"Nice to meet you, Shiraki Sho."
Sho reached out his hand to shake the middle-aged man's, a glint of thought flashing behind his calm eyes.
——
Tonegawa Yukio.
The No. 2 of the Teiai Group—the right hand of its chairman, Hyōdō Kazutaka.
A man known for his overwhelming insight and demonic willpower.
There were few in all of Tokyo who could claw their way up to such a position in one of the city's financial giants. The scale of his business dealings was measured not in millions, but in billions. A true elite among elites.
Sho had honestly never imagined that the person representing Teiai Group today would be him.
Even if the value of this small plot of land really did touch the "hundred-million" range, at the end of the day, this was a personal loan issue—hardly something that should have warranted Tonegawa's personal attention.
Unless… that underground brawl from last night had already stirred up something too big to ignore?
——
Sho's eyes shifted toward the cars parked behind Tonegawa—and sure enough, three men stepped out.
They were all familiar faces from the night before—two of Teiai's black-suited men, and one from Zanchi, the small-time underboss Inoue Kanya.
Only this time, the once-cocky thug looked utterly deflated. His face was pale, dripping with sweat, his nerves fraying by the second.
"Yo, Inoue! And the other two!"
Sho raised his hand in greeting.
The underboss didn't even react, too nervous to form words. The two black-suited men gave a curt nod, though their eyes betrayed surprise.
Sho was too calm.
As Teiai's field men, they had witnessed Tonegawa personally handle a few "collection jobs" before.
Back then, his aura alone had been enough to crush a stubborn corporate president into submission—leaving the man trembling, speechless, even collapsing to his knees in terror.
And yet, here stood Shiraki Sho—meeting Tonegawa's gaze head-on, unflinching, even casual.
The two locked eyes.
Silence.
Zawa… zawa…
The air grew heavy.
Both men were tall—Sho stood at 187 cm, Tonegawa nearly 180. But to the onlookers, they suddenly seemed larger—as though both carried an invisible gravity that demanded respect.
If one had to describe it…
It was presence.
Two auras—utterly different, yet somehow equal in weight—collided, warping the space between them.
Even the air itself felt distorted.
Then, after what felt like an eternity
Pfft!
Both men broke into laughter at the same time.
"Hah! As expected from someone who's walked through the underground, I get it now,"
Tonegawa said, his expression easing into a faint smile—then, in the very next second, he bowed slightly.
"I sincerely apologize for this incident."
"...Huh?!"
The two Teiai men couldn't hold back their shock.
Tonegawa Yukio—apologizing first?
Even Sho blinked in surprise, but after a brief thought, he grasped what was happening.
"Tonegawa… you came prepared with two approaches, didn't you?" Sho smirked.
"Two? No—more than that,"
Tonegawa chuckled. "Entrepreneurs, commoners, deadbeats, men from the underworld… every kind needs a different negotiation style."
That was Teiai's No. 2—a master who could dissect a man's psyche as easily as breathing.
When it came to physical combat, Tonegawa wouldn't stand a chance against Sho; intimidation was useless here. Better to drop the pretense and deal with him as an equal.
Especially since Sho had ties with Katahara Metsudo. There was no sense in posturing.
"Please, come in," Sho said, gesturing politely. He brought out a table and poured some hot water for the guests.
Though not thirsty, Tonegawa accepted the gesture with measured etiquette, sipping lightly.
The two Teiai men followed suit, while the Zanchi underboss knelt awkwardly to the side, trembling so badly his hair stuck to his forehead.
"Let's get down to business,"
Tonegawa began, signaling for one of his men to place a folder on the table.
"Zanchi and our Teiai Group have a longstanding partnership. They help us with certain… troublesome debt recoveries."
"Not long ago, they received a commission—an anonymous client willing to pay a fortune to watch an unofficial Kengan match, on the condition that the result was fixed."
"Suspicious, isn't it? But the money was so obscene, these idiots didn't stop to think."
