The strongest high school student in Japan

"So, this famous painting was once the work of Matsukata Kojiro, and then it was acquired by the Izumo family and kept in your home?" Mogami Jun probably understood. "And the painting lying in the bank's safe must be a fake? Was it forged by your parents and then resold?"

"Yes, I can confirm that it is now lying in our family's collection room, being carefully maintained by my father..." Asana's tone became very sad, "My father taught me how to maintain these cultural relics and artworks since I was a child. I have not only seen this painting, but I have even touched it with my own hands. It is definitely not wrong. I think... I think my mother will not sell the real thing..."

Mogami Jun understood what Asana meant.

Although they didn't have much contact, he had already deeply understood Mrs. Izumo's character. With Mrs. Izumo's nostalgia for the glorious history of the Matsukata family and her stubborn character, how could she possibly sell this work that had such a deep historical connection with her ancestors?

He suddenly thought of another question - if the Matsukata family had not fallen, how gorgeous would Asana, a descendant of such a prominent aristocratic family and already a eldest daughter, be?

By the way, if the Matsukata family had not fallen, how could the Izumo family have the opportunity to marry the eldest daughter of the Matsukata family? Asana wouldn't even have the chance to be born...

There was no point in thinking about these things now, he couldn't help but laugh in his heart, then threw all these distracting thoughts aside and returned to the topic.

"Asana, what you said means that your parents might have kept the real thing and sold the fake one. If this speculation is confirmed, I'm afraid... I'm afraid this is a very serious crime. At least the amount of money would be very huge."

"How serious will it be?" Asana asked.

"Since Monet is so famous as a painter, his works must be worth millions, or even tens of millions." Mogami Jun replied in a low voice, "And I'm not talking about Japanese yen, I'm talking about US dollars..."

"Tens of millions of dollars... that's at least a billion, right?" Even Asana, a young lady, couldn't help but gasp when she heard this number. "That's actually so much money..."

It might even be said that it’s too little… Jun Mogami thought to himself.

Selling a fake for a billion dollars is undoubtedly a very successful scam, but if it is exposed... it would be a very serious crime.

In other words, if the painting lying in the bank is really identified as a fake, then there is no doubt that the Izumo family who sold it will be the suspect.

Moreover, there cannot be only one counterfeit being forged and sold. If this one was confirmed and spread out, it would probably cause an uproar. All buyers who have bought things from the Izumo family would run to identify the counterfeits.

In addition to the devastating blow to their reputation, they will even face huge compensation demands. Given their current business conditions, they absolutely cannot afford the compensation.

Not to mention the Yun couple, even Chao Nai would not want to see this consequence...

Even Jun Mogami himself didn't want to see it.

For a moment, Jun Mogami didn't know what to say.

But no matter what, he now has the real handle on the key point.

He didn't expect the plan to go so smoothly and achieve the original goal so quickly.

Of course, this is also thanks to the help of Arisana herself.

If it weren't for Asana, who knew her family very well, even with the list, I'm afraid that even if I had it, Jun Mogami would have to slowly determine the scope by groping in the dark.

No wonder people say that it is difficult to prevent thieves in your own home even if you guard against them day and night...it turns out to be true.

Wait, what am I thinking about? Mogami Jun interrupted his thoughts.

"Asana, don't worry. I won't tell any of this to anyone, including my grandfather." Mogami Jun said to Asana in a rare gentle tone, "While everything can still be resolved, let's solve all the troubles ourselves!"

He raised his voice to emphasize, "I know you are sad and scared now, but now is not the time to be sad and scared. To be serious, your future will be decided in the next few days, so please do as I say, please!"

=========================================

This is the painting I'm talking about.

The current owner is unknown, so let's just assume it's owned by the Izumo family~

257, the only way

"I know you are sad and scared right now, but this is not the time to be sad and scared. To be more serious, your future will be decided in the next few days, so please do as I say, please!"

Mogami Jun's wake-up call finally helped Asana, who was already extremely upset, to regain some of her composure.

She also knew that this was a critical moment and if she wasn't careful, she might be doomed, not only for herself but for the entire family.

When she heard the news from Jun Mogami, she still had some doubts and hope that everything was just a false suspicion and her parents had not done such a thing. But when the list was placed in front of her, this hope was ruthlessly dispelled by reality, and was replaced by deep fear and blame.

How could my parents do such a thing? If it were discovered and made public, what would the Izumo family do?

"Chun, what should we do then?" She took a deep breath and asked in a tone as calm as possible.

"First, we have to find a way to confirm the authenticity of the painting. Although I can be 99% sure that the one in the bank vault is a fake based on the possibilities you described, we must have evidence. If the painting in the bank vault is the real one and the one in your house is a fake, then this trump card will be invalidated directly-" Mogami Jun replied. "Even if it is to ensure that we have an advantage in our position, we must conduct an appraisal."

