued benevolence and chivalry. But no matter how nicely they put it, a violent organization is still a violent organization. It is inevitable that they will harm others for their own benefit. Places where protection money can be collected are bound to be places where troubles and complex relationships frequently occur, and they will inevitably get involved in some gray areas.
Although it exists in a gray area and is largely alienated by the general public, it is still related to the interests of hundreds of thousands, or even tens of millions, of people.
For example, a farmer in Mexico who grows grass can only earn a little more money than someone who farms crops. For these grass-growing farmers, they are really just growing grass, no different from growing Xia Sang Ju, tea, cotton, or other herbs. The only difference is that their grass is special and sells very well, going to warlord factories for processing before being distributed all over the world.
Farmers are only trying to survive, but this has led to countless tragedies.
Gangs running factories sell processed drugs to a neighboring superpower in exchange for advanced weaponry. They then violently suppress any local government officials who want to ban drugs. The surviving government officials become entangled with the gangs, gradually forming regional warlord factions.
New gangs, seeking greater profits, would try to overthrow the old guard, leading to constant warfare between the old and new warlords.
Unfortunately, this herb is highly addictive. People of all skin colors, once addicted, are willing to risk their lives rather than give it up. They are willing to go bankrupt, ruin their families, and even die for it!