Chapter 12: No. 2!
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Shiraki Kei."
Shiraki Kei extended his hand, shaking the middle-aged man's, a flicker of thought in his eyes.
...
Tonegawa Yukio.
The Teiai Group's No. 2—their second-in-command. He was Chairman Hyodo Kazutaka's right-hand man, a man possessing both overwhelming insight and a demon's willpower.
A person who could climb to such a high position in a mega-corporation was a rare sight in all of Tokyo, someone who normally dealt in matters calculated in the "billions." He was the elite of the elite.
Shiraki Kei was truly surprised. He never expected this man to be the one to come and negotiate.
Even if his family's plot of land could touch a value in the "billions," this was, at its core, just a private loan. Tonegawa had no reason to come personally.
Or perhaps... the "truth" behind last night's underground fight had forced his hand?
...
Shiraki Kei's eyes shifted. He looked behind Tonegawa and, just as he expected...
Three more men got out of the car, all familiar faces from last night: the two Teiai men in black, and the Grisly Tooth Gang's boss, Inoue Kan'ya.
This time, the boss had none of his previous arrogance. He was tense, covered in sweat, and his expression was absolutely foul.
"Yo, Inoue-bro! And you two!"
Shiraki Kei raised a hand in greeting. The boss didn't have the mental energy to respond, but the two men in black gave a slight nod, their expressions surprised.
Shiraki Kei was too natural.
As Tonegawa's subordinates, the two men in black had seen him personally go to collect from a defiant company president before.
Back then, Sir Tonegawa's aura alone had terrified the old deadbeat into silence, so scared he slumped in his seat, unable to even haggle.
Now, although Sir Tonegawa hadn't gone "full power," his high-ranking aura was still present. A normal person would be crushed by it.
Yet Shiraki Kei was completely unfazed, calmly meeting Tonegawa's gaze as they sized each other up.
Wait, haven't Shiraki Kei and Sir Tonegawa been staring for a bit... long?
...zawazawazawa...
The two were silent for a long time.
Gradually, the men in black noticed something was wrong.
Shiraki Kei was 187cm tall. Sir Tonegawa was nearly 180cm. Both were "tall."
But in that moment, to the onlookers, both men seemed "taller." So tall they had to look up at them!
If they had to explain it... was it their aura?
The two men radiated completely different auras, but they had the same level of presence. It was impossible to look away.
The air itself seemed to blur. After more than ten seconds, Shiraki Kei and Tonegawa both let out a "Pfft!" and burst out laughing.
"As expected of someone from the 'underground world.' I know what to do."
Tonegawa's expression relaxed. He suddenly bowed his head slightly, his face serious. "I am truly sorry for this incident!"
"...Ehh?!"
The two men in black couldn't help but gasp.
They never imagined the Sir Tonegawa would be the first to apologize!
They weren't the only ones. Shiraki Kei was also surprised, but after a moment's thought, he understood the key to the situation.
Shiraki Kei grinned. "Sir Tonegawa, did you prepare two different scripts for this?"
"No. More than two."
Tonegawa loved talking to smart people. He smiled faintly. "Entrepreneurs, ordinary people, deadbeats, people from the underground... everyone gets a different negotiation style."
This was the Teiai Group's No. 2!
In terms of pure hand-to-hand combat, Tonegawa the "businessman" was no match for Shiraki Kei. Physical intimidation was useless, so it was better to be frank from the start.
You don't hit a smiling face. Besides, Shiraki Kei had connections to that Katahara Metsudo. There was no need to act high and mighty.
"Please, come in."
Shiraki Kei stepped aside, inviting the four men into the lot. He set out a table and hot water.
Although he wasn't thirsty, Tonegawa took a perfectly measured sip.
The two men in black followed his lead. Only the Grisly Tooth boss knelt by himself on the ground, hair disheveled, so tense he was practically vibrating.
"Down to business."
Tonegawa waved, and one of his men placed a file in front of Shiraki Kei.
"The Grisly Tooth Gang and my company, Teiai, have a working relationship. They help us collect on... difficult debts."
"A short time ago, the Grisly Tooth Gang received a commission. The client offered a huge sum. They wanted to see an unofficial Kengan match, but they demanded the outcome be fixed."
"Suspicious, right? But the client paid too much. So much, these idiots didn't stop to think."
"And so, this gang's leader—Inoue Kan'ya—came to you. He planned for you to fight a match you were guaranteed to lose, while simultaneously collecting the debt on this land."
