Living in the bubble economy of Tokyo, I became a literary giant through lotteries.

Ginza, Toraya.

Unlike his last visit when he was strapped for cash, this time, Guan Gufeng practically "swept" the counter.

"Three servings of each of these dorayaki—red bean, chestnut, matcha…and a few boxes of this yokan (sweet bean jelly). That one looks good, get that too…"

He ordered almost every wagashi (Japanese sweets) that looked appealing, and the shop assistants busied themselves packing them up for him, their faces bearing the respectful smiles typical of customers who serve big spenders.

As he walked out of the store carrying bags of various sizes, Kitamura, who was waiting by the car, stepped forward to lend a hand.

"No need, no need, Uncle Kitamura, I can do it myself," Guan Gufeng said with a smile.

He carefully placed the bag on the back seat, then sat contentedly amidst a pile of desserts.

Kitamura saw his genuine smile, said nothing more, and started the car.

……

Guangu Bookstore, Taitung District.

Sato brought Sachiko's belongings to the bookstore and went inside.

Inside the bookstore, three figures were kneeling on the ground, surrounding Guan Guyu.

Guan Guyu sat on an old chair, her expression almost numb.

The three people kneeling were Koji Sekiya, Yuko Matsumoto, and her beloved son, Aki Sekiya.

This time it wasn't about Guan Gu Qiu's job; they had figured it out.

Guan Gu Feng already has so much money, why are they still working so hard? If they beg for mercy, even a little money that slips through their fingers would be enough for them to enjoy themselves to the fullest.

But they didn't dare to ask Guan Gufeng for help, and of course, it would be useless anyway, so they set their sights on Guan Guyu, who seemed easy to talk to.

"Xiaoyu, please beg Xiaofeng for us! Look how rich he is now." Matsumoto Yuko grabbed Sekiya Koji, her voice shrill and sickening as she wailed insincerely.

"We're family after all! Sharing half with us wouldn't be too much to ask!"

"Sister, please let brother write a good book for me." Guan Guqiu knelt to the side, his face filled with unrealistic fantasies.

"He doesn't need to write it. Just have him give me the outline of his new book, and put my name on it! Once I'm famous and making money, I'll definitely not forget you and my brother!"

Guan Guyu felt disgusted looking at the three people in front of her who were behaving so disgracefully.

They suddenly rushed back like madmen last night, kneeling in front of her and putting on this melodramatic show.

At first, she was shocked. After learning about Guan Gu Feng's performance on the show, she was happy for her brother, then felt sad for these people, until she became numb.

She tried to go out to find Sato, but the three of them took turns blocking the door, preventing her from leaving even a step.

"Who are you three trying to impress with this melodramatic scene?"

A mocking voice came from above. The three of them looked up sharply and saw that Sato had somehow appeared in front of them, protecting Guan Guyu behind him.

"Brother Sato, we..." Matsumoto Yuko was about to get up.

"Snapped!"

Sato slapped Matsumoto Yuko, who had just gotten up, back to the ground without any mercy.

"You talk too much nonsense." Sato shook his hand, then turned to Guan Guyu.

"Guan Gu Feng will be here soon. He should be taking you to his place. Go back to your room and pack your luggage."

Upon hearing the name "Guan Gu Feng," the three people on the ground trembled.

Yuko Matsumoto covered her face, a fleeting look of fear crossing her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an even stronger sense of greed and resentment.

She went to great lengths to win over Koji Sekiya back then because she was after this bookstore and the substantial wealth left by Sachiko.

She wanted to live the life of a wealthy wife, but she overestimated her abilities, made a mess of the bookstore, and let Koji Sekiya's gambling addiction drain her family's savings.

Now that her only chance to turn things around is about to slip away, how can she accept it?

Since appealing to emotions doesn't work, then the only option is...

She suddenly stood up, pointed at Guan Guyu's nose, and screamed hysterically, "Guan Guyu! Since you're so unforgiving, there's no point in saying anything more to me!"

