Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

He had received similar anonymous emails for three consecutive days, each one hinting that the other party had more details about the anomalies in the accounts. He had no time to pay attention to the company's crisis and was only thinking about how to save himself.

"I think so."

Sato coughed dryly. "The finance department needs time to review all accounts and ensure there are no...overlookments. I'm afraid it will be difficult to issue a unified response during this period."

"time?"

Ishizaki's eyes widened. "We're running out of time! The client wants to publicly announce the reason for withdrawing their investment next week!"

Kobayashi Seiji was absent-mindedly flipping through documents, glancing towards the door of the conference room from time to time, as if ready to escape at any time.

Since receiving that email, he has accelerated negotiations with Stardust and has even started clearing out his personal belongings from his office, waiting for the right moment to announce his resignation.

“Maybe we should re-evaluate our corporate structure.”

Xiao Lin suddenly spoke up, his tone a little hurried, "This crisis just shows the shortcomings of the current management model."

Ryuichi Nakamura stared at Sato and Kobayashi, trying to catch some clues from their expressions.

For three days, he'd barely slept, frantically investigating anyone who might be a threat to him. What was particularly suspicious was Sato's recent frequent contact with the IT department—what was he searching for? And Kobayashi was clearly uneasy...were they in cahoots?

"Regarding Ave Mujica..." Nakamura said dryly, "I think their Osaka tour should be canceled at short notice. With the company facing a crisis, there aren't enough resources to ensure a smooth tour."

This statement immediately drew objections from Ishizaki: "Ave Mujica is our most influential artist right now! Canceling the tour will only increase the market's doubts about us!"

“But additional funding is needed to ensure safety.”

Nakamura insisted on his opinion, but his eyes were fixed on Sato. "Unless the finance department can allocate the funds immediately..."

"Absolutely impossible!" Sato practically shouted, "All accounts are currently under review!"

The conference room fell into chaos.

The three executives each had their own concerns, and the discussion of the company's crisis turned into mutual testing and covert struggle.

Shinichi Ishizaki watched all this in confusion, not understanding why the management he "trusted" the most was so vulnerable at the critical moment.

......

When the chaos within Winwing reached its peak, Kujo Renji's real actions had just begun.

Ishikawa received an encrypted message early in the morning, with only brief instructions and a bank account number on the screen.

He raised the corner of his mouth slightly, closed his phone, and immediately started to make arrangements.

Three hours later, in an inconspicuous law firm in the south of the city, the registration documents of "Canghai Investment Consulting Co., Ltd." were quietly completed. The legal representative of the company was a retired accountant in his seventies. He knew nothing about the company's business and only knew that he would receive a considerable "consulting fee" every month.

In Tokyo's financial district, several traders began quietly buying up retail shares of Winwing on the stock market.

These buy orders came from different accounts and different brokerages. The amounts were not large and the frequency was moderate, just avoiding the threshold that would attract market attention.

"Are you sure this will work?"

Toyokawa Shoko asked anxiously in her consciousness:

"Winwing isn't a listed company, so wouldn't equity transactions be obvious?"

Kujo Renji sat in the corner of Ave Mujica's rehearsal room, watching the other band members tune their instruments, his fingers tapping lightly on his knees, and responded in his mind:

"Equity transactions in non-listed companies are subject to loose regulation and low information disclosure requirements. Furthermore, the current management is preoccupied with its own affairs and has no time to consider changes to the shareholder register."

That afternoon, a woman who claimed to represent an "overseas investment group" appeared in Shinichi Ishizaki's office.

She was elegant in her manners and professional in her speech, and the business card she handed over had the "Fujiwara Consulting" logo printed on it.

"Mr. Ishizaki."

She smiled and got straight to the point. "I understand your company has been facing some...difficulties recently. My client has a strong interest in the entertainment industry, and I hope I can provide some assistance."

Ishizaki rubbed his temples tiredly.

Over the past week, the company has been plunged into unprecedented turmoil, with erratic behavior from key executives, persistent threats of client withdrawal, and relentless negative media coverage.

"What kind of...help?" Ishizaki asked cautiously.

“Strategic investment.

Ms. Fujiwara said casually, as if she were just discussing the weather. "The cash injection is sufficient to resolve your company's current liquidity issues. We will not interfere with your daily operations and will only send a small number of consultants to assist with risk management."

