"Dom Pérignon, Dom Pérignon, Dom Pérignon, Dom Pérignon!"
Japan, Tokyo, Kabukicho. In some shady nightclub, a whole crowd of hostesses—some curvy, some slim—are packed into a private booth, swarming around a burly, dark-faced uncle as if he’s the center of gravity. Right in front of him, a champagne tower eight layers high is taking shape at lightning speed. The industry’s in a slump, customers are dropping like flies, so when a big spender like this shows up, every girl’s eyes light up like hungry wolves.
The special Dom Pérignon, reserved for fleecing rich customers, comes out in a whole row. The eight-tier champagne tower rises up, hearts pounding. The hostesses, all smiles and professional charm, pop eight bottles of Dom Pérignon one after another—Bong Bong Bong!—then, goddess-like, pour from the very top. Whoosh! It’s like someone added special effects: the glowing, sparkling liquid cascades down, each fizzing bubble reflecting a dream that could bankrupt the middle class.
The amber champagne flows like rocket fuel, making the beautiful hostesses’ curves and deep cleavage shimmer in the spring breeze. The eight-tier tower stands tall, ready to launch, fueled by Dom Pérignon.
"Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!"
Phew... Covered in bulging muscles, sporting flashy rings, and perfectly trimmed tough-guy white stubble, the cold, hard man in black shades takes a drag from his fat cigar and slowly exhales, oozing cool. He lounges deep in the plush sofa, arms around two ladies, gazing up at the giant chandelier overhead, lost in thought.
Drinking is drinking, but the mood is totally different.
How does it feel to drink straight from the bottle with classy, soulful Old Yang? And what’s it like drinking with this bunch of tacky call girls?
Glancing left: hips, hips, hips, hips...
Peeking right: boobs, boobs, boobs, boobs...
Checking the middle: 36D, 36D, 36D, 36D...
Pfft, vulgar!
Pfft, tacky!
Pfft, gaudy!
Me, a true tough guy—facing all this, facing this army of 36D shadow clones, what’s there to fear? Even surrounded by these seductive sirens, what’s there to fear!
An old warhorse still dreams of a thousand-mile run.
A hero’s heart burns strong, even in his twilight years.
Lian Po may be old, but can he still eat his fill?
Hot blood still flows, the blade’s still sharp!
The fighting spirit in my heart stands tall—uh, wait, let’s rephrase—okay, can’t think of anything better, so let’s go with this: the fighting spirit in my heart stands tall! Drinking is drinking, but this mood? Off the charts!
Slowly, deeply, Charlie grinds out a phrase in newly learned Japanese, his voice as tough as steel: "Young girls, man, they’re just the best."
"Waaah~~~ Oniichan, you’re such a perv~~~"
"Oniichan, you’re so bad, so bad! But that kind of bad is just irresistible~~~"
"Cheers! Cheers! Cheers! Cheers!" The girls start clapping and egging him on. Charlie keenly senses that beneath all this sweet talk, there’s danger lurking. The 36D army looks like a mindless stampede, but they’re actually organized: leaders, forwards, defenders, attackers, sneak attackers, damage dealers, healers—basically a modern, multi-layered battle squad.
Holy light, this evil is worth fighting!
"Alright, bottoms up!!"
Duang, Duang, Duang, Duang, Duang...
"Waaahhhh! Oniichan, you’re so cool!"
"More! More! More! More!"
Duang, Duang, Duang, Duang, Duang...
"Ooooh~~~ Oniichan, you’re so cool~~~ I’m totally obsessed~~"
"Dom Pérignon! Dom Pérignon! Dom Pérignon! Dom Pérignon!"
"Another case."
"Waaahhhh~~~"
While our iron-blooded tough guy battles the 36D shadow clone army, let’s take a moment to ask: why is Charlie here anyway? Did he go wild starting from Tobita Shinchi, sharpening his blade on flower girls and reclaiming his manhood?
Of course not~~~~ Well, at least, not entirely.
The Great Depression hit hard everywhere—not just leaving old gambler Fujian broke for mahjong, but even the big spenders started avoiding the nightlife. With people’s spirits collapsing, the entertainment industry saw one last weird boom before crashing into total emptiness.
All this talk about the nightlife industry, there’s only one reason.
The guy Charlie and Yang Jin are after—Stephen Evenson—used to be a deputy researcher at Tiberius Laboratory. Before the Heart of Tiberius was sealed, he left for unknown reasons, dropped off the map, and went into hiding.
But gold shines wherever it goes. This former science whiz wandered and hit rock bottom, his spirit dead and sick as a dog, until one day in Akihabara, at a maid café, he found his ambition again. No clue what magic that café worked, but after his comeback, he started down a weird and subtle new path.
He changed his name, got plastic surgery, switched identities over and over, weaving through the neon nights of Japan. After endless twists and turns, this scientist formerly known as Stephen became the dark emperor of Japan’s nightlife!
Getting this far was already the limit of Bobby Brooks’s abilities. As for what Stephen goes by now, where he is, or what businesses he owns—total mystery. Looks like he learned something from his past, and now he’s super cautious. So, to find this nightlife overlord, there’s only one way: you gotta go deep into enemy territory!
This chapter’s not done yet~.~ Click next page for more juicy action!
How deep?
That’s not a problem.
How do we get in?
That’s not a problem either.
The real question is: how do you pair up two middle-aged uncles like Yang Jin and Charlie? Who goes in the open, who stays hidden, who acts, and who ‘goes deep’?
Charlie volunteers: "I’m fit, I’ve got tough muscles, loads of infiltration experience, top-tier spy instincts, and revolutionary willpower. If a fight breaks out, I can take down the enemy before they even sound the alarm. Plus, I’m not much of a talker, so I should work in the shadows."
Yang Jin sums it up: "You’re single. I’ve got a wife. Plus, I’ve got a daughter."