Traveling Through the Tokyo Bubble Era

Chapter 1032 wasn't as fun as I imagined.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any plans to collaborate with Marubeni at the moment."

When faced with Marubeni's request for cooperation, Hideki Hanyu refused without hesitation.

If Yuichi Asada were to discuss a deal, like the kind of one-off transactions that happened in China before, Hideki Hanyu wouldn't mind talking about it.

If what can be traded becomes cooperation, then the nature of the transaction changes completely.

With the current scale of Hideki Hanyu's business empire, a single move can have far-reaching consequences, and there are simply too many things to consider.

The most important factor is the attitude of the outside world.

Take Mitsui & Co.'s ideas, for example.

It's important to know that New Moon Trading's involvement in energy trading involves the Origin Group both internally and externally, so Mitsui & Co. also contributed to this effort.

The reason for all this is, of course, that from the outside perspective, many of Hideki Hanyu's businesses bear the label of being part of the Mitsui Group.

Moreover, in Japan, Hideki Hanyu and the Mitsui Group already have extensive collaborations in real estate, logistics, automobiles, finance, industrial production, semiconductors, energy, and healthcare.

Therefore, it's not wrong for others to think that way.

As a core company of the Mitsubishi Group, Marubeni is not unsuitable for cooperation with Hideki Hanyu, but it is certainly not as high a priority as Mitsui & Co.

In many fields, the cost of taking the wrong side is often severe.

As for Hideki Hanyu, he has no intention of getting rid of Mitsui anytime soon, so it is only natural that he would reject Yuichi Asada.

In contrast, Yuichi Asada was not surprised to be rejected by Hideki Hanyu.

Instead, he smiled and asked, "President Hanyu, aren't you curious about the specifics of my invitation to Mr. Hanyu for a retail collaboration?"

Hideki Hanyu replied calmly, "I will be curious about what I should be curious about, but I will never ask questions that I shouldn't be curious about."

“I know what Chairman Yuzuru is worried about, but what if I said that Mitsui & Co. wouldn’t mind our cooperation, and might even get involved?”

Yuichi Asada clearly guessed what Hideki Hanyu was thinking.

Even so, Hideki Hanyu remained unmoved. "If that's the case, then please, President Asada, persuade Mitsui & Co. first, and then bring them along to discuss cooperation."

Hideki Hanyu's answer clearly shows that he doesn't want to be the first to speak out or become a scapegoat.

Because he knew very well that Japanese conglomerates would band together for economic reasons in the future, but that would definitely not be the case now.

Although the bubble in the Japanese stock market has burst, the real estate sector is still struggling to survive, which means that the bubble in the entire Japanese economy has not completely burst.

The extravagant lifestyle in Japanese society has not diminished at all this year; on the contrary, it has intensified.

According to statistics from Aiyi International, the sales of Aiyi International's luxury goods in Japan this year did not decline due to the stock market crash; on the contrary, they increased by 30%.

The same applies to the entertainment industry. According to Cloud Entertainment's estimates, the total sales of Japanese records this year will break through 280 billion yen for the first time in history.

Such data might be attributed to the "lipstick effect," but to a large extent, it reflects the fact that the powerful inertia of the Japanese economy has not yet been exhausted.

Historically, after the collapse of the Japanese stock market and real estate market, the anticipated widespread bankruptcies of companies and banks did not actually occur immediately.

Although the employment and economic crisis had begun to spread among the private sector, many companies managed to survive until the mid-to-late 1990s by receiving forced financial injections and supporting overseas investments before collapsing.

If Yuichi Asada had approached the collaboration at that time, Hideki Hanyu might not have refused outright, since at that time, conglomerates were already forming alliances and even merging their core companies.

By then, a small collaboration will naturally be nothing special.

Upon hearing Hideki Hanyu's request, Yuichi Asada nodded and said, "Then please wait for my good news, President Hanyu."

Hideki Hanyu did not respond to Yuichi Asada's words. He would wait until Asada had persuaded Mitsui & Co. before making any further decisions.

The four then continued their dinner, and afterwards moved to the back courtyard to drink tea and chat.

