Hong Kong variety show: The mastermind behind the scenes is emerging.

East Japan, East Longitude.

It's snowing tonight, a rare occurrence. The heavy, fluffy snowflakes have blanketed this city that never sleeps in a vast expanse of white. The howling wind sounds like the wailing of countless wronged souls in the night sky.

Nestled deep within a quiet traditional courtyard is a high-class restaurant called "Gonpachi".

This place, usually a meeting place for politicians and tycoons, is shrouded in a chilling, black atmosphere tonight. Within a radius of 500 meters, black cars are parked at every alley entrance, and countless yakuza members in suits and tattoos stand guard in the snowstorm.

Tonight, the Underground Council of Japan will be held here.

This is a supreme meeting that will determine the order of Japan's underworld. The leaders of the Black Dragon Society, the Yamaguchi-gumi, the Sumiyoshi-kai... these behemoths that control the lifeline of gambling, customs, smuggling, and loan sharking throughout the island nation are all gathered here tonight.

And tonight's topic revolves around only one thing:

Whether to accept the suddenly emerging "Takamagahara" as a new member of the parliament.

……

"Crunch, crunch."

Light footsteps echoed across the snow.

Nguyen Van, dressed in a black mink coat over a dark purple velvet cheongsam, walked gracefully across the stone path of the courtyard, holding a slender women's pipe in her hand.

Behind her stood Ishii Oren, dressed in a pure white kimono with an antique samurai sword at her waist.

Further behind were two rows of "Takamagahara" elites dressed in black Zhongshan suits, their faces expressionless.

"Lord Ruan, Lord Ishii, please come in."

The guard at the door bowed deeply and opened the heavy camphor wood sliding door.

The heat wave, mixed with the strong smell of alcohol and cigarettes, hit us in the face.

Inside the enormous banquet hall, dozens of low tables were arranged in a U-shape, where the leaders of medium-sized gangs sat. At the head of the table were several elderly men with gray hair and sinister expressions; they were the "yogato" or "chiefs" of the three major gangs: Black Dragon, Yamaguchi, and Sumiyoshi.

The moment Ruan Wen and Ishii Oren walked in, the previously noisy venue instantly fell silent.

Dozens of pairs of eyes, filled with scrutiny, disdain, greed, and hostility, were focused on the two women like searchlights.

"Hehe, you're here."

A bald, burly man sitting at the head of the left seat sneered. He was Tanaka Toranosuke, the leader of the Tanaka-gumi. Known for his volatile temper and ruthless methods, he was a famous conservative within the yakuza and a leading figure in opposing Takamagahara's joining.

Ignoring the stares, Ruan Wen walked straight to the last seat that had been reserved for them.

He did not sit down.

She merely glanced around the room, a faint sneer playing on her lips.

"Good evening, esteemed seniors," Ruan Wen's voice was languid yet magnetic. "I am Ruan Wen, the person in charge of Takamagahara. This is my deputy, Ishii Oren."

"I never expected that the underground council would be so shabby, without even a decent chair."

"A chair?" Tanaka Toranosuke slammed his wine glass to the ground with a loud "crack," breaking the deathly silence.

"You bastard!" Tanaka stood up, pointing at Ruan Wen's nose and cursing, "This is the holy temple of Japanese yakuza! A place that upholds the 'way of chivalry'! When did it become the place for a Chinese woman and some unknown mixed-race bastard to speak here?!"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

The word "bastard" was like a poisonous thorn, piercing Ishii Oren deeply. She was of mixed Chinese and Japanese descent, which seemed to create a barrier between them, and the Japanese yakuza often used this as a reason to ostracize her.

"Team Leader Tanaka, be careful what you say."

The Black Dragon Society's president, a seemingly kind old man, sat in the main seat, slowly sipping his tea. He appeared to be offering advice, but in reality, he was watching the show.

"Be careful with your words? Why should I be careful with my words?!"

