Chapter 96: Fragrant and Delicious

Tao Zhiming did not ask Kudo Chou to act all at once. Instead, he had him carry out the preparations gradually over the next three days.

From the research room, while watching the data on his Bloomberg terminal, he gave instructions from time to time.

In the beginning, he needed Kudo Chou to get a feel for his rhythm.

On the other end, Kawasaki Ichiro watched Kudo Chou's every move with clenched teeth and unblinking eyes.

At this point, he had no choice but to stake everything on a single throw. If something went wrong again this time, his future would be ruined.

So now, could it be that Tao had judged the yen was about to steady, and then begin to fall?

Was the effect of the rate-cut policy finally about to show itself for real?

The Japanese yen, which had been rising slowly but steadily, now showed a slight tremor because of a sudden, relatively large wave of selling.

That faint ripple also caught the attention of many major players who were watching the foreign exchange market.

By nightfall, the tireless currency market, especially the players in Europe and the United States, had begun to stir.

Seeing the yen, which had been appreciating slowly for several days, suddenly stabilize and fluctuate uneasily, they began to discuss it among themselves and cautiously test the waters.

At last, a new short cycle of depreciation began.

And the momentum was not small.

Tao Zhiming had been watching all of it, the corner of his mouth lifting faintly as he leaned back with his head resting on his hand.

His strength was still modest, but because he understood the broader trend and had a rough grasp of the tactics commonly used by the big players, he had managed to display, in a small way, the power of turning the mighty with the weight of a feather.

For the next few days, he would need to watch closely.

This round of depreciation was only an illusion.

The United States wanted the yen to rise, and this was by no means the end. After the Plaza Accord, there was still the Paris Accord to come for those who felt the yen had not appreciated enough.

Inside Japan, many understood all too well that they were powerless to resist the force of this great tide, and many would follow along, trying to grow stronger within an external environment that was unfavorable to Japan.

Once the seeds of profit were sown, the harvesting would begin, one wave after another.

This time, Tao Zhiming was not greedy. His leverage was relatively low, only a hundredfold.

But when the next major move came before another round of rate cuts, he would not be soft-hearted.

He spent the whole day laying out the new market position and searching for materials on the privatization of the national railways. When he saw that it was nearly nine o'clock, he shut off the machine and the lights and stepped out of the room, only to hear the sound of sword practice not far away.

When he went over to look, it was Ueda Xaina again.

"Teacher Xaina, when did you get here?"

Tao Zhiming was a little surprised. Whenever Ueda Xaina came to the school before, she would always stop by first to see whether he was there.

Ueda Xaina did not answer. She only shook her head and continued hacking away with her sword, her teeth clenched.

To Tao Zhiming, she looked as if she were training with great force and momentum, as though a real enemy stood before her.

A beautiful girl wielding a sword was, in truth, quite a sight, but after glancing at the time, Tao Zhiming said, "It's getting late, Teacher Xaina. Let me take you home."

"Hyah! Ha!"

Instead, Ueda Xaina cried out through gritted teeth and kept slashing.

Tao Zhiming was a little at a loss and stood beside her, not knowing what to say.

Should he not keep interrupting her?

Fortunately, Ueda Xaina paused for a moment. After drawing in two breaths, she said, "No need. You go on ahead. I'm not finished yet."

After that, she resumed once more.

"Then... see you tomorrow." Tao Zhiming waved and left.

He was coming again tomorrow anyway to keep an eye on the market, and in two more days school would begin.

After hearing his footsteps recede, Ueda Xaina cut several more times in the same manner. Then, as if losing control, she shouted again and again. Her power and momentum were still there in every stroke, but her movements no longer seemed as steady.

By the end, she was slashing wildly in a fit of release before stopping and panting hard.

Sweat dripped from her temples and the ends of her hair, and her eyes were red with a frightening intensity.

Only after a while did she walk toward the bathing area with a cold expression.

School was about to start, but nothing would be different.

Today, when she came again, she finally found that he had also arrived here.

But hearing the sound of him on the phone inside, she ultimately did not knock on the door.

It was time to rein in her thoughts and prepare herself for the mentality of life after graduation.

Otherwise, if life suddenly changed too much later on, she feared she might go mad.

...

When Tao Zhiming returned home, he found Onodera Runa already standing by the entrance, bending slightly as she said gently, "Welcome home. You've worked hard."

