After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 21

A green figure suddenly appeared in her mind; the perfect smile and slightly frivolous movements always made Toyokawa Yuu feel uncomfortable.

That cat probably didn't consider the oddities involved at all; it likely just saw it as a lucky break and excitedly agreed.

But Yuu Toyokawa doesn't believe this is just good luck; every seemingly free gift has a price tag attached by fate.

Toyokawa Yuu has already experienced this firsthand.

Rather, it's precisely because he had already paid the price that he was so obsessed with getting the gift that should have been his.

Otherwise, wouldn't I have died for nothing?

If sunk costs can't be recovered, it only means that not enough sunk costs have been accumulated to fill the bottomless pit.

Of course, Yuu Toyokawa wanted to live, but living was his right.

He was not so self-deprecating as to consider simply receiving what he was entitled to as a blessing.

He didn't know if his hasty escape would succeed, but he certainly wouldn't be willing to give up.

He is stubborn.

As she pondered, the receptionist's voice rang out, bringing Toyokawa Yuu back to her senses.

The receptionist stopped in front of a conference room, unscrewed the door, and politely indicated that someone was already waiting inside.

"The company seems to take our visit very seriously."

Toyokawa Shoko glanced at Toyokawa Yuu beside her, knowing that the work of contacting and making appointments would naturally be left to him.

But clearly, this level of efficiency and hospitality goes beyond what is expected of a rising star band.

"Young Miss, don't underestimate the reputation of the Toyokawa family."

Yuu Toyokawa placed her hand on the doorknob, seemingly having anticipated this attitude.

Clearly, he didn't mind using the Toyokawa family's name when contacting this company.

This attitude of relying on the family for everything made Toyokawa Shoko frown. Even though she was here, she was already prepared to use her so-called "young lady of the Toyokawa family" status to trick the other party, just like she had done with the band when she got sponsorship.

But deep down, she still didn't want Ave Mujica to be too closely associated with the Toyokawa family.

That belongs to her, and even her family shouldn't try to take it away easily.

Toyokawa Yuu could certainly understand the meaning behind Xiangzi's eyes, but he didn't care about it at all.

He didn't have the inexplicable persistence of Toyokawa Shoko; of course, there was no reason not to use something that was useful.

"Humph……"

The moment the door opened, Yuu Toyokawa seemed to hear a soft exhalation.

The blue-haired figure didn't even wait for Toyokawa Yuu to open the door before slipping into the office, taking advantage of her petite stature.

Seeing that Toyokawa Shoko seemed a little sulky, Toyokawa Yuu shrugged helplessly and considerately closed the door.

As an agent, he now looks more like a bodyguard.

"Excuse me, I am Toyokawa Shoko, who was in contact with you before."

Shoko Toyokawa sat down on the sofa without any ceremony, her habitually furrowed brows making her look rather unfriendly.

His slightly cold expression, which made it seem more like an interrogation than a negotiation, caused the people who were already waiting in the meeting room to look at each other in bewilderment.

If he were just the leader of a popular band, this kind of posturing wouldn't put any pressure on these seasoned businessmen.

However, the name "Toyokawa" was somewhat too grand for them.

Clearing his throat, Honda Yutaka, as the leader, composed himself and put on a businesslike smile.

He didn't care much about the band, but the surname "Toyokawa" was too prominent in his eyes.

"Miss Toyokawa, Mr. Toyokawa, you must be here because of Miss Yutenji."

A slight embarrassment appeared between Honda Yutaka's brows. If the other party really was here to question him about that private job, it seemed that he really had no choice but to give in.

After all, if we really take this behavior of contacting band members directly without their managers seriously, they are indeed in the wrong.

Honda Yutaka believes that the reason Toyokawa Shoko and Toyokawa Yuu came to his door today is probably because he himself has not been very proper.

"Not entirely. Amoris's actions did break the rules, but we believe that our cooperation with you should not stop at such superficial level."

After closing the door, Toyokawa Yuu sat down next to Shoko. Unlike the slightly cold expression on the girl's face, he had a warm and welcoming smile on his face.

However, compared to the cold-faced Shoko Toyokawa, Yuu Toyokawa, with her smile, could bring more pressure.

The other people in the meeting room were all too familiar with that smile; it was a perfect business expression, making it impossible to predict whether it would suddenly change its expression the next second.

