Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

Chapter 96 Zheng Yi Wouldn't Be So Gentle (6K Long Chapter)

The bidding process for the construction of the Mihana Municipal Building has begun.

Zhengyi's company was also invited.

Because Akemi Miyano had already started preparing for this project, and the tender documents and bidding team were all ready.

Akemi Miyano and Shoichi were sitting in the car, heading to participate in the bidding together.

Akemi Miyano was very uneasy.

If she succeeds in this bid, she will be able to see her younger sister.

The pie in Zheng Yi's picture is finally within reach.

However, she wasn't very confident.

The bidders were all renowned Japanese construction companies, and none of them had any impressive backgrounds.

Akemi Miyano also didn't believe that Shoichi's intimidation was so strong that he could make those people give up bidding.

“The Mihana Municipal Building took two years and eight months to complete its main structure. You’ve asked someone to change the tender deadline to six months. Do you think that’s feasible?” Akemi Miyano said.

The engineers calculated many times, but it was impossible to complete the project within six months.

Moreover, the construction of the Mihana Municipal Building began during the peak of the bubble economy.

Even if it were done now, it wouldn't be that efficient.

"Don't worry, it can be done. I trust my employees," Zheng Yi said.

Half a year is a long time; that's more than enough.

They can even build ten or eight identical buildings in half a year.

"Do as you please," Miyano Akemi said coldly.

If it can't be completed within six months, you'll be the one paying the penalty anyway. It would be better to let that bastard Zheng Yi go bankrupt and jump off a building.

This way, she and her sister wouldn't be under Zheng Yi's control anymore.

“Even if you use less time, you may not necessarily succeed in the election,” Miyano Akemi said.

"Do your best and leave the rest to fate," Zheng Yi said, leaning back in his chair.

We've done all we can; the rest is up to fate.

He believed that fate was on his side.

……

A black sedan is driving on Nihonbashi in Tokyo.

"I heard that Justice Construction is also participating in this bidding?" someone in the car asked.

"Mr. Kojima, there are indeed companies involved in the bidding process that advocate for justice."

Kojima's heart started pounding when he heard the name: "I've heard that Sumitomo Shoichi is extremely ruthless and enjoys killing his rivals. Will he try to harm us?"

"Probably not. There are so many competitors this time, and we're just an insignificant one. He wouldn't bother to deal with us."

"I hope so," Kojima muttered to himself.

"Moreover, Mr. Zhengyi has already toned it down a lot. In the previous bids for Zhengyi Construction, only one competitor died when the bids failed."

Kojima nodded: "Then it seems he has indeed restrained himself enough."

Previously, anyone who had a competitive relationship with him would die from murder, suicide, or accidental death.

Only one person has died recently, so it seems he really is cultivating his mind and body.

To be honest, their company is indeed not competitive enough.

The reason I came to participate in the bidding was simply to see if those big companies would fight tooth and nail, and then see if there was any opportunity to snag a bargain.

Moreover, even if they fail to win the bid for the main project, the remaining scraps will be enough for their company to make a living.

"Boom!"

"Screech!"

Kojima's body jerked forward, his heart pounding: "What's going on?"

Could it be that Zheng Yi's assassins have come?
"It should just be a normal rear-end collision, right?" the assistant said uncertainly.

While Xiaodao was feeling uneasy, several burly men dressed in black got out of the car that had rear-ended him and started banging on Xiaodao's car door while cursing.

"idiot!"

"Do any of you even know how to drive?"

"get out!"

The bodyguards inside the car naturally wouldn't stand idly by, and they opened the car door and started shoving each other with the people outside.

Kojima breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the commotion outside.

It was probably just a group of people with bad tempers who rear-ended each other; it certainly wasn't someone from the Zhengyi faction coming to deal with their rivals.

The people who rear-ended the car seemed to have very bad tempers.

It's clearly the fault of these bastards, yet they blame Kojima and the others for not knowing how to drive.

Their shoving intensified, and they even pulled Xiaodao, who was hiding in the car, out of the car. Fortunately, no one used excessive force.

All the actions stopped at pushing and shoving.

"Hey? My tender documents and laptop!" Kojima shouted loudly after seeing a man in black snatch his tender documents and laptop.

The bodyguards reacted quickly as well.

But it was too late; they could only watch helplessly as a man in black threw their bid documents and notebooks into the sea below the bridge.

"Come on!"

After their bid documents and notebooks were thrown into the sea, a man in black shouted.

All the other men in black quickly returned to their cars, and ignoring the bodyguards' attempts to stop them, they stepped on the gas and sped away.

Faced with a car going full speed ahead, no one dared to use their body to stop it.

