Part 8: I Hope You Like Reading

Ryo spots Nozomi, one of his "friends", at her grandmother's flower shop and stops by for a chat.

Nozomi: Ryo. Have things settled down for you any?
Ryo: Yeah.
Nozomi: If there's anything I can do, be sure to let me know.
Ryo: Did you happen to see a black car that day?
Nozomi: A black car?
Ryo: Yeah, it wasn't the kind of car usually seen around here.
Nozomi: You know, a car like that splashed mud on me when it sped past.
Ryo: Did you see who was in the car?
Nozomi: No, I didn't... it was too fast. But I heard a rumor that Tom had an argument with the people in the car.
Ryo: Do you mean Tom at the hot dog truck?
Nozomi: Yeah... Why are you asking about that car?
Ryo: No reason. See you later.

So, who is this Tom?

He is 5'10", 177 lbs., blood type B, born 11/23/59 (27 years old), and a Sagittarius.

Tom, a friendly American who hails from New York, runs a hot dog stand in Dobuita. He is always dancing to rap and reggae music. The hot dogs he prepares while dancing are authentic American hot dogs. He hitchhiked around the world until he finally decided to settle in Yokosuka. Tom is said to have learned various martial arts from people he met while traveling through Latin America. Due to his strange looks and broken Japanese, some people avoid him, but he is understanding and is a good friend to Ryo.

Yes, that's his official profile. Every single character in the game has one, including the ones who you might never see.

Guess that's him. When reading Tom's lines, remember to use a fake and cheesy Jamaican... or... actually, I have no idea what his accent is supposed to be. Just listen to it yourself.

Video

Ryo: Tom.
Tom: Hey, Ryo!
Ryo: Tell me about those men in the black car.
Tom: What?
Ryo: Nozomi told me you had words with the guys driving the black car.
Tom: No. No, I don't remember.
Ryo: They might've been the ones who murdered my father.
Tom: Your father?
Ryo: Please, try to think.
Tom: Right, mon. I'll try!
Ryo: Those guys in the black car, what were they like?
Tom: I saw a guy wearing this weird coat.
Ryo: What kind of coat?
Tom: It was a deep green. Maybe velvet... or silk. Like something Chinese.
Ryo: That's Lan Di. What happened?
Tom: They almost hit one of my customers so I gave them a piece of my mind. But that man, he gave me this glare... I ain't never seen such a cold stare, mon.
Ryo: Do you remember anything else?
Tom: Nope. Try asking Chinese people about Chinese.

He points you to a travel agency, but they don't offer any info other places can't give you. In any situation, there are always plenty of places to ask around at, but Nozomi is one of your more reliable sources. Usually because she uses common sense that Ryo (or the player) doesn't have.

Nozomi: You doing okay?
Ryo: Yeah.
Nozomi: Have you heard any new information?
Ryo: The men who argued with Tom were from China.
Nozomi: China? Did they have anything to do with what happened to your father?
Ryo: Yeah, so I wanna try and get some information from some Chinese people around here. Who do you think I should ask?
Nozomi: Hmm, let me think... how about Ajiichi? Across from Hattori Sporting Goods.
Ryo: Good idea. See you later.

A Chinese Restaurant. Genius. Where at some more talking takes place.

Ryo: Tao-san. Are there any other Chinese people around here?
Tao: Why do you want to know about other Chinese?
Ryo: Uh, nothing... really...
Tao's woman: Is it... something to do with what happened to your father?
Ryo: Yes.
Tao: Oh, no. Not all Chinese people are bad.
Ryo: I understand that. But the only clue I have is that they were Chinese. Please, is there anything you could tell me?
Tao: You say Chinese people around here, but there's quite a lot of them compared to before. We don't really know the newcomers...
Ryo: I see...
Tao's woman: Why don't you tell him about the Three Blades?
Ryo: Three Blades? What are the Three Blades?
Tao: It literally refers to three different blades that represent three different trades.
Tao's woman: The barber, the tailor, and the cook... They all use bladed tools.
Ryo: Aha, I get it.
Tao: Most of the Chinese who came to Japan were one of the three. It doesn't cost much to set up, so you can start the business quickly. People of the Three Blades also know each other very well. It's a good idea to ask them, if you're looking for information on people from China.
Tao's woman: For the barber, visit Maeda-san. For the tailor, see Itoi-san, who's making patches now. For the cook, go and ask Manpukuken Ramen.
Tao: Oh, there is also another barbershop, the Liu Barber and Hair Salon, but Liu-san's father is in the hospital now, his family's having a hard time. The shop's been closed recently.

If you bothered reading all that, congratulations. It's really not very important. Whichever of the people Ryo visits, they all point to the Liu family barber shop. If you don't know, Liu is a Chinese surname.

Ryo gets to the barber shop and asks about the Three Blades/Chinese people. In an otherwise unimportant conversation, Mr. Liu tells that his father would know more about that sort of thing. He's recovering from the flu and has gone out to get some fresh air in Suzume Park.

Yes, this part of the game is one long verbal fetch quest. I always figured that this portion was responsible for pushing away a lot of players.

After introduction pleasantries, Ryo gets down to business.

But makes the fatal mistake of mentioning the Three Blades.

Ryo doesn't care.

Chinese mafia?

And you know about this...how?

Sailors, you say?

Never before have more infamous words been uttered.


It is getting late, and satisfied with his current progression, Ryo decides to take a break. But there's still some time to kill before calling it a day. First order of business is to head to Bunkado Antiques and buy up all of the move scrolls.

Ryo eyes the tantalizing goods.

+ MOVE SCROLL: Rising Flash
+ MOVE SCROLL: Crawl Cyclone
+ MOVE SCROLL: Mud Spider
+ MOVE SCROLL: Twin Swallow Leap
+ MOVE SCROLL: Tiger Storm
+ MOVE SCROLL: Arm Break Fire
- ¥8500

Ryo's wallet takes quite a hit, but it's worth it.


Now, to waste some time before bed. First option to get three (3) votes wins.
1) Mosey on over to the arcade.
2) Find an abandoned parking lot to practice in.
3) Try his luck at the Tomato Mart raffle. Also, shop.
4) TOY CAPSULES!
5) Get a soda.
6) Play some slots.
7) Call numbers in his phone book.
8) Talk to Nozomi.
9) Feed the kitty.
10) Stroll around town looking for interesting characters.
11) Other (Post your choice)

I apologize for the pretty boring update. Don't worry, the game starts to pick up immediately following this.


NEXT UPDATE: Time Wasting, Episode 1