Chapter 66: Craving This Dish

In Tao Zhiming’s room, after he set down the phone, a single thought dominated his mind: A Bloomberg terminal is desperately needed right now!

The upcoming month was going to be crucial.

A rate cut in March wouldn’t be enough to stop the decline; only after the cut in April would there be a brief, struggling rebound. All the way until the yen appreciated so much that one US dollar could only exchange for around 120 yen—there was money to be made all along, the only question was how much.

Even when the yen temporarily weakened, buying dollars to profit from their appreciation was still possible.

But by the mid-to-late stages, even though his capital would have grown, Tao Zhiming knew he'd have to grow more conservative and find a true professional to manage the trades for him.

He really needed to see real-time curves, to match them with the familiar charts etched in his memory.

Yosuke Ueno hadn’t quite caught what was said on the call, but he noticed that after a moment of contemplation, Da Lang looked up with a visible, infectious delight.

Right now, Tao Zhiming felt almost overstimulated. After hanging up, he glanced back at the dazed Yosuke Ueno and Runa Onodera, and couldn’t help but break into a brilliant smile. “Today has been amazing.”

“…What exactly happened?” Runa Onodera couldn’t help but ask. Wasn’t something serious going on? Shouldn’t the atmosphere be tense? Especially since Ueno had just been so worried.

Tao Zhiming just smiled faintly, not revealing a word about how much he’d truly earned.

Yosuke Ueno, his expression complicated, filled in, “President Kinoshita of Mogami Realty has decided to lend him 1.5 billion yen, interest-free. And he’s offered him a consulting position with an annual salary of fifty-two million yen—just for committing one day a week.”

“…One day, one million yen?” Runa Onodera automatically ignored the enormous interest-free loan—that, after all, had to be repaid. But the idea of earning a million yen for a single day’s work struck her far more forcefully.

Tao Zhiming chuckled. “When I go to those briefing sessions, I make about a million yen a day too, you know? This is a reasonable rate. Big brother Hidekaze has really hit the jackpot. Enough about that—it’s been an exhausting day. Let me take a shower first. Runa, tomorrow you can keep going out and making yourself beautiful, meeting the housewives. Your real work is about to begin!”

Runa Onodera turned a questioning look on Yosuke Ueno.

The simple-minded Ueno was thoroughly confused.

A bookstore, a dance hall, a financial plan for housewives, that trap set for Hiroshi Ohmiya in Mogami's Gokurakucho district… What kind of game was Da Lang playing?

So, the two of them sat in silence, waiting for Tao Zhiming to finish his shower.

That day, Yosuke Ueno, for once, managed to keep his mind on business, frowning in deep thought. He’d learned and heard so much already, and there were still so many mysteries swirling within him.

Runa Onodera, meanwhile, was wondering: Wasn’t there supposed to be danger? Hadn’t she been designated as someone “important” who might be used to threaten Tao-kun?

Was the danger now resolved?

Tao Zhiming emerged from the shower and asked Yosuke Ueno, “Do you have a detailed map of Tokyo? Especially the Minato Ward area.”

“A map?” Ueno blinked. “I should have one. Let me look.”

Seeing that Runa Onodera had already set out a fruit platter on the table, Tao Zhiming picked up a piece, eating as he asked, “Earlier, at President Inoue’s place, you saw the full survey map of the land Mogami Realty purchased, right?”

“Yes, I made sure to memorize it.” Runa Onodera felt a thrill at being part of a secret plan. Maps and such things sounded like weighty secrets indeed.

Tao Zhiming nodded in satisfaction. A hardworking single mother, under the pressures of life, really did handle things reliably.

This was the analysis he’d meant to do the previous day, but hadn’t had time for amid putting together the proposal.

And today, after spending a whole day with Hidekaze Kinoshita, he was even more certain: there had to be some special reason Mogami Realty bought that land.

