Chapter 253: I Am A Citizen Of The Great Japanese Empire
During this time, Kawakami Kyoju’s easy life was indescribably comfortable.
Because Little Ear had greeted everyone in advance, as soon as Kawakami Kyoju arrived, everyone would lose some money to him, more or less.
Of course, there were times when he lost too.
One day he lost some money gambling and was in a very bad mood. Just then Little Ear came to find him, saw he was unhappy, asked the reason, and then said to him heartbrokenly: “Qingshou Taijun, you’re confused!”
“What kind of person are you? You’re a Taijun!”
“With your status, if you win money, take it directly; if you lose money, just refuse to pay no matter what!”
“With your noble status, as long as you show some momentum, who would dare bare their teeth at you? Who would dare pocket your money?”
Originally Kawakami Kyoju still had some doubts and didn’t dare to do it like that.
After all, he was still quite intimidated if those thugs got ruthless.
But under Little Ear’s repeated urging, he took the risk and tried it.
He originally planned that if the other side showed any hostility, he would decisively give up.
But to his surprise, he actually got back all the money he had lost.
Once there was one time, there was a second; after doing this several times, Kawakami Kyoju completely let himself go, and the money he won became even more.
With money, he lived extravagantly and happily.
The pleasure of smoking opium, the pleasure of winning money, the pleasure of two beauties at once made him simply ecstatic!
Back home, facing his wife’s constant complaints, demanding money today and money tomorrow, as if he, Kawakami Kyoju, were a printing machine.
That was tolerable enough, but crucially, even the service failed to arouse his interest, how could this not make him feel annoyed?
So these past few days, whenever his wife mentioned money to him, he would give her a beating.
Compared to his wife who failed to arouse his interest, the women in the underground establishments who fawned on him and dressed up glamorously made him truly know a man’s pleasure.
He had completely sunk into the gentle land of underground establishments and opium.
This day, he woke up yawning, wiped his nose, and climbed up with his whole body sore and weak.
“Just this stuff? Only cornmeal porridge and pickled vegetables? How can one eat this stuff?!”
Ever since getting to know Little Ear, Kawakami Kyoju had eaten much better these days than before, basically eating at restaurants every day.
Although what he ate wasn’t delicacies or fish and meat, it could still be considered eating well and drinking spicy food.
Now making him drink cornmeal and eat pickled vegetables again, he absolutely refused.
Qingshou wife was also feeling stifled at this moment; she did want to make something good to eat, but what was left at home?
Before, Kawakami Kyoju had been a loafer every day with no money-making profession, then he went out to fool around and could bring back some money, though not much, but at least it could maintain livelihood.
But he hadn’t given it for just a few days and stopped again.
Not only did he not give, but demanding it got her beaten!
She lowered her head and mumbled: “There’s not much money left at home, can only make this.”
“Also, there’s not much cornmeal left either, can you give me some household expenses, or buy some back?”
Hearing her ask for money, Kawakami Kyoju got up and gave his wife several slaps.
That arrogant vigor didn’t look like someone who had just woken up at all.
“Money money, all day knowing only to ask for money! I’ve already said I’ll give it to you, don’t bother me!”
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to give, but he himself had no money in his pocket.
Although he hadn’t lost much at the gambling table, Little Ear wasn’t stupid; even if winning, how could he let him win too much?
Eating at restaurants every meal, plus Little Ear leading him into visiting underground establishments and smoking opium, which of these didn’t cost money?
The money he won had long been almost all spent.
Although he still had some in his pocket, that was his capital for smoking opium and sitting at the gambling table tonight, how could he give it!
Not wanting to give money, and the stinky woman always nagging, what could he do but beat her!
After beating his wife, he didn’t want to eat, yawned, and went out of the siheyuan.
He familiarly arrived at a cigarette stall, comfortably smoked a pipe of opium, and finally had some spirit.
After having spirit, he went to the familiar small casino.
Seeing him arrive, the casino people immediately came forward fawningly:
“Master, why have you come again? This is all small business here, really can’t entertain you anymore, why don’t you go to another place?”
If it weren’t for Little Ear’s previous arrangements, given Kawakami Kyoju’s behavior, the casino would have long put him in a sack.
Did he really think being Japanese made him awesome? Find a nook and cranny to beat you up, or if ruthless, kill you and bury you somewhere.
No need to even dig a pit to bury; just tie a stone and throw into any river, no one would find you!
Kawakami Kyoju, who these days already considered himself superior, was very dissatisfied and threatened: “What, you run a casino and now chasing away customers?”
“Let me tell you, if you do this, I’m going to the police station to report you!”
These small casinos had no legitimacy at all, and no background behind them.
