Lucky Mutual Aid Society (23)

"That guy was telling the truth!" President Oiwa looked at the Law Ruler in disbelief. "This item can really restrain ghosts!"

Ever since his car accident, he had been a shut-in for thirty years. The reason was that if he went out casually, due to his constitution, he would always attract those unclean things. He had already been through the brink of death in the car accident, making his spirit unstable and easily startled. If he got entangled with those things under such circumstances, the consequences would range from nightmares to severe illness, so he gradually became afraid to go out.

Over the years, he and his parents hadn't failed to seek treatment methods for this, but those they invited were either swindlers or only treated the symptoms, not the root cause. After a period of peace, the old problems would resurface. As for the protective talismans they sought, they were completely useless. Even now, he only dared to appear at the izakaya near his home and at gatherings; he didn't dare to go anywhere else. He chose that izakaya not because of its taste, but because the place was relatively "clean." The reason he drank every day was also because it helped him fall asleep faster. Every night when he lay down in bed, he would hear the resentful screams of children in his ear shortly after falling asleep. These were the screams of the children he had whipped with willow branches. Recently, those sounds had become clearer and clearer, and small, dark handprints had started appearing on his body. When he woke up in the morning, his back and waist would ache, as if someone had beaten him the night before...

However, now he had this... The flame that had been suppressed in his heart reignited. That flame was called "ambition," igniting instantly like a spark catching fire, beyond control!

"I am the president of the Lucky Mutual Aid Society! All that money belongs to me!"

Within the structure of the Lucky Mutual Aid Society, although he was the one in nominal control, and all the members admired and respected him, the reality was just as the story Qian Xiaoyi told. He had been sidelined by another partner. He had thought about fighting back, but it seemed ineffective. Moreover, due to his constitution, he could only appear in specific situations.

"No, calm down, Harada Taro." The overly excited thoughts caused his drunkenness to dissipate rapidly. He told himself, "I can't get carried away like this! Maybe it was just an accident just now?"

He looked towards another alley. The streetlights flickered intermittently due to a malfunction. He swallowed, his body trembling as he took a step, heading down that path...

That night, Harada Taro slept soundly. There were no nightmares, no cold touch that suddenly startled him awake, no strange stares, and no children's screams. The moment he woke up, sunlight streamed in through the window, bright and radiant, making the whole world seem brand new.

"This is truly a good thing... I don't have to be afraid anymore!" He stroked the Law Ruler, his eyes resembling Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. He glanced at the bare willow branch lying by his bed and smiled. He threw it into the trash can. From now on, he wouldn't have to feel bad about whipping the little ghosts anymore. Recently, that chilling feeling had been getting stronger, making him reluctant to "purify misfortune" for others.

"Perhaps... this is my chance to strike back at Matsui! I'll let him know who's really in charge of the Lucky Mutual Aid Society!" Harada Taro excitedly picked up his phone and dialed the number of a senior member. Tomorrow was the day of the weekly Lucky Mutual Aid Society gathering. Just like attending church services, they needed frequent gatherings to strengthen the group's cohesion. It wasn't too late to start winning people over now.

"Kuroda, it's me, Oiwa. How have you been lately?... Hahaha, you're too kind, it's my duty. How about it? It seems like you haven't had your purification ritual done in a while. Are you showing signs of bad luck again recently? It just so happens that I can spare some time today. I'll gather others, and I'll help you with your purification ritual."

Harada Taro's heart was burning with excitement. With this Law Ruler, he could ignore the harm from the little ghosts and recruit those senior members without any reservations. These people were important members of the Lucky Mutual Aid Society, equivalent to minority shareholders in a company. With their support, coupled with his own prestige, wouldn't it be easy to suppress that hypocritical guy Matsui and then take over? Only then would he truly become "President Oiwa"!

But what the other party said on the phone plunged him into an icy abyss.

"What did you say?! The purification ritual has already been done? Just yesterday?" Harada Taro screamed. "Who did it for you? That ritual is very dangerous! Only professionals can do it... You're saying it was effective? Tell me, who was it?"

After a conversation, Harada Taro hung up the phone. His face darkened as he remembered. The person described was the boy Matsui had invited to the last gathering. That boy, like him, could see those things!

Harada Taro's eyes immediately filled with bloodshot veins. He gritted his teeth and muttered in a low voice, "He actually wants someone to replace me? He really wants to replace me! Matsui Ryoji, you've gone too far! Then don't blame me for being impolite."

He quickly dialed the phones of senior members he had a good relationship with. He spoke indignantly to them on the phone. After finishing everything, it was already noon. Harada Taro's expression was gloomy, and he said fiercely, "The war is coming!"

On a street in a residential area, Matsui, dressed in a suit, walked out of an old house, put a thick envelope into his briefcase, and took the phone clamped between his head and shoulder. He responded casually, "Eh~~~ The president told you something like that? What? Haha, of course, it's not true. Don't worry, I won't say you told me. As for the truth of the matter... you'll know tomorrow. Be sure to come to tomorrow's gathering, something exciting will happen..."

Matsui shook his head, hung up the phone, and laughed mockingly. "That old shut-in actually realized I'm planning to make a move on him? How rare. But what can that change? He actually dreams of overthrowing me, the main operator, the true founder of the Lucky Mutual Aid Society? How foolish. Wouldn't it be better to just be a president admired by everyone? That way, you can still enjoy the feeling of being high above for a while longer... But it's fine, falling without any struggle is indeed a bit boring. So, let the war begin, President Oiwa... no, Harada Taro."

In the evening, at the Lingkong Exorcism Office, Qian Xiaoyi said sternly to Inuyama Heita, "Are you ready, Inuyama Heita-kun!"

Inuyama Heita nodded firmly.

Qian Xiaoyi asked with a serious expression, "So, Private First Class Inuyama Heita, are you sure that Matsui will have high-class snacks procured at tomorrow's gathering?"

Inuyama Heita replied, "Yes, sir! I am very sure! Ms. Maria is in charge of setting up the venue, and she told me all about it! It's said that just procuring those snacks cost twenty-thousand yen."

"Yo~shi~ Matsui, that stingy guy who uses vegetable cream cakes, has finally become generous for once." Qian Xiaoyi sat on the sofa with his legs spread wide and looked at the hiking backpack beside him. He said solemnly, "This is a war!"