Tokyo Mystery Writers

Chapter 192 A Woman Named Xia Mei

Chapter 192 A Woman Named Xia Mei

Hirayama Yumeaki bit his nails, gazing at the copy of "Never Sleeps" in his hands with a heart full of admiration.

If it weren't for the many people in the living room...

Hirayama Yumeaki really wanted to scream!

They shouted, "Long live Maishiro Kyosuke!"

Because the flavor of "Never Sleeps" is so authentic!

This is the original, authentic flavor of "hard-boiled mystery novels"!

If we compare the "hard-boiled mystery" works of Jiro Ikushima, Haruhiko Oyabu, and Toshiyuki Nishimura to cold-blooded ruthlessness.

Then Maijo Kyosuke's "hard-boiled mystery" is dark and gloomy!

Judging from the characters introduced so far, it seems to be a "villainous" cast.

This configuration is exactly the authentic flavor of "hard-boiled mystery"!

Hirayama Yumeaki was delighted that Maijo Kyosuke was able to write such a pure "hard-boiled mystery".

On the other hand, I have immense admiration for the mystery setup that Kyosuke Maijo created in "Sleepless Town"!

The biggest difference between "hard-boiled mystery" and "classic mystery" lies in the arrangement of the mystery.

"Traditional mystery" focuses on "setting up and solving puzzles." Even the story itself serves the purpose of solving the mystery, which can be understood as a brain game.

"Hardcore mystery" focuses on crisis, shifting the focus from the brain to the mind, from the characters to the environment.

The main focus is on describing the protagonist's inner world and the influence of the external environment on the protagonist.

And all of this, in the book "The City That Never Sleeps," is accomplished by Maijo Kyosuke!

Whether it's Liu Jianyi's dual identity and the crisis he faces, his godfather Yang Weimin's double-dealing, exploitation and betrayal, Yuan Chenggui's final death line, or Wu Fuchun's sudden attack on "Red Lotus".

All of this makes one feel how harsh and terrible the environment Liu Jianyi was in was.

Meanwhile, as the plot of "Nightless City" progressed, Hirayama Yumeaki also noticed three points of focus.

That is "loneliness", "distrust", and most importantly, "anxiety"!

Liu Jianyi has always had a sense of loneliness about him, like a hyena roaming around Kabukicho, barely surviving.

And a large part of this loneliness stems from the core issue of the entire story: "identity".

This "identity" issue caused Liu Jianyi a lot of trouble, including "distrust" and "anxiety".

Because Liu Jian desperately wanted to live, he had no choice but to beg Yang Weimin, Cui Hu, and even Yuan Chenggui's mistress, Huang Xiuhong.

But—it's no use asking anyone.

Kabukicho in Shinjuku is a huge battleground, a place of nothing but profit, betrayal, and kicking someone when they're down!

Therefore, Liu Jianyi could only try every possible way to survive.

The belief in the desire to survive allowed "anxiety" to take over!

This subtly increases the tension and anticipation of the entire story.

It manages to advance the story through mystery, and do so so smoothly.

This forced Hirayama Yumeaki to admit that Maijo Kyosuke was indeed a genius at writing!

but?

What exactly does Wu Fuchun want to do?

What exactly is that woman named Xia Mei trying to do?

All of this remains an unknown —

Thinking about all this, Hirayama Yumeaki opened the manuscript of "The City That Never Sleeps" again, hoping to find answers within the book.

Five stretchers were carried out of the "Red Lotus" one after another.

Huang Xiuhong, the owner of "Honglian", was not among them.

I suspect that Wu Fuchun did this to kidnap Huang Xiuhong in order to make Yuan Chenggui back down.

I spotted Huang Xiuhong, who looked shaken, in the crowd and gestured that I would call her.

Seeing Huang Xiuhong nod at me, I left Wu Fuchun's crime scene.

Back in the Caribbean, I tucked the gun Cui Hu had given me into my waistband and then answered the phone.

Yuan Chenggui called me twice, and Yang Weimin and Cui Hu each called me once.

