After being elected as the governor of Tokyo, he will debut as a band!

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Ikeda,” Aoyama’s assistant bowed to Ikeda with a professional smile. “Governor Aoyama only said that Ms. Nagasaki Saya should go alone. Please wait a little longer. Dr. Chosokabe, who is in charge of negotiating with you, is on his way.”

"What? Your Excellency saw her but not me? Are you sure you heard me right?!"

Executive Director Ikeda was utterly astonished.

Aoyama's assistant didn't argue with him, politely replying, "I'll check it out. Until then, I hope you can be patient," before leading Nagasaki Saya away.

Executive Director Ikeda was also a smart man. He knew that an assistant who could be relied upon by a high-ranking official like the Governor of Tokyo was definitely not the kind of person who was careless and sloppy. In other words, in the eyes of the current Governor of Tokyo, Managing Director Saya Nagasaki was indeed more valuable than him, the Executive Director.

Recalling what he had just said to Nagasaki Saya, Ikeda couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Could it be that there's some shady relationship between these two?

But I've never heard of Governor Aoyama having this kind of hobby! Otherwise, the company would definitely have specially arranged for those few pretty but talentless employees, whose looks are comparable to idol stars, to accompany me. Aren't they much more charming than Nagasaki Saya, this divorced woman?

With her large forehead and unsightly hairline, could she really win over Governor Aoyama?

In fact, not only Executive Director Ikeda, but also Saya Nagasaki, who came to the Aoyama meeting room with her assistant, was completely confused.

She had only met Aoyama twice at a corporate forum a few days ago, and each time she met, she was arguing with representatives from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Main Tax Bureau, and the Industrial and Labor Bureau for the company's interests. It was unlikely that she would leave a good impression on Aoyama. On her way to Aoyama's personal office today, she had even mentally prepared herself to be targeted and harassed.

Unexpectedly, not only was he not targeted, but he also seemed to receive preferential treatment compared to Ikeda, the executive director of the same company who was at a higher level than him.

But why?

Although Nagasaki Saya was completely baffled, she would not waste this opportunity to meet with the Governor of Tokyo alone. If she could build a good relationship with him or leave him with the impression that "this lady is nice," it would be of great benefit to both the company's future and her own career.

When Nagasaki Saya entered the reception room, she did not see Aoyama's voice. Instead, she heard the sound of musical instruments from the side door of the reception room.

She recognized the sound of the instrument; it was deep, resonant, and powerful, very similar to the instrument her beloved daughter often played.

It's that instrument that looks a lot like a guitar; it should be called a bass.

I'd heard that Governor Aoyama was a great music lover and was highly skilled at playing multiple instruments... and he certainly lived up to his reputation.

As she was thinking to herself, the bass music from the side door suddenly stopped, and then a young and tall man walked out of the door, smiling as he patted a sofa he was passing by.

"Ms. Nagasaki Saya, please have a seat here."

Nagasaki Saya walked over and sat down, but only sat on half of her bottom.

"Your Excellency, were you playing a musical instrument just now? A bass?"

"Hmm, can Ms. Nagasaki distinguish the timbre of a bass? Could it be that she can also play a musical instrument?"

Qingshan asked.

It's become a running joke that laypeople can't distinguish between bass and guitar, since bass is also known as "bass guitar".

"No, it's just that my daughter plays bass, so I can distinguish it slightly from the sound of a guitar."

Nagasaki Saya was a little confused; she didn't understand what Aoyama meant by saying these things to her.

“Ms. Nagasaki’s daughter,” Aoyama said casually, taking a sip of tea, “is her name Nagasaki Motoyo? Quite… an interesting child.”

"You know Suze?" Nagasaki Suze was so surprised that her voice cracked.

She couldn't imagine under what circumstances her daughter, an ordinary high school girl, could have any interaction with the Governor of Tokyo.

Could it be that Governor Aoyama has become an advisor to the Tsukimori Academy Concert Band?

Although I don't think the chairman of Tsukinomori would have that much influence, this might be the only reasonable explanation.

“Yes, a friend of mine’s daughter is friends with Ms. Nagasaki Motoyo, and I overheard their conversation not long ago… She seems to be forming a band these days.”

"This...I'm not really sure..."