"Guan Gu Feng's a celebrity now, huh! Fine!" Her eyes gleamed with venom. "I'm going to find all the gossip magazines! I'm going to expose them!"

"I'm going to tell them that Guan Gufeng, this popular writer, is a cold-blooded, heartless, and unfilial beast!"

"He drove his own parents to their knees begging for mercy, yet he stood by and watched his younger brother die! Those gossip magazines never care about the truth; they just love celebrity scandals!"

She became more and more smug as she spoke, as if she could already see Guan Gufeng's disgrace and ruin, her chin raised.

"We are the victims!"

Before Guan Guyu could react, a cold voice drifted slowly in from outside the door.

"Oh? So you're trying to talk bad about me? What's the point of contacting those tabloids? Do you need me to help you get in touch with Weekly Bunshun?"

Yuko Matsumoto's smug expression froze instantly, and she turned around in astonishment.

The bookstore door was pushed open completely, and Guan Gufeng stood at the entrance against the golden sunset, his eyes filled with coldness.

Behind him stood a burly man in a black suit, his cold gaze sweeping across the room.

Sato was startled when he saw the man behind Guan Gufeng. He was about to speak, but Kitamura stopped him with a look.

"Mr. Sekiya," Kitamura stepped forward, "I'll go out first. Please feel free to ask if you need anything."

After saying that, he left the bookstore and stood at the door like a guardian deity.

Sato immediately understood and, finding an excuse, followed him out.

Guan Gufeng didn't even glance at the three people. He walked straight to Guan Guyu's side, carefully examined her, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that she was unharmed.

He pulled up another chair, sat down next to her, and placed the heavy Tiger House bag he was carrying on the table.

"Sis, are you hungry? Have something to eat first." He spoke gently, took out a red bean dorayaki, handed it to Guan Guyu, and then slowly poured himself a glass of water.

The three looked at each other in dismay. Matsumoto Yuko's arrogant demeanor just now vanished without a trace when she actually faced Guan Gufeng.

The image of him refuting Toru Sakamoto to the point of fainting during last night's live television broadcast is still fresh in their minds.

At this moment, Guan Gufeng was no longer the silent boy they remembered who could be manipulated at will.

"Go on," he said, taking a sip of water. "I'm listening. Perfect, I'd also like to hear how you plan to fabricate my story."

The room fell into dead silence, broken only by the faint sound of Guan Guyu taking small bites of a dorayaki.

Sekiya Aki stood behind Matsumoto Yuko, his eyes fixed on the bags printed with "Toraya" on the table, swallowing hard.

Ten minutes passed, and the silence continued.

Seeing their attitude, Guan Gufeng was too lazy to argue with them anymore, so he cleared his throat.

"The past is history, we've separated, and I'm too lazy to settle things with you."

The three men's eyes lit up, but then they heard Guan Gufeng say, "You have one hour to pack your personal belongings and leave."

"The land deed for this house is in my mother's name. It has nothing to do with you. I will give you the things you can't take away at twice the market price."

"As for where you go afterward, whether you live or die, it has nothing to do with me and my sister."

This ultimatum shattered the last shred of dignity for the three men.

Sekiya Koji, who was trying to evoke Sekiya Kaze's "guilt" through silence, suddenly raised his head and roared with bloodshot eyes:

"Guan Gufeng! Don't you feel any remorse for kicking us out? Have you forgotten everything that happened in the past?!"

In the past? You mean in the past!

Guan Gufeng silently complained to himself, too lazy to argue with these people who had something wrong with their brains.

Just as I was about to speak, the bookstore door was suddenly pushed open.

Kitamura rushed in, followed by Sato and seven or eight henchmen, all dressed in black suits and with unfriendly expressions.

Kitamura immediately looked at Sekiya Kaze, and seeing that he was alright, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked in a deep voice, "Sekiya-sensei, are you alright?"

Guan Gufeng was puzzled by the scene behind Kitamura, but he didn't think much of it at the moment.

"Uncle Kitamura, you've come at the right time. Please take care of this."

"Yes." Kitamura replied expressionlessly and waved his hand behind him.

