Chapter 1671 - "Takehiko's Troubles: A $4.5 Billion Headache"
Right at this moment, Takehiko sat in his car, cursing furiously.
He had never felt so humiliated in all his life.
As the esteemed patriarch of the Ito family, to be insulted like this by a young man from China was simply intolerable. Not only had his personal bodyguard been crippled, but also, $4.5 billion had been transferred to Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals' account. And that guy Mr. Wade actually dared to default?!
That's a whopping $4.5 billion!
Converted to Chinese Yuan, it's nearly 30 billion! For anyone, this amount of money is astronomical. Even the wealthiest wouldn't tolerate such an inexplicable loss.
So, gritting his teeth, Takehiko cursed, "I won't rest until I settle this score! Not only will I retrieve every penny of my $4.5 billion, but I'll also ensure that this kid meets his end in Japan!"
His associate, Koichi, hastily interjected, "Sir, Master Wade is remarkably powerful. You mustn't rashly antagonize him!"
"Fool!" Takehiko raised his hand to strike Koichi, leaving a red palm print on his face. He roared, "Are you trying to boost his morale and diminish my authority? Do you think I, Takehiko Ito, can't handle a young Chinese guy in his twenties?!"
Koichi, nursing his cheek, nervously and plaintively said, "Sir, Master Wade is incredibly formidable and unpredictable. When Kazuki insulted him with just a few words, he was rendered incapacitated. If you truly intend to take his life, who knows what kind of destructive force he might unleash? So, even if you strike me, I must earnestly advise you, please, please don't antagonize this man..."
Takehiko's expression darkened.
He knew Koichi well.
This lad was unwaveringly loyal, even if asked to gut himself on the spot, he probably wouldn't hesitate for a moment.
Therefore, Koichi's words must come from the heart.
Thinking this, Takehiko couldn't help but muse, "Could it be that this kid is really that formidable? So formidable that Koichi believes that even I, the illustrious patriarch of the Ito family, can't afford to provoke him?"
Takehiko furrowed his brows and asked Koichi, "So, what do you suggest I do now? Surely I can't just hand over this $4.5 billion to him for nothing?"
"That's definitely not possible," Koichi said earnestly. "Sir, we only transferred the $4.5 billion to Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals through Ito Corporation's official account. The bank has clear records of the transaction, and Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals hasn't issued corresponding shares for this $4.5 billion. We can definitely sue them and demand the full refund of this $4.5 billion. This lawsuit is something we're sure to win."
"Sue them?" Takehiko looked extremely vexed. "You want me, Takehiko, to sue him? To cry to the court that this guy took my money and won't give it back?! "
Koichi said seriously, "Sir, this is the safest and most successful approach."
"Impossible!"
With a grim face, Takehiko rebuked, "If the world finds out that a mere young Chinese man dared to take $4.5 billion from me without returning it, and I couldn't make him refund it, so I had to resort to seeking help from the court, where will I put my face? Where will the face of the entire Ito family go? With this precedent, won't others just ride on my back and defecate?!"
Because the underground world is legal in Japan, many Japanese families and conglomerates delve into underground industries, even cultivating their own underground forces.
Chapter 1672 - "The Art of War in the Shadows"
The Ito family wasn't just Japan's top conglomerate, but also wielded immense power in Japan's underworld.
Japan's strongest underground organizations numbered three in total, with the Yamaguchi-gumi ranking first and the Ito family second.
The underworld was a dog-eat-dog world, and survival here hinged on one thing above all else: staying strong.
For those in the underworld, it wasn't always about being heartless; sometimes, it was the survival code that forced them to be ruthless.
If you consistently upheld the principle of "if someone hits you, you hit them back," over time, no one would dare to mess with you.
But if you let someone hit you once and didn't hit back, instead swallowing your pride and accepting defeat, from that day on, everyone in the world would feel they could bully you.
Moreover, there was a crucial rule for survival in this world: you couldn't rely on outside help to solve your problems.