"So, Inoue Kanya, the head of Zanchi, approached you—wanting you to throw a match while reclaiming your family's land debt."
"I'm not here to make excuses. Even our own collectors were deceived by the setup. None of us realized how dangerous it was."
Tonegawa let out a long sigh.
"Anyone with half a brain would know—rigging a Kengan match not only destroys its reputation, it offends the corporate sponsors. Suicidal behavior."
"Thankfully—you won."
He looked straight at Sho.
"Though it still drew the Kengan Association's attention, this is the best possible outcome. Truly, thank you."
"As for the client—they used a false identity. No leads yet. My apologies."
"..."
At this point, the whole picture was finally clear.
Tonegawa's olive branch made things much easier for Sho. He shifted to the next issue—the debt.
Tonegawa produced another document.
"As an apology—and as punishment—the Zanchi will shoulder the costs of the match, your medical bills, and compensation. In addition, part of your family's debt will be reduced."
"The total owed will now be twenty million yen, interest-free."
"That's the largest concession we can offer," Tonegawa said, raising an eyebrow. "I trust that's acceptable?"
Sho rubbed his chin in thought.
By all accounts, the sincerity was genuine. His medical fees alone had been nearly twenty million yen—this essentially turned the new debt into a low-interest corporate loan.
A full ten-million reduction, with no future interest.
A generous deal by any standard.
He was about to agree when the underboss suddenly crawled forward in panic.
"W-wait!"
The man dropped to his knees, hands trembling. "No, this isn't right! Please, stop this!"
By Tonegawa's proposal, the Zanchi would be responsible for Sho's forgiven debt and all related costs—a combined total of around twenty million yen.
But after being disowned by their parent group, Jinwa, Zanchi was in ruins. Most members had fled; Inoue was alone.
If Sho accepted, Inoue himself would owe twenty million yen—money he'd never be able to repay.
"Tonegawa! Sho-brother! Let's talk this through!" he stammered.
"Let me—let us—track down the man who orchestrated this! If we succeed, the debt's cleared! Please, let us redeem ourselves!"
"Sho, your family can't afford twenty million either, right? If we work together"
"Spineless trash."
Tonegawa's voice cracked like a whip.
The underboss froze, hair falling over his eyes. "...Eh?!"
Before he could react further, Sho had already signed the new contract.
The man collapsed completely, face pale as ash.
Tonegawa didn't spare him another glance. "Get this waste out of my sight," he ordered coldly. "The world isn't your mother, idiot."
Sho shared the sentiment.
He knew his family's medical expenses were real. The banks wouldn't lend to a minor like his sister, Iko. Without Teiai's money, survival would've been impossible.
At least now, the crisis was delayed.
Debt is debt.
Sho had no intention of bargaining.
——
Tonegawa glanced over the signed documents—two copies. He pocketed one neatly.
"As per contract, if the twenty million remains unpaid within a year, this land will belong to Teiai Group. You understand?"
Sho smiled. "Of course."
"Excellent. Thank you for your time, and for the hospitality."
With that, Tonegawa rose and left.
——
Back inside the sleek black car, the underboss slumped in the front seat.
One Teiai man drove while the other sat beside Tonegawa.
The No. 2 tossed the contract onto the seat beside him.
"Forget about developing that land," he said flatly. "Find another project."
"What?!"
Both men were stunned. "But, Tonegawa—after what we saw, that family can't possibly pay twenty million in a year! Why abandon such a sure gain?"
"Idiots."
Tonegawa rubbed his temple. "I've told you before—watch a man's spirit."
"Debtors who rot away are trash. But men who can turn the tide—they're a different species entirely."
"That man, Shiraki Sho—he'll find a way to make twenty million yen. Maybe sooner than any of us think. There's no need to bet against him."
He paused, eyes narrowing.
"Besides… there's another matter."
His voice grew low.
"We need to find out who that mysterious client was—the one who used Zanchi to manipulate Teiai from the shadows."
END OF CHAPTER
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