After all, when Hidekaze Kinoshita heard about the entire Gokurakucho project and the potential for real estate appreciation within the district, his eyes had shone the brightest.

Tao Zhiming needed to find a clue—to see what opportunity Hidekaze Kinoshita had his sights set on.

The money in the financial markets was almost too easy right now, but the rush made him uneasy. He couldn’t let it go to his head—no putting all the eggs in one basket.

Yosuke Ueno soon found an atlas, and as he sat down, said, “I bought this for a trip before. The Tokyo section is very detailed.”

Tao Zhiming quickly found the page for Minato Ward, located his own house, and asked Runa Onodera, “How big is the area?”

She leaned in, her upper body and head coming close, and peered down at the atlas.

After a moment, she traced the approximate boundary with her finger.

Tao Zhiming picked up a pen and turned to her. “Are you sure?”

In that instant, he caught a glimpse—her neckline, shifted open by her raised arm, and as she leaned forward, the view was deep and entrancing.

“I’m sure!” Runa Onodera nodded emphatically, setting the peaks in motion.

Tao Zhiming quickly looked away.

Business first, business first… though the temptation was growing ever stronger.

He used his pen to trace the path indicated by Runa Onodera’s finger, circling all the plots Mogami Realty had already acquired or planned to acquire, then studied the information carefully.

What a bold move.

After all, Minato Ward was among the most expensive and affluent places in Tokyo.

After striking it rich in 1982, Hidekaze Kinoshita had come up with another grand plan here.

Little did he know that, even if he did nothing now and just waited at home, the real estate prices in Minato Ward would soon multiply several times over.

So what Kinoshita was after had to be an even more astonishing profit.

The opportunity must lie either within the land he’d already acquired or planned to acquire, or just at the borders of that area!

After studying it for a long while, Tao Zhiming still couldn’t find any concrete leads.

He really didn’t know enough about Neon’s (Japan’s) details from this period, and Da Lang had never paid attention to anything outside of school, nor to real-world news.

He set the map aside, resigned. This was something he’d have to unravel slowly.

Perhaps Hidekaze Kinoshita would eventually tell him, but Tao Zhiming wanted to take the initiative.

With more money in hand, if he was going to buy real estate, he should look for properties with even greater potential for appreciation.

Seeing him put down the map, Yosuke Ueno asked, “Any luck?”

Tao Zhiming shook his head, then lightened his mood as he glanced at Runa Onodera.

Meeting her gaze, he suddenly recalled the glimpse he’d caught earlier, and couldn’t help but smile. “Runa, come into the room with me. There’s something I need to discuss with you alone. Ueno, you go take a shower first. I’ll talk to you about your part later—no eavesdropping!”

Yosuke Ueno: “…”

Runa Onodera blinked, but nodded obediently and rose to her feet.

Tao Zhiming found her blank, blinking expression rather endearing, and winked. “It’s something important.”

Yosuke Ueno: “…”

Why are you leaving me out, you bastard!

But seeing the two of them disappear into the room, he could only grumble and grab his clothes for a shower.

Honestly, was managing beautiful girls really about managing manga and videotapes? If they weren’t real beauties, what was there to get excited about?

Da Lang was clearly just teasing him.

In the bedroom, Tao Zhiming sat on the edge of the bed, lounging lazily, while Runa Onodera stood before him, back straight, hands clasped.

“No need to be so stiff,” Tao Zhiming said with a raised eyebrow. “Sit down.”

He’d expected her to take the chair by the desk, but she bit her lip and quietly sat down beside him instead.

Tao Zhiming was a bit taken aback, then laughed. “You’re not thinking anything embarrassing, are you?”

“Eh?” Runa Onodera, startled like a rabbit, shot to her feet, her face flushing. “Tao-kun, you…”

Tao Zhiming reached out, gently pulled her back down, and this time didn’t let go of her hand. “Do you know how much your five hundred thousand yen has become by now?”