# 644
Chapter 645: Fireworks
At that moment.
In front of the Black Wutong Club.
Several cars pulled up in front of the deserted storefront. Mr. Jing led eight or nine members of the Kanges household out of the vehicles and looked up at the club shrouded in darkness, his brow furrowed slightly.
"Mr. Jing, this is the place." A member of the Kanges household spoke beside him. "It is said that two young people and a little girl arrived here a couple of days ago. They were all strangers. The two young people recently became hosts at a host club, and they're quite popular. The little girl is around twelve or thirteen and works here as a server."
"Two young people, one little girl..." Mr. Jing pondered. "If one of them is Yuzuri Kurotetsu's daughter and the other is Asaba Qiya... then who is the third person?"
"We aren't sure about that, but we've searched the entire Dotonbori area, and this place is the only one that seems suspicious."
"What's the background of this shop's owner?"
"We don't know..."
"You don't know?"
"Yes, that's also one of the reasons this place seems suspicious." He said helplessly. "We've searched through all the records and can't find any information about this manager. Besides his stage name, Jingjie, there's nothing. Even the original owner who rented out this space has disappeared. No one knows how he appeared..."
"What about the renovation team? They must have hired one to set up such a large shop, right? And the purchase records for the furniture and supplies inside—did none of that leave a name?"
"Nothing... We couldn't find any renovation records for this place, nor any purchase records. It's as if..."
The yakuza member paused. "It's as if this place appeared overnight like a haunted house. They say the night before this shop appeared, this was still a bare concrete space. By the next morning, the club was already built."
Mr. Jing's brow furrowed tightly. "This is so bizarre... How long has this shop been in business?"
"Half a year."
Mr. Jing examined this ordinary-looking storefront carefully, lost in thought.
"Mr. Jing, the young master told us to find those two people, but they're not here right now. What should we do?" the Kanges member asked. "Come back tomorrow?"
"No, that would be too late tomorrow." Mr. Jing shook his head, recalling the instructions Kanges Tsukasa had given him earlier, a ruthless glint flickering in his eyes. "Smash the doors and windows. We'll search inside. If they really are hiding here, they'll have left some traces."
"What if we don't find anything?"
"Then we'll have someone keep watch nearby. The moment they return, notify me immediately. We'll come over and interrogate the manager. Once we do, we'll know everything."
"Yes!"
---
Brilliant fireworks bloomed under the night sky, like a dazzling curtain of light, illuminating the faces of everyone gazing up at them.
This year's fireworks festival could be said to be Osaka's most grand event of the year. Both the scale and the quality of the fireworks themselves were unprecedented. Even standing at the edge of the city, one could clearly see this breathtaking sky.
Lin Qiye and Amemiya Haruki stood by the river in casual yukata, holding red umbrellas, admiring the fireworks festival. Everyone around them was watching the fireworks, intoxicated by their beauty.
"These fireworks are actually quite beautiful," Lin Qiye couldn't help but say.
"Mm." Amemiya Haruki nodded slightly. "Even though this country has rotted away, its culture still holds unique charm. But... all of this is merely a beautiful exterior. When that exterior is torn away, revealing the core of divine authority, everything will change..."
"Have you seen what it looks like when that exterior is torn away?"
"I have." Amemiya Haruki fell silent for a moment. "It was ugly, nauseating, and... infuriating."
The two of them stood under the umbrellas, watching the fireworks in silence. Unlike the smiling, flower-like spectators around them, their eyes held no joy—only deep pity and sorrow...
---
"These fireworks are so huge!"
Yuzuri Nana clutched a skewer of grilled meat in her hand, standing in the crowded人流, straining to look up at the fireworks festival. Even so, her small face was full of shock.
Uncle Jingjie smiled faintly and lifted her up onto his back. "Right? Magnificent, isn't it?"
Yuzuri Nana suddenly found herself on Uncle Jingjie's back. She seemed a bit embarrassed at first, but was quickly stunned by the spectacular scene of fireworks overhead, her mouth falling open.
"Little Yuzuri." Uncle Jingjie suddenly spoke.
"Hm?"
"Are you having fun today?"
"I'm happy." Yuzuri Nana looked up at the fireworks and smiled. "Ever since I came here with Qiya-gege, I've been happy every day."
"Why is that?"
Yuzuri Nana thought about it. "Because the atmosphere at the club is great. Uncle and Xiao Jin-gege both take good care of me, and there's also Qiya-gege. I actually really like the host club industry, so being able to work here is本身就是一件令人高兴的事情本身本身就是一件令人高兴的事情."
"You really like being a host?"
"Yeah, because my mom liked it a lot, so I gradually grew to like it too."
Uncle Jingjie fell silent for a moment. "But working here every day, isn't it exhausting?"
"Although it really is quite tiring, I feel fulfilled and at ease. Compared to that time hiding in containers from gangsters, this place is简直就是天堂!" Yuzuri Nana happily spread open her arms, as if wanting to embrace that brilliant sky filled with fireworks.
Uncle Jingjie looked at that稚嫩的面孔, standing motionless like a statue. After a long while, he smiled and asked:
"Do you want to stay here forever?"
"I'd like to." Yuzuri Nana paused. "But I can't. Crane Grandma is still waiting for me in Yokohama. I can't stay here too long, otherwise she'll be lonely by herself."
"Maybe you could bring her over here?"
Yuzuri Nana was stunned. She thought about it carefully, and her eyes immediately lit up!
"That would be the best! But... Uncle Jingjie, would you agree?"
"Mm, I agree."
When Yuzuri Nana heard this, her excited smiling face burst into blossoms. She turned and planted a firm kiss on Uncle Jingjie's bearded cheek.
"Thank you, Uncle Jingjie! Uncle Jingjie is the best!!" She laughed with squinting eyes.
Uncle Jingjie was left stunned.
After an unknown amount of time, he came back to his senses. An uncontrollable smile spread across his face.
The fireworks festival welcomed its final eruption. Countless fireworks shot up into the heavens, blooming in the darkness with their own light, dispelling the gloom and darkness, bringing their brief yet magnificent flames to the mortal world.
The fireworks withered.
The sky fell back into darkness and deathly silence.
Uncle Jingjie carried Yuzuri Nana on his back, standing motionless in the crowd pushing to leave.
"Uncle Jingjie, the fireworks are over. We should head back," Yuzuri Nana reminded him.
"Mm." Uncle Jingjie glanced at the dark sky. "...Time to go back."