Nagasaki Saya lowered her head, a strange emotion rising within her.

Igomachi Music Awards: 012 Su Shi's Mom Realizes Something's Wrong

Nagasaki Saya hasn't been home for many days. Aoyama's recent negotiations on US debt have caused a lot of trouble for their company. In addition, the business opportunities brought by the development of the Boso Peninsula have kept her flying all over the country for the past few months, gathering resources from branch offices in various places to Tokyo.

Meanwhile, to avoid being discovered by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to have ample cash flow, and to avoid being pressured by other large-scale companies to take on more external investment that they shouldn't have, Nagasaki Saya quickly signed various contracts with her partners in the Kanto region to find a good place for the concentrated cash flow.

When I get busy, I don't even have time to call my daughter, let alone go home.

Therefore, she had no idea about Nagasaki Motoyo's life over the past month, and she only learned about Motoyo's band formation from Aoyama Muto.

Even a busy outsider like Tomoyuki Aoyama knew about Su Shi's affairs before she, as his mother, did.

I've really failed as a mother.

She couldn't help but feel a little sad.

But as a successful businesswoman who built her career on her own, she wasn't bothered by this bitterness. She probably only needed a few seconds to adjust her mindset.

"Thank you very much for your concern, but let's not waste your precious time with my personal matters. Let's talk about... the development of several old commercial centers on the Boso Peninsula and the tax exemption for cargo docking at Chiba Port."

As she spoke, Nagasaki Saya took out a large amount of paper materials from the folder.

“Those minor matters will be handled by the professionals from the Port Authority and the Acquisition Committee. Don’t bother showing me those documents; I can’t understand them anyway,” Aoyama waved his hand. “I’m only responsible for judging whether the companies commissioned by the Metropolitan Government and their leaders are trustworthy…”

Aoyama was conveying a message to Nagasaki Saya—

You might think that Ms. Nagasaki's matter is just your family's private affair and not worth discussing with me here, but to me, these topics are important indicators for judging whether you are trustworthy.

Mark.

A politician's job is not to talk about specific matters. Those things that are full of legal risks and complex data are handled by dedicated civil servants. Politicians need to make decisions based on information, so they often talk to people about trivial matters to obtain information that can never be seen on the surface.

Nagasaki Saya had no choice but to put the huge pile of documents she had taken out back into the folder.

Next, Aoyama talked to her about some private matters concerning the relationship between her and her mother, leaving her completely confused.

However, during this process, she discovered that her understanding of her daughter, Su Shi, was nowhere near as good as her understanding of the information in the folder. When faced with many questions from Aoyama, she was at a loss for words and could only stammer. Under Aoyama's increasingly indifferent gaze, she became so nervous that she broke out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, Aoyama did not leave without saying goodbye, but politely asked his assistant to ask her to leave.

When Nagasaki Saya reached the elevator at the entrance of the agency, she was still in a daze. Ikeda, the executive director who had been left in the lounge, saw her through the glass door and quickly chased after her.

"Miss Nagasaki, how did your talks with the governor go?"

"...I...I'm not sure either."

"What do you mean? Didn't Your Excellency read our proposal?"

"No."

"No? Then what have you been talking about for so long?"

Ikeda paced around Nagasaki Saya with a hint of impatience, making her a little dizzy.

So she politely expressed her intention to leave first, "I'm sorry, Executive Director Ikeda, I have some personal matters to attend to and need to leave first. We can discuss work-related matters in a video conference tomorrow."

After saying that, the elevator stopped at the floor where the firm was located. She bowed slightly and then took the elevator away.

Executive Director Ikeda was left there, muttering to himself as he watched the elevator doors close.

"Abandoning her work to attend to her personal affairs? That's not like that woman at all. It seems there really is some unknown relationship between her and the governor... Should we hire a detective to investigate?"

……

That night, Nagasaki Motoyo returned home after three hours of intense band practice, her eyes losing their luster.

As soon as she opened the door, a black object rushed into her arms and sniffed her incessantly like a cat.

She looked down and saw that it was her dear mother (daughter).

"Mom? When did you come back?"

She was startled, after all, she hadn't seen her mother for two months.

She was quite unaccustomed to being back so suddenly.

"Su-se, you're so late today!" Nagasaki Saya helped her daughter put the bass case aside, then pulled her hand and sat her down on the sofa. "Did you go to band activities?"

