CHAPTER 474: CHAPTER 472 THE BUSINESS WORLD OF WINNERS AND LOSERS_1

Mike wasn’t really in trouble; it was just that, in the process of escaping, his body got smeared with mud and leaves, making him look quite disheveled.

But he himself hadn’t sustained any injuries.

Because Mike had never chosen to confront the enemy head-on, he only engaged in shooting from a distance.

If they weren’t sharpshooters, it was difficult for the enemy to aim at a fast-moving target, not to mention aiming at an underground boxing champion known for his footwork.

Using cover and movement, he lured the white bruiser and the man in black in circles through the woods, then called the rest of his bodyguards for reinforcements and successfully took out the two in the forest.

There was no need to try a fair fight when one could outnumber the enemy.

Mike didn’t just abandon Phoenix Academy Maggie and run away because he had professional ethics, but such ethics weren’t enough to make him disregard his own safety and choose to take out the enemy as quickly as possible.

He opted first to take down the white man and one of the men in black, checked the bodies, confirmed that one of them was a ninja, and then hurried back to the castle to see a wall blown open.

The main gate was intact, swinging open with a creaking sound.

Mike instinctively aimed his gun inside. Seeing it was Aozawa and Phoenix Academy Maggie along with others, he put away his gun and whistled. "Wow, you guys look pretty cool. Are the enemies taken care of?"

"Of course, all three have been killed."

"Mr. Mike, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I’m fine."

In response to Yoshikawa Sayuri’s concern, Mike replied, then scratched his head and said, "The attackers, they’re said to be connected with Shinobu Introduction office, might have been hired by someone. I need to report this to the lady."

"Okay."

Phoenix Academy Maggie nodded. She heaved an inward sigh, afraid that her mother would find out about this and call her back to Tokyo, interfering with the training camp.

Before making the call, Mike scanned Aozawa and Hojo Tetsuji. "Did you guys take them out?"

Hojo Tetsuji honestly replied, "Aozawa took out two, and I took out one."

"Nicely done."

Mike nodded. He knew how to report to Kochou. After all, work required a detailed report, and it couldn’t seem too sloppy.

「In Tokyo, the towering high-rise district of Shinjuku.」

Like always, Kochou stayed in the group’s top-floor office, handling the paperwork for the various companies under Phoenix Academy.

Unless there was a sudden event, she hardly ever left this office.

She was a woman extremely fixated on power.

To her, power was more pleasurable than any form of leisure.

So essentially, she was a workaholic, without any desire to delegate like other leaders, preferring to control everyone beneath her.

She demanded that each person obey her decisions and follow through with them, never allowing independent actions without her consent.

Her daily workload was more tremendous than that of a head of state, yet she never once complained of fatigue.

She drank a cup of coffee, looking at the stock price war with the Takizawa Group, confident that it wouldn’t be long before they completely defeated Takizawa Group and harshly knocked down this business upstart.

The existing cake had been divided up, and Japan’s table needed no new dividers.

She licked the coffee from the corner of her lips; the bitter taste was very refreshing.

Kochou drank her coffee without ever adding sugar, enjoying the pure flavor of one hundred percent coffee.

That bitter sensation, from the tip of her tongue to her brain, made her feel very alert.

DING DING. Her cellphone on the desk rang.

Kochou slid her index finger across the screen to answer it, saying in a deep voice, "Hello, what’s the matter?"

"Ma’am, here’s the situation."

Mike, on the other end, explained the incident that had just occurred on the island.

Kochou listened quietly to his account, her cheeks as dark as a cloud-covered sky. "You did well. I will transfer one million US dollars into your account as a reward."

"Thank you, ma’am."

Mike’s tone showed some surprise.

Based on his previous work experience, he thought he might only get a "well done" or an encouragement to keep up the good work, with no tangible action. Employers naturally categorized what he did as part of the salary they gave. The troubling part was, he thought so as well.

But clearly, Kochou was not that kind of low-handed boss; she knew well that when employees achieved results, they had to be rewarded materially, not just with empty promises.

No amount of words could ever warm an employee’s heart like a pay raise.

"This is the reward you deserve. Maggie’s safety is up to you to protect. I will drop by later."

Kochou hung up the phone, a hint of contemplation on her face. She swiftly dialed her grey secretary’s number, speaking icily, "Tell the boss of Shinobu Introduction office who hired three ninjas to my island to attempt to kidnap my daughter. I need a good explanation from him."

"Yes."

The grey secretary acted as an intermediary for the conglomerate, specifically for connecting Kochou with those living in the dark world. All sorts of illicit dealings and grey business were conveyed through him to those below.

The benefit of this was that should anything happen, Kochou could completely distance herself from it, preserving her reputation as a philanthropist.

The gray secretary only needed to enjoy the hospitality of Phoenix Academy Group’s private prison. After being released, he would still be a man of the Phoenix Academy Group.

This is why his loyalty to Kochou was absolute.

