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

In Tokyo in March, the cherry blossoms had not yet bloomed.

At the end of the runway at Narita Airport, the wind blew in from the direction of the Pacific Ocean, making the uniforms of the ground crew on the tarmac flutter loudly.

At 2 p.m., Lu Chen's private jet landed on time. The moment the cabin door opened, a wave of cold, damp air rushed out, lifting the collar of his coat.

In the distance, at the VIP passage, the convoy of cars waiting to pick up passengers had been waiting for a long time, with Michiko Nishiwaki and Oren Ishii standing beside the car.

Both women were wearing kimonos. Michiko's was dark blue with silver ripples, and she wore a vermilion Nagoya sash around her waist. Her long hair was styled into an exquisite bun, revealing a small patch of snow-white skin on the back of her neck. Ishii Oren wore a pure black outfit with a dark red inner lining, a folding fan tucked into his waistband, and wooden clogs that made a crisp clicking sound on the cement floor.

"BOSS." The two bowed slightly at the same time, speaking in very standard Chinese, which showed that they had put in a lot of effort.

Lu Chen nodded and walked towards the convoy under their guidance.

Today he's going to ride in a black Toyota Century.

From the outside, the Toyota Century is quite understated, unlike the Rolls-Royce which is so eye-catching. But in the political and business circles of Japan, this car is very popular—because it is the official car brand of the Japanese Imperial Family and the Prime Minister's Official Residence.

In other words, if someone in the know sees a Century sedan with a white license plate from Shinagawa Ward parked in the VIP area of ​​Narita Airport, they will immediately realize that the people in the car are not ordinary wealthy people.

The vehicle that picked up Lu Chen had undergone various modifications, with composite armor plates added to the body, double-layered laminated bulletproof glass, and a chassis capable of withstanding the explosive yield of three kilograms of TNT.

After getting on the vehicles, the convoy left Narita and drove along the Keiyo Expressway towards the city center.

Ishii Oren took two glasses from the car's refrigerator and then respectfully poured Lu Chen a glass of her treasured Yamazaki Eden.

Lu Chen took the ice cubes but didn't drink them right away. He just held them in his hand and gently shook them, gazing at the street scenes rushing past the window, slowly sorting through the clues at hand.

He has a lot of things to take care of during his trip to Tokyo.

First is Yamabuki Asset Management Co., Ltd. As the financial hub for the "Red Alliance" and the "High Table Group" entering Japan, Yamabuki needs to adjust its investment portfolio every quarter based on market trends. This quarterly rebalancing happens to occur just before the cherry blossom season, and there are many things that Lu Chen needs to personally approve.

Secondly, there's the murky waters of the Japanese underworld.

At the end of last year, Kazuo Taoka, the "third generation" leader who had ruled the Yamaguchi-gumi for 35 years and brought the organization to its peak, passed away.

This wouldn't normally be a big deal, since Kazuo Taoka had already arranged everything before his death and personally designated Kenichi Yamamoto as his successor.

Just as everyone was turning their attention to Kenichi Yamamoto, hoping he could stabilize the situation, in the first week of March, Kenichi Yamamoto suddenly passed away in a Tokyo hospital due to long-term liver disease.

This is truly a devastating blow.

It's important to understand that the Yamaguchi-gumi was able to maintain unity in the past entirely because of the strong leadership of two generations of brilliant and ambitious leaders, Taoka and Yamamoto.

In less than four months, two generations of leaders have died suddenly, creating a huge power vacuum at the top. With the heavy burden lifted from their heads, the various warlords who held considerable military power naturally began to have their own ambitions.

The day after Kenichi Yamamoto's death, the group quickly split into two factions.

One faction is the "military faction" led by Taro Watakawa, who commands the two most powerful mobile squads in Kansai. They value fists and loyalty and look down on the old retainers' business practices of sitting in a ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant) and discussing business while drinking sake.