The group chatted until nightfall. Yuichi Asada took his leave first, while Hideki Hanyu decided to stay and rest after Haruko Naito persuaded him to.

However, after agreeing, Hideki Hanyu simply went to the bathroom to take a shower, and when he came out, he found that Haruko Naito was gone.

When he entered the living room in his bathrobe, he found Haruko Naito's mother, Eimi Naito, giving instructions to the maid, and immediately sending the maid out after she finished speaking.

Judging from Naito Eimi's slightly flustered appearance in her pajamas, she had obviously encountered some unexpected event.

Upon seeing Hideki Hanyu appear, the mature and beautiful woman offered an explanation to him without waiting for him to approach her.

"Hanyu-san, we just received news from the Naito family that Haruko's grandfather suddenly had a health problem and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Haruko has already gone to the hospital to visit him."

“I met with Director Naito at an event a few months ago. He was in good health. How could he suddenly have a problem?”

Hideki Habu was no stranger to Haruko Naito's grandfather, the highest-ranking member of the Naito family within Itochu Corporation.

Naito Eimi shook her head. "I don't know either. After all, I haven't been back to the Naito family home for many years."

"Hehe, if Director Naito can't get through this, then the Naito family will be in trouble. I don't think Director Naito's incompetent sons can solidify the Naito family's position in Itohatsu under these circumstances."

Naito Eimi's face showed a hint of bitterness in response to Hideki Hanyu's undisguised mockery.

Her marriage to her husband was indeed dead in name only.

However, she suffered betrayal in her marriage, bore the responsibility of a family arranged marriage, had a daughter named Haruko Naito, and received traditional Japanese women's education from a young age.

This left Naito Eimi in a state of great inner conflict regarding her attitude towards the Naito family; she wanted her husband to be punished, but she also didn't want the Naito family to actually face a crisis.

In particular, as Hideki Hanyu mentioned, the Naito family's rights in Itochu Corporation have become problematic.

However, as a former member of the Naito family, she knew very well that, as Hideki Hanyu had said, the current generation of Naito family heirs did not have any noteworthy talents and were hardly of any use in this critical moment.

If the Naito family loses power in Itochu Corporation, it will certainly not be good news for her maternal family.

Just as Naito Eimi was mired in prolonged worry because of something Hideki Hanyu said, she saw a cup being handed to her.

Immediately following, Hideki Hanyu's voice rang out.

"Warm milk can relieve anxiety."

Completely unaware of when Hideki Hanyu left or returned, Eimi Naito instinctively accepted the cup before remembering to thank him.

"Thank you so much."

Then Naito Eimi saw that Hideki Hanyu was already sitting on the sofa in the living room.

He then said to her, "Mrs. Naito, please sit down and let's talk. I can wait for news with you."

"Thank you."

After thanking her again, Naito Eimi sat down, a strange feeling rising in her heart.

It's as if Hideki Yuzuru is the master of this house.

Moreover, she was clearly older than Hideki Hanyu, and even more so because of her daughter, she was Hideki Hanyu's elder. Yet, when the unexpected incident occurred, it was Hideki Hanyu who comforted her instead.

However, as Naito Eimi held the hot milk in her hands and felt the warmth from her palms, she felt a strange sensation, but also a long-lost feeling.

It's a reassuring feeling that comes from being cared for and supported when a woman is feeling lost and helpless.

Actually, using "long time no see" to describe it is not accurate at all.

Because this feeling was so rare in her life.

In her maternal clan, she was raised from childhood as a tool for arranged marriages.

After getting married, her relationship with her husband was purely based on mutual benefit, with no feelings whatsoever. Even after having a daughter, nothing changed. In fact, her heart was shattered when her husband brought his mistress and illegitimate child home.

Naito Eimi took a sip of hot milk, and then she discovered that in addition to the milk, there was also a chocolate taste in her mouth.

"I added chocolate, and I hope Mrs. Naito will like it."

Hideki Hanyu's voice rang out at just the right moment.

"I like it very much, thank you."

The warm, rich chocolate milk lingered in Naito Eimi's mouth, and her inner anxiety was indeed soothed.

Hideki Hanyu smiled and said, "Mrs. Naito, you don't really need to keep saying thank you. It would seem too formal."

