Traveling Through the Tokyo Bubble Era

Chapter 1045 An unexpected surprise

The Uniqlo reception was the one that Hideki Hanyu attended for the longest time in recent years.

He waited from the beginning to the end just to wait for Yanai Tadashi to continue the game.

Of course, he didn't stay completely. In the second half of the game, in order not to disturb Haruko Naito's rest, he took the time to send her back.

As for the itinerary after the reception, with Yukio Tanaka, a Tokyo nightlife expert, there's no need for Hideki Hanyu and Tadashi Yanai to worry about it.

The three of them drove directly to their usual spot, the hot spring resort.

Yukio Tanaka had already prepared everything in advance.

The three entered the club, changed into yukatas, and as soon as they stepped into the hot spring pool, they saw seven or eight young, beautiful girls already waiting in the pool.

The girls' yukatas, now soaked by the hot spring water, partially concealed them, subtly revealing their bodies and unconsciously arousing countless fantasies—more alluring than complete exposure.

Hideki Yuzuru noticed that these girls were not only good-looking, but also had a great temperament, and didn't seem like hostesses from a nightclub at all.

Out of curiosity, he immediately asked Yukio Tanaka, "Are all the girls in Tokyo's nightlife this average these days?"

"Hehe, these girls aren't ordinary female escorts, nor are they from this club. They're all students I found at art colleges."

When Yukio Tanaka explained, his face was full of smugness.

"An art university student? Could it be related to Yanai-san?"

Hideki Hanyu looked at Tadashi Yanai.

After all, he knew that Tadashi Yanai was the kind of guy who liked to find mistresses and keep them as sugar daddies from art colleges.

According to Tadashi Yanai, girls who study art have a unique charm that he finds irresistible.

Unexpectedly, Tadashi Yanai vehemently denied it, saying, "It wasn't me. I've been so busy this year that I haven't had a moment to spare. How could I have time to do something like this?"

"Of course it's not Yanai-san, this is a channel I just discovered."

After the Japanese stock market crash last year, the lives of ordinary people were greatly affected. Many girls studying art-related majors began to be unable to support their living and study costs, especially those studying in Tokyo.

To make a living, they began to find work outside through agencies and event brokers.

As long as you can afford it, you can find any kind of girl.

These are the people I just contacted through the agency and temporarily called in to provide services.

"I didn't have enough time today. If I could prepare a day earlier, I could have chosen a much better girl."

Tadashi Yanai asked with a puzzled look, "Is the cost of living in Tokyo so high that university students have to work just to make ends meet?"

"That depends on what kind of life you have. If it's just normal studying and living, then ordinary part-time jobs can make a living."

But if you want to live a better life, eat at Michelin-starred restaurants, wear designer clothes, and carry high-end bags, then working alone is definitely not enough.

Do you think girls who are willing to do this kind of work are content with living an ordinary life?

Just look around their closets and you'll find several LV and GUCCI items.

Nowadays, Japanese girls would rather starve themselves than give up money on luxury goods to adorn themselves.

Yukio Tanaka put on an expression that seemed to know everything, and then glanced at Hideki Hanyu.

"Speaking of which, Yuzuru-san deserves some credit for this as well."

"Haha, it was just a tiny, insignificant contribution."

Hideki Hanyu laughed without caring at all.

Because what Yukio Tanaka said makes sense, whether it's the current situation of young Japanese girls or his role in this matter.

After all, as the owner of the world's largest luxury goods group, Japan is also the largest consumer market for AIA International and LVMH Group.

It would be impossible for him not to be manipulating and guiding this trend of vanity, extravagance, and materialism in Japanese society.

Through brand advertising, media marketing, and even through film and television works, he subtly infiltrates and influences, deliberately guiding consumerism and the trend of materialism. His capital has indeed played a significant role in this.

Of course, the effect is also very good.

Today, the revenue figures of AIA International and LVMH Group in the Japanese market are growing rapidly at an annual rate of over 20%.

Even the stock market crash last year did not affect the booming sales of his luxury goods; in fact, the worse the economy was, the better the sales became.

Hideki Hanyu, who knew early on that the economic downturn would lead to a boom in Japan's "secondhand stores," had Aiyi International establish a presence in the secondhand market early on.

"Aiyi Boutique" is a chain of secondhand stores that was registered specifically for this purpose.

The shops operate on a direct-sales model, buying and selling all brands under A&E International and LVMH.

With official operation, official verification, official valuation, official endorsement, and authoritative certification, consumers do not need to worry about buying counterfeit goods, making the store stand out in the Japanese stock market.