I didn't dare call Yuan Chenggui back at all, because Wu Fuchun had attacked "Red Lotus," and such a big thing had happened. Yuan Chenggui would definitely cause me trouble again.

I dialed Yang Weimin's number, and as soon as he answered, I heard him bombard me with questions: "Kenichi, where are you?"

Is Wu Fuchun with you?

When I heard Yang Weimin's words, I smiled sarcastically: "I've been running around outside all day, I got beaten up by Cui Hu, and I was threatened by Yuan Chenggui, but I still can't find Wu Fuchun."

"As for where I am? That's a secret. I can't afford to be betrayed again."

Yang Weimin snorted coldly: "Ken-yi, Yuan Chenggui's men saw you at the entrance of 'Red Lotus'."

I shook my head, somewhat annoyed, and said, "I just happened to be passing by. Let's get back to the point."

"Grandpa, is there any news that can help me?"

Yang Weimin was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, then said, "I received information that Wu Fuchun ran into Honglian with a gun, shouting loudly, 'Where is that woman?'"

woman?

This news means nothing to me.

Just as I was about to hang up the phone, Yang Weimin suddenly said earnestly, "Kenichi, you should lay low for a while."

"Wu Fuchun is a mad dog. He came back this time specifically to pick a fight with Yuan Chenggui."

"Even if you find Wu Fuchun, he won't obediently go with you to see Yuan Chenggui."

Hearing Yang Weimin's words, I raised an eyebrow: "Where do you expect me to run to?"

"How about going to Taiwan? If you're thinking of doing that, Kenichi, I can help you."

"Grandpa, how much money do you want?"

"Five million is inevitable, isn't it?"

Upon hearing Yang Weimin's words, I hung up the phone. I really wanted to spit in that bastard's face!

I simply cannot associate Wu Fuchun with women.

Because I've never seen him with a woman; he's like a block of wood in front of women.

So it's even more puzzling why this guy rushed to "Red Lotus" shouting "Where is that woman?" instead of yelling, "Where is Yuan Chenggui?"

I pondered and thought about it.

I eventually came to my own guess.

Wu Fuchun returned to Kabukicho to find a woman.

This woman may have been kidnapped by Yuan Chenggui.

However, this reason doesn't quite hold water.

If Yuan Chenggui kidnapped Wu Fuchun's woman, wouldn't he be able to find Wu Fuchun directly through the woman?

Therefore, I suspect that Wu Fuchun was misled by false information.

Yuan Chenggui is probably looking for that woman now.

If only I could have found that woman earlier.

You can find Wu Fuchun, provided that the woman really exists.

Thinking about all this, I thought of Xia Mei.

The guy called me right when Wu Fuchun returned to Kabukicho.

Furthermore, she used a public phone to call someone for help.

I believe this is by no means a coincidence.

It must have been Xia Mei who asked Wu Fuchun for help that made him appear!

Although it's a bit far-fetched, it's the only clue I have right now.

I arrived at "Benten-sou" and saw that the lights in room 203 were off. I put on gloves, took out the lock-picking tools I always carry, and pried open the door to room 203.

With a flashlight in my left hand and a Black Star pistol in my right, I began searching the room.

As a result, the only things in the room were underwear hanging on the windowsill and two suitcases.

Not seeing Xia Mei, I opened both suitcases.

The contents were all bar girls' clothes, as well as all sorts of underwear and stockings.

I searched through them for a long time, but I couldn't find her passport, driver's license, health insurance card, bankbook, or anything that could prove her identity.

In the end, I could only sit in the corner of the room and wait for Xia Mei to return.

I don't find waiting for others painful. I've spent most of my life waiting for Yang Weimin to speak.

But it was only after Yang Weimin threw me away like trash that I realized what kind of person I was.

I am a lawless criminal, destined to live a solitary life and await a solitary death.

Waiting is not painful, nor does it make me feel tired.

Because only ordinary people have the right to complain, I won't grumble, I'll just rob ordinary people of their money.

