Volume 8 Final Chapter Chapter 1059: Poisonous Pufferfish Banquet
Shinjuku Sanchome, Nagi No Kaikan.
As soon as Nan Yi's car stopped at the foot of a staircase on a high ground, the men in black kimonos standing on both sides bowed to the car. As the door opened, a woman in a small-patterned kimono walked in wooden clogs to one meter away from the back door.
As Nan Yi got out of the car, the woman bowed and greeted him, "Nan-sama, welcome to Nagi's Hall."
Nan Yi tugged at his sleeves and nodded to the woman. After receiving her response, the woman took small steps and walked towards the stairs with Nan Yi.
Climbing up the stairs, we came to an arched gatehouse. The closed wooden door opened just right, and two women in plain kimonos stood behind the door, each holding a lantern in their hands.
Nan Yi's gaze lingered on the variant "mountain" logo on the wooden door for a while, then he looked inside the door. Inside the door was a large garden-style courtyard. Opposite the gate was a rockery waterfall made of falling rocks and carp stones. Like a screen wall, it divided the stone road after entering the door into two cobblestone paths extending to the left and right.
The group entered the gate, and two maids led the way in front with faster steps, heading towards the path on the left.
Walking along the path, Nan Yi looked around at the surrounding environment. Not far from the roadside stood many stone lanterns of various shapes, and a little further away there were trees and rocks. This was a relatively small garden with a very ingenious design.
After walking around for about five minutes, a two-story wooden building in the style of the Edo period appeared in front of us. Warm lights shone through the window frames, shining on the cobblestones and reflecting the red glow of the sunset, which was in line with the principles of feng shui.
The maid leading the group led the group to the entrance of the wooden building, bowed deeply, and then walked away. At the same time, four maids in plain clothes with floral sleeves and buns on their heads came out of the wooden building.
The four maids were above average in appearance, and under the light, they looked quite seductive.
When the group entered the entrance, the four maids lined up, knelt in front of them, leaned forward in unison, bowed their heads and saluted, "Good evening, Master, welcome home."
The four maids had obviously undergone long-term training. Not only did they speak in unison, but their voices were also gentle and soft. There was also a hint of sincere expectation in their tone, which made people feel happy.
The four girls moved forward, one of them held Nan Yi's legs and placed them on his thighs, carefully untied his shoelaces, and took off Nan Yi's shoes. Nan Yi lowered his head and looked down, just in time to see the back of the maid's neck.
There is a saying that the sexiest part of a woman wearing kimono is the exposed slender, delicate and white neck. Nan Yi feels that this statement is not comprehensive enough. In fact, the so-called sexy part should be the soft and gentle posture.
After Nan Yi and Tian Xian changed their shoes, the four girls divided into two teams, and led the way along the corridor towards the depths of the wooden building. After turning two corners along the corridor, they stopped in front of a Ukiyo-e shoji door with a sea of clouds and a welcoming pine tree.
The maid leading the way came forward and opened the shoji door from both sides, then knelt down on both sides of the door. Nan Yi stepped inside and looked around. It was a traditional Japanese-style room of about 30 square meters. In the middle was a long six-person desk. In the main seat farthest from the door sat Takei Yasuo, who was wearing a dark kimono.
At this time, Takei Yasuo was sitting sideways facing the gate, leisurely playing with an exquisite white porcelain wine cup in his hand, and his eyes looked through the half-open window pane to appreciate the courtyard view where the outdoor lights were shining.
The woman who first greeted Nan Yi came up to Takei Yasuo and whispered something. Upon hearing that, Takei Yasuo turned to look at the door, then quickly stood up and walked around the desk to greet Nan Yi and the others. When they were three or four steps away, Takei Yasuo laughed heartily and said, "The cherry blossoms at Meguro River have been in full bloom for several seasons. It's been a long time since Nan Sang and I have been able to drink and chat happily."
"President Takei, long time no see, you still look full of energy." Nan Yi quickly stepped forward and shook hands with Takei Yasuo, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "This old guy Takei Yasuo is in great shape, you can't tell that he is already 65 years old, he still looks very agile, and the gleam in his eyes is still sharp."
After the greetings, Takei Yasuo gracefully made a gesture of invitation to Nan Yi and said with a smile: "Nan Sang, it's a rare occasion for us to get together. Today I specially prepared the best sake for you, as well as puffer fish sashimi cooked by a famous chef . Please take a seat."
Hearing that they were eating puffer fish sashimi, Nan Yi cursed inwardly: "None of the Japanese devils are good."