Although it has been established for less than a year, its gross profit has already exceeded one billion yen.

It's not hard to see why Hideki Hanyu looks down on Masayoshi Son's SoftBank.

He casually set up a small business, which he didn't care about at all, yet it was comparable to the other party's years of hard work.

That said, if Hideki Hanyu were to promote consumerism and encourage a culture of extravagance and luxury, what negative impact would that have on Japanese society?
What does that have to do with him?

Besides, how many times have Japanese companies harmed Japanese people?

Compared to those guys, the issue of guiding consumerism is nothing.

He's mostly after people's money, but many businesses are both profiteering and dangerous, like various food safety and hygiene incidents, which in the end all involve bowing and apologizing to get it over with.

In comparison, the Japanese should thank him.

As the three of them spoke, they finished their preparations and stepped into the hot spring pool.

Although this club is located in the heart of Tokyo where land is incredibly valuable, it still manages to create the design and atmosphere of an outdoor hot spring thanks to its strong resources.

The hot spring pool is built with natural stones, and there are artificial mountains and streams, as well as green plants in the courtyard. Simply soaking in the hot spring here is a pleasant experience.

As the three stepped into the hot spring pool, the girls around them quickly surrounded them.

Especially around Hideki Hanyu, the area was instantly packed with people.

After all, once Hideki Hanyu appeared, they had already recognized the scumbag's identity and knew that he was an unprecedented and unparalleled super boss.

If they could win over Hideki Hanyu and have such a "sugar daddy," they could live a completely carefree life.

Looking at the predatory eyes of the girls around him, Hideki Yuzuru couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Japan's 'compensated dating' and 'dad living' traditions are truly ancient and deeply rooted."

Fortunately, the scumbag was hardly a gentleman and didn't care about the suffering of Japanese women, so he readily accepted the throngs of beautiful women.

And so, the three, reunited after a long separation, chatted and drank while enjoying the beauty's hospitality, and before they knew it, midnight had arrived.

When the show ended, Tadashi Yanai went home alone.

Yukio Tanaka wanted as many women as possible, but his limited resources meant he could only take two with him. The remaining beauties were all taken away by Hideki Hanyu to discuss the current state of art university education at Shiya Shinen Garden.

That night, although Hideki Hanyu was limited in number, he did not achieve Ip Man's feat of "fighting ten".

But his feat of easily seducing five beautiful Japanese university girls in bed while fighting them alone was something he could be proud of.

Most importantly, after realizing that the Japanese economic slowdown had begun to affect the lower classes, the scumbag suddenly felt a sense of mission to save Japanese women.

As the saying goes, the capable should do more work, and the successful should help the world. Since he has the ability, it is only right for him to work hard and contribute money and effort.

Of course, the prerequisite is that she must be a beautiful woman.

After breakfast, when he saw the five girls off, Hideki Yuzuru did not agree to be their "sugar daddy," but he did manage to recruit them as his "downlines," or more accurately, as intermediaries.

After all, in certain social situations, these relatively inexperienced college students are often more useful than female public relations staff.

Of course, beautiful women were just a passing phase in Hideki Hanyu's life.

After seeing the woman off, he immediately got down to business.

Refusing to negotiate with Aso, their own group has begun its offensive.

As for how to do it, it's nothing more than the official level banding together to create obstacles, opposing any issues or policies that the other side supports.

Of course, this is still the initial stage. If the conflict escalates, more direct attacks or relentless pursuit based on vulnerabilities will follow.

Especially with the support of public opinion off the field, Hideki Hanyu's side is now riding high and has the upper hand.

As for private matters, they are maintaining a tacit understanding and not taking any action for the time being.

Of course, there is another reason for this one-sided situation: Aso's side does not have a strong desire to protest.

It was already a loose faction, and because of Aso's absurd actions, many people were unwilling to get involved.

Even those who support Aso are looking for various reasons to end the war with Hideki Hanyu, not wanting to pay a heavy price and clash with him over a small "misunderstanding".

Therefore, the current situation is that Hideki Hanyu's side is full of fighting spirit, aggressive, and has launched a strong and proactive attack.

On the other hand, Aso's side responded passively, defended rationally, and constantly sought reconciliation, striving to resolve the conflict between the two sides.

To an uninformed person, it would seem that Hideki Hanyu's side was the tyrannical villain, while Aso's side was the weak victim.

For this reason, on November 28th, Hideki Hanyu met with several important figures who came to mediate.

Even Mitsui's top management called him specifically, hoping he could turn hostility into friendship.