Cheng Yi looked at the manuscript of "The City That Never Sleeps" with a solemn expression.

Honestly, Cheng Yi had no idea what "ordinary mystery" or "hard-boiled mystery" meant.

Although he could read, he had never read any books and had absolutely no interest in mystery novels.

The only reason I was able to participate in this so-called "New Authentic Mystery Club" was because of Kyosuke Maijo.

I thought this would be a boring gathering of intellectuals.

But the story of "The City That Never Sleeps" allowed Cheng Yi to experience the charm of words!

Because Liu Jianyi is like another version of himself in a parallel world.

When I was young, I followed my mother to Kabukicho to make a living.

I have never made any friends, nor do I have any friends to make.

Later, because his mother was harmed by evil people, he gradually fell into depravity in order to seek revenge.

Cheng Yi enjoys being alone, is used to being alone, and never feels lonely.

Because of the bloody and chaotic Kabukicho district of Shinjuku, there is absolutely no chance for people to experience loneliness.

Here, the slightest mistake could lead to utter ruin!

Cheng Yi was impressed by how realistically Maijo Kyosuke depicted the diverse lives of people in Shinjuku.

Naturally, I had a strong sense of anticipation for the story of "The City That Never Sleeps".

According to Cheng Yi, an "industry insider," Liu Jianyi is facing a very serious problem at this moment.

If I were in their shoes, facing attacks from all sides, I wouldn't know what to do.

Therefore, Cheng Yi could only reopen the manuscript of "The City That Never Sleeps," hoping to see how Liu Jianyi would resolve this crisis.

Footsteps came from outside the door.

As the door opened, an alluring scent of perfume wafted out.

The lights were turned on, and I saw her appear before me with a surprised expression.

"Who are you?"

I pointed the gun at her and put my index finger to my lips.

"You must be Xia Mei?"

Xia Mei didn't answer me; she just wrinkled her small nose and stared at me with her sharp, cold eyes.

Xia Mei is very beautiful.

He is about 170 centimeters tall and around 25 or 26 years old.

Wearing a T-shirt and faded jeans, with a well-proportioned figure, she might seem a bit thin to me?

But for most men, she would probably be their dream girl.

"Who exactly are you?"

Xia Mei seemed unconcerned about the gun in my hand.

"Didn't you tell me on the phone that you had something to sell me?"

Xia Mei's face showed surprise: "You are... Mr. Liu?"

"Didn't you tell me to go find someone else?"

I fastened the safety and lowered the gun: "I've changed my mind."

"Does changing your mind mean you can sneak into someone's house and point a gun at them?"

Natsumi didn't seem afraid of me. She playfully stuck out her tongue at me and held out her hand: "My name is Sato Natsumi."

I stared at Xia Mei and said coldly, "Can you tell me your real name? Also, I've heard people say you're mixed race?"

Xia Mei shook her head: "I'm Japanese, but I've lived in China before. Would you like to see my driver's license?"

I shook my head, because even if I produced a passport, it wouldn't prove it was genuine: "Tell me, what goods do you want to sell me?"

Xia Mei sat down beside me. Smiling, she asked, "I heard you'll do any kind of business as long as you're paid?"

I nodded. Black market trading is my profession; I'll handle any goods that I can buy cheaply and sell at a high price.

"I'm a black market dealer; I'll do anything that can be exchanged for money."

"But before that, I want to ask you something. You're not from Shinjuku, are you? And you said you were introduced by someone surnamed Wang?"

"Tell me first, who gave you my phone number?"

Xia Mei said nonchalantly, "It's Wu Fuchun. I'm Wu Fuchun's woman, from Nagoya."

Hearing Xia Mei's words, I felt relieved; my guess was right.

"So, what are you selling?"

Xia Mei shrugged: "It's Wu Fuchun!"

"Fuchun often said that if he returned to Kabukicho, he would definitely cause trouble for Kenichi."

I was startled when I heard Xia Mei's words. I never expected Wu Fuchun to be worried about me. But if he was so worried about me, why didn't he just die?

"so what?"

