Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

Throughout the journey, Shiraishi Ichiro tried his best to act as if "I don't care how many women Hideaki has," which made her take it to heart.

This is so obvious; it's just a cover-up.

Judging from the fact that Riko gave him a car earlier, he might feel indignant on behalf of Riko's wife. There's nothing to say about that, since he was in the wrong, but no matter what, he couldn't back down.

Then I'll give him a phone as a gesture of goodwill. Of course, if he tries to sabotage me in some way, I'm not one to back down... after all, even Mrs. Riko doesn't mind...

“I have a pager, there’s no need to use that inconvenient telephone.”

After hearing Midori Umezu's words, Ichiro Shiraishi didn't even turn around, only glancing at Hideaki indifferently.

His stern face clearly conveyed, "Is your woman bribing me? What do you take me for?"

As a professional full-time driver, he certainly cannot accept benefits from his employer's women at will, and he must also try his best to sever ties with all women related to Xiuming.

This is a matter of professional ethics. After all, news reports have covered many cases of VIP drivers being dishonest, leading to their disgrace and even their deaths.

Besides, that little bastard has so many women, and with only a gun, there are bound to be times when he can't take care of them all, right? What if I become a suspect?

I sacrificed all my dignity for such a good job. My wife cried and complained at home that I was incompetent and that's why our daughter turned out like this... What a huge price I paid.

Besides, my daughter is already like this, I can't just do whatever she tells me to do just for a portable phone.

Pagers are still the mainstream technology, while mobile phones, as a new product, are synonymous with luxury.

Mr. Shiraishi has deeply realized the downsides of being obsessed with saving face. Although he genuinely wants to maintain a certain level of dignity, he must do so within acceptable limits from now on.

For example, I'm very satisfied with this car, why would I need a portable phone?

After all, phone bills are so expensive, it's simply unaffordable!

From now on, I must never overdraw my resources again, risking everything as a middle-aged man.

Hmph! That despicable woman, she stole my daughter's man and even tried to bribe me... Forget about it!

"I don't want those old-fashioned mobile phones, buy me a Motorola or a Mova flip phone."

Hideaki ignored the look in Shiraishi Ichiro's eyes that seemed to be "standing up for his daughter," and got out of the car.

As early as 89, Motorola mobile phones from the United States entered the Japanese market. Their compact design promoted the development of the Japanese mobile phone market towards miniaturization and lightweighting.

Recently, Japanese telecommunications operator NTT launched its first ultra-compact portable phone, mova, which includes a flip phone.

Of course, current mobile phones are merely toys for the wealthy and have only communication functions; they have no other capabilities.

Xiuming closed the passenger door, then opened the back door, gesturing for Meijin Midori to get out. He continued, "Transfer all your extra money to my stock account. Use your connections at the company to do some underhanded things for me, and we'll make a fortune together."

Midori Umezu is still the head of the sales department at Sanyo Securities, so she must have considerable power. As for Sanyo Securities' collapse and bankruptcy, that will have to wait for six years, which is a long way off.

“Look how accurate the stock market is, what need is there for shady dealings? Isn’t that just giving money away to others?” Meijin Midori was about to open the car door herself when Xiuming opened it for her. She glanced up at Xiuming, then obediently got out of the car and continued, “You can give me the task, and I’ll take care of everything for you. It can circumvent the Ministry of Finance’s inspection.”

Umezu Midori didn't have absolute power in the securities company. Although there were indeed many underhanded dealings within the company, the commissions were very high. However, as a professional senior executive of a securities institution, Umezu Midori could exploit many loopholes.

She's completely devoted to Hideaki now, and if she can help him with anything, that would be wonderful. It's definitely better than some of those women who followed him while burdened with debt, like Funakawa Yoshiko...

"You want to manage the money? Forget about it!"

Xiuming smiled and closed the car door. "It's not that I don't trust you. Anyway, a lot of my good brothers have been screwed over by women. I can't count them all on one hand. If you want me to feel at ease, transfer all your money to my account and ask me for pocket money regularly."

Just as Midori Umezu pulled out a bank card with 100 million yen to hand to Ichiro Shiraishi so he could buy Hideaki a flip phone, her hand trembled and she almost dropped the card. She looked up and said, "You, you're too domineering! Are you like this with other women too?"

“You’re special; no other woman has as much money as you.” Xiuming said without batting an eye. “After all, you just got divorced and received a lot of assets! That man was a civil servant; he was very wealthy.”

Umezu Midori was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. She really didn't know how to respond.

She's currently in the throes of the excitement of newlyweds, and Xiuming holds a higher place in her heart than anything else, so she doesn't care much about money. However, Xiuming's senseless and shameless attitude is truly speechless.

He's so shameless, he's so informal, I love him...

“Ms. Umezu Midori, I’m just a driver, I don’t do shopping.” Shiraishi Ichiro said with a serious face, the car slowly started, and he said to Hideaki, “I’ll be waiting nearby, call me if you need a ride.”