"Just as you all have high hopes for Ave Mujica's future, Ms. Toyokawa also has great faith in your company's future."

Instead of using a more descriptive title, she used the somewhat ambiguous term "Miss Toyokawa," ignoring the glance that Shoko was giving her.

"I wonder if your side is interested in further cooperation."

Chapter 43 The Sense of Security from Mutual Utilization

After exposing the Toyokawa family's influence, the rest of the conversation was truly uninteresting in Toyokawa Shoko's eyes.

It's nothing more than testing each other, being polite, and flirting, like dancing a dangerous tango, searching for each other's bottom line from a mere inch away.

However, in this dance that required no steps, Toyokawa Yuu had the absolute upper hand.

The party that broke the rules first was in the wrong, not to mention the influence of the Toyokawa family, which made Toyokawa Yuu's tone reveal a domineering and intimidating attitude.

Sometimes, even someone like Toyokawa Shoko, who always walks in with a cold face, has to step in and play the good guy to smooth things over.

"Does Ms. Toyokawa mean that you not only allow us to trade with Ms. Yutenji, but also that you can provide guidance?"

Looking at the proposal handed to him by Yuu Toyokawa, Yutaka Honda's eyes flashed with surprise.

Originally, they just wanted to ride on the popularity of the band Ave Mujica through Yutenji Wakami.

The newly built shopping mall looks great in every way, but only Yutaka Honda knows his own difficulties. They have a small problem with budget allocation and don't have enough money for advertising.

So, based on the principle that since we were already short of money, we should save as much as possible, we came up with the idea of ​​staging an accident to extort money.

Originally, I just wanted to persuade the easiest person to hire in Ave Mujica to come over. Even if something went wrong, the deal would just fall through.

It's just that the money I originally wanted to save couldn't be saved. At worst, I can apply for another round of publicity funds from my old employer, but I'll probably have to sign another performance-based agreement.

The newly built venue hasn't even started making money yet, and the old owner isn't going to just let it go under so easily.

As for some implicit purposes, it's not appropriate to state them directly.

But now, the attitude of these two "Toyokawa"s is truly beyond their expectations.

"That's right, we can help you put together a cosplay concert with about 80% similarity for promotional purposes... no, it should be said that it must reach about 80% similarity, whether it's the performer's figure or hairstyle."

If it's too low, people won't realize it's an imitation of Ave Mujica; if it's too high... it challenges the authenticity of Ave Mujica a bit.

"After seeing the 'excellent performance' of this imitator band, it will show a sense of satisfaction to the fans and guide the popularity of Ave Mujica to a certain extent. You should also publicly state that this is just an imitation and tribute to Ave Mujica, thus completing the return of popularity."

With her fingers interlaced in front of her, Toyokawa Yuu looked at the people in front of her with a smile.

While claiming to be seeking cooperation, their attitude seemed to give Honda Yutaka no chance to refuse, as if they had already got them figured out.

"How about it? This plan should be much better than the previous one, right?"

"Of course, Ave Mujica will not officially recognize this imitator band. Whether it's an imitation of a stage play or anything else, it's just a derivative work that is not officially recognized. You also cannot imply in any way that Yutenji Wakana is Amoris."

Toyokawa Shoko lowered her eyes, making this point particularly clear.

She couldn't find fault with the proposal, but maintaining control over the Ave Mujica worldview was her bottom line, and she would not back down.

"This……"

Honda Yutaka hesitated for a moment. Logically speaking, he had no reason to refuse the proposal, and they had not intended to put all their publicity efforts on this band that was trying to ride on the coattails of another band.

However, the other party's attitude always made him feel strange.

He couldn't quite put his finger on what was strange about them, but he vaguely felt that these two "Toyokawas" didn't seem to be of one mind.

"Mr. Honda, after this transaction is completed, you can try to make a deal with the Toyokawa Group."

Seeing Honda Yutaka's apparent hesitation, Toyokawa Yuu glanced at Shoko beside him with a smile, her words seemingly carrying a hidden meaning.

"However, rather than collaborating with 'Ms. Toyokawa,' we would actually prefer to collaborate with 'Ms. Shoko.' Shoko Toyokawa's band may need your assistance in providing venues for future performances."

Upon hearing Yuu Toyokawa's words, Yutaka Honda was slightly taken aback, and the confusion he had previously felt suddenly became clear.