The other faction is the "veteran faction" led by Koichi Muranishi. They have been in the group for more than 20 years and have connections with retired high-ranking officials in the political, business and even the Metropolitan Police Department. They are more strategic and balanced in their dealings.

The two sides began a fierce, covert competition after the announcement of Kenichi Yamamoto's death. They each tried to win over local branch leaders with voting rights, submitted reform proposals, and even their respective youth teams had a few sporadic, low-intensity clashes on several busy streets in Osaka and Kobe.

Although no guns have been used yet, clubs and samurai swords have drawn blood more than once.

The veteran members of the group knew that things couldn't continue like this, so before things completely broke down, they sent people to temporarily appease the two factions. Then they proposed to hold a meeting of the top executives at Yamamoto Kenichi's funeral, following tradition, where the seven elders would each have one vote to elect a new group leader.

Both sides agreed to the request, and the internal strife was finally suppressed with difficulty.

But anyone with a discerning eye knows this is just a delaying tactic. Once the voting is over, there will naturally be a loser. And whether that loser will be willing to give up is another matter entirely…

This extraordinary funeral attracted the attention of both the legitimate and underworld circles in Japan. As one of the largest underground forces in Japan, Takamagahara naturally received an invitation.

In fact, in this kind of situation, it would have been enough for Nguyen Van to lead the team alone. After all, she was the nominal leader of Takamagahara, and her code name Vermouth was more effective in the ears of all sorts of people in the underworld than any government seal.

But upon hearing the names Watakawa Taro and Muranishi Koichi, Lu Chen changed his mind. He decided to go and see this grand spectacle up close—because he knew this would be an opportunity for Takamagahara.

While they were pondering, the convoy had already driven through the bustling city center and turned into the depths of Tsukishima Island.

Nguyen Van's residence is hidden at the very back of Moon Island. It has an antique black tile roof and white walls. A delicate narrow stone bridge spans a man-made stream in front of the gate, and several bright red koi are swimming leisurely in the clear water.

The exquisitely pruned pine trees inside the courtyard walls stretch out their branches, casting sparse shadows on the dry landscape made of white sand. From a distance, it truly looks like a few light strokes of ink on a white sheet of paper.

Ruan Wen was already waiting at the door. Seeing Lu Chen get out of the car, she stubbed out the cigarette she hadn't finished smoking in the ashtray and stood up to greet him, saying, "Are you tired?"

"Thankfully, I got some rest on the plane."

"It's not comfortable on the plane, it's much more comfortable lying at home," Ruan Wen said, taking Lu Chen's coat and giving Michiko a few instructions about the restaurant arrangements for the evening. Then she took his arm and walked deeper into the corridor. "Go take a bath first. I'll treat you to something nice tonight."

In the restaurant, Ruan Wen sat next to him, peeling shrimp for him while telling him about recent events in Japan. From the Nikkei index soaring wildly, to the money flowing through various territories in Takamagahara, to the increasingly heated infighting within the Yamaguchi-gumi.

"When do you plan to go?" Lu Chen picked up his teacup and took a sip. The unique sweetness of the Jade Dew Tea spread across his tongue and lingered for a long time.

"Number 30." Ruan Wen turned to look at him. "What about you? Want to come with me and join the fun?"

"I won't be going. Just let me know the information later. I'm planning to take care of some things in Yamabuki, and then go to the Takamagahara headquarters," Lu Chen put down his cup. "I'll bring Gogo and Yu Lian with me."

He paused, then added, "I've heard about those two competitors; they're not exactly easy to deal with. If things get too complicated, we'll just leave."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Ruan Wen chuckled, lit another slender cigarette, and leaned softly against Lu Chen's shoulder.

Silent all night.

……

The next day.

Yamabuki Asset Management Co., Ltd. is located in Chiyoda Ward. From the outside, it is not conspicuous at all—there are no neon signs, no bank-style gold leaf logos, and only a palm-sized brass plaque above the main entrance with the words "Yamabuki Asset Management" engraved on it.

