Chapter 21: The Reclusive Yakuza

Perhaps it was hunger, or perhaps Runa Onodera's cooking was simply excellent, but Tao Zhimin found himself eating with great satisfaction.

"Ah, it's so much more comfortable to eat at home. If I had gone with them for French cuisine, I really wouldn't have been able to adapt!" Tao Zhimin remarked contentedly as he enjoyed the fish she had fried. "Miss Runa, your skills are good enough to open a restaurant."

"Oh, you're exaggerating," she replied modestly.

"No, really. Yosuke, have you tried it? Come on, give it a taste," he called over.

Ueno Yosuke, who was sitting with Yaeko reading manga, replied without turning, "I'm already full."

Observing Yosuke's distracted state, Tao Zhimin guessed he was probably still upset over being eliminated in the latest round.

He resolved to give him another good-natured blow later. This guy really needed a lesson about his attitude toward women, and Tao—having learned some bitter lessons himself—felt qualified to offer a little payback: being everyone's nice guy is a losing game!

As he pondered, a knock sounded at the door.

He assumed it was Yuta from the yakuza, but upon opening it, he found two familiar faces.

Tomokazu’s HR manager, Tatsuya Someya, stood at the back holding several bags, while HR director Naoya Murai entered with a broad smile. Upon seeing Tao Zhimin, he bowed and said, "Sorry to intrude, Tao!"

"Mr. Murai! Mr. Someya! What a surprise… Please, come in."

Noticing the three people in the living room and the unfinished food on the table, Murai seemed even more pleased. "So you didn't attend the Sumitomo dinner after all, Tao?"

"That's right…" Tao glanced at the table and then said, "Miss Runa, could you help me tidy up? I apologize for the mess."

"It's us who are intruding!" Murai responded as Yosuke dragged Yaeko off to his room, claiming he wanted to read. Accepting the invitation, Murai sat at the table, glanced around, and said, "We didn't inform you in advance—hope we aren't interrupting your gathering with friends. That must be Ueno, the classmate who came with you to Tomokazu the other day?"

"Yes, he's been my roommate all along," Tao replied, then asked knowingly, "May I ask what brings you and Mr. Someya here tonight?"

"We happened to be in the area for an event and remembered you lived nearby, so we thought we'd pay a visit," Murai explained, gesturing to the bags Someya carried. "Arriving unannounced, we brought a small gift—please don't refuse."

"Oh, you shouldn't have…" Tao said politely, though he felt a twinge of regret.

Why can't they just give cash?

"Has everything been going smoothly these past couple of days?" Murai inquired.

Tao nodded. "Yes. Miss Runa here is the negotiator for the land acquisition team. As you can see, our discussions have been very cordial."

Murai and Someya glanced at Runa, who brought over tea. After thanking her, Murai replied with a knowing look, "I see…"

Tao knew what really concerned them, so he added, "Today's meeting at Sumitomo also went well. The only minor complication is that they've specially requested I wait for a call tomorrow—apparently, after confirming the president's schedule, they want me to meet him in person. It's hard to refuse such hospitality, so unfortunately, I won't be able to visit Tomokazu tomorrow either…"

Murai's smile faltered, but he could only say, "It just shows how outstanding you are, Tao. The Sumitomo president wants to meet you personally?"

"Yes, the president couldn't attend today's briefing. Though he expressed his intention to hire me, he mentioned a special interview for a face-to-face conversation," Tao explained humbly, waiting for Murai to respond.

Murai, clearly on a mission, was about to speak when another knock came at the door.

Tao apologized and opened the door to find it was indeed Yuta.

Yuta regarded Tao with a complicated expression—who would have thought he'd meet this unusual young man again tonight, especially on orders from his boss, who hinted at a stable business opportunity.

"Yuta, please come in!"

As Irie Yuta entered, he spotted Runa Onodera and then noticed the two well-dressed men who had risen to their feet. Catching a glimpse of Yuta's tattoo peeking from his collar, the two men's expressions shifted slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't expect Mr. Murai and Mr. Someya would be here," Tao said, feigning embarrassment. "Please wait a moment—Sumitomo gave me some extra shopping vouchers I can't use, so I asked Yuta to exchange them for cash. Just a moment."