As Nan Yi sat down on the deputy seat chair, Takei Yasuo raised his hands and clapped twice. A team of maids received the signal, came in carrying lacquer food boxes, and placed the dishes on the table.
At the same time, the shoji door on the side of the room was pushed open, and five young women in yukata (don't get the wrong idea, they were still kimonos) walked in one after another. The one walking in front was a tall mixed-race girl with deep facial features.
The mixed-race beauty looked around the room, directed the two women behind her to sit in front of Nan Yi, and then took the other two women to gracefully walk to Takei Yasuo's side and kneel down. Just as she was about to take the wine jug on the desk, Takei Yasuo waved his hand, signaling the women to go to Nan Yi.
The mixed-race beauty was slightly stunned, bowed, stood up and walked to Nan Yi, knelt down, picked up the wine jug and filled Nan Yi's cup.
Seeing that Nan Yi's wine cup was full, Takei Baoxiong picked up the wine cup and said, "Nan Sang, please."
Nan Yi raised his cup in response, drank it all in one gulp and put the cup back on the table. The mixed-race beauty immediately refilled the cup with wine. Another maid approached Nan Yi, picked up a piece of eight-inch (a general term for appetizers, not the name of the dish) with chopsticks and placed it near Nan Yi's mouth. He could take a bite as long as he leaned forward slightly.
Nan Yi waved his hand, and the maid put down her chopsticks and stepped back; Nan Yi pointed to his left side, signaling the mixed-race beauty to change her seat, and she did as he said.
Nan Yi reached out and held the mixed-race beauty's arms, exerting a little force and pulling the woman into his arms, "What's your name?"
"Ito Maimi."
"Oh, Maimi-chan." Nan Yi nodded slightly, and then used his strength to push Ito Maimi out of his arms, then looked up at Takei Yasuo, "President Takei, how is your company's business recently?"
Upon hearing this, Takei Yasuo's face instantly lit up. "Thanks to Nan-sang's care, Takefuji is thriving. I am preparing to list Takefuji on the NASDAQ (GEM)."
The cooperative relationship between Baoguo Migu and Takefuji is still maintained. Although the business scale is not as large as before, it does not affect the good strategic partnership between the two parties.
Nan Yi raised his cup and said, "Congratulations. I believe that President Takei will soon surpass Tsutsumi Akira and become the new richest man in Japan."
Takei Yasuo smiled widely and laughed, "Nan-san, don't flatter me. We all know what's going on with Tsutsumi Akira, the richest man. Which powerful Japanese conglomerate would appear on the wealth list?"
"Haha, even though that's the case, it's still cause for celebration."
Nan Yi guessed that today's event was not just a simple dinner party. Perhaps they would also discuss the issue of Takefuji's shares, or perhaps even more than that.
Yasuo Takei laughed again and changed the topic temporarily, starting with sake, and then talking about food, not only Japanese food but also Western food and Chinese cuisine, and then talked about the design features of traditional Japanese gardens and several different schools.
After chatting for more than ten minutes about everything from food and drink to the scenery, Takei Yasuo then turned the topic to the maids nearby, and to Japan's traditional geisha and the sex industry.
The next topic shifted from the female hostesses around the few people to Japan's traditional geishas and the entertainment industry, the grand scene of Yoshiwara red-light district during the shogunate period, and several famous beauties in Japanese history. Inevitably, there were some cordial interactions with the maids.
Nan Yi mainly listened. There were some things in Takei Yasuo's words that he had not known before. At the same time, he was always waiting for Takei Yasuo to change the topic.
Perhaps it was because Takei Yasuo was in a particularly good mood today, and he went straight to several nodes that were very suitable for switching the topic. Just as the topic was going deeper and deeper into the word "woman", Takei Yasuo suddenly stopped the topic and said to Ito Maimi, "Maimi, go see if Master Ishihara is ready."
After Ito Maimi walked out of the Japanese-style room as she said, Takei Yasuo said to Nan Yi again: "Su Dongpo of your country once wrote in a poem: The ground is full of mugwort and the reed shoots are short, just when the pufferfish is about to come up. There is a famous haiku in the Edo period: Stealing someone else's wife is thrilling and delicious, just like eating pufferfish.
Our two countries have a common saying, "We'd risk our lives to eat puffer fish." It shows that people in both countries love this delicacy very much. Although it's not the best season to eat puffer fish, it's still plump. I specially invited the puffer fish chef from Chu Yu Shi Tai to prepare a full set of puffer fish dishes for us on the spot. Nan Sang, we'll enjoy it later."