"Feel sorry."

Naito Eimi did stop saying thank you, but instead apologized.

Hideki Hanyu seemed somewhat helpless about this.

The Japanese have a deep-seated fondness for feigned politeness and apologies, and it's unrealistic to expect him to change that with just a few words.

However, at this moment he didn't really care about Naito Eimi's feelings.

What he cared about was hearing that the patriarch of the Naito family was critically ill and might not make it. If Itochu Corporation were to experience turmoil due to a power struggle, could he find an opportunity to profit from it?

The "benefit" here doesn't just refer to money; it can also refer to things other than money.

After all, in terms of strength, Itochu Corporation is even stronger than Marubeni Corporation, and it is the Japanese conglomerate with the best development, revenue and profit in the future.

Therefore, the entire Itochu Corporation has a significant influence on the Dai-ichi Kangyo Group, to which it belongs, and on the upper echelons of Japanese society.

Recalling attending the Asian Games opening ceremony in Japan a few months ago, which led to his meeting with former Prime Minister Takeshita and what he said to him.

Hideki Hanyu suddenly felt that perhaps the sudden accident involving the head of the Naito family was the catalyst for something to happen.

This is why Hideki Hanyu was willing to accompany Eimi Naito. He needed to get accurate information as soon as possible.

After considering everything in his mind, Hideki Yuzuru looked at Eimi Naito again, preparing to find something else to talk about, which would also make it easier for him to gather information later.

However, when he looked at Naito Eimi, he found that Naito Eimi was staring at him.

More accurately, they were staring at his body.

His bathrobe was open at the chest due to his sitting posture, revealing his muscular and well-built physique in a way that was partially concealed.

Recalling Naito Eimi's past "behavior," and seeing her blushing face, slightly rapid breathing, and unwavering gaze, it was obvious what she was paying attention to.

He hadn't expected that Naito Eimi's mood would calm down so quickly, even a little too quickly, allowing her to focus on other things.

This made him smile, and his playful side was aroused.

"Mrs. Naito...Mrs. Naito..."

It took two calls from Hideki Hanyu to bring Eimi Naito back to her senses.

The mature and beautiful woman hurriedly looked away, then picked up her glass and took a sip, trying her best to hide her panic, which she could not conceal at all.

Then, feigning nonchalance, he asked, "Is something the matter, Yuzuru-san?"

Hideki Hanyu didn't answer at all, but instead asked directly, "Mrs. Naito, was there something wrong with me that you looked at me like that?"

"No...no, no, I didn't look at Yuzuru-san."

Naito Eimi, who hadn't expected Hideki Hanyu to ask her so directly, panicked and gave incoherent answers.

However, Hideki Hanyu ignored the mature and beautiful woman's answer and pretended to be thoughtful.

“I know what Mrs. Naito is looking at.”

As he spoke, he suddenly moved forward on the sofa, getting directly close to Naito Eimi.

Before Naito Eimi could react to Hideki Hanyu's sudden approach, she saw him proactively tear open his bathrobe.

In an instant, Naito Eimi's vision was filled with a young, strong, well-built, angular body bursting with hormones.

Those well-defined pectoral muscles, chocolate-like abs, combined with Hideki Hanyu's handsome face, all attracted Naito Eimi's attention.

However, at that moment, Hideki Hanyu pointed to his chest.

Pointing to two rows of tiny marks, she said, "Is Mrs. Naito concerned about my wounds?"

Reminded by Hideki Hanyu, Eimi Naito then noticed the mark on Hideki Hanyu's chest.

These marks were clearly made by someone biting them.

Once she realized what was happening, Naito Eimi quickly tried to cover for herself by going along with Hideki Hanyu's words.

"That's right, I was just about to ask who injured Yuzuru-san."

Hideki Hanyu gave the answer directly: "It's Haruko."

This answer made Naito Eimi want to think about the circumstances and how her daughter bit Hanyu Hideki.

However, her last shred of rationality allowed her to suppress her inner turmoil and force out a question to distract herself.

Why did Haruko hurt Hanyu-san?

"you guess?"

Naito Eimi never expected that Hanyu Hideki would give such an answer.