But anyone in Tokyo who has even a slight grasp of the financial world knows that behind this name lies a behemoth.

Since the Plaza Accord was signed in 1985, Yamabuki Asset Management has been using a multi-layered equity structure comprised of offshore holding companies to inject countless amounts of overseas speculative capital into Japan.

Yamabuki has a wide range of interests, including stocks, real estate, and foreign exchange carry trades. However, he has been able to accurately time the appreciation of the yen and the expansion of asset bubbles in each of these areas.

As of now, the assets actually controlled by Yamabuki Asset Management have exceeded US$40 billion.

This figure may not seem large in the context of the Japanese market's capital pool, but it is enough to crush any independent private asset management company in Japan.

At this moment, President Yamada stood respectfully in front of the huge whiteboard in the conference room, holding a blue marker. The whiteboard was densely covered with asset allocation matrices interwoven with Japanese and English. Lu Chen sat in the leather chair opposite him, flipping through a quarterly report.

"Regarding the Nikkei index, our position remains unchanged at 65% weighting," Yamada reported, pointing to the chart. "After the index surged to 19,000 points at the end of December last year, there were indeed some warnings of a bubble in the market, but the overall environment is still positive—the Bank of Japan shows no signs of raising interest rates in the short term, and foreign capital inflows are still accelerating. We expect that it will reach 20,000 points by the end of the first quarter without much problem."

Lu Chen turned a page, picked up a pen, circled the real estate sector, and casually reduced the percentage by a few points. He casually instructed, "Before the end of the month, reduce the real estate sector position by another two points. Transfer all the freed-up funds into Sony, Toshiba, and Hitachi. The order doesn't need to change; add to the positions in this order."

Yamada straightened his back and suddenly lowered his head: "Hi!"

Afterwards, Lu Chen adjusted the remaining fund allocation, took the previous quarter's financial report, and then brought Nishikyo Michiko to the headquarters in Takamagahara, Shibuya.

Sophie, Takamagahara's head butler, was waiting in his office early on, and gave him a detailed report on the accounts for the past few months: the turnover of the major casinos had increased by 16 percent compared to the same period last year, the average occupancy rate of the high-end hotels under its umbrella had remained stable at over 80% for many years, and as for the flagship store in Roppongi that had just opened not long ago, the net profit in the first month alone had already wiped out 60 percent of the previous initial investment costs.

Lu Chen listened and nodded, placing the report on the table. Suddenly, he looked up and asked, "What's the progress on the relocation of the Takamagahara headquarters that we mentioned last time?"

Sophie was taken aback, not expecting Lu Chen to be concerned about this aspect first, but she still quickly reported: "The construction is progressing smoothly, and the new headquarters building is expected to be completed by the end of the month. At that time, all middle and senior management personnel will move there. As for the old headquarters, its administrative functions will be stripped away, and it will be completely transformed into a top-tier hotel and high-end casino."

"Very good," Lu Chen nodded. "Once the old headquarters is renovated, we'll put it on the signboard and fully integrate it into the 'Mainland Hotel' brand system."

"yes!"

……

March 30th, Osaka.

Kenichi Yamamoto's funeral was ultimately held at an old Jodo sect temple in Suita City, Osaka Prefecture.

This temple, which has been secretly funded by the Yamaguchi-gumi for many years, is located deep in a wild cedar forest on the north side of Expo Memorial Park. It is only a fifteen-minute drive away from the largest Yamaguchi-gumi headquarters in Kansai, which was personally approved and built by Kenichi Yamamoto.

At this moment, outside the ancient temple gate, the wide road was lined with rows of black Toyota Century and Nissan President models. The gleaming black bodies of the cars reflected the silent figures of countless Yakuza members dressed in black suits and wearing white chrysanthemum badges on their chests.

