Chapter 132: The First Fire of Payday (2/4—Please Subscribe)

Tao Zhiming slept very soundly that night.

Regardless of what the next day would bring, he had already played his first card. Now, he just had to watch the reactions of the other parties involved.

However, upon waking the next morning, he discovered that there was a bustling crowd not far from the building downstairs. Curious, he stood by the window and saw that they had unfurled banners that were just barely legible, accompanied by loud, synchronized chants.

"Sanction the violent syndicates!"
"Violent real estate! Stop it!"
"We just want to sleep well at home!"
"..."

Tao Zhiming looked at the scene with surprise; the gathering was quite large. He could even faintly make out the figures of camera crews and reporters.

The situation had escalated quite a bit.

With a thoughtful look in his eyes, Tao Zhiming called Kinoshita Hidekaze, but no one answered. He shook his head and decided to let it be; he had already mentioned to him previously that the recent "land acquisition and demolition" work here had become a bit too aggressive.

"Miko, are you ready? Let me drop you off at school today."

"Yay!" Inoue Miko loved riding in that high-end car.

"Wouldn't... wouldn't that take up too much of your time?" Onoedera Runa asked, though she was clearly delighted.

Tao Zhiming gestured toward the scene outside: "Things are getting rowdy out there, so let's just head out together."

"Miko, go get your school bag!"

Looking at Onodera Runa, Tao Zhiming asked with a smile: "How is it? Have you set up times with those housewives yet?"

"Yes!" Onodera Runa shifted into a work-reporting mode. "I just spoke with them on the phone this morning. They are just waiting for your schedule; as long as it's during the day, it's definitely fine."

"They're that free? Well, I suppose housewives have more flexibility during the day. Let me see which days I don't have classes."

"Understood. Just let me know when you've decided."

Tao Zhiming teased her with a grin: "We'll be playing the 'Madam and her Attendant' game again, then."

Onodera Runa didn't answer, watching as Inoue Miko came running out. Still, that game really was quite interesting. Speaking in a dignified and reserved manner in front of him, and watching him act respectful and obedient toward her—it always provided a unique kind of thrill.

After dropping the mother and daughter off at the school gate, Tao Zhiming headed toward the University of Tokyo. When she stepped out of the Mercedes holding the child's hand, some of the more anxious housewives couldn't help but look at Onodera Runa with newfound respect. A license plate starting with a "3" was a symbol of true wealth.

After a mother of one of Miko's classmates watched the children walk into the school, she bowed to Onodera Runa and asked reservedly, "Miko's mother, you didn't take the train to school today?"

Onodera Runa replied politely, "That's right. The school bus in kindergarten was convenient, but once Miko reaches middle school, things should get easier."

"It's really enviable that Miko's father can drive her to school when he isn't too busy with work!"

Onodera Runa paused for a moment, then laughed: "Actually... he isn't Miko's father. Her father passed away over five years ago..."

"Ah! My apologies..."

"It's nothing. Miko just transferred here, so I'm counting on your child to get along well with her."

"Of course, of course! Then, the gentleman from before..."

Onodera Runa just smiled reservedly and said, "Someone I'm fortunate to know... we are in the process of building a relationship with Miko..."

"I see!" The housewife’s gossip-hungry heart was satisfied, and she immediately began to shower her with praise. "But Miko's mother, you truly look like an eighteen-year-old girl. I wish I could maintain such charm like you."

"Oh, you're too kind. I was just very young when I gave birth to Miko..." After Onodera Runa finished her humble response with a chuckle, she walked toward the station with the other woman, adding, "However, I do feel the need to protect my skin more and more lately, so I often go for treatments..."

Her day of work began just like that—spontaneous, casual, and opportunistic. Ever since she started wearing better clothes, these kinds of moments seemed to happen more and more often.

***

"Inoue Ryu! You bastard!" Kinoshita Hidekaze roared, his face turning ashen. "How did it end up like this?"

Before him, Inoue Ryu was in a perfect *dogeza* position, cold sweat beading on his forehead: "I am terribly sorry! I never expected that woman to take the things I brought, agree not to be harassed further, and then secretly organize so many people..."

"You’ve made a name for yourself in the business; can you really explain away your incompetence with a simple 'I didn't expect it'?" Kinoshita slammed the newspaper on the table. "It's in the news today. You didn't realize you were being played last night? Did you really believe a verbal promise without setting any binding conditions?"

"I am truly sorry!" Inoue Ryu’s forehead hit the floor. *It’s because of your constant warnings to be careful not to break the china that I was so hesitant,* he thought.

Kinoshita Hidekaze’s face remained dark: "That old hag!"

Seeing Inoue Ryu trembling on the floor, Kinoshita said impatiently: "Get up! What do you plan to do now?"

Inoue Ryu, relieved, stood up shakily: "I'm not sure how far I can push her. But this matter... it’s not simple. Boss Kinoshita, I was explicitly told not to provoke her, so why did Kurata’s men..."

Kinoshita Hidekaze frowned deeply: "I will find out exactly what is going on with the Shindo-gumi! Regardless, get all your consultants out there! Don't let Ishibashi Reiko gather any more people! As for you, go and negotiate politely. See exactly how far she intends to take this!"