As they were talking, Ito Maimi, who had just left, returned to the Japanese-style room, walked in front of Takei Yasuo and leaned over to whisper. Takei Yasuo smiled and said, "Yoshi, Maimi, please invite Master Ishihara and the others in quickly."
Ito Maimi walked out of the Japanese-style room again, and soon came in with two men in sushi uniforms. Behind them, there was a group of staff carrying charcoal stoves, red tables and other utensils.
The staff quietly and quickly set out their equipment, and a chef stood beside the red counter. This person should be Chef Ishihara.
Nan Yi is a foodie, but he doesn't have the courage to risk his life for a bite of delicious food. He has heard about the deliciousness and toxicity of puffer fish, but has never tried it, even though Jiang Shang Fisheries has a puffer fish farming project.
He had seen the scene of puffer fish being prepared, both in video and in real life, but that was in China. He had never seen how it was prepared in Japan. Seeing Takei Yasuo walking towards the red table, he also stood up and walked over.
When Takei Yasuo saw Nan Yi standing next to him, he explained, "In other puffer fish restaurants in Tokyo, the puffer fish meat prepared for customers is washed and soaked in water for several hours because they are worried that the chefs may not be able to remove the poison when slaughtering the puffer fish. The taste and freshness of the meat are not as good as those of freshly slaughtered puffer fish.
Chef Ishihara's family has opened a fish restaurant in Chiba that has been passed down for three generations. In the whole of Tokyo, only chefs of the Ishihara school have the skills to dare to take on the business of cooking puffer fish on the spot for customers. The puffer fish sashimi they cook on the spot can be truly called delicious. "
While Takei Yasuo was speaking, Master Ishihara and his assistant at the counter had completed their preparations. Master Ishihara held a sharp knife in one hand and reached into the bucket beside him with the other hand, wearing a plastic glove that went over his elbows, and pulled out a more than one-foot-long, black and white red-fin pufferfish, also known as tiger pufferfish.
Ishihara flicked his fingers under the belly of the fish, and the redfin pufferfish in his hand suddenly swelled up slowly, and soon turned into an oval ball that was black on top and white on the bottom. Its two eyes bulged out, and all the spines on its body stood up.
Ishihara held the rather funny oval ball in front of everyone for a while, and then, under everyone's gaze, he deftly flicked the sharp knife in his hand and cut off the head of the tiger pufferfish. Then, he inserted the tip of the knife into the black and white area between the fish's back and belly, and the suspended blade turned slowly and steadily, and soon, a complete pufferfish skin was peeled off.
Going further down, his movements suddenly became careful and gentle. He first carefully inserted the knife into the jawbone to cut the gills. Then he bent down, held his breath, and used his heart-transplant surgery with even greater concentration, slowly and carefully pulling out all the internal organs from the fish's belly.
Ishihara's caution affected the onlookers around him. Everyone held their breath and dared not make any noise. You could hear a pin drop in the room. After he made a perfect ending, the sound of deep breathing was heard again.
Nan Yi was quieter than the others, his eyes following the tip of Ishihara's knife. Takei Yasuo had brought a lot of benefits to the Nan family, so he had to give him face. Moreover, when facing a little Japanese soldier, he was not just himself, so he had to eat two slices today no matter what.
As far as he knows, pufferfish toxin is mainly found in the internal organs, gonads, blood, eyes, gills, skin and other parts. He has to watch every process involving these carefully, especially the step of pulling out the internal organs. If he is not careful, the thin film on the surface of the internal organs will be damaged, and the toxicity will easily contaminate the entire fish body.
After completing the most critical process, Master Ishihara seemed to be a lot more relaxed. He handed the cut fish fins and skin to his assistant, then changed to a sashimi knife and began to slice the sashimi skillfully.
The highlight was over, and there was nothing left to watch. Takei Yasuo and Nan Yi returned to their original positions. After a while, the eight-inch Xiangfu was brought to the table one by one, along with a glass of fish fin wine - the charred fish fin was placed in a wine vessel, poured with scorching hot sake, and the alcohol volatilized on the surface of the wine glass was quickly ignited when it was served. Under the blue flame, the taste of the fish fin slowly spread in the wine, mixed with the aroma of the sake itself.
Nan Yi hugged Ito Wumei in his arms and chuckled, "Mr. Yu Dafu spoke highly of a dish of Xishi tongue in Shunxinglou, but he was deceived. What he ate was not the real Xishi tongue, but another kind of clam meat.
I have tasted Xishi tongue before, it is indeed delicious. Today I am lucky enough to meet Wu Mei, I would like to ask Wu Mei to turn the fish fin wine into Wu Mei tongue wine. "
As he spoke, Nan Yi picked up the wine glass and brought it to Ito Maimi's lips.
