Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

"Adultery!" "Illegitimate daughter!" "Bloodline confusion!"

These words quickly brought together several side branches headed by Toyokawa Takaaki.

There may be conflicts of interest and power struggles between them on a daily basis, but they temporarily formed an alliance in the face of the common goal of "liquidating Toyokawa Sadaharu".

Every member of the collateral family saw a great opportunity to seize power in this sudden "scandal".

The excessive concentration of power within Toyokawa Sadaharu had long made these factions dissatisfied and wary. They had endured for years, waiting for just such an opportunity to launch a rebellion.

The spread of the news was carefully controlled, first leaking it "inadvertently" within the family to those respected and conservative elders.

These elders may not be directly involved in the operation of the family business on a daily basis, but they have a huge say in the moral high ground within the family.

When they learned about Toyokawa Sadaharu's "misdeeds", the anger of betrayal and the worry about family tradition became the best weapon of public opinion for the collateral forces.

"Sadaharu must give an explanation!"

"The family's reputation cannot be tarnished!"

"A family meeting must be held to discuss this matter!"

The calls were like a tide, one wave higher than the other, pouring from all corners to the center of power where Toyokawa Sadaharu was.

At this moment, Toyokawa Sadaharu was sitting in his spacious study, which symbolized supreme power.

The courtyard outside the window was still quiet, but the oppressive feeling in the air made him feel a little suffocated for the first time.

There were several intelligence summaries scattered on the table, clearly outlining how the side forces had forced him into a desperate situation step by step.

His face was so gloomy that water could drip out of it.

He knew what it would mean to him once this matter was confirmed.

Toyokawa Kiyoshige was the abandoned pawn in this matter. He thought he was decisive enough, but he never expected that he would still be caught with this handle.

Admit it? That would be like destroying the Great Wall.

Denial? In the face of irrefutable evidence, it would only appear more hypocritical and ridiculous.

Just when he was feeling upset, his confidant walked in with a serious expression.

"Ms. Kageyama and Mr. Xiaoming... have jointly requested an emergency meeting of the family elders, scheduled for tomorrow evening. The topic is the potential impact of your 'personal affairs' on the family legacy."

Toyokawa Sadaharu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

What was supposed to come finally came.

At the family elders' meeting the next day, the atmosphere was as solemn as the dead silence before a storm.

The long conference table was filled with core members of the Toyokawa family.

The main seat was vacant, which was the position of the head of the family, but at this moment, Toyokawa Sadaharu was sitting on the side like a defendant on trial.

Toyokawa Takaaki was the first to speak out, his voice calm but with an undeniable force:

"Master Sadaharu, I have summoned all the elders today. I believe you already have a clear understanding of the situation. We require a clear explanation regarding your 'daughter' and her exact relationship to you. This not only concerns your personal reputation, but also the stability and inheritance of the Toyokawa family's century-old foundation."

He deliberately emphasized the word "daughter", as if to remind Toyokawa Sadaharu, and also as if to emphasize the seriousness of the matter to everyone present.

Toyokawa Sadaharu finally spoke, his voice hoarse but he still tried to remain calm:

"Hatsune...that child is indeed my own flesh and blood. However, this incident is purely my own fault and has nothing to do with the family legacy. I have never had any intention of shaking the foundation of my family."

"Never?"

Toyokawa Akihiko immediately seized on the opportunity and aggressively said:

"Then, Master Sadaharu, could you please explain why you placed this 'Ms. Hatsune' by Ms. Xiangzi's side? If we hadn't uncovered the truth, would you have planned to have her return to her roots at an opportune time, or even... participate in family affairs?"

The atmosphere in the meeting room grew increasingly tense. The collateral factions engaged in a flurry of discussion, accusing Toyokawa Sadaharu of abusing his power for personal gain and undermining the family's foundation.

They cleverly elevated issues of personal morality to the level of family survival.

Toyokawa Sadaharu listened in silence, knowing that today's meeting, while ostensibly an "explanation," was actually an attempt to force the emperor to abdicate. The collateral faction had waited too long for this opportunity, and they wouldn't let it go easily.

