Stealing on Behalf of Heaven

Chapter 41: [Genyosha] (Part 1)

Chapter 21: [Genyosha] (Part 1) Luo Lie had expected to be taken away by Japanese military police, but in fact, he was handed directly over to those Japanese ronin. They led him onto a truck, which drove straight to a place called the Genyo Society in Nihonmachi. The truck drove through a large iron gate into a vast courtyard, where the sound of barking dogs echoed from all directions. Luo Lie’s hands were cuffed, and six Japanese ronin stood watch over him with fierce stares. The one Luo Lie truly feared was the ronin he had clashed with at the Seamen’s Club—a burly manand possessed extraordinary strength—likely a former sumo wrestler. When Luo Lie was arrested earlier, that bastard had taken a vicious revenge with two punches, leaving Luo Lie’s chest still throbbing with pain. Fortunately, he had managed to absorb the impact and cushion the blow, so his ribs hadn’t been broken. After the truck came to a stop, several Japanese ronin dragged Luo Lie off the truck, and amid the shoving and jostling, he took a few more punches and kicks. Luo Lie held back and did not fight back; his fate was now in their hands, and futile resistance would only invite even fiercer retaliation. The Japanese ronin locked Luo Lie in the basement, but thankfully they didn’t intend to torment him further. Perhaps it was too late, and they were all exhausted from the commotion, eager to get some rest. Only when he heard the iron door slam shut from the outside did Luo Lie finally let out a long sigh of relief. Of the four of them, only he had been captured; the Blind Man and the other three must have escaped safely and were likely now devising a plan to rescue him. He wondered if they had remembered his final words. Although his capture tonight had been inevitable, he still hoped that his arrest might create an opportunity—and not just to help his three companions escape. He had deliberately shouted Liu Tongsi’s name not to gain the Japanese’s attention, but to prompt his own people to seek out Liu Tongsi to rescue him, thereby creating an opportunity for natural contact with Liu Tongsi. The best way to get close to someone is not by helping them, but by asking for their help, because the former is likely to arouse suspicion, while the latter causes people to let their guard down. Luo Lie’s hands were cuffed. He pulled out his belt and, using the buckle on the buckle, managed to unlock the handcuffs without much effort. Everyone has a few hidden tricks up their sleeve; this particular move had been taught to him by the Blind Man, and it had actually come in handy here. After stretching his wrists, which had gone numb from the handcuffs, Luo Lie’s eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness. Though he didn’t possess the Blind Man’s night vision, he could still make out the room’s layout. There wasn’t even a straw mat—it was completely empty, so he didn’t have to strain himself. The part of the basement above ground was less than half a meter high. A small window had been cut into the wall at that height, fitted with iron bars as thick as a thumb. Although Luo Lie could have snapped the bars and climbed out through the window, there seemed no need for that now. He was confident that Ye Qinghong would understand his meaning,provided, of course, that those three blokes could get his final message to Ye Qinghong’s ears. He certainly couldn’t count on that drunkard Arno, and the Blind Man was just as unreliable. Perhaps he could only rely on Lu Weilin. A cold wind whistled through the small window into the basement; the temperature in this cramped space was practically the same as outside. Luo Lie sighed inwardly. It looked like he was in for a long, lonely night here. He had to keep moving to stay warm. He swung his arms and, in the darkness, lifted his leg to deliver a side kick. Thinking back to the fight at the Naval Club tonight, he knew he’d be at a disadvantage against that Japanese sumo wrestler if it came down to sheer strength alone—though a fight to the death would be a different story. Luo Lie didn’t stay in the basement for long—about two hours—when he heard footsteps outside. Panicking, he hurriedly found the handcuffs and secured himself once more. He suspected the Japanese might be coming to take revenge, and he began to devise a plan in his mind. If things