"Were you waiting for me? Where's Miko?" Tao Zhiming smiled as he took off his shoes and walked over.

"She's already asleep." Onodera Runa stepped forward and reached out to help him remove his jacket.

Tao Zhiming wrapped an arm lightly around her waist, inhaled the fragrance in her hair, and said, "Is there anything to eat? I forgot to have dinner."

"Huh?" Onodera Runa looked at him in surprise, lifting her face. "It's already so late..."

"I've been at school the whole time, busy with financial matters." Tao Zhiming bent down and kissed her quickly. "Just make me a simple bowl of noodles. I'll take a shower first."

When he had finished bathing and was sitting at the table eating noodles, Onodera Runa sat across from him and said, "I have two pieces of good news today."

"Oh?"

"I didn't even go out, but I unexpectedly got a phone call." Onodera Runa smiled. "Mr. Okawa seems to have found the companion he likes, and he's preparing to move out."

Tao Zhiming teased, "Did he give you a gift to thank you for playing matchmaker?"

"Agreeing to sell it is the best gift already." Onodera Runa's eyes glimmered. "Once this is done, I can resign from President Inoue, can't I?"

Tao Zhiming slurped his noodles. "Wait until I give him the profit from the first month. What about the other piece of good news?"

"Yesterday, after Mrs. Kitagawa called to ask about the profits, she called again today and asked whether we could add another two million yen."

Tao Zhiming immediately shook his head. "Turn her down first. Tell her that if you always have money to put in, it looks too suspicious. In a few days, give them both the principal and this round's profits, and say I pressed you for the truth, then scolded you."

"Huh?" Onodera Runa asked in astonishment, "Why?"

"Advance by retreating." Tao Zhiming drank two mouthfuls of broth and set down his bowl. "Let them suffer for a few days, and they'll certainly help you think of a way on their own. Then we can move to the next step."

"I see..." Onodera Runa thought it over, then lowered her head a little shyly. "They'll probably just keep teaching me how to please you, and then try to figure out how to make this keep going."

"As long as they want to keep making this money, you'll have leverage." Tao Zhiming said, "After that, we'll do it in a more formal way, set up a housewives' club, and the profit share can be lowered quite a bit. After all, then I'll have a reason to collect a commission. Doing this for you and doing it for them are not the same thing. And all of it is only because they're your friends."

"But I..." Onodera Runa bit her lip and looked up. "I still have to please you, right?"

"Not please me." Tao Zhiming looked at her with a smile. "I already like you. And now that the noodles are finished, it's time to eat something better."

"I'll just..." she began.

"Leave it there. I'll clean up later." Tao Zhiming shifted beside her and put an arm around her waist. "Since they're both good news, are you especially happy today?"

"Because... I met you." Looking at the bowls and dishes on the table, Onodera Runa murmured, "Because... even though it's so late and I hadn't eaten dinner, I came straight home to eat here. And because Miko can go to such a good school starting tomorrow, and I don't have to worry about money the way I used to. This is the calmest back-to-school season I've had in all these years."

"You came home to eat because there are delicious dishes here." Looking at the woman quietly leaning in his arms, Tao Zhiming suddenly said, "Runa, get ready. On the first holiday after Miko starts school, we'll go see the cherry blossoms together."

"...Mm."

"And you'll wear that beautiful kimono."

"Mm!"

"Why don't you try it on now and let me see?"

Runa's cheeks turned rosy, and she nodded. "Then I'll go change now..."

Tao Zhiming was all smiles as he watched her tiptoe softly toward the bedroom that had originally belonged to Ueno Yosuke.

After he put away the dishes and washed them, he went over and knocked lightly on the door.

The door opened from inside, and sure enough, Onodera Runa had already changed into the kimono, standing there with an allure that was impossible to ignore, her eyes soft and seductive.

Tao Zhiming slowly pressed toward her and gently closed the door behind him.

Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, "Miko is just next door, so you can't make any noise."

Onodera Runa's breathing quickened. She could only bite her lip and nod, then took the initiative to loop her arms around his neck.

Tao Zhiming thought it was marvelous.

At twenty-eight, she was indeed at that especially rich and intoxicating stage.

One had been longing for it for a long time; the other was still vigorous with youth and desire.

Especially beneath those half-revealed layers of clothing, there was only a woman of restrained voice and unreserved response, every bit of her overflowing with charm...