Chapter 257: City

By the time the two left the police station after giving their statements, it was already past 2 AM.

In the taxi, Tani Akiko spoke softly, “Mr. Kuang Dao, I was really fortunate that you arrived in time earlier. Thank you so much.”

Kuang Dao yawned and replied, “Think of it as paying back for freeloading at your house all this time.”

“You’re too modest. Without your help, both I and my daughter would have been in serious danger.”

Not wanting to hear more words of gratitude, Kuang Dao waved her off. “Now that the real estate company’s boss has been arrested, you shouldn’t have any more trouble in the future. We’re even now. I’ll leave tomorrow.”

To find Tani Akiko, Kuang Dao had stormed into the home of the real estate company’s boss and, after capturing him, forced him to lead the way to the others.

When the police arrived, they detained the boss, the manager, and a few of their henchmen. However, they didn’t take them to the station but straight to the hospital since all of them were still unconscious from the beating Kuang Dao had given them.

Hearing his words, Tani Akiko felt a sudden and inexplicable sense of loss. Over the past few months, she had grown used to the presence of this rough-spoken man. Despite his crudeness, he gave her an unusual sense of security whenever he was around. Because of him, her home had become livelier, and her daughter was happier than ever.

After that rooftop scolding he had given her, she began to reflect on things she had previously neglected. She started declining unnecessary business engagements and made time to eat dinner with her daughter at home. The longer she spent with him, the more she got used to his presence. She even noticed a palpable improvement in the atmosphere of her home—no longer cold and desolate like before.

Now, hearing that he was leaving, she realized that they didn’t have any real relationship, not even as friends. It made sense for him to leave now that the situation was resolved. Yet, deep inside, she couldn’t shake the feeling of reluctance.

After a moment of silence, Tani Akiko hesitated before saying, “Mr. Kuang Dao, although the real estate company’s boss has been charged, it doesn’t guarantee he’ll go to prison. It all depends on the court’s ruling. Also, he has connections to powerful criminal groups. They might still come after us. So, I want to ask if you could stay for a little longer. I’ve also hired several detective agencies to help you find those people you’re looking for. Could you stay until you find them?”

Kuang Dao frowned. He had just decided to leave and had already formulated a plan. He intended to organize a gang, gather members to help him locate his target, and move faster than he could on his own. Once he found the person he was after, the gang’s fate wouldn’t concern him, as he had no interest in running a group like that. However, hearing her request made him hesitate.

After thinking for a while, Kuang Dao said, “I’ll stay for another two months. If nothing happens by then, I’m leaving.”

Hearing this, Tani Akiko felt an inexplicable sense of joy, though she didn’t show it on her face. Instead, she expressed her gratitude sincerely, “Thank you, Mr. Kuang Dao.”

“Mm.” He acknowledged briefly, then yawned again. Feeling his eyelids grow heavier, he turned to her and said, “Wake me up when we get there.” With that, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

In the occasional passing streetlights outside the window, Tani Akiko silently watched his sleeping face. A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

※※※

“Shiraishi-senpai, this is for wiping your sweat,” a girl in a brand-new kendo uniform said, blushing as she handed him a fresh towel with both hands.

“Thank you,” Shiraishi Akira replied. Even though he hadn’t perspired much, he accepted the towel politely and used it to wipe his face.

“No need to thank me,” the girl murmured shyly, her face lighting up as she watched him use the towel.

When the girl returned to the practice area for new students, three fellow freshmen immediately surrounded her.

“Yoshino, how dare you sneak away! So shameless!” one girl exclaimed, gritting her teeth as she glared at her.

“What are you talking about? I just handed a towel to Shiraishi-senpai to wipe his sweat,” Yoshino blushed as she defended herself.

“Still daring to deny it! That’s clearly abusing your position for personal gain,” another girl interjected.

