Chapter 28: Opening the Cage

Urawa Local Detention Center.

Doi Chuji presented his identification and the completed visitation application to the guard at the gate.

The guards at the entrance already recognized Doi Chuji.
They barely glanced at his ID, took the application, and asked, “Coming to visit him again?”

“Yes,” Doi Chuji nodded.

“You’re quite a loyal friend.”

“Hehe…”

Doi Chuji chuckled in response.

Doi Chuji was a former cadre of the Takeuchi-gumi, now an ordinary member of the Yamagami-gumi.
The person he was visiting was, of course, another remnant of the Takeuchi-gumi, Kiban Naoya.

Back in the Takeuchi-gumi, Doi Chuji and Kiban Naoya weren’t particularly close personally, just ordinary Yakuza acquaintances who would drink and visit the red-light district together.
If that counted as a deep personal relationship, then Doi Chuji had a deep personal relationship with eighty percent of the Yamagami-gumi’s top brass.

But ever since Kiban Naoya was detained and awaiting trial, Doi Chuji had been visiting him every few days.

Others, including Kiban Naoya himself, felt that Doi Chuji was a man of honor.
However, only Doi Chuji knew that he was carrying out a mission given to him by a certain person.

That person had promised that if Doi Chuji completed this mission well, he too could become a cadre of the Yamagami-gumi in the near future.

The mission was simple: just chat with Kiban Naoya.
And most of the conversation didn’t even need to be fabricated.

The police officer waved his hand, signaling that Doi Chuji could enter.

Soon, Doi Chuji saw the scruffy-bearded Kiban Naoya.

Kiban Naoya’s crime was not actually that serious.
Although he had held Seiko hostage, he had not extorted any money, nor had he harmed anyone—except himself.
In the end, he had voluntarily given up his weapon—it was actually taken by Seiko, released Seiko—Seiko had actually walked away on her own, and had shown remorse—by cutting off his own finger.

According to the Yamagami-gumi’s consultant lawyer, the final sentence would probably only be two or three years, and that was including the charge of illegal possession of a firearm.

“Masa is dead.”
Doi Chuji’s opening words stunned Kiban Naoya.

Masa was also a former member of the Takeuchi-gumi.
Although not a cadre, he had been fighting alongside Kiban Naoya and the others since he was very young.
He was a junior they had practically watched grow up.

It took a long moment before Kiban Naoya asked in a trembling voice, “How did he die?”

“He was slashed five times by men from the Takada-gumi.
He was sent to the hospital but died after they failed to save him.”
Doi Chuji lowered his voice, making it sound hoarse.

Kiban Naoya hung his head, pulling at his hair with both hands, a “he he” sound escaping from his throat, like a wounded beast.

Kiban Naoya’s grief wasn’t just because he had heard the news of his former underling, Masa’s, death.
It was because recently, Doi Chuji had been bringing him bad news every few days—who died, who was injured, whose territory got smashed.
The victims included former Takeuchi-gumi members as well as other Yamagami-gumi members.

This constant stream of bad news poured into Kiban Naoya’s ears.
Sometimes he could even get some verification from the prison guards, other inmates, or even newspapers and television news.
As a result, Kiban Naoya’s nerves were constantly tormented.
Sometimes, tossing and turning, Kiban Naoya even began to doubt himself—’Am I really a mole for the Takada-gumi? Am I really the sinner who caused the downfall of the Takeuchi-gumi? Is the death of Kumicho Yamagami and Kumicho Takeuchi really related to my leaking of information?’

Seeing Kiban Naoya’s suffering, Doi Chuji began to admire the person who was secretly directing him.
This method of manipulating people’s minds was simply too powerful.

However, after several meetings with Kiban Naoya, Doi Chuji also discovered that even if Kiban Naoya wasn’t a mole planted by the Takada-gumi, he had definitely been used by them.
It was just that a certain person had remained calm in the face of danger, a step ahead in the game, and had not let the Takada-gumi succeed.

One could only say that Kiban Naoya was indeed loyal, but he was also indeed simple-minded.

“Also, I and the other old brothers have scraped together some money.
We’ll bail you out tomorrow,” Doi Chuji added.
“However, after you’re bailed out, you’d better not stay in Urawa…”

Kiban Naoya, who was just about to say thank you, raised his head in confusion and asked, “What do you mean?”

“It doesn’t mean anything special…” Doi Chuji stammered, “Although some of the old brothers believe the explanation I gave for you, there are some old brothers… well, who don’t want to see you.”

“What?”
Kiban Naoya thought blankly for a moment, then suddenly understood the meaning behind Doi Chuji’s hint.
“They suspect I’m a mole for the Takada-gumi!”

“Well… just don’t ask too much about it,” Doi Chuji said vaguely.
“In any case, you just shouldn’t live in Urawa.”

“How can I not ask?”
Kiban Naoya’s eyes turned red.
“I’m not a mole!
I’m not a mole!
How can I not ask?”

Doi Chuji gave a bitter smile.
“You can’t blame others.
Naoya, you used to be so close with the Takada-gumi, and the things you did were so easy to misunderstand… I’m advising you to live somewhere else, really, for your own good.
If you have any friction with the other old brothers, it will only make others laugh at our Takeuchi-gumi.”

“But I really didn’t betray the Takeuchi-gumi!”
Kiban Naoya clutched his chest, as if wanting to tear his heart out to show Doi Chuji.

“That’s not important anymore…” Doi Chuji shook his head.

“It is important!” Kiban Naoya interrupted angrily.

“What’s so important about it?!”
Doi Chuji seemed to lose his temper as well.
“Boss Takeuchi is dead, so many old brothers are dead or have quit, the Takeuchi-gumi is completely gone.
Whether you betrayed us or not, as long as you know in your own heart, what’s so important about it!”

Kiban Naoya was stunned into silence by the shouting.
After a long moment, he opened his mouth and said tremblingly, “You, you don’t believe me either…”

Before, Kiban Naoya had felt that no matter what others said, at least Doi Chuji, who often came to visit him, believed him.

But after those words just now, Kiban Naoya suddenly “realized”—Doi Chuji didn’t trust him.
He just felt that since the Takeuchi-gumi was gone, it didn’t matter who the traitor was.

“Your old flame in the red-light district, I’ll help you send her away.
She can’t stay in the red-light district anymore,” Doi Chuji said finally.

“Do you all hate me that much?
You can’t even tolerate my former woman?” Kiban Naoya said hoarsely.

Doi Chuji shook his head, stood up, and seemed unwilling to talk to Kiban Naoya any longer.

“I’m not a traitor!
What do I have to do for you all to believe me!”
Kiban Naoya slammed his hand on the table and roared, “I’m not a traitor!
I’m not a traitor…”

The police officers waiting at the door immediately rushed in and held Kiban Naoya down firmly.
Kiban Naoya still struggled desperately.

“I want to bail him out, what should I do?”

Doi Chuji asked the police officer outside the door while looking back for a glance!

“What do I have to do for you to believe me!”

Kiban Naoya’s roars continued to echo from the meeting room.

Through the iron door, Doi Chuji could almost see Kiban Naoya’s bloodshot eyes, like a fierce beast about to break out of its cage and devour someone.

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