Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

"This heat...is not normal."

He muttered to himself and casually flipped through reports from major media outlets.

As a "businessman (self-proclaimed)" with deep connections in both the black and white worlds, Yamamoto Ryuichi's sensitivity to the market far exceeds that of ordinary people.

He was very familiar with this band - it was formed by Miss Toyokawa herself, and he had invested a lot of resources in promoting it.

Originally this was just a way for him to please Toyokawa Shoko, but he didn't expect that the band's popularity would be much greater than he expected.

“This is no longer just an ordinary promotion…”

He opened the official account of Ave mujica and found that the number of followers was growing at an alarming rate.

The performance video became extremely popular, with major media outlets reporting extensively on it, and even some well-known artists spontaneously promoting it on social platforms.

What puzzled him most was that the tickets for Tokyo Station were sold out within a day of being put on sale on the official website, and scalpers were selling the tickets at five times the original price, but they were still in short supply.

Yamamoto Ryuichi put out his cigarette. He knew very well that although the resources he provided were considerable, they were far from enough to achieve this effect.

There must be a force behind the scenes that is no less powerful than him, or even far more powerful than him, fanning the flames.

"Could it be that the Toyokawa family has started to interfere?"

As soon as this thought flashed through his mind, Yamamoto Ryuichi immediately picked up his cell phone and dialed the number.

"Find out who's behind Ave Mujica's recent promotion. Specifically, see if the Toyokawa family is involved."

If it was really the Toyokawa family who took action, it would mean that Toyokawa Shoko's status within the family had changed.

The person in charge of the entertainment industry resources in the Toyokawa family is Hidehiko Toyokawa, one of the directors of Star Entertainment, and is considered to be Shoko Toyokawa's cousin.

As far as he knew, the other party should be in the opposing camp to Toyokawa Shoko.

After all, not long ago, Shoko Toyokawa used his power to attack NEO STARS, a subsidiary of Star Entertainment.

"If Toyokawa Hidehiko turns to support Ms. Shoko..."

Yamamoto Ryuichi's expression grew serious, suggesting a significant shift in the power dynamics within the Toyokawa family.

The way he cooperates with others may also need to change.

He picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The next morning, as soon as Yamamoto Ryuichi arrived at the office, his assistant hurried in and handed him a document.

"Sir, the investigation report you requested is out."

Yamamoto Ryuichi quickly flipped through the document, scanning the key information. As he read deeper, his expression shifted from confusion to shock. Finally, he opened his mouth and asked:

"Vortex? Are you sure it's them?"

"Yes, sir. We've confirmed through various channels that most of Ave Mujica's promotional resources in the Tokyo area came from Vortex. They not only provided venue support, but also mobilized a large number of personal connections for promotion."

Yamamoto Ryuichi took a deep breath and felt a chill down his spine.

Vortex Company, this name is quite famous in the Tokyo underground circle.

On the surface, it is a chain of music venues, but in reality it is a front station for the Canglong Society to launder money and expand its territory.

And the Canglong Society is a real behemoth.

"Ishikawa Shunya... personally intervened?"

The assistant nodded. "According to our informant, it was Mr. Ishikawa himself who ordered full promotion of the band. He even mobilized all of the Soryukai's connections in the media and entertainment circles."

Upon hearing the news, Yamamoto Ryuichi felt a chill down his spine.

"This is not right..."

He recalled that he had used Vortex to test Toyokawa Shoko.

"Could it be that after that incident..."

A creepy guess formed in Yamamoto Ryuichi's mind.

Could it be that Shoko Toyokawa has reached some kind of cooperation with Shunya Ishikawa?

After the assistant left, Yamamoto Ryuichi let out a long breath, beads of sweat already oozing from his forehead. If Toyokawa Shoko really had established contact with the Soryukai, it meant that his previous assessment of this "collaborator" might have been seriously wrong.