This wasn’t a job for a lifetime, but for generations to come. As long as Phoenix Academy didn’t fall, his descendants would never be out of work.

He quickly scrolled through his contacts list to find Shinobu Introduction office’s number and pressed dial.

After a BEEP, the call connected. He couldn’t see Kamei Bunta, but he could read the obsequious tone in his voice, "Hello, Secretary Kanemoto, what can our Shinobu Introduction office do for you today?"

"Mr. Kamei, you really have some nerve, daring to send men to kidnap Phoenix Academy Maggie!"

"What?! I’ve been wronged! Even if you gave me a hundred guts, I wouldn’t dare kidnap the young mistress." Kamei Fumio sounded shocked, full of grievance and innocence.

But Secretary Kanemoto’s expression was cold as he said, "Three ninjas from Shinobu Introduction office are already lying dead on the island. Who issued this commission? The lady demands an explanation from you. If it’s not satisfactory, I can’t speak in your favor. Our long-standing friendly relationship will be severed."

Cold sweat immediately broke out on Kamei Bunta’s face as he hastily said, "This... this I really didn’t know about! The guy only mentioned making money. I thought it was some smuggling business. I had no idea! My sincere apologies. You know the nature of our business at Shinobu Introduction office."

"Mr. Kamei, you don’t need to explain to me; it’s the lady who needs an explanation," Kanemoto cut him off. He knew in his heart that while Kamei Bunta seemed spineless, it was just the old man’s disguise. This old man was craftier and more cunning than anyone. Secretary Kanemoto didn’t believe for a second that Kamei had failed to see something was amiss with this order. He tended to think the old scoundrel knew full well something was wrong but chose to feign ignorance, taking the risk for the sake of money.

Of course, there was no need for Secretary Kanemoto to expose him; the existence of Shinobu Introduction office certainly made things convenient for people like them.

"Alright, I will provide a full explanation to the lady." Kamei Bunta wiped the sweat from his hand, hung up the phone, and his face, now devoid of any reverence, darkened.

It’s just not his year. He had wanted to make a big score, but now it seemed he might just end up paying out of pocket.

Kamei Bunta was furious inside. He truly didn’t know Katsuhisa Shindo had hired people for such an operation. He had thought his client intended to secretly smuggle flour to help Takizawa Group out of its tough spot. He had originally thought Takeya Takizawa was a smart man but didn’t expect him to do something so foolish. And to execute it so crudely as well! Takeya Takizawa had always been so astute, but now he seemed muddled, failing to think that, with Phoenix Academy’s strength, the people he hired could make any sort of ripple?

Kamei Bunta really wanted to curse out loud; his mortgage was about to be overdue. If only he had known, he wouldn’t have bought that villa. But whenever he had money, he wanted to buy property; he owned real estate in Okinawa, Kanagawa, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Sendai. Ah, if all else fails, he could just mortgage a property at the bank.

With that in mind, he called to redirect his staff, preparing to deliver Takeya Takizawa to Phoenix Academy Kochou for handling. Only this could appease her rage.

「TICK. TOCK.」

The clock on the wall ticked softly, marking the passage of time. Takeya Takizawa sat on the couch and poured himself a glass of red wine. A plate piled high with his favorite Kobe beef steaks sat on the table in front of him.

Piled high in an untidy heap, it looked unseemly.

But this was how he and Katsuhisa Shindo liked to eat it.

Takeya Takizawa didn’t use a fork and knife; instead, he grabbed a steak with his hands and tore at it with his teeth.

The cellphone on the table remained silent.

How was Keiji’s progress? He didn’t know. The slowly passing time gave him a bad feeling. If things were going smoothly, Keiji would have already sent a message to his phone. Any delay meant failure.

Takeya Takizawa was braced for failure. Most desperate gambles in the world ended in failure. After all, reality is not a movie. Phoenix Academy’s defenses were unknown; the island’s exact deployment was also unknown. Embarking on a mission to kidnap the young mistress when nearly everything was a mystery was very difficult. But without taking action, it would only be a slow death.

Takeya Takizawa swallowed the steak in his mouth, recalling his childhood poverty. His mother was a hostess in Kabukicho, and his father was a non-existent shadow.

In such a family environment, he didn’t choose to fall into delinquency as a young hoodlum but instead strived in his studies to change his fate through knowledge.

By capitalizing on politicians’ conflicts and underground industries to accumulate initial capital, and by sharply seizing the winds of the era, he had built, from scratch, a company rivaling the six major financial groups and Phoenix Academy.

From scratch to this point, he’d rather die than fall from the high pedestal where he was once lauded by thousands.

CLICK. A soft sound came from nearby. Takeya Takizawa turned his head, looked, and said, "People from Shinobu Introduction office, huh? Seems like Keiji’s operation failed."

He sighed, picked up the wine glass with his greasy hand, and drank down the glass of bright red, poisoned wine.