Tokyo Three Generations

Once they control Nagasaki Chizuru and keep Kuroshima Kazuo silent forever, their side will be in a safe position.

After seeing the situation clearly, his mood improved a lot, and the murderous aura that had been soaring high earlier had now faded.

"Besides all that, you need to show some other kind of sincerity," he continued coldly. "To atone for your mistakes, you need to compensate the affected clients. Don't use money from accounts under your own name, because you're definitely being watched by the District Attorney's Office now. Even if not all of your accounts have been frozen, they're all under surveillance. So you can only use funds you secretly deposited under other people's names or anonymous overseas accounts... Don't tell me you've been in this business for so long and you don't even have such a thing, do you?"

Nagasaki Chizuru's lips twitched slightly, and his expression began to falter.

She certainly has the funds, but this is her life savings, and it's really painful to have to take it all out to "compensate" her.

However, she also knew that this was a necessary means for her to get out of trouble, so after hesitating and struggling, she cautiously asked, "Excuse me, how much money would it take for the higher-ups to be satisfied?"

"I can't answer that right now, and I won't ask for you. In short, you should weigh your own sincerity." Takasaki Jun snorted coldly. "Don't forget, this is money to save two people's lives... Now is not the time to be stingy, is it?"

Despite Takasaki Jun's mockery, Nagasaki Chizuru did not get angry; instead, he seemed to gain some insight.

This time, we really have to give it our all.

That's right. If you don't show enough sincerity, how can you expect them to forgive you? A simple prostration won't do...

She could only sigh inwardly and nod in agreement.

"I understand……"

Seeing the other party's cooperative attitude, Jun Takasaki became even more confident and nodded slightly.

"Alright, hurry up and think of something. Even if you rack your brains, you have to find out where Kuroshima Kazuo went as soon as possible. If someone else beats us to it, I can't guarantee what the consequences will be..."

Faced with his threat, Nagasaki Chizuru had no choice but to agree repeatedly.

She could tell that the young man opposite her looked cold, but seemed to genuinely intend to let her off the hook.

If Mr. Takasaki is truly willing to put in a good word for me, then there is hope of escaping this storm.

But that wasn't enough. A sliver of hope arose in Nagasaki Chizuru's heart, a desire to fight for more chances of survival for the mother and daughter.

She feigned hesitation, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.

"Is there anything else?" Jun Takasaki asked impatiently.

“Um… Young Master, as you can see, my daughter Su Shi is innocent. She’s just a student, she has never been involved in any of my affairs, let alone engaged in any illegal activities.” Nagasaki Chizuru sobbed as he spoke. “She’s so young and beautiful, I really can’t bear to let her suffer the same pain as me.”

And...and she's a student at Tsuki no Mori, a prestigious girls' school, as you know. If she keeps skipping classes without a reason, she'll definitely be expelled! Then her bright future will be ruined...that's so pitiful..."

She choked up again as she spoke.

After a moment, she looked at the young man with hopeful eyes and made her request, "So, at least let her go to school to complete the procedures... You can supervise the whole time. My daughter is very well-behaved. As long as I'm here, she will never do anything wrong. Please! I'll do anything if you grant me this request!"

She wanted to use her own tearful appearance and her daughter's tragic situation to arouse the young man's compassion and pity.

However, Takasaki Jun simply smiled slightly at her hopeful gaze.

You think you can play these little tricks on me now? You're really naive.

Or rather, it's a bit of an underestimation of him.

“Madam, you seem to have misunderstood. I have no relation to your daughter, and I have no obligation to care about her studies. Even if she drops out of school and can't find a good job in the future, what does that have to do with me? Besides, with her looks, why would she have to worry about finding a way out? There are plenty of places in Ginza willing to take her in…”

Upon hearing this, Nagasaki Chizuru's face turned deathly pale.

Only then did she realize that the young man's amiable demeanor was merely a facade; he was still the beast who could devour her at any moment.

Just as she was feeling conflicted, Jun Takasaki suddenly changed the subject, "However, although it has nothing to do with me, the school registration issue is just a piece of cake for me, I'll take care of it for you. You don't need to think about sending your daughter away anymore, just cooperate with us! Don't try any tricks, as long as you listen to me obediently, I can get you back to a normal life as soon as possible—but if you try to be clever, not only will you be finished, but she will suffer too, understand?"

After saying that, he opened the door and walked out of the room, leaving Nagasaki Chizuru looking dejected.

20. A small favor

After leaving Nagasaki Chizuru behind, he returned to the room he had just been in. Nagasaki Motoyo was still sitting in the same spot, looking lost and helpless, not daring to say or move, and not even daring to breathe.

Jun Takasaki walked up to the girl and nodded gently.