Being able to work with a figure like Ishikawa Shunya cannot be explained by simple family infighting.

"The Canglong Society..."

Yamamoto Ryuichi muttered to himself, feeling more and more uneasy.

Although the Soryukai is ostensibly a yakuza organization, its power and tentacles have long penetrated into all areas of Tokyo, from real estate to entertainment, from nightclubs to high-end restaurants, and are almost everywhere.

As one of the surface companies of the Canglong Society, Vortex represents the power of the entire Canglong Society.

Ishikawa Shunya is willing to use such huge resources to promote a band, there must be a deeper transaction involved.

"What kind of benefits are these..."

Yamamoto Ryuichi walked to the window, his hands shaking unconsciously. He began to recall every recent contact with Toyokawa Shoko, trying to find any possible clues.

The gun... that Glock 17...

He suddenly remembered the gun Toyokawa Shoko had asked him for not long ago. At the time, he thought it was just a whim of the young lady, or a need for self-protection. But now, looking back, everything seemed to have a new meaning.

Is Toyokawa Shoko planning to use the power of the Soryukai to seize power within the family? Will this gun be used on a key figure?

"No...it won't be that simple..."

Yamamoto Ryuichi shook his head.

Toyokawa Shoko doesn't need to rely on a gun to resolve the disputes within the family. She can completely rely on the power of the Soryukai to achieve her goal.

So what is the real purpose of this gun?

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Yamamoto Ryuichi picked up his cell phone, hesitated for a long time, and finally dialed a rarely used number.

"I need some information about...the recent movements of the Canglong Society." He said in a low voice.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, and then a cautious response came: "The price will be very high."

"No matter the cost." Yamamoto Ryuichi said decisively.

After hanging up the phone, he poured himself a glass of whiskey and drank it all in one gulp. The burning sensation of the alcohol dispelled some of the chill, but the uneasiness in his heart only intensified.

.

As the sun sets, the afterglow of Tokyo Bay shines on the glass curtain wall of a high-rise office building in Chiba, rendering the entire building blood red.

In the conference room on the top floor, Seiichiro Kimura was elegantly adjusting the cufflinks on his suit cuffs. A row of nervous-looking men sat on both sides of the long table in front of him.

In front of each of them was a thick document with the words "Dongcheng Real Estate Final Agreement" printed in large letters on the cover.

Kimura looks to be in his early thirties, with a slender figure, regular features, and wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He exudes the temperament of an intellectual elite.

If you see him on a university campus or in a high-end office building, you might easily mistake him for a professor at a prestigious university or an executive at a multinational corporation.

However, at this moment, the eyes hidden behind the lenses were as cold as ice.

"Everyone, thank you for coming to this...farewell party."

Kimura smiled and spoke, his voice so gentle as if he was talking about the weather:

"Dongcheng Real Estate has been in business for 28 years and was once a well-known company in the Chiba area. It is truly a pity."

Sitting at the other end of the long table was the president of Dongcheng Real Estate, a gray-haired old man with slightly trembling hands and a face as pale as paper.

"Mr. Kimura, please reconsider. Twenty-eight years of hard work... We are willing to accept any conditions..."

Kimura shook his head slightly, took a pen from his assistant, and slowly unscrewed the cap. "I'm afraid it's too late, President Dongcheng. The contract has been signed and the loan has been disbursed. According to the agreement, today is the final repayment deadline."

He glanced at his watch. "It's 5:43 PM, and there are still 17 minutes until the bank closes. If you can raise 300 million yen in that time, we'll pretend this conversation never happened."

The old man slumped in his chair, tears welling up in his eyes.

He knew very well that this was an impossible task.

Three months ago, Kimura's investment company provided a seemingly favorable loan to Dongcheng Real Estate. The hidden clauses in the contract made them fall into a carefully designed trap without knowing it.

Interest rates suddenly skyrocketed, the repayment period was quietly brought forward, and the actual value of the prime land used as collateral far exceeded the loan amount.

