miniserakahashihandedhirayamaapieceofsringandhesquareshapednomiandurnedoconempeheshinjukuskylinehisfacewasaninscruablemaskofresolvehemovecaughhirayama,whowashoveringnearby,pleelybysurprisehewholeepisodewasjusablurheheldhesringlimplyinhislefhandandsaredinospace,seeingnohinghehadjusoldheoyabunhebadnewshismenhadfailedoprevenhedianejoplingirlfrombeingspiriedawayfromrighunderneahheirnosesandinhongkong,hideosaoandmiyagihadfailedocapurecadcaldwelndrerieveheconsoleonwoaempshewholehingwasurninginoafiascoandsomebodyhadoakeresponsibiliywhydidihaveobehim?

heywereinoneofakahashi’smanybusinessofficesdoedaroundokyoahugewallowallwindowrevealedabreahakingvisaofshinjukusrechingouohesnowcoveredouskirsofheciyheviewousidewasadensesprawlofgrayconcreeandneonhirayamasudiedhecarpe,wachinghememoryfibersresurrechemselves,erasingheimprinlefbyheirshoesinhebackgroundwashelowbuindisinguishablehumofmerceandenerprise,windshearagainshewindowsandhesubliminalsoundsofameropolisickingover

hepuerconrolledshojihadbeenslidaparconjoiningakahashi’sofficeproperandhisvisiorareaoformanexpansivespacecharacerizedbyelegansimpliciyzenapsmascreenpulsaedsilenlyinonecornerflippinghroughlissofuninelligiblenikkeiindicesinheseaingarea,minimalissquaredesignerchairscoveredinexincbuffalohideandframedwihchromeakahashi’sdeskwasasmoohpneofbckwihahighglossurushifinishheareaaroundhedeskwasuncarpeed,exposingexuredgraygranieandcanalsofcrushedwhiesone

evenasheboweddeeply,hirayama’smindwasracinghroughheconsequencesifhehadhadanyhopeofrepcingkenzoyamamooassecondinmandinheconvoluedhierarchyofheyamaguchigumi,hachancehadlongdisappearedhirayamahadalwayshopedhahewouldneverhaveohesubjechimselfohehumiliaionofyubizume,heriualseveringofasecionofhelilefingerasrepenanceformisakeshehalfsuspecedhaheminiserknewofhisambiionsandbyrequesinghimoperformhegruesomeacwasdeflynippinghisaspiraionsinhebud

hirayamacouldn’help,ahismomen,reflecingonheunfairnessoflifeandhinkingofhisdeadmoherwhenhehadjoinedheyakuzaalmoswenyyearsago,hismoherhadaskedhimneveroreurnohefamilyhomehirayamahadagreedimplicilybymovingouandneverurningbackiwasparofheyakuzacodeandonjoininghehadswornopceheineressofheyamaguchigumiaboveallelse,includinghimselfandfamilyha’swhyhirayamahadnevermarried,preferringhefleeingforofpaidinersiialsexoheconformiyandresponsibiliyofmarriagehehadkepawomanforawhile,anavsarlewhosecareerwasonhedive,buafershesaredbeingoodemandingandaskingunanswerablequesions,hirayamahadquicklycuherlooseheshe’dheardwashashewasaddicedosomecocainebaseddrugandplyingheradeoconsrucionworkerssomewhereinhesuburbsofokyohawashewayofhewaerbusiness

hirayamawrappedhesringighlyaroundhelilefingerofhisrighhandandpullediighhewachedheblooddrainfromhisfingerasisaredogonumbhewalkedoverohesiingareainakahashi’sofficeandpcedhisfingeronhegsscoffeeablewihisecheddrawingofhewillowworldgncingoverahebroadbackofheoyabun,hirayamaheldhenomifirmlyinhislefhandandpcedijusabovejoinofhisfingerallhecouldhearwashescrapingsoundsofaroboousidehewindowusinghehrusofhisbodyweigh,hirayamaleanedforwardandfelhebdeofhesmallchiselslidehroughhisfingerhesoundofheampuaionwasnomuchhirayamawasvaguelyremindedofhismoherinhekichenslicingcabbage,buhepainwasinenseididn’slongbuhirayamaknewhapsychologicallyhewouldneverbehesamepersonagain

hewrappedhesubofhisfingerwihahandkerchiefandwachedhewhiesilkurnasicklyredpickinguphisseveredfinger,hesoflifelessfeelofhisownfleshembalmedinhesilkaoncesrangeandcuriouslyfamiliar,hirayamawalkedupoheoyabunandbowingdeeply,offeredhefingeroakahashiakahashiurnedaround,noddedowardshisdeskandgrunedhisaccepancehirayamacouldswearhesawalileboysmilingbehindheoyabun’semoionlesseyeshewalkedslowlyowardshedeskandpcedhebloodsoakedhandkerchiefshroudinghisseveredpinkieonheshinybcksurfacezen

“ordersaoandmiyagibackookyoimmediaelyifhainpeenfoolwasnoadisanreion,iwouldhavehadhisheadlongago,”akahashisaid

“yes,oyabun”hiswasnoimeoquesionheoyabun’sdecisions

“nowhahydraissoacivelyinvolvedwecan’affordapoliicalscandalwewillfixhisproblemaheroo”

“yes,sir”

“andyamamoo’skiller?”

“wefoundouwhoheisheisaffiliaedwihhepandisrepuedlyunderhedirecmandofmajorgeneralwangofhep’shirddeparmen,oyabun”

“hechinesearedecringwaronus?”

“yamamoowasprobablyspyingonhem,oyabunibelievei’sallreedoheconsoles”

“hawouldseemobehecasefindouwhereinnewchinahisgeneralwangisrighnow”

“weknowhaalready,oyabunhesmunicaionwashaheisp

ingsomeriposhanghai”

“shanghai?assoonashosewoarriveinokyo,iwanyouopersonallygowihhemoshanghai”

“shanghai,oyabun?ihaveneverbeenouofjapan”

“hirayama,iwanmajorgeneralwangdeaddoyouundersand?idon’careifsaoormiyagiloseheirlivesdoingi”

“yesoyabun”

“we’llakecareofhegirndhernewfoundfriendshereinokyo”

“isee”

“andhirayama?”

“oyabun?”

“ifyoufail,youarenolongerweleinjapan”

hirayamagrimacedandlookeddownahebloodsoakedsubofhisfingerhegodswerecerainlyconspiringagainshimhesworequielyohimselfhaonedaynobuakahashiwouldpayforhishumiliaion