Chapter 43: The Noble Young Lord

Tao Zhiming had indeed found a lead.

First, he inquired about the situation at Saijo Holdings, which confirmed a certain possibility.

If the Kitajo-kai, as Yuuta Irie had said, was targeting him, then the person pulling the strings would need to meet three criteria.

First, they needed to be able to easily put up at least several hundred thousand yen, enabling the Kitajo-kai—an organization on par with the Shindo-gumi—to dispatch three men to deal with someone as obscure as him.

Second, their goal must be far from simple. Otherwise, they could have just approached him directly as yakuza and stated their demands. Even with Yuuta Irie present yesterday, if it were a straightforward request, there would have been no need to risk a beating by probing him in that roundabout way.

Therefore, third, the objective likely involved significant interests. In other words, the Kitajo-kai stood to gain far more than a few hundred thousand yen. With the target clearly being him and vast interests at stake, Tao Zhiming had already mapped out a clear thread last night.

He had only been in Tokyo for a short time.

The money he made in the currency markets was limited, all within the rules, and not at the expense of any specific individual. Attending company briefings to collect perks was simply the going trend; the supply and demand meant companies budgeted for such costs to attract talent.

Anything related to his house was originally handled by the Shindo-gumi, but now he had signed an agreement with Ryu Inoue. What purpose would Inoue have in targeting him? Although the hundred-million-yen property might have caused him some pain, at Saijo Holdings, both Hidekaze Kinoshita and Kamiki Motoki held no grudges against him.

That left only one person fitting his suspicions.

Hiroshi Omiya from Tomokazu.

Tao Zhiming had shared this thought with both Hiroshi Omiya and Hidekaze Kinoshita. As major players in Tokyo’s business circles, Saijo Holdings’ recent moves might have reached Omiya’s ears.

Previously, Tao Zhiming and Hiroshi Omiya had already had their differences. However, Tao’s suggestions had intrigued Omiya enough that he probably worked hard within the conglomerate to push the idea forward, even sending Naoya Murai to deliver luxury clothing and half a million yen, along with new promises.

Yet Tao Zhiming hadn’t given him the answer he wanted straight away. Over the past few days, Naoya Murai had called almost daily, even trying to arrange a meeting to discuss the previous proposals in detail, but Tao had repeatedly fobbed him off with excuses.

Given Omiya’s naturally prejudiced temperament, he was likely quite displeased. If word of Saijo Holdings’ actions had reached him, it would be only natural for him to become angry. Throwing some money at the problem would not be a big deal for him.

But why would he take direct action against Tao? Had he lost faith in Tao perfecting his proposal? And why the recent urgency? Had Omiya reached a critical stage within the conglomerate, requiring such haste?

Of course, all this was mere speculation on Tao Zhiming’s part. Perhaps those three yakuza were simply drunk.

Frowning, Tao Zhiming dialed Naoya Murai’s number.

Whatever the case, caution was best.

“Tao?” Murai’s tone revealed nothing. “Ah, I just got to the office and received your call—is it good news?”

Tao Zhiming put on a cheerful face, relaxed in tone. “Sorry to bother you. I’ve been attending more briefings and dealing with the house situation.”

“Tao, I hope you’ll give it serious thought. Although places like Sumitomo appear stronger, they’ll never value your talents as much as our president does.”

With a casual air, Tao replied, “The other day at Saijo Holdings, President Kinoshita’s hospitality reminded me of President Omiya. It’s a tough spot for me, since Saijo Holdings has acquired the land where my home is, and I’ve asked Kinoshita to help resolve my housing issue—so now I owe him a favor.”

Murai was silent for a moment before saying, “So, does this mean today’s call is bad news?”

Tao, never intending to accept, replied frankly, “I’m grateful for President Omiya’s consideration—truly. But please let him know that I’ll prepare a proposal regarding my previous ideas and send it over.”

“That’s a shame…” Murai didn’t try to persuade him further, simply saying, “Tao, I’ll report to the president right away. Maybe we can still change your mind. Will you be able to take a call later?”

“Of course.”

After hanging up, Tao Zhiming’s expression returned to calm.

He had laid out the Wanda model in detail to Saijo Holdings because he had plans to pursue in Minato Ward next.

So, was it possible Saijo Holdings’ recent moves had reached Omiya, confirming Tao’s inclination toward Saijo?

If so, if Omiya was really behind this, was it a crude attempt at revenge, or an effort to prevent Tao from helping Saijo Holdings and thus competing with his own future plans?

It all seemed a bit much.

Tao Zhiming didn’t really know what kind of man Hiroshi Omiya was.

His aversion stemmed first from Omiya’s inexplicable prejudice, and his tendency to “control” subordinates. Later, when he needed Tao’s help, he became overly solicitous—far too calculating.

Because Tao had stalled, and now seemed more likely to side with a rival, Omiya had resorted to yakuza? No, perhaps it wasn’t even about dealing with him—maybe, in a fit of pride and anger, he simply wanted to “remove” this “descendant of Xia” he’d always disliked.

Tao Zhiming pondered this possibility quietly until the phone rang again.

Naoya Murai said, “I’m quite surprised…the president only expressed regret. As for the plan you mentioned, he asked me to tell you, ‘Since Tao seems set on joining Saijo Holdings, there’s nothing more to be done. Spare me the proposal—I’m the one who paved the way for Tomokazu’s current situation, after all.’ It’s a real pity, Tao—are you sure you won’t reconsider?”

He sounded sincere, but to Tao, Omiya’s words carried another meaning.

“I see,” Tao replied with a faint smile. “In any case, I’m grateful for President Omiya’s ‘generosity.’ In due time, I’ll repay this consideration.”

Murai expressed his regret once more and hung up.

Tao Zhiming was silent. After Murai’s persistent calls, the sudden resignation was hard not to read into.

Runa Onodera, who had been listening nearby, still didn’t know what was going on. At last, she couldn’t help asking, “Tao, have you found something?”

A cold glint flashed in Tao’s eyes. “More or less—just need confirmation. Runa, keep up with your usual work, and head over to President Inoue’s office. Let him know that Deputy Kamiki called me—the loan has gone through. Ask if the agreement between us can start being carried out today.”

“…I understand.” Runa nodded, knowing that this involved large sums and was important.

As she prepared to leave, Tao suddenly asked, “Runa, after what happened last night, aren’t you afraid to go out?”

“Eh?” She looked at him, surprised. “Why would I…be afraid?”

“You’re staying at my place, and you’re so beautiful,” Tao teased with a smile. “They might think you’re important to me and use you as leverage.”

It was the first time she’d heard him openly call her beautiful, and her heart fluttered with unfamiliar emotion. Then she said, “Would…would they really?”

“Don’t worry.” Tao spoke plainly. “You are important to me, so I’ve already asked Yuuta to protect you in secret.”

“Eh?” She hadn’t thought she might actually be in danger; at first, she was flustered, then considered the deeper meaning of his words.

…Important to him? He even asked Yuuta to watch over her.

“Then, Tao…what about your own safety?” Runa asked anxiously.

Tao replied calmly, “After today, I’ll have a way to handle it. If you see Yuuta, please ask him to come over when you return.”

“…Understood.” She looked at him, the same composed and smiling man as always, then bowed. “I’ll be going, then.”

Tao nodded and went back to his room.

If last night wasn’t a coincidence, and it really was Hiroshi Omiya behind it, what did he ask the Kitajo-kai to do?

Beating him up for venting was surely not all there was to it.

Or was it to simply get rid of him, so that Saijo Holdings would lose his help?

What exactly was Omiya planning?

That man certainly valued him a great deal.

But was it really worth all this?