He tried to refute, tried to steer the conversation towards the equally ignominious past of some members of his side branch, and tried to divide his opponent's alliance by exchanging interests.

But this time, the side faction seemed determined to bring him down, or at least severely weaken him. They were so well prepared that they had practically blocked all his escape routes.

The balance of public opinion had completely shifted towards the collateral branch. Elders who had previously remained neutral, or even slightly leaned towards Toyokawa Sadaharu, began to waver under the banner of "family bloodline purity" and "unshakable tradition," their eyes revealing disappointment and distrust in Toyokawa Sadaharu.

Toyokawa Sadaharu knew that if he continued to resist, the consequences would only get worse. He might be completely stripped of his position as head of the family, or even expelled from the family.

He couldn't afford that price. The Toyokawa family was everything to him and the foundation of his power.

The meeting lasted several hours, from dusk until late at night. Arguments, accusations, arguments, and silences filled the closed space, with all sorts of emotions intertwining and colliding.

In the end, when Toyokawa Takaaki once again proposed that in order to "maintain family stability" and "ensure orderly inheritance", Toyokawa Sadaharu should hand over the decision-making power of some core industries and transfer some of his voting rights in the family trust fund, and that the training of the next generation of heirs - especially the selection of Xiangzi's future husband - must be decided by the elders together, Toyokawa Sadaharu knew that he had to make a choice.

He slowly raised his head and glanced at everyone present.

"Okay..." A word was squeezed out from Toyokawa Sadaharu's throat with difficulty.

He seemed to have aged a lot in an instant, and the sharpness in his eyes had mostly disappeared.

"I agree to temporarily hand over the direct management of Toyokawa Products and Toyokawa Energy to Kageyama and Xiaoming respectively. I will also transfer part of the voting rights of the family trust fund to the Elders Council. As for Xiangzi's matter, I will respect the opinion of the Elders Council."

Every concession felt like cutting into his flesh, but he had no choice.

This is the best solution he can get at the moment to stop the loss.

Using some power in exchange for a temporary respite and maintaining his status as the head of the family is his last bottom line.

The side branch's goal was initially achieved. Although it failed to completely overthrow Toyokawa Sadaharu in one fell swoop, it did succeed in prying a large piece of fat meat from him.

A hint of unconcealable joy flashed in the eyes of Toyokawa Takaaki and others, but on the surface they still maintained a sad expression of "thinking about the family."

This power storm caused by the illegitimate daughter scandal came to a temporary end with Toyokawa Sadaharu's voluntary retreat and the temporary victory of the side branch.

Although Toyokawa Sadaharu retained the title of head of the family, his power was undoubtedly greatly weakened.

He will have to devote a lot of energy to dealing with the further encroachment of collateral forces and the internal power reorganization. In the short term, he will probably have no time to take care of Toyokawa Shoko.

After all, in order to keep this position, he even handed over the choice of Xiangzi's future husband. In a sense, he was selling out his granddaughter completely.

.......

Kujo Renji didn't know that in the deep mansion of the Toyokawa family, which he couldn't see, a power struggle against the head of the family, Toyokawa Sadaharu, had temporarily settled, and Toyokawa Shoko, as a potential chess piece at the center of this storm, had, in a sense, been "abandoned" by her troubled grandfather.

Toyokawa Shoko watched the man in front of her methodically preparing for his next move and couldn't help but complain in her mind:

"What kind of heroic act is this guy going to put on again?"

"Come to think of it, Miss Xiangzi, in a sense, wasn't this 'hero' summoned by you yourself?"

Toyokawa Shoko paused slightly.

She felt a little weird when she thought that this man would be the next to save Sanjiao Chuhua.

It was a mixture of a little unwillingness, a hint of dependence, and a complex emotion that was hard to explain.

Chuhua is special to her and is the indispensable soul of Ave Mujica. She certainly hopes that Chuhua is safe and sound.

But this salvation is entrusted to Kujo Renji...

