I look at the silver-gilded watch on my wrist; it is almost 3 PM, nearing the time of the meeting. After about fifteen minutes, the number of people present has significantly increased. The seats are filling up, and I notice quite a few individuals wearing the BiogeneX company uniform.
While I am reading documents related to BiogeneX, suddenly, a loud voice echoes from the door below. It belongs to a woman with long black hair, dressed in a black leather jacket and long brown khaki pants, with a small handbag around her waist. Standing in front of her is the security guard who scanned my entry card earlier. Despite the noticeable difference in their sizes, the woman's attitude displays aggression. With a fierce expression, she grabs the man's collar, shouting angrily:
"Where is your damn CEO?! Why hasn't he shown up yet? Has he run away?"
"Calm down, Madam. The CEO is on the way here," he replies nervously, attempting to reassure her. The imposing demeanor of the burly man is completely overshadowed by the petite woman.
"Calm down?! How can I possibly stay calm? Do you have any idea how much money I've invested in your damn project ‘M’?" The woman scans the seats for support, but all she receives are avoidant glances from the others. She turns back to the man, glaring at his black glasses and continues.
"Four years! Four long years I trusted your company, and I had to mortgage my house and my company to invest in this damn thing! And not just me, many others too. Now, where is the ‘M’? Where is the project you have promised us?!" She says, repeatedly pulling the man's collar back and forth.
"Thi-this matter, please wait for the CEO to arrive," he responds hesitantly. Answering such questions is completely beyond the authority of a security personnel.
However, the woman doesn't stop; she keeps yelling loudly, holding the poor man tightly. It seems she will continue causing trouble until she gets the answer she wants.
Meanwhile, I just overheard a valuable revelation. It appears that the codename for BiogeneX's secret project, Morpheus-2, is M. My fingers move swiftly on the keyboard, and soon, a lot of related information shows up. The timing matches perfectly—four years ago, during the same period as the event that has shaken the Japanese economy, "The Great Price Plummet.", happened. But before I can have a look at it, a new development occurs on the floor beneath me...
Jessica Kurogane had enough of the woman’s loud and annoying shrieks. She decided to speak up:
"Kisariii! Do us all a favor and zip your stinky mouth. The air is already polluted enough without your breath." Her voice was not loud, but it cut through the tension with a sharp and mocking tone.
Kisari stopped. She looked at the girl who dared to insult her.
"What did you say?"
She released her grip on the man and stormed towards Jessica's table with a furious expression.
Jessica was a beautiful young lady with long wavy blond hair, wearing a graceful white dress. She didn’t flinch, sitting relaxed on her exclusive seat, as Kisari approached. Standing before Jessica, a girl called Yuki was putting makeup on her. Yuki wore black trousers and a white top with one shoulder exposed.
As Kisari was close to Jessica, she raised her hand with the intention to slap. However, before she could strike, her arm was held in midair. Yuki had immediately intercepted with a strong grab on Kisari’s wrist. Kisari tried to break free, but her arm was almost immovable, as if caught in a vice. The pain slowly increased. Unable to bear it any longer, Kisari stepped back, and only then did Yuki let her go.
"Agh! What are you, a monster?" Kisari exclaimed, looking at Yuki with a mixture of surprise and frustration.
In response to Kisari was an extremely sorrowful-looking face.
"Please, I beg you, don't cause trouble here," Yuki's tone sounded like she was pleading with the woman.
Jessica looked at Kisari's pained expression with satisfaction. She chuckled and said, "Exactly, Kisari, don't cause trouble here. You should know that the amount you've invested is nothing compared to mine. I haven't even spoken up yet how can you take the center here?"
"Jessica, someone like you, always protected, can never understand the difficulties faced by small businesses," Kisari retorted.
Jessica giggled, amused by Kisari's response. "Oh, is that so? Is this the same Kisari who always stands above others, believing that talent will conquer all in our class? In the end, you've surrendered to your predestined fate, haven't you? Oh, did you invest in this project just because you saw me do it?"
"You wretch! Shut your mouth! What do you know!?" Kisari yelled.