"Yes! Yes! And if she still insists on..."

A ruthless glint appeared in Kinoshita’s eyes: "Do as I said first!"

"I understand! I will make the arrangements immediately..."

Watching him retreat to the door, fearful and respectful, Kinoshita Hidekaze said coldly: "I gave you 100 million yen to get the job done. Inoue Ryu, don't let your greed for a little extra profit ruin my affairs."

"I will be careful! Absolutely!" Inoue Ryu’s heart hammered in his chest as he replied quickly.

"Go." Kinoshita said flatly.

Once he left the room, Kinoshita Hidekaze continued to stare at the newspaper.

*Illegal Land Dealings, Violent Syndicate Harassing Residents at Night.*

The massive headline paired with Ishibashi Reiko’s face made Kinoshita feel incredibly irritated. He scowled, recalling what Tao Dalang had said earlier about how the recent push to get residents to sell their properties had been a bit too aggressive.

Moreover, what Tao Dalang had actually meant was that the people from Yuwa were being too heavy-handed. But now, Ishibashi Reiko, relying on the influence she had accumulated in the past, had channeled all that fire directly toward the land owner: Mogami Real Estate.

He picked up the phone and dialed the head of the Shindo-gumi, Shindo Shogo. He didn't mince words: "Why did Kurata Shinsuke’s men ignore Inoue Ryu’s instructions and provoke that woman, Ishibashi Reiko?"

After a moment of silence on the other end, Shindo Shogo said slowly: "I will give you an explanation."

"By cutting off fingers? What good is that?" Kinoshita sneered, struggling to control his temper. "Apologies, Shindo-san, but I am in a very bad mood right now."

"I understand. Do you have any requirements regarding how to control the current situation?"

"Find out why this happened in the first place. Determine if it was an accident or if the people who went to cause trouble at Ishibashi Reiko’s house were the problem," Kinoshita said quietly. "This is a sensitive time. If my competitors use my affairs as leverage, it could cause major trouble."

"Fine," Shindo Shogo replied succinctly.

Kinoshita sat in his chair, thinking for a while before picking up the phone again. When the call went through, he asked: "Dalang, did you see the protests in your area with your own eyes this morning?"

"Brother Hidekaze, I called you this morning, but I couldn't get through."

"I was drunk last night and got in late."

"That’s why I asked, why don't you get a mobile phone like me? As for the protests, why has it escalated to this point? With your scale of assets, being linked to *yakuza* organizations makes you an easy target for news headlines. If the likes of Mitsubishi or Mitsui add fuel to the fire, the value of your land will be suppressed, won't it?"

Kinoshita’s face darkened; this was exactly why he was so furious. The reason he hadn't wanted to provoke Ishibashi Reiko was precisely because of her firm attitude; he had wanted to save her for last, even if it meant paying more, to prevent her from using her influence and media resources to stir up this kind of trouble. The intensity of the acquisition efforts by the Shindo-gumi had been kept under control, focusing mainly on the consultants.

"We are investigating why it turned out this way," Kinoshita said, revealing the purpose of his call. "Dalang, as my advisor, do you have any suggestions for handling this incident?"

Tao Zhiming paused for a moment before saying: "When Yuwa proposed such a high-profile promotion plan for 'Mogami Gokuraku-cho,' it actually increased the difficulty of subsequent acquisitions. After all, those who hadn't sold yet had higher price expectations. With 500 million yen in new capital and a new acquisition team, the progress did indeed speed up. But now it seems this matter isn't simple. Perhaps this is part of why Yuwa wanted to get involved."

Kinoshita frowned: "You mean, in order to distract me and focus on handling this, they might..."

His mind followed the trail of thought, his fingers tapping the desk: "Indeed, with the situation as it is, even some people who have already sold their homes are being incited to come out and claim that their original prices were coerced. They all know that the Mogami Gokuraku-cho project has already received so much investment that it cannot be stopped. So, the ultimate goal of people like Ishibashi Reiko is to hold out until the end and get the highest possible price, right? If they file a lawsuit with collective power now, it will drag on even longer. If I don't want to delay the Japanese National Railways reform..."

Tao Zhiming nodded: "Brother Hidekaze, you will have to coordinate the price with them as soon as possible, and you will likely need to come up with a large amount of capital at once to resolve this. If it involves many residents, you might need to produce several billion yen in one go. As for the commercial district that Yuwa is involved in, they only represent a small portion of the residents in this incident, right?"

A cold glint flickered in Kinoshita’s eyes: "Exactly. How could Ishibashi Reiko gather so many people in just one night? This is clearly aimed at the capital reserves and the distribution of interests within the National Railways reform!"

Tao Zhiming also gazed at the trees outside the window. Although he knew the family Obata Yusuke mentioned was an old-era star who had long since faded, he had only assumed the woman might have some special connection to a key figure. Now, the purpose Omiya Hiroshi wanted to achieve using Ishibashi Reiko had become much clearer.

But Kinoshita Hidekaze likely still didn't realize that the things to come were not as simple as he imagined.

Tao Zhiming hesitated but didn't say it. *Don't appear too uncanny. Kinoshita Hidekaze has a lucky streak. In my memories, he didn't die this year, so he should be able to dodge this bullet too!*