Golden Scale [EN]: Chapter 165

The Old Trick Again

Hou Longtao sat on the large balcony, enjoying the gentle morning sun and fragrant California coffee. His mood had been slightly better these past few days because some of the doubts in his heart had been resolved. Although it wasn’t a complete epiphany, at least he wasn’t completely in the dark anymore.

“Husband,” Zhiji walked onto the balcony, hugged him from behind, and kissed his cheek. “Marry has arrived downstairs with the Japanese representative.”

“Okay.” Hou Longtao kissed her hand. “Where’s Huiji?”

“She’s still asleep, being lazy.”

The Xingyue sisters and their lover had stayed up very late playing last night. It was the first time in days that they had enjoyed each other’s company, so they didn’t stop until they were completely exhausted. However, Hou Longtao recovered much faster than the two girls.

“Could you please bring them in for me?”

“Okay.”

Four or five minutes later, Zhiji, Marry, and a bearded Japanese man came onto the balcony.

“I am Kondo Kumaji, the fully authorized representative sent by Director-General Mikou Kogyo,” the Japanese man bowed respectfully. “Please take care of me.”

“Please, sit down,” Hou Longtao stood up, nodded, and gestured for the man to sit in the wicker chair. “I hope Mr. Kondo brings good news.”

“The Director-General first hopes that Mr. Hou can provide an explanation regarding the assassination of our group’s former leader, Mikou Ryuko,” Kondo Kumaji didn’t answer the question directly.

Before this, Marry had used her family’s connections in Japan to learn about the Mikou group and had informed Hou Longtao, so he was prepared. “What explanation? I helped Mikou Kogyo with such a big favor, and he hasn’t even thanked me. What explanation does he want from me?”

“From any perspective, Mr. Hou has a deep-seated hatred for our group. Even if the Director-General really wanted to support you on this matter, he couldn’t do so. It would not only fail to appease the members of the Mikou group but also invite contempt from other organizations.”

“Don’t bring up other organizations. No one knows about my grudges with the Mikou group except you. As for the other aspect, Ryuko is not only my brother but also a friend of Yekaterina and a business partner of the Cherokeef family. Moreover, Mikou Ryuko disregarded the Cherokeef family’s protection to kidnap him, even killing three Cherokeef family bodyguards. So, this isn’t about me asking you to support me, but about you needing to repair your extremely dangerous relationship with the Cherokeef family. Publicly, no organization in the world wants to engage in a full-scale war with the Cherokeef family. Of course, it’s best to reconcile. It’s normal for Mikou Kogyo to punish subordinates who provoke trouble. Punishing his own nephew makes him seem even more selfless and righteous,” Hou Longtao took a sip of coffee. “Privately, the Mikou group is a criminal organization. Infighting, power struggles, and eliminating dissidents are commonplace. Mikou Kogyo used this incident to get rid of his nephew, who was hindering him, to consolidate his leadership position, showing his ruthlessness and disregard for family. How could anyone despise him?”

“Mr. Hou is very thoughtful.”

“Hmph,” Hou Longtao lit a Zhongnanhai cigarette [a popular Chinese cigarette brand]. “Everything I’ve said is already known to Mikou Kogyo. He can’t fail to see the current situation, including the risks and opportunities, or he wouldn’t have sent you here. The only problem between us is that Mikou Kogyo still wants to get more benefits from me. Tell me, why should I give you more benefits for something you must do, something that benefits you?”

“Mr. Hou is right,” Kondo Kumaji bowed. Originally, Mikou Kogyo only wanted him to try to get benefits if he could, and if not, then so be it. Now it seemed that the other party was indeed a sensible person, and there was no need to waste words on such unimportant matters. “I will have Mikou Ryuko return your brother.”

“In that case, I won’t keep you. Mr. Kondo, please.” Hou Longtao stood up to see him off.

Marry escorted the Japanese man downstairs but didn’t leave with him. Instead, she returned to the balcony. “What do you think?”

Hou Longtao shook his head. “There’s an old Chinese saying, ‘A general abroad may disobey orders.’ I don’t think a mere minister can do anything to Mikou Ryuko.”

“What do we do now?”

“Wait and see. I hope he can handle Mikou Ryuko. Even if he can’t, at least he should disrupt his plans.” Hou Longtao frowned, wondering what his next step should be…

Kondo Kumaji, along with the four bodyguards he brought from Japan, entered Mikou Ryuko’s large villa and went straight to the conference room on the left wing. Several leaders of the Mikou group in Los Angeles had gathered.

Mikou Ryuko sat in the main seat, not even getting up to greet the “superior leader” who had come to “inspect.” “I only received the fax three hours ago, and you’re already here. Don’t blame me for not picking you up at the airport, right?”

“There’s no need to worry about those formalities.” Kondo Kumaji pulled out a chair and sat down.