"Huh? How did you know about this?"

Because she hadn't been in the new band for long, Motoyo Nagasaki didn't tell her mother about it.

"Hmm... Mom heard it from a business partner of the company."

"Huh? Mom's business partner knows about my band?"

"Yes, Mom's business partner knows one of your band members. The other day, he happened to overhear you talking to your friend on the phone."

Nagasaki Saya speaks the truth.

"Call up?"

Nagasaki Motoyo immediately thought of the phone call she had with Toyokawa Shoko using Takamatsu Akari's phone two weeks ago.

At that time, a grown man's voice did indeed appear beside Xiangzi.

Could that mysterious man be Mom's business partner?

"Su Shi, why did you suddenly look so serious? Is band rehearsals too tiring? Hmm, you play bass, so your fingers must be the most tired part. Let Mom give you a massage~"

Because Nagasaki Saya always faces men with ill intentions and fierce workplace competition outside, she always lets her guard down completely in front of her daughter at home, behaving like a child.

Right now, she was resting her head on Su Shi's lap, playing with her daughter's little hand.

Then she noticed that Su Shi's fingers were wrapped in bandages.

It should be noted that Su Shi is not a bass novice; her fingers are already accustomed to the friction between the strings, so she shouldn't have such injuries.

Unless the intensity of the practice is extremely high.

This made Nagasaki Saya feel a pang of heartache, and she suddenly sat up straight.

The reason she works so hard in her career is not only to pursue her own dreams, but also to provide a better life for her daughter, Nagasaki Motoyo, so that she won't suffer because of her single-parent family background.

Judging from the injury to her finger alone, she had clearly been wronged.

"Su Shi, the wound on your hand..."

"Huh? This..." Su Shi realized something and quickly hid her hands behind her back. "I wanted to improve my bass skills, so I increased the intensity of my practice. It's okay, it will heal in a few days."

“No,” Nagasaki Saya, being a senior executive at a large corporation, had the ability to distinguish right from wrong and wouldn’t believe whatever her daughter said. “A band made up of a few high school girls doesn’t need to pursue such a high level of playing. Is your leader demanding of you the standards of a professional musician? That’s going too far.”

Isogachi Music Awards: 013 Suyo decides to break her silence.

"No, it's not Xiao Xiang's fault. It was all my own choice."

As Nagasaki Motoyo said this, the light in her eyes also disappeared.

Without any hesitation, Nagasaki Saya walked to the front of her daughter, squatted down, and then reached out to cup her face, making it impossible for her to avoid looking into her eyes.

“Xiao Su Shi, Mom knows that friends are important to you, but you are also important to Mom, so please don’t push yourself. If you feel too much pressure or uncomfortable, be sure to talk to your friends about it.”

"But if that happens, the band won't be able to stay together."

Su Shi recalled what Toyokawa Shoko had said on the first day of the new band's formation:

"If you do not meet my requirements, I will leave immediately."

If Xiangzi leaves... based on Su Shi's experience in Crychic, the band will definitely fall apart again once Xiangzi leaves.

Therefore, even if she injured her fingers or practiced to the point of mental exhaustion, she still had to fulfill Toyokawa Shoko's request.

The results were obvious; in just over half a month, she felt that her bass playing had improved significantly.

However, she also noticed that during band activities, Lixi's complexion was getting worse and worse, and Deng was becoming increasingly reluctant to make a sound outside of singing...

If things continue like this, can the band really return to the Crychic era?

Nagasaki Motoyo was confused about this.

As for the other member of the band, Chihaya Aine.

Nagasaki Motoyo doesn't care about Chihaya-san.

All she knew was that after the group rehearsals, Chihaya Aine had to undergo targeted guitar training as requested by Toyokawa Shoko, and the amount of training was probably the greatest among the four.

Chihaya doesn't have the bonds she built during the Crychic era, so she probably won't last long before leaving the group. But it doesn't really matter whether she leaves or not; she's an outsider anyway, and leaving might be better for her.

Nagasaki

Su Shi's rambling thoughts were all seen by her mother.

Nagasaki Saya thought to herself that although her daughter seemed mature and composed, she also had a childish side.

A maternal glow welled up in her heart.