[WDIDWAMGB] Chapter 125: Gangs and Conflict

Under the cherry blossom trees, amidst the red lanterns and wine, and on the bustling commercial street, there was a myriad of sounds and colors.

It was late March in Nagaba City, and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Wrapped by these cherry blossom trees was a commercial street that was neither too long nor too short. Various storefronts sparkled with different colored lights and were tightly arranged here, from elegantly decorated restaurants to stores selling daily necessities. At the end of this street stood the most prominent building, which was not particularly tall but looked resplendent in its golden hues.

It was a nightclub operated by the Chishima Group, an organization, gang, or commonly known as yakuza that controlled this street.

Unlike the violent gangs of traditional impressions, for several decades, the Chishima Group had been managing and protecting this commercial street. The work of Chishima Group's members was simple: collecting protection fees, maintaining public order on this street, and educating those reckless young hoodlums who caused trouble in the adult shops.

However, recently, the Chishima Group had become nervous because a change was coming to Nagaba City.

About a month ago, a guy named Kuzugami Kuhara suddenly rose to power and took over the largest gang in Nagaba City - the Black Dragon Society, or known as Kokuryukai.

Kuzugami Kuhara, also known as the "Mad Dog of Kokuryukai," was an extremely dangerous and brutal guy. He was originally just a member of Kokuryukai and was expelled from the gang two years ago for breaking the rules. Surprisingly, after two years, he managed to gather a group of followers and, after a bloody conflict, took over Kokuryukai and became the leader of the largest gang in Nagaba City.

A few days ago, he came to the commercial street with two masked bodyguards to negotiate with the leader of the Chishima Group. The content of the negotiation was straightforward: he wanted the Chishima Group to leave the commercial street.

Naturally, the leader of the Chishima Group would not agree, and the two groups parted ways. The news that the Kokuryukai wanted to take over the commercial street quickly spread throughout the entire street, causing great unease among the people.

"Your ramen, please enjoy."

In a ramen restaurant on the commercial street, the chef in the back put a large bowl of steaming hot ramen on the tray at the pick-up window, and a man in a black suit immediately reached out to take the tray.

"Uncle Ku's ramen is always so delicious..." He sniffed the air and exclaimed sincerely.

"Of course! Do you think my ramen shop has only been open for a few years? You little brat..." On the other side of the pick-up window, the talkative old chef chuckled heartily.

Just as the man in the suit turned to leave, there was a hint of unease on the face of the old chef who said, "Can I ask you something, brat? I heard that Kokuryukai wants to take over this street. Is that true?"

The man in the suit stopped and after a while, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, our leader will take care of it. Uncle Ku, just rest assured and run your shop as usual."

"Oh, please don't let those guys come over..." The old chef wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking worried. "They've already made the east of the city so disorderly. If they come here, I don't know how this shop will survive. I'm afraid everyone will slowly leave..."

"Please don't worry..." The man reassured the old chef again, and finally, the old chef had a smile on his face. He beckoned to the female waitress beside him and said, "Riko, go get some money for Mister Yasuno."

"I can't accept that, Uncle Ku. You've already paid the protection fee for this month..." The man in the suit quickly refused, "That would break the rules."

"It's okay." The old chef smiled and said, "We were able to open this shop here because of the previous leader's care. Chishima Group are good people..."

"Well, then... just invite me to eat a bowl of noodles. That will be enough," the man in the suit quickly came up with an idea.

As the man repeatedly refused, the old chef finally gave up on offering money. He waived the man's bill and said, "You guys must protect this street well!"

The man in the suit sat silently, holding a tray and looking for an empty table. He ate the noodles in his bowl hungrily, but it didn't seem very delicious. Perhaps he was too worried about the situation. His name was Yasuno Masao, the Wakagashira or the Second-in-Command of the Chishima Group. He was standing outside the office during the negotiation between Kuzugami and the leader. He clearly heard the argument and the leader's furious yelling.

"I will never hand over this street to someone as unrighteous as you!"

The negotiation ended with Kuzugami leaving with a bloody nose. Yasuno knew that this matter would not end well.

After finishing the ramen, Yasuno straightened his clothes and left the ramen shop. Pushing open the door, he looked at the brightly lit street, and his mood improved a lot.

This was the street that the Chishima Group had been guarding for generations. In this era of luxury and temptation, all the gangs were busy making money. Only the Chishima Group still preserved the spirit of chivalry in the underworld. This made him admire them very much. So he dropped out of high school and joined the Chishima Group.