Why does it feel like there’s going to be another Mu Zimi?

Kujo Renji ignored the girl's thoughts. He walked over to the wall and casually pressed on a modern abstract painting. The frame slid silently to the side, revealing a recessed compartment.

When Kujo Renji took out a dark pistol with a cold metallic luster from the secret compartment, Toyokawa Shoko was immediately frightened.

"You're not going to kill anyone outright, are you?"

Upon hearing this, Kujo Renji showed a speechless expression as if to say, "What are you thinking about?"

He skillfully checked the magazine, then put the gun away and placed it behind his waist, hidden by his coat.

"Don't worry, Miss Xiangzi..."

His tone was relaxed, as if he had just picked up an ordinary tool:

"It's just for self-defense."

He changed the subject and his eyes became sharp:

"But before that, I do need to teach you some new ideas."

"Many times, when others cannot accurately assess you, unexpectedly breaking the rules is a good way to take the initiative."

Toyokawa Shoko was a little confused when she heard this: "Huh?"

Kujo Renji did not explain the theory in detail, but directly interpreted it through actions.

He picked up his cell phone, tapped the screen a few times, and dialed a number.

The call was connected almost immediately, and a respectful and steady male voice came from the receiver, with a hint of efficiency:

"Miss Xiangzi, what do you want?"

After hearing the second half of the sentence, Shoko Toyokawa's heart moved again.

It’s Shunya Ishikawa...why not Ryuichi Yamamoto?

"Ishikawa..."

Jiujo Liansi said casually:

"Are your people ready?"

"Yes, always on call."

"Very good, find a suitable opportunity and tie up Toyokawa Kageyama."

Ishikawa Shunya on the other end of the phone was obviously silent for a few seconds because of this order, but soon he responded with his usual calmness:

"understood."

He didn't even ask why, he just followed orders.

Of course, he also felt a little guilty.

Ishikawa has naturally been secretly paying attention to the affairs of the Yamaguchi-gumi.

Ishikawa Shunya's intelligence network will inevitably touch the edge of this gray area.

Although Miss Xiangzi did not say it explicitly, the vague connection and the rumors from certain intelligence channels were enough for him to piece together a rough outline.

Miss Xiangzi seems to be involved with an important figure in the Yamaguchi-gumi, or rather, the "agent" of an important figure.

There is no doubt that this huge force from the underworld has become a very powerful trump card in Miss Xiangzi's hand.

She can use this power to deal with problems that are inconvenient to deal with directly, or that are difficult to solve using conventional means.

For example, fighting against the deep-rooted and disgusting power struggles within the Toyokawa family.

And what does this mean?

Perhaps it is that the importance of Ishikawa Shunya, a professional who deals with all kinds of "troublesome things", seems to have been diluted a little bit invisibly.

Therefore, Ishikawa Shun did not hesitate at all regarding the "simple and crude" order that the girl had just given.

On the one hand, it's just my personality, on the other hand...

Maybe he just wanted to show off in front of Miss Xiangzi.

.......

Chapter 138 You'd better pray that your chips are enough to redeem your life

The afternoon sun, filtering through the priceless bone china tea sets in the Ginza high-end teahouse, casts a warm, almost luxurious glow. Mrs. Kageyama...

No, maybe she should be called Toyokawa Kageyama now?

After all, in the Toyokawa family, it is more "orthodox" for women to keep their original surnames after marriage.

At this moment, Toyokawa Kageyama's mood was as bright as the sunshine, even brighter.

The woman's fingertips gently stroked the warm wall of the cup, and the fine Darjeeling black tea exuded a mellow aroma, lingering around her nose.

Every sweet sip of tea seemed to be celebrating her recent "harvest".

Yes, a good harvest.

When Kageyama thought of Toyokawa Sadaharu's face, which was ashen but had to make concessions during the family meeting, his mood couldn't be better.

That old guy is usually so powerful and domineering that he puts the side branches under great pressure. But now, because of the scandal of an illegitimate daughter, he has to give up a huge amount of benefits obediently?