Tokyo: My Best Actor Gear List

Chapter 32 The Villain's Deal

"Cheers——!!!"

The old-fashioned barbecue restaurant near the Toei Oizumi Studio instantly erupted in cheers as dozens of beer glasses clinked together in the air.

Filming for "Blood of the Triads" has wrapped.

The grueling two-month shoot finally came to an end amidst Kinji Fukasaku's roars.

After a few rounds of drinks, Shinji Fukasaku, his face flushed, called Shin Kitahara to the smoking area outside the shop.

"Take it."

The director pulled a thick envelope from his pocket and stuffed it directly into Kitahara Shin's suit pocket.

The envelope was heavy, causing the hem of the suit jacket to sag and become somewhat deformed.

"Director, this..."

"This is a 'special fee,' which is essentially a bonus."

Fukasaku Kinji lit a cigarette, exhaled smoke rings, and his tone became serious. "Don't think it's too little. This is all the cash I have on me, about a million yen."

Kitahara Shin was startled and was about to decline, but the old director held his hand.

"Keep it. I know you've been targeted by Jin Jing's gang lately."

Kinji Fukasaku looked at him, his eyes revealing the shrewdness of a seasoned veteran. "This amount of money won't solve the 80 million yen problem, but it can at least serve as a 'toll.' In this industry, acting skills alone aren't enough; you also need teeth. With money, you can sharpen your teeth."

Kitahara Shin held the envelope in his hand, feeling the thickness of the stack of banknotes between his fingertips.

This is one million.

For him now, this is the most important box of ammunition.

"Thank you." He didn't stand on ceremony anymore and carefully put the package away.

"Alright, judging by the way you keep staring at your watch, you're either in Cao Cao's camp or your heart is with Han."

Shinji Fukasaku waved and sauntered back into the shop.

Kitahara Shin stood in the night wind and pressed the envelope to his chest.

……

An hour later.

Ueno, a back alley filled with underground banks and illegal mahjong parlors.

The "Yamato Trading Company" sign crackled under the faulty neon lights.

When Kitahara Shin pushed open the door, the room was filled with smoke.

Several men with buzz cuts and full-arm tattoos were playing cards around a table piled high with loose change and cigarette butts.

"Who is it? We're closed today."

The minor leader, sitting in the middle, didn't even look up before slamming his cards onto the table.

"I'm looking for Team Leader Gao Shan."

Kitahara Shin didn't back down; instead, he pulled out a chair and sat down opposite the minor leader.

He was still wearing the black suit he hadn't had time to change out of, along with his black leather gloves. Although he was alone, the cold, hard aura he exuded from his time on film sets made the air in the room freeze slightly.

The petty leader named Gao Shan finally raised his head.

He sized Kitahara Shin up and down, narrowing his eyes: "You're that actor? What's your name... Kitahara?"

Clearly, that incident in the parking lot had given him some notoriety in the area.

"I heard you have a bad debt of 80 million in Jinjing that you're holding onto."

Kitahara Shin skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

As soon as he said that, several of the card players around him immediately stood up and reached for their lower backs.

Gao Shan's face also darkened: "You were sent by Johnny's to settle this? What, you gave that little bit of hush money to appease that beggar last time, and now you want the account book?"

"I'm not like them."

Kitahara Shin pulled out the thick envelope that Fukasaku Kinji had just given him from his pocket and slammed it on the table.

The envelope was open, revealing neatly arranged 10,000-yuan banknotes inside.

One million yen.

"I'm here to help you collect your debts."

Takayama glanced at the money, then at Kitahara Shin, and sneered, "You think one million can balance out an eighty million debt? Do you think I'm out of my mind?"

"This million is just a 'consulting fee'."

Kitahara Shin leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. "You all know the situation. Kanai is refusing to pay, and the firm insists it's an illegal gambling debt, only willing to offer a small hush money. You can't call the police even with the IOU; if you did, you'd end up in jail yourself."

"Therefore, this 80 million is a dead debt. You won't get a single penny."

Gao Shan's face looked very grim.

You were right.

They've been really worried about this lately. Johnny & Associates is powerful, with connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles. They can't get the money they want, and they're afraid of retaliation if they expose it. It's a real hot potato.

"So what brilliant idea do you have?" Gao Shan lit a cigarette, his tone softening slightly.

"Give me a copy of the IOU, and a recording of Jin Jing throwing a tantrum here."

Kitahara Shin stared into Takayama's eyes. "I'll be the bad guy. I'll leak these things to the media and make a big fuss about it."

"Are you crazy?" Gao Shan was stunned.

"Only by setting the fire on will Johnny's panic."

Kitahara Shin's voice was steady, revealing a calculating ruthlessness. "Once Kanai's cash cow status is threatened, in order to protect this tree, the firm must do everything in its power to quell the scandal. At that time, they will come to you with cash, begging you to destroy the original ledgers."

"At that time, you will not only receive this one million, but also eighty million with interest."

Gao Shan's hand, holding a cigarette, froze in mid-air.

He's a seasoned veteran, quick-witted.

Kitahara Shin is right.

The firm dares to default on its debts now because it's certain the money lenders won't expose it. But if a fearless third party were to expose the affair, the situation would reverse.

"What good will this do you?" Gao Shan looked at him suspiciously. "This is something that will offend Johnny's to the death."

That's my private matter.

Kitahara Shin pointed to the money on the table. "This one million is for the copies and tapes you have. Whether I am blacklisted or sued afterward, it has nothing to do with Yamato Trading. I will never betray you."

"For you, this is a risk-free and highly profitable deal. You keep the money, I take the risks, and in the end, I can wait to collect that 80 million debt."

The room was silent for a few seconds.

Only the faint sound of burning tobacco remained.

Takayama stared intently at Kitahara Shin.

He was assessing the young man's courage.

That's the look of a desperado.

Although he was wearing a suit and tie, this kid was crazier than them at heart.

"……make a deal."

Gao Shan threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out. He grabbed an envelope from the table and said, "Give him the money and go to the storeroom to make a copy of that kid's tape and ledger."

A few minutes later.

Kitahara Shin walked out of the doors of "Yamato Shoji".

He now had a brown paper bag in his hand.

Inside were a copy of a huge IOU signed by Kanai himself, and a cassette tape—a recording of Kanai, in which he insulted Akina as a "stupid pig" and an "ATM" when he was blinded by greed after losing.

This is the real nuclear weapon.

He walked to the streetlight, lit the Zippo, and watched the flame dance in the wind.

A million dollars for a complete loss of reputation.

This deal is very worthwhile.

Kitahara Shin tucked the brown paper bag under his arm and turned to disappear into the deep night of Ueno.