HA2 14.1 – Borrowing Money
The lobby of Chikara Tower was divided into three sections. Reception desk near the front entry, waiting area near the elevator and rest room, and a café called Mango Terrace near the side entrance.
A few days after the meeting in the school rooftop, Takeo calmly entered Mango Terrace. Like any other evening in weekday, it was full of office worker who took their time to enjoy drink, snack, and conversation before going home. Even so, Takeo managed to get a table in corner. His back was facing the wall so no one could sneak-peek at him from behind.
After the waitress delivered his order, he checked the connection between his laptop with CCTV network in Chikara Tower, followed by the connection with internal CCTV inside Kamui’s office. Once he was sure that the connection was solid, Takeo instantly smiled.
After that, while he was waiting for Shizuka to arrive Takeo took his time to disassemble a Mottolola walkie-talkie. It was a commercial model from 2025. Other than additional wireless ear bud and wireless microphone, in a glance it was no different than a common walkie-talkie. However, once he opened the frame Takeo found that its motherboard and the core component were anything but common.
Then, as Takeo attentively studied the walkie-talkie using the manual he received from Hide, Shizuka finally arrived.
As he looked up to Shizuka, Takeo asked, “How is Reiko?”
“She was super nervous when I introduced her to Yumi’s boss, but I’m sure she will be fine,” Shizuka replied as she took the seat in front of Takeo. “Moreover, my father will also take care of her.”
“Are you sure Yumi’s boss doesn’t mind a middle school kid works in his place? It can bring her a legal trouble you know.”
“It is totally fine,” Shizuka firmly replied. “When I was in middle school, she also offered me to become part-timer in Yumi.”
Takeo instantly nodded. “I see.”
Shizuka then turned her gaze to the walkie-talkie on the table. “Is this our old walkie-talkie?”
“It is.”
“Don’t we already have something better from Villa Tigera?” Shizuka turned her gaze to Takeo’s laptop as she added, “Like this encrypted-laptop.”
“We can use this encrypted laptop for both intel gathering and the raid. But for the coms, we will use the stuff from Villa Tigera only in a raid.”
“Does Hide establish this rule?”
“He writes it in the manual to compile a target package.”
“I see.” After nodding her head Shizuka curiously asked, “So, what make you have such serious face when mutilating this walkie-talkie?”
With a brimming face Takeo replied, “I just admire it.”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Why?”
“Customized-encryption on ordinary communication device requires a lot of effort,” Takeo explained. “But if you manage to do it, no one will realize the existence of your encrypted-device, and if no one knows its existence, no one will have a thought to counter it.”
“Is that the reason why Hide wants us to use it when we gather the intel?”
“Yeah,” Takeo firmly confirmed.
“Even so, how good is this walkie-talkie compare to individual radio we looted from Villa Tigera?”
“Good enough,” Takeo firmly replied. “Even though it was only basic encryption and wouldn’t work in a jamming rich environment, it was 100% guaranteed that no one would be able to eaves drop the traffic.
The only drawback is that if the opposing side got their hand on it, other than monitoring the traffic they can also physically connect it to a net-centric terminal and tracked the location of other walkie-talkie in the network up to 30 meters precision.”
“No wonder,” Shizuka calmly said. “In the raid on Villa Tigera, Hide sternly warned us that if he was captured, we had to throw away our coms before retreating as fast as we could.”
“Yeah.”
“Before we get started,” Shizuka asked as she looked at the untouched beef fried rice in front of Takeo. “Can I have my dinner first?”
“You can.”
“Thanks.” Without further ado Shizuka took Takeo’s fried rice and put the first spoon into her mouth. “This fried rice is superb.”
“Glad you like it,” Takeo said before calling a waitress to put new order.
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The layout in 7th Floor of Chikara Tower was pretty simple. Emergency exit connected to the stairs was located in the end of the corridor next to the rest room, while the elevator located in the other end. Between the two ends, lied four offices. Two were in the right and two other were in the left.
Usually, Shizuka would use elevator to get straight to 7th Floor, but today she chose to stop at 6th Floor and then continued by using stairs. She calmly opened the door with big and bright green ‘Emergency Exit’ sign on top of it, and then walked through the corridor.
The first three offices were a legal consultant, a web developer, and a private detective. The three offices had big glass door, and judging from the bright light in its empty and locked reception room, it seemed some of its staffs were staying for overtime inside the office.
Soon, Shizuka arrived at the door to the fourth office, the nearest one to the elevator. Unlike the other offices in 7th Floor, it had a steel door with a big sign ‘Kamui Finance’ written on it. A lonely CCTV was also being installed above the steel door.
After stating her visit through an intercom planted on the wall next to the steel door, a middle-aged man welcomed Shizuka and took her to the sofa in the reception room.
“Mr. Katayama,” Shizuka politely said. “I’m sorry, for coming here after the working hour.”
“Actually, you can come here at any time.” After a smile Katayama continued, “Basically, this office operates 24/7. There are always some boys who stay over to provide service.
Experience told us that there are many people who needed emergency money outside the working hour of most financial company. So, we try our best to accommodate them.”
After a smile Shizuka replied, “I see.”
“So, what I can do for you?”
“I come to pay the installment for Reiko’s uncle debt,” Shizuka said as she put forward an envelope.
After making a quick check to the envelope Katayama turned his gaze to Shizuka, “I will make the receipt, please wait for a moment.”
“Yes, and ummm….” After taking a deep breath Shizuka shyly said, “If it’s possible, may I open a loan for myself?”
“Of course you can, but you are just a high school kid. So, I need to know the amount and why you need it before I can decide the loan.”
Deep concern was clearly visible in Katayama’s face, but Shizuka was fully aware it was fake concern. Hide had told her, that among the bastards in Kamui Finance, Katayama was the worst. He was the one who responsible to turn a female borrower with nice appearance into an obedient sex worker.
Worst of all, he would record the training for those unfortunate female debtor and then sold it to specific customer, and yesterday Takeo had found the compilation of the video. Even to this moment, Shizuka still could hear the cry and beg for mercy from the unfortunate female debtor in the video.
Fortunately, Shizuka had an extremely good self-control. Therefore, her rage was well hidden in her heart and she could perfectly continue her act.
“I need eight million Ren.” Shizuka then took out his father medical record and handed it over to Katayama, “I need it to pay my father’s medical fee.”
“Lung cancer huh?” Katayama said after making a quick read on the medical record.
“Yes,” Shizuka weakly replied, almost like a whisper and she didn’t need to fake her sad eyes.
After faking a deep sigh Katayama said, “This medical record clearly stated that the success rate for you father medical treatment is only 30%, are you sure you want to try it?”
“I do,” Shizuka firmly replied. “I’ll do everything to get the money, including working in adult entertainment industry if I have to. But for now, I will try conventional means as best as I can.”
“I get it.” Katayama nodded before adding, “I will prepare the money and the document.”
Shizuka instantly got up and gave Katayama a deep bow as she said, “Mr. Katayama, I will never forget this kindness.”
“I know you won’t,” Katayama happily replied.
A few minutes later, Shizuka leaved Kamui Finance while carrying eight million Ren in her bag, along with Katayama’s business card and an offer to enter an agency that managed high class lady-escort for crazy rich both domestic and international.
Of course, Shizuka happily received the offer, for now at least.
*****