Xia Mei looked at me slyly, then said, "So, you must be in trouble with Fu Chun right now, right?"

"Hey, Kenichi! What if I sell Fuchun to you?"

How much money are you willing to give me?

Upon hearing Xia Mei's words, a complex expression crossed my face: "What happened between you and Fu Chun?"

Xia Mei's face showed disgust when she heard what I said: "I can't stand him anymore, I don't want to be with him anymore."

"I met Fuchun last spring. He helped me deal with a guy who was harassing me at a restaurant, so I started living with Fuchun."

"But not long after, I regretted it."

"I need to make money too. That guy Fuchun stays in my shop all day and beats up every one of my customers."

"I had to switch shops several times because of him. I couldn't get rid of him at all, so I had no choice but to flee Nagoya and come to Tokyo —"

After hearing what Xia Mei said, I roughly understood what Xia Mei wanted to do.

In fact, I know Fuchun too well, because even I am exhausted by Fuchun.

This thing is like a malfunctioning nuclear power plant; you never know when it will go out of control and start emitting radiation everywhere!

Especially—Fu Chun is a very vengeful person.

He once beat a woman to death after recognizing her on the street five years later because she had mocked him.

In short, after hearing Natsumi's words, I actually felt a little sorry for her: "So, that's why you came to Kabukicho to find me?"

Xia Mei looked at me with alluring eyes, as if she was trying every means to attract me: "Fu Chun always brags to me that he has offended a big shot named Yuan Chenggui."

"I originally wanted to find Yuan Chenggui and make him die in Fuchun, but—Yuan Chenggui is a big shot. If I rashly go to him, he will definitely ignore me."

"That's why I thought of you!"

Xia Mei was lost in her own thoughts: "In order to get rid of Fu Chun, I've come up with a plan!"

"Lure Fuchun to Shinjuku and let him get into some trouble so you can get involved."

"If you do this, you'll arrest Fuchun and hand him over to Yuan Chenggui."

"As long as Fuchun dies, I will be able to regain my freedom."

"So I packed my bags, came here from Nagoya, and then called Fuchun to tell him that I was in Shinjuku, being held captive by a man named Motonari, and that he needed to come and rescue me!"

"How do we do it? First, my plan is pretty good, right?"

Hearing Xia Mei's words, my face flushed with anger: "What an idiot! Fuchun is doomed if he goes back to Kabukicho!"

"All you need to do is let Fuchun know you're in Kabukicho. No one in Kabukicho can escape Motonari's wicked heart!"

"And the result! Because you were too clever for your own good and angered that guy Fuchun, he's already killed five innocent people!"

When Xia Mei heard what I said, she stared at me with wide eyes, as if I had tricked her into doing something wrong.

"Xia Mei, do you know?"

Fu Chun stormed into the restaurant run by Yuan Chenggui's mistress, shouting, "Where is that woman?!"

"It won't be long before Yuan Chenggui finds out that there is a woman named Sato Natsumi in Fuchun."

"The man Fu Chun killed back then was Yuan Chenggui's most trusted confidant. If he knew you were Fu Chun's woman, he would definitely have killed you too."

Xia Mei was so frightened she looked like she was about to cry: "But—I have nothing to do with Fu Chun Huan Ben!"

Ignoring Xia Mei's feelings, I continued, "Yuan Chenggui doesn't care about these things. By the way, the police are probably quite interested in you too."

Xia Mei was clearly frightened by me, and stared at me with a pleading look in her eyes: "Qiu Yi, what should I do now?"

I shrugged and sighed. "Let's go back to Nagoya. Staying in Shinjuku is a sure way to die. If Fuchun gets killed by Gen Chenggui, I'll let you know."

Natsumi looked at me with pitiful eyes: "No way! I came here with no intention of going back to Nagoya."

"I took all the money from the shop with me when I came to Tokyo. If I go back now, I'll be dead anyway!"

I looked at Xia Mei, not understanding why there would be such a brainless idiot in this world.

"It's okay if we don't go to Nagoya, Sapporo, Sendai, Osaka, basically anything outside of Tokyo!"

