Looking at Kujo Yui in the bamboo forest, Li Liang felt a sense of déjà vu. Just as he was about to step forward, a burst of bamboo leaves rustled from far to near.
"squeak--"
Accompanied by excited shouts, Zhizhi jumped in the bamboo forest, swung close, wrapped his tail around the bamboo pole and hung down, opened his mouth with both hands, stuck out his tongue, and made a funny face.
Li Liang glared at the monkey angrily. When he came to his senses, Kujo Yui in the distance had returned to normal and was bowing in a panic.
He shook his head and turned to leave.
"It's such a coincidence, come on, stop pretending," Cain looked up and sneered at the monkey, "You almost revealed your secret, didn't you?"
Zhizhi bared his teeth and made an even uglier face.
"Sneaky..." Cain gestured to a pistol with his hand, tapped his temple, pointed at the monkey, and turned around to catch up with Li Liang.
Watching the two of them go away, Zhizhi jumped up and swung in front of Kujo Yui, with an expression of "almost discovered".
Kujo Yui raised the corners of his mouth, rolled his eyes, and his pupils instantly turned into the corners of his eyes, leaving only the whites of his eyes filled with bloodshot eyes.
"Zhizhi~"
Zhizhi gave a thumbs up with satisfaction.
——————
On the stone road by the lake shore, Cain asked casually: "What is the monkey doing?"
"I don't know," Li Liang said absentmindedly, "Maybe it has something to do with the God of Cunning."
"ah?"
"The monkey pretends to be stupid when asked, and can't ask anything. This time is just a good time to see what it wants to do."
"Hmm, long-term monkey fishing."
More than ten minutes later, the two passed by a towering red torii gate, followed the shrine, and were led by a Yakuza member wearing a haori to a tea garden shaped like a shrine.
In front of the main hall, there is a stone altar several meters long and wide. It is covered with a thin layer of gray stones and outlines connected concentric circles.
The two took off their shoes on the front porch protruding from the eaves and walked into the cold and quiet palace.
After walking around a screen, Cain said, "Long time no see, Watanabe."
The white-haired Watanabe Harukichi knelt on the straw mat, leaning over his knees with his hands on his knees: "Mr. Li Liang, Lord Cain."
Li Liang sat down on the futon opposite and looked at the old man in front of him.
This contemporary godfather of Yakuza has a stern face, wearing a wide-sleeved cross-collar top with the family crest, and a chrysanthemum knot and chest button on the chest. He has the air of an ancient daimyo, but after all, he is old and has been waiting for a long time. After several hours, coupled with poor health, now my lips are white, my temples are sweaty, and my straight back is shaking slightly.
"I'm very sorry that I couldn't greet you two at the port," Watanabe Harukichi leaned down again, his forehead covered with sweat when he got up.
"It doesn't matter," Li Liang said with a smile, "I kept you waiting for a long time."
"Mr. Li Liang, it is an honor for me to be summoned by you."
Cain fiddled with the tea set on the low table in front of him and said lazily: "I heard that you are going to abdicate and let Sonoya take over?"
"Yes, many years ago, Yakuza was reorganized with the help of Mr. 'Whisper' and has developed to this day. Sonoya has won the appreciation of Mr. 'Whisper' and is now his spokesperson. I think there is no one more suitable to take charge than Sonoya. Yakuza.”
"Hey, by the way, how did you get kicked out of the Fuji by Samsung Club?" Cain put his cheek with one hand and brought the tea cup to his mouth.
Watanabe Harukiyoshi thought for a moment and then said slowly: "Zhang Dongxiu is a respectable opponent, but Yakuza quit the Fuji not because they lost to Samsung, but for the sake of thousands of innocent Japanese civilians. The Fuji is just a Ship, if an all-out war breaks out, civilians will not be spared.”
"Come on," Cain obviously didn't believe this argument and didn't bother to delve deeper, so he asked instead, "How many organizations are there under Yakuza now?"
"Twelve, except for the 'Ichihe', 'Inakawa Association', 'Yamazaki Group' and 'Ikeda Group', all are in Bay City. The largest one is the 'Wangang Association'." "
"Tell me about these organizations."
"The predecessor of the 'Wangang Union' was the 'M18', a gang established by locals in Bay City..."
In the next few hours, Watanabe Harukichi introduced the various gang organizations nominally belonging to the Yakuza in a low and slow voice, as well as the attitudes of each organization towards integration. Cain also frankly spoke about the future division of the Lower City area. Both of them were Senior "industry insiders" are well aware of the intricate business dealings and interest relationships between gangs, and there are no barriers to communication.
