Zongman: Beginning and Snow under the Rain Escape from Raccoon City

"Ah! That's right!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka suddenly slammed her hand on the table and stood up. She suddenly remembered Kirisu Mafuyu's complaints in the teachers' office yesterday.

There was a student named Aki Tomoya who, despite being all alone, kept pestering her to start a Galgame production club, saying that he could recruit people as long as he was given a classroom. In the end, he couldn't even write a decent club application.

"Isn't An Yi from the next class going to start some kind of gaming club? Why don't you go team up with him!"

Hachiman Hikigaya looked at him with disdain: "Galgame Production Department? That bespectacled otaku? Teacher, are you serious...?"

The reason why Hachiman Hikigaya knew about Shizuka Hiratsuka's words so quickly was because Tomoya Aki had been recruiting people everywhere lately.

He would even approach strangers and ask them if they would like to join his newly formed club.

Moreover, even if you clearly reject this guy, it's still useless. Once he sets his sights on you, he'll relentlessly pester you.

It's fair to say that Aki Tomoya's reputation is even more widespread in this school than Ye Hai's.

Although Hachiman Hikigaya was just a lazy bum in the Homecoming Club, he considered his social standing at school to be much better than that of that socially rebellious otaku.

At least people won't avoid him when they see him.

Chapter 45 A Failed Invitation

Hiratsuka Shizuka squinted at Hachiman Hikigaya before her, suddenly feeling that these two problem students were a match made in heaven. One was a fanatical otaku obsessed with anime, and the other was a reclusive and world-weary loner; who knows what kind of wonderful sparks might fly when they were together.

"It's decided then, no objections allowed, and any objections are invalid!"

"Don't worry, you don't need to submit the club application form. I'll fill it out for you and give it to Ms. Kirisu Mafuyu next door."

Hiratsuka Shizuka patted Hikigaya Hachiman on the shoulder with a cheerful expression, then left the office.

It's time to get off work.

She was already plotting how to make that serious-looking Kirisu Mafuyu owe her this favor.

Maybe at the next teachers' dinner, I can get that young teacher who always pretends to be serious to have a few more drinks.

As Hikigaya walked dejectedly out of his office, he vaguely heard Hiratsuka Shizuka humming smugly in the distance, along with her muttering to herself, "...I'll have Mafuyu treat me to some fancy sake..."

"As expected, only Komachi can warm people's hearts."

Hachiman Hikigaya just wanted to get home as soon as possible and seek comfort from his sister.

He walked towards the school gate, intending to go home as soon as possible, only to see the person he least wanted to see.

Aki Tomoya stood in front of her, pushed up his thick black-rimmed glasses, his eyes gleaming with a fervent light of anime, his voice almost cracking with excitement: "Kato Megumi! Please join my Galgame production department! You are the perfect heroine in my mind! Your temperament, your presence, you are simply a born heroine template!"

He bowed deeply, a perfect ninety-degree angle, demonstrating the unique "craftsmanship spirit" of the Japanese.

Kato Megumi stood by the school gate, dressed in a standard sailor uniform, the blue trim on her white top gleaming softly in the setting sun.

The dark blue pleated skirt swayed gently in the wind, revealing slender calves, paired with black knee-high socks and polished black leather shoes, giving off a fresh and refined everyday beauty.

Kato Megumi paused for a moment, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes.

She tilted her head slightly, her tone as calm yet polite as ever: "Aki-san, thank you for the invitation, but I really have no plans to join a club right now."

She paused, her voice still gentle, as if carefully avoiding hurting the other person: "Besides, I'm going to have dinner with my sister right away, so I really don't have time today. I'm sorry."

Aki Tomoya was stunned, clearly not expecting to be rejected so decisively.

He scratched his head, trying to salvage the situation: "Kato-kun, please reconsider! Our club has a bright future. If you join, I guarantee I can perfectly showcase your charm in the game! Like that—"

"I'm really sorry."

Kato Megumi interrupted his rambling, her tone remaining calm: "I've been busy with housework lately, so I haven't had much time to participate in club activities."

She smiled slightly, a gentle smile that carried a hint of aloofness.

Kato Megumi's refusal wasn't just a perfunctory excuse; she genuinely didn't have time.