"So are you planning to borrow the paintings from the bank for appraisal as planned?" Asana asked.

"No... we can't do that." Mogami Jun smiled bitterly, "The value of this painting is probably more than the value of my grandfather's face now."

"What do you mean?" Asana was a little confused.

"My mother told you something before. She said that we need to pay for resources if we do anything beyond the standard. I strongly agree with this statement. The resources she mentioned are the connections and prestige accumulated by a person. No one is born to help us, and they have other intentions. In other words, a person can only give up a limited amount of social resources based on his social status, so what he can accomplish also has its own limits-" Mogami Jun explained, "If it is a work of art worth hundreds of thousands or millions, my grandfather may be able to bypass the bank's regulations and borrow it privately with the help of his connections, but when it comes to the level of tens of millions of dollars, I'm afraid he can no longer do it. Even begging is useless. Friends in the bank will not take this risk-"

When he was having dinner with his grandfather, Mogami Jun heard Mr. Nanjo say that many people had done similar things in secret. If it was a famous and powerful person like Kunio Hatoyama, he might be able to do it, but it would be difficult for my grandfather.

After all, Kousuke Hezawa has been retired for many years, and his close associates have been purged or marginalized over the years, so he no longer has that many social resources to pay.

"If we can't borrow it for appraisal, are we going to ask the bank to do the appraisal themselves..." Asana shuddered when she said this, "No, no, absolutely not!"

Yes, if the bank makes a careful appraisal and finds out that the collateral is actually a fake, then it will certainly not allow the assets to be lost in vain. If it takes legal action, the whole situation will be out of control.

"Yes, Asana, we can't tell anyone, especially not the bank." Mogami Jun agreed with Asana. "It's best to resolve this whole matter between the two of us - at most with my mother."

"Then how should we solve this problem?" Asana felt a little dizzy.

Mogami Jun was silent for a moment.

Then he lowered his voice.

"You can solve it, and only you can solve it, Asana."

"What?" Asana was a little surprised.

"There are two paintings, exactly the same, and we need to know their authenticity. Since we can't take out the one in the bank, then... we will take the one in your house for appraisal. As long as the one in your house is real, then we can be 100% sure that the one in the bank is fake." Mogami Jun expressed his opinion.

Asana was stunned for a moment, then suddenly reacted.

"You...you're asking me to go back home and get the painting?!"

Mogami Jun did not answer because it was already obvious.

"But...but..." Asana was obviously a little flustered and hesitant, "Is this okay?"

"It's not a question of whether we can do it or not, it's a question of whether we must do it!" Mogami Jun raised his voice, "Since we can't get the paintings out of the bank, then obviously we can only get them from your home, and the only person who can do this is you."

"But... this is too much..." Asana still couldn't accept it, "Stealing things from your own home... this is too much. Is there no other way?"

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid not, because... Asana, at this point, you don't even have the right to give up. There is no other way to go except to muster up the courage and fight hard. I'm really sorry." Mogami Jun suddenly apologized.

"Huh? Why are you apologizing suddenly?" Asana was even more surprised.

"Since my grandpa has already got the list, he will definitely find a way to check these suspicious items. Although he can't lend them out, it may not be difficult for him to have someone check them out, and then it will be troublesome..." Mogami Jun sighed, "Do you know why I am so reluctant to tell grandpa? Because he...he is coveting you and your family's property. If he finds physical evidence, he will eat the Izumo family alive! So your parents are enemies, and my grandpa...I am afraid he is also an enemy now. We must race against time and calm the whole incident down before everyone reacts."

Asana didn't speak for a long time, perhaps he was thinking about something.

"So, you're willing to break up with Grandpa, right...? Even if he did all this, it was ultimately for you..." After a moment, she asked a strange question. "He'll be very angry if he finds out."

"I don't deny that he did it for me, and I'm very grateful to him, but no one can use 'for me' as an excuse to do something I don't want to do, not even him." Mogami Jun replied calmly, "I appreciate his help, but there are some things that only we can decide."

"That being said, if he hadn't helped us, we wouldn't have been able to find the bank's information, and even... maybe we wouldn't have met in the first place..." Asana's tone seemed to be filled with emotion, "I finally understand why Auntie insisted on paying the bill before... Yes, he had bad intentions, so I can't owe him a favor, but I should make up for the resources he spent. Solving it with money is the least troublesome way..."

"I'm glad you're so generous..." Mogami Jun couldn't help laughing. "So Asana, as I said, this is the only way to go now. Please show your determination and courage! We must seize the small window of time to calm the situation down."

"I...I understand." Chaona nodded gently, "But, can you give me a minute? I...I want to take a breath, just one minute will do."

Wu Huo Yi Scar Ling Jiu Ling Moxibustion

"Okay, no problem. It doesn't matter if it takes more than a minute. I'll wait for you." Mogami Jun agreed.

Then, silence returned to the phone, and neither of them spoke.