If someone who roamed the Japanese underworld sought help from the police and the courts, they would immediately incur the disdain and rejection of the entire underworld.
Therefore, no matter what Takehiko said, he couldn't resort to legal means to reclaim the $4.5 billion. He had to make Charlie honestly and straightforwardly return the money to the Ito family's account.
So, gritting his teeth, he said, "There are only two solutions to this matter. The first is for that Wade guy to honestly return the money to me, and this matter absolutely cannot become widely known. The second is to kill him directly!"
Koichi voiced his concerns, "Chairman, I'm worried that Master Wade won't agree to your demands."
Takehiko snorted coldly, "He won't agree? If he doesn't, we'll choose the second option and eliminate him!"
Though Koichi didn't know exactly how strong Charlie was, he felt that Charlie was no ordinary person.
Not only was Charlie powerful, but his means also seemed formidable. Otherwise, how could Ichiro have handed over 90% of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals' shares to him?
So, he thought it best for Takehiko to try to avoid conflict with Charlie as much as possible. Otherwise, they might stir up a huge mess.
Thus, he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Chairman, I think you shouldn't worry about Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals' $4.5 billion for now. That money isn't going anywhere. Whether it comes back early or late is just a matter of time. Don't forget, the Salvador family from Eastcliff, China, will be arriving soon!"
Takehiko furrowed his brow and asked, "Has the Salvador family specified the exact day of their arrival?"
"No," replied Koichi, "They said they'll come anytime. After all, they travel by private jet, so they can fly whenever they want."
Koichi continued to persuade, "Chairman, this opportunity with the Salvador family isn't just something our family is eyeing. The Takahashi family has been watching closely too. I heard that the Salvador family's visit this time is actually to choose a partner between us and the Takahashi family. At this moment, we absolutely cannot afford to make any mistakes!"
Takehiko gritted his teeth and nodded, instructing, "In that case, I'll endure that Wade guy for now. Keep an eye on him. If he doesn't leave Japan in the next few days, then I'll ignore him for the time being and focus on sealing the deal with the Salvador family!"
Chapter 1673 - "Rising Dragon, Fading Sun: Japan's Economic Realities"
Thinking about the cooperation with the Salvador family, Takehiko's expression seemed somewhat melancholic.
Sitting in the car, he let out a long sigh and said with emotion, "Koichi, over the past decade, the pace of Japan's economic development has lagged behind. So, the strength of several top families including our Ito family has somewhat diminished, and there's a lack of successors..."
Koichi hurriedly asked, "Chairman, Japan's economic development was once leading globally in the decades after the war. Why hasn't it kept up in the past decade or so?"
Takehiko sighed regretfully, "There are many reasons for this economic lag. Firstly, Japan's domestic resources and land have always been scarce. Secondly, Japan hasn't made significant innovations in the internet and high-tech fields in recent years..."
Continuing, Takehiko lamented, "Look, many Japanese companies that used to dominate various fields a decade ago have gradually lost their advantages."
"Take Sony, Panasonic, Hitachi, and Toshiba for example. They were once shining globally. Back in the day, Sony's color TV was the best in the world and sold worldwide. Sony Ericsson's phones were also renowned globally. Panasonic and Hitachi's home appliances, Toshiba's semiconductors, were all world-class. But now? They've all declined!"
"Half of the world's TVs are produced in China, affordable and cost-effective. When it comes to phones, Apple from the US dominates a large portion, and the rest are brands like Huawei, Wilsonmi, Vivo, and Oppo from China. What's left for Japanese phones? Even Samsung from Korea has lost its glory and fallen into decline!"
Koichi couldn't help but lament, "Chairman, you're right. Japan has indeed lost many traditional advantages, especially in electronics..."
Takehiko sighed, "Not just electronics. Apart from that, Japan's steel industry was once world-class. Our special steels made even Americans look up. But due to the Kobe Steel scandal, it plummeted!"