“But isn’t Shiraishi-senpai looking more handsome every day? Even though he doesn’t talk much, it just makes him seem more manly. And he was the runner-up in the national high school kendo championship! He’s the perfect combination of looks and skill. If I’d known, I would’ve handed him a towel too. You got lucky, Yoshino!” The third girl spoke while stealing glances at Shiraishi Akira from afar.

“Perfect combination of looks and skill? Please, stop misusing words. It should be ‘appearance and talent combined,’” another quipped.

“You’re so annoying! Why nitpick over that? By the way, shouldn’t we punish Yoshino for her repeated sneaky behavior?”

“Agreed!” the other two girls immediately chorused.

“Ah, no! Don’t!” Yoshino cried as she tried to run, but the three girls quickly caught her and held her down.

Watching the playful scene, other trainees nearby couldn’t help but smile. Ever since this group of mostly female freshmen joined the kendo club, the atmosphere had become much livelier.

After a while, one of the girls suddenly stopped and said, “Enough playing around. Look, Shiraishi-senpai seems to be practicing with Rumi.”

The other three turned to look and saw Shiraishi Akira and Rumi putting on protective gear and masks, stepping into the practice area.

It was rare to see two renowned names in the high school kendo world sparring. Everyone instinctively stopped what they were doing to watch.

As the practice began, even though it wasn’t the first time seeing them spar, everyone still watched, captivated, not daring to blink.

After more than ten minutes, the sparring session ended. The two exchanged a respectful kendo bow and removed their masks.

Walking over to the slightly winded Rumi, Shiraishi Akira smiled and said, “You’ve improved again. It seems I’ll lose to you before long.”

Rumi quickly replied modestly, “You’re too kind. Thank you for your guidance, Shiraishi-kun.”

Shiraishi Akira smiled again and then headed toward the resting area.

When Rumi returned to the practice zone, all the freshmen immediately rushed over to surround her excitedly.

“Rumi, you’re amazing! That match with Shiraishi-senpai was incredible.”

“It’s unbelievable. You seem so quiet and sweet usually, but when you’re practicing, you’re like a completely different person.”

“I can’t figure it out. We’re all freshmen, so why is there such a huge gap between your skill and ours?”

Rumi shyly said, “It’s nothing special. In the end, I still lost.”

“You greedy girl! Reaching that level is already extraordinary, and you still want to beat Shiraishi-senpai?” One girl playfully tapped her on the head.

“Ow! That hurts,” Rumi protested, rubbing her head with a slightly annoyed expression.

Seeing her reaction, two other girls couldn’t resist reaching out to pinch her cheeks.

“Don’t bully Rumi!” a girl from the same program as Rumi called out loyally.

“Then we’ll bully you instead,” the others teased, turning their attention to her.

“Ah!” The girl hurriedly fled as the group laughed.

“Hey, you lot, stop making so much noise and get back to your basic drills!”

A senior female member nearby shouted at them.

“Yes,” the girls replied reluctantly and resumed their training.

※※※

After practice ended, Shiraishi Akira, now changed out of his gear, unexpectedly walked up to Rumi. “Want me to walk you home?”

Rumi was momentarily stunned before replying, “That’s kind of you, but I’ll be going home with Kazumi in a bit.”

“In that case, I’ll head off first.”

“Alright. Goodbye, Shiraishi-kun.”

After Shiraishi Akira left, the freshmen immediately swarmed around Rumi again.

“Rumi, are you close with Shiraishi-senpai?” one of them asked.

Rumi answered, “Not exactly close. We’ve met a few times at competitions before. But since he’s friends with my senpai, I see him often.”

“Your senpai? Do you mean Gennai-senpai? The so-called ‘human weapon’?” a girl who had heard the terrifying rumors suddenly asked.

Rumi immediately refuted, “What ‘human weapon’? Senpai isn’t like what people say at all. He’s a really good person. Don’t believe those rumors!”

Seeing her slightly angry expression, the girl smiled and said, “Alright, alright, I won’t bring it up anymore. Now, smile! If you do, I’ll buy you some candy.”

