Chapter 39: One Hundred Million Yen
Akimiya Kaede was direct, and her words carried weight.
"Would you like to join the Kengan Association? The Nogi Group can arrange it for you."
—By "join," she meant joining as a member, not as a hired fighter.
The intricacies of moving from "Party B" (employee) to "Party A" (employer) were far from simple, so a detailed discussion was needed.
"Ngh—!"
Shiraki Kei exerted force, prying open Kure Fusu's legs, which were locked around his neck. He grabbed her under the armpits and lifted her into the air, her feet dangling.
"Haha!"
Fusu didn't mind. She laughed, brought her legs up, and pushed off Kei's chest, breaking free of his grip. She backflipped and landed, stumbling slightly.
"Okay, I'm done playing! You go talk business, Shiraki-chin."
Fusu fanned herself with her hand, looking around. "By the way, do you have a shower? I'm all sweaty..."
Kei pointed to the dilapidated dojo building. "Shower's on the side. The room's reinforced. It's small, but there's hot water."
"Thanks~!"
Fusu stretched her arms and hummed a tune as she walked away.
Kei was about to invite Akimiya inside when he realized he was also drenched in sweat. His skin felt sticky, and he looked a mess. It was rude to receive a guest like this.
He asked Akimiya to make herself comfortable, saying he needed to rinse off first.
Hearing this, Fusu, who had just found the shower, perked up. "Shiraki-chin, wanna shower together?"
"No. Too crowded," Kei replied frankly, already used to her antics. "There's a bucket outside. I'll just rinse off there."
...
...
While Shiraki Kei stepped away, Arisa took over hosting duties.
She brought out a table and chairs for Akimiya Kaede and poured her some hot tea.
Akimiya nodded in thanks, sipping slowly.
She had met Kei's sister, Sakurai Arisa, on her last visit and had a high opinion of the girl.
As the chairman's secretary, Akimiya had a good eye for people. She could tell Arisa had an excellent mindset—a rare talent even in a large corporation.
But this time, Akimiya felt a strange sense of confusion. Is Arisa's mindset a little... too good?
For example, there was another person sitting at the table right now. He looked incredibly strange, but Arisa didn't seem to mind at all.
He was a very muscular man, his build rivaling Shiraki Kei's, but his expression was blank and foolish. He was currently hugging a bag of potato chips, eating obediently.
"This is Maruko," Arisa introduced them. "Maruko, this is Akimiya Kaede."
"Hello, big sister!" Maruko greeted her earnestly.
Akimiya nodded back. The Kengan Association was full of weirdos; she was used to it.
Focus on work first!
Akimiya exhaled, her professionalism kicking in. She opened her handbag, intending to touch up her makeup before the negotiation.
She pulled out a small, glittering compact mirror. Its exquisite design caught Maruko's eye.
"..."
Maruko stared at it unblinkingly. He rummaged in his pocket for a long time, finally producing a single coin—his entire allowance. He waved it in front of Akimiya.
"I have fifty yen here. With this amount, you can do whatever you want..."
Maruko was polite and serious. "Excuse me, can I trade it for your shiny little mirror?"
Akimiya Kaede: "..."
Akimiya Kaede: "Huh?"
Although... well... regardless, Akimiya couldn't bear to refuse such a "big" child. In the end, she agreed to the trade.
...
...
Ten minutes later, Shiraki Kei and Kure Fusu finished washing up and sat down at the table.
Clearly, Kei had organized his thoughts during that time.
He smiled at Akimiya Kaede. "The Nogi Group is certainly sincere..."
Akimiya asked calmly, "Do you mean 'sincere' in a good way? Or sarcastically?"
"..."
Kei paused, then smiled frankly. "In a good way."
Akimiya breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing this, Arisa was confused. Fusu patiently explained, "The Nogi Group's reward is giving Shiraki-chin a 'chance to become a Kengan Association member'."
"There is a fundamental difference between a Kengan Association Member and a Kengan Fighter."
Fusu gestured. "'Members' have wealth and social status. They hire 'Fighters' with martial prowess to fight in 'Kengan Matches' for wagers."
"In other words, only a 'Member' can initiate a Kengan Match. Fighters can only passively accept employment."
"..."
Arisa thought about it. "That sounds like a great reward. My brother will like it. Why was Akimiya-san worried?"