"I won't make excuses for my company. My debt collectors were also fooled by his story. They had no idea of the danger involved."
Tonegawa sighed heavily.
"If they had thought about it, they'd have realized: forcing a registered Kengan fighter to throw a match not only ruins the Kengan Association's reputation, it also offends all their member corporations."
"Thankfully—you won."
Tonegawa looked at Shiraki Kei. "It still pissed off the Kengan Association, but this was the best possible outcome. We are truly grateful."
"As for the 'client,' they used a fake identity. Our follow-up investigation turned up no leads. My apologies."
...
With that, the full story became clear.
Tonegawa's show of goodwill made things much easier for Shiraki Kei, who immediately asked about the debt.
Tonegawa produced another contract.
"As an apology and a punishment, all costs, compensation, and clean-up from this underground match, as well as a portion of your debt, will be shouldered by the Grisly Tooth Gang."
"As for your family's debt, it will be reduced to twenty million yen. No further interest will be calculated."
"—This is the absolute best we can offer."
As he said this, Tonegawa raised an eyebrow at Shiraki Kei. "That's not a problem for you, is it?"
...
Shiraki Kei rubbed his chin, his mind racing.
In terms of sincerity and apology, Tonegawa's side had been more than generous. After all, his previous medical bills alone had cost nearly that much.
This new deal was basically Teiai providing a low-interest loan, not much different from a bank.
Wiping out ten million yen and stopping the interest was, without a doubt, an excellent result.
...
Shiraki Kei was about to agree when the Grisly Tooth boss suddenly shouted.
"Wait!"
The boss, ignoring his image, scrambled to the table on his hands and knees, waving his hands. "This isn't right! You can't!"
According to Tonegawa's proposal, the Grisly Tooth Gang would have to cover Kei's 10-million-yen debt reduction, plus all the costs from the match, totaling around twenty million yen.
The gang had just been abandoned by their superiors, the Jinwa-gumi. His men had scattered. He was a general with no army.
If Shiraki Kei agreed, he alone would be on the hook for twenty million. He could never pay it back!
"Sir Tonegawa! Brother Kei! Let's... let's renegotiate!"
The boss stammered, "I... I and Brother Kei... or just me! We'll track down the client! We'll give Teiai an answer! If we succeed, just wipe out the whole debt!"
"Hey, Brother Kei! Your family can't pay back twenty million either, right? Let's propose this to Teiai together! We'll find the real culprit..."
Before the boss could finish, Tonegawa cut him off with a roar. "You spineless trash!"
The boss froze, his hair drooping in front of his face. "...Huh?!"
Before he could argue, he saw Shiraki Kei sign the new contract.
The boss went limp and collapsed to the ground.
Tonegawa glanced at the boss, who was now just a puddle on the floor, and waved dismissively, letting his men drag him away. "Idiot. Don't assume the world is your mother!"
Shiraki Kei felt the same way.
The cost of his medical treatment had been real. No bank would have approved a loan for Arisa, a minor. If not for this loan from Teiai, he wasn't sure his family would have survived the past few years.
From that perspective, Teiai's money had been a lifeline.
You pay back what you owe. Shiraki Kei had no intention of haggling.
...
Tonegawa checked the contract. It was in duplicate. He filed his copy.
"According to this contract, if you still cannot repay the twenty million yen within one year, this plot of land will belong to the Teiai Group. Are we clear?"
Shiraki Kei nodded, smiling. "Perfectly."
"Very good. We have imposed enough. Thank you for your hospitality."
Tonegawa stood and left.
...
...
Tonegawa settled into the back seat of the black sedan.
The boss was still a lump in the passenger seat. One man in black drove; the other sat next to Tonegawa.
Tonegawa tossed the contract to the man beside him. "Stop any development plans for that land. Find another solution."
"What?!"
Both men in black were confused. "Sir Tonegawa, you saw the Shiraki family's situation. How can they possibly come up with twenty million in one year? There's no need to abandon the development plan!"
"Idiots!"
Tonegawa snapped again. He sighed. "How many times have I told you? You have to look at a person's 'spirit'."
"A deadbeat who just drifts... is not in the same category as a 'talent' who can turn the tables. They're not even the same species!"
"That man, Shiraki Kei, will definitely find a way to make twenty million. He'll probably do it soon. We don't even need to consider the possibility of failure!"
"Hmph. Besides, we have other business."
Tonegawa rubbed his temples, his expression shifting.
"We must find out who that 'client' was... the one who commissioned the Grisly Tooth Gang and tried to play the Teiai Group."