"Originally, Japan's Shinkansen technology was unparalleled globally, leading in high-speed rail technology. But who would've thought that China's high-speed rail would surpass ours? Our Shinkansen and the high-speed rail technologies of Germany and France have all become second-rate. Japan's Shinkansen has also lost a large share of the overseas market..."
Koichi also sighed continuously, "Our Ito family holds different proportions of shares in these companies you mentioned. As they decline, our assets shrink accordingly. It's indeed a serious problem..."
Takehiko said with frustration, "Not only that, the most important thing is that the young people in Japan now severely lack creativity!"
"Look at China, which has given birth to numerous world-class internet companies like Tencent, Alibaba, ByteDance, JD.com, and Pinduoduo, as well as DJI, which dominates over 70% of the global drone market. In contrast, Japan hasn't seen the emergence of influential internet companies in these years! If this continues, we will lose all our advantages completely!"
Koichi nodded, "Compared to that, the top families in China, as various industries there progress, their wealth and influence are continuously rising. They now have the ability to challenge Europe and America directly, completely disregarding Japanese companies."
"That's right," Takehiko said with melancholy, "They used to be chasing after us. But in the blink of an eye, they've surpassed us and are now chasing after the US. We've been left far behind by them, to the point that now if we want to make breakthroughs in our business, we have to turn around and please the Chinese families. It truly embodies the ancient Chinese saying, 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river'..."
Speaking of this, Takehiko said seriously, "It's precisely because we've been stagnant while China has been rapidly developing that we need to firmly tie ourselves to China's top families now. This cooperation with the Salvador family is of great significance and must not be missed."
Koichi nodded hurriedly, "Chairman, please rest assured, I will do my best!"
Japan's economy has been languishing in recent years.
Chapter 1674 - "Charting Courses: Japan's Maritime Strategy"
The Ito family, as one of Japan's top conglomerates, has been experiencing a steady decline in power.
Sharing the same dilemma are the Takahashi family, another prominent clan in Japan.
Both families are actively seeking breakthroughs, thus they have independently placed their hopes on China's top family.
As China's foremost family, the Salvador family's influence has been steadily rising in recent years. With the rapid development of the Chinese economy, their strength has been growing by leaps and bounds.
In the past few years, the Salvador family's primary focus has been on maintaining and consolidating their position in the domestic market. Only in the last couple of years have they begun shifting their attention overseas.
Consequently, many Japanese families and conglomerates have been eager to engage in deep cooperation with the Salvador family.
Over the past decade, China's import and export trade has been continuously growing, leading to a significant increase in shipping demand. The speed of port construction and development has been remarkably fast. Currently, out of the top ten busiest ports in the world, seven are in China.
Today's global trade heavily relies on shipping, with the vast majority of oil, minerals, and various goods transported through long-distance shipping.
For instance, the entire East Asia and Southeast Asia's oil largely relies on giant oil tankers from the Middle East to reach ports. Similarly, the iron ore for East Asia and Southeast Asia also depends on a large number of giant cargo ships from Australia and Brazil.
The Salvador family has been operating port businesses for many years, with their industries and shares in major domestic ports. They are currently preparing to establish the largest shipping company in Asia and build the largest shipping fleet in Asia. This aligns perfectly with their domestic port layouts for resource complementarity.
To establish this largest shipping fleet in Asia, the Salvador family not only invests heavily but also plans for deep cooperation with financial consortia from Japan and South Korea, giving them a certain share and deeply involving them.
The reason for enticing financial consortia from Japan and South Korea is mainly because both countries are developed nations with significant shipping demands. Moreover, South Korea's Busan Port, Japan's Tokyo Port, and Yokohama Port are all long-established large ports in Asia.
If the Salvador family can control the resources of these ports, the shipping company led by them can to a certain extent dominate the entire East Asian shipping lifeline, leading to tremendous future profit potential.
Financial consortia from Japan and South Korea are extremely excited about this news, hoping to cooperate with the Salvador family and hitch a ride on their big ship.
Just in Japan alone, there are at least a dozen families and conglomerates eager to collaborate with the Salvador family.
