I created a foundation

Without waiting for Fujiwara Chika to answer, Chitanda Eru's gaze drifted towards a certain direction of the banquet hall, and her delicate brows were slightly furrowed.

"Speaking of which, why was that old man from the Tsuchimikado family so pale? He seemed to have seen something terrifying. Fujiwara-san, do you know what it was? I'm really curious!"

A series of questions came like dense raindrops, each one carrying an exploratory meaning that could not be ignored.

Fujiwara Chika felt like her brain was a little confused.

She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again, only to find she had no idea which one to answer first.

This is even more troublesome than the student union's accounting audit.

However, to Fujiwara Chika's surprise, she did not feel much disgust in her heart.

Although Chitanda Eru asked questions frequently, her eyes were very clear and her tone always maintained a sincere and polite tone.

That curiosity is not out of gossip or malicious prying into privacy, but more like an instinctive desire for unknown things that comes from the depths of the soul.

It’s like a child who has just come into contact with the world, full of novelty and desire to explore everything in front of him.

Fujiwara Chika looked at the other person's sparkling eyes, and suddenly a wonderful feeling arose in her heart.

Although the girl in front of him looked gentle and quiet on the outside, she had a flame that would never go out burning inside—the flame called "curiosity."

I also like to find out all kinds of news and chase all kinds of interesting stories.

Although the direction and depth are different, to some extent, they may be the same kind.

One likes fun and sharing, the other is addicted to exploration and puzzle solving.

Fujiwara Chika suddenly felt that the girl in front of her who kept asking questions didn't seem so difficult to deal with.

She burst out laughing.

"Chitanda-san, you ask too many questions!"

She puffed her cheeks in mock distress.

Chitanda Eru was slightly startled when she heard this, then she lowered her head a little embarrassedly, a faint blush appearing on her fair cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Fujiwara-san. I...whenever I encounter something I can't figure out, I can't help myself..."

Her voice was as thin as a mosquito, with a hint of annoyance.

Fujiwara Chika waved her hand, the smile on her face growing even brighter.

"no problem, no problem!"

She placed the plate in her hand on the small round table next to her and took Chitanda Eru's hand.

"There are some things I'm not entirely sure about. But I know the chocolate lava cake over there is super delicious! Do you want to go try it together?"

Chitanda Eru's eyes instantly lit up again, and the slight embarrassment she had before disappeared.

"Really? Is it the kind that melts in your mouth? I'm curious about how it's made!"

Two girls with very different personalities, but surprisingly compatible in some core aspects, started chattering in a corner of the banquet filled with intrigue and uncertainty.

From the taste of desserts to interesting stories at school, from the latest fashion trends to each other's interests and hobbies.

The solemn or probing gazes in the banquet hall seemed to be isolated from them.

They create a small, relaxed and joyful aura of their own.

Fujiwara Chika found that chatting with Chitanda Eru was a very interesting thing.

Her incredibly strong curiosity always allows her to dig out unexpected points of interest from the most insignificant details.

However, Fujiwara Chika's wild ideas and often off-topic words are always listened to and responded to most seriously by Chitanda Eru.

Something called "tacit understanding" quietly grew between the two of them.

Just when Fujiwara Chika felt that this originally dull and depressing banquet seemed to be becoming less unbearable.

Chitanda Eru suddenly stopped talking.

Her purple eyes, which always sparkled with curiosity, were now looking straight at an old oil painting hanging on the wall not far away.

The oil painting depicts a dark forest with a gloomy atmosphere.

Chitanda Eru leaned forward slightly, her expression focused.

Fujiwara Chika followed her gaze and didn't find anything unusual.

At this moment, Chitanda Eru's grip on Fujiwara Chika's arm tightened unconsciously.

Her voice was low, with a barely perceptible tremor, yet it contained a strange excitement.

"Fujiwara classmate..."

Chitanda Eru leaned close to her ear.

"That painting, in the shadow of the third tree in the lower left corner..."

There was a hint of coolness in her breath.

"Just now, it seemed like something winked at me."

The banquet officially began.

However, beneath this superficial luxury and ease, an indescribable sense of tension, like an invisible thread, entangled in everyone's heart.

They are all at the top of the country's pyramid, accustomed to being in control of everything. But tonight, they feel like prisoners awaiting trial.

"Boom, boom, boom."

A few soft sounds of microphone adjustments broke the deliberately maintained noise in the banquet hall.

The lights suddenly converged and cast their light on the carefully arranged podium at the front of the banquet hall.

