I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 114 Aunt
The quiet courtyard under the moonlight.

A few flowers bloom freely, while the artificial hill and stream flow quietly.

The courtyard, usually bustling and vibrant, was now somewhat deserted. The lonely moonlight cast its silvery glow, illuminating the white peaks, red leaves, and gray hairs of the trees.

She seemed to have never known what sorrow was before, nor did she seem to understand the hardships of life.

After all, being born into such a family meant enjoying too many privileges, and being pampered by everyone from a young age.

Even as she grew a little older, she began to feel a bit distressed, as life seemed not as free as she had imagined, and she even felt that everything she enjoyed might be a kind of constraint.

Until her father's accident happened.

Suddenly, all the burdens were lifted.

A vast family and a massive business fell upon her shoulders. Suddenly, she became the focus of everyone's attention. Although these were not things she wanted, and she hadn't prepared for them much beforehand.

But people in certain positions and circumstances are often powerless, like being pushed along by the tide. Even if they don't want to, they are forced to do it, and even forced to do it to the best of their ability.

She then realized how much pressure her father had been under every day. She realized that things weren't as easy as she had thought.

But the problems they faced weren't just these messes; there were many more, even more dangerous, things looming before them. It was like a dark cloud with no way out, a night without light.

She sat quietly on the edge of the corridor, her bare feet swaying slightly.

In her memory, she hadn't felt this calm in a long time. But what was the price of this calm? No one she could trust by her side, and the so-called future shrouded in mist, a bewildering uncertainty she couldn't see through.

Suddenly, a noise came from outside the courtyard.

The young woman with long gray hair frowned, lightly jumped down the corridor, and put on her shoes.

"Miss!"

Someone was calling from outside the door.

Shiramine Koyo stepped forward and opened the gate.

Upon seeing the man in the black suit in front of her, she asked, "What is it?"

"Miss, someone is looking for you. He claims to be Kitagawa Shirofu."

"Kitagawa Chenguo?"

The name sounds familiar, but I can't quite place where I've heard it before.

"Hmm, it seems to be one of Vice Chairman Nakajima's people."

After being reminded of the name, the gray-haired woman immediately realized where she had heard it before.

One of the group leaders under Daigo Nakajima, she has been studying everything about Daigo Nakajima almost every day since taking over the business after her father's accident. She understands deeply.

This man, who seems to have had a long-standing relationship with his father and whom he himself has called "uncle" many times, is definitely more ambitious than he appears on the surface.

He always claims he'll help me handle Baifeng's affairs, but it's clear he hasn't relinquished any of his power. His so-called support is just a pretext for his own rise to power.

Shiramine Koyo certainly had the awareness and courage to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the family, but everyone could see through his outward strength. Nakajima Daigo held an absolute advantage, possessing resources and money-making channels that made the members willingly follow him.

The feeling of wanting to do something but being powerless has never disappeared.

So why has one of their key subordinates come to find me? To demonstrate? To warn me?

She didn't know, but she needed to see him.

"Bring your men to the tea room."

"Yes."

Baifeng Hongye turned and left, then went to the tea room and sat down quietly in advance.

Not long after, when Kitagawa Shiroo, looking somewhat disheveled, appeared, she found it absurd. This man, one of Daigo Nakajima's trusted subordinates, appeared like a refugee fleeing a war.

Looking at himself, he no longer had the carefree attitude he used to have; in fact, he seemed somewhat timid and hesitant.

But for some inexplicable reason, Shiramine Koyo didn't feel that he was afraid of her; it seemed as if he was worried about something else.

"Hello, Miss Shiramine, I am Kitagawa Shiroo."

Kitagawa Shiro did not sit down immediately, but bowed and introduced himself.

Shiramine Koyo maintained her indifferent expression without smiling, and said calmly, "Sit down and let's talk."

"Thank you, Miss Bai Feng."

"If I remember correctly, you've always been working for Vice Chairman Nakajima, so how did you end up here?"

Kitagawa Shiro gave an awkward laugh. "What you're saying... isn't working for Vice Chairman Nakajima the same as working for Shiro Feng? Essentially, it's all about working for you."

Bai Feng Hongye said coldly, "There's no need for this kind of flattery. You and I both know very well what Bai Feng's situation is right now. At such a sensitive time, you probably didn't come just to flatter me, did you?"

Kitagawa Shiro pursed his dry lips and scratched his messy, no-longer-handsome hair.

"Well, actually it's like this. I'm very grateful to Ms. Bai Feng for giving me the opportunity to meet. I'd like to ask Ms. Bai Feng something."

"what's up?"

"Can you...can you save me?"

"."

Bai Feng Hongye was stunned for a moment. Save him?
What did he do wrong? Or was he used as a pawn by Daigo Nakajima for some reason, and that's why he came to me for help? If that's the case, then his arrival is pointless, and might even be the trigger that disrupts the delicate balance between me and Daigo Nakajima.

After all, the thing these high-ranking and powerful figures hate most is having their subordinates defect to their rivals.

Despite his usual calm and composed demeanor, Daigo Nakajima, as his father had repeatedly reminded him, was a tiger skilled at disguise and full of patience.

