Chapter 13: A Wager (With thanks to Midnight★Moore for the generous reward)

Tao Zhiming pondered for a moment before returning to the bank.

Although the second interest rate cut hadn’t been officially announced yet, the bank’s internal staff had surely received word already. They must be feeling the pressure by now.

He wasn’t there for regular business. Tao Zhiming stated his intentions, and the loan officer assigned to him was named Sekigawa Kusakabe.

“Mr. Tao,” Sekigawa Kusakabe examined him with a keen eye, “you’d like to inquire about a mortgage loan?”

Tao Zhiming nodded. “Yes. The property is under my name, so you can rest assured.”

Sekigawa Kusakabe was quietly pleased, though outwardly he remained professional. “And where is this property located? Please let me know, Mr. Tao.”

The appreciation of the yen seemed unstoppable, and the bank had received indications that the authorities intended to continue suppressing it through rate cuts.

Currently, deposits were being withdrawn en masse and redirected into real estate and financial markets, so loan officers like Sekigawa Kusakabe had been assigned plenty of tasks.

“The house is in Minato Ward…” Tao Zhiming described the property, then continued, “I’ll be graduating from the University of Tokyo next year. The companies where I’ve received job offers, and the ones I’m interested in, are a bit far from Minato. Once I settle on a direction, I’ll purchase another property closer to work. For that, I’ll need some funds, so I thought of this as a solution.”

“You’re studying at the University of Tokyo? Remarkable!” Sekigawa Kusakabe’s mind moved quickly—if the loan was to be used to acquire new real estate, there would be further business down the line.

And as a top student at the University of Tokyo, Tao Zhiming was a highly desirable client.

Though still young, his expected income and future prospects were excellent.

“Your current house still has an outstanding mortgage. While it’s possible to take out a loan against it, the amount may be limited. You’d need another loan for the new property, correct?”

“Of course. If I settle on a new place, I’ll likely trouble you again.”

This familiar address delighted Sekigawa Kusakabe, who smiled warmly. “It’s an honor to serve you, Mr. Tao. I’ll need you to provide some documents, and we’ll arrange for an on-site appraisal. With real estate as collateral, the process should go smoothly!”

Tao Zhiming nodded in agreement.

From proposing the idea to receiving the funds, there would naturally be a waiting period.

He remained at the bank a little longer, and by the time he left, dusk was falling.

Sekigawa Kusakabe escorted him to the entrance and gave a deep bow. “I’ll arrive at your home tomorrow night at nine sharp.”

“All right. I have to attend a Sumitomo information session beforehand, so that’s the only time available. My apologies for the inconvenience,” Tao Zhiming replied courteously.

“Not at all—it’s our job! And Sumitomo, hmm, you’ll want to prepare well for that. I’d hoped to invite you to dinner, but perhaps another time.”

Tao Zhiming laughed. “I have a feeling we’ll have plenty of chances to talk in the future, Mr. Sekigawa. Until next time!”

It had been a long, tiring day. Eating out with someone he’d just met, and maintaining that polite but distant atmosphere, would only have exhausted him further.

He ate a quick meal alone and went straight home.

Upon entering, he seized the television remote and switched to a financial news channel.

“Hey! I was only halfway through that episode!” Ueno Yosuke protested. “What’s so interesting about the news?”

“…Have you been home all day?” Tao Zhiming glanced around at the somewhat messy living room. “Really, the cherry blossoms are about to bloom—you should be out asking girls out.”

“Ah, that reminds me—Kyoko called yesterday,” Ueno Yosuke said excitedly. “She wants us to meet up and give her some tips for interviews.”

“But the next few days are going to be busy,” Tao Zhiming mused. His forex account was based on contracts, so he’d have to monitor exchange rates closely for timely trades.

He also had a schedule of interview-for-cash gigs, and the matter of using the house as collateral to raise some starting capital.

Seeing him glued to the TV, Ueno Yosuke asked curiously, “You were out all afternoon—what were you up to? Why are you so fixated on this stuff now?”

“I’ve started managing my finances,” Tao Zhiming replied. “I’ve already opened an account at Nomura Securities with 400,000 yen. Now I’m down to just a few tens of thousands, so I need to pull together another 500,000 tomorrow.”

Ueno Yosuke forgot all about urging him to set a date with Kyoko. He stared, wide-eyed. “Managing finances? Hey! I don’t remember you knowing anything about this. What if you lose it all? Are you really going off the deep end?”