Tanaka grew increasingly arrogant, completely disregarding Takamagahara since this was his territory. "If we let them join, where will the face of the Japanese Yakuza be? Will we have to hire geishas as chairpersons in the future? Hahaha!"

Tanaka laughed wildly, and the leaders of several of his vassal gangs around him also let out lewd laughs.

"In our Japanese tradition, women are only fit to serve men in bed or cook in the kitchen!" Tanaka stomped one foot on the table, arrogantly pointing at Ishii Oren. "Hey, you bastard, I heard you're pretty good with a knife? Come on, cut some sashimi for me to liven things up!"

The air freezes.

Everyone watched the two women, waiting for their reaction.

Ruan Wen still wore that elegant smile on her face. She took a light puff of her pipe and slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke.

Then, she turned her head and looked at Ishii Oren, who had been keeping his head down and remaining silent.

He didn't say anything.

Just a glance.

A light, casual look, tinged with a hint of mockery and murderous intent.

"Hi."

"Ishii Oren said softly."

next second.

A sudden change has occurred!

The once serene and composed Ishii Oren suddenly leaped up like a cheetah on the hunt!

"Bang!"

The wooden floor beneath her feet shattered instantly.

Instead of drawing her sword and charging forward, she jumped directly onto the long conference table laden with sake and sashimi!

"Splash—"

She kicked bottles and plates away, her white-socked feet racing across the table like a white lightning bolt!

Five meters, three meters, one meter!

With his laughter still stuck in his throat, Tanaka Toranosuke instinctively reached for the pistol behind him.

But it was too late.

"Clang—"

A clear and melodious dragon's roar.

The blade flashed like snow, reflecting in Tanaka's terrified eyes.

Ishii Oren's figure passed him by.

She landed steadily behind Tanaka, her katana pointing diagonally at the ground, a drop of blood slowly sliding down the blade.

"Pfft!"

A red line appeared on Tanaka's neck.

Immediately afterwards, blood gushed out like a fountain! His huge bald head, with an incredulous expression, rolled off his neck, slammed heavily onto the table, rolled a few times, and finally stopped next to a plate of sashimi, his eyes wide open in death.

The entire room fell silent.

Even the sound of breathing disappeared.

Those bigwigs who were originally watching the show now looked like ducks with their necks being choked, their eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.

This is the underground council! The highest hall of the Japanese underworld!

No one has ever dared to draw their knife here, let alone kill someone in front of the three major gangs!

"Who else?"

Ishii Oren slowly turned around.

Her pure white kimono was splattered with specks of scarlet blood, like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.

She carried a blood-dripping knife, her gaze sweeping across the entire scene like an icicle.

"As Mr. Tanaka said, I am of mixed race."

Ishii Oren's voice was icy, echoing in the empty hall, "I am half Chinese and half Japanese."

"but……"

She walked up to the severed head and used the tip of her knife to lift Tanaka's chin.

"I would like to ask everyone, when this knife struck, was the blood from the Chinese or the Japanese?"

"Or are they all the same shade of red?"

No one dared to answer.

Staring at those murderous and insane eyes, these ruthless underworld bosses, who usually killed without blinking an eye, actually felt a chill run down their spines.

"Baka! Kill them!!"

Finally, Tanaka's second-in-command reacted and roared as he drew his gun.

"Splash—"

Around the hall, dozens of bodyguards from the three major gangs simultaneously drew their guns, the dark muzzles pointed at the two people in the center.

Takamagahara's men also quickly drew their guns and confronted him.

The war is about to start.

At this critical moment.

"Slap, slap, slap."

A burst of crisp applause rang out.

Ruan Wen put down his pipe, took out a thick stack of documents from his pocket, on which was written the name of every person, and casually threw them on the table.

"Gentlemen, before you fire, I suggest you take a look at this."

Ruan Wen's voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a magical power to control the entire scene.

The old leader of the Black Dragon Society frowned and gestured for his subordinates to take the documents.

Turn to the first page.

The old chairman's expression changed instantly.