Xia Mei shrank back: "That won't work either, I don't have any money."

"Didn't you bring money from the store to get here?"

Xia Mei stuck out her tongue: "I struck gold at Cangong Bridge. Although it's not a new house, the renovation is fantastic. I used the money for the down payment."

""

Natsumi stretched out her legs on the tatami mat, her eyes shining as if she were imagining moving into a mansion.

I don't understand what this stupid woman is doing.

"So, forget about Tokyo, you won't even leave Shinjuku, because you need to find a job as soon as possible to pay off your loans, so you hope Fuchun dies quickly, right?"

Xia Mei nodded innocently: "That's right, that's what I plan to do."

I looked at this foolish woman and sighed, "Fine, let me use the money you gave to betray Fuchun to settle things with Yuan Chenggui."

"But now you have to listen to me."

"First, you must come with me and leave this place."

How does Wu Fuchun address you?

Xia Mei, holding the leather scraper, whispered, "He calls me Xiao Mei."

I saw a hint of bewilderment flash in Xia Mei's eyes, which made me feel somewhat suspicious.

But now is not the time to think about these things.

I dialed Li Weimin's number, wanting him to lend me two million yen.

Who knew that this old bastard would make such an outrageous demand, asking for ten percent interest? But I was really short of money, so I had no choice but to agree to Li Weimin's request.

Immediately, I found another black market dealer, got into a BMW, and called Yuan Chenggui.

As a result, Yuan Chenggui, like a demon, lunged at me and roared, "Where's Wu Fuchun? Have you found him?"

"That guy attacked Xiuhong's shop, and Xiuhong has now been taken away by the police."

"This is all because of you!"

"Someone saw you at the scene; you might be the one who connected us!"

It took me a long time to explain why I was at the murder scene, but I still couldn't calm Yuan Chenggui down.

Yuan Chenggui simply told me that I must bring Wu Fuchun to him by noon the day after tomorrow.

After hanging up Yuan Chenggui's call, I was drenched in sweat, but judging from the current situation, I should be able to survive the night.

I took Xia Mei and drove our BMW to a street far from the pharmacy.

He asked Xia Mei to go to the pharmacy to get money from Li Weimin.

Because I was very worried that Li Weimin, that old fox, would betray me.

Haiying watched Xia Mei leave.

I couldn't help but think of my past.

After being dumped by Yang Weimin, I made a living by working in all sorts of shady places, doing odd jobs, and even working as a hostess.

Having met all sorts of people and been met by all sorts of people, I finally settled down in Kabukicho.

Unfortunately, I can't squeeze into any circle; it seems I was born a bastard.

Everyone rejects me!

Thinking about all this, I remembered Xia Mei's eyes again.

I don't know why, but I always see something very similar to me in her eyes, but I don't know what it is.

Soon, Xia Mei got into the car with a package.

"What did the old man at the pharmacy say?"

Xia Mei handed me the package she had bought, then said, "He told me to tell you that 'The Caribbean' is no longer up for grabs."

"And the female owner of 'Red Lotus' has been released."

I opened the package that Xia Mei handed me.

They discovered that a significant amount of money was missing: "Why is there only 1.5 million?"

Xia Mei stared at me blankly for a moment, then smiled and said, "Oh, I took 100,000."

"I never said I was going to give it to you."

"Consider this small amount of money as payment for relaying your message."

I glared at Xia Mei and pointed my finger: "Give it back. I borrowed this money at a 10% interest rate. If you think the interest is reasonable, I'll lend it to you."

Xia Mei didn't say anything, just looked at me expectantly, but when she realized that her honey trap had no effect on me, she could only reluctantly spit out all the money.

"You stingy person!"

"I am a businessman."

99

I know that giving her 100,000 yuan isn't a big deal.

But I don't want her to have too much money.

With money, she could live freely.

But I want to keep her tied up for a while longer.

Especially when I heard that she had 500,000 in her bank account.

I need to find an opportunity to steal her bank card.