Chapter 52: Midnight Meeting and a Late Arrival

Murakami Eishi sent men to notify the various chokusan.
Before they arrived, Seiko gathered the yakuza who were originally in charge of security at the Yamagami residence and questioned them about the specific situation.

“It’s because of the Kumagaya City armored car robbery…”

After piecing things together, Seiko finally understood the reason for Investigation Section One’s surprise raid on the Yamagami residence—someone had reported that the Yamagami-gumi was involved in the Kumagaya City armored car robbery.

Kumagaya City was a small city in the northern part of Saitama Prefecture.
About three years ago, two masked assailants robbed an armored car with firearms in front of a bank in Kumagaya, injuring one of the guards and escaping successfully.

Due to extensive media coverage, the case attracted considerable attention throughout Japan.
However, nearly three years had passed, and the case remained unsolved.

During the investigation at the time, both the police and the media had suspected the involvement of a violent gang behind the case.

Firstly, because of the guns used by the two assailants—M16s from a special source.
Based on ballistic analysis, the police confirmed they came from a U.S. military armory in Japan.

Secondly, the criminals’ actions were overly proficient; the robbery took only two minutes and thirty seconds.
During their escape, they switched cars in remote areas at regular intervals, using almost exclusively stolen vehicles and even forging Self-Defense Forces license plates, demonstrating a high degree of planning and rich criminal experience.

Thirdly, in the abandoned vehicles, the police found at least six different brands of cigarette butts, proving that the robbers were a group, and a sizable one at that.

A criminal organization that could obtain U.S. military firearms and possessed rich criminal experience—in Japan, it was impossible not to associate them with a violent gang, right?

Besides, three years ago…

That was the era shortly after Yamagami Akira had officially taken over the Yamagami-gumi.

To be honest, even Seiko suspected that such a brainless act as robbing an armored car was something her cheap old man had done.

To possess the criminal ability to run circles around the police, yet use that ability on something as mindless as robbing an armored car—it perfectly fit the persona of her cheap old dad, who was somewhere between having a brain and not having one.

How much money could an armored car even hold?

It was said that 14 million yen was stolen from the armored car in Kumagaya.
If Yamagami Akira had used six people, then including himself, each person would get exactly 2 million yen.

After deducting the money for buying guns, modifying cars, and fuel, it was barely enough to cover the trouble…

Alright.

Without realizing it, Seiko had already accepted in her heart that Yamagami Akira was the one who did it, even though there was no evidence yet…

Yamagami Residence, reception room.

The time was half-past twelve.

Nineteen of the Yamagami-gumi’s chokusan had arrived.
As the Wakagashira, Seiko sat in the main seat vacated by Yamagami Nobuo.
Murakami Eishi still sat in his usual place as the Shatei-gashira, which meant he was effectively sitting in the deputy’s position to Seiko.

At first, with so many yakuza bosses gathered together, they were chattering and making a racket.
But as time passed and Seiko, sitting in the main seat, remained silent, everyone gradually sensed something was wrong, and the voices slowly died down.

Over the next twenty minutes or so, another three chokusan arrived one after another.

However, Seiko continued to leisurely flip through her review materials, showing no intention of starting the meeting.

“Miss Seiko, shouldn’t we get started?”

Murakami Eishi reminded her in a low voice.

Seiko looked up from her review materials and turned to ask Yamagami Taka, “Are all the chokusan here?”

“There’s still one person who hasn’t arrived,” Yamagami Taka, who was in charge of the headcount, replied immediately.

Seiko’s gaze swept over all the chokusan present, passing over Ishiwatari Takashi, then Doan Hiroshi, and finally landing on one person, “Nitta-san, who else hasn’t arrived?”

Nitta Hiraku, the head of the Nitta-gumi, was slightly stunned to be called on so suddenly.
He looked around the room, counted twice, and gave the answer, “The Honbucho, Ninomiya Shigeyoshi, has not yet arrived.”

Hearing this name, the other chokusan were merely a little puzzled as to why Ninomiya Shigeyoshi was so late, but Murakami Eishi was already starting to feel a sense of foreboding.

Others might not know, but Murakami Eishi knew that Ninomiya Shigeyoshi had always resented Seiko’s position as Wakagashira.
In front of Murakami Eishi, he had stated, both overtly and covertly, several times that the position of Wakagashira should not be given to a little girl, and that if Murakami Eishi wanted to compete for the position, he would fully support him.

Murakami Eishi had almost been swayed by Ninomiya Shigeyoshi, but he was not the type of person who would fight for a goal at all costs.
So, thinking of Yamagami Nobuo’s deadly, unyielding methods, and then thinking that Seiko didn’t seem like a pushover either, he had backed down.

However, Murakami Eishi knew without a doubt that Ninomiya Shigeyoshi’s dissatisfaction with Seiko would certainly not diminish just because he had backed down.

After hearing Nitta Hiraku’s answer, Seiko nodded and said, “Alright, since Ninomiya-san hasn’t arrived yet, let’s wait a little longer for him.”

Hearing Seiko’s words, Murakami Eishi suddenly felt his scalp tingle.

Seiko and the twenty-two chokusan sat in the reception room, waiting in silence.
As time ticked by, even the most thick-skinned yakuza gradually sensed the abnormality.
The reception room began to grow quieter and quieter, the atmosphere increasingly tense.

Clang…

One of the chokusan accidentally knocked over his teacup.

“Sorry, sorry…” he said, standing up with a smile and apologizing repeatedly.

The tense atmosphere was broken by this small accident, and everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Someone laughed and cursed, “You idiot, be more careful.”

Amidst the chorus of condemnation, the man apologized as he exited the reception room.
When he reappeared, he had already changed into clean clothes in the restroom.

After another ten minutes or so, with a clatter, the reception room door was slid open again.
Ninomiya Shigeyoshi swaggered in and plopped down in the empty seat in the front row.

“If you have something to say, say it quickly!”

Ninomiya Shigeyoshi announced, as if he were the host of this meeting and they couldn’t possibly start without him.

Seiko nodded, put down her review materials, and began, “Boss Nitta, according to the rules of the Yamagami-gumi, when the boss is captured by the enemy, but the underling specifically responsible for his protection is sleeping soundly, completely unaware, how should he be dealt with?”

Nitta Hiraku hesitated for a moment before answering based on experience, “He should first sever a finger to ‘express loyalty through pain,’ then swear to rescue the boss.
If he fails, he should commit suicide to atone for his crime.”

Seiko readily accepted his answer.
“Then please go ahead and chop off one of Honbucho Ninomiya’s fingers.”

The reception room instantly fell silent again, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone, including Nitta Hiraku and Ninomiya Shigeyoshi, failed to react for a moment.

Seiko nodded at Nitta Hiraku again, her tone calm as she urged, “If you would, Boss Nitta.”