With her laughter persisting, Jessica hit back, "Seems like I hit the nail on the head. With your limited skills and terrible fashion sense, why not take this opportunity to bankrupt yourself?"
"Bitch!!"
Kisari's face turned red with anger. At this point, the pain in her wrist was nothing compared to the emotions raging inside her. She took a short gun from her purse and held it firmly with both hands, aiming it at Jessica. Panic rippled through the spectators as they witnessed the situation escalate, prompting the security guards to swiftly intervene.
Facing the gun's muzzle, Jessica showed no signs of fear. With one hand supporting her chin, she continued with a mocking tone, "That's right, it suits you well, Kisari. Your life was destined to be a failure. Becoming a murderer is a very fitting end."
At this moment, Yuki immediately raised both hands, placing herself protectively in front of Jessica.
Jessica's final words seemed to be the last straw that burned for Kisari's next action. Her finger squeezed the trigger, but at that very moment, something struck her hand.
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BANG!
The bullet was fired, but it veered entirely off course and hit the ground. Three guards swooped in from both sides, forcefully restraining Kisari down the ground before carrying her out of the room.
The unexpected savior was Oyama Hayato, holding a pistol with the letters "AT" engraved on its surface. This was no ordinary firearm, but a special product from AegisTech. It utilized specially designed bullets that allowed the user to adjust the shooting force in five different levels using a small rotating axis control on the bullet box. Just now, Hayato had set the gun to the lowest setting and accurately aimed it at Kisari's hand, thereby preventing a possible deadly outcome.
"Hey! Who allowed you to save her?" Jessica stood up, speaking to Hayato with an angry tone, breaking her earlier cold and arrogant demeanor. Hayato, however, remained nonchalant; he returned the gun to his military uniform and sat down, casually resuming conversation with a West East man seated beside him.
A sharp sound reverberated through the air as Jessica slapped Yuki hard on the face. The sudden slap surprised the onlookers, but Hayato seemed unbothered, continuing to ignore the terrible echoes behind him, steadfast in the decision he made. Yuki stood motionless, enduring Jessica's anger without a complaint. The sad expression that had been displayed unchanged on Yuki’s face from the beginning until now, no one could fathom her inner thoughts at this precise moment.
Once Yuki's cheek turned red with a clear mark, Jessica finally ceased her assault. The golden-haired woman looked exhausted, her previous air of power now diminished by the man's unwavering attitude on the other side.
"See? No matter what I do, he won't come to save you," Jessica said with a heavy breath before sinking back into her chair, "Now, continue with your work."
"This relationship is truly complicated," I comment.
From the information I’ve gathered, it appears that Jessica and Hayato were once lovers back in the U.S., but their relationship quickly fell apart after two years of dating. As for this girl, Yuki, there are not much relevant information available; all I know that she recently became Jessica's assistant. Well, anyway, I prefer not to delve too deeply into these private matters.
While I am watching the scene below, I don’t notice a stout man approaching me. It's Endo Seikohan.
"Are you Jinpei, right?" he asks.
His question catches me slightly off guard, but I maintain my composure and play my role. Fortunately, all eyes are fixated on the incident below, leaving this distinct person unnoticed.
"Apologies, you've mistaken me for someone else. I am Nanako Koji, the director of BlueSky construction company."
Hearing my reply, Seikohan laughs heartily.
"I know it’s you, Jinpei. Your voice is unmistakably of that famous journalist. I'm a fan of yours."
At this point, there's no need to pretend any longer. I stand up and politely greet Seikohan. Etiquette and respect are necessary for a journalist like me if I want to gather valuable information from prominent figures.
"You don't have to be so formal, Jinpei. Meeting you is already a blessing, saving me from this boring and meaningless meeting."
"Isn't this meeting important to you?" I ask curiously.
Seikohan chuckles and explains, "I came here with the title of one of the biggest investors for Project M. But the reason for investing is also to pay off a personal debt I owed to the Kobayashi family in the past. The debt has been settled. For me, the success or failure of this project doesn't matter." He sits down next to me, his carefree demeanor evident in the way he speaks.