Kojima leaned on the bridge railing, watching the bid documents drift away and the notebook sink into the water, and angrily pounded the railing.

After punching my hand until it hurt, I felt even worse inside.

"Those people, could they be sent by Sumitomo Shoichi?" the assistant whispered.

“Absolutely not.” Kojima shook his head.

Based on the rumors circulating in Zhengyi, these people definitely weren't sent by Zhengyi.

If it were Zheng Yi, the methods would definitely not be so gentle.

Kojima glanced at his watch.

The time for the bid opening is very close, and there is no time to print another copy of the bid and send it over.

Moreover, Kojima glanced at the car not far away.

Those bastards didn't go far at all; they were watching them from nearby.

Even if they rewrite the tender documents, it's just a matter of having these guys destroy them again.

"idiot!"

Xiaodao spat down the bridge.

Or perhaps they simply don't understand the bidding process for these large-scale projects, and are unaware of how despicable and treacherous their competitors can be; they brought too few bodyguards.

"Forget it, let's go back. There was no hope of winning the bid anyway," Kojima sighed.

At the same time, he secretly wished those guys well.

So what if you win the bid?
Such a massive project would surely make Zheng Yi unable to suppress his murderous intent.

……

"Hey?"

Zheng Yi answered an unfamiliar phone call with some doubt.

"Give up the bidding; you have no hope."

"Hmm?" Zheng Yi blinked.

Has someone threatened me?
What a novel experience.

Zheng Yi listened attentively to what the other person said and even turned on the recording.

This is the first time I've been threatened; it's a day to remember.

“If you give up this election, I will give you two million yen, so that you won’t have wasted so much time preparing.”

Seeing that Zheng Yi didn't reply immediately, the person on the other end of the phone continued:
"How about that? You definitely can't compete with Dacheng Construction."

Zheng Yi said, "Okay, my bank card number is ********. After you transfer the money to my card, I will definitely give up the bid."

"Very good, it's rare to see someone as sensible as you."

The person opposite praised, "Moreover, many companies have already accepted our money and given up bidding. Your choice is very wise."

"Okay, please transfer the money as soon as possible. I won't withdraw from the bidding until I see the money," Zheng Yi said.

I'll call you right away.

After hanging up the phone, Masakazu said to Akemi Miyano next to him, "That's great, someone's treating us to dinner."

Akemi Miyano couldn't help but chuckle softly.

The way business warfare works is this simple and unpretentious.

When they arrived at the bidding hall, there were already quite a few people there.

"What are you going to do?"

Just then, he saw a group of men in suits being pinned to the ground by a group of people dressed in brightly colored clothes.

Those people snatched their bid documents, tore them into tiny pieces right in front of them, and smashed their laptops.

After dealing with one group of people, those people were still not satisfied and continued to rush towards the crowd next to them.

Continue with the process from the previous batch.

Akemi Miyano stared in shock at the scene, her mouth agape, and couldn't help but ask Masakazu, "Did you send these people out?"

"No." Zheng Yi shook his head.

Akemi Miyano nodded, choosing to believe.

If it were Zheng Yi, the methods would definitely not be so gentle.

Judging from his code of conduct, he never seeks to solve problems, but rather the people who create them.

If it were Zheng Yi, then those people wouldn't have destroyed the tender documents and notebooks.

Instead, the goal is to eliminate those who participate in the bidding.

"This is outrageous! This is the election for the Beika City Hall, after all. The upper floors are full of Tokyo officials, and these people downstairs are acting so lawlessly," Zheng Yi said with dissatisfaction.

These people completely disregard Japanese law.

They've turned normal business competition into a chaotic mess, preventing truly capable companies from winning bids and thus hindering the construction of quality buildings.

Akemi Miyano stood silently beside Masakazu.

You don't seem to have the right to say such things; your methods are far more ruthless than theirs.

After dealing with two more groups of bidders, that group finally set their sights on Zheng Yi and his group.

"They've completely lost their minds." Zheng Yi shook his head.

Curaçao, along with Zheng Yi's other bodyguards, used stun guns to shock the guys until they were completely disoriented.

After these guys collapsed to the ground, they were thrown outside one by one by the bodyguards.

Business warfare is too brutal.

Without bodyguards, it's unimaginable what terrible things might happen.

Zheng Yi touched his pistol.

Without bodyguards, he had no choice but to shoot in order to protect himself.

"You must be Mr. Zhengyi. I've long admired your name."

A young woman in a red suit walked over and shook hands with Zheng Yi.

Akemi Miyano whispered to Masakazu, "Ms. Mao Koizumi of Kashima Construction is our competitor in the bidding for the Beika Municipal Building."

