Chapter 254: Regretting So Much His Guts Turned Green
“Wait!”
Just as Kawakami Kyoju was about to leave, the doorway was blocked by someone.
Big Ear Hole’s face darkened. “Qingshou Taijun, what do you mean by this? If you don’t follow the rules like this, it makes it very difficult for us!”
“Rules? What rules?”
“Of course it’s signing the IOU!” Big Ear Hole was a bit impatient. Was he pretending to be stupid or was he really stupid!
This old man lent out real gold and silver. Do you think it was given to you for free?!
Kawakami Kyoju just wanted to take the money and had never thought about borrowing money like this.
“What do you mean? I have to write an IOU to borrow money? I’m a citizen of the Great Japanese Empire!”
This damn!
Big Ear Hole was almost amused. What the hell, little devil? What makes you so special compared to others?
He figured it out—this kid was planning to get something for nothing?
He became a bit impatient and said directly, “If you don’t want to write the IOU, then please take out the money you just got and give it back to us.”
Give it back to them?
How could that be possible!
Kawakami Kyoju pressed his hand on the pocket with the money. If he hadn’t taken the money, fine, but once it was in his pocket, they still wanted him to take it out?
With the experience of so many previous days where, as long as he put the money in his pocket, these Chinese people wouldn’t dare ask him for it again, how could he possibly give it back.
So much money—enough for him to live it up for many days!
But looking at the several burly men in the room and then at the already blocked doorway, he hesitated and said, “Fine, I’ll sign!”
He picked up the pen and signed his name very dashingly, then pressed his handprint, without even carefully reading the terms on the IOU.
Of course, even if he read it, he wouldn’t understand. He could speak Chinese a bit fluently, which was already quite good, but how could he recognize Chinese characters.
After signing and pressing the handprint, he tossed the pen aside. “This should be fine now.”
He didn’t care at all about the damn IOU he signed. So what if he signed it?
From the moment he borrowed the money, he had no intention of paying it back!
He was a noble citizen of the Great Japanese Empire. So what if he didn’t pay it back?
A lowly Chinese person—once he left this house, even if given courage from his ancestors, he wouldn’t dare do anything to him!
“Fine, of course it’s fine.” Big Ear Hole smiled like Maitreya Buddha. “Then I wish Qingshou Taijun a pleasant evening, winning big everywhere!”
“You two, get out of the way and let Qingshou Taijun leave?”
“Hmph!”
Kawakami Kyoju snorted coldly, pushed the two men blocking the door aside, pocketed the money, and planned to head back to the casino.
He took out the money, spat on his finger with eyes gleaming, and stealthily began counting it bill by bill.
But soon, his steps halted, and with a face full of shock, he counted it again.
“Five hundred, one thousand… four thousand five?!”
Seeing the amount was wrong, Kawakami Kyoju immediately got angry and rushed back excitedly with the money.
“Baka! You dare deceive a great citizen of the Great Japanese Empire!” Kawakami Kyoju slammed the table, glaring angrily at Big Ear Hole.
Big Ear Hole frowned, waved for the restless burly men to step back, put on a smile again, and said, “Qingshou Taijun, where does this come from? When did I ever deceive you?”
Kawakami Kyoju slapped the union bonds on the table and said angrily, “We agreed on five thousand, but why did you only give me four thousand five!”
“Where did the remaining five hundred go?!”
“Tell me, where is my money!!”
The more agitated he got, the more his body strained forward uncontrollably.
“Hey, hey, hey, Qingshou Taijun, just keep this distance. If you get any closer, it’s easy to cause a misunderstanding.” After stopping Kawakami Kyoju from approaching further and maintaining a safe distance, Big Ear Hole smiled unhurriedly, slowly puffing on his cigarette.
“Qingshou Taijun, don’t get agitated. Let’s stay calm.”
“Every trade has its rules. In our line of work, we follow nine out thirteen in. You borrowed five thousand; we keep ten percent, that’s five hundred, and give you four thousand five. That’s very reasonable.”
“After all, this is what we do for a living. The brothers still need this business to feed their families, so please be understanding, Qingshou Taijun.”
“Baka, I…” Kawakami Kyoju didn’t want to be understanding at all, but just as he was about to flare up, seeing the surrounding burly men’s faces turn ugly, he quickly swallowed the rest of his words.
“Hmph, cunning Chinese person, just you wait!”
Seeing that the five hundred union bonds were not coming back, Kawakami Kyoju snorted coldly and left unwillingly.
A younger brother said with a fierce look, “Big Brother, should the brothers teach him a lesson?”
Whether Chinese person or Japanese person, in their eyes they were all the same. As long as the boss gave the order, whoever dared to cause trouble would get taught a lesson!
Not to mention beating someone—even killing, they had done it before!
And not just once!
“No need. We’re in business—harmony brings wealth.” Big Ear Hole smiled amiably, showing no sign of anger.
