Chapter 158
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Proposal (2)
Adopted grandson.
It wasn't referring to the two arms hanging from your shoulders.
The term meant an adopted grandson.
And.
"Takuya, how about becoming my adopted grandson?"
That was the proposal from the perverted old geezer sitting in front of me.
'Suddenly asking me to be your adopted grandson? What is this, One Piece?'
I was thrown off by the mention of "adopted grandson."
Honestly, it was just so out of left field.
'No, didn't you come here suspicious that I had some weird power? Was it actually just to recruit me as an ally?'
I was caught off guard for a moment, but once I thought about it rationally, the idea of becoming his adopted grandson started to make sense.
All it took was a little brainpower.
How invaluable would a young man with the overwhelming power to stop time be to the Toho mu family?
Of course, this all hinged on the assumption that the old man fully believed I possessed such abilities.
Honestly, I had no idea what the geezer was really thinking.
If he were the type whose intentions were somewhat transparent, it would've been easy to guess, but he was so utterly insane that I couldn't even begin to read him.
In any case, having roughly figured out why Yuzuke the old man had made that offer, Takuya took a moment to study the geezer's expression, trying to gauge the intent behind his words, only to realize it was pointless.
There was no way to extract any useful information from that mad old man's face.
Even if I could, distinguishing genuine emotion from fakery would be impossible.
So, I asked the most straightforward question.
"What do I gain if I become your adopted grandson?"
My question caught Yuzuke the old man slightly off guard; he looked surprised.
He probably expected me to panic, but I've lived a pretty wild life myself.
Was I really going to freak out over something like this?
Anyway, after my response, Yuzuke the old man blinked in mild shock at first, then grinned and handed me a document from his drawer.
I opened it with a puzzled look, and I couldn't help but be stunned.
It contained detailed information on the three companies that Miyuki and I owned.
Takuya was shocked, but he couldn't fathom why Yuzuke was showing him this document.
Reading my expression, Yuzuke the old man kindly explained.
"It looks like you've been splitting up shares in anticipation of going public, trying to obscure things."
His words sent chills down Takuya's spine, and a flicker of killing intent escaped him.
Not content with digging around on his own, he'd gone this far with investigations.
Was he picking a fight?
But Takuya's thoughts didn't linger long.
"Don't glare at me like that. I'm not showing you this to threaten or blackmail you."
At Yuzuke the old man's words, I nodded and reined in my killing intent for now.
Then I mulled over what he'd said.
I wasn't an expert on this stuff myself.
But I knew that if you wanted to hide being the majority shareholder while playing politics, you had to break it up into shell companies.
That's why we'd set up ghost companies and diligently divided the shares—but apparently, in front of this old monster, it was like a puppy trying to guard against a wolf.
Thanks to that, Takuya's internal evaluation of the geezer shot up, even as his wariness spiked right alongside it.
Perhaps sensing Takuya's shift.
Yuzuke the old man grinned and continued.
"No need to worry. I'm not trying to do anything to you with this—I'm offering help."
"Help?"
In response to my question, Yuzuke the old man nodded and said.
"You asked what you'd gain if you became my adopted grandson? The answer's simple. I can provide connections to handle issues like this."
At those words from Yuzuke the old man, Takuya's pupils trembled.
Takuya might have only dabbled in politics at a novice level, and there was that incident where all his power got stripped midway, but he was still someone who'd been involved in it.
He knew full well how crucial connections were.
No—heck, he'd survived that war precisely because of those connections.
So he understood just how massive the "connections" Yuzuke was offering truly were.
But.
"If that's all you're offering to take me in as an adopted grandson, that's not enough."
Takuya possessed a far superior tool for building connections: hypnosis.
It was tempting, but its value was inevitably less than it would be for an ordinary person.
Yuzuke the old man nodded at Takuya's words.
"Fair enough. Then I'll give you Japan's greatest weapon."
"The greatest weapon?"
"The position of family head."
What?
Takuya thought he'd misheard for a second.
No, handing over the family head position? Why on earth?