Kajima Corporation is one of Japan's oldest construction companies, specializing in high-rise buildings and public facilities. They are everyone's biggest competitor this time.

Mao Koizumi, dressed in a smart suit and sporting a short haircut, looked very confident and capable.

"Ms. Koizumi, I often hear people praise you for being very decisive and accurate in your business decisions."

"Thank you for your compliment." Mao Koizumi smiled.

She kept talking to Masakazu and Akemi Miyano, her eyes occasionally glancing at the tender documents in Curaçao's hand.

Her words were polite and her pace was gentle; her conversation was like a breath of fresh air.

Akemi Miyano had a very good impression of her, considering her to be a very cultured businesswoman.

After chatting for a while, Mao Koizumi left with a smile.

After leaving, she went to talk to her other opponents.

Her facial expression was always so warm and welcoming, leaving a very good impression.

"Pooh!"

"What are you doing!?"

Akemi Miyano looked in the direction the sound came from and saw Ms. Koizumi, whom she considered to be extremely well-mannered.

He's spitting on his competitor's bid.

"Ptooey!" "Ptooey!" "Ptooey!"

Even if someone grabbed her arm, they couldn't stop Mao Koizumi from spitting on the other party's bid.

Akemi Miyano was deeply shocked.

It's hard to imagine that a well-dressed, witty, and cultured beautiful woman would behave in this way.

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "No wonder everyone says she makes decisive decisions; I've seen it for myself."

Akemi Miyano's eye twitched.

Is it really that decisive?

Masahiro said to Akemi Miyano, "Learn from your seniors in business, and you can do the same in the future."

Akemi Miyano said softly, "I might not be able to do it."

She finds it hard to imagine herself doing these things.

Zheng Yi shook his head: "It seems you're still not destined for greatness."

Akemi Miyano remained silent.

She only wanted to rescue her younger sister from Zheng Yi's clutches; she didn't aspire to achieve anything great.

At the same time, she was even less confident about this bidding process.

These competitors have all put in such effort to win the bid, can she do it?

Akemi Miyano looked at Shoichi, wondering what unconventional competitive tactics he had prepared.

She doesn't believe that Zheng Yi would do nothing, something that others would do.

As time went on, Zheng Yi and the others headed towards the bidding room.

"Wait for me! Wait for me!"

A company employee arrived just in time, and seeing that there wasn't enough time, he quickened his pace.

Meanwhile, a bidder from the company in front of him was accidentally tackled to the ground, causing the bid documents to fall to the ground and the cover to fall off.

The person from the company in front of them was momentarily stunned when they saw their bid envelope being torn off.

This is not just a matter of lowering one's impression score.

If the seal fails, the tendering party may question the confidentiality of the tender documents, believing that the documents inside have been tampered with, and thus deem the tender invalid.

This is not without precedent.

"You bastard, you did this on purpose, didn't you?" The person in front angrily grabbed the collar of the person behind.

The person behind him put on an innocent expression: "I didn't mean to. You'd better try to fix it now."

"You bastard! The bidding is about to start, how am I supposed to fix this now?"

The two sides began to pull at each other, and the person whose cover was broken kept trying to tear up the other party's bid documents as well, until the bidding party came over and stopped.

The person who had smashed the other party's bid envelope grinned smugly and went inside.

Akemi Miyano felt that her horizons had been broadened.

Before the bidding process even started, more than half of the participants had already given up bidding due to various issues, or were forced to give up bidding altogether.

Some people who did not give up actually lost their eligibility to participate in the bidding.

Is this normal business competition?
Akemi Miyano was deeply shocked.

She was indeed unable to adapt to the intensity of the competition, and immediately ran away after rescuing her sister from Zheng Yi's clutches.

Masakazu whispered to Akemi Miyano, "They didn't do anything, yet they have so many fewer competitors. Business competition is really that simple."

"Is it simple?" Akemi Miyano shook her head.

It's really that simple.

So far, everyone's competitive methods have been quite simple.

They simply hired a bunch of thugs to tear up their competitor's bid documents and smash their laptops.

He personally spat on the opponent's bid.

The most practical tactic is to fake a fall and damage the cover of the opponent's bid.

Akemi Miyano rubbed her temples.

She thought the business competition among these big companies would be very sophisticated and incredibly powerful, but now her illusions have been shattered.

Indeed, the most sophisticated competition often takes the simplest forms.

Once the real bidding process began, Akemi Miyano thought the business battle was over and started listening attentively to everyone's bids.

Although Mao Koizumi was very skilled in business warfare, her professional competence was truly outstanding.

She was very relaxed and confident while explaining, and even Masakazu, a layman, could listen to her explanation, which made Miyano Akemi even more nervous.