If you underestimate him or ignore him, he might kill you with a single blow.

"What do you mean by 'protecting you'?"

She asked.

Kitagawa Shiro looked earnestly at Shiramine Momiji, "I want to pledge my allegiance to you."

"You've defected? You're no longer working for Daigo Nakajima?"

This is hard to understand. If it weren't for the fact that the Hakufeng family's succession model still exists, she believes that many people would have chosen to pledge allegiance to Daigo Nakajima by now, and some might have chosen to be loyal to her because they wanted to gamble big.

What reason would Kitagawa Shiroo, who was already under Nakajima Daigo's command, have to defect to him? Why would he give up the opportunity to make more money, give up the fruits of Nakajima Daigo's greater winning streak, and risk being purged by Nakajima Daigo to defect to him?

Unless he had committed some taboo that Daigo Nakajima could not forgive, she couldn't think of any reason. And it was on this otherwise unremarkable night.

"Well, I think Miss Shiramine is currently questioning my motives, and I really can't give you a reason that can convince you. I hope Miss Shiramine believes that I didn't choose to side with you because I did something wrong that displeased Vice President Nakajima, but rather..."

Shiramine Momiji's eyes remained unmoved. She had actually made up her mind around this time that she couldn't accept this person's allegiance. There were too many suspicious points; she couldn't trust him. Although this was one of Nakajima Daigo's tactics and schemes, it seemed clumsy and unlikely, and she didn't want to take such a risk.

Because she needs more time to maintain this delicate balance, cultivate her strength, and strive for a higher winning rate.

"Fine, I'll just tell the truth."

Kitagawa Shiro sighed, then looked at the other person helplessly.

"I've offended a powerful figure, and the way he's willing to let me off the hook is if he wants me to stop working for Vice Chairman Nakajima and start working for you instead. Actually, it wasn't me who offended him, it was Vice Chairman Nakajima who offended him."

"A master? Are you kidding me?"

Bai Feng Hongye was getting impatient. What kind of absurd reason was this? A master? Did you think this was a movie? Did Batman want you to reform yourself?

This reason was so stupid that Bai Feng Hongye was curious about how stupid he could be.
Kitagawa Shiro gave a wry smile. "I hope I'm joking with you. I know you might not believe me. But... you should know about something that happened recently, right? Sato Yuta died."

"I've heard about it."

Yuta Sato is also one of Daigo Nakajima's team leaders, so this matter has caused quite a stir. However, because of Daigo Nakajima, she has no way to intervene and find out what exactly happened; her subordinates are still investigating.

What does this have to do with the expert he mentioned? Could it be...?
"It's fair to say that Sato Yuta's death was entirely caused by that person. Not long ago, he also caught Nakajima Daigo's attention. So he sent me to keep an eye on him, hoping to make him one of Vice Chairman Nakajima's key figures. However, this move seems to have offended him. To be honest, I didn't expect his reaction to be so swift and decisive. Just tonight, before I came here, he taught me a lesson." "Teach you a lesson?"

Kitagawa Shiro said with a wry smile, "I brought more than ten men and two pistols, but even so, we were no match for him. He was all alone and resolved the problem without a scratch. I don't have much ambition, but I'm more afraid of death. And joining you is my only way to survive."

Shiramine Koyo, who initially didn't believe this claim at all, frowned.

So weird.

In this delicate balance, a seemingly crucial figure emerges. Is this someone Daigo Nakajima has his eye on, someone he wants to coerce into joining his side, but who actually wants to help him because he dislikes Nakajima's methods?

Why doesn't he come himself?

Could this be a fictional character, or one of Daigo Nakajima's schemes?

She was still somewhat skeptical, but her belief was beginning to waver. After all, Kitagawa Shiroo's decision to come here was quite risky. She could investigate afterward to see if Kitagawa Shiroo had actually angered Nakajima Daigo, which was why he came here.

If this reason is not present, and the possibility of a clumsy conspiracy is ruled out, then it seems that everything he said, which appeared unbelievable, became the only explanation.

Kitagawa Shiro smiled. "According to his own words, he doesn't like getting involved in these things, but someone insists on causing him trouble, so there's nothing he can do. He's made an enemy of Nakajima because of Sato Yuta. If Nakajima Daigo doesn't want to let this go, then he can only try to help Nakajima Daigo's rival. You're a smart man; you should understand some of the unspoken implications."

indeed.

Bai Feng Hongye wasn't stupid; she understood some of what the other person meant.

Simply put, a highly capable person who just wants to live a quiet life is forced to become entangled with a yakuza group like Daigo Nakajima because of Yuta Sato. Daigo Nakajima doesn't want such a person to work for others, nor does he want this grudge to remain unresolved.

So I want to control this person.

This person, however, was unwilling to accept this outcome. Therefore, his countermeasure was aimed at helping himself to deal with Daigo Nakajima and win the internal power struggle at the White Summit. He also hoped to be a clever man and not cause him the trouble that Nakajima had.

From the perspective of a wise hermit, it seems there's nothing wrong with this.

