"Hikoichi, get my two copies of this," Mitsui ordered, handing the young man a piece or order form.

"Hai," Hikoichi replied, getting up to do the task.

"Ayako," said Mitsui, tapping his pen on his secretary's desk to catch her attention, "Book me a table at the usual restaurant tonight for me and two clients."

"Hai," Ayako nodded, hanging up on her previous call to place a reservation for her boss.

"Where's Mimi?" asked Mitsui, glancing at the woman's empty desk.

"I'm here," sighed the woman walking to her cubicle with a mug of coffee in her hand. Ever since that public reprimand from Mitsui, she have started to make a point to be on time for work, knowing that the scarred-face man would be keeping an eye on her.

Mitsui turned away to look at another of his worker that he wanted to reform, "Mari, what are you doing here? The Shenzhen deal should be taken care of today."

"A-Ano..." Mari faltered.

Mitsui frowned in displeasure before he turned his attention to another member of his team who he knew would be doing Mari's work. However, to his surprise, all he saw was an empty desk.

"Where's Koshino?" asked Mitsui.

"He went to Shenzhen this morning," Ayako told him, putting down the phone.

Mitsui cursed. Walking away quickly to his office he ordered to Ayako, "Cancel all my meetings for this morning! What the hell's wrong with him?!"


~~~~

"May I have you attention please. Because of the recent swindle and extortion activities, please do not accept rides from strangers..."

The announcement from the speakers echoed through the airport - an attempt for the benefit of the novice travellers to listen to the warnings and dangers of travelling alone. Koshino, like others who were too preoccupied to listen to the words of caution, was busy looking out for the bus that would bring him to the head-office of Mitsui's client.

Before Koshino was able to go in search for the bus port, a man wearing a white shirt and blue jacket approached Koshino to offer him a ride in his taxi. The young man was about to refuse but because of the forceful and know-it-all attitude the man was exerting, Koshino could only allow himself to be steered to where the taxis were parked.

"I have an adress," Koshino told the driver as the man walked beside him to his red taxi, "My friend said that I can get there by bus."

The man peered at the card the young man was holding and snorted, "That place? The bus only makes two runs a day. You ought to have come earlier of you won't get there till dark."

Koshino frowned in worry, "Then how much is your ride?"

"Don't worry about it," said the taxi driver easily, "you just give me whatever you like."

Opening the door for Koshino, the driver then asked, "Want something to eat first?"

"Iie.. I mean, bu ke qi, I'm not hungry," Koshino replied, hesitating on the chinese language. The driver shrugged as he closed the door and climbed into the car himself. A few seconds later they were driving away out of the airport premises.


~~~~

A portly man wearing spectacles with white snowy hair and moustache looked at the young man sitting across from him, his face devoid of any expression.

Mitsui was able to maintain his cool professional facade but inside anxiety was gnawing at him at having to deal with the highest boss from the Shenzhen deal. If it was under normal cirumstances, he would be able to breeze through this meeting by being his usual charming self but since he was here to plead incompetence on behalf of his employees, his charm was brought out full force that he felt that he was literally kissing the man's ass.

"Gomen nasai, Anzai-san," said, "I know you are a generous man..."

The white-haired man's expression did not change.

Mitsui began to sweat. "Here, this is good stuff - Davidoff," he said holding up a box of branded cigars, "I think you'll like it..."

Nope. Still no change. Mitsui was beginning to doubt if the man ever moved at all.

"To be honest, Anzai-san, it's okay if we don't make a deal. I'd hate to lose a friend like you. In China, there aren't many Japanese bosses as practical as you who are always looking out for new companies like us. I'd be unfortunate to lose a friend who's so knowledgable as you..."

"...."

The young man restrained himself from tugging at his collar that felt as if it has gone way too tight as he continued, "You have good taste, Anzai-san. No one appreciates this Chilean wine in Japan," he commented, pointing to the row of wines beside the man's bookcase, "They usually buy these expensive stuff which taste..."

"You really know how to talk, Mitsui-san."

Mitsui stared at the white-haired manager of the Shenzhen office in surprise.

It was a while before the young man could make himself speak, "H-Hai. I guess I am."

Anzai laughed genially before he stood up and walked around his table to stand beside Mitsui, "I'm impressed. Your boss is lucky to have someone like you, Mitsui-san."

Mitsui laughed as Anzai patted him on the back, "No, we're just trying to make ends meet."

"Yoshi," the white-haired man smiled, "I'll let you go this time. You can go talk to the sales department if you wish."

The scarred-face man gave a relieved smile, "Doumo arigato, Anzai-san. It's bosses like you that let us see the profit."

"Ho! Ho! Ho!" laughed the other man, "Don't mention it."

Mitsui stood up to shake the man's hand and laughed as well, feeling glad that he managed to save a deal worth his boss's approval.

"By the way," Mitsui suddenly said, "my colleague came for you this morning. Did you see him?"

