Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

“I only have one wife, Riko, who is irreplaceable. Tachibana is my girlfriend, and she's currently in a ‘cooling-off period’ because she can't accept Riko. So I'm letting her calm down on her own... Once she realizes her mistake, she should call me!”

Then, Xiuming gave his home phone number, 403.

Midori Umezu went over Hideaki's words in her mind, but she still found it unbelievable and incomprehensible. Was this the thinking of a normal man? How could he be so at ease?

Midori dialed the number, and Riko answered the phone.

After introducing myself.

Riko asked, "Excuse me, is there something you need from me?"

Hearing the gentle voice, Midori Umezu felt inexplicably nervous and subconsciously put the phone to Hideaki's ear.

Hideaki said loudly, "Riko-chan, it's me who's looking for you."

"Ah! Honey?!" Riko's voice was filled with surprise, but also with trepidation and pitifulness. "I'm sorry, honey, I... I was wrong..."

Not long after Riko woke up, Chieko relayed Hideaki's words, after making some modifications, to both Riko and Misako.

Harboring her own ulterior motives, she threatened Riko, essentially saying: "Hideaki-kun said that when he comes back, he'll make you scream your lungs out... no matter how much you scream 'help,' it won't stop, and I won't be allowed to help..."

Riko is an extremely sensitive person, and she was so shocked by what she heard that she swallowed hard. In short, she felt dizzy just thinking about it.

"What's wrong?" Xiuming asked, turning the car steering wheel.

"I... I shouldn't have doubted my husband. Chieko-nee told me everything, saying that I... I'm the most... the most important person in my husband's heart... Um... I'll never doubt my husband again. Um, when you get home, could you please not... you know, don't make me scream my lungs out..."

As Riko finished speaking, her voice became tinged with an unspeakable shyness, so soft it was almost inaudible.

Midori Umezu didn't hear clearly and thought it was some kind of domestic violence issue, so she subconsciously asked, "Don't do anything? What do you mean by yelling yourself hoarse?"

"Ah~~ Miss Umezu is listening? I'm so sorry, I have something to do," Riko said in a trembling, tearful voice, "Misako-neechan, Hideaki-kun is calling, please come and answer it."

There was a sound of running on the other end of the line. Midori Umezu was a little surprised. Was it someone who was afraid of being abused? Why did the voice sound strangely shy?

Seriously, since I was the one who called, shouldn't her first reaction be to ask what my relationship with Hideaki is? After all, that's exactly what Funakawa Yoshiko's first reaction was...

Is this the "very obedient, tolerant, and understanding wife" that Xiuming mentioned?

How can there be such a wife in the world?

Umezu Midori was confused.

Chieko answered the phone, saying that Misako was busy and didn't have time to answer.

Hideaki praised Chieko lavishly for comforting Riko, and then said that he would treat her to a big meal when they got back.

Chieko's shy tone made Umezu Midori feel uneasy. They must have an unusual relationship. But the problem was, wasn't Riko at home? And there was also Misako... Were the three of them living together?

Umezu Midori was shocked and felt her mind was a bit blank... How did this man do that? What other good qualities did he have that I hadn't discovered yet... I really want to know.

Chieko suddenly asked, "Hideaki-kun, weren't you with Ms. Funakawa Yoshiko? Is Ms. Umezu a friend you just made?"

Umezu Midori, who was eavesdropping, felt her heart skip a beat. Her mind told her that she needed to explain as soon as possible to avoid being misunderstood, but her body seemed to be frozen. She could only open her mouth, but she couldn't make a sound.

"Is that something you should be asking?" Hideaki said irritably. "Riko didn't even ask just now, she obviously doesn't mind at all, what are you trying to do?"

"No, what I meant was..." Chieko wasn't intimidated by Hideaki's tone. She spoke softly, as if trying to argue, "Since we're sisters, we should get along well, right? I'm wholeheartedly serving Riko-chan... If Riko-chan doesn't mind, how could I possibly mind?"

Her main concern is her relationship with Hideaki. Originally, only Eri and Riko knew about it, then Misako was added, and now Midori Umezu has been added as well.

If too many people find out, Ayako and Ezaki might find out... They're too scary, they'll beat me to death!

I must unite all available forces to protect myself... Relying on Riko alone will put pressure on her.

“Chieko-chan is truly wise,” Hideaki said with an air of authority, holding the cell phone to Midori Umezu’s ear. “Riko-chan is too shy, so you can convey her greetings to Miss Umezu on her behalf.”

Midori Umezu's heart pounded wildly, as if she had been forced into this situation.

I desperately wanted to explain, but my throat felt blocked, and I couldn't make a sound.

Magic! He has magic... He's immobilized me... He's so despicable, I can't do anything...

“Ms. Umezu, I really want to be your friend. Please take care of me in the future. Riko-chan has a very nice personality, so don’t worry. Um… Hideaki-kun, please be careful, have a good time, and go home early… I’m still cooking in the kitchen, I need to go now…”

A dial tone came from the receiver.

Xiuming parked his car in the parking space and put away his mobile phone.

Umezu Midori sat upright in the passenger seat, her face flushed red, her eyes darting around as she stared at the windshield. She seemed to be biting her lower lip repeatedly, as if she were chewing gum, as if she were caught in some kind of internal struggle.

After the phone call, the halo surrounding Xiuming didn't break; in fact, it seemed even stronger.

Xiuming's words were full of favoritism towards Riko. As for shouting at the top of his lungs, judging from Riko's strange escape, it definitely wasn't domestic violence...

I shouldn't have called her, I'm so envious of her...

If my husband treated me that well, even if he… never mind, he's a dead man, I don't have one! I don't have a husband!

Xiuming turned off the car and removed the key.

Midori Umezu is sneaking glances again.