But why would he trust himself? And what makes him think he would believe such a statement, or his abilities?

This isn't a superhero movie; how could you possibly take down an entire organization by yourself?
It all sounds rather far-fetched.

“I understand these things, but the problem is how can I believe what you're saying is true? And even if it is true, how can I believe he can help me? Besides, he hasn't even shown up. If you were in his shoes, would you believe it?”

Kitagawa Shiro shook his head. "Of course I won't believe it if I've only heard it, and I don't know how to convince you. But this is truly my honest opinion. If you're unwilling to take me in and protect me, then you might see the news of my dead body lying in the street tomorrow. I have no other choice. And I can tell you that if you want to beat Nakajima Daigo, his willingness to intervene would be your best chance of winning."

"How will he make his move?"

Bai Feng Hongye asked, squinting his eyes.

The beautiful young woman did not have the same boldness that Kitagawa Shiroo had imagined, but that was perhaps a consolation; at least she was cautious enough.

He said he wanted to see my abilities, whether I could protect him, and whether I had the determination to fight Nakajima Daigo to the death even when I was at a disadvantage.

"What kind of help is this? If I believe him and he doesn't show up when the time comes, wouldn't that just mean he's making a show of us fighting each other? No one will care about his existence then, and he'll have achieved his goal?"

It also tests
This isn't some reclusive master; this guy thinks he's a god!
Does he treat everyone as his pawns? Where does he get such confidence and arrogance?

Shiramine Akie seems unable to comprehend this.

Kitagawa Shiro said with a wry smile, "There's nothing I can do about it. But he said he would meet with you once after you protected me and proved that you have some means. Now my life is entirely in your hands, and I don't know what to say."

Looking at Kitagawa Shirofumi in front of him.

Bai Feng Hongye couldn't help but stand up, and she squinted at him.

"Wait here for a moment, I'll go out and think about it."

Done.

Bai Feng Hongye walked out of the tea room.

She hadn't actually thought of any way to handle this unexpected development; it was so sudden that she wasn't prepared at all. Who would believe it if it happened to someone else?
She was even tempted to curse.

Until she arrived at the lobby.

"What's going on with Momiji? I heard that people from Nakajima came to see you?!"

A slightly shrill sound appeared.

Bai Feng Hongye looked at the other person; she was her nominal mother, not her biological mother.

Her face, which appeared to be heavily made up, was staring intently at me.

Seeing the other person's questioning expression, Shiramine Koyo felt a surge of irritation.

But he could only suppress his temper and say, "Yes. We talked about something."

"What are you talking about?"

The woman stepped forward and asked suspiciously.

Bai Feng Hongye shook her head. "It's nothing, we were just discussing whether they could join forces with us."

"Seek refuge? Are you crazy?!"

The woman's voice suddenly became shrill.

Shiramine Koyo frowned. "What are you talking about?"

The woman looked at the other woman with disbelief. "It wasn't easy for Chairman Nakajima to say he was willing to help our family clean up our businesses and get back on track. Won't what you're doing anger Chairman Nakajima? Do you want to see him take action against us?! Send them back right now! If you don't understand these things, you don't have to interfere in family affairs!"

Bai Feng Hongye clenched her fists slightly and looked coldly at the other person.

"He's just the vice president; the president you're talking about is still in the ICU. You really believe what he says? Do you really think he's doing this for our own good?"

The woman's eyes widened.

"If you don't believe him, who do you believe?! You know how covetous the Dragon Eagle Group is of us! If it weren't for Chairman Nakajima, could my daughter and I have held on until today? Why didn't your father teach you anything useful! I wonder what he'll think when he wakes up and sees the mess you left behind!"

The woman's words almost drained Shiramine Koyo of all her strength.

She didn't really want to argue with this foolish woman about these meaningless things, but she also didn't want her father to wake up one day to find not a stable situation, but a scene of devastation.

The consequences would be unbearable.

Even if she was unwilling when she took over this business, she didn't want to disappoint him.

And this woman was right about one thing: the Dragon Eagle Group coveted everything in the White Summit. They had no bottom line. As a rising force, they exerted pressure on him, as did Daigo Nakajima. Could he really withstand it?

The woman continued to chatter on.

"I told you long ago that you're a clueless kid who can't handle anything, yet he still insisted on putting you in charge. I think you're trying to get us all killed! You actually went and tried to win over Chairman Nakajima's people, what a pig-brain you are!"

"Who are you calling a pig-brain? By what right do you say such a thing?"

This time, however, it wasn't Shiramine Koyo herself who spoke.

Almost simultaneously, including the women, they all looked towards the entrance of the hall. There, a slender figure appeared.

At first, she remained hidden in the shadows, out of the light, until she gradually stepped out of the shadows and into the light.

Her aloof, world-weary face, and the beauty mark under her eye, gave her a unique aura that seemed to put any woman to shame.

"aunt."

Bai Feng Hongye stared blankly at her appearance, completely unexpected that this woman would appear at this time.

The woman who was Shiramine Momiji's stepmother was also stunned for a moment, and her voice trembled without her realizing it.

"Wangyue, what brings you here?"

……

(End of this chapter)