Mr. Anzai scratched his chin in thought, "Hm, no. Nobody was here."

Mitsui blinked in puzzlement, "No?"

"Did you ask his family?" Mitsui asked speaking into the mini receiver on the wire attached to the earpiece for his mobile-phone.

"Did you try his mobile phone?" Mitsui tried.

After a while the young man made an exasperated sound, "Try again!...What voice mail?! Have you got anything better to do? Keep trying until he answers!"

An hour later Mitsui found himself running from one business district to another where he and his chinese companion, a young woman whom Mr. Anzai thought could help him around Shenzhen, guessed where Koshino might be. He has just arrived from crossing the bridge towards the client's company car when his female companion waved at him from inside the vehicle.

"Mitsui xiang-sheng! Come on!"

"What is it?" puffed Mitsui, jogging towards her.

"Anzai xiang-cheng found Koshino xiang-cheng in front of the factory," the chinese woman told him, waving her mobile phone to indicate how she was contacted.

"That man," Mitsui grumbled under his breath as he jumped inside the car, "Let's go."

They made it to the Shenzhen factory safely, again managing to escape the hustle-bustle of traffic. When they arrived at the front gate, Mitsui got out to greet the Shenzhen factory manager and Mr.Anzai who were standing waiting for him with a police officer beside them.

"Doumo arigato, Anzai-san," thanked Mitsui grabbing the man's hand for a shake.

"Thank Taoka-san here. He was the one who found her," Mr. Anzai told him.

"Ah, Taoka-san. Thank you very much," thanked Mitsui profusely, shaking the serious man's hand, "I appreciate it very much."

"That is alright," Mr. Taoka replied grumpily in contradiction.

"Let's go and have dinner, Taoka-san," offered Mr. Anzai to his colleague.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm busy tonight..."

Mitsui left the two when he saw Koshino standing beside a white luxury van and went immedietly towards him.

"Why was your phone switched off?" demanded Mitsui as soon as he reached Koshino.

"My phone doesn't have global roaming," Koshino answered quietly.

"Where did you go to?! A Shenzhen one-day tour?!" Mitsui said to him angrily.

"No!" Koshino shot back indignantly, "I was duped by the taxi-driver! He drove me around the city, except to where I wanted to go. I was freakin' scared! If it wasn't for the police I would've been robbed and murdered!"

"Don't you know better?" scolded the scarred-face man, "How can you fall for that?!"

"I...I..." the young man faltered before he pouted sullenly, "I didn't ask for it..."

Mitsui was about to go for another round of brow-beating when Mr. Anzai walked up to the two and asked Koshino, "Your first time here, Koshino-san?"

"Um...h-hai..." Koshino answered hesitantly.

"Come here often and you'll get used to it," advised the white-haired man.

"Doumo..." Koshino thanked him.

When Mr. Taoka needed to climb into his luxury van to drive home, Koshino had to make way and stand aside led by Mitsui who pulled the young man away to continue lecturing him.
"You said you understood me. I thought I told you not to come here," Mitsui said lowly.

"Mari was pregnant. I had to help her..." began Koshino.

As Mr. Taoka's van drove away, Mr. Anzai joined the two men from the Japan company again and said, "Go and have a rest first. We'll have dinner tonight. You can try the chinese dishes they have here in Shenzhen."