Her long, slender eyelashes fluttered slightly, her black eyes trembled like a heartbeat, her breathing was a little rapid, and her hands on her knees had already wrinkled her trousers.

“If you sneak peeks at me like that again, I won’t be so polite,” Xiuming said, pushing open the driver’s seat and jumping out of the car.

Umezu Midori didn't speak or move, her head stiffly turned towards the passenger door, revealing a bright red neck.

Xiuming walked around to the passenger side door, knocked on the window, and asked, "Aren't you getting out of the car?"

Behind the car window, Umezu Midori's face was already flushed red. She tilted her head back, pursed her lips, and stared at Hideaki with wide eyes.

She remained seated in the passenger seat, motionless and silent.

"You've changed from peeping to looking openly, right?" Xiuming knocked on the car window and headed straight for the stock exchange. "That won't do either. I'll be very lenient with you when I get back. Be prepared! Don't drive away. I don't have any money on me and I can't take the bus."

The stock exchange in the county town, though not as grand and luxurious as those in Tokyo, was still the most luxurious building on the entire street. Of course, the luxurious parts were peeling and even covered in dust. The simply dressed stock investors were either smoking or scratching their heads.

The increasingly sluggish economy has begun to affect small county towns.

Considering that Midori Umezu personally visited and accepted her gift, I decided to choose the domestic Nikkei 225 futures index.

The profit still fluctuates by 1100 points.

Earning 1000 yen from a single index point... Domestic trading, to avoid attracting the attention of the Ministry of Finance, requires a steady, long-term approach; one cannot afford to take on too much...

The last piece of information is that the central bank's top officials held a meeting to discuss the issue of interest rate cuts. They will have to hold another meeting for another week before finally deciding to cut interest rates on June 1st. By then, it will be too late. In fact, even if interest rates are cut now, it will be too late.

Just wait for housing prices to plummet and for businesses and factories to go bankrupt one after another!

Hideaki couldn't stand the smell of smoke and was worried that Midori Umezu would be scared and drive away, so he didn't stay in the stock exchange any longer. After securing the information, he quickly left.

Inside the car, Midori Umezu looked around curiously.

When Xiuming looked over, she seemed to be looking in his direction as well.

Xiuming was absolutely certain that she saw herself.

To Xiuming's surprise, she seemed to have triggered a switch, quickly pushed open the passenger door, jumped out of the car, and then went around to the front of the car to open the driver's side door.

"Don't move!" Xiuming shouted, rushing to the car in a few steps.

Umezu Midori stared wide-eyed at Hideaki, then, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, threw her car keys on the ground, opened the back door, and climbed in, her face flushed as she shrank back into the car seat.

She frantically chanted in her mind: I've tried so hard to run away, but he found me and there's nothing I can do... He'll be ruthless to me... What else can I do?

With a dark expression, Hideaki picked up the car keys, got into the driver's seat, and then picked up his mobile phone to dial the landlines of Nomura Securities and Yamaichi Securities.

Masako Sato and Ikuyo Shiraki answered the phone.

After Hideaki issued a series of futures trading orders, Midori Umezu showed no interest; she only wanted to know how Masae Sato and Ikuyo Shiraki communicated with Hideaki…

I couldn't hear what they were saying at all, but Xiuming was laughing happily. Did she really use her beauty to seduce him?

The transaction volume was given as 100 million yen.

Of course, when Hideaki dialed Ichiro Suzuki's landline, Midori Umezu perked up her ears, after all, this was business of her own stock exchange.

Under normal circumstances, I should have asked Hideaki for a favor long ago, hoping he would provide at least a 100 million yen deal.

But she can't open her mouth now, and can only pray silently in her heart.

What troubled her was that Hideaki didn't place an order directly, but instead started chatting with Ichiro Suzuki.

Hideaki said, "Oh, right, right, Minister Umezu found me..."

Xiuming added, "No, I'm alone in the car..."

“Yes, Minister Umezu is too kind,” Hideaki said, turning his head to the back seat. “After all, she gave us so many gifts. If I don’t take care of you, I’ll really be restless. So, I’ll just place a big order for 150 million yen…”

Midori Umezu's heart was practically in her throat; Ichiro Suzuki knew about her husband's problems.

Thankfully, they didn't say anything more, quickly got to the point, and then hung up the phone.

Umezu Midori breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a secret delight, because Hideaki said that the transaction was made because of her visit.

His abilities as a superior are evident to all.

It's even more than the amount from Masayuki Sato and Ikuyo Shiraki. Those two shamelessly used their charms, yet they still can't compare to me. How pathetic.

I have the strongest professional skills.

“It’s just a gift from you, no need to be so grateful,” Xiuming started the car, turned the steering wheel, and said without turning around, “There’s a restaurant up ahead, you can pay the bill.”

In the rearview mirror, Midori Umezu's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes occasionally met Hideaki's.

She remained silent.

"You always steal glances at me, which has successfully caught my attention. Now you're my girlfriend. You get one chance to refute me. If you don't say anything after three seconds, it means you agree."

Umezu Midori kept her lips tightly closed and didn't say anything.

“Very good,” Xiuming stopped the car, turned around and said, “You sit in the front…”

Chapter 164: A murderous aura...

Umezu Midori did not heed Hideaki's advice and remained seated in the back seat, her hands loosely clenched on her knees, her upper body hunched over, her head slightly tilted and lowered, her eyes meeting Hideaki's gaze from an upward angle.

This reminded Hideaki of a cat that was spying on him.

She seems to be in battle mode; as soon as she has a cat toy, she'll launch an attack.

"Neuropathy."

Xiuming couldn't help but laugh, then started the car and drove towards the soba noodle shop ahead, saying, "It's only because I'm starving. Try doing this again after I've eaten..."