My older sister, who just graduated from university a few months ago, found a job and works until very late every day.

My mother happened to be visiting her parents' home during this period, and my father had to work, so naturally some things at home fell to her.

One of the most important things was preparing dinner for my father and sister when they came home from their hard work every day.

However, tonight is an exception. Kato Megumi's father is attending a company team-building dinner and won't be coming home for dinner.

So Hiromi Kato, who is Megumi Kato's older sister, suggested taking Megumi Kato out for a fancy meal.

She used the quarterly bonus she just received this month.

Aki Tomoya wanted to say a few more words, but when he saw Kato Megumi's clear eyes, for some reason, even his usually thick-skinned face couldn't take it anymore. He gave an awkward smile and said, "Okay... I'll come back to you next time!"

Kato Megumi frowned slightly. She had explained it so clearly, but Aki Tomoya still didn't seem to understand.

However, Aki Tomoya actually remembered her existence; this is the second person he's remembered recently.

Could it be that my long-standing problem of having a weak sense of self-worth is disappearing?

Kato Megumi turned and walked towards the train station, seemingly lost in thought. Her older sister worked in the Chiba New Ward, and since she was still a student, Kato Megumi naturally didn't have a car and could only take the train.

……

In the heart of Chiba New Ward, atop a towering skyscraper, lies the general manager's office of Deepsea Financial, overlooking the brightly lit city skyline.

Even if a financial company can't afford to buy the entire building, it will still rent the most prominent floor in the core area of ​​the city center; this is a symbol of status and strength.

On the desk, a photo of two people caught Yukino Yukinoshita's eye.

Ye Hai and Yukinoshita Haruno stood side by side, their smiles bright.

Yukino Yukinoshita stood in front of the table, her gaze inadvertently falling on the photograph, a hint of envy flashing in her icy blue eyes.

She spoke softly, her tone somewhat casual: "So, your company only deals with non-performing bank assets?"

"Of course not. We also own businesses like izakayas, and we're planning to expand into other areas recently."

"After all, relying solely on banking services is indeed somewhat monotonous."

Ye Hai noticed Yukino Yukinoshita's gaze, so he walked behind her while talking and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Crack!"

Photo freeze.

Yukino in the photo looks a little surprised by the sudden shutter click. Her usually aloof and perfect image is now a little cute and innocent, with the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, as if she is unconsciously showing her coquettishness.

"What are you doing?"

Yukino snapped out of her daze, her tone tinged with reproach, but a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

Ye Hai looked down at his phone screen and shook it with satisfaction: "Of course, we'll take a picture, and then put a photo of the two of us on the table."

He paused, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes: "I don't want to be complained about by my Yukino because of favoritism."

Upon hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita glared at him, but the curve of her lips revealed a hint of softness.

She turned around, pretending to tidy up the documents on the table to hide her subtle emotions, and said in a deliberately indifferent tone, "Whatever."

"Boom boom boom——"

The office door rang, the crisp sound echoing in the spacious general manager's office.

Ye Hai released his grip on Yukino's hand. It was best to maintain a dignified demeanor in front of his subordinates. He called out, "Come in."

Chapter 46 Hiromi Kato

The door slowly opened, and Hiromi Kato walked in.

She was wearing a black suit skirt, with her white shirt collar slightly open, revealing a glimpse of her fair collarbone.

Her chestnut-brown long hair was styled into a low bun, with a few strands falling naturally.

Black stockings encased her long, slender legs, gleaming delicately under the soft office lighting, paired with black high heels.

Yukino Yukinoshita gave Hiromi Kato a scrutinizing look, then glanced at Hakai, her thoughts unreadable.

Hiromi Kato's features bear some resemblance to her younger sister, Megumi Kato, with the same clear and gentle eyes, but Hiromi has a more mature charm than Megumi.

Holding a stack of documents, she walked calmly to the desk, nodded slightly, and said in a calm and professional tone: "Boss, Ms. Yukinoshita, I'm here to report on the company's situation in the first quarter of this year."

Although when she entered the company, Kentaro Yamamoto and a few others were simply introduced to Yukino Yukinoshita, it's clear that the entire company probably remembers her now.

Yukino Yukinoshita withdrew her gaze, regaining her usual aloof expression, and nodded slightly, signaling her to continue.