At 3:00 PM, Nguyen Van, escorted by Gogo and Ishii Oren, entered the solemn main hall.

Today she wore a very plain black kimono, with a plain black sash tied around her waist. A small section of her exquisite white blouse peeked out from the neckline, and her long, black hair was simply tied back with an ebony hairpin. The only color in her entire outfit was a fresh, blooming white camellia flower tucked next to the hairpin.

Gogo and Yulian, who were behind them, were also dressed in black formal attire, their faces expressionless. The three of them walked to the huge portrait of Kenichi Yamamoto, bowed slightly, then offered incense, clasped their hands in prayer, and left after the ceremony.

After completing this procedure, Nguyen Van was led to a quiet room in a side hall to wait. This quiet room was a rest area specially prepared for non-Yamaguchi-gumi important guests who came to pay their respects. The sliding door was half open, and the faint chanting and the sound of footsteps could be heard coming from the main hall.

The three chatted with the familiar yakuza leader while quietly waiting for the real highlight of today's show—the results of the election for the new group leader.

As soon as the memorial service ended, the election process began immediately, and the seven highest-ranking members of the Yamaguchi-gumi, who held supreme voting rights, filed into the quiet room behind the main hall, which had been specially cleared out.

This room is where the temple abbot receives distinguished guests on ordinary days. A Zen scroll written by the abbot himself hangs on the alcove. In the afternoon, the slanting sunlight shines in through the washi paper lattice window and falls on the large, clean tatami mats.

The voting officially began with the sound of the temple's bronze bowl striking three times.

Soon, the results were in – Muranishi Koichi won five votes, while Watakawa Taro only received two.

In other words, aside from securing votes from the two die-hard supporters within the martial arts faction, Watari didn't get any of the others' votes. The remaining five were either bound to Muranishi Koichi by mutual interests, or had already secretly reached an agreement with him.

The moment the elder read out the vote count, Watakawa Taro immediately flew into a rage, slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, pointed at Muranishi's nose, and yelled a Kansai dialect phrase.

He didn't even bother with the final pretense, completely ignoring the Yamaguchi-gumi's decades-old ironclad rule—the loser must bow to the new leader in person to show allegiance.

Instead, he kicked open the side door, yelled "Go!" at the youth team members who had been waiting at the door, and then led a large group of people in black suits out of the temple through the side door.

In the corridor, Ruan Wen watched coldly through the crack in the sliding door as Watari Taro slammed the door shut and left, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

She knew that another opportunity to infiltrate the Kansai region had arrived.

Of course, Takamagahara wasn't the only one tempted by this fragrant bowl of fatty meat noodles.

……

Meanwhile, in the top-floor office of the Shinigami headquarters.

Taras, the White Reaper, clutched a glass of plain vodka without ice, nestled in the back of a large leather chair, his eyes coldly fixed on the map of the Kansai underworld's distribution hanging on the opposite wall.

"Boss, Muranishi Koichi won," his deputy sitting opposite him reported in a low voice in Russian as he closed his phone. "Watakawa didn't even bother with the pretense. He even pushed down two Muranishi faction youth team members who were blocking his way when he left. He's already in his car, probably heading towards Kobe."

"As expected, after all, Watari is just a brute who only knows how to fight, and he can't outmaneuver that old fox Muranishi at all," White Death turned his chair around and looked out the window at the murky gray-green waters of the Dotonbori River. "However, this is exactly the situation I wanted."

If the Yamaguchi-gumi continues this stubborn stalemate, it's only a matter of time before they split in two. And once they split, a bloody melee will inevitably sweep across the entire Kansai region. And once the waters are muddied, the Shinigami-gumi can easily take advantage of the chaos.

"Send three teams to the Nishinari district to keep a close eye on the village's movements," he said, finishing his drink and placing the glass on his desk, the bottom of the glass making a crisp sound against the edge of the desk. "Also, keep a close eye on Takamagahara; they won't miss this opportunity."

"clear!"