Rumi rolled her eyes at the girl, clearly annoyed. “Enough! I’m leaving,” she said, heading toward the dojo’s exit.

Watching her retreating figure, one of the girls suddenly said, “I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like Shiraishi-senpai treats Rumi differently.”

“Really? I don’t see it.”

“Otherwise, why does he always choose Rumi as his sparring partner and not someone else?”

“Are you serious? Do you think any of us are even qualified to be Shiraishi-senpai’s sparring partner? Aside from Rumi, the only people in the kendo club who could match him are the fourth-year seniors, but they’re all busy with job hunting or writing their graduation theses. They don’t have time to come here.”

“Well, I still think there’s something special about how Shiraishi-senpai treats Rumi,” the girl muttered softly.

“Hey, are you all leaving or not? The place is about to close!” a senior member called out from outside.

“Just a second, senpai! We’re coming!” The girls quickly dispersed, scrambling to grab their bags and belongings.

Looking down at the construction site below, Zhang Mingyu felt uneasy. He pointed at the bustling workers and machinery and asked, “Mr. Gennai, didn’t you say you were building a Chinese restaurant? What are all these people doing?”

Lei Yin withdrew his gaze from the site, turned to him, and asked, “Did Chief Engineer Zhang explain the construction plan to you clearly?”

“Yes, he did, but this plan is… a bit much, isn’t it?” Zhang Mingyu’s voice grew increasingly hesitant.

It turned out that Zhang had initially thought Lei Yin was merely building a regular Chinese restaurant. However, after seeing the construction site and hearing the explanation from the Chinese engineer in charge, he was stunned.

The site was massive, comparable in size to a large amusement park. At its center was the grand China Tower restaurant, surrounded by various facilities radiating outward—massage parlors, herbal medicine shops, tea houses, game rooms, Chinese medicine clinics, traditional craft stores, jade shops, and Chinese-style clothing stores.

While many of these establishments were still under construction, some had already taken shape, giving a clear sense of the project’s scale.

At this moment, Zhang Mingyu realized Lei Yin’s wealth was as unfathomable as his character.

The construction site itself was located on prime real estate, surrounded by a new aquarium and several shopping malls and residential complexes in various stages of completion. The land’s value alone was staggering, leaving Zhang feeling breathless. And that wasn’t even considering the sheer scale and cost of China Tower. He needed to confirm whether he had misunderstood something.

Lei Yin broke the silence, saying, “Even if you’re not in real estate, you should understand that this is a golden location that could sustain someone for a lifetime. Any investment here is bound to pay off eventually—it’s just a matter of time. Now, let me take you to meet a few people who will help you manage this place.”

Zhang Mingyu took a deep breath and said, “Mr. Gennai, can I ask why you’re doing all this? I can tell you’re not just doing it for profit. From a business perspective, your agreements with the shop owners are incredibly unfavorable to you. I genuinely want to know your reason.”

He knew that Lei Yin had made an unusual deal with the shop owners—promising them rent at half the market rate if they relocated their businesses here. The only condition was that, when hiring new employees, they must prioritize Chinese international students.

This agreement puzzled Zhang Mingyu greatly. From an investment standpoint, it didn’t add any tangible value and might even lose value if the students eventually returned to China. The reduced rent alone meant Lei Yin was forfeiting a significant amount of money.

If a Chinese businessman had made such an arrangement, Zhang might have understood it as a gesture of patriotism. But Lei Yin was Japanese, which made his motives utterly baffling. If it was simply a gesture of international goodwill, it was far too extravagant.

Lei Yin smiled faintly at his question and replied, “Don’t overthink it. I’m just an ordinary businessman. Oh, by the way, since the restaurant is called China Tower, let’s name this entire place China Town. What do you think, Manager Zhang?”

“Uh… yes, of course! That sounds perfect!” Hearing Lei Yin’s new title for him, Zhang Mingyu’s heart surged with excitement. He had a strong premonition that this place would be the foundation of his future success.