Li Liang was very interested at first, chiming in from time to time, but at a certain moment he suddenly became distracted and felt that gangs were not just violent gangs, but more like a suture of real estate, trading companies, and professional unions.
He burst into laughter, and then thought about the entire lower city, the upper city, and Zero's views on civilization and history.
The world is very big, carrying the life, old age, illness, and death of hundreds of millions of people, as well as the joys, sorrows, and joys. But sometimes the world is so small that it seems to fit within a few words of a few people.
Looking at Cain who was forced to open his business, he suddenly understood why this woman liked places with many people.
————
In the evening, Lawrence suddenly summoned all Spades members and announced a new order:
"Tonight is the day off."
Everyone looked at each other, especially the newcomers, who were afraid of talking to each other. They were afraid that "Man-Eating Larry" would come up with a new way to train people. It wasn't until a large bag of cash was dumped in front of them that they started whispering to each other. The name mentioned most often was "Bay City Grand Palace".
"Quiet!" Lawrence snorted coldly, and the room became silent again, "Listen, this is Bay City, not Zhongjing. I don't want to hear anyone get into trouble, so you can only go to one place tonight, half There will be a pontoon for you in an hour."
Someone asked cautiously: "Boss Larry, where are you going?"
"The Grand Palace," Lawrence said expressionlessly as he looked around at the stunned crowd, "Chickens, you can cheer now."
The next moment, cheers and whistles exploded.
In the corner, Dou Ming was confused.
"Uncle Li, what is the Grand Palace?"
"The most famous club in Bay City occupies an area as big as three water treatment plants, but you can't find a complete dress inside, and the girls there..." Uncle Li put his finger on his eyebrows, "Go from here. It's as smooth as a peeled egg."
Dou Ming imagined this scene and was shocked in his heart.
"Is it expensive?"
"Of course, but the Grand Palace is Yakuza's business. It depends on Larry's wishes. There is no need to spend money tonight," Uncle Li grinned, "Can't wait?"
"No," Dou Ming lowered his head and muttered, "Can I not go?"
Uncle Li was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's okay, I'll take you out for a walk." After that, he wandered towards Lawrence.
Dou Ming didn't have much hope at first, but after Uncle Li went over and whispered a few words, Lawrence looked surprised and quickly took out a bracelet from his arms and handed it to Uncle Li.
Half an hour later.
Several floating boats picked up almost all the Spades members from the side door. After a while, Dou Ming followed Uncle Li out of the door.
The two waited for more than ten minutes before a shabby antique taxi arrived.
"Get in the car, Xiao Li," the driver was an old black man with age spots on his face. He had a bright smile and tattoos on his bald head, but they had long since faded and deformed. Only his still fat body and mechanically modified right arm showed that he had once been the same person. A gang member.
"Fuck, Brother Dog, why are you so fucking old?" Uncle Li got into the passenger seat, held the old black man's hand, and hugged him hard.
"That's life, man~" The old black man's voice was choked, but he laughed heartily.
Uncle Li turned to Dou Ming in the back row and said, "This is what I told you just now. In Zhongjing, Boss Du Bin even bowed his head when he saw Wang Chao."
"Mr. Dupin," Dou Ming nodded.
"Haha, that's all in the past, you can also call me Brother Dog," Du Bin spoke fluent Mandarin with a smile on his face.
Uncle Li shook his head and sighed: "Time flies so fast."
"Yes, we are all old," Du Bin looked Uncle Li up and down, "God damn, Xiao Li, thirty years have passed by in a flash."
Thirty years passed by and we met again after a long separation.
"Let's go, I'll take you for a nice walk!"
While starting the car, Dubin turned on the stereo.
A classic gangsta rap song came from the slightly noisy speakers, with heavy bass and full accent.
"Yeah
Every hood's the same
Come on
They give us guns and drugs
Then wonder why in the fucking we thugs
They wanna count the slugs
Then come around here and fucking with us (Uh huh)
…”
Uncle Li laughed: "This is the flavor of Bay City!"
An hour later, accompanied by the heavy bass and the roar of the diesel engine, the car rushed into the "canyon" of holographic light and shadow, drowning in misty colors.
Dou Ming rolled down the window and looked around. Holographic projections of various sizes filled the streets, stacked and confused. The world seemed to have turned into a kaleidoscope, with jumping lights everywhere.
Dynamic advertisements followed the car and appeared one after another in front of him, and those flashes of life and wealth seemed to be at his fingertips.
