Tokyo Three Generations

Of course, this is also related to the "confidence" cultivated by their family background. Even if they make a mistake, their family will cover for them, so they dare to try.

In short, after exchanging greetings, the two of them walked into the shop together, led by Xiangzi.

Since it was still morning, the coffee shop was quite quiet, and there weren't many people around. The two of them sat down in the booth she had reserved.

"Thinking about it carefully, it's quite incredible..." After sitting down, Toyokawa Shoko first joked with him with a smile. "I was just planning to have a band. At first, I only had Mutsu as a candidate. But not long after, first Suze, and then two more new members. It was so fast that I could hardly believe it. It was all there all at once. It seems that God is looking out for me."

"Congratulations!" Junya Takasaki offered his congratulations, then changed the subject, "Who are the other two people?"

"Their names are Takamatsu Akari and Shiina Tatsuki. I'll introduce them to you in detail when they arrive." As she said this, Toyokawa Shoko's expression suddenly became a little strange. "However, their personalities are both a bit... a bit different from others, so please don't mind them."

"What's wrong?" Jun Takasaki asked quickly. "Is he difficult to get along with?"

"They're not that hard to get along with, it's just... they're a little hard to approach, I don't really know how to describe it." Xiangzi seemed a little unsure how to put it. "Anyway, you'll see in a bit. I can only assure you that they're definitely not bad people, they're totally good friends! Trust my judgment."

Since Xiangzi has said so, Takasaki Jun has nothing more to say; he should just trust her judgment.

"There's one more thing. I only told them my name, not my real identity," Toyokawa Shoko whispered. "It's not that I'm being wary of them, but I feel that saying it from the beginning might affect the purity of our friendship... Anyway, I'll tell them myself when the time is right. Until then, just keep quiet. I'll also explain things to Suze and Mutsuya."

Even if you don't say it, we live in this day and age, even female students wouldn't be unable to casually search social media accounts... Jun Takasaki couldn't help but mutter to himself.

However, maybe they really won't check... Anyway, we're just strangers who met by chance, so they probably won't care too much.

In short, it wasn't a big deal, so Jun Takasaki readily agreed.

At that moment, the two coffees that Toyokawa Shoko ordered were served. She ordered a caramel macchiato, while Takasaki Jun, who wasn't particular about coffee, only ordered an iced Americano.

After the cool liquid flowed down his throat and into his stomach, he felt a surge of energy.

At that moment, Xiangzi took a small sip of coffee, then looked up and smiled at Takasaki Jun.

"So, what was it that you said was very important on the phone? I even made a special appointment to meet with you privately beforehand for this... Tell me quickly."

Seeing her curious expression, Jun Takasaki couldn't help but smile.

So he told Xiangzi the whole story of the roadmap he and his cousin had come up with for "curing" Xiangzi.

In other words, "set up some offshore funds, transfer as much money as possible into them, accumulate research expenses for Xiangzi—and incidentally, use these funds to generate their own revenue."

Simultaneously, academic seminars were held, suitable research institutions in the United States were found to provide sponsorship, and the research progress was continuously monitored in the subsequent period.

Toyokawa Shoko listened quietly to Takasaki Jun's story.

She wasn't too shocked by what he said.

Since suspicion arose within the family that there might be a serious hereditary disease in the bloodline of the main family, the Toyokawa Group has been trying to resolve the issue.

The Toyokawa family also sought out medical experts both in Japan and abroad and sponsored similar research.

However, before her mother could make any major breakthroughs in her research, she passed away.

She is now slowly learning how to manage the family business, so the relevant people in charge have already reported these matters to her.

After learning the inside story, all she could do was wait and hopefully see if things would take a turn for the better.

What truly moved her was not his proposed solution, but Takasaki Jun's hard work and dedication.

Of course she still remembered the promise they made under the cherry blossom trees and amidst the blooming fireworks: "Don't let me die."

Many people are just indulging in self-pity, talking a lot but doing nothing, but he is seriously trying to find a solution.

