Preparation

Really!

The fervent voice rang out in the teahouse. Sato Ken abruptly rose to his feet, completely oblivious to the scalding tea spilling from his cup onto his robes.

"Of course! You are not worth tarnishing the Tanaka Clan's reputation over."

Tanaka Yoshikado raised an eyebrow and gave a firm nod as he looked at the agitated figure standing before him.

"My apologies! I got a little excited."

After taking several deep breaths, Sato Jian regained his composure and offered the two of them an apologetic smile. Emotions shifted in his eyes, but he paid no attention to the now-damp tatami beneath him as he slowly sat back down.

"Please enlighten me, Clan Head Tanaka."

Having calmed down, Sato Ken spoke in a low voice. His expression appeared tranquil, but beneath the tea table, where neither of them could see, both hands tightly clenched his damp robes.

"Enlighten you?" Tanaka Yoshikado grinned at that, glancing at Samu Kokaze beside him from the corner of his eye. I'd like to know what this brat is up to myself!

Naturally, he did not say that aloud. Instead, he raised a hand and pointed at Samu Kokaze, who had been sitting to one side watching the show ever since entering the room. "Just do whatever he tells you."

"Him?"

His voice rose several pitches as he looked at the small figure Tanaka Yoshikado was pointing at, his expression turning vacant.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

Seeing Sato Ken's reaction, Tanaka Yoshikado's face abruptly turned cold.

"No, no, of course not!" Snapping back to his senses, Sato Ken hurriedly waved his hands. His expression was somewhat conflicted as he looked at Samu Kokaze across from him. After pondering for a while, he cautiously asked, "This... young sir." He paused over the form of address. "What can I do for you?"

"Just call me Kaze!"

Samu Kokaze casually replied, pulling out a map he had drawn the previous night from his pocket. Seeing the water stains splashed across the tea table, he frowned.

Sato Ken, who had been staring intently at Samu Kokaze, was quick to notice. Upon seeing the sheet of paper, he hurriedly used his sleeve to wipe the table clean, moved the tea set to the floor, and revealed a fawning smile.

Samu Kokaze gave him an approving look and spread the map in his hand across the tea table.

"Th-this is a map of our Sato Clan?"

Sato Ken had not taken it too seriously at first, but now his face was filled with shock as he swallowed at the incredibly detailed map before him.

An ordinary map would not have been much. Given the Tanaka Clan's influence, obtaining a rough topographical map of the Sato Clan would not have been difficult. But this map even detailed the layouts of the residences of the Sato Clan Head and Lord Sato Liandu. That was not something one could obtain casually; at the very least, it would require access at the level of a clan elder.

"Do you see the twenty-four red dots marked here?"

Samu Kokaze glanced at the dumbfounded Sato Ken and pointed to the detailed map spread across the table.

Gulp...

Sato Ken swallowed, then repeatedly nodded as the other two focused their gazes on him.

"Your task is very simple!"

Seeing him nod, Samu Kokaze could not be bothered to think about why he was so nervous. This map had been drawn based on the intelligence obtained from Genichi's mind, so there should not be any major omissions.

"Someone will deliver some items to you shortly. All you need to do is place them in the areas I marked, and your task will be complete. From then on, no one will come looking for you again."

"Any other questions?"

Seeing Sato Ken fall into a daze, Samu Kokaze frowned and asked.

"It's that simple?!"

Upon hearing that, Sato Ken's face filled with disbelief. When he had heard that this would be his final task, he had already formed a rough guess about how difficult it would be.

But he had never expected this. At this level, anyone in the Sato Clan with even a little standing could accomplish it. After all, the red dots on the map marked ordinary places, not hidden areas that were difficult to access.

"What's wrong with simple? Or do you insist on a high-difficulty task? If you can take out Sato Liandu, that can count as your final task too. How about it?"

Hearing Sato Ken's cry, Samu Kokaze looked at him seriously.

"No, no! This task is fine, this task is fine!"

Sato Ken hurriedly shook his head, his square face breaking into a broad smile.

Looking at the grinning figure across from him, mockery surfaced in Samu Kokaze's eyes. He rose from his small seat, kicked Tanaka Yoshikado beside him, and headed for the teahouse door.

"Before seven tonight, I do not care what method you use, but you must complete the task I assigned. Otherwise..."

Standing at the teahouse entrance, Samu Kokaze let out two cold chuckles, pushed open the door, and walked out.

Sato Ken remained kneeling in the room, his expression blank as he stared at the map on the table. A trace of struggle flashed through his eyes. In the end, he let out a long sigh, put away the map, and quietly waited in the teahouse.

Outside the teahouse, after waiting at a street corner for half an hour and seeing no one emerge from the tea room, Samu Kokaze chuckled softly and turned toward the Tanaka estate.

"You're that certain he won't go report this to Sato Liandu? He's not stupid. There's something very suspicious about this, and there's no way he wouldn't notice."

On their way back, Tanaka Yoshikado could not help lowering his head to ask.

Samu Kokaze looked up at him and replied irritably, "Didn't you also decide he wouldn't report it before you felt safe leaving with me? Otherwise, would you have acted like this?"

"Tch!"

A thoughtful smile appeared on Tanaka Yoshikado's face. "I can rest easy because I understand him. He has a strong gambler's mentality. Since he did not immediately go report it, it means he has placed his bet on us."

"What about you? You do not know him. The only information you have came from me, and this was your first time meeting him. Why do you believe he will do as you say?"

Without even lifting his head, Samu Kokaze said faintly, "Isn't that what you're here for? As long as you think he's fine, that's enough. Besides, if anything goes wrong, they'll come after you first."

Tanaka Yoshikado rolled his eyes at that and said crossly, "I knew a black-hearted brat like you wouldn't have anything good to say!"

Samu Kokaze glanced at him from the corner of his eye, conveying a look that said, Then why did you ask?

"Kaze!"

As the two headed back toward the Tanaka Clan, a highly penetrating voice rang out ahead of them.

They looked up.

Guy, dressed in his ever-present green jumpsuit, appeared on the street. Upon seeing the two of them, he pushed off with his feet and instantly appeared before them.

"Why did you come out without calling me? You should know your current situation is dangerous."

Guy looked at Samu Kokaze with concern on his face, his thick brows furrowed as he quietly admonished him.

"Sorry, sorry! I made you worry, Brother Guy. It won't happen again."

Seeing Guy's concern, Samu Kokaze hurriedly put on a smile and promised him.

Tanaka Yoshikado, standing beside him, frowned slightly. He glanced at Guy and said in a low voice, "Mr. Guy, within the Tanaka Clan's sphere of influence, his safety is still guaranteed."

Guy laughed awkwardly and said nothing further, though he clearly did not take the words too seriously.

Samu Kokaze glanced at Tanaka Yoshikado, who was frowning and about to speak again, then lightly kicked him. "Enough. Let's get back already. After wandering around outside for so long, I'm hungry again."

Tanaka Yoshikado's cheek twitched. "I really don't know what your stomach is made of."