Among them, the strongest are the Ito family and the Takahashi family!
Chapter 1675 - "Corporate Quakes: Charlie's Shake-Up"
In the afternoon, Charlie, with an unstoppable force, dismissed nearly half of the employees of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals.
Initially, the employees of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals had thought about resisting Charlie with a strike. But to their surprise, Charlie showed no mercy at all, directly firing all of them without hesitation.
This incident sparked a huge earthquake in the Japanese business community!
Firstly, no one had expected that Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals, which was doing so well, would change hands. Now, 90% of the shares had been transferred to a Chinese individual, turning it into a Chinese company.
Secondly, nobody had anticipated that after Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals became a Chinese-owned company, they would immediately lay off half of their employees!
In Japan, except for those facing bankruptcy, very few companies would suddenly lay off so many people.
Especially for a manufacturing company like Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals with nearly ten thousand employees.
To dismiss half of them at once meant letting go of four to five thousand people!
Moreover, not only were production line employees laid off, but research, promotion, and sales positions were also completely eliminated. This approach left everyone astonished.
In their view, this method of downsizing was equivalent to shooting oneself in the foot.
But Charlie didn't care.
What he needed was not the brand of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals or its reputation and patents. He only needed Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals' production line.
As long as Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals obediently produced the Mystical Gastric Remedy according to his requirements, that was the maximum value of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals at this stage.
And those who remained at Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals were all responsible for the production line.
Immediately after that, Charlie held a meeting at Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals and appointed Lorden as the general manager and Kobayashi Ichiro as the deputy general manager.
At the same time, Charlie issued a very clear warning to the remaining production line managers: "Listen up, all of you in charge of the production line. If you work diligently for me, obediently follow my orders, and do as I say, then your jobs can be retained, and your income can be guaranteed. I promise you that if you work honestly under me, your income will never be lower than before."
With that, Charlie's tone turned stern as he declared, "However! If any of you dare to play tricks or oppose me, I'm sorry, but I will immediately kick you out of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals!"
Upon hearing this, the remaining people immediately became as obedient as tamed dogs, not daring to say another word.
When people are collectively enraged, they tend to resist because they believe that when united, Charlie wouldn't dare to do anything to them, as he surely wouldn't want Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals to suddenly collapse.
But what they didn't expect was that Charlie didn't play by the rules at all. Before they could unite against him, he had already dismissed half of them!
This instantly plunged all the dismissed individuals and their families into serious economic crises.
Therefore, the remaining group of people didn't dare to have any rebellious thoughts. Being able to keep their jobs and ensure that their treatment wasn't worse than before meant guaranteeing that their family lives wouldn't be affected. This made them breathe a sigh of relief.
At such a time, where would they still have any thoughts of resistance?
So, the group of people quickly and obediently expressed their submission, deciding to wholeheartedly continue working for Charlie's Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals.
Chapter 1676 - "Harvesting Opportunities: Charlie's Dealings"
Charlie nodded in satisfaction and said to Ichiro, "Starting from today, you need to cooperate well with Lorden, readjust all production plans of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals, stop all previous drug production of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals, and fully switch to producing Mystical Gastric Remedy. Understand?"
Ichiro hurriedly expressed his sincerity, "Master Wade, please rest assured, I will fully cooperate with Mr. Weigard!"
At this moment, Lorden said to Charlie, "Master Wade, Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals still has very strong production capacity. If we start producing Mystical Gastric Remedy on a large scale, the demand for raw materials will be enormous. We need to prepare in advance for this, otherwise, if there is a shortage of raw materials, it will seriously affect production capacity."
Charlie nodded and said, "I will take care of the raw materials."
When he said this, Charlie thought of Alan, the head of the Ward family, who was far away in Aurous Hill.
The Ward family originally started with the business of medicinal materials.
Moreover, Alan was highly trusted by Charlie, so Charlie decided to hand over all the business of raw medicinal materials to him.
Immediately afterwards, he took out his mobile phone and called Alan.
