As soon as I change into the cheongsam I go out to meet...

Jinguji: "I'm Masato Jinguji. It's a pleasure to meet you."

(He's a politician. I've seen him on TV before, and they've called him a rising star in his party.)

(If I wasn't expecting Mr. Ichinomiya to bring someone like him.)

Jinguji: "I wasn't expecting to meet such a lovely young woman!"

Jinguji: "Thank you so much, Mr. Ichinomiya."

Eisuke: "Of course."

Ota: "I bet Mei Ling's thrilled to meet such a good-looking, prestigious man such as yourself. Right?"

Meimei: "Huh? A-ahaha..."

(But nobody asked you!?)

(But at least I'm able to talk to this guy more than the others Soryu had me meet!)

Jinguji: "You're adorable, Mei Ling. I bet you'd make good wife and a wise mother."

Meimei: "Oh, no..."

(This feels like a real marriage meeting... maybe it's because we're close... in age, or maybe it's because he's politician...)

Soryu: "...So why do you want the backing of the Bell Crickets, Mr. Jinguji?"

Soryu: "Nowadays, isn't it bad business if your connections to the mafia were revealed?"

Jinguji: "All the more reason why it's worth it."

Soryu: "I see. So you mean there are no morals in politics, then."

Soryu: "Forgive me for being blunt, but you've always had a very honest, clean image."

Soryu: "But now I see the truth."

Jinguji: "..."

(Soryu's been acting rather rude... but he keeps insulting Mr. Jinguji.)

Ota: "Hey, you two look so great together, it's a shame for us to be interrupting you."

Eisuke: "That's right. Forgive us for not noticing sooner."

Eisuke: "Please spend some time alone together. C'mon Soryu."

Soryu: "It's my job to look after Mei Ling. I'm staying."

Eisuke: "The hotel is safe."

Soryu: "Never know what might happen."

Eisuke: "...Excuse me, Mr. Jinguji. He's very stubborn."

Jinguji: "Not at all."

Ota: "Wow, Soryu is surprisingly..."

Soryu: "..."

As true to his word, Soryu stays with me, and the meeting ends rather awkwardly.
_________________________________________________________

Soryu: "What in the world were you thinking?"

After the meeting is over, Soryu has an angry look on his face when the guys return.

Eisuke: "Like I said, it was just to kill time."

Mr. Ichinomiya and Ota doesn't seem bothered by Soryu's attitude.

Ota: "Just like Eisuke's auctions."

Eisuke: "It was pretty amusing, just as I expected."

Soryu: "Give me a break. What's so amusing about an arranged marriage?"

Eisuke: "Pfft. That, right there!"

Mr. Ichinomiya looks at Soryu and doubles over with laughter.

Eisuke: "It wasn't the meeting itself."

Eisuke: "It was your reaction to it! I hardly ever see you act like that!"

Meimei: "Act like what? Still... he did seem a little grumpy, but..."

Eisuke: "He was grumpy. Because Jinguji is extremely propular with women..."

Eisuke: "He's a third-generation politican... even you know that, right?"

Meimei: "Well... I've heard some of my co-workers say how hot he is..."

Soryu: "What are you getting at, Eisuke?"

Eisuke: "...Meimei might fall in love with him, right?"

Ota: "And Soryu is surprisingly jealous."

(What the hell!? Did Soryu jealous over me!?)

Meimei: "But why!?"

Soryu: "Don't get the wrong idea. I don't want you falling for him and running off somewhere, that's all."

Ota: "Oh, so you wanna be with Meimei forever?"

Soryu: "...You wanna get your ass kicked?"

Ota: "No thanks!"

*CLICK*

Ota: "Oh, it's Baba! Welcome ho- hey, what happened!?"

Meimei: "Huh?"

As I hearing Ota cry out, everyone turns around towards the door.

Meimei: "Oh my gosh! Mei Ling, you're so pale!"

Mei Ling: "Meimei... I...."

Soryu: "What happened?"