The huge holographic girl leaned over and showed a coquettish smile, then the four-story-high wine bottle tipped over, foam hitting his face, and then his vision was blocked by a stream of flowing banknotes.
When the electronic music with a more intense rhythm overwhelmed all sounds, at a certain moment, he heard his own heartbeat in a trance.
In the crowded streets, groups of gang members wander around, with shiny gold chains and diamonds hanging on their chests. They are surrounded by smoke as they walk. Young men and women wear flexible screens on their bodies, like walking monitors. Wearing sunglasses and walking through the crowd, he acted as if there was no one around.
Until the car squeezed into a crowded street, Dou Ming came back to his senses and heard Du Bin say: "There are still ten minutes."
He asked blankly: "What ten minutes?"
Uncle Li turned back and said with a smile: "Ahead is the famous scenic spot in Bay City. Every night at nine o'clock sharp, the twin gods come."
"Twin Gods?"
"Tsk, bring the money. Take out the one hundred dollar bill and look at the picture printed on it."
Dou Ming took out a Xi'an Yuan with a face value of 100 from his pocket and turned it to the back. There was a pattern that every Xiacheng District person was familiar with - twin gods descending from the sky, with a huge submarine in the background. .
He reacted suddenly and said in shock: "Is this the picture?"
"Haha, this is it!" Dubin opened the skylight, "Stand up quickly, it's about to start!"
Dou Ming stood on the back seat and got out of the sunroof.
Only then did he realize that all the cars on the road had stopped, and many people even climbed on the roofs of the cars. Pedestrians on both sides of the street were walking in the same direction. There was a wide square there, which was dark and crowded at the moment.
Soon, the buildings around the square also turned off their holographic images and lighting equipment one after another, and the crowd gradually became quiet.
Dou Ming subconsciously held his breath and looked up at the dark sky.
next moment.
Amidst the sound of the tide, a giant submarine appeared in the darkness and slowly dived. Several searchlights cast bright round spots and swept across the dark crowd.
The magnificent symphony gradually began, and a beam of light crossed the sky and came to the top of the submarine.
Then, the light shines brightly.
Two upright gods stepped out of the light. Their faces were blurred, and they were facing two directions back to back. One had a long sword hanging on his waist and extended his arm forward with his palm raised, representing strength and protection. The other was wearing a linen robe. Spread your hands to represent wisdom and kindness.
Dou Ming's whole body trembled as if he had been electrocuted, and he turned his head stiffly and looked around.
I don't know when it started, but everyone was holding up a Xi'an Yuan with a face value of one hundred, facing the Twin Gods.
moment.
The twin gods suddenly turned into a rain of light, falling into the "human world". The crowd suddenly went crazy, and everyone tried to catch the scattered light and shadow with the banknotes in their hands.
The traffic started to move again. Dou Ming retreated into the car and asked in confusion: "Uncle Li, do these people believe in the Twin Gods?"
"What are they holding?"
"banknote."
"So..." Uncle Li looked out the window and said calmly, "What they believe in is banknotes."
"Yeah, fucking money," Doberman shrugged.
Driving forward out of the traffic jam, turning under the overpass, the car stopped in front of a bar.
"Come on, Xiao Li, let's go have something to drink," Du Bin called to Uncle Li.
After getting off the car, Uncle Li threw his bracelet to Dou Ming: "You go around and I will call you."
"Okay," Dou Ming put on his bracelet and watched the two of them walk into the bar.
He looked around, not knowing where to go. He remembered that there were many shopping malls near the square, so he returned the same way.
As he walked, he became more aware of Bay City's morbid obsession with holograms.
A dynamic hologram several meters high is projected at the entrance of the convenience store, and as a result, it mixes with the images of the dishes in the restaurant next door into a large colorful garbled code.
He bought a piece of synthetic bread at a convenience store and the cheapest pair of sunglasses.
There was nothing he could do about it, shopping in Bay City was really hard on the eyes. Fortunately, most of the passers-by he passed were wearing sunglasses, so he was just doing as the Romans do.
After walking for nearly half an hour, he returned to the square where the Twin Gods were coming.
By this time, lighting had been restored to the square, and there were far fewer people than before.
Sudden.
Dou Ming saw a group of familiar figures and couldn't believe his eyes.
I saw Li Liang, Cain, Allen, Kujo Yui and the old man who seemed to be named Messi, sitting side by side on the steps in the corner, each holding a glass of carbonated drink in their hands, and there were three unfamiliar faces standing next to them, one He is also an old man, and the other two are middle-aged.