He remembers all of this... He truly is a man of his word.

Thinking of this, the lingering taste of the beverage between Toyokawa Shoko's lips and teeth suddenly seemed even sweeter.

To be honest, she didn't know if the other person could actually keep their promise, but why not look forward to it?

Maybe he can help me overcome fate?

I don't know why, but that's what she wanted.

Even if his efforts ultimately fail, seeing him keep striving for himself is very satisfying.

Grandma and Mom only lived to their forties, and she was mentally prepared to live the same lifespan, but she hoped that the two of them could win together.

Compared to sponsorships, expert seminars, and laboratory research, isn't the story of a young boy tirelessly rescuing a princess and ultimately overcoming fate more romantic and touching?

After Jun Takasaki finished explaining, he realized that Shoko Toyokawa wasn't as excited or expectant as he had imagined. Instead, she seemed lost in thought, as if pondering something.

He couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed.

Is my plan really that unreliable?

"I'm sorry..." In his embarrassment, he couldn't help but apologize to Xiangzi. "I'm still young and lack relevant experience. The method I came up with is definitely too simplistic. However, I believe it is indeed a feasible path. If you are willing, you can try it. I will do my best to help you in the process."

Seeing his embarrassed apology, Xiangzi knew he must have misunderstood, so he quickly spoke up to explain for himself.

"Chun, don't say things like that. I've seen your sincerity and your efforts, how could I not take them seriously? In fact, I'm very moved by you; you're keeping your promise to us..."

Hearing her say that, Takasaki Jun breathed a sigh of relief. "It's nothing, it's nothing... You don't need to thank me, it was entirely my own whim. I didn't want you to leave so young, it's just too unfair..."

Although he spoke in a calm tone, Xiangzi was deeply moved.

Sometimes, warmth is found in silence, or at most in just a word or two.

After a moment of silence, Jun Takasaki spoke again, “If you don’t mind, then I’ll officially begin the plan. I’ll discuss this with your father, and then we’ll start moving forward. If possible, I’ll jointly host an academic conference in the name of the Toyokawa Group and the University of Tokyo. The specific budget can be decided by the Toyokawa Group, and I will be involved. What do you think?”

He considered "help" to be merely his participation in the project as an assistant or a supervisor, but the entire project still needed to be managed by specialized personnel. After all, although he had a high opinion of himself, he was not so arrogant as to think he knew everything.

In his view, the faster things got on track, the more likely the plan would be completed quickly, thus increasing Xiangzi's chances of survival.

However, he did not expect that Xiangzi had a different idea.

She not only needs to get treatment, but also wants a romantic story of a prince rescuing a princess.

“That makes sense, but Chun, I hope you can handle all of this. I’m entrusting it to you, so you won’t have to take orders from my father. This way, you’ll have more freedom to act. What do you think?” she asked with a smile.

Xiangzi deliberately didn't mention that his own family had similar efforts and plans, so as not to dampen his enthusiasm.

For her, this matter should be treated as a business that the two of them run together. Why should her father or other people have to get involved?

Xiangzi's words left Takasaki Jun speechless, yet he also felt a little amused.

Although he was grateful that Xiangzi trusted him so much, it was a bit much to entrust him with full responsibility.

"This involves a huge amount of money. I estimate that it may require a billion US dollars. Although my family is not poor, we absolutely cannot afford such an expense. Therefore, the only investor can be the Fengchuan Group. Under these circumstances, it would be too shameless for me to take the lead. I would also feel guilty."

“There’s no need to worry about that. I’ve decided to put you in charge, and neither Dad nor the other relatives of the Toyokawa family can overturn that decision—so why bother telling them?” Toyokawa Shoko countered.

"You mean you can easily get a billion dollars from home?" Jun Takasaki was a little incredulous; this was too exaggerated.

He wasn't particularly familiar with the financial structure of the Toyokawa Group, but logically speaking, it was impossible for Xiangzi to directly manage the specific use of its companies and family trusts at present.

