Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Hey, Old Man
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"I've never had acquaintances with faces as rough as yours."
"Lord Ryoma himself has acknowledged you, so it's only fitting we treat you with the respect you deserve."
Who acknowledged me?
Ryoma?
What the hell? What did he even do with me to 'acknowledge' anything? All I did was unilaterally dismantle Kenji and his board of directors single-handedly. Was he nursing some weird rival consciousness all by himself? This guy's got a surprisingly childish side. Figures—those scheming strategist types always get into these bizarre competitions.
As I made a dumbfounded face, the burly guy awkwardly scratched his sideburns and added a few words.
"Well... they say a hero recognizes another hero."
Yeah, I'm a hero, sure. The protagonist one.
But what kind of hero is a thug vice-head like Ryoma? Man, gangsters always overhype themselves.
Anyway, I cut straight to the chase.
"Got it. So you're here to take Kenji away?"
"Yes."
"Hmm..."
The reason Ryoma's crew was hauling off the wrecked Kenji was obvious.
They'd use that slick trick they pulled to steal Harumi's dad's shares—snatch Kenji's stake too, slap a premium on it, and flip it to someone else.
He didn't strike me as the type to cling to a lost battlefield, so this was just him cleanly maximizing profits before bailing.
Still, no can do. The crimes this guy's committed are way too heavy for a neat little "accident" disguised as death.
I slowly shook my head, and they pulled off another surprising move.
Without hesitation, they raised both hands and backed away.
"...Huh? That's it? No fighting or anything?"
"As if we could dare."
Smart guys.
Pretty sharp, huh?
They turned tail with disappointingly little fuss. Guess they were just testing the waters.
"Then we'll be off. Stay safe."
"That a threat?"
"No way. Not in front of the Nightmare of Nishikiyo."
That nickname makes my face burn every time I hear it.
"Tch. Anyway, get lost."
"Yes, sir."
"Later."
The burly guys left, and I opened the banquet hall door again.
The last agenda item was done, and the shareholders' meeting was wrapping up.
I needed a quick breather outside anyway.
I'd stuffed the passed-out Kenji in a storage closet near the hall, locked it, and called the elevator.
"Tsk... what the hell do I do with that bastard?"
Tough call.
Just calling up Mesui like old times might work, but Kenji's a total outsider to the academy now, and he still officially holds 38% of a mid-sized company's shares. Taking him out would be leagues harder than dealing with a few campus punks.
*Ding!*
I rode the elevator down, pondering ways to off Kenji, when a smell hit me—like roasting sweet potatoes, but not the appetizing kind. More like... vaguely unpleasant and musty.
Someone's puffing on one of those cigar-style vapes.
Is there a smoking area around here?
I glanced around, and sure enough, there was a guy in the outdoor smoking zone with an electronic cigarette.
Straight-backed, with a chilling vibe.
"Ryoma...?"
Had Ryoma come personally too?
That faint lack of regular cigarette stink on your typical middle-aged Japanese guy must've been from those heat-not-burn sticks. Sticking to the smoking area like that? Not a litterbug. Model smoker.
Anyway, back to Kenji...
Hold up.
I nearly walked past, then a brilliant idea struck.
Was I overthinking the Kurogami family as enemies?
Maybe hand it off to them?
Approaching them myself to suggest cleanup might come off as a massive insult—like rubbing it in their faces. But gauging the family head Ryuichi or Ryoma's personalities, they don't seem to see me as hostile. These guys are basically neutral evil—doing any shady, profitable business that comes their way.
Except Reina Kurogami, who's like a feral pup born under the tiger's shadow.
Nothing to lose by trying. Go pitch it.
If they bite, great. If they take it as an insult and turn hostile... then I'll smash them with everything I've got.
I strolled casually into the smoking area and waved.
"Ryoma-san. Fancy meeting you again."
He just stared at me with those glassy, expressionless eyes.
Time to bluff a bit.
"Man, tracking down that CCTV footage was a pain."
"?"
Ryoma twitched an eyebrow. What're you on about?
"Heh. Playing dumb, huh? The footage of the car that rammed Harumi's parents' sedan and fled."
"What are you talking about?"
He exhaled about half the vapor as he replied. His icy poker face didn't budge, but responding at all was answer enough. The out-of-left-field claim must've triggered an unconscious reaction.
"No more boring dick-measuring contests between us guys... creeps me out."
At my cheeky jab, Ryoma made a weird face, took his final drag, popped the cartridge out of the device, and tossed it in the trash.
Then, astonishingly, he covered his mouth and started chuckling.
"Heh heh heh."
What the hell's with this old man?
Did my humor land that hard?
What's so damn funny?
I cleared my throat and asked Ryoma,
"You know my nickname, right?"
"The Nightmare of Nishikiyo."
Instant reply.
No way a guy like him hadn't dug into the punk who wrecked his carefully laid plans. Especially since I'd stormed straight into Tachibana Trading's boardroom and personally lopped off every head there.
Ryoma had to have asked around about 'Yu Sanghyeon,' and the answer came back fast:
Some crazy Korean who single-handedly crushed a local outfit.
"Honestly, it's too childish for my taste, but whatever—glad you know it. Anyway, hate to brag, but I'm pretty damn capable. I wiped out your illegal porn drive ops and ledgers clean, forced a bunch of four- and five-term political fossils into retirement. You think I couldn't snag one lousy prefectural police CCTV?"
Pure bluff.
I'd poked around, sure, but hacking the prefectural PD's data center on top of everything else? No shot in that timeframe.
But to a Kurogami, my name wasn't just hot air anymore.
"...I see."
Ambiguous expression.
Could've been him buying the bluff—or knowing it was one but acknowledging my position let me bluff like that anyway.
"I heard from the family head... but you're utterly unpredictable. A highly dangerous man."
Strategists hate uncontrollable variables.
"Oh yeah? I'll take that as a compliment."
"However... this time, know that I've accommodated you to some degree."
Like an apology for his nephew's mess—not dragging things out dirty. His brother—the family head—had already apologized and left, but Ryoma had his own code of honor. Appreciate it.
Makes sense. After the head himself stepped up, disowned his own daughter in a shocking atonement, and left—no way Ryoma hadn't heard the name 'Yu Sanghyeon' by now.
Judging he had nothing more to say, Ryoma turned to leave.
"Let's not cross paths again."
He stopped dead.
Then turned back and spoke.
"Oh, and..."
Hm?
"The previous CEO couple at Tachibana Trading... that really was an unfortunate accident. Whether Kenji orchestrated it, I don't know. But it wasn't me. Of course, afterward, I did carve up the shares with some 'special' methods. Point is, I just timed it perfectly for the kill—I didn't murder two innocent people."
Huh.
So I'd assumed this guy offed Harumi's parents and took the company. Guess he didn't go that far.
A high-IQ thug like him could totally spin that lie, though.
Whoosh!
Sensing my doubt, he tossed me something. Caught it—a micro SD card, perfect for a dashcam.
"Dump truck's storage. License plate's in there too... track down the owner, and you'll see I'm telling the truth."
Going this far? Pretty much confirms it.
With the battle a total wipeout already, he probably didn't want pointless beef with a threat like me.
I'd declared Harumi my partner at the board meeting. From Ryoma's view, not clearing this up turns him into the killer of my in-laws. He'd want to dodge that misunderstanding.
"Later."
I called out to Ryoma as he walked away.
"Hey, old man! Hold up a sec."