Can she really compete with such an opponent?
If I win this bid, I'll finally get to see my sister. Otherwise, I don't know when I'll get to see her through Zheng Yi.

"Distinguished leaders, we have a short video here about the completion of the project. Please enjoy it."

Mao Koizumi opened the media player on the laptop connected to the projector.

"Hmm~"

"~" "~" "~"

The room was completely silent, except for the exhilarating sound coming from the laptop and the indescribable images on the projector.

"Is this... a special short film?" someone couldn't help but ask.

Isn't this short film released after the project was completed a bit too outrageous?

Is this a short film showcasing the completion of the project?
Everyone looked closely at the woman on the projection and were somewhat disappointed; it wasn't Mao Koizumi's face.

"Snapped!"

With lightning speed, Mao Koizumi unplugged the projector cable and then slammed the laptop shut.

After taking a deep breath, he bowed deeply to everyone present, then grabbed his laptop and ran out.

Although Mao Koizumi ran away, the shock she left behind did not disappear.

People couldn't help but start talking in hushed tones.

Akemi Miyano tilted her head and whispered to Masakazu, "You didn't do this with a hacker, did you?"

As Zheng Yi had said before, all unconventional competitive methods should be left to him.

So far, Zheng Yi has not made any move.

Therefore, Akemi Miyano has reason to suspect that it was Shoichi who did it.

"How could I use such despicable means?" Zheng Yi said, shaking his head.

Masakazu pointed around, letting Miyano Akemi take a look.

The guys around them started to suspect each other of whether the other had hacked Koizumi Mao's computer, and no one looked at Shoichi.

Because they all knew that Zheng Yi was known for his integrity and uprightness.

“That’s true, your methods wouldn’t be so gentle,” Miyano Akemi said softly.

Masakazu glared at Miyano Akemi.

He would never stoop to using underhanded and brutal competitive methods; he always followed the noble path.

Heaven always favors those who are upright and honest.

Zheng Yi always seems to be favored by fate, causing his rivals to encounter various unexpected events, ultimately leading to Zheng Yi's victory.

Once the topic was moved on, he couldn't help but gossip, saying, "Maybe there's no such thing as a hacker at all..."

“That’s impossible. Mio Koizumi couldn’t possibly be a corporate spy. She’s the daughter of the president of Kajima Construction. There’s no reason for her to be a corporate spy for another company,” Akemi Miyano said.

"I didn't say she was a corporate spy."

Shoichi whispered to Miyano Akemi, "Her laptop's media player might have a memory function; she must have been watching porn last night."

So when it played today, it automatically picked up where yesterday's footage left off.

Akemi Miyano felt that Shoichi's words were very far-fetched, but it wasn't impossible.

The little incident involving Mao Koizumi quickly passed.

The bidding process will continue.

Akemi Miyano quickly went up to present her proposal. Her performance was average, and she didn't do anything that immediately impressed everyone.

The fact that it was said to be completed in six months shocked everyone.

In particular, her naming of the project as "Bubble Project," following Zheng Yi's instructions, has drawn considerable attention.

This name is quite distinctive.

When Miyano Akemi sat back down, her hands were trembling slightly.

I was even more nervous than when she robbed the bank.

“You’ve done enough. Leave the rest to me,” Masakazu said to Miyano Akemi.

Akemi Miyano glanced sideways.

Upon hearing Masakazu's words, Miyano Akemi's first thought was that Masakazu was about to kill someone again.

"I never kill anyone."

It seemed that Masakazu knew what Miyano Akemi was thinking, and he explained it in advance.

The bidding process is not something that can be finalized immediately.

The bidding party also needs to discuss which company is most suitable, and visit each company internally to assess their ability to complete the project.

We cannot afford to relax in the slightest during this period.

After leaving the building, Zheng Yi and the other company employees were still dressed in suits and ties, looking very respectable.

After stretching, Masakazu said to Akemi Miyano, "Want to come with me to see a movie?"

“I’m not going.” Miyano Akemi refused decisively.

"Don't refuse so decisively?" Zhengyi said.

Zheng Yi twisted his waist; sitting for so long had made him feel uncomfortable all over.

“This is a script I personally wrote. It was shown internally, and the plot is quite good. Moreover, it’s also relevant to our bidding,” Zheng Yi said.

Akemi Miyano looked at Masakazu with a puzzled expression.

I don't understand why a film is related to their bidding process.

"Let's go check it out; the movie officially premieres tomorrow," Zheng Yi said.

Moreover, Zheng Yi made several copies specifically to send to others for viewing; simply sending copies might not have been enough to exert sufficient deterrence.

Conan needs to get back to work too.

(End of this chapter)