What's funny is that the monkey that was kicked away from the port is squatting on Li Liang's shoulder, wearing sunglasses with a holographic display. Whenever a woman passes by, pink hearts will pop out of the lenses.
Thinking of his speculation on the Fuji, Dou Ming raised his head and looked at the sky, feeling a strange feeling in his heart.
There were so many people just now, but no one knew that the Twin Gods were watching their arrival in person, and they never expected that the Twin Gods would be sitting on the dirty steps with drinks in their hands.
These real big shots were sitting there, chatting in a relaxed manner. Occasionally, some people laughed, some danced, and all kinds of people passed by them, turning a blind eye.
Dou Ming looked at them from a distance, as if looking at another world.
At this time.
Li Liang seemed to have finished the drink, shook the cup, stood up, and called out to his companions.
Immediately afterwards, each of them took out a pair of sunglasses and put them on. All of them actually had holographic displays. A woman passed by, and eight people and a monkey were all excited at the same time.
puff--
Looking at this scene, Dou Ming burst into laughter, and suddenly felt that the group of people in the distance who were also laughing together did not look like big shots, but like friends going shopping together.
After watching Li Liang and his entourage go away on the taxi boat, he walked slowly towards the shopping mall opposite.
Prices in Bay City were far higher than those in Zhongjing. He didn't want to buy anything until Uncle Li called. Finally, before Uncle Li came to pick him up, he gritted his teeth and bought the diamond-encrusted earrings he had been eyeing from the beginning.
As soon as he got on the bus, Dupin shouted drunkenly: "Next stop, bich!"
"Son of bich!" Uncle Li responded with his face flushed and his tongue hanging out.
Dou Ming heard this inexplicably, but when he arrived at the place, he realized that Du Bin was talking about the beach.
The beach was crowded at midnight, and in addition to the deafening music, there was the smell of barbecue floating everywhere. Du Bin and Uncle Li held their arms around their necks, staggering to the next round of drinking, and then left him alone next to the car.
He had no choice but to step on the beach, avoiding the children running around and tents set up randomly, and walked all the way to the place where the waves did not reach his feet.
The sky is simulating moonlight, and the sea is calm.
A soft piano sound came faintly, which was incompatible with the surrounding gangsta rap and electronic music.
Dou Ming had a premonition of something and walked in the direction of the sound of the piano. Sure enough, he saw Li Liang and his party sitting around the campfire.
So he chose a dry sandpit and sat down, looking at the sea and listening to the music quietly.
After one song ended, another song started playing, and the immature children's voice floated slowly with a hint of sadness.
"Where is your father?
(Where are you my father)
You're my world, the life I know
(Everything I know is in my life)
Where is your father?
(Where are you my father)
The day has given away to darkness
(The end of the day has come and darkness is spreading)
privy to the sound line
(Follow the song)
where is your father
(Where are you my father)
I'm buried in your love sealed with blood
(The care lying in the blood has buried me)
privy to one thread
(with me).
…”
By the campfire.
Li Liang held up the antique iPhone brought by Massey. The screen showed that the music player was playing "Where Are You, My Father". Cain sat cross-legged next to him, tilting his head and leaning on his shoulder.
Across from him, Allen lowered his head, and the wand in his hand flickered slightly, amplifying the sound of the phone speaker. Everyone else was silent and distracted.
When the song was about to end, Cain wiped the corners of his eyes and sniffed.
Li Liang sighed silently and pretended to be relaxed: "By the way, there are many photos of the previous owner on this phone, all from a thousand years ago. Do you want to see them?"
"Yeah," Cain reluctantly twitched the corner of his mouth, but burst into laughter the moment he looked at the screen.
A selfie was displayed on the screen. Li Liang's face was charred, his hair was blowing up, and he was grinning with white teeth. In the background, Massey was standing next to a smoking semi-automatic diagnosis and treatment machine, cursing.
"Sorry, there was a mistake," Li Liang returned to the photo album seriously and flipped forward to the earliest time, "That's this one."
The photo shows a dark-skinned young man sitting behind a desk with a bright smile.
"What is this drink?" Cain pointed to the paper cup on the table.
"Coffee, Starbucks," Li Liang enlarged the label on the cup, "Hiss... it looks like a hazelnut latte."
Sudden.
The bracelet vibrated, and when he looked down, it was a voice call request from K.
After the call was connected, K's slightly hoarse voice came out: "I have found the eternal place of the Natural Sect."
