"Brother, what a brilliant move! You managed to pull off such a tough operation," Ri Toyota exclaimed, giving Ohto Taro a thumbs-up.
"All thanks to your excellent leadership, Commander!" Ohto Taro replied, still standing at attention in a formal posture.
"Relax, relax. Take a seat," Ri Toyota said, crossing one leg over the other and gesturing for Ohto Taro to sit.
Only then did Ohto Taro take a seat, gradually letting his guard down.
"I'm curious. How did you get the intel about Hattori Yo's mistress and illegitimate child?" Ri Toyota asked, narrowing his eyes.
"How would I know? I bluffed him!" Ohto Taro grinned.
"What!? Bluffing!?" Ri Toyota exclaimed in disbelief.
Ohto Taro chuckled and explained, "Here's the thing, Commander, let me break it down for you. In most noble families or wealthy merchant clans, when it comes to their beloved younger sons who are about to branch out from the main family, they often arrange marriages with daughters from other noble families to boost their status. I figured Hattori Yo wouldn't be an exception."
Ri Toyota nodded in agreement. This was a well-known custom.
"But usually, these younger sons end up being henpecked husbands. It's inevitable—when the wife's family is too powerful, they can't afford to offend them. Now, Hattori Yo is thirty-five years old and still childless. That's unusual. I figured his wife must be, well, a hen that doesn't lay eggs."
"And what does that have to do with his mistress and illegitimate child?" Ri Toyota asked, puzzled.
"It has everything to do with it! For someone from a noble family, having no heirs is a big deal. If the tigress at home isn't producing offspring, he'll naturally look for alternatives elsewhere," Ohto Taro said with a sly smile.
"Fair enough. What happened next?" Ri Toyota asked, his interest piqued.
"My subordinates found out that about a year ago, this guy bought out the contract of a hostess from Kabukicho in the Yuxi Peninsula. I figured she must have been pregnant. Who else would buy a 'night pot' and bring it home for display? So, I used that as leverage. How could he not comply?" Ohto Taro explained confidently.
"But what if you were wrong? What if Hattori Yo was just having fun with her?" Ri Toyota asked.
"Then we wouldn't lose anything. We'd just send Ato to keep working on him. After all, fortune favors the bold," Ohto Taro said nonchalantly.
"Good! Fortune favors the bold, indeed. With such cunning and skill, it's a waste to have you serving as just a regiment commander under me," Ri Toyota said, his eyes lighting up.
"Not at all, Commander. My little tricks are nothing compared to your grand strategies. I could spend my whole life learning from you," Ohto Taro flattered.
Ri Toyota smiled in satisfaction, sizing up Ohto Taro. The young man was truly impressive—capable, eloquent, and even good-looking. Over the years, he had accomplished many "meritorious deeds" under Ri Toyota's command, making him the most reliable of the ten regiment commanders.
"You're not even thirty yet, are you, Commander Ohto?" Ri Toyota asked.
"I'll be twenty-nine after this month," Ohto Taro replied.
"Any marriage plans at home?" Ri Toyota inquired.
"None yet," Ohto Taro answered.
"Well, you're in luck. I have a younger sister-in-law named Yukishiro Shu. She's just eighteen and absolutely stunning..."
Oh no, this old fox is trying to tie me down! Ohto Taro immediately realized the trouble brewing.
This guy wants to bind me to his ship. But with the net about to close, Ri Toyota pulls a move ? This complicates things. If I agree, I'll become part of the criminal family. If I refuse, I might alert the snake in the grass.
"Brother, what do you think?" Ri Toyota asked.
"Well, I'd be honored, of course. But as a mere regiment commander, how could I possibly deserve such a match?" Ohto Taro replied, evading the question.
"Ah, that's an easy fix. Just so happens that Deputy Commander Inoue is retiring at the end of the year, leaving a vacancy. I think you'd be perfect for the position. I'll submit a report to the Kazekage and Minister Chensha at the Military Administration Department. Two joyous events at once—a promotion and a wedding! Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Ri Toyota said with a clap of his hands, laughing heartily.
"I live to serve you, Commander!" Ohto Taro replied, standing at attention once more.
End of the year? Then there's no problem. You lot won't last until the end of the year. I won't have to trouble your sister-in-law either.
"Corruption! Corruption! How could this happen? How could this happen!" Jinghang exclaimed, pounding his head in frustration.
Standing solemnly before him were Sasori Kage, Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau Ryohei, Intelligence Chief Tetsu Yamashita, and Yuxi Peninsula Administrator Maki, all wearing grim expressions.
The lid on the Yuxi Peninsula had been completely blown off, and the situation was far worse than expected.
The gambling industry in the Yuxi Peninsula wasn't just dominated by Heizo Kozo and Sunagakure. Over the years, a lot of "foreign capital" had flooded in. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue as long as they paid taxes. But these "investors" didn't play by the rules. While debt collectors and enforcers were common in any casino, including the Crystal Palace operated by Heizo Kozo and Sunagakure, the Crystal Palace's operations were relatively disciplined. They conducted asset analyses on key clients beforehand, and their debt collectors rarely extended excessive credit. Cases of dealing with "deadbeats" were few and far between.
However, the foreign-backed casinos were a different story. Take the Golden Han Casino, for example. They lured guests in, and when they were desperate to win back their losses, the casino's debt collectors would offer unlimited credit. Once the guests were thoroughly drained, they'd be kidnapped and extorted until they were completely bankrupt. This predatory practice not only undermined Sunagakure's interests but also severely tarnished the reputation of the Yuxi Peninsula.
Even worse, these forces somehow managed to collude with the local garrison—the Fourth Division of the Regular Army. Sunagakure's official ninja troops were acting as enforcers and protectors for the casinos! Whose troops were these, anyway?
How could a mere division commander have the audacity to do this? As they dug deeper, they discovered that a group of high-ranking officials in Sunagakure had been bribed and corrupted, serving as shields for these criminal enterprises. The rot had even reached the ministerial level.
This was an attack on the very foundation of Sunagakure.
"What's the plan?" Jinghang asked, his face dark with anger.
"I believe it's time to act. We've devised a plan that should allow us to root out these rotten elements in one swift move," Tetsu Yamashita said, stepping forward.
Walking over to the map in the Kazekage's office, Tetsu Yamashita explained, "This case is extensive and involves the Regular Army. If we're not careful and Ri Toyota and his men are cornered, they might rebel, undoing all the progress we've made in the Yuxi Peninsula over the years.
This situation is like a precariously balanced scale, with Sunagakure on one side and the Yuxi Peninsula on the other. Any move on one side will affect the other. Therefore, I propose a three-pronged approach to strike simultaneously and take out their leaders directly!"
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