novelinnhs Chapter 50, Pine Leaf, 1st Edition, Guest Use
Chapter 50, Pine Leaf, 1st Edition, Guest Use
Sunglasses, face mask, baseball cap.
Hiroshi Nakajima hid himself very well...
But it looks even more suspicious no matter how you look at it.
Coupled with his model-like tall and slender physique, it makes one wonder if he is some celebrity traveling with friends.
Upon seeing this, Kuroda Karito couldn't help but sneer repeatedly.
This guy is dumber than I thought, just like those newcomers who get carried away after gaining a few fans.
Hmph, no wonder they can only live in such a small place of ten or twenty square meters.
Thinking of his spacious office environment, he felt even more smug and wanted to hum a little tune.
But no.
The most important thing now is to follow Nakajima Hiroshi's lead.
restrain……
This old man is truly an excellent hunter—sharp, patient, and capable of killing with a single blow.
Kuroda Karito was very satisfied with his appearance.
grace!
"Please go to the machiya in Arakawa Ward..."
"Wait a moment, let me adjust the location."
While deliberately stalling for time, Nakajima Hiroshi kept an eye on the rearview mirror.
After Kuroda Karito got into the car and prepared to track him, he chose the address.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
The destination was quite opportune, surrounded by densely packed old apartments and small factories, a mixed bag of people, making it an ideal location for shady dealings.
Kuroda Karito followed closely behind, looking at the increasingly dilapidated street scene outside the window, becoming more and more certain of his judgment.
That's right, Nakajima Hiroshi is going to commit a very serious identity fraud here.
awesome.
If this is confirmed, this trip will eliminate a thorn in our side!
snort!
Daring to offend me is the stupidest thing you've ever done since the extinction of the dinosaurs!
Get ready to repent, you bastard!
Nakajima Hiro walked through four alleys and turned into three hutongs. He stopped and looked around for a while before hurriedly entering a small teahouse.
Kuroda and Goman exchanged a glance and nodded to each other.
Opening a teahouse in such a backward environment is impossible to make money, but if it is used as a transit point for bribery, then it is indeed a very suitable location!
And this bastard went through so much trouble, he must really not want to be discovered.
Actually, Nakajima Hiroshi wasn't taking a detour; he was mainly unfamiliar with the area and couldn't find a suitable shop.
But even if you tell them the truth, they won't believe you.
Kuroda Karihito and Goman-kun stood guard nearby, like a pair of bodyguards.
They couldn't follow them into the house; after all, their current task was to track and gather evidence, and simply remembering the address was sufficient.
They'll intercept the evidence and then file another report...
Tsk tsk, you and the chain behind you are all doomed!
In fact, their judgment was mostly correct; opening a teahouse in such a awful place was problematic no matter how you looked at it.
Hiroshi Nakajima thought so too.
But this place has absolutely nothing to do with him.
Even Misaki Tachibana, who pointed him in the right direction, didn't know the shop owner at all.
The shop owner was a bald, shriveled old man who was leisurely lying in a rocking chair enjoying the cool air.
"Sir, I'd like to select a few tea utensils."
As soon as he entered, Nakajima Hiroshi greeted him in a very familiar manner.
The old man glanced at him, wondering to himself, "Who is this guy?"
He knew the location of his shop well; apart from the gray-market merchants who regularly paid tribute to him each year, he would hardly have any customers.
"Who are you buying this gift for, an elder, or...?"
He felt it was necessary to ask.
"Actually, I was running errands for my senior, but he didn't tell me who I was delivering them to."
"oh."
The old man lay back down.
Oh, so you're not the one in charge.
Nakajima Hiro didn't mind the other party's attitude; in fact, this nonchalant attitude was a good thing.
This shows that the store is not a completely seamless bribery channel, and many ambiguous behaviors can work.
Perfect for doing bad things.
"Boss, where is our best tea set?"
"Budget isn't important, but it has to be presentable. Also, tea is needed."