Baba: "Well..."

I sit down on the sofa when I told Mei Ling to come to sit next to me, Mei Ling sits down on the sofa next to me when I rubs her back with my hand gentle cause she calms down, Baba and Mei Ling explain everything.

Baba: "Today, I took her to Ameyoko, and we were attacked by some guys in black suits."

Baba: "Luckily we managed to get away."

Soryu: "...You took Mei Ling out of the hotel? This wasn't the first time, was it?"

Baba: "Well, you know... it's boring being cooped up in here all the time."

Soryu: "That's not the point!"

Soryu: "Why wasn't she wearing a disguise?"

Baba: "Well..."

Baba: "I've always wanted to go on a date with a girl wearing a cheongsam."

I facepalm because I hear what he said.

Soryu: "I can't believe you..."

Ota: "Now, now. Mei Ling's had a rough day. Don't make such a big deal out of it."

Soryu: "..."

Eisuke: "Guess we can't hide her anymore."

Eisuke: "Do you have any idea what they could be after?"

Soryu: "We're looking into it, but it's pretty hard to find out."

Soryu: "...We need do something quickly."

Ota: "Because if something happens to Mei Ling, you'll be held accountable..."

Baba: "If Mamo were here, we could have him use his police connections to check it out."

Eisuke: "Where is Mamoru lately, anyway?"

Meimei: "..."

(That's right... if anything happens to Mei Ling, but Soryu will be held responsible.)

(He's treading on thin ice...)

Mei Ling: "Hey, Meimei... do you think I should go back to Hong Kong?"

Meimei: "Mei Ling?"

Mei Ling: "I was able to be a normal girl here instead of a mafia princess."

Mei Ling: "And, Baba and Ota showed me a lot of fun."

Mei Ling: "But..."

She lowers her gaze and she clenches her fists.

Mei Ling: "But if I'm being here is just going to cause trouble, it's probably better if I went home."

Mei Ling: "Back to being the daughter of a mob boss..."

Meimei: "Oh, Mei Ling..."

The sadness in her voice make me toughen my resolve.

Meimei: "...Let me do it."

Everyone shocked when I said.

Meimei: "I will do it when you guys catch them."

Mei Ling: "Meimei... those guys knows you're Fire Dragon as mafia granddaughter."

Meimei: "I know that, but I will do it."
_____________________________________________________

That night... I walk along a deserted road alone.

(Will a simple of plan like this really work, huh?)

(I'm wearing what Mei Ling wore today, so if they're watching her 24-7, they should attack.)

I'm so nervous as cold sweat starts to drip down my back, but I have to calm down.

(I have to calm down... but...)
_________________________________________________

Meimei: "Let me be bait, about something."

Baba: "What? Bait?"

Meimei: "Yes."

Meimei: "But I'll let myself get captured. If you follow them after they attack me.... maybe they'll lead you back to their headquarters or something."

Ota: "Are you for real?"

Eisuke: "Even if you get kidnapped, you do realize it'll all be meaningless unless they lead us to their boss, right?"

Meimei: "Correct."

Ota: "Aren't you scared?"

Meimei: "Probably not, but isn't it better to solve the problem now... so we don't have to worry about getting attacked anymore.."

Meimei: "But still... I want Mei Ling to be able to spend more time as a normal girl."

Mei Ling: "Meimei..."

(Because if anything happens to her again, Soryu will be blamed.)

(So if there's anything I can do to help...)

Meimei: "So... can't we try it?"

Soryu: "..."

Meimei: "So am I not dependable?"

Soryu: "I..."

Soryu remains silent for a while and then hesitantly says...

Soryu: "I'm having a hard time agreeing to something so dangerous."

Eisuke: "You were Mei Ling's stand-in to keep her out of danger."

Baba: "But now you actually wanna catch the bad guys."

Soryu: "..."

(Is he worried about me? That's all the more reason to do it.)

Meimei: "Hey, Soryu, I have to earn that $20 mil as you spent on me."

