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Chapter 48: The Test
"Investment, huh?"
Suyan re-evaluated the mature, intellectual woman sitting before him. "That's certainly a unique way to phrase it."
Even with his excellent physical appearance, Suyan wasn't arrogant enough to believe he possessed some mind-control aura that made women instantly fall madly in love with him on sight.
Perhaps a sheltered, naive teenage girl might be prone to such infatuation, but a nearly thirty-year-old woman who had experienced the brutal reality of the world and managed the complex affairs of a massive syndicate?
Yuriko Takagi was far too intelligent to be that superficial.
Otherwise, the Takagi family wouldn't have grown to become the dominant force in Tokonosu City under her guidance.
But framing her proposition as a calculated investment? That made perfect logical sense.
He had to admit, Yuriko truly lived up to her reputation as a ruthless Wall Street shark.
Her judgment was terrifyingly sharp.
Even though he hadn't intentionally shown off, she had instantly recognized his extraordinary potential. And she possessed the sheer ruthlessness to instantly discard the Takagi family and wager her entire life on him.
Her decisiveness was truly something to behold.
It was rare to find someone who could spot an opportunity and strike with such unhesitating conviction. Without that trait, the world wouldn't be full of people constantly regretting missed chances.
She had vision, capability, determination, and the sheer audacity to go all-in.
Most importantly, she wasn't a 'used account.'
Yuriko held his gaze steadily, not shying away from his scrutiny, fully radiating the intoxicating allure of a mature, intelligent woman.
A woman like this...
Suyan was genuinely tempted.
However, his previous relationships—whether it was Shizuka, Saeko, Rei, or even his snap decision to eventually Contract Rika—had all been driven primarily by genuine emotion and mutual attraction, with him holding the initiative.
Yuriko's proposition, however, was a cold, calculated transaction. She was openly admitting to sacrificing her current position for future gains by 'investing' in him. The sheer transactional nature of it made him slightly uncomfortable.
From a purely logical standpoint, acquiring a brilliant executive like Yuriko would be a massive boon for their future survival.
But emotionally? It might sound a bit hypocritical, but Suyan was instinctively resistant to the idea.
"I don't trust you."
Suyan bluntly stated his thoughts. "You might be choosing to invest in me today because you think I have high potential. But what guarantee do I have that you won't turn around and betray me tomorrow if you find a better 'project'?"
"A fair point."
Yuriko wasn't surprised by his bluntness. They had just met; distrust was the only logical reaction.
If Suyan had blindly trusted her after a single conversation, she would have severely downgraded her assessment of his intelligence.
But the fact that he was raising concerns meant he was seriously considering her offer.
And as a master investor, wasn't convincing a skeptical client her exact area of expertise?
Yuriko leaned forward slightly. "To be completely honest, I can't guarantee that myself."
"I can confidently state that I am entirely committed to you right now, but predicting the absolute future is impossible for anyone."
"However, I believe the criminal underworld has a term for this: a 'Certificate of Honor.'"
"You could set a trial for me. If I prove my worth, you accept me."
"Or, you could establish a piece of leverage over me—something so catastrophic that the mere thought of betraying you would be unbearable?"
"A Certificate of Honor? A test? Leverage?" Suyan pondered her suggestions carefully before asking, "What about the Takagi family?"
"The Takagis?"
Yuriko paused for a moment before laughing softly. "I think you're overestimating my attachment to them. My involvement with them was merely repaying a debt. The Takagi family is utterly unworthy of being used as leverage to secure my loyalty to you."
Suyan nodded slowly, accepting her reasoning. "Since that's the case, why don't we leave the decision to fate?"
"Fate?"
Yuriko blinked, not quite following his logic.
Suyan elaborated, "Exactly. I'm going to forcibly awaken your Nen. If you manage to survive and grasp the power, thereby proving your value to me, I will accept you. If you fail and die... then the deal is off."
He had considered her proposals. While tests and leverage were effective tools, they felt inappropriate for someone he intended to eventually form a Contract with.
That left only a test of sheer willpower and survival.
Taking his time, Suyan detailed the fundamental concepts of Nen and exactly what a forced awakening entailed.
"Nen? A forced awakening? Suyan... you just keep giving me more and more delightful surprises."
After listening to his explanation, Yuriko unconsciously licked her lips, her heart rate accelerating noticeably.
She even dropped the formal 'Suyan' in favor of a much more intimate tone.
To see such an incredible return on investment before she had even finalized the deal... it was the kind of opportunity that would make any Wall Street executive physically ill with envy.
As for the risk?
Every investment carried risk.
You could technically choke to death drinking a glass of water.
"If you fail, you will die," Suyan warned, deliberately emphasizing the lethal consequences. "Are you absolutely certain you want to proceed?"
"Of course."
Yuriko's pale purple eyes locked onto his. Her lips curved into a breathtaking, crescent-moon smile. "Besides, I don't believe for a second that you'd actually just stand there and watch me die. Would you?"
Checkmate.
She was right. A forced awakening wasn't inherently fatal.
When a person's aura nodes were forcibly blasted open, their life energy would rapidly vent out of their body. As long as the nodes were manually sealed back up before the energy was entirely depleted, the person would survive.
The only consequence was that they would permanently lose the ability to ever awaken Nen in the future.
It was a gamble: risking your future potential for a shortcut to power. Failure meant you could never climb the mountain again.
Seeing that she had seen right through his bluff, Suyan didn't bother hiding it, confirming her deduction.
He had framed it as life-or-death for two reasons. First, to apply maximum psychological pressure so she understood she only had one shot.
Second, to make it clear that if she failed and lost all her value to him, whether he bothered to save her life or not would be entirely dependent on his mood.
The fake test: successfully awaken Nen to prove her worth.
The real test: whether she was truly willing to place her life entirely in his hands, knowing the extreme danger involved.
That was precisely why Suyan omitted one crucial detail: even if she failed the awakening, as long as she formed a Contract with him, the Nen Seed planted within her would eventually allow her to use Nen anyway.
Suyan sat perfectly still, waiting for her final confirmation.
Faced with Suyan's cold, impassive gaze, Yuriko's confident smile faltered slightly.
Her razor-sharp intuition warned her that he was dead serious.
If she failed the awakening and couldn't prove her worth... he really might just let her die!
Yuriko swallowed hard, suppressing the sudden spike of fear. "Do it."
"Alright!"
Suyan didn't waste any more time. He gathered a dense concentration of aura in his palm and slowly reached toward Yuriko's head.
Watching his glowing hand draw closer, even the usually unshakable Yuriko felt her heart hammer violently against her ribs.
This feeling of placing her absolute survival into another person's hands... it was an entirely terrifying, entirely novel experience for her.
Yuriko stared intently at Suyan's face.
If she succeeded, the overwhelming joy of acquiring supernatural power would consume her.
If she failed, and he chose to save her at the last second, the overwhelming relief of surviving certain death would be equally intense.
She knew perfectly well that navigating such extreme emotional whiplash, regardless of the outcome, meant she was highly likely to develop genuine, intense feelings for him.
In psychology, it was known as the Suspension Bridge Effect.
But honestly? She wasn't opposed to that outcome at all.
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