Inside the presidential suite, watching the hour hand inch toward two o'clock, Mitsuko gently pushed Shiroko's head. "Co now, Yuichi, it is almost ti. Don't be so greedy..."
Hearing this, Shiroko lifted his head, a hint of gloom on his face. "Is it ti already?"
"Alright, hurry up and get ready. That old fox is still waiting for you!"
"No, he isn't waiting for . He is waiting for you!"
At those words, Mitsuko instantly understood his aning and raised an eyebrow. "This counts as a business trip for , you know. If the negotiations are successful, have you thought about what kind of reward you will give ?"
"...How does that sound?"
Hearing the reward Shiroko proposed, a faint blush imdiately spread across Mitsuko's cheeks, resembling the evening glow on the horizon at dusk.
"Pfft, how is that a reward for ? You are clearly just rewarding yourself."
"Then what do you want, Mitsuko?"
Sticking out her delicate pink tongue to lightly moisten her cherry lips, a smile capable of captivating the masses surfaced on Mitsuko's stunningly beautiful face. "I want ****!"
Gently stroking her purple hair, Shiroko couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath at her request. "Mitsuko, you certainly have a massive appetite!"
"But you will agree to it, won't you, Yuichi?"
Hesitating for a mont, Shiroko finally gritted his teeth and agreed. "Fine!"
Although the price was sowhat steep, compared to the impending profits, it seed entirely insignificant.
"You really are a good boss who cares for his subordinates, Yuichi."
Leaning down to give him a light peck, Mitsuko slowly stood up. After tidying herself up a bit, she headed toward the Sugimoto residence.
As for Shiroko, he naturally stayed behind to rest and prepare for the evening's reward.
At the Sugimoto residence, seeing that ten minutes had already passed since the agreed-upon ti with no sign of their guest, Sugimoto Ichiro couldn't help but feel a wave of anxiety.
If anyone else had dared to stand him up, he would have definitely shown them the true aning of pain.
But now...
anwhile, Sugimoto Shoko sat to the side, her face written with sheer displeasure.
'To think I was specifically called back from school just to keep soone company. Has the Sugimoto Family really fallen to the point of selling off their granddaughter?!'
'I actually had a bit of a favorable impression of Shiroko before!'
'But now, my heart is just filled with disgust.'
Shiroko: ...
Another five minutes passed. Just as Sugimoto Ichiro could no longer sit still and was about to call Shiroko again, the guards sent word—the guest had arrived!
He hurriedly stood up to welco them.
But imdiately after, seeing Sugimoto Shoko sitting on the sofa completely indifferent, Sugimoto Ichiro's expression suddenly darkened. "Shoko!"
Seeing him look like this for the first ti in her life, Sugimoto Shoko, who originally wanted to ignore him, subconsciously chose to follow her instincts and comply.
Seeing this, Sugimoto Ichiro's expression softened slightly. He then strictly instructed her, "You must be more enthusiastic toward Yuichi later, do you understand?"
The young girl did not say a word in response, rely giving a slight nod of her small head.
But in her heart, she thought, 'Hmph! I won't pay him any attention. If he wants to like that guy, no way!'
A mont later, the old man and the young girl arrived at the main gate. Just as they were about to offer a warm greeting, they saw that the person stepping out of the car was not Hanyu Yuichi.
Instead, it was Iwasaki Mitsuko, dressed in a black-and-white office lady outfit and wearing a cold, glamorous expression.
In an instant, Sugimoto Ichiro's heart sank uncontrollably.
Why had he called Shiroko earlier instead of her?
It was precisely because the boy was a greenhorn with little life experience and easily swayed by his emotions. By playing the victim, using a bit of guilt-tripping, and having Shoko say a few sweet words, he might have been able to get the matter settled.
But now, facing this Iron Lady, the Sugimoto Group was likely going to bleed money this ti.
Catching the fleeting look of astonishnt in his eyes, a faint, teasing smile touched the corners of Mitsuko's lips. "Chairman Sugimoto, you seem surprised to see ?"
After seeing the exquisitely dressed Sugimoto Shoko standing beside him, she had already guessed exactly what he was plotting!
'Hoping to exchange such a small price for the Hanyu Group's help? Where in the world would you find such a good deal?'
He was, after all, an old fox who had navigated the turbulent seas of business for years. In just a few seconds, Sugimoto Ichiro adjusted his deanor. "Ha, haha, how could that be! Chairman Iwasaki, please co in!"
As he spoke, he took the initiative to lead the way.
Along the way, both of them tacitly avoided ntioning Shiroko's whereabouts. Mitsuko's presence here already explained everything.
Arriving in the living room, the host and guest took their seats. After so simple pleasantries, Mitsuko cut straight to the chase. "I wonder, Chairman Sugimoto, what important matter led you to invite here today?"
"Chairman Iwasaki, you must have heard that Director Sada of the Pharmaceutical Review Board passed away in his hospital room last night. The last place he visited was Shoko's birthday banquet..."
"Sada Kenji is dead?!"
Seeing the look of shock on her face, Sugimoto Ichiro sighed inwardly. 'She truly is the Iron Lady, to act so convincingly.'
'The news of Sada Kenji's death has spread throughout all of Kanna City. How could she not know?'
'Obviously, acting like this is nothing more than an attempt to drive up the price!'
In truth, Sugimoto Ichiro had completely misjudged Mitsuko this ti.
After all, she had spent the entire morning doing interesting things with Shiroko. Where would she find the ti to care about such news?!
Having already prepared himself to bleed money, Sugimoto Ichiro nodded with a serious expression. "That is correct. Therefore, I would like to request the Hanyu Group to lend us a helping hand."
Quickly digesting this information, Mitsuko picked up the teacup in front of her and took a light sip, feigning confusion. "Oh, it is rely the death of a director. Why would the Sugimoto Group need our help?"
Previously, she hadn't understood why Shiroko said the other party would deliver themselves to their doorstep to be slaughtered.
Now she understood! She understood everything! This was truly a plump, juicy lamb ready for the slaughter!
A while ago, there were rumors that a new drug they had invested billions into developing was on the verge of success.
With Sada Kenji—who had always acted as their protective umbrella—dying at a ti like this, if soone were to use this as an excuse to launch a targeted attack on the Sugimoto Group, given their current funding chain...
It could be said that she now held absolute power over their life and death. If she lent a helping hand, they might still have a chance to survive.
Otherwise, they would follow in the footsteps of the Takayanagi Group.
"You must be joking, Chairman Iwasaki. I..."
Smiling bitterly, he was about to shake his head and say sothing when a phone suddenly began to ring.
He initially wanted to ignore it, but seeing that the caller seed determined to keep ringing until he answered, Sugimoto Ichiro had no choice but to apologize to Mitsuko before taking his phone and stepping to the side.
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