With that, he slipped into the bedroom to fetch the vouchers.

Murai and Someya exchanged glances.

They truly hadn't told Tao they were coming. But he had deliberately mentioned this transaction in front of them, leaving no room for complaint.

Turning shopping vouchers into cash through a yakuza contact? This young man possessed more street smarts than expected…

Yuta, meanwhile, stood awkwardly in the room, his confidence gone. He didn't know the identities of the two men but deduced from their attire and composure that they weren't ordinary people—otherwise, they wouldn't be so unfazed by the presence of a clearly marked gangster.

Fortunately, Tao soon returned and introduced them: "These gentlemen are Mr. Naoya Murai, HR director at Tomokazu Trading, and Mr. Tatsuya Someya, HR officer. My apologies, this will just take a moment."

He didn't exchange the cash in front of them but instead took Yuta to the entryway and handed him the vouchers directly.

Yuta had come with money from his boss. After checking, he confirmed it was indeed 200,000 yen in vouchers, from a very reputable department store.

He shot Tao a complicated look and handed over the prepared cash.

Those damn Todai students—it was just too easy for them to make money.

No doubt about it, he was one of those guys who went to company interviews and got paid just for showing up.

Late at night in Kamurocho, the brothers on the street often ran into drunk students. Picking their pockets now and then could be quite profitable—but none of them ever handed over 200,000 yen in vouchers. Moreover, his boss had said that if things went well, there could be much more business to come.

Damn it!

Yuta had spent the whole day confirming that this Tao Dairou was indeed a Todai student.

His boss acknowledged it that day and scolded him: "You had no idea. Even at Todai, he's one of the best. For this land acquisition job, of course, we had to try him out first. Why are you complaining?"

Yuta felt bitter.

Now, even the HR director and officer from Tomokazu Trading had come in person, bearing gifts to his home.

No doubt they were going to offer him even better terms to join their company.

What a promising bastard!

His boss had suggested trying to buy the vouchers at a 10% discount, but faced with this scene, Yuta didn't dare argue—a once-fierce yakuza now rendered mute.

Once Tao finished counting the 190,000 yen, he said, satisfied, "I look forward to working with you again in the future."

Yuta kept a stiff face, bowed awkwardly, and left.

Tao returned to the room in high spirits. Nineteen plus seventy thousand—thirty thousand yen in vouchers turned into 260,000 yen in cash, more than 85% of face value—not bad at all.

He immediately said, "Sorry for the interruption, Mr. Murai. Let's continue."

Murai studied him. Continue, indeed—but how?

He began, "Sumitomo gave you extra vouchers?"

"Ah," Tao hesitated, "Mr. Murai, please believe me—I will make a calm, rational decision based on future prospects. I won’t be shortsighted enough to pick Sumitomo just because they gave me 300,000 yen in vouchers. In fact, President Omiya left a very deep impression on me!"

"So… it's 500,000 yen in cash plus 300,000 yen in vouchers?" Murai confirmed, half-joking. "You're a man of rare talent, Tao, and you've come at the right time. When I joined Tomokazu, I never imagined anything like this would happen."

Tao agreed, replying politely, "I can only say that hard work has paid off. Of course, the company’s outlook is also broad, which is why they have the courage to bet on the future."

Runa Onodera knelt quietly nearby, listening in a daze.

She more or less understood the situation now: the HR director of Tomokazu Trading had come in person to ask Tao to prioritize joining them.

They brought gifts—surely, they were going to make an even better offer.

She lowered her gaze, but couldn't help glancing at Tao from time to time.

Faced with such a heavyweight, Tao showed no sign of being overawed.

He used 200,000 yen in vouchers, exchanging them for 190,000 yen cash from the Shindo Group.

And with only 70,000 yen, he'd gotten 100,000 yen in vouchers for her.

Surely… Tao must expect something from her?

At that moment, Murai spoke up, "Betting on the future! That's a vivid and precise way to put it, Tao. Then, allow me to convey the president’s sincerity."

Tao straightened. "Please, go ahead."