“Miss Nagasaki, is it convenient for us to talk? I have something important to tell you—”

Considering that the other party was, after all, a young girl, his tone was not as harsh as before, but in this situation, it still carried a certain undeniable pressure.

Nagasaki Motoyo flinched slightly, her instinctive fear making her want to refuse the stranger's offer.

But reason told her that she couldn't go against the other party's will now.

Even his mother had to be extremely respectful in front of him, so he himself was even less likely to anger him.

So she suppressed her fear, stood up shakily, bowed to the other person, and obediently followed them into the room her mother had just entered.

When she reached the door, she covered her mouth in shock, for she clearly saw her mother's distraught appearance.

Jun Takasaki waved his hand impatiently, signaling Chizuru Nagasaki to leave first. However, Chizuru Nagasaki seemed to have misunderstood something, and was so frightened that she burst into tears again, then grabbed his right hand and begged.

"Please, this is all my responsibility, it has nothing to do with Su Shi. Let me do whatever you need me to do, I'll do anything..."

At this moment, Jun Takasaki realized that the other party must have misunderstood. He was first somewhat amused and exasperated, and then a little angry.

I felt like I was being looked down upon—with all my qualities, did I really need to force myself on an innocent girl? Did I look that desperate?

"Ms. Nagasaki, what are you thinking about?" He impatiently pulled her hand away and pushed her aside. "I have something to ask her. You should go about your business and not waste our time!"

His retort calmed Nagasaki Chizuru somewhat, but she still seemed a little skeptical. "She...she doesn't know anything. You won't get anything out of her. Ask me instead..."

"I'm not a good person, but I wouldn't stoop to doing something so despicable." Jun Takasaki frowned. "Besides, even if I wanted to do something now, what could you do? You might as well have a little more hope for me—"

After saying that, he ignored what the other person said, pulled them out of the room, and then closed the door.

Then, he turned to look at Nagasaki Motoyo.

At this moment, Nagasaki Motoyo still stood quietly in place, as if waiting for her fate.

Rather than saying she's "carefree," it's more accurate to say she's faced reality and chosen to give up the struggle.

Putting everything else aside, this level of endurance is quite impressive... Jun Takasaki thought to himself.

He cleared his mind of all distractions and then spoke.

“Miss Nagasaki, I know that this way of meeting you first makes it impossible for you to have a good impression of me, and I dare not claim to be a good person. However, I would like to ask you to understand one thing—at this moment, you and your daughter are in great danger, and I may be the only one trying to help and protect you. What you need to do next is to cooperate with me as much as possible, and also make me happy.”

Nagasaki Motoyo didn't answer, but simply raised her gaze slightly to look at the young man in front of her who was a head taller than her.

She was clearly somewhat skeptical, but dared not refute it.

"Believe it or not, but I must tell you that my patience and kindness are also limited. If your performance does not satisfy me, I don't mind changing my mind," Takasaki Jun sneered.

Faced with that handsome yet threatening smile, Nagasaki Motoyo felt a little uneasy, but she still nodded slightly to indicate that she would cooperate.

After finishing his opening remarks, Jun Takasaki immediately got to the point.

Are you a student at Tsukimori? What grade are you in?

“Yes, that’s me.” Nagasaki Motoyo nodded. “I’m currently a student in Class B of the third year of junior high school.”

Third grade, that matches up, he really is in the same grade as Toyokawa Shoko.

But which class was Toyokawa Shoko in? Takasaki Jun really didn't know.

Of course, that wasn't important. He continued, "Do you know Toyokawa Shoko? Are you classmates?"

Toyokawa Shoko?

Nagasaki Motoyo didn't understand why the other person suddenly mentioned this name, but she still answered truthfully, "I don't know her, and she's not in my class... I've only heard of her name. Rather, she's one of the most prestigious young ladies in our school, it would be strange not to know her."

Jun Takasaki wasn't surprised by this answer.

Toyokawa Shoko never mentioned the existence of anyone with a similar name, nor had she ever seen such a person visit her.

"Alright, from today onwards, you will be Miss Toyokawa's friend."

"Huh?" Nagasaki Motoyo momentarily forgot her fear and looked up in surprise. "I...? I'm not..."

“I say you are, so you are.” Jun Takasaki interrupted her impatiently. “Don’t you understand? You’re in danger now. The more powerful your background is, the more valuable you will be, and the less likely you are to be eliminated… I’m raising your value.”

Nagasaki Motoyo then understood.

Although the two had no personal relationship, she was certainly aware of Toyokawa's status (or rather, the implicit privileges) on campus, and becoming her friend would certainly intimidate some people.

"But... Miss Toyokawa doesn't know me at all. Isn't this a lie that can be easily exposed?"

"Who said that's a lie?" Jun Takasaki sneered. "Alright, I told you, don't question me, just do as I say!"

