Traveling Through the Tokyo Bubble Era

Chapter 1036 Guess what he will choose?

As November draws to a close in Tokyo, year-end corporate receptions are gradually beginning.

November 24th.

Saturday, evening.

In the Prince Hotel in Minato Ward, Tokyo, a grand corporate year-end party is being held.

The organizer of this year-end meeting was Fujitsu, a Japanese semiconductor giant.

When such a giant holds its year-end party, it's no surprise that many prominent figures in the industry attend.

All the media outlets, eager for news, had been waiting outside the hotel early on.

Shortly after Fujitsu's year-end party began, the media received an unexpected surprise amidst the roar of car engines.

As the engine car approached from afar, everyone knew who had arrived when the eye-catching Lamborghini supercar came to the hotel entrance.

Hideki Hanyu.

The name that has been the most discussed in Japanese public opinion circles in recent days.

His rumored romance with a member of the Naito family has kept Hideki Hanyu in the news in almost every section of the media.

The entertainment section treated it as a celebrity scandal or gossip sensationalism.

The social section analyzes the impact of romantic relationships.

The financial section was filled with speculation and discussion about what impact a marriage between the two would have on the Japanese business world.

Even yesterday, the day after Director Naito's funeral, news broke that Itochu Corporation was in a power vacuum due to Director Naito's death, and Hideki Hanyu was also implicated in the matter.

Various experts and scholars have speculated whether Hideki Hanyu's announcement of his relationship with Haruko Naito at this time was an indirect way of supporting the Naito family in their bid for control of Itochu Corporation.

After all, according to the news reports, although Naito's two sons and one daughter all work at Itochu Corporation after his death, none of them have the power to inherit their father's rights.

Moreover, the funeral of Director Naito had just ended when Itochu Corporation publicly announced that it would elect the next chairman at the year-end board meeting.

Anyone with eyes can see that a major power struggle within Itochu Corporation is about to unfold.

In this situation, the close relationship between Hideki Hanyu and Haruko Naito naturally becomes a focus of attention, and is inevitably linked by outsiders to the power struggle within Itochu Corporation.

Regardless of outside speculation, Hideki Hanyu has remained silent.

Whether it's a romantic relationship or any news about the Naito family and Itochatsu Corporation.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that it is difficult for media reporters to interview Hideki Hanyu.

On the surface, Hideki Hanyu appears to be a public figure.

In fact, Hideki Hanyu is not a purely public figure.

Those who are familiar with the upper echelons of power in Japan are especially aware of just how terrifying the power wielded by Hideki Hanyu is.

It's fair to say that Hideki Hanyu's rapid rise to fame is an absolute anomaly.

In the past, the bigwigs at the top of the pyramid in Japanese society were all incredibly mysterious, hidden behind power and capital, and ordinary people didn't even know they existed.

But Hideki Hanyu is different; he is perhaps the most accessible behind-the-scenes bigwig for ordinary people.

Therefore, the media dare not treat Hideki Hanyu as a public figure.

At least they wouldn't dare treat Hideki Hanyu like they would a celebrity.

Take this gossip and scandal for example. If it weren't for the fact that the Cloud Media Group personally got involved and realized that Hideki Hanyu allowed everyone to report on it, the news would never have been hyped up to this extent.

In another timeline, even the mere owner of Johnny & Associates could silence all the media before his death.

For Hideki Hanyu to achieve this now would be even easier than for the Kitagawa siblings.

Therefore, Hideki Hanyu doesn't show up on his own initiative; at most, people call his assistant's office to try their luck and schedule an interview.

No one would dare to go directly to their door to surround and intercept them.

Even with Weekly Bunshun, they only stake out and take photos secretly; they would never harass someone at their door.

So when these media reporters discovered that Hideki Hanyu's car had appeared at Fujitsu's year-end meeting, they were naturally overjoyed.

When the sleek Lamborghini came to a stop and the scissor doors on both sides were pushed up, Hideki Hanyu, dressed in a custom-made suit, helped Haruko Naito, who was dressed in an evening gown, out of the car. The reporters immediately felt as if they had won the lottery.

As soon as Hideki Hanyu handed the keys to his bodyguard, he was surrounded by reporters from all sides.

"Mr. Yuzuru, could you talk about your relationship with Ms. Naito?"

"Mr. Yuzuru, are you interested in getting involved in the election of the chairman of Itochu Corporation?"

"Mr. Hanyu..."