After about a minute, Asana's voice finally came through the phone again, "Jun, can you promise that no matter what happens, you will never lie to me again or abandon me?"

"I said I would help you, how could I give up?" Mogami Jun immediately encouraged her.

"One hundred percent?" Asana seemed a little uneasy.

"One thousandth of a thousand." Mogami Jun answered immediately and firmly.

"Well then... let's do it!" Asana finally put aside her hesitation. "Since there is no other choice, I will do it, and no matter what, I will find a way to do it..."

"Don't be nervous. As long as you can get the painting out, you're almost done." Mogami Jun comforted him. "This kind of thing requires courage and carefulness. It's a thundering strike before anyone can react. As long as you can overcome the psychological barriers, it won't be that difficult. After all, you're doing something that others would never imagine you would do..."

"How dare you say that... You really can trick a daughter into stealing your own things." Asana replied with some anger. "I... I was also bewitched and actually agreed!"

"Theoretically, the painting has been bought by someone. It doesn't belong to your family, but to the poor buyer—" Mogami Jun replied. "Besides, you are not only doing this for yourself, but also for the Izumo family. If someone else comes to you, the consequences will be even worse."

"Can't you just coax me a little more? What's the point of telling me something that I already know?" Asana seemed even angrier.

Mogami Jun was silent for a moment.

"Asana, you will never fight alone. Let's keep in touch. When we take action, I will wait for you outside. Take out the painting, run out of the house immediately and get in the car with me, and then I will take you away." Then, Mogami Jun finally spoke, "Let's go together and show them how powerful those little devils are! Let them never dare to underestimate you again!"

"This...this...this..." Asana was speechless again, and she didn't know whether she was comforted or not.

After a moment, she finally spoke again.

She seemed a little excited, her voice trembling, "Since time is tight, I will go back tomorrow...ah, no! If I go home tomorrow, I'm afraid Mom will get suspicious. After all, I'm giving in too quickly. I'll argue with Dad and Mom for a few more days, and then find an excuse to go home legitimately, so that it doesn't seem strange. But, will I have enough time?"

After hearing what Asana said, Mogami Jun was very happy because Asana was now thinking completely from the perspective of his teammates.

That meant that she had completely agreed to her plan and had summoned up all her courage and determination to think about how to complete it.

And that's what he wanted to see.

Asana, he can definitely do it, he firmly believes so.

Jiuling Sanqi Jiulong

The girl who seemed as obedient as a puppet secretly concealed the bad luck she had drawn on the first day they met, and then told her mother as if nothing had happened that she had drawn good luck.

Ever since she heard this from her own mouth, Mogami Jun began to look at Asana with a new respect.

Beneath the exterior, there is another Asana, who is determined, decisive, has extraordinary psychological qualities, and is willing to fight for herself.

Given these advantages, what would be so difficult about doing the next thing that would impress others?

Yes, Asana will win! Because I stand on her side.

"It's okay, Asana. Although we are in a hurry, we don't have to wait for a few days. You can act calmly." Mogami Jun replied, "You seize the opportunity, and I will be on standby and prepare. Before you start to act, just leave me a message and I will be there immediately. Then...we will win together!"

"Okay, Jun." Asana closed her eyes slightly to calm her excitement.

Yes, we will definitely win.

"Goodbye." After a moment, she regained her composure and said goodbye to the boy.

"Goodbye."

258, thief in the house?

After ending the call with Jun Mogami, Asana felt uneasy the whole night.

Excitement, nervousness, pain, longing...all kinds of thoughts were tangled together in her mind, making her unable to sleep all night.

She had never imagined that she would suddenly have to face such a violent and terrible storm in such a short period of time. The heavy pressure almost crushed her. She could not even remember when was the last time she laughed out loud.

But she knew that she absolutely could not collapse now, because her own future, and even the future of the Izumo family, now depended on her, and there was no room for retreat.

My parents did such terrible things in secret. If they were to be exposed, it would be almost impossible to recover and both of us would be destroyed.

"If I hadn't met the Mogami family, perhaps things wouldn't have come to this point—" This thought suddenly flashed through Asana's mind.

She knew that this might be true, but she still couldn't get angry. After all, they were helping her.

Maybe this is the price you have to pay...

As long as the situation can be calmed down as he said, all this cost may be worth it.

She suddenly recalled the voice of the young man just now, firm and calm, as if he had never been frightened. If it was him who went through all this, he would probably sleep peacefully...

At least there are people on my side.

She thought back to his promise and couldn't help laughing again.

But isn't there no difference between 100% and 1/1000? It's amazing that he could say it so confidently... I almost got fooled.

With her last smile, she finally fell into a deep sleep.

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The next day, Asana, who had not slept well the night before, started her daytime life in a daze. It seemed that everyone understood her situation, so no one bothered her.

In the afternoon, Asana received a call from her mother.