Everyone's eyes looked over there in unison.

As one of the nominal organizers of this banquet and one of the most prominent figures present at the moment, the head of the Shinomiya Group, Shinomiya Yan'an, slowly stepped onto the podium with steady steps.

He was wearing a well-tailored black tuxedo, his hair was combed meticulously, and his face had his usual majesty and indifference.

However, if people who are familiar with him observe carefully, they will find that his deep eyes seem to lack the brilliance and spirit of the past, and instead reveal an almost empty calmness.

The guests in the audience held their breath.

They knew that the real show was about to begin.

What will this old man, who has been in charge of the lifeline of Japan's economy for decades, say? Will he directly reveal the "mysterious organization" hidden beneath the surface? Or will he extend an olive branch of cooperation, or... some kind of warning they can't refuse?

The head of the Fujiwara family, an old man who was also over fifty years old but still vigorous, narrowed his eyes slightly and unconsciously rubbed the jade ring in his hand with his fingers.

Beside him, Chika Fujiwara opened her innocent big eyes curiously, sipping juice, and seemed to be full of novelty about everything in front of her.

In another corner, the head of the Chitanda family exchanged meaningful glances with several closely related chaebol leaders.

They are all prepared to deal with any situation that may arise.

Shinomiya Yanan stood in front of the microphone and was silent for a moment.

His eyes slowly swept across every face in the audience, some expectant, some wary, and some pretending to be calm.

The banquet hall was eerily quiet, with only the faint sounds of everyone's breathing.

Finally, he spoke.

The voice was clearly transmitted throughout the hall through the loudspeaker equipment, with an unquestionable authority, yet it was so flat that there was not a trace of emotional fluctuation.

"Thank you all for visiting my humble abode this evening."

The formulaic opening remarks made some people breathe a sigh of relief, but for more people, the hearts were even more tense.

Because they know that's not the point.

As expected, Shinomiya Yan'an paused and continued, "I will take this opportunity, in the presence of all my colleagues and friends, to announce an important decision that concerns the future of the Shinomiya family and the vital interests of everyone present."

"Wow—"

Although the sound was not loud, there was a slight commotion in the audience.

It concerns the future of the Shinomiya family, and even more so the vital interests of everyone here?

What does it mean?

Is the Shinomiya family about to undergo some major industrial restructuring? Or is he finally going to mention that "mysterious power"?

Everyone turned their gaze more intently to Shinomiya Yan'an, their ears perked up like alert rabbits.

Shinomiya Yan'an ignored the reactions from the audience. His eyes, as calm as an ancient well, did not even linger on his daughter, Shinomiya Kaguya, who was sitting quietly in the first row of VIP seats.

Kaguya wore a pure black off-shoulder evening gown tonight, which made her skin look whiter than snow. Her originally sharp and cold red eyes now looked unusually calm, as if everything that was going to happen next had nothing to do with her, or rather, it was all within her expectations.

"Effective today," Shinomiya Yan'an's voice suddenly rose a few notches, each word hammering down on everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer, "I, Shinomiya Yan'an, will officially resign as the head of the Shinomiya Group and the current head of the Shinomiya family."

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the silent banquet hall.

what? !

Resign from the position of Patriarch? !

Are you kidding me?

Everyone in the audience had an expression of disbelief on their faces.

Who was Shinomiya Yanan? He was the king of the Japanese economy, the absolute controller of the commercial aircraft carrier that was the Shinomiya Group! He was in the prime of his life, in good health, so how could he suddenly announce his resignation?

Moreover, it happened at such a sensitive occasion that gathered all the top dignitaries in the country!

This is completely illogical!

Countless thoughts flashed through some people's minds: Could it be that a coup had occurred within the Shinomiya family? Or was Shinomiya Yan'an under some kind of irresistible coercion?

However, before they could recover from this first bombshell, Shinomiya Yan'an's next words made their hearts almost jump out of their chests.

"All of the Shinomiya Group's businesses, shares, real estate, and overseas assets, as well as all the rights, obligations, and responsibilities passed down through the generations of the Shinomiya family," he said without pause, as if reading a predetermined verdict, "will be completely and completely transferred to my only daughter—"

He turned slightly, stretched out his hand, and pointed at the girl in the VIP seat who always maintained an elegant sitting posture.

"——Shinomiya Kaguya!"

Boom! ! !

If the previous sentence was a thunderclap, then this sentence is simply a nuclear bomb that explodes in everyone's mind!

The whole place was dead silent.