Faced with a barrage of questions, Hideki Hanyu maintained his aloof demeanor, took Haruko Naito's hand, and walked into the hotel under the escort of bodyguards.

He didn't say a word and didn't respond to any questions.

Given the current situation and the public attention it generates, it's clear that he deliberately encouraged and guided it.

As for what he wants to do, some experts in the media guessed correctly, but not entirely.

Because what he appears to be doing is not what he actually wants.

Everything is just beginning. If we give the answer directly, won't there be no room for discussion in the public discourse?
So let's let the bullets fly a little longer.

Escorted by bodyguards, Hideki Yuzuru quickly entered the hotel.

Fujitsu executives immediately came to greet him and led Hideki Hanyu to the banquet hall where the year-end party was being held.

Hideki Hanyu brought Haruko Naito to Fujitsu's year-end meeting tonight, partly with the intention of further fueling public opinion.

However, choosing Fujitsu's year-end meeting was a result of careful consideration.

Firstly, for him, Fujitsu is an important partner of Elf Entertainment.

For example, Fujitsu provided a lot of help in the development of the second-generation Pokémon Fight, and was an important supplier.

Therefore, there is absolutely no problem with Hideki Hanyu coming here today.

As for Haruko Naito, the Naito family's parent company, Itochu Corporation, and Fujitsu are both core companies of the Dai-Ichi Kangyo Group.

From childhood to adulthood, Haruko Naito attended far more Fujitsu year-end parties than Hideki Hanyu.

Because of this relationship, Fujitsu is also a highly influential external force in the power struggle within Itochu Corporation.

After entering the banquet hall, Hideki Hanyu exchanged pleasantries with Fujitsu executives before starting free time with Haruko Naito.

However, he keenly observed that Haruko Naito seemed somewhat dejected.

So he pulled Haruko Naito to the sidelines and asked, "Haruko seems a little unhappy."

Haruko Naito shook her head. "I'm not unhappy, just a little resentful and a little jealous of you."

"Jealous of me?" Hideki Yuzuru was a little confused.

“From childhood to adulthood, whether in my family, school, or business world, I have always been the center of attention and the one who is often praised.”

As Naito Haruko spoke, her tone became somewhat dejected.

"But lately, when I'm with Yuzuru-san, I feel like I've become an embellishment. Whether it's in the news or in other people's mouths, the only thing people pay attention to and talk about is Yuzuru-san."

"Hanyu-san is so outstanding and dazzling, like the sun; everyone around him is overshadowed by his brilliance."

After listening to the story, Hideki Hanyu finally understood what was wrong with Haruko Naito.

It turns out she's a proud and arrogant young lady who's unwilling to be ignored and doesn't want to just be a supporting character.

However, this is not something he can decide.

Besides, Haruko Naito's condition is already very good.

At least as a daughter of a wealthy family, she is qualified to be compared to him and can still arouse so much discussion and speculation.

It can even sweep across all categories and sections of public opinion.

If she were just an ordinary beautiful woman with no background, like those female celebrities in the past, even if rumors of her relationship with him were exposed, it would at most remain as gossip in the entertainment section.

Moreover, mentioning one person at a time is not enough; they are often grouped together, creating a kind of media and fan selection contest for him.

Therefore, given the current situation, it's no wonder that Haruko Naito is being overlooked.

If anyone is to blame, it's because he's too outstanding.

Knowing that the next plan would require Haruko Naito's cooperation, Hideki Hanyu couldn't let Haruko Naito continue to be depressed; he had to soothe the young lady's emotions.

However, ordinary methods cannot be used to deal with Haruko Naito.

Therefore, instead of offering direct comfort, he asked Haruko Naito.

"Doesn't Haruko feel happy seeing how good I am?"

The young lady, deeply in love, immediately responded with some eagerness upon hearing Hideki Yuzuru's words.

"No, I'm happier to see Yuzuru-san being respected by everyone than to achieve success myself."

Yuzuru-san, please don't misunderstand me, I..."

Seeing Naito Haruko's anxious expression, Hideki Yuzuru secretly thought to himself, "Easy peasy."

However, the scumbag's smugness didn't last long before he saw Naito Haruko explaining herself, and his face suddenly darkened.

This time it wasn't because of Hideki Hanyu, but because of a guest who suddenly came to chat with him.

It was none other than Naito Haruko's father, Naito Ryoichi.

