National Tide 1980.

That's a truly chilling answer.

The words "Board of Directors" weighed heavily on Harunori Takahashi's shoulders.

At first, it felt like a gentle breeze brushing past my ear, completely lacking any sense of reality.

But gradually, Harunori Takahashi felt the weight of those words and was eventually completely bound by them.

He felt exhausted, everything in front of him was spinning, and the inspector's crab face suddenly turned into two.

In an effort to preserve his last shred of dignity, he intended to laugh openly, but instead managed to force out an incredibly eerie smile.

This, in turn, gave others ammunition to criticize him, making him a laughingstock in Inoue's eyes.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Inspector Inoue observed Harunori Takahashi's face. "You look terrible. You must be in a very bad mood."

The police officer feigned concern, but inwardly he was filled with sarcasm.

"I warned you long ago not to find out the truth, but you brought this on yourself."

His words were incredibly harsh, making Harunori Takahashi's head buzz.

In particular, Takahashi's personality made him extremely intolerant of others' contempt. He wanted to retort and say something that would make even the police hesitate to speak harshly.

But the problem was that the sudden blow made him lose his confidence, and he couldn't say the words even though they were on the tip of his tongue.

Yes, he's no longer the president of EIE.

Not only could they no longer rely on the EIE, but they also lost their network of contacts.

Conversely, his most important protector and reliance in the past suddenly became the force that suppressed him.

Having lost his usefulness, he had been discarded like trash.

Who could not be afraid?
Takahashi Harunori felt cold sweat running down the back of his neck. He was becoming increasingly uneasy. He had completely lost the confidence to confront the police. What if he angered the police and was subjected to malicious torture to extract a confession?
His only lifeline right now is money and lawyers, after all, he's still a millionaire, isn't he?

His lawyer is no ordinary person; even cases with solid evidence can be overturned. Although the fees are high, they are worth it.

Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, it will at least reduce my sentence, which is much more reliable than the police inspector tempting me to turn myself in.

"Mr. Police."

Although Takahashi Harunori was trembling all over, he quickly composed himself and said shakily, "Please stop laughing at me. Is this how you treat your job? Everyone you interrogate has to endure your sarcasm. And you only care about laughing at me, but you seem to have forgotten my legal rights."

"Legal rights?" the inspector asked, puzzled.

"I hope you haven't forgotten that even as a suspect, I have the right to see a lawyer. Didn't I just say that without a lawyer present, I will not cooperate with your interrogation, and I won't say a single word about your questions..."

"Alright, alright, Mr. Takahashi. I know, I know, stop using the law as a shield."

The inspector waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Don't worry, we police will definitely treat you fairly. As a law enforcement officer, I will not deprive you of your legal rights."

"When can I see a lawyer...?" Harunori Takahashi pressed.

"Well, I need to explain this."

The inspector calmly said, "First of all, our conversation just now doesn't count as a formal interrogation. A formal interrogation requires taking a statement. Our previous conversation was just to give you some personal advice and suggestions before we move into the formal process, so that you won't cause me any trouble."

"Secondly, given your current situation, the lawyer who previously served you is unable to come. If you insist on seeing a lawyer, it seems that the only option is to go through the legal aid channel."

"Of course, as a criminal suspect, you also have the same rights as everyone else, including one free consultation with a duty lawyer. However, he's too busy and only has time to see you this afternoon. Until then, you'll probably just have to wait patiently..."

These remarks further enraged Harunori Takahashi, causing him to glare and interrupt the other person before they could finish speaking.

"What? Legal aid? Duty lawyer? You mean me?"

"Yes, I'm talking about you. So? Are you sure you want to see a lawyer? I can arrange it for you..."

Takahashi Harunori's head was throbbing with anger, feeling like it was being struck a bell.

He suppressed his anger and said through gritted teeth, "Don't joke like that. I'm the president of EIE. How could I possibly be reduced to using a lawyer you appoint? I have my own legal counsel, the famous lawyer Shimochi. I don't need anyone else."

However, Inspector Inoue remained completely unmoved and instead exposed the truth that Harunori Takahashi had already fallen on hard times.

"You mean the legal team EIE hired for you? I'm sorry, but that won't do. You've already been removed from the EIE board, haven't you?"

Takahashi was taken aback, realizing his own naiveté.