“You’re launching a surprise attack on me?”

“The unprepared are the most authentic.”

“Okay, what authentic situation do you want to know?” Mikou Ryuko really didn’t know what the other party was there to do.

“Is Lin Long in your hands?”

“What if he is? What if he isn’t?” Mikou Ryuko could already guess what was going on.

“If he is, release him immediately. If he isn’t, then that’s another matter.”

“If I really did capture Lin Long, wouldn’t I be admitting that I did it? If I did, then it must be to use him against Hou Longtao. Publicly, Hou Longtao killed our former leader. Privately, he is my brother’s killer and a mortal enemy of the Mikou group. Taking advantage of his departure from China, the organization’s top priority should be to kill him. Why should I release his brother instead?”

“Even if you want to deal with Hou Longtao, you should first ask for instructions from headquarters.”

“I’m responsible for everything in the United States. I never needed to ask for instructions before. Besides, opportunities are fleeting. Where would I find the time to ask for this and that?” Mikou Ryuko grinned. “You need to understand that I’m in charge here.”

“You didn’t need to ask for instructions before because Mikou Ryuko was the Director-General, and he let you do whatever you wanted. Now that Xingzhong-san is the Director-General, the rules have changed. Do you dare to disregard the Director-General? Moreover, this matter also involves the Russian mafia, with the risk of a full-scale war. Such a big matter, even if Mikou Ryuko hadn’t died, you would still have to ask for instructions first.” Kondo Kumaji was a confidant of Mikou Kogyo. Before Mikou Ryuko was killed, he dared not speak out against him, but now he naturally had no respect for him.

“Bastard!” Mikou Ryuko slammed the table and stood up abruptly. “If my brother were still alive, would this kind of thing be happening now!? You’re talking nonsense!”

“How dare you talk to me like that!?” Kondo Kumaji also stood up, glaring. “Seeing me is like seeing the Director-General. Are you trying to rebel!?”

“Of course not, I’m sorry.” Mikou Ryuko bowed and sat down obediently. “Lin Long is not here with me.”

“Really not here?” Kondo Kumaji narrowed his already small eyes into slits.

“Not here.”

“Alright, that’s all for today. Tomorrow, have the account books for all businesses in Los Angeles sent to my hotel.”

“Why stay in a hotel? There are plenty of rooms here.”

“The hotel is more comfortable.” Kondo Kumaji left with his men.

The other leaders saw Mikou Ryuko sitting there with a gloomy face, not saying a word, so they all stood up and respectfully took their leave. The last to leave was Yuye Qiangzhi, who had come from Japan with Mikou Ryuko a few years ago and was considered one of his closest associates…

Hou Longtao looked at the Taiwanese men in front of him, feeling extremely annoyed. “Write it down, write it all down for me.”

“Yes, yes.”

“How do you plan to settle the old score between me and the Bamboo Union Gang [a Taiwanese triad]?” Hou Longtao turned around, staring at an old Chinese man with silver hair sitting on the sofa next to him.

“Besides this misunderstanding, is there anything else unpleasant between us?” The old man seemed a little timid. “Even with this incident, who would have thought that you and Mikou Ryuko would be at odds?”

“For the sake of Zhou Yumin, didn’t your Sanlian Gang [another Taiwanese triad] want to be done with me?”

“Zhou Yumin is just a lousy entertainer. How could we fall out with you over him?”

“Alright,” Hou Longtao patted the old man’s shoulder. “Seeing how old you are and being the leader of a gang, and having come all the way to America to see me, let’s not mention what happened before, okay?”

“Okay, of course, okay. With the support of the Cherokeef family, the Dragon Tiger Hall, and the Mikou group, and with the Chinese government as your backing, our Sanlian Gang is naturally willing to be on the same boat as you. It’s good to be under a big tree.”

“Hmph, no wonder Japan’s rule in Taiwan was so successful back then,” Hou Longtao muttered to himself…

“How long are we going to keep following him?” Glen impatiently threw the empty paper cup of his drink into the trash can outside the car window. “He’s having fun with bikini babes on a private beach, while we’re baking in the sun. That bastard.”

“Complaining now? Don’t you think it’s a little late?” Long continued to monitor Hou Longtao on the distant beach with binoculars, but he was mostly looking at the Russian beauties wearing “strips of cloth.” “We volunteered for this mission in front of the team leader.”

“Who knew this guy could be so patient, not making a move for so long? If this drags on, we’ll be out here for days, and my wife will divorce me.”

“Do you think he really doesn’t have anything on him?”

“How is that possible? He’s always hanging out with the Russian mafia, and he’s involved with Chinese and Japanese gangs. There’s no way he’s clean.”

A black GMC SUV stopped behind the Ford. Two large Russians got out and came to the sides of the police car.