Ishizaki's eyes lit up. This was a timely help. But then his professional instincts made him wary: "Why did you choose Winwing?"

Ms. Fujiwara crossed her legs gracefully, her smile unchanged:

"Ave Mujica. My client believes this band has extraordinary potential and deserves more systematic cultivation and promotion. As their agent, your company naturally became the focus of our attention."

Ishizaki fell into deep thought. True, Ave Mujica was indeed the company's most valuable asset, but the Toyokawa family seemed to have special plans for the band, and he had always carefully maintained a delicate balance...

"Of course, this is just preliminary negotiation."

Ms. Fujiwara noticed his hesitation and added at the right moment:

"We can sign a confidentiality agreement first and then discuss the details of the cooperation in detail. I believe that in the current situation, having more options is better than having no options at all."

Ishizaki finally nodded in agreement and took the folder she handed him. His desperate instinct to grasp at straws overwhelmed any doubts.

At the same time, in a high-end apartment in Yokohama, Yamamoto was talking with a middle-aged man in a suit.

"Mr. Tanaka, thank you for taking the time to meet me."

Yamamoto bowed politely. "My client is a great admirer of your expertise in the field of financial law."

Lawyer Tanaka nodded slightly. "Mr. Yamamoto, you're very kind. I'm curious. What kind of 'special legal structure' requires such a secret discussion?"

Yamamoto opened his laptop and pulled up a complex organizational chart. “We need to design a multi-layered holding structure that will ensure the ultimate beneficiary’s identity isn’t easily discovered while also meeting all legal requirements.”

Attorney Tanaka carefully studied the charts, his brow gradually relaxed, his eyes flashing with the excitement of a professional facing a challenge. "An interesting arrangement...cross-border shareholdings, trusts, limited partnerships...this isn't just an ordinary business need, it's more like..."

"Family Wealth Protection."

Yamamoto interrupted gently:

"My client wants maximum legal protection for certain assets."

In fact, Yamamoto was also amazed by the design of this plan. When he saw the plan, he was even more in awe of Miss Toyokawa.

But he was very smart and did not choose to find out who really came up with this plan...

But this style is very similar to Canglong Society?

This layered legal barrier - a maze of cross-border shareholdings, trusts, and limited partnerships - is often used by the Canglong Society to hide assets and manipulate companies, evading regulation while maintaining actual control.

Tanaka nodded thoughtfully. Although his intuition told him there was something else going on, his expertise and the generous salary kept him from asking further questions.

“It can be arranged, but it will take at least three weeks to prepare the documents.”

"One week."

Yamamoto said calmly:

“The cost has doubled.”

Tanaka looked at his watch and smiled slightly: "Five days then."

While Winwing executives were busy dealing with internal crises and mutual suspicion, an invisible web had quietly been woven.

The retail shares acquired by "Canghai Investment" have reached 11% of Winwing's total share capital.

The strategic investment plan proposed by Fujiwara Consulting has been put on the board of directors' agenda.

The complex legal structure designed by Attorney Tanaka has taken shape, and once activated, it will enable Kujo Renji to control key decisions at Winwing without revealing his identity.

The most interesting thing is that during the entire process, no one realized that all this was the result of a carefully planned operation.

While Winwing's executives were still reeling from anonymous threats and the company's crisis, Kujo Renji had already begun the final phase of his plan.

Through early equity acquisitions and internal infiltration, "Canghai Investment" has obtained sufficient intelligence, including the weaknesses, desires and prices of each director.

"What a shame," the young man said expressionlessly to Director Yoshida, sitting in a private room at a secluded restaurant. "Your daughter's application to study abroad was rejected by Cambridge University."

Director Yoshida looked up in astonishment: "How do you know this?"

"I also know that her grades actually fully meet the admission requirements," the young man continued, tapping his fingers on the table. "She was rejected only due to some 'administrative reasons.' Interestingly, my employer has some... influence in the British education community."

Director Yoshida's hands trembled slightly. "What do you want?"

The young man pushed a document over. "Next week at the board meeting, vote in favor. That's all. In return, your daughter will receive an offer from Cambridge."

Similar scenes played out across Tokyo. Some directors received offers to resolve years of debt, others were promised access to larger markets, and still others faced the threat of having their unspoken secrets exposed. Kujo Renji cast his net so wide that few directors were spared.