It turns out that he couldn't hide anything from the police; they had already investigated his situation thoroughly.

But this only made him angrier and more determined to maintain his dignity.

"So what? I'm still a shareholder of EIE. I'll just pay my own legal fees. Anyway, call my lawyer now and stop making excuses. Inspector, don't blame me for not warning you, my lawyer has sued more than two senior police officers for repeatedly preventing me from seeing a lawyer. You'll be held legally responsible."

Harunori Takahashi has already issued a threat that is almost a complete breakdown in relations; this is the last and only way he can try to win them over.

Even so, Inspector Inoue still did not meet his request, but instead burst into laughter.

"Are you threatening me?! Do you think I'm deliberately preventing you from seeing your lawyer?"

"Is not it?"

"You're so pitiful."

The inspector did not directly answer Takahashi Harunori's question. Instead, he suppressed his smile, sighed, and took out the bottom sheet of paper from under the documents, placing it in front of him.

A bewildered Takahashi Harunori looked at the document with his bloodshot eyes and was shocked to see that it was a court-issued asset freeze order.

The date is today. The name being enforced above is his.

The specific measures implemented include freezing his personal cash assets, bank assets, bond assets, as well as valuables and real estate, etc.

In short, when these words came into his view, Harunori Takahashi felt as if the world was collapsing.

He stared blankly, completely unable to utter a sound.

"Look carefully, this is an asset freeze order that the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan applied for with the court. When those people brought you here, they didn't intend to leave you any money to fight the lawsuit. Do you understand?"

Inspector Inoue pointed at the handwriting on the document and uttered a sarcastic remark as if his heart had been ripped out.

"To be honest, I contacted your wife before we met, but she's not in Japan right now; she seems to be on vacation abroad. And your relationship doesn't seem to be very good. When she learned about your detention, she didn't show any intention of helping you. Instead, she asked me when it would be convenient for her lawyer to come and file for divorce."

"And besides that, I have even more unfortunate news for you, Mr. Takahashi. This morning, EIE's stock price fell below 14,000 yen. EIE Group and Changxin Bank applied for a temporary trading halt and issued a joint announcement. Your pledged shares have been forcibly liquidated. In other words, you are bankrupt. You are penniless. And you are no longer a shareholder of EIE." "This is the real reason you haven't seen a lawyer until now. Think about it, if I hadn't been able to confirm that you've fallen to a point where your personal assets are less than 500,000 yen, why would you be entitled to government legal aid? I don't have the authority to give you special treatment..."

Takahashi Harunori's vision was already blurred.

His thoughts were in disarray, and his fingertips began to tremble.

He placed his hands on his knees, clenching his fists tightly, but they still trembled uncontrollably.

However, one thing was no longer in doubt: he knew he was finished.

Without the title of president, without property, and without connections, he had no chance to escape his predicament.

His wife, with whom he had long been estranged, was even less likely to be relied upon.

They haven't divorced simply because they each get what they want.

So now, apart from debt and imprisonment, he has nothing.

What else could he use to protect himself and save himself from this predicament?
It's over! All hope is gone!

What awaits him is an unprecedented desolation, a life like hell.

Putting everything else aside, if a night in a detention center is this unbearable, the conditions in a proper prison wouldn't be much better.

The mere thought of having to eat cheap foreign rice and pickled vegetables to survive, and having to queue with those vicious and lowly people to wash up, was enough to make him lose all will to live...

It has to be said that Harunori Takahashi has truly been defeated this time. He has never encountered such a difficult situation in his life, and he is in a predicament where he cannot find any hope of turning things around.

After much deliberation, he abandoned all restraint and dignity, and in a fit of rage, he begged Inoue, the police inspector in charge of his interrogation, for advice and help.

"Inspector," Takahashi Harunori pleaded, trying to elicit sympathy by feigning a pitiful, tearful expression, "Please, help me. What should I do now? You know I'm not some heinous criminal; I'm different from truly bad people. So please, have some compassion and give me some useful advice as a professional."

Even Harunori Takahashi has started to know how to take the initiative to back down.

This truly shows that you can't learn by being taught by people a hundred times, but you can learn by doing, once is enough.

This was something the inspector hadn't expected. He gaped in surprise, then chuckled, "So, you've finally realized your situation. Are you going to continue denying it, or will you confess to your crimes? Do you still insist on seeing a lawyer before the formal interrogation begins?"

