Chapter 595 - Change the appellation (1/2)

There was a square clay platform in the sumo gym with no guard ropes enclosing it. It was the traditional sumo wrestling ring known as a “dohyo,” and it was about a half-meter high with steep, sloping sides. The ring comprised a circle a little over three meters in diameter, marked by thick straw ropes half-embedded into the flat clay surface. Two large men, wearing nothing except loincloths, were fighting inside the circle. Their bodies were enormous and pear-shaped, and they easily weighed over 250 kilograms. As they grappled and pounded into each other, their ample flesh quivered wildly.

Strong as an ox!

Xiao Luo couldn’t come up with a better term to describe them.

All around the dohyo, the crowd was shouting and cheering excitedly, and most of the audience were young people of both sexes. On the far side, there was an extra large-sized sandbag hanging from the ceiling. A Ri nation man, standing a full six feet in height and wearing boxing shorts, was working out on the sandbag. He was a powerful man, and he threw powerful punches with both hands, accompanied by fierce grunts. He must have been working the bag for a long time, for his lean, muscular body was soaking in sweat. His entire back and arms were emblazoned with green tattoos depicting dragon motifs, which made him look intimidating.

When Miyazaki Ronjin and Xiao Luo arrived, someone immediately reported it. They saw a man whispering a few words in the ear of this Ri nation man who was at the sandbag.

The man stopped and turned around to welcome Miyazaki Ronjin with a smile. “Miyazaki-san, what brings you here? Please take a seat!”

There was a mat on the floor next to him, and in the center of the mat, there was a sandalwood table. A traditional tea set sat on the table and a rich scent of its wood wafted in the air. The large man’s subordinates hurriedly brought a black kimono for him to put on.

Miyazaki Ronjin did not stand on ceremony. He took off his shoes, stepped onto the mat, and kneeled in their customary fashion.

Xiao Luo followed the custom and kneeled in a similar style. He straightened his back and relaxed his shoulders.

“I need you to help me find a car,” Miyazaki Ronjin said, going straight to the point.

“Find a car?”

The man was a little taken aback by the request and chuckled. “Aren’t these the kind of cases that you guys are good at? Why are you asking us for help instead?”

As he spoke, he poured tea for Miyazaki Ronjin and the others around the table.

“Not always. There’re times the police might not be as effective as the Yakuza,” Miyazaki Ronjin said.

“Yakuza?”

The man put on a mock frown and pretended to be astonished. “Please don’t joke about such things, Miyazaki-san. How can we be the Yakuza? If we were, you would have thrown us all into jail.”

“Hmph.”

Miyazaki Ronjin did not respond to him. Instead, he got up with a light snort, walked over to the sandbag, and tugged at the lacing with a sudden jerk.

What they saw shocked them, for there was a man inside the sandbag. They bound his hands tight and strung him up from the ceiling. The sandbag was merely used to cover him while the large man used him as a punching bag to practice boxing. He was in terrible shape, covered in blood, and muffled with a paper ball in his mouth. His breathing was shallow, and it seemed like he could die at any moment.

The two sumo wrestlers suddenly stopped fighting, and immediately the shouting crowd around them quietened down. They gawked at the tortured victim in horror, and the whole sumo gym instantly fell into silence.

Miyazaki Ronjin looked at the large man, and his expression changed slightly. “Suzuki Ikuo, are you still trying to deny what your Inagawa-kai truly is?”

Suzuki Ikuo smiled and raised his teacup to his lips. “Just ignore what you’ve just seen, Miyazaki-san. Come on, let’s have some tea and talk about the car,” he said.

“Cut him down and send him to the hospital for treatment immediately. If he dies, all of you will rot in jail,” Miyazaki Ronjin scowled at a member of the Inagawa-kai next to him.

“Just follow Miyazaki-san’s words. Bring him down and send him to the hospital. Give him the best treatment and get the best doctors to treat him, quickly!” Suzuki Ikuo bellowed.

“Got it.”

The member of the Inagawa-kai acknowledged the order. He gestured with his hand to two of his comrades to carry out the task. They immediately brought the badly beaten-up victim down and carried him away for treatment.