Meanwhile, someone posing as a PR consultant contacted several entertainment media outlets and financial magazines. "This is inside information," he told a senior editor. "Of course, keep your source completely confidential."

Within three days, five negative reports about Winwing were published.

Nikkei Business published an in-depth analysis titled "Artist Management Company Winwing: A Management Crisis Beneath the Surface of Prosperity," while Tokyo Entertainment Weekly reported that "many important artists are considering terminating their contracts," and a financial blog detailed the company's "suspicious financial manipulation."

Each report precisely hits the company's weaknesses, but leaves room for improvement, suggesting that these problems can be solved under the right leadership.

Winwing headquarters fell into unprecedented panic.

The phones rang incessantly, with agents demanding explanations, partners asking for contract guarantees, and advertisers threatening to pull their funding. No one noticed that Ave Mujica was one of the few artists who remained unaffected by the negative publicity.

Shinichi Ishizaki, desperate, finally made up his mind. He called Ms. Fujiwara and said, "We need your help, the sooner the better."

.....

At the same time, Toyokawa Sadaharu held the copy of the agreement, his brows gradually twisted into a deep knot.

The office was silent, with only the glass curtain wall of the high-rise building outside the window reflecting the afternoon sunlight, casting golden rays onto the mahogany desk in front of him.

The old man rarely felt an inexplicable confusion - how could things have developed to this point?

"There was absolutely no warning..."

He muttered to himself, tapping the window glass with his fingertips

"Only a week."

This week he was busy dealing with a sudden power struggle within the family and focused all his attention on the core business of the group, so much so that he neglected this small firm.

When he finally freed up his hands and wanted to check on his granddaughter, he found that the building had collapsed.

"Mr. Toyokawa."

The secretary pushed the door open, holding another stack of documents. "Here are the documents you requested."

Toyokawa Sadaharu didn't turn around, but just nodded slightly: "Read it to me."

The secretary adjusted her glasses and began to report, "Winwing Law Firm has completed its ownership change. The current major shareholder is Canghai Investment Consulting Co., Ltd., which holds a 49% stake. The company's management has been almost completely replaced, and more than half of the board members are new."

"Canghai...Investment..."

Toyokawa Sadaharu chewed on the name:

"Have you checked the background of this company?"

"That's the tricky part, sir."

The secretary's voice held a rare hint of nervousness. "Behind 'Canghai Investment' is an extremely complex legal structure, involving multi-layered shareholding arrangements across five countries. Our legal team's initial assessment is that this structure is clearly intended to conceal the identity of the actual controller."

Toyokawa Sadaharu turned around, his brows slightly furrowed. "Who could it be? The Fujiwara family? Or overseas capital?"

The secretary shook his head. "Neither of them seem like it. We've been monitoring the Fujiwara family's recent activities, and there's nothing unusual. As for overseas capital, this kind of operation is too... localized."

"localization?"

"Yes, sir. The entire acquisition process demonstrates a precise understanding of Japan's business culture and legal environment. More importantly, the acquirer appears to have a thorough understanding of Winwing's internal affairs, and each step is precise and precise. This doesn't seem like something an outside force could achieve."

Toyokawa Sadaharu slowly walked back to his desk and ran his finger over the edge of the folder. "So you think someone within the family is... targeting Xiangzi?"

"That's the most reasonable assumption, sir. Considering Ms. Toyokawa's relationship with Ave Mujica, controlling Winwing is equivalent to controlling her career development."

Toyokawa Sadaharu fell into deep thought.

Winwing had always been his "toy" for Xiangzi, allowing her to pursue her dreams while also developing safely under his umbrella. Now that this umbrella had been forcibly taken away, it must have been for Xiangzi.

"Who is its actual controller?" asked Sadaharu Toyokawa.

The secretary was a little nervous and said, "There is absolutely no information available."

"Can't find anything at all?" Toyokawa Sadaharu frowned.

The Minister of Justice's forehead was covered in sweat. "Sir, we've exhausted all conventional channels. The legal structure of Canghai Investment is a textbook example of perfect design, with every layer seamless and without a single loophole. We even used our connections within the financial regulatory authorities, but to no avail."

Toyokawa Sadaharu stood up, a rare look of solemnity on his face. "The investigation is going in the wrong direction. Change the angle and investigate all recent activities of Ave Mujica, the details of Winwing's internal changes, and the people we originally planted there."

...