"Because joining the Kengan Association isn't that easy. The Nogi Group is only giving him a 'chance.' It's not as direct as a cash reward."
Fusu asked Arisa for some snacks and continued while eating, "Honestly, even I don't really get this 'chance.' The Nogi Group doesn't run the Kengan Association, and Shiraki-chin isn't a business owner. Is there really a chance to join?"
"You are correct."
Akimiya nodded. "To become a Kengan Association member, besides 'wealth and social status,' one's company must also be 'recognized by the Kengan Association'."
"—I originally thought that was the only way to join."
Akimiya pushed up her glasses, her tone shifting. "But my chairman—Nogi Hideki—knows a 'shortcut'."
"It is called: The Kengan Challenge Match!"
Akimiya explained slowly:
"Being a Kengan Association member is proof of being a top-tier businessperson. Therefore—countless people are desperate to obtain membership rights."
"Among the existing members, many use the authority of the Kengan Association to bet their 'membership status' in unofficial matches. Their goal is to earn the money paid as a 'challenge fee'."
"Although these unofficial matches are petty cash compared to official Kengan matches, occasionally, some small fry gets greedy and bets their membership."
"As for the wager, don't worry. The referee is still dispatched by the Kengan Association. The result of the match is absolute."
At this point, Akimiya pulled out a document and looked at Shiraki Kei.
"The opportunity the Nogi Group is offering you consists of 'two points'."
"First, we will act as intermediaries, finding an opportunity for you to set up a 'Kengan Challenge Match' with another member."
"Second, we will provide you with an 'indefinite, interest-free loan' to pay the challenge fee for this match—one hundred million yen."
One hundred million yen?!
The staggering amount made Arisa jump.
Shiraki Kei, however, had expected this, so he wasn't too surprised.
To be honest, the Nogi Group's reward was very sincere.
Compared to a perfunctory "cash reward," the "chance" to become a Kengan member had far greater potential. Its value far exceeded the money itself!
There were three key points to seizing this opportunity, and the Nogi Group had already solved two of them.
First, "participating" in a Challenge Match. The Nogi Group would arrange it.
Second, paying the "one hundred million yen" challenge fee. The Nogi Group had solved this with the "indefinite, interest-free loan."
Calling it a loan with "indefinite" and "interest-free" terms was basically telling Kei that Nogi was footing the bill. Kei just had to remember the favor; repayment was optional.
As for the final point, the Nogi Group couldn't help—
Shiraki Kei had to "win" the Challenge Match.
"..."
Kei had to admit, the Nogi Group's chairman—Nogi Hideki—was a shrewd operator.
Based on the current situation, Nogi Hideki was likely preparing to launch the "Kengan Annihilation Tournament" to challenge the current chairman, Katahara Metsudo.
For a tournament, obviously, the more "allies" you have, the better. Nogi was currently recruiting, gathering masters to join his faction.
This "Challenge Match opportunity" and the massive 100 million yen "loan" were both Nogi's way of showing sincerity to Kei... and a way of forcibly binding their interests together.
"..."
Akimiya placed the loan contract in front of Shiraki Kei. "What do you think?"
Kei didn't hesitate. He picked up the pen and signed.
Akimiya collected her copy of the contract and stood to leave.
"The date of the Kengan Challenge Match is to be determined. Once we have accurate information, I will contact you in advance. Please be prepared."
"Mm. Thanks for your hard work."
Kei thanked her and walked her out with Arisa.
...
...
Akimiya Kaede left the Shiraki house and got into the sedan waiting at the intersection.
In the back seat, a middle-aged man in a suit with slicked-back hair—Nogi Group Chairman, Nogi Hideki—had been waiting.
Akimiya gave her calm assessment. "That man, 'Shiraki Kei,' isn't the type to be controlled. Chairman, are you sure you want to recruit him?"
"It doesn't matter!"
Nogi Hideki, a cigar in his mouth, smiled and waved his hand. "What we need to do now is add as many variables as possible to the Kengan Association. Only with change can there be a chance of victory!"
"Also... be careful lately, Akimiya."
Nogi took a puff of his cigar. "According to Old Man Metsudo's investigation, a foreign criminal organization seems to have its eyes on the Kengan Association. They're called 'IDEAL.' They might target people related to us."
Akimiya nodded.
Nogi leaned back, sighing softly. "Business is war! There might be kidnappings and blackmail... We'd better recruit more masters, and fast..."