novelraw Chapter 57 Sheep
Chapter 57 Sheep
Harufumi Hino even wondered if he was hallucinating.
A pack of hyenas had been roaming the wilderness for a long time when they spotted a fat sheep. Just as they were about to bite it, the sheep was suddenly protected and taken into the sheepfold. While the hyenas were thinking about how to snatch this exceptionally plump lamb from the sheepfold, the sheep itself came out, walked up to the hyenas, and opened its mouth to ask for... cooperation?
Hino Harufumi really wanted to ask Kirihara Akira if she knew what they had been discussing just a few minutes ago in that office.
We're discussing whether or not to kill you!
Seeing that Hino Harufumi remained silent, Kirihara Akira, unconcerned, smiled knowingly and said, "You think this scene is ridiculous, and that I'm stupid."
"You know my name, you recognize those middlemen, you must know what methods people in my line of work use," Hino Harufumi said.
Kirihara Akatsuki asked, "What are you trying to say?"
Harufumi Hino stated the facts without any emotion: "I can kill you right now."
Kirihara Akira smiled slightly and said, "Then please begin."
"You don't believe I can kill you?"
"I believe you have the ability to do it." Kirihara Akira sat back on the swing and said, "Hino Harufumi, the face of the Yamaei-kai, the number one enforcer, has carved out his own territory with his fists. Of course he has the ability."
Harufumi Hino frowned and said, "You believe I have the ability, but you don't believe I want to kill you?"
"You've never killed anyone," Kirihara Akira bluntly stated. "Not only have you never killed anyone, but you've also never been deeply involved in the group's 'business.' The few jobs you've participated in have been debt collection and security. So you're a thug, not an assassin; you're a nobody."
"Boy." Hino Harufumi stepped forward slowly, pressing down on him like a mountain: "In this world, the most taboo thing is to think you know everything."
You think you know me? You come to see me like an idiot. In this deserted place, I could snap your neck with a single twist, and no one would know.
"You're right," Kirihara Akatsuki echoed again, "This is a good, deserted place."
Hino Harufumi stopped in his tracks when he saw Kirihara Akira's ambiguous smile.
He remembered the police notice he had seen on the street and the entrapment operation.
Hino Harufumi frowned even deeper, and said, "You're using yourself as bait?"
Kirihara Akira sighed meaningfully and said, "Don't overthink it."
Hino Harufumi, however, was already convinced that this was just another entrapment attempt, saying, "You're already the young master of the Mori family, with a noble status. Why bother personally acting as bait to lure in someone as insignificant as me?"
Kirihara Akira shook his head and said, "Unless I get one of the Mori family's daughters pregnant and become her son-in-law, or Mrs. Mori immediately announces that she has officially adopted me, I'm just a nobody like you."
He said something very simple: "There is a Chinese proverb that says, 'It's not the thief you should fear, but the one who has his eye on you.' Mrs. Sen values me now, but that doesn't mean she will value me forever."
The question is, how long can this level of attention last? Her protection might last a day, a week, a month, but what about six months or even a year later?
"You know better than anyone that your underworld is a pack of extremely patient hyenas that will follow their prey until the moment the prey lowers its guard, then pounce and devour it."
As Hino Harufumi listened quietly, he suddenly had the illusion that he was dealing with a seasoned veteran.
"I don't want to be remembered by you for the rest of my life. While Madam is still looking after me, I should find out who wants to harm me and seize the initiative," Kirihara Akira said.
"Look, I sat down here, and sure enough, I waited for you."
Harufumi Hino finally responded: "You just mentioned cooperation, what kind of cooperation?"
"I want to know why you're investigating me, and what you've found out," Kirihara Akira said. "What secrets do my parents hold that are worth all this trouble?"
Upon hearing this question, Hino Harufumi lost interest in listening further. He didn't even want to wait for Kirihara Akira to reveal his offer. He shook his head and turned to leave.
Kirihara Akira stopped him in time: "I know you're loyal. I've already spoken for you."
"Go back now, no one can kill you." Hino Harufumi said without turning his head, "Don't think so much. Being a carefree rich young master is quite nice."
This sentence itself contains a lot of information; it can be considered a reminder or an announcement.
Akira Kirihara could sense the goodwill contained within it.
After a moment of contemplation, seeing that he was about to leave again, Kirihara Akatsuki spoke up once more, saying, "I bet you're planning to run away."
Hino Harufumi paused, finally turning around.
"Don't look at me like that." Kirihara Akatsuki shrugged and said, "I was just guessing. You gave me advice, and I'll give you one back: don't trust your old man too much."
Hino Harufumi's square face remained expressionless, as composed as a stone: "Useless provocation."
"Whether it works or not, I'll take responsibility for what I said." Kirihara Akira stood up, walked over to Hino Harufumi, handed him a note, and said, "Even if the cooperation fails, I don't want you to be killed to silence you."
Hino Harufumi took the note, but before he could open it, Kirihara Akira left first.
Watching his departing figure, Hino Harufumi unfolded the note, which contained a contact method.
……
……
night.
The Mori family's library.
Shizue Mori, dressed in a light-colored bathrobe, sat on the scaffolding, as serene and elegant as ever.
She saw Kirihara Akira and asked in a low voice, "Did you succeed?"
Kirihara Akira replied, "It failed. The talks never progressed from the beginning. We didn't know enough, we lacked information, and we didn't have enough leverage."
"...That makes sense," Mori Shizue said.
The contact with Hino Harufumi was a scheme devised by Mori Shizue, the eldest daughter of the Mori family, and Kirihara Akira.
Both of them needed an intelligence source to obtain information about the underworld.
For this common goal, the small-scale activities inside and outside the school that Mori Shizue had done before were not enough; they needed to contact relevant "practitioners".
However, rash actions can lead to danger, just like what happened to the second young lady, Mori Kiyoha. They need to be more careful and cautious in selecting the people they contact.
After a long period of waiting and information gathering, Mori Shizue finally set her sights on Hino Harufumi, a marginal figure in the Suruga Group.
This led to the note that Mori Kiyoyo gave to Kirihara Akira.
The above is the information that Shizue Mori wanted Akira Kirihara to verify. Akira Kirihara then asked Shiori Kisaragi to reveal some related information.
Based on the information provided by Shiori Kisaragi, Akira Kirihara and Shizue Mori conducted in-depth research and ultimately decided to try to make contact with Harufumi Hino.
The outcome of the contact was unsatisfactory.
Kirihara Akira had too little information to talk to him, and Hino Harufumi was known for his loyalty.
The last sentence, warning Hino Harufumi to be wary of Suruga-gumi leader, was indeed a baseless attempt to sow discord, merely to plant a seed in Hino Harufumi's mind and pave the way for future possibilities.