When the call was answered, Alan was having a meal.
Seeing that it was Charlie Wade calling, he respectfully said, "Master Wade, how come you have time to call me."
Charlie smiled and asked, "Mr. Ward, I have something to ask you."
Alan respectfully said, "Master Wade, please ask."
Charlie asked, "How much medicinal material does the Ward family supply annually now?"
Alan thought for a moment and said, "Last year, our Ward family produced more than two hundred thousand tons of various medicinal materials, supplying more than thirty pharmaceutical companies of all sizes across the country."
Charlie nodded and asked again, "Can you supply one million tons annually?"
Alan exclaimed, "One million tons?! Master Wade, one million tons is almost equal to the total annual production of botanical medicinal materials in the three eastern provinces. The national annual production is only over five million tons?, and the largest medicinal material company in the country can only produce seven to eight hundred thousand tons in a year..."
Charlie asked him, "Do you have confidence in supplying one million tons annually?"
Alan said, "Master Wade, medicinal materials are in the hands of medicinal farmers across the country. As long as we go to purchase, supplying one million tons is not a big problem. The key is that I don't have channels to digest so many medicinal materials! Actually, personally, I would love to sell more medicinal materials every year, but the key is to find buyers with enough strength."
Charlie smiled, "To be honest, I have taken over Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals in Japan. In the near future, all the production capacity of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals will serve me, and I also plan to continue expanding production lines. Consuming one million tons of medicinal materials this year is not a big problem. I trust you. If you are interested in cooperating with me, I will give you all the supply orders for one million tons of medicinal materials!" When Alan heard this, he was so excited that he immediately stood up from his chair, not caring about the bowl and chopsticks falling to the ground, and said excitedly, "Master Wade... Master Wade... Are you... Are you serious?"
Charlie smiled faintly, "When did I ever lie to you, Mr. Ward?"
Alan was ecstatic, thinking to himself, "If Master Wade can really consume one million tons of medicinal materials from the Ward family every year, it means that he will directly increase the business volume of the Ward family by five times! In that case, the strength of the Ward family will skyrocket, right? And my dream of revitalizing the Ward family will be easily realized!"
At this moment, he almost regarded Charlie as the reborn parents of the entire Ward family, and said excitedly, "Master Wade! Since you value Ward so much and are willing to help Ward, Ward will never hold you back! You can rest assured that no matter how much medicinal material you need, even if I have to risk my life, I will definitely get it for you! And I will definitely give you the best quality at the lowest price!"
Chapter 1677 - "Master Wade's Generosity: Ward Family's Fortune"
After Alan hung up the phone, his daughter Dianne couldn't help but ask eagerly, "Dad, what did Master Wade say when he called you?"
Still caught up in his excitement, Alan took a few seconds to come back to his senses, then exclaimed with great excitement, "Dianne! Our Ward family is about to encounter a huge stroke of luck!"
Dianne asked in astonishment, "Dad, what kind of stroke of luck?"
Alan was beside himself with excitement, stuttering as he spoke, "It's Wade... Master Wade... Master Wade has acquired Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals in Japan. He said that next, our Ward family will supply him with raw materials for medicine, about a million tons per year!"
"Oh my goodness!" Dianne exclaimed in shock, "A million tons?! Our whole family currently supplies only about two hundred thousand tons per year, right?"
"Yeah..." Alan said excitedly, "Master Wade wants us to supply a million tons a year. Our Ward family's revenue will immediately double! Isn't this a huge stroke of luck?"
Dianne nodded repeatedly, expressing gratitude, "Master Wade has been so considerate of our family. He's helped us so much, I don't know how to repay his kindness."
Alan also agreed wholeheartedly, "Master Wade is like the rebirth parents of our Ward family. Whether the Ward family can rise in the future depends entirely on Master Wade!"
After saying this, he couldn't help but look at Dianne and sighed, "Dianne, with Master Wade's kindness to our family, and the fact that he will always take care of you, you must seize the opportunity!"