Generally speaking, when members of these large families want to establish collaborations in their personal capacity, it's usually to enhance their competitiveness and gain power and profit.

However, anyone with even a little bit of influence in the circle knows that the Toyokawa family only has one heir, and that is the Toyokawa Shoko standing before us.

She only needs to follow the steps to inherit everything from the Toyokawa family.

However, there are also rumors that the eldest daughter of the Toyokawa family is at odds with her family and has formed her own band.

So that's how it is. This young lady wants to make a name for herself and then bring a team back to her family so that she can more easily take control of the clan.

Although forming a band is indeed a novel approach.

Then there's no need to hesitate. The Toyokawa family's name is still prominently displayed on Ave Mujica's sponsor list. Perhaps the Toyokawa family has been waiting for this young lady to return like lightning.

This is a sure-win investment; the sooner you choose a side, the better.

Perhaps, there's still a chance to break away from my old employer and start my own business.

"Well then, I wish us a pleasant cooperation in the future, Mr. Youyu and Ms. Xiangzi."

He stood up and bowed properly, feeling that he had seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"There's no need to be so formal, Mr. Yuxiao. We'll be working together in the future, so would you mind showing us around the venue?"

Yuu Toyokawa helped Honda Yuuko to his feet and pointed towards the door.

A guest who looks like he's still in high school now seems more like the owner of this place than Yutaka Honda.

"You guys go with Youyu, don't worry about me."

The negotiations were over. Toyokawa Shoko picked up a cup of tea that she had poured for herself and took a small sip.

Her nonchalant attitude suggested she didn't care much about the followers she had just summoned. Despite wearing relatively simple clothes, she exuded the air of a young lady from a wealthy family in every gesture.

After watching everyone else leave, and finally being left alone, Toyokawa Shoko put down her teacup and let out a long sigh.

This kind of behavior, which may seem reasonable to others, but is seen by oneself as using the name of the Toyokawa family to swindle and deceive, will bring considerable psychological pressure no matter how many times it is done.

Moreover, Yuu's actions were somewhat superfluous. At least... she didn't need any business followers, nor did she intend to bring everything from Ave Mujica back to the Toyokawa family.

Yuu himself has said that he does not want to be controlled by the Toyokawa family forever.

He's using me to benefit himself.

If I hadn't been there today, and instead let him use his My Number card as he pleased, he might have been able to gain even more benefits.

The conclusion, which required little thought, easily came to Toyokawa Shoko's mind.

The moment she reached this conclusion, instead of feeling annoyed at being used, she felt a strange sense of relief.

Only alliances bound by shared interests are truly reliable; as long as the other party still needs you, you will not be betrayed.

……Is it right?

Chapter 44 Ms. Minami, can you do me a favor?

In the reception room of a floor in the Starlight Plaza office area, a green-haired woman leaned against the balcony, watching the flow of people coming and going below.

Holding a plate of delicate pastries, she occasionally picked up a piece with her fair fingertips to taste it, as if waiting for some news.

A moment later, a figure in a suit cautiously entered the room, glancing around outside before entering to make sure no one was following him before carefully closing the door.

"Ms. Minami Mori, Ms. Toyokawa and Mr. Toyokawa have really arrived."

This was a person who accompanied Yuu Toyokawa during his previous discussions with Yutaka Honda, and who witnessed firsthand the entire process of those two "Toyokawa"s using the Toyokawa family's name to coerce and entice him.

In fact, he was also the one who initially proposed using Yutenji Wakami to provoke Ave Mujica, but this idea wasn't his; someone instructed him to do it.

Minami Mori, a popular actress who has reached the pinnacle of the Japanese entertainment industry, has the closest relationship with the Toyokawa family and has even been a regular fixture in the Toyokawa Group's advertising space for many years.

But this does not mean that she only has business dealings with the Toyokawa Group.

The newly built Starlight Plaza couldn't afford to hire her, but she still had a certain amount of influence with Starlight Plaza's former employer.

It couldn't be easier to sneak a hand in.

"Of course they'll come. Xiao Xiang hates it when people touch her things without permission. She's probably here to ask you to end your cooperation with Yutianji Ruomai."

She picked up another pastry. Senmina didn't care much about the newly built shopping mall; what she was really interested in was the band Ave Mujica and her daughter, who played guitar there.