Chapter 108: Help Me Defeat My Fiancé

Ueda Shana bit her lip and whispered, “I hope you can help me defeat someone.”

Tao Zhiming was stunned. “Teacher Shana, you are the heir of the Kyoushin Meiji style, and I’m your student. I’m still practicing with a wooden sword. Who could I possibly help you defeat?”

“It’s not kendo!” Ueda Shana stared at him intently, then after a moment said, “I’ll just tell you. Actually, my father has plans for my future life! Remember that news you asked me about last time? That guy, Morijiro, the grandson of Mori Taijiro, is the one our parents have agreed will be my future fiancé. It’s very likely.”

Tao Zhiming’s mouth dropped open.

This time, Ueda Shana didn’t avoid his gaze at all; instead, she looked at him even more sharply, as if searching for something in his reaction.

“Just maybe? You’re not engaged yet?” Tao Zhiming asked.

A flicker of delight sparkled in Ueda Shana’s eyes. She nodded immediately. “My father thinks he’s quite good. But I hate him—I’ve hated him since I was a child! That guy is not only arrogant and incompetent, but most importantly, a playboy! I detest men like that!”

Tao Zhiming stared at her blankly, wanting to say, “Teacher, I’m also aiming to be a playboy.”

But he feared the consequences if he said it aloud.

“…How do you want me to defeat a scion of such a powerful family?” Tao Zhiming groaned. “Besides, even if you showed your father how hollow he really is, it wouldn’t change your fate. It would just be a different person.”

Looking at Ueda Shana meaningfully, he added, “Can’t you even choose your own destiny?”

Ueda Shana’s eyes clouded over with confusion and her mood sank. She muttered, “You don’t understand…”

“I do.” Tao Zhiming said calmly. “Your family used to be nobility. There’s a different kind of pride and family obligation.”

Ueda Shana looked up, momentarily speechless, simply gazing at him.

So he truly cared about her—and had taken the trouble to learn about her family situation.

“What would happen if you defied your father?” Tao Zhiming asked.

Ueda Shana trembled uncontrollably and then shook her head firmly.

Tao Zhiming felt a pang of sympathy. If Yamane Yokuhisa ever saw the usually proud and haughty Ueda-sama reduced to this frightened, trembling girl, he wouldn’t know what to think.

He sighed. “Teacher Shana, this favor you’re asking is outrageous. You’re basically asking me to go against both the Mori Group and your father.”

“That’s not true!” Ueda Shana hurriedly replied. “It’s only about causing him to lose in business competition. You’re so good with computers, you can definitely bring down his software company!”

“Software company?” Tao Zhiming was a bit surprised. “Morijiro has some vision, choosing a promising industry.”

“Really?” Ueda Shana didn’t expect him to say that, then quickly added, “Now’s not the time to praise him. That ‘Cinderella’ boy I told you about last time—he’s a core employee of that company, and Morijiro poached him all.”

“He poached a key figure from SoftBank?” Tao Zhiming was genuinely surprised. “Morijiro’s judgment still isn’t that good.”

“Yes, yes!” Ueda Shana was happy, but only caught the last part, missing Tao Zhiming naming the company outright.

She also felt that betraying a company when someone else is critically ill can’t be a good sign.

But Tao Zhiming said that because he knew Son Masayoshi had recovered and returned, making life miserable for those traitors who never had a chance since.

From this perspective, it seemed he might not even need to help. This Morijiro’s startup was doomed to fail, wasn’t it?

Looking at Ueda Shana’s hopeful eyes, Tao Zhiming thought this task was doable.

After all, it wouldn’t be much trouble, and it would be a good chance to get in touch with Son Masayoshi himself.

“Teacher Shana, do you know how difficult this is?” Tao Zhiming thought, but forced a troubled expression. “He can easily raise a lot of money! To defeat him openly and fairly in business will be very hard!”

“I believe you can do it! You’ve earned so much money effortlessly before!”

“…That’s not the same.” Tao Zhiming continued his act. “I was just lucky—I won a bet. I’d rather pay you a big reward, or take you abroad for a summer vacation.”

Ueda Shana’s heart fluttered with longing—going abroad in summer sounded wonderful...

“Anyway, I want to entrust this matter to you!” She softened her tone, feeling the urgency. “Since recently seeing the current me, that guy has been wanting to meet me and go on dates…”

“Free food and entertainment? Sounds good, go for it!”

Ueda Shana’s expression changed. “Do you still think I’m like Kawashima Sugiko?”

“…Sorry, that was a joke.” Tao Zhiming paused and then said, “It seems you know what kind of woman Kawashima Sugiko is.”

“…I misunderstood you before.” Ueda Shana actually stood up and bowed.

“Forget it, it’s in the past.” Tao Zhiming hurriedly said, then with a half-smile asked, “Teacher Shana, if I manage this, you won’t kick me out later to make way for your father’s pick for a good son-in-law, right? I don’t want to be a thorn in your father’s side. As a descendant of the Xia Kingdom, I definitely won’t be his choice.”

Ueda Shana was embarrassed to have her thoughts seen through, a little disheartened, but quickly recovered. “In any case, I really don’t want any future with this Morijiro. Things can’t get worse than now.”

“The Mori Group is powerful.” Tao Zhiming said meaningfully. “Wouldn’t it be good to become the future matriarch of such a great family?”

He felt that Ueda Masahiro’s choice clearly meant that Morijiro had potential, and that he was prepared to mobilize power to help him rise.

“I don’t want to be the matriarch of some great family!” Ueda Shana said angrily. “I just want a life where I can make my own choices!”

“I see…” Tao Zhiming thought for a moment, then said, “Alright! I’ll help you with this!”

Ueda Shana’s face lit up. This time she bowed deeply. “Thank you!”

Her long hair swung forward with her bow, a faint fragrance drifting to Tao Zhiming’s nose.

After she straightened up, he said, “In return, you have to tell me everything you know about the Mori Group. Knowing the forces he might muster will help me make a plan.”

“Of course!”

Tao Zhiming then began to question Ueda Shana about all the information she had.

Since she needed his help, she answered all his questions as long as she knew.

Tao Zhiming gained a wealth of information and finally said, “If I have more questions, I’ll ask you later. No rush. I’ll make a plan first, then start dealing with him. You haven’t graduated yet—you have plenty of time.”

“Mm!” Ueda Shana nodded firmly, then asked, “Did you practice today?”

“Not yet. I still have some things to handle. Maybe tonight.”

“I… have to go home soon. My family is coming over for dinner tonight.”

“Oh.”

Ueda Shana looked at him; his expression was calm.

She nodded as if to say goodbye, walked to the door, then turned back. “Can you not talk about your ‘resurrection’?”

Tao Zhiming had already turned back to his screen. After a moment’s silence, he answered, “Not long before meeting you, I was troubled over Kawashima Sugiko and attempted suicide. I was saved in time by Yosuke, who brought me back home.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Ueda Shana looked at his steady silhouette and felt a sudden chill.

Had he nearly died before?

No wonder his attitude toward Kawashima Sugiko was so different now—it was because of that.

For someone as strong as him now, to admit he once acted so weakly as to attempt suicide was a blow to his pride.

Yet he told her.

Ueda Shana’s lips curled into an oddly timed smile, and she softly said, “Don’t forget to practice.”

With that, she left and closed the door behind her.

As night descended, she suddenly felt a glimmer of hope for the future.