Ye Hai leaned against the desk, arms crossed: "Hongmei, just get to the point."

Hiromi Kato smiled slightly, opened the folder, and said in a steady tone, "Okay. In Q1 of this year, Deepsea Financial's total revenue reached 6.8 million yen, a year-on-year increase of 12.3%."

"Among them, the core business - non-performing asset disposal contributed 4.5 million yen in Q1, mainly from the 100 billion yen bank non-performing asset package purchased last year. So far, a total of 14 billion yen of debt has been recovered, with excellent yield performance."

"In addition, revenue from side businesses such as izakayas remained stable, contributing approximately 1.2 million yen in sales, an increase of 8% year-on-year."

"The company currently has 87 employees, and its operating costs are well controlled. The overall net profit is 1.9 million yen, an increase of 18.75% compared to 1.6 million yen in the same period last year."

The izakayas were mostly converted from karaoke bars and dance halls left behind by the Inugami Group. To make good use of them, Ye Hai generously converted them all into izakayas.

With the economy in a slump these past few years, more and more middle-aged men are hiding outside drinking and pretending to work overtime.

Therefore, although the profit margin in the izakaya industry is not high, it is currently considered a relatively stable industry.

Hiromi Kato paused for a moment, then handed over a chart that clearly marked the month-on-month and year-on-year changes in various data.

Her fingers lightly tapped the charts, her black stockings reflecting a subtle sheen as she moved, giving her an exceptionally professional look: "The data shows that we have made significant improvements in the efficiency of screening and recovering non-performing assets, especially in our cooperation with banks. Thanks to Ms. Yukino Yukinoshita's help in facilitating connections, a large portion of the non-performing asset packages we obtained this time are from Chiba's clients."

"This will greatly improve our success rate in recovering debts."

"If this trend continues, full-year profits are expected to exceed 8 million yen."

Debt collection is actually quite difficult, especially when banks sell off non-performing asset packages.

The client base may include customers from all over the country, but for most local financial companies, they generally simply abandon clients who are not local and live far away.

Even if something needs to be dealt with, the most that can happen is filing a lawsuit in court. If it can be enforced, great; if not, then so be it.

On the one hand, the distance is too far, making debt collection too costly; on the other hand, there is simply no way to conduct an effective investigation of the debtor locally.

If they could obtain non-performing asset packages that are mostly from local clients, like Ye Hai and his team are doing now, the recovery rate would be much higher.

After listening, Ye Hai nodded in satisfaction, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes: "Not bad, Hongmei, this report is very solid. It seems that you, the newly appointed finance manager, have already fully grasped the job."

Since the company has only been established for less than two years, and most of the people it recruited previously came from underworld backgrounds, very few of them were able to handle the financial issues properly.

Hmm, Ye Hai wouldn't either.

So before, I would usually take them home and have Yukinoshita Haruno help me with them.

It wasn't until last year, when they recruited the high-achieving student Hiromi Kato, that Ye Hai's finance department finally had a proper accountant.

Ah, yes, that's right. Although Hiromi Kato is the finance manager, he's actually the only person in the finance department.

Of the eighty or so people working at Deepsea Financial, very few are actually capable of handling tasks. Most of them are just doing odd jobs at the izakaya (Japanese pub). There is a severe shortage of talent.

Those guys with underworld connections might be good at things like stalking and debt collection.

When it comes to dealing with truly professional financial issues, they are completely clueless.

"Thank you for the compliment, Boss."

Hiromi Kato closed the folder, her professional smile still flawless: "If there are no other questions, I'll go back and work on the budget for the next quarter."

"Don't rush off. Yukino and I are going out for dinner. Why don't you come along?"

"I'll treat you to a meal as a reward for the successful completion of this quarterly report."

Ye Hai said.

Although this is the company headquarters, and they have rented an entire floor, only about ten employees actually work here.

In addition, it's already 7 p.m., and apart from Kentaro Yamamoto and his two underlings who are still waiting in the company and refuse to leave until Ye Hai leaves, only Hiromi Kato is left.

Hiromi Kato hesitated for a moment and said, "Boss, but my sister is still waiting for me downstairs at the company..."

"No problem, we can just bring them along when we eat."