“Of course…” Xiangzi smiled easily at first, then immediately changed the subject, “Of course that’s impossible… You think too highly of me. Although I’m the head of the Fengchuan family, I’m still so inexperienced. Neither Dad nor the board of directors would allow me to squander such a huge amount of money…”

Upon hearing her say that, Jun Takasaki's expression quickly darkened. "Then why did you say that?"

“What I mean is, we can take it slow,” Xiangzi said with a smile, then picked up his cup and calmly drank his coffee. “Although I can’t come up with that much money in the short term, I can invest it little by little. I’ll slowly put the funds I can collect into this project. We can treat it as a joint savings account and accumulate funds little by little. Didn’t you say that, given Mom’s situation, I have at least 20 years? We can definitely do this slowly, first securing the start-up capital and then gradually injecting more funds. Isn’t that normal?”

To be fair, Xiangzi has been cramming on a lot of relevant knowledge lately in order to inherit the family business, and it's actually been quite useful.

As she said this, she rested her chin on her hands, elbows on the table, and looked intently at Jun Takasaki.

"Why don't we treat this as a shared endeavor? Maybe in the end, we'll have more than a billion dollars in this account. Even if Chun isn't capable enough to manage such a massive project right now, with three or five years, he'll definitely be able to do it, right? Anyway, I believe in you, so let's work together towards this goal!"

What does this mean?

It was only then that Jun Takasaki realized that Shoko seemed to have confused "means" with "ends".

She turned herself into a co-owner, treating the so-called offshore fund as a shared business, while the goal of "curing the disease" seemed to be secondary.

Is this what they call a woman's damn sense of ritual...? It's completely baffling.

Jun Takasaki could only complain in his heart.

However, he had already realized that this was Xiangzi's opinion, and he couldn't refute it at the moment.

After all, Xiangzi was the financier, the investor of the entire project. The huge sum of money he envisioned needed Xiangzi's cooperation to operate, so he couldn't refute Xiangzi's opinion.

“Then I must remind you that, in order to help you avoid legal risks, the offshore fund will be registered and managed in my name. When you transfer the money in, you are essentially giving me unlimited rights to use it… This is very risky for you.” So, he dutifully reminded the other party.

"What risks would there be?" Xiangzi asked rhetorically, seemingly very serious. "Would you use my money to go out with other girls?"

“It’s not that bad…” Jun Takasaki blushed slightly, “but playing mobile games isn’t too much to ask, is it? Or maybe reimburse me for long-distance travel expenses or something.”

"How much will that cost..." Xiangzi covered his mouth and laughed out loud. "Okay, I'll cover it all for you."

……

“I was just kidding, my dad gives me enough pocket money.” Jun Takasaki sighed. “I was just warning you about the risks.”

"Then come to our group for an internship as soon as possible, and there will be no risk, right? That way, you'll be my employee~ It's like I'm appointing you to manage things." Toyokawa Shoko tapped the table lightly with her fingertip again. "You promised my dad before, you can't have forgotten so quickly, can you?"

Takasaki Jun didn't care about this. Anyway, he needed to work for a big company to "gild his resume" before inheriting the family business. It didn't matter where he did it. He could just hold a position at the Toyokawa Group and have Shoko's protection. It was obviously much easier than other places. At least he didn't have to worry about any workplace troubles.

"Alright... let's leave it at that then." So, he could only sigh and reluctantly reach an agreement with Xiangzi.

95, Reunion

During their casual conversation, Jun Takasaki and Shoko Toyokawa agreed on a future collaboration plan.

At that moment, neither of them could have imagined that this seemingly casual agreement would ultimately and completely change the course of their lives.

After discussing these important matters, the two focused their energy on their daily routines, sipping coffee and chatting while waiting for the others to arrive.

Just then, a female employee from the coffee shop came over with a tray and placed a few small pastries on their table.

"Huh? Miss, are you sure you're not mistaken? I didn't order this..." Toyokawa Shoko said, somewhat surprised.