Those were detailed accounts of the Black Dragon Society laundering money for a cabinet minister through underground banks, as well as evidence of the Black Dragon Society's young master's drug trafficking overseas.

Other bigwigs also received their share.

The addresses of the three illegitimate children raised by the Yamaguchi-gumi's youngest son in Shinjuku; records of the Sumiyoshi-kai's chief embezzling public funds; evidence of the Inagawa-kai smuggling weapons to the Red Army...

Every document is a fatal weakness.

If they hand these things over to the police, they'll at most go to jail. But if they fall into the hands of their rivals or internal competitors...

That would be utterly devastating!

"This is the intelligence capabilities of Takamagahara," Ruan Wen elegantly straightened his collar, looking at the group of bigwigs with grim expressions. "Gentlemen, times have changed."

"While you were still relying on machetes and loyalty to get by in the underworld, we were already doing business with satellites and listening devices."

"Tanaka is an idiot. He wants to die, so I'm granting his wish." Ruan Wen walked to Ishii Oren's side and gently wiped away a drop of blood from her cheek.

"But you..." Ruan Wen surveyed the room, her smile alluring yet dangerous, "You are all intelligent people. You want to go to war with Takamagahara? No problem."

"But I guarantee that by tomorrow morning, these documents will be on the desk of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's chief of staff, and also in the homes of your enemies."

"We'll die together then."

Threat.

A naked threat.

But it actually works.

These old guys are ruthless, but they fear death even more, and they fear losing the power and money they hold. The military and intelligence capabilities that Takamagahara has displayed have completely reached the point of mutual destruction.

silence.

A long silence.

In the end, it was the old leader of the Black Dragon Society who broke the deadlock.

"Heh... Miss Ruan, well done," the old chairman closed the file, a stiff smile plastered on his face. "Tanaka Toranosuke is disrespectful to elders, insults women, and undermines parliamentary unity. Miss Ishii is simply cleaning house for us; what crime has she committed?"

This statement set the tone.

"Since it's a misunderstanding, then put your guns away."

Other bigwigs also took the opportunity to back down, waving their hands to dismiss their subordinates.

Although the atmosphere was still tense, the tension had largely dissipated.

Nguyen Van nodded in satisfaction.

"Your Excellencies are truly wise and righteous; I admire you greatly," Ruan Wen said, walking to the severed head and gently tapping it with her toe. "Tanaka is dead, but his territory remains. Three streets in Shinjuku, two venues in Ikebukuro, and the docks in Yokohama..."

"We, the newcomers to Takamagahara, are unfamiliar with the situation here," Ruan Wen raised his head with a bright smile. "But a gang can't be without a leader for a day, so we'll trouble everyone... to help the Tanaka group manage it on their behalf."

boom!

Now, everyone's eyes lit up.

The Tanaka Group is a large organization with a lot of lucrative territory, so it's surprising that Takamagahara would refuse it outright.

This is a huge profit!

Greed instantly overwhelmed fear and hostility.

"Hahaha! Miss Ruan is indeed very generous! In that case, I won't stand on ceremony!"

"I wholeheartedly support Takamagahara joining the parliament!"

"That's right! From now on, we're all family! Let's make money together!"

The bigwigs who were just moments ago on the verge of conflict are now all smiles, as if the one who just died on the ground was not their colleague, but a fat pig waiting to be slaughtered.

As for the group of henchmen who came with the Tanaka group? They had already been politely escorted away by a group of men in black, their faces pale, and no one cared.

The bloodstains on the conference table were quickly replaced with fresh food and drinks.

Nguyen Van raised his glass.

"Gentlemen, for the sake of friendship."

"Cheers to friendship!"

All the bigwigs raised their glasses.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and lively conversation, Ishii Oren stood quietly behind Ruan Wen, wiping the blood from her knife.

She looked at this group of hypocritical and greedy yakuza members, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips.

After tonight, the underworld of Japan will have one more queen and one more female demon.