Several thugs in black immediately pounced on them, two at a time, lifting the three trembling men off the ground with practiced ease.

Kitamura stood there, straightened his suit cuffs, and ordered, "Be quick, take him to Tokyo Bay, fill a few cement pillars, and sink him into the sea."

His tone was calm and even, but his words struck the three of them like a bolt from the blue.

Sinking into the sea?! A concrete pillar?!

Guan Gu Qiu was the first to break down, shouting at Guan Gu Feng with heartbreaking cries.

"Brother! I was wrong! I was really wrong! Please... please don't kill me!"

In order to beg for mercy, he even called out for his brother.

Guan Gufeng mentally muttered another complaint.

However, he did not expect that his simple statement of "taking care of it" would cause such a big misunderstanding.

He just wanted Kitamura to call a lawyer and resolve the matter through legal means, but he didn't expect Kitamura's methods to be more direct.

"Uncle Kitamura," he quickly said, "put them down first. I mean, let them pack their things and leave here."

Kitamura was taken aback by what he heard, and a clear look of disappointment flashed across his face.

He waved his hand, and his underlings put the three of them down again.

Guan Gufeng's eye twitched, what did that disappointed expression mean?

This time, the three of them didn't dare to say a word. Under the "watchful eye" of their underlings, they scrambled to pack their luggage.

Taking advantage of the moment, Sato quickly stepped forward and explained the reason for the scene to Guan Gufeng in a low voice, his tone full of respect.

Guan Gufeng then learned that Kitamura was actually the highest-ranking leader, or rather, the group leader, of the entire regional organization he belonged to.

No wonder he was able to summon so many people in such a short time and immediately come up with a "professional solution" to make people disappear.

No wonder Haruki Kadokawa sent him to be his driver and bodyguard. Although the methods were a bit scary, they were indeed... simple and effective.

Fifteen minutes later, the three men were escorted by his underlings and brought before Guan Gufeng in a sorry state.

They had very little luggage; any valuable items they could sell had already been squandered.

Guan Gufeng originally wanted his underlings to open their bags and check if they had secretly taken any of their mother's belongings.

Sato, standing to the side, snorted coldly and said, "No need to investigate. They already gave me everything they could exchange for money."

Guan Gufeng glanced at the three of them with disgust, then waved his hand, and the three of them were dragged out looking ashen-faced.

Kitamura walked over to Sekiya Kaze, bent down, and asked in a low voice, "Sekiya-sensei, are you sure you don't need to... let them go 'diving' in Tokyo Bay?"

"No need." Guan Gufeng's lips twitched as he looked helplessly at the man who had a certain obsession with "sinking into the sea."

"I just want them to leave here and never come back, not to leave this world completely."

"Understood." Kitamura nodded, then proposed a more sophisticated plan, "How about I arrange for someone to take them to the countryside?"

"For people who owe us money, we have a well-established 're-employment' program that sends them to remote fishing grounds in Hokkaido or Okinawa to help with fishing in the areas we oversee."

"I will ensure they have enough to eat and wear for the rest of their lives, but they will never, ever appear before you and your sister again."

He paused, then a smile suddenly appeared on his serious face.

"After all, I'm not some kind of demon."

Guan Gufeng suddenly realized that when dealing with certain people, the more direct rules of the underworld were more effective than the law.

"Is there any danger to your life?" But he still asked one more question.

"Absolutely not, it's just a change of work location. Food and lodging are provided, and you even get paid."

"Then... I'll have to trouble you, Uncle Kitamura."

"It is my pleasure to serve you."

Kitamura turned and went out to make arrangements. He walked to the door, pointed to two of his capable underlings, and whispered a few words of instruction to them.

Soon, the car carrying Koji Sekiya, Yuko Matsumoto, and Aki Sekiya silently drove away from the street, heading off in a remote direction.

Guan Gufeng turned his head and looked at Guan Guyu, who had been silently watching him from the side.

Finally, a tired but warm smile appeared on her face—the first truly relaxed smile of the day.

"Sis, I did it!"