Foiling a Fraud

Foiling a Fraud is the fifth substory for Shun Akiyama and the fifth overall in Yakuza: Dead Souls.
== Plot ==
Akiyama overhears a frustrated old man arguing with a Poppo store clerk. As he passes them, the man asks for his help, so Akiyama stops to listen. The man is trying to send money to his son but the store clerk thinks the man is being scammed, thus refusing to make the payment. 
The old man answers his cellphone and explains the situation to the caller, who asks if he has cash available. The man has around one and a half million yen that he will take to his son instead. As the call ends the store clerk reiterates his belief that the caller is almost certainly not a friend of the man's son and returns to the store. Akiyama also tells the man that it sounds like a scam but he is adamant that his son is in a life or death plight. 
Akiyama requests more information. The old man states his name, Ishikura, and explains that his son's friend called him because his son was in the quarantine zone, hurt, and unable to move. He needs the money to bribe the Self Defense Force to let him out. 
Akiyama still thinks it is a scam but Ishikura is set on entering the quarantine zone so he offers to get him there safely. Ishikura leaves to gather the money while Akiyama makes his own preparations before they meet by the elevator behind the Millennium Tower.
Inside the quarantine zone, Akiyama guides Ishikura to the south end of Tenkaichi Street. Three men confront them and demand the money; one of them points a pistol at Ishikura. Ishikura looks at the third man who stumbles backwards in shock and exclaims that he is not actually Ishikura. 
The old man laughs then announces, "long time no see, Wataru".
"D-Dad?!", Wataru replies, shocking Akiyama and the other two scammers. 
The old man reveals he had heard from a friend who had been similarly scammed that a man matching the description of his estranged son Wataru had been involved. He blamed himself for his son growing up to become a criminal due to walking out on his wife and child 15 years ago. The old man asked his friends to direct the scammers to him and hid his identity by using the name of an acquaintance, Ishikura. Three years later and he has finally caught up with his wayward son. 
Realising there is no money to be had, the other two scammers run away. Despite his father's pleas, Wataru follows suit and Akiyama chases him into Theater Square before tackling him to the ground. As "Ishikura" catches up to them they hear screaming; the two scammers are caught by zombies and turned. Akiyama promptly defeats the zombies in the area.
Akiyama returns his attention to "Ishikura" and sees blood all over his face and neck. Wataru rushes to his father's side and pleads with Akiyama to help somehow. Facing his father's impending death, Wataru apologises for his life choices and at his father's appeal he submits to atoning in prison and changing his ways. "Ishikura" is pleased and opens the bag he brought with him. Wataru asks if it is money after all. 
It is a bottle of tomato ketchup.
"Ishikura" reveals that he was not bitten by a zombie and Wataru, somewhat in shock, reiterates his intention to go to prison. Akiyama chuckles at how "Ishikura" out-scammed his scammer son then leads them all out of the quarantine zone. 
Behind the Millennium Tower, Wataru bows towards his father before being led away in the custody of two police officers. "Ishikura" thanks Akiyama for his help, apologises for the trouble, and gives him a DVD called "An Assassin's Anguish". "Ishikura" leaves as Akiyama hopes for him to live a long and happy life.
Category:Yakuza: Dead Souls Substories