Chapter 40: The Ambitions of Youth

The three of them returned home together, and as soon as they entered, they saw Yosuke Ueno sitting in the living room, eyes wide open. “Runa… Runa, is that you?”

Runa Onodera seemed a little embarrassed. “Ueno, did the briefing go well today?”

“…It went well.” Yosuke Ueno quickly averted his gaze. “Wow, you really startled me. With your new hairstyle and those clothes, I almost thought a celebrity had come to our house…”

“Ueno, please don’t joke around.” Runa said, carrying bags of various sizes. “Miyako, you’d better wash up and go to bed soon.”

“Yosuke! Seiya!” Miyako Inoue was waving a manga in her hands.

“Huh?” Yosuke Ueno blinked in surprise. “What’s that?”

“What? You don’t know, Yosuke?” Miyako looked at him as if he’d failed as a fellow manga lover. “Big brother Taro knows!”

Yosuke glanced in bewilderment at Tomo Da Lang.

“So, how much did you get today?” Tomo asked, turning to what interested him.

Yosuke’s excitement returned. “What you told me the night before last really worked! Hahaha, today I was the star of the show, too! Unprecedented—five hundred thousand yen!”

“And the shopping vouchers?”

“…Didn’t get any.” Yosuke’s enthusiasm deflated instantly.

“…That’s still pretty good.” Tomo’s eyes gleamed with temptation. “So, will you increase your stake?”

Yosuke grabbed his head in distress. “Let me keep the money for just one night.”

“Alright!” Tomo patted him on the shoulder. “Give it to me tomorrow morning.”

“You really are a devil. By the way, how much have you made with the previous money?”

Tomo was noncommittal. “Anyway, it’s earning. As agreed, after a month, I’ll give you a 20% return.”

“So… If I give you another three hundred thousand tomorrow, will it also be at 20%?” Yosuke whispered.

“That’s a tough one…” Tomo pondered. “Less time to operate. In the end, you should wait until the end of the month and gather a bigger sum for me. Otherwise, I’d be at a loss.”

“Hey! Is that really necessary?” Yosuke muttered. “You said you’re short of funds. You even took out a loan.”

“You know I’m short on funds, and yet you’re keeping two hundred thousand. Planning to use it one of these nights, aren’t you?” Tomo raised his voice slightly.

Yosuke shot a guilty look toward the inner room, face flushing. “I have to keep some for spending! I’ve already used a lot before!”

Honestly, this guy is fearless.

Just the other night, it was all his own money he spent!

“…You have no idea how generous my offer is,” Tomo said leisurely. “The terms I give others are only half as good as yours.”

“Others?” Yosuke paused. “You… got someone else to invest with you?”

“Invest? It’s called entrusted cooperation!” Tomo said with satisfaction. “At Runa’s company, President Inoue signed a one hundred million yen agreement with me. The guaranteed profit-sharing for him is only ten percent. Now you see, because you saved my life, what kind of return you’re getting?”

Yosuke’s jaw nearly dropped. “One… hundred million?!”

Just then, Runa Onodera stepped out to confirm, “Yes. Tomo is really… incredible. Not only that, he also signed a sale contract for the house with President Inoue. The price is one hundred million yen, but he can wait until the president finishes all the entrusted work with Momo Real Estate before handing over the house.”

Yosuke seemed to sway where he stood. “So… that means you have two hundred million yen in funds now?”

Tomo nodded with a flourish. “To be precise, you have to add the fifty million yen loan from the bank. So now, I’m a man who can control two hundred fifty million yen!”

He was indeed a little proud—after all, he’d only been here for just over a week.

But with this house, the aura of Tokyo University’s Taro, his years of business experience, and his thorough understanding of this era, plus the written promise of profit sharing, he’d quickly built this whole operation.

It was, in a sense, running on a precarious level of leverage.

But he was confident.

In just over a week, the second interest rate cut would be announced, the exchange rate would fluctuate dramatically, and the banks would become even more tense.

Yosuke, however, thought about the risks and couldn’t help but grab Tomo’s hand, deeply worried: “Taro, the original home loan, the new mortgage, the ten million yen profit-sharing pressure… Are you really sure about this? If you mess up, you’ll be finished in a month!”

“…Don’t get so worked up.” Tomo gently pried his hand off. “So, if you’re worried about me getting finished, just hand over all five hundred thousand yen. If I go under, your previous one and a half million will be for nothing.”

Yosuke stared at him, then glanced at Runa, who was smiling quietly at the side, completely bewildered. “Runa, aren’t you worried?”

“I trust Tomo,” she replied softly, still smiling.

“…So, because I’ve already invested one and a half million, in order not to let you go under, I have to keep putting in more, increasing your chances of winning?” Yosuke wasn’t stupid—he quickly picked up on Tomo’s main point.

“Exactly! That’s what it means to be on my pirate ship.”

“You really are… a devil…” Yosuke shook his head, muttering. “But how did you convince someone to offer a hundred million for your house? A ten percent profit share every month—I get the temptation. You really are a devil; even your words are bewitching.”

“Don’t be silly!” Tomo replied lazily. “Yesterday I went to Momo Real Estate myself, used my wits to convince them to finish development here quickly, and got President Inoue a one billion yen low-interest loan. Otherwise, why would he have agreed to my terms so easily?”

Yosuke looked at him, then gritted his teeth and pulled out five hundred thousand yen from his pocket. “Take it, take it! Taro, I’m your brother!”

“Are you trying to say, if there’s ever a good chance to make a fortune, don’t forget this friendship?” Tomo laughed, weighing the money in his hand. “Don’t worry. Next year, after graduation, you won’t need to go anywhere—just follow me. Soon, we’ll be the most stylish and powerful young men in Tokyo.”

Yosuke’s eyes sparkled.

Runa, standing beside them, watched Tomo in his moment of ambition, a strange feeling of admiration welling up in her heart.

Tomo stood and stretched. “Get some rest. The briefings are still worth attending—even if the money’s not much to me anymore, they’re still meaningful. Yosuke, you have! Become! A! Man! This month, keep attending the briefings diligently—no slacking off. You need to improve yourself, keep up with my pace!”

Yosuke glanced nervously at Runa.

Why did he have to emphasize it like that? Really… although his heart did flutter sometimes, hoping Taro would take him out hunting again…

On his own, he really couldn’t manage anything.

But… can he really restrain himself? After all, he’s only tasted it for the first time, just like me.

Watching Tomo walk back to his room, Yosuke pondered.

So… should I keep up?