Dianne was puzzled by her father's words. What did he mean by asking her to seize the opportunity? Actually, he wanted her to make substantial progress with Master Wade sooner rather than later.
She felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Dad, many things are not up to me. Master Wade is already married, and though I like him, I'm just not capable enough..."
Alan nodded, then said earnestly, "Dianne, how about this? From now on, you will be in charge of dealing with Master Wade for the supply of medicinal materials. Since you will graduate this summer and soon enter the internship period, why not dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to serving Master Wade's pharmaceutical factory? This way, you'll have more opportunities to interact with him."
Dianne thought for a moment and immediately nodded, "Okay, Dad!"
Like Nanako, she was also in her final year of college. In the second semester of her senior year, there were basically no classes. After the New Year, she would enter the internship period.
At that time, almost all senior students would find a job and start their internships. Dianne was no exception.
She majored in finance and management at Aurous Hill University of Finance and Economics, which made her a perfect fit for coordinating with Charlie. Thinking of this, Dianne couldn't help but feel excited.
She had always been upset about not having the opportunity to spend more time with Charlie. If she could handle work matters and deal with Charlie in the future, it would mean she would often have the chance to see him.
This suddenly made her extremely excited.
......
At this moment, in Tokyo, Japan.
After Charlie's demonstration of strength, the remaining executives of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals were as obedient as sheep.
Ichiro also cooperated with Paul to complete the transfer and change of ownership of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals shares in the local business sector in Tokyo.
Chapter 1678 - "Global Market Strategy: Mystical Gastric Remedy's Potential"
Now, 90% of the shares of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals belong to Mystical Labs.
Because the next production tasks of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals are crucial, Charlie can't leave Tokyo temporarily. He needs to ensure that all production lines of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals smoothly transition to producing Mystical Gastric Remedy before leaving Japan.
Therefore, the first production line to complete the transition work is the Tokyo production line of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals.
Charlie had Lorden take stock of all the medicinal materials inventory of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals, tallying up all the medicinal materials that could be used to produce Mystical Gastric Remedy. Then, based on the production capacity of the Tokyo production line, he calculated how much of other medicinal materials were needed.
After tallying up the demand, he immediately sent the list to Alan, asking him to arrange for these medicinal materials to be prepared as soon as possible and swiftly transported to Tokyo via air freight.
At the same time, Lorden also needed to tally up the medicinal materials needed for the other production lines and send them to Alan gradually, instructing Alan to prepare them and then send the prepared medicinal materials to the respective production bases.
After completing all these tasks, Charlie and his team, led by Ichiro, arrived at the luxurious penthouse villa of the Kobayashi family in the center of Tokyo.
Originally, Isaac had arranged a hotel for Charlie, but due to Ichiro's warm invitation, Charlie decided to stay temporarily at Ichiro's home.
This penthouse villa of the Kobayashi family occupies the entire top floor of an eighty-story high-rise building. The indoor floor area alone is over a thousand square meters, extremely luxurious. Moreover, it enjoys the entire rooftop terrace, has its own helipad, and an infinity pool in the sky. It can be said to be extremely extravagant.
After nightfall, Charlie took a shower, called his wife Claire to report his safety, and then stood alone on the top-floor terrace, looking at the bustling night view of Tokyo, his mind wandering.
Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals is a crucial link in his accumulation of strength.
If Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals successfully transitions all its production and fully dedicates itself to producing Mystical Gastric Remedy, then Mystical Gastric Remedy will be able to be marketed globally in the shortest time possible.
Moreover, Charlie had already figured out that the price of Mystical Gastric Remedy in the domestic market would definitely not increase. It would offer the maximum cost-effectiveness to give back to the people of the country. However, overseas prices must skyrocket.
The retail price at the terminal should at least double or triple based on more than 100 per box.
That's roughly sixty US dollars per box.
In this way, the net profit per box should be at least around thirty US dollars.