Hearing the statement that "the budget doesn't matter," the old man finally became interested.
After all, with his fixed monthly orders being closely monitored and skimmed off at every level, he didn't get much money.
"Good teaware is very expensive."
"Yes, that's how you show your sincerity."
You know what, these little shops that specialize in gift-giving actually have a lot of good stuff, even more than the big stores that prey on the middle class.
But the tea wasn't very good.
Who would come to this remote corner to drink tea? There isn't even a busty waitress in a cheongsam.
"Ah, this tea is indeed a bit..."
Nakajima Hiroshi put on a troubled expression.
The shop owner was slightly embarrassed.
"Never mind, it's not meant to be drunk anyway."
"Could you please place some regular placeholders for me first? We're not very good at arranging gift boxes."
"I'll pay a deposit first, and someone will come to pay the balance later."
Hiroshi Nakajima, harboring a mischievous intent, pointed to a very conspicuous location.
"This is a gift from Hiroshi Nakajima."
The old man's calligraphy was quite skillful; his large characters were bold and elegant, yet each one was clearly legible.
He's far better than many shady masters.
The tea set was priced at 150,000 yen, but Nakajima Hiroshi bargained it down to 120,000 yen, and then, as is customary, paid a deposit of 6,000 yen.
Although the proportion was a bit small, the old man still agreed, considering that tea sets were not cheap.
Moreover, even if the other party cancels, you can still earn the deposit; the cost is nothing more than a gift bag.
"Also, if the deal goes through, would you consider...?"
Nakajima Hiroshi rubbed his fingers together.
The old man glanced at him and gave a dry, chuckling laugh.
"Then it's settled."
Finally, Nakajima Hiroshi glanced at the gift box one last time.
The sign reads "Ghost Festival," a traditional time for exchanging gifts, and also a common excuse for bribery.
very suitable.
The contents inside are quite complete, including sustenance, teacups, and a tea tray.
There were also several packs of inferior tea that were overpriced, totaling 200,000 yen, which was more expensive than the tea set.
However, this part serves to allow the bribe recipients to return the goods.
As long as the signature matches, the boss will readily return it.
Essentially, they serve as a substitute for money, and both parties are aware of this, so a deposit is not required.
however……
The ticket was signed by Kato Inu.
Let alone himself or Kuroda Karito, even if Kato himself came, it's not certain he could back down.
Because this name is a title given to Mizuki, and it is not actually registered.
The old man packed up the teahouse, left a set of tickets as collateral, and wrote "Pine Leaf, for guests" in small characters on the corner of the ticket he left for the shop.
Among them, pine needles are used as bribes in the tea industry, and "first-class" refers to the highest grade.
The inclusion of teaware for guests implies that it is intended for gift-giving.
In this way, as long as the esteemed Mr. Kato Inu comes with the receipts and proves his identity, he will return the 180,000 yen for the tea, and the remaining 20,000 yen will be the boss's cut.
Get it done.
Seeing Nakajima Hiroshi walking out of the shop playing a tune, but without anything in his hand, the wise and resourceful Kuroda Karito immediately deduced that the other party had placed an order at the shop.
"Go in a few minutes and steal his things."
"Remember to ask the boss for a receipt."
He kicked Wu Wanjun.
This is valuable evidence. Stores that specialize in gift-giving often help with resale, so the receipts usually contain a lot of information.
As for himself, he naturally wanted to continue tracking Nakajima Hiroshi.
I, the great lord, will personally take action and ensure your complete demise, leaving you with absolutely no chance of recovery!
Kuroda left the car with Ichiman and chose to walk to keep up.
Because Nakajima Hiroshi also walked.
The car is too conspicuous; if the other party were to disappear into a narrow alley, it might be difficult to track them down in the time it takes to stop the car.
Waaah, my subordinates drive, while I personally lead the frontline work.
Kuroda Karito is really a good friend.
suddenly.
Nakajima Hiroshi strode through the alley and stopped at a fork in the road, looking around furtively.