Yoshio knew exactly who was behind it all and understood that this kind of office warfare could slowly crush a normal man's spirit.
To say the matter was serious, it really was. But to say it was unsalvageable, it really wasn't.
Knowing how the world worked, Yoshio immediately went to Hiroto in private to apologize, even offering monetary compensation.
However, he failed to realize just how petty of a bastard Hiroto truly was.
One moment, Hiroto accepted the money with a smile, promising he would let the matter go. The next, he turned around and demanded that Yoshio publicly apologize and serve as his lackey for a week, or else the harassment would continue.
The demand made Yoshio want to punch the arrogant bastard in the face.
But Yoshio was no longer young or impulsive.
He had a wife and daughter waiting at home, and years of grinding through life had dulled his edges. He knew when to bend and when to swallow his pride if it meant keeping his family safe.
Yet deep down, he also knew that if he gave in once, it wouldn't stop there. A week as Hiroto's lackey would only be the beginning. That lecherous man would just keep pushing further with even more humiliating demands.
Yoshio couldn't allow that.
That was why he'd been so tense these past few days and had turned to his friend Masaru, who supposedly had some connections with a big shot in the company.
Sadly, it turned out that Yoshio had overestimated him.
Although Masaru handled a bit of dirty work and had a few shallow connections, at the end of the day he was still just a lackey, a powerless salaryman without much say.
"Sigh… Do I really have no choice but to leave?"
Yoshio had already told his wife, Michiko Minamoto, about everything that had happened, and this was what she had suggested:
If it came down to it, sell everything here, and start over somewhere else.
A new city, a new house, a new job.
Although he knew she was right, Yoshio couldn't bring himself to agree. This was his hometown, the place where he'd grown up and built his life. Leaving it all behind was something he simply couldn't stomach.
Not to mention the difficulty of finding another well-paying job in the current market.
Starting from scratch might have sounded simple to her, but it wasn't easy in reality. Besides, this was a sensitive time in their daughter's life.
Forcing her to leave her school and friends to settle in a completely new environment would be even harder.
Just thinking about it all filled Yoshio with a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Dring~ring~
At that moment, his phone suddenly rang, jolting him out of his daze.
It was Masaru calling. Even though it hadn't been long since they parted ways at the train station, for some reason, the call made Yoshio feel that something big was about to happen.
And perhaps his intuition was right, because what Masaru told him next left him momentarily speechless.
—"How about it? Don't reach a decision just yet. Ask your wife first, then tell me what you decide."
Hearing Masaru's words, Yoshio snapped back to his senses and reacted immediately.
"No need, I agree! Please apply for it on my behalf. But what you said… is it really true? You're not joking, right?"
—"Do you think I'd joke about something like this? But don't get your hopes too high. The big shot I do the dirty work for has asked not only me but others as well. This matter is on another level of seriousness. After all, it concerns the Young Lord."
Hearing the seriousness and the faint scoff in Masaru's tone, Yoshio didn't take offense. In fact, it only made him happier.
It turned out that the grandson of the company's chairman would soon be attending the same school as Shizuka. Because of that, the chairman was planning to build a new villa nearby for the Young Lord.
However, since construction would take time, and it would be improper, and inconvenient for the Young Lord to commute daily from another city, the chairman was considering two temporary options: either having the Young Lord stay at a nearby hotel or with a trustworthy family who could take care of him.
Although the whole thing sounded absurd, after all, why would the beloved grandson of a multibillionaire stay in a hotel or with an ordinary family when he could easily buy an entire estate, the reason Masaru gave still managed to somewhat clear things up for Yoshio.
The Chairman adored the Young Lord and had already declared him his successor, but the boy's life had been far from easy. His mother had died giving birth to him; his father, the Chairman's only son, was a good-for-nothing, debauched second-generation debauchee; and the Chairman himself was always consumed by work.
As a result, the Young Lord had grown up devoid of family warmth and motherly affection.
That was why they were searching for a suitable home, somewhere the Young Lord could experience the love of a family and the care of parents.
Besides, this "out-of-comfort-zone" experience was also intended to train him, to let him learn to manage himself, grow mature early, and not become a greenhouse flower shielded from hardship.
Yoshio, being a simple and honest man, felt genuine sympathy for the boy, who was around the same age as his own daughter. He also thought that perhaps the Chairman, being so wealthy, simply viewed things from a broader perspective.
So in the end, the explanation made sense to him.
When he returned home and shared the news with his wife, Michiko, she reacted just as he had expected, completely supportive and hopeful.
Of course, both of them understood the enormous advantage of having the Young Lord stay with them as a kind of adopted son, godson, or foster child.
It would be like becoming part of the chairman's family, a leap straight into heaven. For such a thing, the competition would be fierce, and as a humble, ordinary family, their chances of being selected were next to none.
But no matter how minuscule their odds, this was still a glimmer of hope in the darkness.
No, not a glimmer, but a blazing sun of opportunity that could change their lives forever.
So, they prayed for a miracle. And perhaps their prayers were heard by some god, or perhaps destiny had already set the course, for the miracle did happen.
The next day, Yoshio received another call, but this time not from Masaru. It was from the chairman's secretary.
—"Mr. Minamoto, the Chairman has approved your application. Tomorrow, someone will come to inspect your house. Don't worry, it'll just be a quick tour and nothing else. Also, you don't need to go to the office tomorrow; come straight to the main branch at 12:00 p.m. The Chairman wishes to meet you. Once everything is finalized, the Young Lord will then be staying at your house."
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