Chapter 44: Persuasion Through Storytelling and Opera Performance
"Mr. Bai, are you heading out?"
Just a short distance from leaving the doorstep, Yamada was encountered face to face.
Bai Wei, on the other hand, didn't dislike this middle-aged man who made a living by running errands.
"Unfortunately, your timing is a bit inconvenient, as I need to go out for a while. There is no tea to offer today."
"Ah, that's truly unfortunate…" Yamada touched his increasingly sparse scalp and smiled, saying, "The tea at your place does taste very good."
"Did you come all this way specifically because the company has given a response?"
"There isn't anything yet, it is still under discussion. There hasn't been much activity from the Sanada Group either, so it's not a big deal. I just decided to come along with the flow," Yamada self-deprecatingly said, "Just saying things that might not have much effect."
Bai Wei also smiled indifferently and said, "It seems like you've had quite a difficult time as well."
"Ah, it's the same for both of us. Are you really okay with going out like this?" Yamada paused and said, "How about I accompany you to take care of the matter? As long as I'm there, the people from the Sanada Group shouldn't…"
"The Sanada Group is useless, they are currently extremely troubled by the medical expenses matter." Bai Wei said this sentence in Chinese.
"What?" Yamada didn't understand.
"I happen to not have much to do today, just sending a letter."
"Alright then, let's go together. Coincidentally, I am heading in the same direction."
…
The matter of sending the letter was quickly taken care of. Bai Wei turned around and looked at the waiting Yamada.
The middle-aged person's face displayed a noticeable weariness, with prominent dark circles under his eyes; more importantly, one could sense his feebleness.
Merely staying up late wouldn't make him this weakened; there must be other reasons causing his physical condition to rapidly deteriorate.
A better proof than others is the exclamation mark that has already appeared above his head.
A pale yellow exclamation mark.
Bai Wei already had a nearly clear understanding that the exclamation mark is equivalent to a "danger value" reminder, with the closer it gets to red indicating greater danger. If it completely turns pitch black, it represents an impending proximity to death.
Presenting a yellow color signifies that one has been wandering on the edge of danger.
[Yamada Torajiro]
[Overall Level 5]
[Status: Yokai Infection]
"Are you alright?" Bai Wei asked, "You seem to be unwell. Have you considered going to the hospital for a check-up?"
"There are plans to go, probably due to excessive fatigue during this period," Yamada smiled, "It's nothing to worry about."
"I am planning to pay a visit to the shrine in Hanafancho. Would you like to come along?"
"Hanafancho… That sounds good. However, before that, I'd like to stop by another place." Yamada rose with the support of his knees, nearly stumbling, but was upheld by Bai Wei's outstretched hand.
"Thank you very much," Yamada sighed weakly.
The fever caused by both demonic aura infection and wound infection is similar. As long as you visit the shrine and purify yourself with spiritual energy, there should be no major issues.
However, Yamada insisted on going to another place first, and Bai Wei, curious about the exclamation mark, followed suit.
…
The place they came to was a cemetery in Hanafancho.
Inside the cemetery, there are numerous stone tablets arranged. In Yingzhou, where there are more people and less land, the deceased are mostly cremated and placed in these stone tablets. The larger the city, the more scarce the cemetery space becomes, and purchasing a cubic meter of burial land is quite expensive.
So, some people choose to keep the cremated remains of their loved ones at home and pay regular respects to them, just like Yagyū Simozi does.
People in Yingzhou believe that their deceased loved ones become enlightened beings, so it is the temples that handle funeral business. Naturally, these monks are wealthy. On the other hand, Onmyoji and shrine maidens don't engage in commerce related to life and death… However, shrines are involved in business related to marriage, each fulfilling their respective roles.
Yamada came to the corner of the cemetery, placed fresh flowers and candles, brought offerings, and quietly knelt in front of the grave, starting to pray.
The tomb he was paying respects to was not that of a family member; inscribed on it was the name 'Yoshino Clan'.
Meanwhile, lingering resentment remains on this tombstone.
Looking around, there are actually quite a few remnants of attachment and resentment within this cemetery. Before life and death, how can one truly let go so easily? It is normal to cling to memories of the mortal world. However, on this particular tombstone, the lingering presence is exceptionally strong, to the extent that it has formed visible manifestations that Bai Wei is able to perceive.
[Resentment Shackles]
The lingering resentment formed chains, tightly gripping Yamada's shoulders like shackles.
Kneeling to pay homage to the deceased, he appeared more like a prisoner being escorted, his hands tightly clasped together in front of him, bound by the shackles, humbly pleading for forgiveness.
The owner of the tomb didn't welcome his arrival at all.
As he waited for the memorial ceremony to conclude, not only did Yamada's complexion fail to improve, but instead it grew even worse.
"Thank you for waiting so long." He took only a few steps before becoming breathless.
"Take a seat and rest for a while," said Bai Wei as he picked up the offering, unscrewed a bottle of water, and handed it over.