“What do you want?” Glen glanced at one of the Russians. He had known for a long time that their “overt surveillance” was hard to hide, and it was broad daylight, so he wasn’t nervous at all.

“Yekaterina asks you two to come and talk.”

“Talk about what? Does she want to turn herself in? Then she can just come with us to the station.” Long didn’t dare to go see Marry just like that. Being outside was one thing, but going inside was another.

The big guy took out two photos from his jacket pocket and threw them into the Ford. One was of Glen’s wife carrying groceries into his apartment, and the other was of Long’s wife and his two children playing on the lawn in front of their house.

“What the…” The two FBI agents were immediately alarmed when they saw the photos. Their first reaction was to reach for their guns.

“Don’t be stupid,” the big guy reached into the car and pressed down on Glen’s arm. “Some of our business partners are outside your homes right now. I can call them and ask them to visit your families. Does Yekaterina have time to see you two?”

“Of course.”

The two big guys opened the car doors, got into the back seat of the Ford, and the SUV turned around to lead the way.

Glen and Long were taken to the hall on the first floor of the seaside villa. Hou Longtao was lying on a massage bed, and two Russian beauties in thong swimsuits were giving him a massage.

“Please, sit down, don’t be too restrained, help yourselves to the fruit and drinks on the table,” Hou Longtao said in a lazy tone.

“Where is Yekaterina?”

“She’s not here. I invited you, just in her name.”

“What do you want from us?”

“Don’t be impatient, let’s wait until everyone is here before we talk, sit down first.”

The two agents sat down helplessly, wondering if this Chinese man was bringing them good fortune or disaster.

Ten minutes later, two more large Russians walked in, bringing none other than Glen and Long’s superior, the black man named Mark. The three FBI agents exchanged glances, assuming that the other party had also been “invited” using the same method as them.

“Okay, now everyone is here.” Hou Longtao sat up, patted the two beauties’ butts, and sent them away. “The three of you have been monitoring me for quite some time. Have you found anything of value?”

“We are not authorized to disclose the progress of ongoing investigations to outsiders. It’s classified.” Mark used his usual official tone, which could still come in handy now.

“I understand.” Hou Longtao got up and put on a robe. “I know you haven’t found anything. Do you know why? Because I have never been involved in drug trafficking. How could you possibly find evidence of me selling drugs? Have you never considered that I might be innocent?”

“You are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

“Hahaha,” Hou Longtao shook his head and lit a cigarette. “What would happen if you and I were to complain to Governor Arnold? You have been conducting illegal surveillance against me in defiance of orders, right? The worst thing for you is that you have nothing useful to show for it.”

“What exactly do you want from us?”

Hou Longtao shook his head. “So impatient? Alright, I’ll be frank.” He got up and took a stack of documents from the cabinet next to him, placing them in front of the three FBI agents. “This is a great opportunity for you to earn merit and receive awards. It’s time for you to do something for your taxpayers.”

The three Americans picked up the materials and looked at them. “What is this?”

“These are confessions from members of the Taiwan Bamboo Union Gang, detailing how they were hired by the Japanese Mikou group from Taiwan to help the Japanese sell various drugs in Los Angeles. If they can get a reduced sentence, they are willing to testify in court.”

“Even if I believe everything you’re saying, this is not enough to convict a mafia boss.”

“Of course not, this is just part of it. Kidnapping, attempted murder, I can let you catch them red-handed. With these, you can have enough reason to conduct a comprehensive search of Mikou Ryuko’s businesses and private residences in the United States. I believe you won’t be disappointed. I can also provide you with several internal members of the Mikou group as witnesses. Think about it, under the leadership of three brave agents, the FBI successfully dismantled the largest Japanese mafia organization in Los Angeles, bringing its main members to justice.” Hou Longtao tapped his shoulder with two fingers. “I think the three of you can be promoted at least two levels, right?”

The three agents didn’t say anything. The other party’s proposal was quite tempting. As expected, Americans also liked to be promoted and make money.

Mark was the leader after all, so he had to be the one to answer. “Why are you helping us? What’s in it for you? Most importantly, you are also a criminal in our eyes. Why should we cooperate with you?”

“First of all, I am a law-abiding businessman. Providing useful clues to the police and assisting in combating crime is what I should do, but that sounds a little too fake. I will definitely benefit from it, but what those benefits are is not within your purview. Naturally, you will think that I want to use you to eliminate a rival force. It’s no use for me to deny it. But that shouldn’t affect your actions. Is Mikou Ryuko a gang leader? Yes. Do you have evidence to arrest him? Yes. Will you be promoted if you arrest him? Yes. Then, as police officers, what reason do you have not to arrest him? Even if you really don’t want to let me go, you can wait until Mikou Ryuko is brought to justice and then come back to deal with me. Are you afraid that you won’t have evidence to get me by then? You don’t have anything now either. If you keep bothering me like this, one phone call to the governor’s office and you’ll get nothing. Besides, it’s no secret that American law enforcement agencies hire criminals to provide information, and they even help valuable informants get away with other unrelated crimes. I’m helping you achieve great success. I think I’ve earned the right to receive this kind of treatment.”

