un.Iftheoyabunfell,hewouldfalltoobyproxy.HisfatewasirretrievablytiedtothatofNobuTakahashi.Hirayamakhegangstructurebetterthaakahashihimself.HewasfamiliarwiththedynamicsofeveryaspectofthisblackcloudthatreachedintoeveryaspectofJapanesesociety.Whobetterthaobesedinand?HesuspectedthatafterYamamoto’streacheryTakahashiwouldmovetopromotesomeorustworthy,moretrollable.AndwhowasmoretrustworthyormoretrollablethanHirayamahimself?Atleastthatiswhathewantedhisbosstobelieve.Yet,beingsoclosehaditsdisadvaakahashicoulddecidethatHirayamakoomudthatifhewasmadesed-in-anditwouldbetoodangerous.Also,therewereothersintheranksclamforYamamoto’sposition.

    ThatwastheveryreasontheywereheretodayiheYamaguchi-gumi’smanyercialbuildingsinShinjuku.TheheadshadrequestedanimpromptumeetingtobeupdatedontheYamamotofiasererusetosoundouttheoyabunonwhomhewouldhandpicktofillthevacuumcreatedbythetraitor’sdeath.Theywouldbereadingtheoyabun’seyescarefullytodiswhohispreferencewasandTakahashihimselfwouldbereadingtheirmindstoseewhowahejobmostandwhattheirmotivationswere.AndHirayamawouldsittheredetached,watgthewholesilentgameofdmousefromapositionofabsoluteobjectivity.Hekheoyabunwouldaskhimprivatelywhohethoughtwahejob.Hisresponsewouldhavetobewellthoughtout,strategic.Itwouldbeawaytoisolatehisehintheranksandtheyweremany.

    Takahashifinishedhisphoneversationastheyehemarblelobbyofthebuildingandmovedtowardsthebankofelevators.Eventhoughhewaswearingdarkglasses,everyohelnizedNobuTakahashiforwhohewasandgavetheirdeepestbowastheblack-