"See? Even Mr. Shiraishi can't stand it anymore." With no one around, Midori Umezu smiled and pulled Hideaki's arm into her arms, looking up at him and saying, "If I give you all the money, then I'll be joining with my own investment, so you'd better treat me even better."

"Your awareness is too low. You should learn more from Riko. You need to be humble and not take advantage of others' benefits just because you have some money." Xiuming said seriously.

"Ugh! You're driving me crazy!" Midori Umezu said with a bitter face, then couldn't help but laugh. She really didn't want to laugh, and she grabbed Hideaki's arm and shook it hard. "Now that it's just the two of us, can't you at least say some sweet words to cheer me up?"

“Ayako said something similar before, and I gave her a stern lecture. After all, I’m a straightforward man; asking me to lie? Absolutely not…”

As Xiuming spoke, he rummaged through the white stone in the corner of the iron gate and found the villa access control and key. The iron gate slowly opened, leading Meizu Midori into the courtyard.

"Ayako..."

She remembered the conversation between Hideaki and Shiraishi Ichiro, and they said they wanted to come to Ayako's house.

Umezu Midori subconsciously looked around the entire courtyard. Under her feet was a central passageway paved with expensive marble slabs, wide enough for three people. On both sides were lush green lawns as large as basketball courts, and sprinklers were spraying water. At the end of the passageway was a three-story European-style villa that looked like a castle.

She's from a chaebol family...?! She also joined with her own investment...?!

Xiuming used his access card to open the villa's automatic glass door.

Meizu Midori cautiously followed him into the entrance hall, glancing around at the palatial lobby with its European-style decor and a spiral staircase leading to the second floor—luxurious and extravagant.

In the middle of the living room, there was still the same set of desks and chairs, the same stock monitoring monitor that Ezaki had brought over, a long brown conference table that could accommodate several people for a meeting, and an office desk with stacks of documents, a printer, a fax machine, and a telephone on it...

"Does Ayako also deal in stocks?" Midori Umezu swallowed subconsciously, took off her shoes and put on a pair of pink slippers, then asked, "What's she like as a person?"

“I never speak ill of people behind their backs,” Hideaki said, changing into slippers and walking towards the escalator leading to the second floor. He then casually mentioned Ayako’s advantage, “Her breasts are bigger than yours…”

Hideaki thought about how Ayako had gone to great lengths to prevent him from seeing other women, and how she made no attempt to hide her intention to replace Riko. It wasn't that she was all looks and no brains; she was just straightforward and made no attempt to hide her hostility toward all women. However, she was also quite tactful. She was basically the kind of person who was afraid of being ignored and was deliberately trying to gain attention. She was even more insecure than Riko.

“Mine is just right; anyone bigger than me has macrocephaly,” Midori Umezu subconsciously glanced down at her chest, immediately retorted, then paused, wondering if Hideaki was talking behind her back? She hurriedly followed Hideaki up the stairs, blurting out, “Then isn’t she some kind of wicked rich girl?”

With such a big villa, she must be the eldest daughter of a wealthy family... I don't care what kind of eldest daughter she is. If she dares to make things difficult for me, I'll make sure she suffers the consequences. After all, even Mrs. Riko doesn't mind.

Midori Umezu had spoken to Riko on the phone, though they only exchanged a few words. It was clear from the conversation that Riko had a very good temper and was very gentle, completely unbothered by Midori's presence…

She fully understood and agreed with Hideaki's obvious favoritism towards Riko. Although she admired him, she wasn't jealous, after all, they were the original couple... She just blamed fate for meeting Hideaki too late...

Therefore, she can be resolute in her heart, believing that as long as Riko doesn't make things difficult for her, she is invincible, even against Ezaki, who works in the underworld.

“Ayako isn’t mean at all. She can be cute, talkative, and playful,” Xiuming said as he walked up to the second floor, past the nanny’s room, and opened Ayako’s bedroom door. “You can’t compare to her. She didn’t move at all last night and made me take the initiative.”

Ayako's bedroom remains unchanged.

Directly opposite the door is a large white mattress and bedside table, and beyond that is a large floor-to-ceiling window with white curtains drawn.

On the other side, pointed to by the foot of the mattress, is a workbench used by tailors and embroiderers, piled high with stacks of high-end fabrics. Further along the wall, another piece of high-end fabric hangs.

"I'm talking about serious matters, what are you talking about!"

As Midori Umezu was still wondering "why is the room laid out like this?", she heard Hideaki's words and was jolted awake, her face turning bright red.

What happened last night? Because I couldn't control my emotions towards Xiuming, I was burdened with the guilt of deceiving Xiuming and the guilt of my own marriage.

Even if her ex-husband was a jerk, that was no reason for her to take the initiative. She even admitted to it because she was suicidal afterward, and she also had to bear a huge moral cost.

But now things are better; I'm free.

Of course, to say I'd take the initiative now... well... I'm not as reckless as I was back then, completely consumed by despair... I couldn't do it anymore, it would be so embarrassing... It's not a question of whether I can or can't; I need to live a decent life from now on, I have to have some self-respect...