hadn’t reached the worst-case scenario, he would remain patient; after all, a small loss could ruin a grand strategy. Being alone and outnumbered,resisting them now would only put him at a disadvantage. The iron door swung open, and two Japanese ronin walked in. One of them was the sumo wrestler. He glared at Luo Lie with malice and shouted, “Take him out!” Luo Lie asked, “Where are you taking me?” No sooner had he asked than the Japanese man shoved him violently out the door. Luo Lie walked up the steps; after only a few steps, a blinding beam of light shone in his face. He shielded his eyes with both hands and looked up, vaguely making out a figure wearing a top hat and a long coat. Someone asked in Japanese, “Is that him?” “It’s him!” The voice sounded familiar. By now, Luo Lie’s eyes had adjusted to the glare, and he recognized the man in the top hat and overcoat, holding a walking stick—it was Sparrow in disguise. How had she managed to find this place? Sparrow’s gaze as she looked at Luo Lie was full of mischief. She twirled the walking stick in her hand, tucked it under her arm, and sighed, “Cousin, you’re always getting into trouble! If Auntie found out about this, she’d break your legs.” Luo Lie walked up the steps to stand before her, only then noticing a Japanese man in a kimono standing beside Sparrow. Though not tall, he was extremely muscular, with broad shoulders and a thick back—a physique that seemed somewhat out of proportion. His hands were bony and thick, and the sleeves of his kimono were rolled up to his elbows, revealing arms with bulging muscles. His right forearm bore a colorful, elongated dragon tattoo; though only a portion was visible, the exquisite craftsmanship was evident. Despite the bitter cold, he stood barefoot in wooden clogs. He had a square face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, prominent browbones, and full lips, his face lit by a simple, honest smile. Sparrow said, “Cousin, you haven’t thanked Mr. Funakoshi yet!” It turned out that this Japanese man in a kimono was none other than Ryuichi Funakoshi, president of the Genyo Society and one of the famed “Four Golden Warriors” of Japan’s Boryu-kai. Seeing Sparrow appear here to rescue him, Luo Lie had already guessed the extraordinary nature of her relationship with the Japanese side. He deliberately snorted and turned his face away. Of course, this was also to play along with what Sparrow had just said—that he was always getting into trouble, and that being a bit reckless and rude was more in line with the image of her fictional cousin. Ryūichi Funakoshi wasn’t angered by Luo Lie’s seemingly rude behavior; instead, he laughed heartily. “We’re all on the same side here. Mr. Luo, your martial arts are quite impressive—to have actually defeated Sakamoto Kito, who is our Genyō Society’s top wrestler.” The Sakamoto Kito he referred to was, of course, the Japanese rōnin who had just clashed with Luo Lie. Sakamoto Kito was a top-tier Japanese sumo wrestler, known for his violent temper and astonishing strength. Luo Lie said nothing, but Sakamoto Kito, standing nearby, was not pleased. He shouted, “Master Funakoshi, I did not lose to him!” Funakoshi Ryuichi’s other role was as an instructor for the Genyo Society; nearly every member here had received his guidance. Funakoshi Ryūichi’s expression suddenly darkened; his normally gentle face turned unusually stern. His eyes shot two cold, piercing glances at Sakamoto Kito, causing the latter to shudder involuntarily. He hung his head in shame and dared not speak another word. Luo Lie silently admired him. This Funakoshi Ryūichi was no ordinary man. It was clear he held an extremely high status among this group of Japanese rōnin. Judging solely from the scene just now, one could infer that Funakoshi Ryūichi was the undisputed leader of the Genyō Society, and his personality must be extremely domineering. Sparrow said, “Mr. Funakoshi, my cousin was in the wrong this time. I’m truly sorry he injured so many of you.” Funakoshi Ryūichi chuckled. “A bit of roughhousing among young men isn’t a big deal. It’s just a bunch of good-for-nothings who can’t hold their own and are resentful—whom can they blame? As the old saying in your country goes, ‘No fight, no friendship.’ When we meet again, we’ll be friends.” Sparrow thanked him once more, then left the Genyo Society with Luo Lie.