“What’s there to fear in losing it? Worst case, I just do a few more interviews.” Tao Zhiming’s logic left Yosuke speechless—he actually made a strange kind of sense.

After all, yesterday had been a success; any objections stuck in Yosuke’s throat.

“I was just too focused on that woman before,” Tao Zhiming said calmly. “But now it’s different. Yosuke, want to make a bet?”

“A bet?” Yosuke looked at him skeptically.

Tao Zhiming’s eyes gleamed with persuasion. “If I make at least a million yen through investments in the next week, will you hand over your own discretionary funds for me to manage? I guarantee you a return.”

“A million? In a week?” Yosuke stared at him as if he were mad. “Is this a joke?”

“That’s why it’s a bet.”

“And if you don’t?”

“If I fail… well, you’ll have another thing to mock me about,” Tao Zhiming replied earnestly. “Opportunities like this don’t come often.”

Yosuke gazed at him in a daze.

It was true—after yesterday’s stellar interview performance and his newfound confidence with girls, Tao Dairang had become a force to be reckoned with.

Still, Yosuke felt Tao Zhiming wasn’t thinking straight. “Look, you worked hard for that money. Don’t throw it into such a risky venture.”

“This is my decision,” Tao Zhiming said firmly. “So, are you in or not?”

“Make a million in a week? Purely through investment?” Yosuke hesitated, gritting his teeth. “You can’t count money from interviews!”

“Of course not. But if I get money from a company in the next few days, I’ll use it to increase my principal. The million yen will be my net profit.”

For some reason, Yosuke felt a flicker of anticipation. “Can you really do it?”

“I believe in myself!” Tao Zhiming grinned. “How much have you saved up now?”

“…A little over a million.”

“That’s all?” Tao Zhiming was taken aback. “Haven’t you been attending company presentations since December?”

“Damn it… I’ve spent a lot too! And I’ve treated you to drinks more than once!”

Tao Zhiming grabbed his shoulder. “Too little! Don’t get complacent just because you have a job offer. You should be out earning more. What do you get from sitting around at home, other than feeling empty?”

Yosuke bared his teeth and shivered. “You’ve really turned into a demon, you bastard…”

Knock, knock, knock! The voice of Runa Onodera sounded at the door again. “Tao, are you home?”

“Ah! Let me tidy up!” Yosuke sprang to his feet and started cleaning the living room.

Tao Zhiming shook his head and went to open the door. “Good evening, Miss Runa.”

His gaze shifted to the little girl beside her.

The girl was carrying a small box, timidly half-hidden behind Runa Onodera. She wore a clean woolen coat, her cheeks flushed, panting quietly.

She must have climbed several flights of stairs, and the effort had clearly tired her.

“Good evening, Tao!” Runa Onodera bowed, then turned to the child. “Miko, say hello to your big brother Tao.”

“Big brother…” The little girl looked up at the tall Tao Zhiming and shyly said, “Nice to meet you… I’m Inoue Miko…”

Tao Zhiming smiled warmly. “Miko, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Come in, please. Yosuke, bring out the snacks and fruit!”

When Yosuke saw Runa Onodera arrive with her daughter, he was beside himself with excitement. “Ah! Miss Runa… have you had dinner yet?”

In front of the child, he was too embarrassed to call her “Runa-chan,” as he was actually younger than her.

After a round of cheerful greetings, Runa Onodera smiled at Miko. “Miko, both of these big brothers are outstanding students from the University of Tokyo! Would you like to hear about life at Todai?”

Inoue Miko blinked, but said nothing, her expression somewhat flustered.

Runa Onodera bowed apologetically. “Sorry, I don’t have much time with her, and she’s still a bit shy…”

“Do you like anime?” Yosuke asked with a goofy smile. “I can help you find whichever show you like.”

“‘Touch’!” Miko’s eyes lit up, and she answered quickly.

“All right!” Yosuke knelt in front of the TV to change the channel.

“Um… since I was bringing her to visit, Miko prepared some snacks,” Runa Onodera said as she opened the box. “She learned to make these cookies at school.”

“Wow! Miko, you’re amazing!” Yosuke exclaimed, playing the doting big brother, which made Miko relax and beam with shy delight.

Tao Zhiming kept a close eye on Runa Onodera. Her face was wreathed in smiles, quite unlike her work persona.

With what intentions had she come tonight?

———

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