“I’m telling you, don’t be hostile towards Ayako before you’ve even met her. She’s had a tough life too; her ex-husband was gay…”

Hideaki walked past the white mattress to the cutting table, picked up a pure black dress with silver embroidery from Ayako, threw it into Umezu Midori's arms, and said, "You need to see her in person, talk to her, and then consider whether to fight her for your man or cooperate with her to deal with Ezaki."

Given Ayako's unpretentious personality and Midori Umezu's aversion to being mistreated, the two of them are unlikely to get along.

Ayako has judo training, while Midori Umezu is just a career woman. Even if she's only a novice, she'll still get beaten up. If they get really into a fight, then we'll bring out Ezaki, who's the strongest fighter.

Ezaki's demeanor conveyed a sense of confidence and assurance.

She looks down on everyone, despises everyone and treats them like clowns. Sometimes, the way she looks at Riko carries a hint of amusement, as if she's looking at a naive and innocent girl...

It's not hard to guess. She knew she had become Riko's husband halfway through her life, and she would never abandon Riko.

But I have a feeling that she'll suddenly drop a bombshell, something that will be directed at Riko. Right now, my attitude towards her is uncontrollably shifting towards a reluctance to break things off...

Let's first match Ayako and Midori together, so that she's too busy to think about how to bully Riko.

"Wait, let me think about it."

Umezu Midori took Ayako's exquisite dress and was about to unfold it when she heard Hideaki's inexplicable words, and her head started to throb.

Fighting with Ayako to steal her man?

Umezu Midori almost laughed out of anger. Was this really something to be said so bluntly? How shameless... But the truth might actually be a little bit possible, which made her furious.

Another question is, should we also work together to deal with Ezaki?

"You wicked guy, I really don't know how to describe you," Umezu Midori finally couldn't help but laugh in anger, "Shouldn't you tell us to stay peaceful? What do you mean by instigating us to fight?"

"Isn't it because you women are all thinking about love and romance?" Xiuming said casually, unbuttoning his white coat. "I have to find you guys something to do, otherwise what will you do if you all gang up on Riko? Whoever goes after her, I'll get rid of them. I feel sorry for you guys too."

"I would never bully Mrs. Riko; I'm more than grateful to her!"

Umezu Midori blurted out, then stomped her foot, "Ugh! You've led me astray again. Anyway, as long as no one makes things difficult for me, I will never fight with anyone."

Her "I won't offend others unless they offend me" mentality is good, but as long as she keeps appearing in front of Ayako, it's impossible to avoid her.

“You’re too naive,” Xiuming said with a smile as he took off his white coat. “As long as you stay with me, Ayako will keep bothering you.”

“Then I can’t let her get away with it,” Midori Umezu suddenly put her hands on her hips. Seeing Hideaki walking towards her naked, she instinctively swallowed and turned her head away to look away, pretending to be nonchalant. She stammered, “By the way, President Ezaki is... well, she’s quite nice. We even talked on the phone. She cares about me a lot. Why are you going after her? Do you hate her?”

Midori Umezu is also a straightforward person... Ezaki turned around and reported Midori Umezu, and now he's even standing up for her... However, Ezaki's original intention was also for Midori Umezu's sake, since Midori Umezu came to her to ask about murder.

Hideaki had no interest in exposing Ezaki's snitching; he'd let her figure it out herself and learn her lesson after being badly tricked.

“I don’t dislike her at all. She’s great, both in personality and figure, especially here, she’s so perky,” Hideaki said, placing his hand on Midori Umezu’s buttocks and gently lifting them. “Don’t wear my clothes anymore. Change into Ayako’s clothes.”

It was almost eight o'clock, and the sky outside the window was already dark. The blue and red neon lights on the tall buildings in the distance shone through the thin white curtains.

Nightlife is about to begin, and Mr. Zhifu, who has broken both hands, is going to stake out "Dream France" to catch a glimpse of the place. He only has one positive review left.

He broke both hands, and I don't know how he's supposed to get around in nightclubs...

"Hmm~~" Midori Umezu made a slight nasal sound, her face quickly turning red. She twisted her shoulders, lowered her head, and slowly unbuttoned her clothes, whispering, "Then why do I have to deal with President Ezaki with Ayako?"

“When you meet Ezaki and see the look in her eyes, you’ll understand why. She even looks down on Riko.” Hideaki, annoyed that she was solving the puzzle too slowly, took over and continued, “Maybe you’ll end up discussing with Ayako how to fight her.”

"She looks down on Mrs. Riko, so why don't you just dump her... Ah... Wouldn't that be better? Okay, fine... No!"

Umezu Midori's legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the white mattress, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Her body was excessively sensitive, perhaps because she was free from any pressure or constraints.

"No way, Jiang Qi is so wonderful, how could I bear to dump her?"

Ezaki's attitude of seeing everyone else as clowns and her calm demeanor of having Hideaki completely under her thumb made Hideaki want to create some trouble for her so that she wouldn't have a chance to target Riko.