"I'm already old, and the money I've earned is enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life. Instead of getting involved in business and disputes, I prefer to enjoy more interesting stories, such as reading the articles you write, Jinpei." Seikohan laughs again, his face exuding contentment.
"Thank you for your support. I never expected to have such a big supporter like you, Endo-san," I sincerely express my gratitude.
"Now, it's your turn. Tell me, why did you come to this meeting today? I don't recall seeing you invest in this project before."
"The truth is..."
I begin to tell Seikohan about the mysterious email I received last night, the enormous amount of money, and the enigmatic invitation letter. Seikohan listens intently, stroking his beard thoughtfully. His expressive eyebrows rise in surprise and furrow in seriousness as he absorbs the story.
"Omoshiroi, omoshiroi!"(1) Seikohan says, clapping his hands on the table with a wide smile, showing his delight. I can’t help but wonder what intriguing thoughts are swirling in his mind to evoke such reactions.
"So, that's the person's plan," Seikohan mutters cryptically.
Curiosity getting the better of me, I inquire, "That person? Who is it, Endo-san?"
"...No, no, you've been invited here. It will be more interesting if you witness it yourself, explore everything. But I can give you some hints." Seikohan pauses and directs his gaze towards a row of seats below, where Mikadani Goushi is present.
"Surely you know Goushi. He is one of a— no, to be precise, he's the richest man in Japan. According to confidential information we obtain, his real estate is spread all over the world, with assets worth up to hundreds of billions. Compared to him, I'm like a branch on a big old tree."
I'm surprised by the shared information from Seikohan, and seek clarification.
"You mean the person who secretly invited me here is Goushi-san?"
Seikohan chuckled again, leaving me a bit annoyed by his ambiguous response. Instead of confirming my question, he says, "Goushi is also holding a very large share of BiogeneX, and do you know who those two people sitting on either side of him?"
"Uhm, it seems..." I begin to recall my memory before continuing, "They are members of the Kobayashi family. The man sitting on the right is Kobayashi Usui, the sales director of BiogeneX. He is famous for his alcoholic medicine brand and has a store in Shibuya. The woman on the left is Kobayashi Meiki, the marketing director."
"Excellent! You truly live up to your reputation as a famous journalist, Jinpei! Yes, those two are the siblings of CEO Kobayashi Reina's father, who currently holds the position of Chairman."
"...Wait, what did you just say? The current CEO is Kobayashi Reina, the 18-year-old prodigy? If I recall correctly, the one holding that position should be Kobayashi Oshida."
"Ah, I forgot you haven't heard about this yet." Seikohan leans in and whispers to my ear, "Kobayashi Oshida was murdered a month ago. I believe there will be a detailed announcement about this soon. According to Oshida's will, he transferred all of his shares to Reina, and the board of directors had approved her as the temporary CEO until the next board meeting."
The shocking news leaves me stunned; this information alone is worthy of front-page headlines.
"I suppose you can imagine the situation now. A power struggle is about to erupt. As you can see those two people, Usui and Meiki, both have already started their moves and are trying to attract the strongest allies for themselves." Seikohan speaks, then pauses, lost in thought. His next words feel more like he's having a monologue with himself than talking to me.
"It seems Meiki is planning further and targeting Haruki. But what a pity..." Seikohan shakes his head.
"Haruki? Are you referring to Mikadani Haruki, the language genius, Goushi's son?"
Just as I ask, the door of the room swings open, and Kobayashi Reina, accompanied by her assistants, enter. Seikohan stands up; it's time for him to return to his position. Before leaving, he pats my shoulder and says:
"Thank you for the conversation, Jinpei. Thanks to you, this meeting is no longer as boring as it was in the beginning. A stage has been set for us to enjoy. And, when you have time, remember to visit my restaurant, Jinpei. Having someone like you to talk with will make me extremely happy."
As Seikohan walks away, I overhear some impolite and malicious words about Reina from a few BiogeneX employees. However, instead of being offended, Seikohan bursts into genuine laughter, a truly delighted expression.
Note:
(1): “Omoshiroi” is a Japanese term that can be translated to English as "interesting" or "fascinating." It is often used to express a sense of intrigue or captivation towards something that piques one's curiosity or engages their attention.