The Tokyo morning sun didn’t bring much warmth to Shinji.
Right now, sitting in front of him was a bowl of oatmeal, accompanied by a glass of dark green vegetable and fruit juice that looked like some sort of herbal concoction, along with two slices of whole-wheat bread.
There was no butter, no jam, and not even the delightful, charred aroma of fried bacon.
“Is this what you call an imperial-class breakfast?”
Shinji held his spoon, stirring the gooey substance in the bowl with a look of disgust, his brows furrowed so tightly they could crush a fly.
His body still retained a soreness as if he had been run over by a heavy truck; every bone in his body was clamoring for the comfort of high calories and high sugar, not this ascetic-like fodder.
“This is a post-operative recovery meal plan specifically customized by Aegis’s nutritionist, based on your medical examination report.”
Sirius stood by the dining table, still holding the computer that seemed to never leave her side.
She had changed into a dark gray professional suit, looking even more capable and colder than the night before.
Perhaps she herself hadn’t expected to fall for Shinji’s trick, and somehow let it slip that she wasn’t married.
Perhaps it really was Shinji’s handsome appearance that made him look harmless.
“It is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and trace elements, which can effectively accelerate the repair of damaged tissues in your body while avoiding placing a burden on your already overloaded internal organs.”
She pushed up her glasses, a flash of cold reflection glinting off the lenses, “Also, taste is not a consideration.”
“Tsk.”
Shinji made a sound of dissatisfaction, but still obediently scooped up a spoonful and put it into his mouth.
The moment it entered his mouth, his face turned green.
It was a terrible taste, a mixture of lettuce, unripe banana, and some unknown bitterness.
“Cough…
This is awful.”
Shinji swallowed it while fighting the urge to vomit, feeling as though his soul had withered by half because of this healthy taste, “If there’s a next time, remember to tell them to add some sugar.
I’m a patient, not a prisoner.”
“Sugar will aggravate the inflammatory response.”
Sirius ruthlessly rejected her boss’s request, “Additionally, regarding the matters you entrusted to me yesterday.”
She swiped her fingers across the computer a few times, then turned the screen toward Shinji.
“The registration procedures for New World Holdings have been completed in full.
Through our network in the Ministry of Justice, we bypassed the typically required two-week review period and completed the setup of the offshore structure in the Cayman Islands, with a registered capital of 1.5 million USD.”
Shinji glanced at the screen.
The electronic certificate on it clearly stated the legal representative: Shinji.
“Good efficiency.”
Shinji nodded and took another sip of the hellish vegetable juice, trying to mask one pain with another, “What about the office location?”
“Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 35th floor, Area B.”
Sirius pulled up a floor plan and several real-life photographs.
“The previous tenant was a foreign investment bank that withdrew from the Japanese market due to the burst of the internet bubble, leaving behind a complete set of high-end office renovations and a server room.
As long as we change the logo and access control system, we can move in at any time.
The view is expansive, and the security level is A-grade.”
Roppongi Hills.
Shinji’s eyes lit up.
In this era, that place was the center of wealth for Tokyo and even all of Asia; it was synonymous with winners.
Everyone who could move in there was a top predator in their respective industry.
“Very good, it fits my status perfectly.”
Shinji curled his lips in satisfaction, “What about the rent?”
“A three-month deposit and one month’s rent in advance, plus property management fees and Aegis’s special channel expedited fees…”
Sirius paused, then stated a number, “The initial payment will be approximately 80 million yen.”
“Small change.”
Shinji waved his hand, possessing quite the air of a nouveau riche.
“Additionally.”
Sirius continued, “Regarding this expedited registration, the setup of the offshore structure, the office location selection, and the special security services from last night until now…
the bill from Aegis has also been issued.”
She clicked on the last image and zoomed in on the number.
“A total of 320,000 USD (approximately 35 million yen).”
“Pfft, cough, cough, cough!”
The last sip of vegetable juice Shinji had just taken almost sprayed out.
He widened his eyes, staring fixedly at that number.
“How much?
Over 300,000 USD?
Why don’t you just go rob someone!”
He was frantically calculating in his mind.
35 million yen!
And this was just after one night!
He had never seen money being spent like water like this.
“This is a reasonable price that includes the expedited fees, relationship facilitation fees, and my own special duty fees.”
Sirius remained expressionless, even thoughtfully handing Shinji a napkin to wipe his mouth.
“Mr.
Matou, what you are purchasing is time, safety, and the privilege to move unimpeded in this country.
For you right now, isn’t time the most precious thing?”
Shinji grabbed the napkin and wiped his mouth fiercely.
He looked at Sirius’s matter-of-fact face, and the fire of jealousy burned fiercely in his heart.
In his past life, as a college student still worrying about internship wages, 300,000 USD was a massive sum he wouldn’t even dare to imagine.
And now, this was merely a service fee.
“Fine, I’ll pay it.”
Shinji said through gritted teeth.
Although it pained him, he had to admit that Sirius was right.
These early investments were for a thousand-fold or ten-thousand-fold return in the future.
Just wait until I buy Aegis later; let’s see if you can still be arrogant in front of this young master?
“But, since you’ve charged such a high price, if the next things aren’t handled well, I will definitely file a complaint.”
Sirius placed the silver metal case on the tea table, opened it, took out a stack of neatly organized folders, and pushed them in front of Shinji.
“Boss, this is the first list of core employee candidates, screened based on your requirements: clean backgrounds, outstanding abilities, and a sufficient desire for money.”
Sirius’s voice remained that same cold, flat tone, “The headhunting company and Aegis’s intelligence network worked through the night, and we have currently locked in seven candidates.
Three are responsible for finance and investment execution, two are responsible for administrative coordination, and two are legal advisors.”
Shinji leaned back in his chair somewhat lazily and casually picked up the one on top.
“Let me see what the elites of this era look like.”
The first resume was a middle-aged man in his early forties, a former senior analyst at Nomura Securities who had been pushed out due to a failed aggressive short-selling attempt and was in urgent need of money to cover household expenses and maintain his crumbling middle-class dignity.
“A typical gambler’s mentality, but here, he only needs to obediently execute orders.”
Shinji casually tossed the resume onto the ‘approved’ pile, “Keep him; people like this are easy to control.”
The next few were standard.
There was a math genius who had just graduated from Todai but couldn’t find a good job because of his reclusive personality, and a trader who had spent years on Wall Street but returned home in anger because of the ‘bamboo ceiling’.