Ito Maimi understood, and lightly opened her lips and teeth to hold the rim of the cup. She tilted her head back and drank half a cup of wine. Then her lips and teeth left the rim of the cup. Nan Yi caught the cup in his hand and kissed her cheek.
"Hahaha, Nan-san."
Takei Yasuo laughed loudly, and without saying anything, he handed the cup in his hand to the maid beside him.
Nan Yi put the cup back on the desk, leaned close to Ito Wumei's ear and said, "Wumi-chan, I sincerely invite you to greet the first rays of sunrise tomorrow at the foot of Mount Fuji."
Ito Maimi was slightly startled when she heard this, then shook her head, "I'm sorry, Nagi Hall won't allow this."
"Oh?" Nan Yi pretended to be surprised, "What if I invite you to greet the sunset tomorrow?"
"Feel sorry……"
Before Ito Maimi finished her words, the second dish of puffer fish skin was served. The bones on the fish skin had been removed, making it extremely smooth. Black sesame seeds and shredded ginger were sprinkled on the chewy and thin threads, which looked very delicious.
Nan Yi picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and brought it to Ito Wumei's mouth, "Delicious food should be tasted by beautiful women first, Wumei-chan, come here."
Ito Maimi had no choice but to open her lips and teeth, bite the fish skin, put it in her mouth, and chew it gently.
Watching Ito Maimi swallow the fish skin, Nan Yi turned his head back, fiddled with the chopsticks in the hot pot, picked up a piece of tofu, paused, put it down, stretched the chopsticks to the eight-inch pot, picked up a piece of sushi and put it into his mouth.
After the main dishes were served, the third course of the puffer fish banquet, which was also the main course, puffer fish sashimi, was served. A bamboo boat covered with ice was placed in the middle of the table. The surface of the ice was covered with a layer of sashimi as thin as a cicada's wing and crystal clear, arranged in the shape of a peony flower.
Nan Yi stuck out his lips towards Ito Maimi, who immediately picked up a piece of sashimi, dipped it in orange vinegar and mashed radish respectively, then dipped it in some chopped wasabi, flicked it from the green onion dish, and held it with the bottom of a white porcelain plate before bringing it to his mouth.
As before, Nan Yi pushed Ito Maimi's wrist and gave the first chopstick to her. The fine tradition of giving ladies first had long been engraved in his bones.
After the sashimi, another dish was served: puffer fish milt. This dish had an elegant name in ancient times: Xishi Ru. It is said that most puffer fish milt is non-toxic and has a delicate, fresh and mellow taste. However, Nan Yi was still humble and waited for Ito Wumei to take a bite before he took some fish skin for himself.
Nan Yi's actions were naturally seen by Takei Yasuo who was sitting next to him. He did not feel contempt for him. As a superior, how could he act rashly? He should be cautious. However, when that person came, Nan Sang might not be able to remain calm.
As Ishihara brought a plate of liver to Takei Yasuo and whispered something, Takei Yasuo showed joy on his face. He patted Ishihara on the shoulder twice to express his appreciation, and then said to Nan Yi: "Nan Sang, we are in luck. Chef Ishihara has prepared the finale of the night for us."
He pointed at the plate in Ishihara's hand and continued, "The liver of pufferfish is the most delicious, but also the most dangerous and irritating food in the world. Nansang, the toxins of pufferfish are distributed in the internal organs, and the liver is where the toxins are most concentrated. However, few people know that if there is a way to remove the toxins contained in the liver, the liver will become the most delicious part of the pufferfish."
Takei Baoxiong glanced at Nan Yi meaningfully, "Nan Sang, before you taste the delicious food, let me introduce you to a friend."
"Here comes the action!"
From the moment he got off the car, Nan Yi had already sensed that Nagi Hall was unusual. When he saw the variant "mountain" pattern on the door at the gate pavilion, he already knew that this was the property of the Yamaguchi-gumi. When Takei Yasuo mentioned the listing of Takefuji, he guessed that the other party wanted to recruit shareholders for Takefuji, both to make up the number of shareholders required for the listing and to take the opportunity to win over allies.
Takefuji mainly deals in small loans to individuals, which can also be understood as usury. When they encounter someone who borrows money and does not repay it, they will first use friendly collection methods. If they still do not repay, they will use violent collection methods. The people responsible for Takefuji's violent collection work belong to the Yamaguchi-gumi.
Nan Yi guessed that the "friends" that Takei Yasuo mentioned were most likely high-ranking figures in the Yamaguchi-gumi.