After the offerings have been made in Yingzhou, they are typically taken away. If not taken away, they are left for crows or other animals to consume.
Because it was him who took it, the owner of the tomb didn't show any additional reaction, and it wasn't indiscriminately encroaching upon everyone around.
"Thank you." Yamada took the water bottle, took a sip, caught his breath, and gently caressed the indentations on the barley tea bottle. "Mr. Bai, aren't you going to ask me anything?"
"Everyone has their own story. When they feel like sharing, they will naturally do so. I am not fond of prying into others' secrets, and I hope others refrain from prying into mine," Bai Wei's response was quite emotionally intelligent.
"Yes, indeed. When one feels like speaking, they will naturally do so. Being interrogated, on the contrary, can put one in a bad mood."
With his head bowed down, Yamada's desire to confide has reached its peak, making it only natural for him to share these stories.
"After every visit I make to pay my respects, my mood doesn't necessarily get any better. However, I still come here frequently because if I don't, I'm afraid I'll gradually forget. I worry that I'll forget. Once I avoid it once, I'll continue to turn a blind eye to it in the future."
His throat rumbled, and after struggling to swallow his saliva, as if donning a crown of thorns upon himself, he hoarsely spoke.
"The Yoshino family, they… it was me who caused their demise, I brought ruin upon their lives."
In the blink of an eye, as if in a trance, it felt like he had been transported back eight years.
Eight years ago, Yamada, who had just joined the company, was an ambitious salesperson with a strong desire for wealth and social status.
Every day, he tirelessly conducted business outside, continuously acquiring land reserves for the company. In order to secure customers and have them sign land sales contracts, he fearlessly uttered almost anything, making daring promises.
For this purpose, he committed many unethical acts and even inserted small traps in the contracts, seeking personal kickbacks and such. However, at most, he had to endure a few rounds of scolding, as a simple act of bowing with a gift would suffice to smooth things over. With such shamelessness, he managed to secure a position in the middle management of the company and climbed to a respectable position.
Just as his career was progressing smoothly, he encountered an obstacle. At first, he didn't pay much attention, thinking that he could deceive his way through with past methods. However, the persistence of the other party proved to be far more formidable than he had anticipated.
This is the Yoshino family. Although they are called a family, there are only a father and daughter. They run a renowned traditional Japanese confectionery shop in the neighborhood. However, their shop has been included in the development plan. If they were to deviate from the route, it would require a complete revision of their plans, which would be a tremendous investment and signify the annulment of many previous land acquisitions.
Yamada spent several months relentlessly negotiating and persuading, but all attempts were thwarted. Even offering a price three times higher than the market value couldn't seal the deal. The reason was simple -- this traditional Japanese confectionery shop had a history of three hundred years. It had received praise from nobles, and it was deemed absolutely untouchable, as it was Yoshino's late wife's final wish.
At that time, Yamada couldn't bear to hear those words. In his perspective, he believed the other party was merely greedy. However, he was unable to offer a higher price himself. After much contemplation and grappling with the pressure from higher authorities, he made the most regrettable decision of his life.
He proactively requested assistance from another department within the company.
Yamada initially thought that at most, there would be physical violence involved, or the shop would be vandalized, accompanied by some level of intimidation.
However, he was mistaken.
At that time, the Sanada Group, equally ambitious, had just been established and they aimed to establish their reputation through ruthlessness within the Kanto Federation, making a name for themselves.
Upon receiving a new task, naturally, the thought of using a ruthless approach came to mind. From the initial intimidation to subsequent acts of vandalism, even so, the Yoshino family persisted in their business operations, even stirring up anger among their neighbors, and driving away the gangsters on multiple occasions.
This caused the Sanada Group to grow furious, and ultimately, they resorted to the method of abduction to force Yoshino to submit. Originally, it should have ended here, but the situation spiraled out of control.
Even though Mr. Yoshino agreed and signed the document, his daughter didn't return unscathed.
From the results, it appears that his daughter was not defiled by the Sanada Group's gangster, but rather by a group of delinquent youths.
--This, in Yingzhou, is actually not uncommon; it is not surprising to see incidents where young women are abducted by ruffians happening time and time again.
The group of youths were all sent to a juvenile detention facility, but whether there was any reprisal from the Sanada Group behind this, no one knows. However, the life of Yoshino's daughter has already been ruined.
She chose to end her own life using a white rope.
After his daughter's death, Mr. Yoshino, in a state of semi-madness, stormed into the office of the Sanada Group on a stormy night.
On that rainy night, Yamada returned from the company celebration, completely intoxicated, only to encounter the feeble and struggling Yoshino.
He knelt on the ground, comprehending the sequence of events, and witnessed firsthand as the old man took his final breath.
Until the very moment of his demise, he fixed his gaze upon Yamada with eyes filled with animosity, refusing to find peace even in death.