Besides Naito Ryoichi, another person who made Naito Haruko's face darken was a beautiful woman in her early thirties who was with Naito Ryoichi.

Hideki Hanyu knew who this was; it was the lover who had given birth to Haruko Naito's father's illegitimate child.

The woman's name is Kawakami Nana. Because Naito Eimi is still not divorced, even though she has been taken back, she cannot be registered in the Naito family, so she can only use her real name.

For the same reason, Eimi Naito appeared at Director Naito's funeral the day before yesterday, but Ms. Nana Kawakami was unable to show up.

Although Haruko Naito's expression turned ugly when she saw the two of them.

However, when Naito Ryoichi found Hanyu Hideki, he greeted him very politely, even to the point of being somewhat obsequious.

As if oblivious to Haruko Naito's expression, he fussed over his daughter with a few words of concern.

Hideki Hanyu watched from the sidelines, finding it all very interesting.

He vividly remembered the first time he met Naito Ryoichi; the other man's attitude towards him was nothing like how polite he was now, and he was even more indifferent towards Naito Haruko.

Now that his father has suddenly passed away, the other party's attitude has completely changed in order to seize power within the family and Itochu Corporation.

Even daughters who were previously disliked are now willing to come up to him and fawn over those who don't like them.

As for why Naito Ryoichi's attitude changed so drastically, even a fool could guess the reason.

Director Naito passed away. He had two sons and a daughter who worked at Itochu Corporation. Naito Haruko's father, Naito Ryoichi, was the youngest of the three.

Although all three siblings are mediocre and lack ability.

However, Naito Ryoichi's older sister and brother are at least more famous than him.

When Naito Ryoichi took back his lover and illegitimate child, he drove away his first wife from the Asada family. This scandal caused quite a stir in high society circles.

If it weren't for the two families considering the bigger picture, they almost would have fallen out over this matter.

Now that the three siblings want to vie for power, they will naturally make use of all available resources and forces.

At this very moment, Hideki Hanyu and Haruko Naito were seen walking together in a high-profile manner, which not only aroused various speculations in the media, but also made Ryoichi Naito have many thoughts.

If Hideki Hanyu really wants to side with the Naito family, then why can't he support his "cheap father-in-law"?

Therefore, whenever there was even the slightest possibility, Naito Ryoichi would try to get close to Hideki Hanyu.

The fact that Naito Ryoichi was willing to shamelessly come over made Hideki Hanyu look at him with new respect.

After all, while his abilities may be lacking, he has at least done a decent job in terms of flexibility and adaptability.

After some polite, perfunctory pleasantries, Naito Ryoichi cautiously spoke to Hanyu Hideki.

"President Yuzuru, may I have a private talk with Haruko?"

Hideki Hanyu shrugged. "You should ask Haruko about this, not me."

Upon hearing this, Ryoichi Naito looked at Haruko Naito with an embarrassed expression. "Haruko, can we go over there and talk for a bit?"

At this moment, Haruko Naito still maintained a cold and beautiful expression.

Upon hearing her father's words, she wanted to refuse without hesitation.

But being a Japanese woman raised with traditional education, she didn't show her resentment in public, no matter how much she resisted it.

Finally, Haruko Naito nodded in agreement and left with Ryoichi Naito.

Before leaving, Naito Ryoichi made sure to instruct his lover, Kawakami Naon, to help entertain Hanyu Hideki.

After the two walked away, Hideki Hanyu began to scrutinize Naon Kawakami in front of him.

To be chosen by the young master of a powerful family, Kawakami Nana's beauty goes without saying.

Judging from her appearance and temperament, she is not a glamorous beauty, but rather a gentle, dignified, and elegant type.

At first glance, it's hard to associate her with a "lover" who destroys a marriage; rather, she fits the image of a "Yamato Nadeshiko" in the minds of Japanese people.

However, upon closer observation, one can detect a subtle, almost imperceptible allure beneath the gentle and dignified demeanor, in the fleeting glances of the eyes.

When two completely opposite temperaments appear in one person, it doesn't seem abrupt at all; on the contrary, the unique sense of contradiction greatly enhances their charm.

Naito Eimi is also a mature and charming beauty, but compared to Kawakami Nana in front of her, she is somewhat lacking.

No wonder Ryoichi Naito insisted on bringing this woman home despite his family's objections; it was clearly not solely for the sake of the illegitimate child.