He recalled the past.

"Just a brat, go back to school! What are you doing in the underworld?"

At first, his older brother refused him entry into the Chishima Group, but after persistent efforts, it seemed that he was moved by his sincerity and eventually granted him entry. After more than a decade of hard work, he finally became Wakagashira in the Chishima Group.

"This is truly an unforgettable past..." Yasuno recalled the scenes on this street, and his previous depression seemed to be swept away. Regardless, as long as he and the Chishima Group still existed, they would uphold their own path and protect this street until the very end.

As he reminisced about the past, a figure suddenly flashed by in the dark alley next to him. Yasuno's nerves instantly tensed up. Although it was only a moment, his keen senses detected that the figure seemed to be carrying a machete!

Could it be someone from Kokuryukai? What do they want?

He remembered the recent murder cases targeting members of various organizations in Nagaba and instinctively reached for his handgun at his waist.

No matter who that person was, he couldn't let them cause trouble on this street!

With this in mind, he took a deep breath and stepped into the dark alleyway.

The alleyway was exceptionally narrow. Once trapped, there would be no chance of survival. However, Yasuno still walked in without hesitation. The brightly lit street gradually faded away, leaving behind the darkness and silence ahead.

Finally, in a nervous state, Yasuno crossed the alley and arrived at a small open space between buildings where he saw a man in a suit, holding a blood-stained machete, facing the wall with his back to him.

Reaching for his waist, Yasuno sternly asked, "Who are you?!"

The man did not reply, just stood silently.

Yasuno cautiously approached, drew his handgun, aimed at the back of the man's head, and shouted, "Turn around now and show me your face!"

As if hearing his words, the man slowly turned around, his face covered with a black cloth, with only two small holes for seeing. From his open collar, Yasuno clearly saw a black dragon tattoo.

"Kokuryukai! What are you doing here?!" Yasuno angrily pointed his gun at the man and demanded, "Answer me!"

The man just watched Yasuno silently without saying a word. After a few seconds, he suddenly laughed.

"Hehe."

With his laughter, two people suddenly rushed out of the trash can next to Yasuno. They wore masks and were dressed in the style of a biker gang. They held up their machetes and yelled, "We'll kill you!"

"Ha..." In the face of this sudden attack, Yasuno showed a mocking expression. He instantly aimed his gun at the other two attackers and shouted, "Do you think I didn't guess that you were hiding somebody?!"

With two gunshots, two bloody flowers bloomed on the attackers' bodies. One fell to the ground in pain, clutching his chest and screaming, while the other attacker charged forward, wielding his machete high, ready to strike. Yasuno used his elbow to block the man's arm and swiftly snatched the machete from him with his other hand. Then, he stabbed the man's stomach with the machete.

After taking down the two attackers, Yasuno coldly walked towards the man who had remained silent throughout the ordeal. He said in a cold voice, "Now, you'd better come with me obediently, or don't blame me for my bullets being blind."

The man still didn't say anything; he just silently watched Yasuno until he pointed his gun at the man's forehead.

"Drop the blade!" Yasuno commanded in a stern voice.

The man didn't resist and casually dropped the machete he was holding. Then, he slowly raised his hand and pointed to Yasuno's back.

"What...!" Yasuno was stunned for a moment before he suddenly reacted. He was about to turn around when he felt a sharp pain in his lower back. He lowered his head in a daze and saw the bloody tip of the machete that had pierced through his abdomen.

Behind him was the man he had previously stabbed in the stomach, and he was now emitting strange laughter, stirring the machete that had pierced Yasuno. Meanwhile, the man who had fallen to the ground after being shot was slowly getting up, clutching his chest and saying, "It hurts so much, damn it!"

Yasuno's vision turned black, and he spat out a mouthful of blood in shock. He exclaimed, "This... how is this possible?!"

But the reality was right in front of him. The attackers from Kokuryukai could still move freely even after sustaining such serious injuries as if they had immortal bodies.

As his consciousness slowly drifted away, Yasuno knew he was about to die. He gritted his teeth and, in his final moment of life, suddenly reached out and ripped off the mask of the man in front of him.

Then, he froze.

The person in front of him had a face full of ferocious cracks, from which murky eyeballs grew out densely packed amongst the flesh and blood. The image was like that of a demon from a ukiyo-e painting. The next moment, Yasuno completely lost consciousness.