Fumino thought hard, not knowing what Toru wanted.
Generally speaking, someone who lent money like this would definitely want interest. Of course, if they had other motives, they might want your principal.
Thinking of this, Fumino asked cautiously, "Do you want shares in the Yukinoshita family's business?"
Fumino thought to herself that if Toru really wanted shares, she was not entirely unwilling to give him some.
Anyway, as long as the shares did not exceed a certain percentage, Toru could not seize the Yukinoshita family's assets.
Upon hearing Fumino's words, Toru was directly amused. "Fumino, are you treating me like an idiot in business management, or do you still think I am too young and easy to deceive?"
"In terms of age, I am only in my early twenties. Perhaps in your eyes, I am an inexperienced young man."
"But you must remember, the person sitting in front of you now is the District Mayor of Koto Ward, Tokyo, and the future Governor of Tokyo."
"What would I want shares in your family business for? The total assets of the entire Yukinoshita clan are only about 10 billion yen, and I haven't even counted your internal debt."
"Moreover, the Yukinoshita company's business is a family business and is not listed. Even if you gave me a high percentage of shares, as long as you amended the company's articles of association, I wouldn't gain any benefits."
Pausing for a moment, Toru continued to sneer, "If Yukinoshita-san were even more ruthless, took the money from me, transferred the assets, and directly turned the company under your name into a shell company, then I would truly suffer a double loss."
He deliberately emphasized the phrase "suffer a double loss," not knowing whether Fumino in front of him understood his meaning.
Of course, Toru thought the other party probably did not understand.
Fumino hastily said, "Fujiwara-san, you're overthinking it. How could I do something that harms others without benefiting myself?"
Toru chuckled lightly. "Yukinoshita-san, you certainly wouldn't do it, but that's not because you have noble principles. It's simply because I am the heir of the Fujiwara family."
"If you dare to deceive me, your outcome won't be good. But if it were someone else, someone you weren't so afraid of, could you guarantee you wouldn't do such a wicked thing?"
"Anyway, even if this matter went through legal procedures, it could be dragged on indefinitely, giving you enough time to resolve the issue."
Fumino forced a smile, but it was a very unpleasant one.
The Yukinoshita family was not small. It did not only consist of Haruno and Yukino. There were many relatives as well.
These relatives and the Yukinoshita family together formed the entire family enterprise.
The fact that Fumino had been able to lead the family for so many years as a woman, and that under her leadership, the Yukinoshita family had flourished, showed that she was a capable and resourceful woman.
Someone who could navigate the business world should never be thought of as naive. Various business tactics were endless, and capitalists were willing to sell the rope used to hang themselves for profit.
Especially since Fumino had an almost obsessive attachment to the Yukinoshita family. She would do anything for the family's continuation.
But because of this, she had her biggest weakness, the survival of the Yukinoshita family.
Fumino sat upright, unwilling to give up Toru as her lifeline.
Because, as Toru said, the biggest crisis facing the Yukinoshita family was not just a financial problem, but an operational one.
If it were only a financial problem, the Yukinoshita family's assets were high-quality, and people would surely rush to lend them money to earn interest.
But when there were operational problems, the Yukinoshita family's profits were greatly affected, and high-quality assets became low-quality assets. Naturally, no one would come to lend them money.
With 2 billion yen, there were so many better things one could do. Why lend it to the Yukinoshita family? That was the logic.
"Fujiwara-san, please tell me directly. What exactly do you want? As long as it is within my power to give, I am willing to pay any price."
Fumino gritted her teeth. Toru's words about the family collapsing had completely panicked her.
"Oh? Can I have your daughters?"
Toru smiled faintly.
"Absolutely not!"
Fumino blurted out subconsciously.
If it were about her daughter marrying Toru, she would be one hundred percent willing. But from Toru's tone, she knew he would not marry her daughter.
This so-called "having" was more like Toru wanting her daughter to become his lover.
However, after directly refusing, Fumino softened her tone. She said softly, "Haruno cannot. Haruno is the heir of the Yukinoshita family whom I have been training since she was young."
"If there is no one to inherit it, then the Yukinoshita family will have no reason to exist."
"But if it's Yukino..."
Fumino suddenly fell silent. She gritted her teeth and said, "I can make her agree. Even if she doesn't agree, I will force her to agree."
Toru smiled playfully. "Yukinoshita-san, you are much more ruthless than I imagined. You would even sell your own daughter."
Fumino closed her eyes, as if she did not want Toru to see the struggle, guilt, and even more obvious ruthlessness in her eyes.
"This is a necessary sacrifice. You are a member of the Fujiwara family, so you should know even better that people like us are born into lives of luxury. All of this is given by the family."
"Therefore, at critical moments, we must sacrifice ourselves to save the family. This is the relationship between rights and obligations."
Fumino seemed to be using this method to make excuses for herself, to forget the fear and unease of selling her daughter.
"What you said might be right, but it doesn't apply to me. I haven't received any favors from the Fujiwara family."
Toru sneered, "However, Yukinoshita-san, you are indeed a qualified family head, resourceful and decisive, just like what you did to your sister, causing her to lose the ability to have children."
Fumino suddenly opened her eyes. She gritted her teeth and said resentfully, "Was it that woman's doing?"
Fumino thought that it must have been Toru's nominal stepmother who had been speaking ill of her in private, which was why Toru was targeting her so much.
Fumino already held great hatred toward her sister, and this time, it grew even stronger.
You are a member of the Yukinoshita family after all. Why would you want to destroy the Yukinoshita family?
Toru did not comment. It was true that his cheap stepmother had not told him about this. As a Central Intelligence Agency agent, it was too easy for Toru to investigate such matters.
"Yukinoshita-san, you disappoint me greatly. Both Haruno and Yukino are merely tools in your eyes, props to satisfy your desires."
"You may have motherly affection for them, but this affection is not greater than the Yukinoshita family or your ambition."
Toru said regretfully, "...I don't want to hurt Yukino, so I won't let her do something like sacrificing herself for the family."
Fumino's face lit up with joy, thinking that Toru could not bear it because he had developed feelings for Yukino.
This was a good thing. What did it mean? It meant that Toru was someone easily swayed by emotions, and this was Toru's weakness!
Whether politicians or capitalists, emotional weaknesses were fatal. Fumino's mind even became active, wanting to see if she could use this to gain greater benefits.
Unexpectedly, Toru said leisurely, "I don't need Yukino's sacrifice, but Yukinoshita-san, you need to sacrifice yourself!"
Fumino was stunned on the spot.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)