Seemingly noticing Hideki Hanyu's observation, Kawakami Nana wanted to break the silence between the two, so she took the initiative to speak to Hideki Hanyu.

"President Yuzuru, actually I'm a fan of your books."

This wasn't the first time Hideki Hanyu had heard such attempts to get closer to him.

He followed up directly by asking, "I wonder which of my books Ms. Kawakami likes?"

Since the other party was not married to Ryoichi Naito, he did not need to address her as "wife".

“I am a cat.”

Kawakami Nana's answer surprised Hideki Hanyu.

After all, most women who like his books are basically those like "From Sparrow to Phoenix", "Love Letter", and "My Sassy Girl".

Few people say they like satirical novels like "I Am a Cat".

However, after the initial surprise, he simply replied, "Thank you for your recognition, Ms. Kawakami."

After he finished speaking, the two fell into an awkward silence once again.

However, this time Hideki Hanyu didn't wait for Nana Kawakami to break the silence.

Just a moment later, he looked in the direction where Naito and his daughter had left and asked in a feignedly curious tone.

"Ms. Kawakami, what do you think Naito Ryoichi and Haruko will talk about alone?"

Kawakami Nana shook her head. "I can't guess."

But Hideki Yuzuru wasn't about to let her off the hook. He smiled at the woman and said, "Ms. Kawakami is a smart woman. How could she not guess why Ryoichi Naito came to see me and Haruko?"

Kawakami Nana slowly said, "I don't know what President Yuzuru is talking about."

Mr. Yuzuru looked at the woman and asked, "You really don't know?"
With the sudden death of Director Naito, who among his children wouldn't covet the Naito family's wealth and the rights of Itochu Corporation?

In his competition with his older sister and brother, Mr. Naito Ryoichi had no advantage whatsoever, so he desperately needed all possible support.

Haruko is now in charge of New Moon Trading, and with my rumored boyfriend helping her behind the scenes, do you think Mr. Naito Ryoichi will agree to some of Haruko's promises in order to gain our support?

For example, what about the future inheritance of the Naito family? Or perhaps it's about driving those Haruko dislikes out of the Naito household and bringing her mother back?

"I will never let her come back!"

Suddenly, Kawakami Nana's voice rang out.

Looking at this beauty now, there is no trace of the gentle and dignified demeanor of a Yamato Nadeshiko.

All that remained was the removal of pretense, revealing an anxious expression, a look of panic in his eyes, and ruthless words that were on the verge of breaking down.

"hehe!"

Hideki Yuzuru chuckled softly, “Ms. Kawakami is indeed a smart person.”

You should also know very well that in this matter, no one cares about your attitude.

Your son may be important to Ryoichi Naito, but only if Ryoichi can inherit the Naito family’s wealth and power; otherwise, it’s all meaningless.

In the current situation, on one side is Haruko, on the other is me, and on the other is Haruko's maternal clan, Marubeni Trading.

On one side are you and your son.

Ms. Kawakami, who do you think Naito Ryoichi will choose?

Upon hearing Hideki Hanyu's words, Kawakami Nana probably thought of the answer she absolutely did not want to admit, her face turning pale and then flushed, her expression extremely complicated.

In this state, Kawakami Nana stared at Hanyu Hideki and asked, "Since President Hanyu has already seen the ending, why waste your breath on someone as worthless as me?"

Hideki Yuzuru shook his finger. "Ms. Kawakami is wrong. Even the most lowly person has their own value."

Just because you didn't see your own value doesn't mean I didn't.

Kawakami Nana asked, "So, what is my value?"

However, Hideki Hanyu did not answer, but instead looked into the distance.

The Naito father and daughter, who had left, are now walking back.

"It seems I can't continue chatting with Ms. Kawakami. Just wait patiently, I'll send someone to contact you."

As Hideki Hanyu spoke, he suddenly stepped aside to block Nao Kawakami.

Then, from an angle where no one could see, he reached out and forcefully pinched Kawakami Nana's snow-white cheek, giving a domineering command.

"I don't like Ms. Kawakami's current expression. Please return to your previous expression."

"I……"

Since being taken back to the Naito family by Naito Ryoichi, Kawakami Nana had never been treated so roughly.

Feeling the force and slight pain on her cheek, and hearing Hideki Yuzuru's domineering words, a strange feeling welled up in her heart, causing her to unconsciously obey Hideki Yuzuru's command and resume her gentle and dignified demeanor.

(End of this chapter)