"Time waits for no one, President Dongcheng."

Kimura smiled and pushed a document in front of the old man. "Sign it and transfer the company's assets to our name. In exchange, we will provide you and your family with a comfortable retirement life."

The old man picked up the pen with trembling hands, and tears finally burst out of his eyes.

“My employees…”

"We will retain those valuable talents."

Kimura said calmly, "As for the rest...life must go on, doesn't it?"

When the last signature was completed, Kimura stood up and bowed slightly:

"Thank you for your cooperation. Dongcheng Real Estate officially becomes part of the Aoki Group from today. This acquisition marks another important milestone in our expansion plans in the Chiba area."

He looked around, his gaze lingering briefly on each person's face. "Please report to the new office promptly at 9:00 AM tomorrow. Our Human Resources Department will evaluate each of you."

The implication is self-evident - those who are "worthless" will be ruthlessly eliminated.

The old man stood up with a deathly pale face and walked slowly towards the door, his steps unsteady like a dying old man.

"President Dongcheng."

Kimura stopped him as he was about to leave, his voice still gentle:

"Your retirement account has been established, and the first payment will arrive tomorrow. Please remember our agreement. Some things... are best not mentioned to others."

The old man didn't look back, just nodded slightly and walked out of the meeting room.

The moment the door closed, the smile on Kimura's face disappeared.

"Notify the legal department to begin an inventory of all of Dongcheng's assets tomorrow, paying special attention to the seaside land." He told his assistant. "Also, investigate the backgrounds of all mid-level and higher-level managers, especially those with ties to government agencies."

"I'm ready, Mr. Kimura."

The assistant replied respectfully:

"Our people have already infiltrated Dongcheng's internal system, and all the information is here."

He handed Kimura a USB flash drive, and Kimura took it and put it into the inner pocket of his suit without rushing to check it.

"Let's go have dinner."

The high-end Japanese restaurant "Uokura" is located in a hidden corner in the center of Chiba.

On the surface, it is a high-end restaurant that requires a reservation for half a year to enter, but in fact it is where Kimura receives important guests and handles confidential matters.

Kimura was sitting in the innermost private room, savoring a plate of exquisite sashimi.

The fish meat has a delicate luster under the light, each piece is cut as thin as a cicada's wing, and the presentation on the plate is as exquisite as a work of art.

"Mr. Kimura, the documents you requested have been delivered."

A young man in a neat suit said softly, placed a black leather bag on the table, and then left quietly.

Kimura wiped his hands, opened his briefcase and took out a stack of documents.

These were the information collected by his carefully selected intelligence personnel, covering the recent movements of the regional leaders of the Canglong Society.

Ever since the incident involving Kujo Renji, undercurrents have been surging within the Canglong Society.

On the surface, the regional leaders are still working together to keep the organization running, but in reality, they each have their own agenda and are secretly developing their own power, preparing to compete for supreme control when the time is right.

Kimura flipped through the documents, his eyes quickly scanning each name until he stopped on the three words "Ishikawa Shunya".

As Kujo Renji's most trusted deputy, Ishikawa Shunya should have been one of the most qualified candidates to take over the Soryukai.

However, the old dog stubbornly insisted that Kujo Renji was still alive and refused to participate in any power struggle.

"Foolish loyalty."

Kimura spoke softly, taking a sip of sake.

At this moment, the door of the box was gently pushed open, and a white-haired old man walked in quietly.

This is Kimura's intelligence chief - Miyamoto, an old man who has served in the Soryukai for more than 40 years and has experienced several major changes in the organization.

"Mr. Miyamoto, is there any new situation?" Kimura put down the documents and motioned the old man to sit down.

"Mr. Kimura, there is something I need to report to you."

Miyamoto's voice was low and hoarse. "Ishikawa, the man you asked me to follow, has made some new moves. Vortex has recently mobilized resources to promote an emerging band."