It was such an outrageous condition that Takuya stared blankly, and Yuzuke the old man spoke up at his expression.
"Sure, I'm the kind of scum who hands his sons' women over to others, but that doesn't mean I don't care about the family at all. If there's talent that can bring profit to the Toho mu family—no, elevate its status—then I need to reel them in with the family head position if that's what it takes. Besides, it's not unheard of for an adopted son to become head."
Even so, the family head position was far too much.
As Takuya still couldn't wrap his head around it, Yuzuke continued.
"Truth is, the era of family clans is slowly fading. We can still wield plenty of power for now, but times are changing. Most people don't notice, but I've watched humans more closely than anyone, and I can see it."
The old man said this proudly, then went on to explain.
"Times change due to technological innovations or societal shifts, sure—but I'd argue it's far more due to complex economic factors."
Yuzuke the old man continued like this.
"The bubble economy halted Japan's growth. It turned full-time jobs into precarious gigs, mercilessly tore apart countless families, left broke students selling their bodies, and drove jobless young people into hiding in their rooms. That sparked Japan's slide into extreme individualism. The bubble ruined the future for Japan's youth."
He muttered this without pause, then took a deep breath and said.
"Hoo... The world is growing colder. The era where groups came before individuals is giving way to one chasing money and freedom over collectives and nations. In that world, the family head position—at best—will be nothing more than a symbol, no more, no less. That's what I'm convinced of, at least."
His words left me stunned.
What Yuzuke the old man was seeing wasn't just 10 or 20 years ahead—it was at least 30, the world after his death.
And Takuya, who knew this era, judged the old man's assessment spot-on.
But I couldn't exactly say that out loud.
Instead, Takuya asked.
"Is that the only reason you're making me your adopted grandson—and handing me the family head position? What if I take it and ruin the Toho mu family?"
"Doesn't matter."
To his question, Yuzuke the old man replied with a serious face.
"I've already set aside enough for my kids and grandkids to live comfortably. The family retainers are in a similar boat. If you swallowed the whole clan as is, it'd just go from a prestigious house to a rootless one."
The implication was clear: he'd given his children everything they needed, had nothing left to lose, so he'd boldly bet the family on me for its sake.
Well, maybe a slight nuance difference, but it was every bit as absurd and audacious.
As Takuya pondered this, Yuzuke the old man added lightly.
"Well, truth be told, it's not just your abilities that make me want you as an adopted grandson."
There was more to it than abilities?
Takuya was a bit surprised but curious enough to ask why the old man wanted to recruit him, only to end up bursting into dry laughter.
"You're the only one who can film a ton of videos that suit my tastes."
It was that ridiculous—bordering on dizzying.
Dizzying, yes, but perfectly in character for this perverted geezer.
Yuzuke the old man extended his hand to me as he said this and asked.
"So, what do you say to my proposal?"
Having heard it all, I thought for a moment, then took the old man's proffered hand and said.
"I'll accept your proposal."
I accepted the proposal.
"But on two conditions."
With conditions, of course.
"One: if you take me in as an adopted grandson, you give me your full support. And two: remember that you and I are equals."
I wasn't just tacking on conditions, though. I turned down the family head position he'd promised.
"In exchange, I decline the family head position."
To be precise, I rejected it because the schedules, etiquette, and formalities that came with it sounded like a hassle.
I wasn't big on that kind of pomp and ceremony to begin with.
Sure, if I absolutely had to, I'd grimace through it—but my heart wouldn't be in it. Why would someone like me take a seat drowning in such frivolities?
I just wanted to pull strings from the shadows.
Plus, it felt bad for Nozomi, who'd worked hardest for the head position, and for Iko and Yui, who'd have to deal with fallout.
Becoming head would grant massive authority, but by the time I'd be taking it, no one in the family would have more power than me anyway.
Of course, for that to happen.
"So, as long as you uphold those conditions, I promise I won't let the family fall into ruin."
As long as I properly grew the businesses, that is.
Yuzuke the old man quietly nodded at my answer.
And with that, our deal was sealed.