Since Mystical Gastric Remedy can greatly alleviate and treat many stomach-related diseases and discomforts, it will definitely become an essential medicine for every household in the future. So, Charlie estimated that the future income of Mystical Labs would increase rapidly at an astonishing rate, perhaps earning several billion dollars in a year, and in US dollars.
If a few other categories are developed, the earnings will be astronomical.
Charlie is not a greedy person. The main reason he is eager to earn more money is to quickly enhance his overall strength.
The great vengeance of his parents has yet to be avenged. The various families in Eastcliff that formed the anti-Wade alliance, led by the Salvador family, must pay for the deaths of his parents.
Even the Wade family bears undeniable responsibility in this matter.
Charlie is very clear that if he wants to confront all the major families in Eastcliff and make them submit to him, the first thing he needs to do is to enhance his own strength!
If one day, he can return to Eastcliff with the momentum of a fierce dragon crossing the river, all the families in Eastcliff will tremble before him!
Chapter 1679 - "Whispers of Kyoto's Night"
Hundreds of kilometers away from Tokyo, in the city of Kyoto.
The grand mansion of the Ito family, with a history of a hundred years, sits right in the heart of Kyoto.
Adjacent to the mansion of Oda Nobunaga, one of the three great generals of the Warring States period of Japan, the Ito family mansion, although slightly smaller in size compared to Nobunaga's Nijo Castle, occupies a much larger area overall than the largest standalone villa in Eastcliff.
Surrounding the mansion are moats excavated during times of war, which still serve the duty of guarding the mansion to this day.
On the castle walls, 360-degree surveillance cameras are installed, ensuring that no one can trespass upon this mansion.
And behind the towering walls are armed guards, ready for any situation.
The buildings within the mansion are typical Japanese wooden structures, each with a history of at least a hundred years. In the courtyards, there are dozens of ancient trees with a hundred years of history, along with weathered stone sculptures dating back hundreds of years, exuding a nostalgic charm.
At this moment, in the spacious courtyard, a young and beautiful woman sits alone in a wheelchair, gazing up at the gloomy sky. This woman is none other than the eldest daughter of the Ito family, Nanako.
She is currently waiting for the first snowfall of the year in Kyoto.
In the past, snow would arrive slightly earlier in Kyoto, but this winter is an exception.
Although this winter is cold, with each day chillingly clear, there has been no sign of snowfall.
Earlier today, the meteorological department of the Kinki region issued a heavy snow warning, stating that Kyoto would experience heavy snowfall tonight. Since Nanako loves snowy days the most, she has been waiting in the courtyard since early on.
However, as the night deepens, there is still no sign of snow. The sky is gloomy, with no stars visible, and even the outline of the moon is obscured.
The head steward of the Ito mansion watches Nanako from afar for a long time. Seeing that it's getting late, he steps forward respectfully and says, "Miss, it's getting late. It seems that it won't snow tonight. The weather is too cold. You should go back to your room and rest."
Nanako looks at the hazy moon in the sky and whispers, "Since the weather forecast said so, there's still some hope after all. Mr. Watanabe, you should go back and rest. Don't worry about me."
The head steward sighs lightly, feeling a bit distressed, and says, "Miss, why don't you go back and rest first? I can arrange for someone to stay here. If it snows, they will inform you immediately."
Nanako smiles faintly and says, "I'm waiting here because I want to see the first snowflake falling from the sky and feel the sensation of the first snowflake melting on my face. If I wait for the snow to fall before coming out, I'll miss out on this joy."
The head steward nods helplessly and respectfully says, "I'll be nearby. Miss, if you need anything, just call me."
Nanako smiles gently and says, "Okay, Mr. Watanabe, thank you!"
The head steward cautiously retreats to a distance, and Nanako continues to gaze up at the sky.
For some reason, in the heavily clouded night sky at this moment, the figure of Charlie suddenly seems to appear.
Her heart suddenly feels as if spring has arrived, and she thinks to herself, "Charlie, I wonder if it's snowing in Aurous Hill? Are you looking at the night sky above you now? Do you ever think of me?"