Meimei: "And... I trust that you'll protect me."

I gaze at him steadily and smile, but Soryu heaves a sigh.

Soryu: "Tch. You're hopeless, you know that?"

Meimei: "So then...?"

Soryu looks into my eyes and he continues.

Soryu: "Alright. I'll protect you no matter what, Meimei."
__________________________________________________

(Soryu will protect me no matter when, because I'm not scared when I think of that.)

I tell myself as I walk down the street at night...

Lackey 1: "You've gotta lot of nerve walking alone at night."

Lackey 2: "You're comin' with us."

(Looks like they're here!)
____________________________________

Two men in black lead me to an abandoned warehouse. My hands are tied behind me, and after I sit down on the floor and I look around.

(So why am I here?)

(At first glance it didn't seem like there were many people, but there are a lot of guards outside.)

(Soryu will come save me, right?)

I start to feel anxious and I look down when I hear a door open.

Mob Boss: "So you're Mei Ling Lee."

Mob Boss: "I heard you were a beautiful woman, but you're still a little girl!"

A man with an evil face appears before me.

Meimei: "So you're..."

Mob Boss: "Ever heard of the name Taizo Arimura, leader of the Arimura faction?"

Mob Boss: "Your father's Bell Crickets have helped us out quite a bit."

Meimei: "..."

(So this is the boss of the Arimura faction.)

(But I've heard his name on TV before...)

Meimei: "So what do you want for me?"

Mob Boss: "I want to use you to control Simon, of course."

Mob Boss: "The Bell Crickets should have stayed quiet in Hong Kong instead of trying to gain footing in Japan!"

(But I'm not exactly sure, but I think this is a power struggle between the two mafia groups?)

Meimei: "So what are you going to do to me?"

Mob Boss: "That's a good question."

Mob Boss: "Everyone knows Simon's Achilles' heel is his only daughter."

Mob Boss: "Should I boil you? Fry you?"

Mob Boss: "Or should I get you ready for that first?"

The mob boss grabs my chin and he taps a dagger against my cheek.

Mob Boss: "I wonder what he'd do if I cut up this pretty little face of yours?"

Meimei: "Keep your dirty hand of my chin!?"

I glare at him but he smirked as the cool blade on my skin makes my heart tremble.

(Soryu!?)

I squeezes my eyes as shut when I started to shout.

Meimei: "SORYU!?"

Just then...

Soryu: "Get your filthy hands off her."

Meimei: "!?"

The moment, I open my eyes when I see Soryu with a gun pointed at the mob boss' back.

(My gosh! He came for me!)

Mob Boss: "What the-!? Where are my guards!?

Soryu: "You might want to get better ones next time."

Mob Boss: "Wha-... don't tell me they're all..!?"

Soryu doesn't move and he looks towards me.

Soryu: "Sorry, I took so long."

Meimei: "Soryu!"

Meimei: "You saved me..."

Soryu: "I'm glad I made it in time."

Soryu: "I bet you were scared."

Soryu: "You did great, Meimei."

(O-Oh my... I've never seen Soryu smile so gently at me like this before...)

(I was finally able to help him!)

Just as I breathe a sigh of relief...

Lackey: "Get away from the boss!"

A mobster near the entrance yells angrily.

Soryu: "There's more of you? If you want trouble so much, go ahead and join your boss..."

Ryosuke: "I'm sorry, sir!"

Soryu: "Did you follow me!?"

Ryosuke: I was worried about you, sir!"

The mobster has a knife pressed against Ryosuke's neck and demands...

Mobster: "I'll say it again. Let go of the boss!"

Soryu: "...Grr."

Soryu bitterly lowers his gun, and the mob boss punches him, knocking him off his feet.

Soryu: "Agggh!"

Meimei: "Soryu!"

Mob Boss: "Looks like the tables have turned, brat!"

(Oh no... what's going to happen to us!?)

(Grandpa... what should I do!?)

~End of Chapter 8~

TO BE CONTINUED....