Chapter 116: Fierce and Confident

After finishing the call with Hidekaze Kinoshita, Tao Zhiming calmly went to class as usual.

For him, attending class was merely a formality.

Yet, seeing him furrow his brow in deep thought throughout the entire session, Yosuke Ueno pulled him aside afterward and asked, “Is something troubling you?”

“Nothing major. If you have time, spend more hours at the library reading case studies. When it's time to work part-time, then go work,” Tao replied nonchalantly.

Yosuke sighed in resignation. “I know that. By the way, have the locations for the bookstore and dance hall been finalized?”

“Until you pass my test, neither the bookstore nor the dance hall concerns you,” Tao said with a smile, waving him away. “Go to the library. There are some adorable freshmen there.”

Yosuke could only watch Tao walk away, feeling a bit lost.

Since moving out of Tao’s place, it seemed their friendship had grown somewhat distant.

He found himself wondering whether working part-time at the bookstore truly held any meaning.

Was the test Tao mentioned genuine, or just a pretense?

After seeing Tao’s car, Yosuke couldn’t help but feel envious.

Would Tao stop including him in his plans?

...

“Do we still have to wait a few more days?” Runa Onodera whispered, sitting beside Tao.

Back home that evening, Tao remained engrossed in the news.

Any special meetings convened by the Ministry of Finance or the Cabinet were clear signals.

Returning from school, Tao hadn’t been fazed by Hidekaze Kinoshita’s call.

As Takeda Manufacturing stood at the eye of the storm, someone making the first move was actually beneficial for Tao.

Hidekaze Kinoshita followed the matter closely, always providing Tao with timely and detailed information.

Thus, Tao planned to act only after thorough preparation.

Compared to everything else, this interest rate cut presented an opportunity they must seize—it was the foundation for their next steps.

By now, Tao no longer fully trusted his own memory of the timeline.

Since he had come here, who could say what changes might occur?

Listening to Runa’s question, Tao nodded. “Exactly. Since they took the initiative, when you return, tell those housewives this is for their own good. Establishing a proper company and signing formal agreements benefits everyone. Also, your ‘husband’ needs to stay under the radar and form a dedicated team; all of this requires time.”

Hearing the word “husband” from Tao made Runa’s heart melt like honey. “I understand.”

“You can also tell them to use this time to invite more people. The larger the total capital, the greater the chance of profit. Besides, there will be a little surprise for them when dividends are paid out in early May. This market opportunity is huge.”

“Then why not invest the money they’ve already prepared now?” Runa asked, puzzled.

“There’s over ten million yen in capital altogether, but it’s better to let them regret not investing sooner,” Tao said, eyes fixed intently. “So far, only those three housewives have entrusted you with three million yen. When they see the returns this month, they’ll be more committed. Runa, you’re the club leader, but you need reliable core members. Have them bring in more people, let them imagine what it would have been like if they had invested more at the start. That will motivate them. Our dividend distribution will be based on the scale of investment.”

After thinking it over, Runa finally understood.

Leaning gently against Tao, she whispered, “Should we keep watching the news? It’s already quite late…”

Tao’s gaze finally left the television. Smiling, he looked at her. “These next few days are critical. Let me watch a bit longer, you go ahead and wait for me?”

“I understand…” Runa stood up. “I’ll make you some tea.”

“Did one of those housewives teach you that?” Tao teased, watching her skillful movements.

“Yes,” Runa smiled. “All so I can please you better.”

“Wow, those housewives are full of skills,” Tao marveled. “Once the bookstore is ready, I feel like there’ll be many customers.”

“Indeed,” Runa said sincerely. “When it comes to the bookstore idea, they all praise you as a genius.”

“Is that so?”

“But is the location still undecided?”

Tao’s eyes reflected the images on the screen. Taking a sip of the tea she made, he leisurely said, “It’ll be settled soon.”

Kusakabe Segawa had already contacted him excitedly, and Tao had previously sent Runa to scout many places. They had found a suitable spot.

But after Hidekaze Kinoshita asked him to secure the land where Takeda Manufacturing stood, the situation suddenly became more complicated.

In this matter, Tao needed to hide himself better and employ a more discreet solution.

With this in mind, Tao said, “Runa, I’m already working on registering a company. When the time comes, it will be under your name as the representative.”

“Huh? Me?” Runa was stunned, unwilling to believe it.

Tao squeezed her hand. “For the bookstore, Yosuke can handle things. But for the investment company dedicated to financial management, only you can take charge. Some things I do shouldn’t be front and center. Besides, you’re already my woman; many future matters will require your involvement. I’ve already transferred money to you to buy shares—this will give you five percent ownership. You’ll receive dividends accordingly.”

“Five percent…” Runa’s lips trembled.

Though she wasn’t entirely sure how much Tao had earned, she knew that if the housewives pooled their funds on a large scale, the profits would be beyond anything she had imagined.

Tao continued, “Of course, we can’t establish a one-person company now. But this is my way of showing my feelings toward you. The investment company aims for a minimum capital of 100 million yen. Although your portion isn’t yet five million, let’s say it counts as five percent, and I’ll cover the rest.”

“If in the future we can gather funds on the order of a hundred billion yen from housewives across Tokyo and beyond, after paying dividends, profits could still reach the scale of tens of billions annually. So take this seriously—it’s not just working for me, but for yourself as well. Understand?”

Runa felt a flush of heat throughout her body. Could this mean she might one day receive profits of five hundred million yen annually?

Tao’s few simple words made Runa’s eyes seem to melt.

“The news… can we watch it later, please?”

Tao hadn’t expected such a reply from her. Seeing her expression, he couldn’t help but smile.

She wasn’t even thirty yet and was already so easily moved?

No matter—he was in the prime of his vigor!

Thinking about his plans, Tao confidently let her lead him back to the bedroom...