Faced with this situation, Hideki Hanyu simply reiterated Aso's actions and stated that Aso's side only talked a good game and acted weakly, but did not take any action to improve the situation.

If someone offends him and he is expected to forgive them generously just because a middleman says a few words, does that mean anyone would dare to treat him like that in the future?
After being disturbed by these middlemen, Hideki Hanyu's other plans were delayed.

For example, some arrangements made by the Naito family and Itochu Corporation in their struggle for business power.

In fact, not only Hideki Hanyu, but even Haruko Naito had no time to participate in family affairs.

After Hideki Hanyu and Haruko Naito discussed the shortcomings of Crescent Moon Trading Company last time, the layout for energy trading has now begun under Haruko Naito's guidance.

With overseas matters to attend to and relationships in Japan to maintain, Haruko Naito was extremely busy and had no time to deal with the messy affairs of Itochu Corporation.

Besides, Haruko Naito, who now controls Crescent Moon Trading Company alone, has no interest in the power struggle within the Naito family or Itochu Trading Company.

If it weren't for supporting someone she could work with to take the position, which would be beneficial to the future development of New Moon Trading, she wouldn't even want to cooperate with Hideki Hanyu in creating news.

After all, Haruko Naito is not someone who likes to be in the public eye, and she dislikes others commenting on her relationship with Hideki Hanyu.

However, while Hideki Hanyu's side was delayed, Marco's operation went smoothly. Naito Ryoichi's lover, Kawakami Nana, had successfully made contact with Naito Kensaku.

After Naito Kensaku assured him that he would fulfill the promise made by Hanyu Hideki after he took over, Kawakami Nana didn't hesitate to sell out Naito Ryoichi completely.

After obtaining a list of Naito Ryoichi's contacts, Naito Kensaku immediately began persuading and turning him to defect.

This guy even took the initiative to contact Naito Ryoichi's sister, who is also one of the main figures in this power struggle within the Naito family.

After receiving the news, Hideki Hanyu was somewhat curious about how Kensaku Naito would persuade these people to switch their support to him.

However, Hideki Yuzuru did not actively inquire. He only needed to do his own thing, and the truth would come out soon.

After all, the power struggle within the Naito family would end before Itochu Corporation elected its chairman.

In a week at most, he will know who the Naito family will ultimately choose to compete for the chairmanship of Itochu Corporation.

……

Meeting with several important figures was not an easy task for Hideki Hanyu.

Dealing with these old foxes is exhausting, requiring careful attention to verbal traps and vigilance against intrigue and backstabbing.

After finishing everything, Hideki Hanyu just wanted to clear his mind, not think about anything complicated, and do things that made him relax.

He simply drove his Kui Niu SUV out of the garage, listened to the City pop music unique to this era playing from the car stereo, and wandered aimlessly through the streets of Tokyo.

Before he knew it, he had driven his car to the training base of Yunshang Arts in Shanbin District.

Hideki Hanyu, who hadn't been here for a long time, noticed that the base's performance hall seemed to be hosting a show, with many audience members queuing to enter through the passageway leading directly to the performance hall.

It's unclear whether the performer is an artist from the Cloud Entertainment Group or someone else who rented the space, since the performance hall is sometimes rented out when it's not in use.

Moreover, due to its large space, professional equipment, and convenient transportation, this performance hall is even more popular with artists than many stadiums and live houses.

Hideki Hanyu suddenly thought that since he had come across the performance, he might as well go in and watch it.

He then drove directly into the training base. After getting out of the car, he was about to ask someone to escort him into the performance hall when he heard a familiar voice from the side.

"Hideki-kun, is it really you?"

Hideki Hanyu looked in the direction of the sound and immediately spotted Yasuko Sawaguchi, who looked delighted.

When Hideki Hanyu returned to Tokyo this time, he heard that the other party had gone to Hokkaido to film a promotional video, and he didn't even know when they returned.

Before Hideki Hanyu could answer, Yasuko Sawaguchi had already run over and jumped into his arms.

Then he started talking to himself.

"Did Hideki-kun, like me, know that Sachiko was going to hold her first official performance as a band member, and came here specifically to surprise her?"

Sachiko Kamachi... or rather, Izumi Sakai, who has changed her name, is going to hold her first official band performance?

Hideki Hanyu said he has been too busy lately and hasn't been paying attention to this kind of news at all.

But given the current situation, he naturally couldn't admit it.

"That's right, I was planning to give Sachiko a surprise, but I didn't expect to run into Yasuko."

(End of this chapter)