[I'm doing my homework right now. Have you finished yours, Yuichi-kun?]
"Pfft."
Looking at the sticker Shiroko sent at the end, Marina couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
Then, her ten slender, pale fingers flew across the screen, editing the message and hitting send.
"Pfft, I didn't expect Yuichi-kun to be so narcissistic!"
...
About an hour later, looking at the alarm clock nearby with its hour hand already pointing to nine, Marina was suddenly startled.
'It feels like we barely exchanged a few words, so how has so much time passed?'
Looking at her homework that was still only half done, she hurriedly typed out a text message: [Let's stop here for today. I haven't finished my homework yet. If I don't do it, we'll both end up standing in the hallway as punishment tomorrow.]
Clutching the phone to her chest, a sweet smile played at the corners of Marina's lips.
The next morning, after waking Shiroko up, Mitsuko hurried off to work.
As soon as she arrived at the company, her secretary came up to greet her. "President, our company's stock dropped another three percent yesterday. Also, the people from the Takayanagi family are here!"
"I know! Where are they right now?"
"They are waiting in your office!"
Nodding and letting out a soft breath, Mitsuko strode toward her office.
Along the way, all the male employees watched her slender figure, a hint of greed revealing itself in their eyes.
But when Mitsuko turned her head, they wished they could bury their heads in their crotches.
They had certainly mastered the art of acting bold behind her back but completely subservient to her face!
Pushing open the office door and looking at the old man and the young man inside, a formal smile appeared on Mitsuko's face.
"Patriarch Takayanagi, you've arrived!"
The leader, a scrawny old man about 1.6 meters tall, shot a greedy glare at Mitsuko and said flatly, "I wonder how President Iwasaki's deliberations are going?"
"The current situation of the Hanyu Group is not looking good. If you don't make a decision quickly, I'm afraid that even if our Takayanagi family wants to help later, it will be beyond our power to save it."
Hearing this, Mitsuko's expression shifted as she recalled her secretary's report from earlier.
A moment later, she abruptly raised her head. "I can agree to your demands, but I also have one condition!"
"I'm all ears!"
"In three years, when Yuichi is capable of standing on his own, I will marry!"
"Does President Iwasaki know that this request is nothing short of a pipe dream?"
"This is my only condition. If you don't agree, then please leave!"
Mitsuko had her own considerations. If she married into the Takayanagi family right now, it would be hard to say whether the Hanyu Group would be surnamed Hanyu or Takayanagi in the future.
She didn't want this company, built from scratch by her older sister and brother-in-law, to ultimately fall into the hands of outsiders.
Its head could only bear the surname Hanyu.
After a long silence, the old man finally spoke slowly. "Fine! I can agree to this condition, but you must consummate the marriage with my son tonight!"
"I have already agreed to your condition. If you refuse, then I will find it very hard to believe in President Iwasaki's sincerity!"
Sensing the threat in his words, Mitsuko's expression changed again. Just as she was about to agree, her secretary suddenly pushed the door open, her face full of joy.
"President! President! Good news! Great news!"
The secretary's appearance allowed Mitsuko to breathe a sigh of relief, and she hurriedly asked, "What good news?"
"Shenghe Investment Company stated that they are willing to invest nine billion yen into our Hanyu Group!"
"Really?!"
Hearing this news, Mitsuko's beautiful eyes suddenly widened, her stunning face filled with disbelief.
It should be known that the Hanyu Group currently only needed five billion yen to escape their predicament.
If they had this nine billion, not only would they be able to rise from the ashes, but the company could completely reach a new level.
"It's true! I've already spoken with their president, and they've already transferred a two billion deposit into our account!"
"That's impossible?!"
As soon as this news came out, before Mitsuko could say anything, the old man beside them was the first to lose his composure.
They hadn't even negotiated anything yet, and two billion was directly transferred over. Even in a dream, no one would dare do such a thing, right?
Moreover, he had already secretly contacted basically all the local investment companies in Japan.
How could anyone risk offending the Takayanagi family to help a Hanyu Group that had absolutely nothing to do with them?
Seeing his reaction, Mitsuko felt incredibly refreshed. A smile captivating enough to charm all living beings appeared on her face. "It seems I no longer need to agree to Patriarch Takayanagi's conditions?"
"Hmph! The authenticity of this matter has yet to be verified. President Iwasaki had better not make a mistake!"
"Then I won't trouble Patriarch Takayanagi to worry about it!"
Snorting coldly once more, the old man left with the young man beside him.
Watching their retreating backs, Mitsuko felt a massive weight lift off her shoulders.
'When I get home tonight, I'll have to celebrate properly with Yuichi-kun.'
Just as he walked out of the Hanyu Group's main entrance and was preparing to call someone to investigate the background of this Shenghe Investment Group, his phone suddenly rang.
Seeing the caller ID, the old man's expression changed slightly. He hurriedly answered it and said respectfully, "My Lord!"
"Takayanagi Tomozo, you useless piece of trash who can't accomplish anything but ruins everything, do you know how much trouble you've caused me..."
Faced with the "greetings" coming from the receiver, the old man didn't dare to offer the slightest rebuttal, only bowing his back and listening respectfully.
After a long while, the other party seemed to have grown tired of scolding. Leaving behind the sentence, "The Hanyu Group cannot be touched; a big shot is looking after them," they hung up the phone.
Listening to the dial tone coming from the phone, the old man glanced back at the Hanyu Group, his face turning blue and red in turns.
He hadn't expected that even with Hanyu Hiroki and his wife dead, there would still be someone backing the Hanyu Group.
His original plan of taking down Iwasaki Mitsuko first and then gradually encroaching upon the Hanyu Group was now completely bankrupt.
"Go to the Takutomi Group. I refuse to believe they also have a big shot looking after them behind the scenes!"
Spitting out the words resentfully, the old man set off toward a sedan parked not far away.
Meanwhile, a somewhat inexplicable look flashed through the eyes of the gentle-looking young man behind him.