"This is a complimentary gift from our store, it's free!" The shop assistant smiled at her. "You two have worked so hard rehearsing for so long~ Our desserts are perfect for relaxing, why not give them a try~"

After she finished speaking, she bowed slightly and then turned around to serve other customers.

The two men looked at each other, puzzled, but after a moment they both suddenly understood.

That makes sense. Two such young kids, discussing things like "sponsoring research," "offshore funds," and "a billion dollars" with such serious expressions, sounds like something out of a fantasy.

Therefore, the shop assistant came to a very "reasonable" conclusion: these two people were art students rehearsing their lines for a play.

Upon closer inspection, although the two were dressed simply, they were both very good-looking and definitely had the potential to become minor celebrities. In any case, she was instantly smitten. So, within her authority, she gave them a small gift as a reward for their hard work.

After figuring out the reason, the two couldn't help but look at each other and burst into laughter.

"It's all your fault, everyone's misunderstood me~" Toyokawa Shoko seemed to be complaining, but actually she was being coquettish, and then she seemed a little relieved, "Oh well, at least I was mistaken for a minor actress, otherwise I would have been really disappointed if people thought I was mentally unstable..."

Junya Takasaki also found it amusing. "Discussing this kind of thing in a place like this is indeed a bit unserious. Being misunderstood is one thing, but if someone overhears confidential matters, that would be a huge problem. I'll be more careful in the future..."

“That’s how it should be. We’re here for fun, why bring up such serious topics?” Toyokawa Shoko rolled her eyes at him. “Then let’s make a deal. From now on, unless we’re at our own homes or in the Toyokawa Group’s offices, we’re not allowed to talk about work or business. It’s such a mood killer.”

Jun Takasaki had no objection to Shoko's suggestion, but he did have some issues with Shoko's tone.

"Hey, you're giving me orders before I've even started working here?" He feigned displeasure and put on a stern face. "You really are so high and mighty."

"Waaah..."

Toyokawa Shoko then realized that after gradually getting used to the family business, she was being treated with utmost respect by the various levels of leadership in the Toyokawa Group, and it seemed that she had become accustomed to treating people with a commanding tone.

She didn't dislike this approach; after all, in her memory, her mother had treated board members and executives of the family business in the same way.

In the business world and the arena of fame and fortune, you can't establish authority without being decisive and efficient; there's no way around it.

But I'm only this age, I should still be more humble to others... otherwise I won't have any friends. Xiangzi thought to himself.

Moreover, I especially don't want to upset him.

Seeing Chun's somewhat displeased expression, she felt a little regretful.

So she lowered her head and apologized to Takasaki Jun in a slightly ingratiating tone, "I'm sorry, Jun, I didn't realize my mistake. I'll be more careful next time, please don't be angry..."

Then, as if to make amends, she cut the pastry in front of her in half with a plastic fork and then offered one half to Jun Takasaki.

"I will definitely share with you instead of bossing you around, and this pastry is my proof!"

Jun Takasaki was only joking at first, but seeing Shoko Toyokawa pitifully apologizing to him, he felt even more embarrassed.

"There's no need to apologize to me. I don't mind. In fact, being able to be ordered around by the young lady is an honor that others would beg for. I just haven't gotten used to being a worker yet. I won't care when the time comes."

After he finished speaking, he took the pastry from Toyokawa Shoko, put it in his mouth with a fork, and ate it in one bite.

"I will also resolutely carry out the young lady's orders, even if it means going through fire and water, and I will prove it with this pastry!"

"What are you talking about... I don't need you to go through fire and water for me." Seeing that the other person had forgiven him, Xiangzi was happy inside, but he still complained under his breath, "If anything were to happen to you, Auntie would definitely fight me to the death..."

Both of them are individuals with strong personalities, even somewhat self-centered. Their sharp edges can easily clash if they're not careful, and they can only gradually work things out to eventually fully adapt to each other.

Perhaps, this process of "smoothing out each other's rough edges" will become a bittersweet memory for them when they reach an age where they need to look back on the past.