If reported, patrolmen would most likely come to make trouble.
The casino people gritted their teeth inwardly: you who take winnings and refuse losses, you even deserve to call yourself a customer?!
For a moment, he really wanted to secretly kill this guy!
But thinking of Master Lian’s instructions, he put on a fawning smile and flattered:
“Master, you misunderstood my meaning. Think about it, what status do you have? You’re a Taijun, a person above others! In our words, that’s nobility!”
As the saying goes, the more one lacks something, the more one likes to show it off.
Kawakami Kyoju was just a farmer’s son in his island country, had no skills himself, became a loafer, despised wherever he went.
Such people like others’ respect and sycophancy the most, and care most about face.
Hearing this now, he immediately puffed out his chest and said proudly: “Good that you know, then why not hurry and let me in?”
The casino boss sneered inwardly: damn, I flatter you and you actually believe it, what a real stick!
Forget it, talking twists and turns to such a person, he wouldn’t understand; better to speak straightforwardly.
“Master, with your status, gambling money all day with these mud-legged folks, isn’t that lowering yourself!”
“When have you ever seen upper-class masters mixing with mud-legged folks every day?”
“You’re an upper-class person, a noble person, naturally you should play with big shots, at least small bosses or small merchants and such!”
“Mixing every day with us mud-legged folks, if your compatriots found out, wouldn’t they laugh at you!”
Kawakami Kyoju, whose confidence had already swelled, thought it seemed reasonable.
Although he couldn’t count as real nobility, in front of these lowly Chinese, wasn’t he a person above others!
How could he mix with these people every day; if compatriots found out, they would laugh him to death!
But not here, then where should he go?
He didn’t know that either!
“Plenty of places! How about I recommend one to you?” the casino boss probed: “The stakes there are bigger than here, you’ll win more, what do you think?”
Just like that, Kawakami Kyoju was coaxed and deceived into a somewhat higher-class casino.
After entering, Kawakami Kyoju clearly felt the difference.
No one here cared that he was Japanese, because there were more than one or two Japanese here, he even saw a few Westerners.
After playing a few rounds, Kawakami Kyoju wanted to pull the same trick of reneging to cheat money, but this time it didn’t work.
“Mister, are you having funding difficulties? Come come, please follow me, this little matter, I’ll help you solve it!”
Kawakami Kyoju thought the other was afraid of him, so he held his head high arrogantly and followed.
After entering, he saw several burly men standing inside the room, clearly the intimidating kind.
Kawakami Kyoju’s heart suddenly pounded, and he shouted: “What what, I’m a citizen of the Great Japanese Empire, if you dare touch me, our Great Japanese Empire’s officers won’t let you go!”
“Hahaha~~ Taijun is joking, we do business openly, how could we touch you? What is this Taijun friend’s name?”
Kawakami Kyoju’s fox-pretending-tiger words made Little Ear sneer inwardly; what damn Japanese or not, looking at his cowardly look, he was just an ordinary Japanese person.
Scaring lowly Chinese was fine, but trying to scare him?
Hell no!
Little Ear was the nickname for the casino’s dedicated moneylender.
“I’m called Kawakami Kyoju, he just said he could help me solve the funding problem, what does that mean?”
Whole family beasts?
Little Ear was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting the little devil to so bluntly state his own character.
But he immediately realized it was the person’s name.
He couldn’t help laughing inwardly: damn, this little devil’s parents are real talents, naming him without forgetting to curse his whole family.
He smiled and said: “Funding is no problem, no problem. Looks like Kawakami Kyoju Taijun didn’t have fun tonight, that’s our fault, but no worries, we can lend you some money.”
“How about this, see, one thousand union bonds, enough?”
One thousand union bonds?
Money comes so easily?
Kawakami Kyoju’s eyes lit up; although union bonds were depreciating rapidly now, one thousand union bonds were worth about two silver dollars.
But for ordinary people, even one silver dollar was a lot!
‘Winning’ three or four days at those mud-legged places only got two or three hundred union bonds.
Here, one thousand at once!
But he didn’t agree immediately; since the other could so easily offer one thousand, their bottom line couldn’t be just that!
He decisively said: “One thousand is too little!”
“Then 2000?”
“Add more!”
“.”
“4000?”
“.”
“5000, that’s the max, can’t be more!”
“Good, 5000 it is!”
“Refreshing! Come on, prepare for Qingshou Taijun!”
Just as Kawakami Kyoju wondered what was being prepared, one person brought a tray over and set it down; on the tray was a stack of money, as well as a piece of paper, a pen, and a box of ink paste.
Kawakami Kyoju ignored everything else as if he hadn’t seen it, directly grabbed the money, stuffed it in his pocket, and turned to leave.