If someone else tells this kind of lie, it's just a lie, but when he says it, it can be considered true because he can get Toyokawa Shoko to admit that his lie is true—at least he has that favor to back him up.

Faced with the other party's unquestionable demeanor, Nagasaki Motoyo dared not question it any further.

Moreover, she vaguely sensed that the other person seemed to be genuinely trying to save her—she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

This kindness rekindled a glimmer of hope in her heart, which had sunk to the bottom.

But when she thought about how distraught her mother had looked just now, she couldn't quite believe it.

Then, the young man opposite her gave her another stunning surprise.

Jun Takasaki took out his phone and found Shoko Toyokawa on the app.

"Xiangzi, I'm sorry to bother you at night. Is it convenient to talk now? I have something important to ask you."

Shortly after, a response came from the software: "Okay! It works."

So, Jun Takasaki immediately dialed the number and gestured for Motoyo Nagasaki to be quiet.

The call was answered immediately, and then Toyokawa Shoko's uniquely soft yet well-mannered voice came through the phone.

"Chun, you actually have something to ask me? I'm really curious... So, what is it?"

Nagasaki Motoyo listened from the side and thought to herself, "It really is Ms. Toyokawa's voice."

Moreover, judging from her tone, it seemed like she would agree to anything you asked, which suggests that they have a very close relationship.

However, they're from a completely different world than me, so it wouldn't be surprising if we knew each other...

Jun Takasaki, of course, couldn't sense the girl's worries beside him; he was focused entirely on the phone call.

"Xiangzi, do you know a student named Nagasaki Motoyo? She's also from Tsukinomori, and it seems she's in the same grade as you."

"Nagasaki Motoyo?" Shoko's tone was clearly puzzled. After a moment's thought, she immediately replied, "I don't know her. I have absolutely no recollection of her. She's probably not my classmate... What's wrong, Jun? Why did you suddenly bring her up? What's your relationship with her?"

To Xiangzi's barrage of questions, Takasaki Jun could only give a simple answer: "This is the daughter of an old friend of my father's. Her family has run into some serious trouble, and she's rushed overseas. She hasn't even had time to complete the leave of absence procedures. Well, the school rules for young ladies like you are so strict; without a leave of absence, she'd probably be expelled very quickly, right? So, her family asked my father to intercede, hoping someone could help with the necessary paperwork..."

Undoubtedly, his words had some flaws, but at first glance they seemed reasonable enough—especially enough to fool the still young Xiangzi.

Moreover, Shoko was already filled with gratitude towards Takasaki Jun, so she was actually quite happy to have a chance to "repay" him.

“If that’s all, it’s not a big problem. Our school’s chairman has a long-standing relationship with the Toyokawa family. If I make a proper request, she should be able to make some leniency. I should be able to take a leave of absence first and then complete the formalities later… However, Jun, this leniency has a time limit. If that Miss Nagasaki doesn’t return, then the school rules will have to be enforced. At that point, I’ll be too embarrassed to break the rules again…”

“Okay, don’t worry, she’ll be back soon to complete the paperwork. Just make sure you keep her student status.” Takasaki Jun replied confidently. “I’ll have her come back to thank you handsomely later.”

"Heh... a generous thank you? I don't need that. I'm just helping you repay a favor. I hope everything goes well for that Miss Nagasaki." The response on the phone was a nonchalant chuckle.

Then, as if sighing, she remarked, "Chun, you really are so dedicated to helping everyone."

“Not everyone,” Jun Takasaki retorted.

"Then Miss Nagasaki must be very beautiful, right?" Toyokawa Shoko pressed.

Jun Takasaki raised his gaze and glanced at Motoyo Nagasaki.

Unable to suppress his conscience, he told the truth, "Well, it's pretty good, isn't it?"

There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

“That’s all, thank you,” Jun Takasaki replied.

"Well... goodnight."

"Good night."

After hanging up the phone, Jun Takasaki breathed a sigh of relief.

His request to Xiangzi was not only to protect Nagasaki Motoyo's school enrollment and studies, but also to create the impression that the two had a relationship.

In other words, as long as "Toyokawa Shoko helps Nagasaki Motoyo with her leave of absence procedures," then the lie that "the two are friends" will naturally become irrefutable evidence in the eyes of others, without him even needing to say anything more.

Once this possibility is confirmed, he will have a reason to persuade his father to be lenient and not actually sink Nagasaki Motoyo to the bottom of Tokyo Bay.

After a moment of silence, he looked up at Nagasaki Motoyo and asked with a hint of smugness.

"See? I kept my word. Now do you believe me?"

Nagasaki Motoyo nodded immediately.

Now she believed it—if the other party really wanted to take her life, why waste energy caring about her student status?