They were in the business of wrecking homes and smashing pots anyway. Who knew how many people hated them, and being cursed at was commonplace. A “baka” was nothing—as long as they made money, he could curse all day.
It wouldn’t cost a piece of flesh!
Speaking of which, the little devils’ language for cursing was just not painful or itchy. Compared to China’s cursing based on body parts, starting from family members, and radiating to eighteen generations of ancestors, it was simply weak.
He was all smiles here, but Kawakami Kyoju, who had gone out, was in a much worse mood.
Already full of pent-up anger, after coming out, he took the four thousand five union bonds and plunged back into the gambling table.
But not even two hours later, he lost another two thousand plus.
“Baka ya lu! So unlucky today—lost so much! If it were before, I should have started turning my luck around and winning money by now!”
Little did he know, this wasn’t his luck turning—it was them deliberately letting him win.
If he kept losing all the time, he wouldn’t play anymore, so what then?
All that previous setup would be wasted?
Now no one was deliberately letting him win, so winning again wasn’t that easy.
After losing another thousand, he couldn’t help cursing loudly, got up angrily, and stormed out.
“Baka ya lu! Too unlucky today—can’t continue!”
Glancing at the remaining about one thousand union bonds and feeling his already starving stomach, he decided to go to a restaurant first, then to a cigarette stall to enjoy himself.
As he left, he didn’t forget to spit a thick glob of phlegm at the gambling house.
“.”
Wanping.
Arakawa Naoto slowly shuffled out of the bathroom, looking pained, his legs still trembling.
He didn’t know why he was so unlucky today.
From after breakfast this morning, he’d had constant diarrhea, nearly dehydrating, and now he could barely stand steadily.
That was bad enough, but while he was having diarrhea, the anti-smuggling team received a tip and raided a printing factory.
Who would have thought that this printing factory was storing a large amount of Communist Party anti-Japanese propaganda leaflets!
This was clearly an anti-Japanese elements base controlled by the Communist Party.
The Military Police quickly dispatched Military Police to the scene and arrested the anti-Japanese elements.
And leading the team was none other than Shioguchi Shuzou, his current direct superior whom he had always disliked, thinking the other man got his position through relationships, had no capability on the job, and only knew how to occupy the seat without doing anything!
Originally, it should have been him leading the arrest, but because of his diarrhea, he missed it entirely!
What should have been easy merit turned into merit for Shioguchi Shuzou, the incompetent superior he despised. How could this not make him depressed?
He regretted it so much his guts turned green. If he’d known it would be like this, he absolutely wouldn’t have eaten a single bite today!
But it was too late for regrets now. After taking antidiarrheal medicine, Arakawa Naoto lay weakly on the sofa in the office to rest.
But before he could rest long, there was a rapid knock at the door.
“Come in.”
Arakawa Naoto said weakly.
The Logistics Department lieutenant pushed open the door and said, “Arakawa Major, the Logistics Department says there’s a batch of supplies to transport to the front line today, departing from Baoding Train Station. They need someone to assist with escorting.”
“Shioguchi Lieutenant Colonel is not here. Have the Logistics Department find someone else.” Arakawa Naoto was low in spirits and replied weakly.
But the lieutenant didn’t leave and said gravely, “Arakawa Major, this is an order from Minister Yoshida. Since Shioguchi Lieutenant Colonel is away, please don’t decline.”
At these words, Arakawa Naoto, already harboring resentment, flared up instantly.
“Baka ya lu!! What do you mean don’t decline? That bastard Shioguchi Lieutenant Colonel took people to arrest resistance elements. Where am I supposed to find people to escort!!”
Because of their discord, that damn incompetent Shioguchi, who only knew how to amass wealth, had bought off all his subordinates except him with money, to the point where this major couldn’t command any lieutenants!
Including the three lieutenants under him!
With Shioguchi Shuzou away, aside from a few sergeants and below under him, he couldn’t issue any orders at all!
But a sergeant’s rank wasn’t qualified for escorting!
The Logistics Department lieutenant secretly sneered inwardly. You can’t find anyone—shouldn’t you reflect on why?
Everyone goes with the flow, but you stay pure, looking down on this and that, acting so noble. You think you’re so great?
Then show how great you are now. Where’s all that greatness?
He said neither humbly nor arrogantly, “Arakawa Major, please don’t be angry. I’m just following orders to relay the command.”
“You should know the procedures for logistics escort. Not long ago, the Expeditionary Army Headquarters issued a document stating that Logistics Department material handovers require involvement from a third-party department for three-way coordination and signing.”
“The front lines are urging tightly, and the departure time is set. Don’t make things difficult for me. How about this—what do you think?”
“You bring someone along with us. I’ll have the Security Regiment send a vehicle to escort too. Round trip is just six or seven hours—should be no problem, right?”
