Chapter 104: The Remarkable Tao Family?

Hidekaze Kinoshita hurriedly pressed on, “If I recall correctly, Taro, you’re from the Management Department, right? How did you end up involved in an economics research project, especially one led by Professor Akihito Yamamoto?”

Tomochi Tou’s acting flared as he feigned surprise, “That’s because of my classmate Natsuna Ueda’s recommendation. Her father, Masahiro Ueda, shares a close friendship with the professor. Natsuna knew the professor was looking for fresh talent for the research, so she boldly recommended me. In truth, I’m only responsible for some data organization.”

A brief silence fell over the table, even Hiroshi Omiya looked thoughtful.

Kinoshita’s eyes flickered with intrigue.

Feigning confusion, Tou asked, “What’s the matter?”

Hiroshi Omiya smiled first, “If I didn’t know about Tou-kun’s family background, I might have thought he was descended from the Ouchi Tou clan, rivals of the great Sengoku strategist Mouri for years.”

Tou’s expression grew puzzled. “The Ouchi Tou clan disappeared from history long ago, didn’t they?”

Kinoshita said meaningfully, “That’s not certain. The fate of Tou Harukiyo’s son, Tou Nagafusa, remains unclear. And right now, there’s a remarkable Tou family in Tokyo.”

“Don’t say that, Taro,” Kinoshita smiled gently. “Times have changed. Your experiences are due to your own talents.”

Hiroshi Omiya immediately agreed with a smile. “Exactly, I spoke out of turn.”

Tou could only smile wryly and modestly.

Another discovery during his library research was that the surname “Tou” actually exists in Japan, and once belonged to a fairly famous figure.

Reflecting now, the surprise Masahiro Ueda showed upon hearing Tou’s surname probably wasn’t because he realized Tou was descended from the Xia Kingdom, but likely due to other associations.

After all, the Ueda family, a kendo lineage, might pay special attention to such matters.

Kinoshita’s reaction earlier made sense—having recently risen from humble origins to his current status, he disliked discussions about family lineage and past glories in his presence.

Tou’s mind churned with further thoughts: judging by Kinoshita’s response, his ties with Tomokazu and the consortium seemed more estranged than they appeared.

After the luncheon ended and Hiroshi Omiya left, Tou finally had the chance to speak alone with Kinoshita.

“Brother Hidekaze, is it true that Tomokazu is fully determined to make Mogami Gokuraku Town their next major strategic move?” Tou asked cautiously once seated.

Kinoshita studied him a moment, then laughed heartily. “Taro, don’t test me. You’ve done a lot recently. So, how much of my plan have you seen?”

Tou paused, then chuckled quietly.

That’s right—Kinoshita had close ties with the current head of the Inagawa-kai, while the Shindou group was just a subordinate organization. Surely, he knew about Hiroshi Omiya’s attempts against him.

The two exchanged glances and chuckled softly.

Tou spoke plainly, “It’s about the privatization of the national railways, isn’t it? But Brother Hidekaze, do you have the clout to get involved in this?”

Kinoshita fixed him with a deep look. “With your current sources, it would be hard for you to know. You mentioned Professor Yamamoto—is he the one who told you? Or was it that classmate’s father, Masahiro Ueda?”

Tou confirmed Kinoshita’s assessment: Shindou’s people were clueless about this.

So indeed, behind this land lies a plan known only to higher-level powers.

He shook his head. “I only guessed that Professor Yamamoto might be involved in discussions, but he wouldn’t share such confidential details. And I haven’t even met Masahiro Ueda.”

“Then how do you know?” Kinoshita asked, genuinely curious.

Tou smiled. “Just a guess. Brother Hidekaze’s frankness confirms my suspicion. I later learned you don’t have a history of real estate development. With property prices rising so fast and development risks high, the long return on investment makes this kind of project risky. So your focus on Mogami Gokuraku Town makes me uneasy—especially since you lent me so much money and promised such a high consulting fee.”

Kinoshita nodded appreciatively. “You haven’t let it cloud your judgment, and I admire that. That said, the old chairman of Tomokazu’s consortium, Watanabe Akira, and Hiroshi Omiya can’t be oblivious either. So why are they willing to put up five billion yen now to push Mogami Gokuraku Town forward?”

Tou asked in return, “Brother Hidekaze, if you’re still uncertain, why not investigate further before agreeing so quickly to their involvement and even holding a press conference?”

Kinoshita’s calm demeanor didn’t falter. “With such generous terms, I see no problem. Besides, if anything goes wrong, Tomokazu can’t cause much trouble.”

He folded his hands, leaned forward slightly, and fixed Tou with a resolute gaze. “No matter their plan, it’s useless against absolute power.”

Tou’s heart jolted. He looked at Kinoshita and asked, “Brother Hidekaze, which major consortium stands behind you?”

Kinoshita’s confidence came from clinging to a formidable patron.

If Tomokazu relied solely on their own strength, Kinoshita wouldn’t worry at all.

If a major consortium backed Tomokazu, and Kinoshita still felt confident, then the force behind Mogami Estate must be among the absolute top financial powers.

Today’s progress exceeded his expectations. Without needing to pry, Kinoshita was ready to lay everything bare.

Probably from the moment he lent fifteen billion yen and set the annual consulting fee at 52 million yen, he had prepared for this moment.

Now, that moment had come.

Kinoshita smiled. “You don’t need to know exactly who backs me. Just one thing: Tomokazu is not an ally. So, help me uncover their conspiracy. After all, Hiroshi Omiya isn’t someone to trust. Were you suggesting cooperation with Tomokazu to get back at what he tried to do to you? Since you were already plotting revenge, let’s join forces.”

Tou was momentarily stunned. “Brother Hidekaze, I’m not planning revenge. I just want to make a little more money off him.”

“Come on,” Kinoshita laughed heartily. “A guy who asks me for fifteen billion yen wants just a little money? And if you end up taking all his money, how’s that different from taking his life?”

Tou smiled kindly.

So all along, Kinoshita knew everything.

It made sense—the Shindou group was subordinate to Inagawa-kai, and Kinoshita had a close relationship with the current Inagawa-kai boss.

Tou’s excitement grew: was Kinoshita’s true plan finally about to be unveiled?