Chapter 1680 - "Money Talks, Mystical Labs Walks"
Lost in her thoughts, her phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket.
She fished out her phone and saw it was a call from Koichi, so she quickly composed herself and answered with a smile, "Tanaka-san, why are you calling me so late?"
Koichi sighed and said, "Miss, something happened today that greatly angered the Chairman. He smashed quite a few porcelain antiques at home just now."
Nanako's heart tightened, and she hurriedly asked, "Tanaka-san, what exactly happened? Did something trouble Father?"
Koichi said, "Today, the Chairman took me to Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals. He intended to sign a stock agreement with their board of directors. After the agreement was signed, the Chairman instructed the finance department to transfer $4.5 billion to Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals' account..."
Hearing this, Nanako was puzzled and asked, "But hasn't Father always wanted to invest in Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals? Today should have been a fulfillment of his wish. Why is he so angry?"
Koichi, utterly helpless, said, "Before the finance department transferred the funds, they didn't know that Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals had actually changed ownership..."
"Changed ownership?" Nanako asked in surprise, "What do you mean? Didn't they say Jiro had disappeared? Has he returned?"
"No..." Koichi explained, "It's not Jiro who returned, but his supposedly deceased brother, Ichiro, suddenly came back to life!"
"What?" Nanako exclaimed, bewildered, "What's going on? I'm getting more and more confused."
"Sigh..." Koichi sighed, "That's not even the worst part. The key issue is that Ichiro, claiming to be the sole heir of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals, transferred 90% of the company's shares to a Chinese pharmaceutical company called Mystical Labs."
Nanako said in astonishment, "Didn't Father invest 30% in Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals? So theoretically, Ichiro should only have 70% of the shares. How could he transfer 90% to a Chinese company?"
Koichi lamented, "That's the reason for the Chairman's anger! He signed the investment agreement with Masayoshi, the acting chairman of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals. But after the agreement was signed and the payment made, Ichiro's return invalidated that agreement..."
Nanako nodded gently, saying, "So Father's plan to invest in Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals has fallen through?"
"It's more than just a plan falling through..." Koichi sighed, "The Chairman of Mystical Labs explicitly told the Chairman that they won't refund the $4.5 billion that Ito Corporation wired to Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals!"
"What?!" Nanako exclaimed, "How could someone be so shameless? Investment is essentially a stock transaction. We pay money, and they should give us the corresponding shares. If they don't want to give us shares, they should return the money, or even pay a penalty for breach of contract. Why are they withholding our shares and keeping our money? This is outrageous! Don't they know Japanese law?"
Koichi, feeling utterly frustrated, said, "Miss, they're simply lawless!"
"Lawless?" Nanako furrowed her brows, "With Father's temperament, he can't possibly take this lying down, can he? Doesn't he have any countermeasures?"
Koichi sighed deeply, "Of course, the Chairman doesn't want to take this lying down. He originally wanted to confront them head-on, but I managed to dissuade him. That person... I'm afraid the Chairman can't afford to provoke him! Oh, speaking of that person, Miss, you also know him..."
"I also know him?" Nanako asked in surprise, "Who?"
Koichi said, "He's the coach of Dianne Ward, the one who injured Kazuki with a single palm, Charlie Wade!"
"What? It's Charlie Wade?" Nanako, upon hearing this, suddenly became excited and exclaimed, "Charlie Wade has come to Japan?!!!
, and Claire had to deal with so much BS 'cause of him. He even had the nerve to ask for money during Grandma Wilson's big party, making Claire hella embarrassed 
. They kicked Charlie Wade out, but then plot twist! 
Some butler dude shows up. Turns out, Charlie Wade's actually from the uber-rich Wade clan. The butler's like, "Come home, fam." But since his parents were, like, done dirty by the Wade fam, he's like "Nah." But he did take his grandpa’s black card loaded with 10 billion. 
#MicDrop
in wade's family.. I'm a little bored 