"Thank you, Anzai-san. That would be great," Mitsui smiled, letting Koshino off the hook for now. The other young man silently thanked the anyone from above for the temporary escape as he rubbed his arm where Mitsui gripped him tightly a few seconds ago. He thought he couldn't be in a worse spot than this.


~~~~

Koshino's eyes bulged when they reached the market where their 'dinner' were kept. They were all manners of animals to be found: deer, snakes, tortoise, possums - even cats. And they were all to be killed, cooked and laid out on the table for diners to eat.

Mitsui was happily joking and pointing with Mr. Anzai at the healthy animals for their feast while Koshino tried to keep himself from balking as he imagined the poor animals slaughtered and cooked to feed their stomach. If he was hungry before, Koshino did not feel all that hungry now.

A few minutes later of picking out their choices of meat, Mr. Anzai, Koshino and Mitsui went to their tables in the restaurant and waited for their food to be served. It was not long before the waiters brought out their orders of chinese cooking for the trio.

"Ah, the food's here," commented Mr. Anzai.

As the waiters were still coming bringing in the numerous dishes for them, Mitsui stood up to help pour the wine for his client, "Have some Anzai-san."

"Doumo arigato, Mitsui-san," thanked Mr. Anzai before he turned to Koshino, pointing at a particular dish set in front of the young man, "Koshino-san, this is called 'Surf and Turf'. It's made from cat's meat."
Picking up a piece of the cat's meat the white-haired man placed it into Koshino's empty bowl much to the dismay of the young man.
"Try it. It's one of China's delicacies."

"H-Hai..." Koshino said weakly, picking up his chopsticks slowly. He was about to touch the meat when another pair of chopsticks beat him to it.

"Here, let me," Mitsui offered, knowing the other's weak stomach, with which Koshino gave him a thankful look.

"Ho! Ho! Ho! You can help him out, Mitsui-san, but don't forget to finish your own," Mr. Anzai reminded the scarred-face man.
"Here, have some wine, Koshino-san."

"Doumo, Anzai-san," said Koshino holding out his small cup so that the older man could pour some of the beverage for him.

"Here, have some chowder," Mr. Anzai offered, "It's good. It's the 'Wild Life Combo' chowder."

"Uh...hai..."

"Let me have it," Mitsui instantly reached out to pick up the bowl of unidentifiable soup.

"Again?" chuckled Mr. Anzai before he handed Mitsui a small bowl of another dish, "Then try this snake gall bladder."

"Doumo," said Mitsui before he ate the stew in one go, taking it down with a gulp of wine.

Koshino marvelled at how Mitsui was able to keep it all down when Mr. Anzai turned to him again to offer him another delicacy, "Koshino-san, try the turtle claw."

"...Uh..."

Quickly, Mitsui saved him again by picking up the claw from his dish.

"Again, Mitsui-san?" laughed Mr. Anzai, "Here... if you eat a turtle claw, then you must eat the head too... the Chinese say that this is what young men need."

Mitsui guffawed before he took up on the turtle head. The other young man at the table was too preoccupied in staring at the dish made out of bat's meat sitting beside him. Koshino desperately hoped Mr. Anzai wouldn't offer him that one. He realised that Mitsui would continue to help him out if need be but it wouldn't be fair for the young team-leader since Mitsui seemed not to be able to take anymore by the colour of his face.

The next dish, however, was the only thing Koshino was capable of eating.
"Have some desert, Koshino-san," said Mr. Anzai, "Sweet mashed beans."

"Hai," thanked Koshino happily but as his spoon was poised to scoop up the porridge, a hand took it from under his nose.

"Let me..."

"Demo..."

Mitsui drank the porridge in one go before Koshino could stop him.

"Ho! Ho! Ho!" Mr. Anzai laughed, pleased at Mitsui's big appetite, "Impressive, Mitsui-san."

Koshino sighed and sat back as he waited for dinner to end.

Later in the night, Mitsui and Koshino walked Mr. Anzai out of the restaurant to the man's car. Thanking the two young men for accompanying him for dinner, the white-haired man then drove off leaving Koshino and Mitsui to wait for a taxi.

When the car disappeared from view, Mitsui suddenly broke at a run to a nearby alley. Surprised, Koshino followed suit only to catch up and see the scarred-face man throw up his dinner.

Grimacing, Koshino walked up to the other man to ask, "Are you alright?"

"N-Nothing serious..." gasped Mitsui, still bending over his vomit.

"You ate and drank too much. You should watch yourself, y'know," sighed Koshino taking out the restaurant's paper napkin that he had no chance of using, from his pocket before handing it over to Mitsui.

Mitsui accepted the napkin thankfully and said wryly, "If both of us wouldn't eat with him, then who would?"
Wiping his mouth clean, he continued, "Who's going to give us business if we can't get along with them?"

Koshino buried his hands in his pocket, finding nothing to comment on that.

"If you don't meet your monthly quota, who's going to think about you?" Mitsui asked weakly, "What counts is the money. Nothing else matters... nothing... nothing..."

Koshino's burrow furrowed with worry as he bent down to look at Mitsui's condition, "Are you really okay?"

Mitsui groaned and shifted away towards the opposite wall of the alley. Squatting down and leaning against the wall away from the puddle of puke, Mitsui groaned, "Let me rest here first. I need to take a breather."

"Yosh," Koshino nodded, watching Mitsui rest his head against the wall.

"Why don't you sit down? I'll be fine in a while," sighed Mitsui, rubbing his chest to try rid the sick feeling.

Koshino took a moment before he decided to join Mitsui to squat against the alley wall, their shoulders nearly touching.

"I envy you, y'know..." mumbled Mitsui, "You can take the day off and quit whenever you want. You have the luxury to choose. I don't..."

"Ano," began Koshino, "About my resignation, Mitsui-san..."

"That's alright," Mitsui sighed again, closing his eyes, "I'll let you go. I'll feel better about it, I think..."

"Actually, after I quit that day I just got a letter saying that I need to pay the deposit for a new apartment. It's a lot of money..."

Koshino's voice stopped when he felt something heavy on his shoulder. Turning his head the young man saw that Mitsui has unconciously rested his head against him and feeling suddenly uncomfortable, he gently pushed the dark head back to lean against the wall.

"So," Koshino continued, "about my resignation, can I-"
Mitsui's head slid across the wall to rest again at his shoulder. Again Koshino attempted to push him away but Mitsui still managed to lay back on the comfort of Koshino's shoulder.

Finally realising that unless he be rude by smacking his boss on the head, Koshino allowed Mitsui to rest against him, with a heavy sigh of weariness.