However, those two words completely crushed Naito Eimi's last shred of rationality.

Naito Eimi's mind was filled with all sorts of alluring images that made her blush.

Unbeknownst to him, the mature and beautiful woman's hand had already reached for the wound on Hideki Yuzuru's chest.

As her fair fingers touched the teeth marks, Naito Eimi asked in a fascinated tone.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little, but it hurts more on the sides, the left side, and also on the top and bottom..."

The scumbag's words were full of temptation, guiding Naito Eimi's hand to measure all the muscle contours.

Naito Eimi, who was no longer concerned about the bite mark, still asked, as if deceiving herself, "Are you feeling better? Do you need me to apply some medicine for you?"

Hideki Hanyu slowly leaned closer to Eimi Naito's ear and said in a deep, magnetic voice, "I've heard that saliva can be used for disinfection."

As soon as she finished speaking, Naito Eimi couldn't help but shiver.

Looking at the body so close to hers, Naito Eimi, whose mind was completely filled with desire, slowly brought her mouth closer.

However, just as they were about to make contact, the telephone in the living room suddenly rang.

Before Naito Eimi could react, Hanyu Hideki pulled his bathrobe back onto his upper body and pointed at the phone, speaking to Naito Eimi.

"Mrs. Naito, please answer the phone first; it might be important news."

"Hi... Hi eh."

Naito Eimi's face flushed red, and she hurriedly answered the phone.

"Yes, okay, I understand. You can stay there without worry. I'll participate. I'll tell him right away."

After a brief conversation, Naito Eimi put the phone down again.

She then turned to Hideki Yuzuru and said, "Haruko's grandfather just passed away. Haruko asked me to tell you that she can't come back tonight."

When Naito Eimi finished speaking and mentioned that Naito Haruko couldn't come back, her eyes held a strange longing and excitement, as if she was looking forward to something because of it.

However, Hideki Hanyu, who had been teasing her from beginning to end, seemed oblivious to Eimi Naito's emotions at this moment.

He had already prepared his bathrobe when he heard of Director Naito's passing.

As soon as Naito Eimi finished speaking, he stood up.

"I suddenly remembered some things that need to be taken care of. Since Haruko isn't coming back, it's not convenient for me to stay here any longer."

After saying that, Hideki Hanyu went straight back to Haruko Naito's bedroom, changed his clothes, and prepared to leave.

Seeing the mature, beautiful woman in her pajamas seeing him off, looking hesitant and wanting to say something, Hideki Yuzuru feigned regret and took his leave.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Naito."

"Hanyu-san, if you have time, please come visit with Haruko."

Naito Eimi whispered goodbye, but before she could finish speaking, Hanyu Hideki, who was about to leave, suddenly turned around, rushed close to her, and whispered a question.

"Without Haruko, does Mrs. Naito not welcome me as a guest?"

"Welcome...."

Naito Eimi gave a stammering reply.

"See you another day, hehe..."

Amidst slightly unrestrained laughter, Hideki Hanyu turned and left, disappearing into the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit that was waiting outside.

However, the moment the car door closed, Hideki Hanyu's smile vanished, replaced by a look of utter disinterest.

He then muttered to himself, "Teasing a mature beauty isn't as fun as I imagined."

So it's more important to get down to business.

Immediately afterwards, he picked up the car phone and dialed a number.

As the call was connected, Yutaro Hatoyama's voice came through the other end.

"Moshi moshi, I am Yutaro Hatoyama."

Hideki Hanyu stated his purpose directly: "I am Hideki Hanyu, and I want to see Yutaro-san's cousin."

"Now?" Yutaro Hatoyama asked seriously.

After all, at this time, Hideki Yuzuru's sudden request to meet with his cousin must not be for a trivial matter.

Hideki Hanyu replied, "Yes, the location is a teahouse in Bunkyo Ward."

"I'll help Yuzuru-san make the contact right away."

"It's troublesome."

"This is what I should do."

The two hung up the phone after finishing their conversation.

After hanging up the phone, Hideki Hanyu thought for a moment and then made other arrangements for Marco, who was driving.

"Marco, I need you to send someone to do a few things for me."

(End of this chapter)