Mark looked left and right at his two subordinates.

Glen and Long nodded very discreetly.

“How do you plan to assist us in solving the case?”

“Just wait for my news.”

“We will not stop monitoring you for the time being. Who knows if you want to divert us and then take action in these few days.”

“Suit yourselves.” Hou Longtao shrugged…

“I don’t understand why you have to go around in circles like this.” Marry came down from the second floor after the FBI agents left.

Hou Longtao sat in a chair, pulled the beauty in front of him, and rubbed her butt. She was only wearing a bikini. “What would you do?”

“I believe that Mikou Ryuko is not the only one who knows where your brother is. Even if you can’t catch him, or catching him is useless, you can catch other Japanese people to ask. They won’t all have Mikou Ryuko’s strong will and hatred for you. With severe punishment or enticement, I don’t believe no one will crack.”

“When you have a major transaction, will you tell all your subordinates the details of the transaction, such as the time and place?” Hou Longtao pinched the Russian girl’s butt.

“Ouch!” Marry cried out coquettishly, turned around, sat on the man’s lap, and pressed her soft big butt against his hard cock, twisting and rubbing. “Of course not.”

“That’s it. Would Mikou Ryuko tell the henchmen where my brother is?”

“If you’re going to catch someone, of course, you should catch someone with some status.”

“In my opinion, the number of people who know won’t exceed five or six, and they all have to be people close to Mikou Ryuko. If such people go missing, won’t he notice? And it’s at this critical moment,” Hou Longtao shook his head, vigorously rubbing the beauty’s big breasts. “I can’t risk forcing him to jump over the wall.”

“Why did you let the FBI get involved?”

“If I attack Mikou Ryuko, it’s illegal no matter what. The FBI is always watching me. How can I move him? Now, although the FBI is still watching me, if I attack the Japanese again, it’s part of cooperating with the police.”

“You can just go to Governor Arnold and complain like you said.”

“The Japanese have people in the police too. I want the FBI to participate, just to be on the safe side.” Hou Longtao pulled off the girl’s bikini bra, grabbing her two nipples. “What’s wrong with you? Did I hurt you during sex?”

“Yes, yes, your big dick poked me, and I can’t remember anything.” Marry was already a little dazed…

“This is headquarters’ decision,” Teng Xiongichi sternly scanned the people in the room, all of whom were the Mikou group’s backbone in Los Angeles, except for Mikou Ryuko. “Does anyone have any objections?”

No one in the room spoke.

“I believe your loyalty is to the organization, not to Mikou Ryuko personally.”

“Of course, it’s to the organization.” Most of the people expressed their views one after another.

“Kondo-san,” Yuye Qiangzhi stood up. “Last time at Mikou-san’s house, he denied being involved in the disappearance of that China pig.”

“We have reliable evidence, but it’s not convenient to take it out now.”

“Okay, even if the China pig was captured by Mikou-san, and he offended the Russians because of it, Mikou-san has made great contributions to the organization. Can’t his merits outweigh his demerits?”

“The Cherokeef family is extremely important to the organization. With their financial and human support, we can easily surpass the Yamaguchi group [a large Japanese Yakuza organization] and become the largest underground organization in Japan. So, the top priority now is to repair the damage to the relationship caused by Mikou Ryuko. This can also be regarded as his last contribution to the organization.”

Yuye Qiangzhi stopped talking.

“Tomorrow morning,” Kondo Yuichi emphasized, and left the room with his men.

“That guy named Yuye Qiangzhi just now…”

“Pay him a visit at his house tonight.” Kondo Kumaji rubbed his beard…

The next morning, Kondo Kumaji led a large group of people to Mikou Ryuko’s manor and blocked him in the chess room on the second floor.

“Kondo-san has good taste. You’ve come to play chess with me so early in the morning.”

“It’s Mikou-san who has good taste, playing with plastic pieces here alone so early in the morning.”

“I’m waiting for you.” Mikou Ryuko pulled out a handgun from under the wooden chessboard and aimed it at Kondo Kumaji.

“You…”

Before Kondo Kumaji could say anything, the two men he had sent to monitor Yuye Qiangzhi last night were pushed out from behind the screen, all tied up.

At the same time, two female servants of Mikou Ryuko walked in from outside, quickly passed through the crowd, and stabbed the other two bodyguards of Kondo Kumaji with the sharp knives in their hands…(Golden scales are not things in the pool)