"I'm so sorry. I've caused you trouble."

Takahashi bowed and said, "I will no longer require a lawyer to be present. I have decided to cooperate with your work, and I will tell you anything you want to know."

He had truly figured it out: the most important thing in life is to be pragmatic and adaptable.

Since he had no way to resist with his bare hands, he might as well just admit to the crime.

Anyway, it's not a serious crime like murder, rape, kidnapping, or robbery. Financial crimes don't have such long sentences, so he's different from real criminals.

It's not that he can't let go of his pride; he's just wondering if it's worth it.

With the help of the police inspector, perhaps a sentence of two or three years, or even probation, could be obtained.

So he adopted a very humble posture, like a dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy.

Sure enough, the inspector seemed very pleased. "Oh dear, you should have said so earlier. You wouldn't be looking so disheveled. Well, from now on, just be straightforward and tell me everything, tell me what's been on your mind."

"Then... if I confess voluntarily, will there be any consideration during sentencing? Will you ask the court to give me preferential treatment? Can you reduce my sentence by a few years?" Harunori Takahashi asked cautiously.

At this moment, he felt that this was a worthwhile deal for both himself and the police inspector, and there was no reason why it couldn't be done.

However, to his surprise, while the inspector did laugh, the response he gave was not what he wanted.

"You want preferential treatment through me, to get a reduced sentence?"

"May I?"

"You've finally said that. But... I refuse. No way!" The inspector's cruel rejection pierced Takahashi Harunori's heart, extinguishing his last glimmer of hope.

"Face reality, stop dreaming. Whether you talk or not, cooperate or not, I don't care at all. Because even if you remain silent, the existing evidence is enough to put you in jail for ten years. The prosecutor won't let you escape. On the contrary, I hope you don't cooperate. Because that way, I'll have plenty of time to torture you, humiliate you, and toy with you. In short, you're already in my hands, and there's no good outcome for you. I'll personally send you to prison and weld off any hope of you regaining your freedom anytime soon!"

"You...what did you say?"

Takahashi Harunori was so surprised that he could hardly believe what he was hearing.

Because the inspector always seemed very calm to him, and sometimes even acted like a friend.

But the sudden outburst of malice towards him at this moment is utterly illogical.

"Inspector, you..."

Takahashi mumbled in a daze, "How could you do this? Aren't you a law enforcement officer? Besides, I'm supposed to cooperate with your work..."

In an instant, he seemed to realize something, and his emotions turned to anger. "Could it be that you were driven by those who harmed me? Do you know who's behind this, right? Are you trying to force me to my death? Why are you holding me captive like this? Tell me, tell me the truth..."

But he was wrong again; Inoue really didn't know what was going on behind the scenes.

This does not affect his demand for justice; he has his own reasons for retaliating against Harunori Takahashi.

"No, I have no idea who's causing you trouble. As for why I'm treating you this way, that's your own fault for the bad things you did in the past."

"Nonsense. How have I offended you? We don't even know each other..."

"Believe it or not, what I'm saying is true. Do you remember a man named Masao Izumi from five years ago? Do you remember a small factory called Inoue Kogyo near Futako-Tamagawa Station in Setagaya Ward that had 45 employees?"

"me……"

"Judging from your expression, of course you don't remember. But let me tell you, that was my brother's factory. You swindled him out of his factory with a financial contract and built a commercial building on the site. Now you understand, right? I'm here to collect my brother's debt. In the past, I couldn't touch someone as important as you. But now, I'm lucky; God has sent you into my hands. Nothing can protect you anymore. As for me, I'll make sure you, this scum, live a life of special treatment here. Just accept your fate."

At this point, Jing Shui still seemed unsatisfied and deliberately teased him.

"Oh, by the way, although I don't know who brought you here, I am truly grateful to him. I will always wish this person a long and healthy life."

For Harunori Takahashi, well water was nothing short of the cruelest form of mental humiliation.

Perhaps out of fear, or perhaps out of despair, Takahashi Harunori had lost all fighting spirit at this moment.

He almost collapsed into his seat, utterly listless and dejected, and began to whimper like a puppy.

In the end, it even turned into wailing and sobbing.

Needless to say, this time it wasn't an act to gain sympathy; he was genuinely crying because he couldn't contain his emotions. (End of Chapter)