Since he dared to take action against the Seiwa Group, Li Ze had already calculated everything.
Under normal circumstances, even if Seiwa Sontoku were arrested, the group could still recover. All they needed was good PR, a stabilized stock price, and a new president in place.
In short, with the right timing and measures, the Seiwa Group could smoothly transition out of a crisis.
Once the tough period was over, they could leverage their powerful connections to the upper echelons of society. Whether by finding a scapegoat or having a few sacrificial members step forward, there would be ways to secure Seiwa Sontoku's release.
But here was the thing: Li Ze, a time traveler, wasn't about to give the Seiwa Group that chance.
Thanks to his knowledge of the original work, he had started setting the groundwork for his plan the moment he transferred to Teitan High School.
And last night, the harvest had finally arrived.
In the world of powerful conglomerates, reputations were like gods—intangible and untouchable. As long as the image remained intact, even if corruption ran deep within, few would dare to make a move.
But last night?
Li Ze's "Umbrella" had torn off the Seiwa Group's fig leaf, exposing their vulnerability to the world.
Once the conglomerate's weaknesses were laid bare, it was like blood in the water. The other powerful players, sensing the opportunity, became ravenous predators.
And now, like a wounded beast surrounded by wolves, the Seiwa Group had no way out.
This was why Li Ze had no fear of their retaliation.
The other major consortiums wouldn't give the Seiwa Group the chance to recover.
Every step had been meticulously planned with Natasha's help, leaving Li Ze confident and calm as he basked in his success.
What really puzzled him, though, was Suzuki Sonoko's sudden change in attitude.
Why now?
Why would she contact him to apologize right after his move last night? It couldn't just be a coincidence.
Although he was curious, Sonoko was still a Suzuki, and Li Ze didn't want to sour their relationship. Playing it cool, he decided to casually ask about it as if it was no big deal.
Meanwhile, Sonoko, standing beside him, didn't overthink his question and answered casually.
"Oh, that?" she began.
"My sister found out I was investigating you and wasn't happy about it. She said my behavior was unacceptable."
"She told me that people should act with sincerity. If you don't want to help someone, it's fine to refuse directly, but you shouldn't act behind their back.
"The Suzuki family believes in upright principles," she continued. "We can't afford to be petty. We're supposed to treat people with fairness and respect."
"And my sister also said something else."
"We've known each other for half a year now, and you've never once asked me for anything. That alone proves a lot."
"So, even though you didn't know about my investigation, I still felt it was right to apologize. As the second daughter of the Suzuki family, I can't afford to have a dark heart."
Sonoko spoke slowly and sincerely, and as she did, Li Ze maintained his calm exterior.
But inside?
He was shaken.
Damn!
The world really is full of smart people.
Sonoko's elder sister was truly not someone to be underestimated.
Li Ze had only just set things in motion last night, yet Ayako had already sensed that something was amiss and went straight to her sister to address it.
Impressive. Really impressive.
Still, he didn't believe a single word of Sonoko's explanation.
"Aboveboard"?
"Treat everyone equally"?
"Modest"? "Gentle"? "Not too dark"?
Yeah, right.
If those values were truly how the Suzuki Group operated, they wouldn't be the leading financial powerhouse in the East. To build an empire like that, you needed to be ruthless, bloodthirsty, even cannibalistic.
Of course, Li Ze didn't think Sonoko was lying. After all, as the Suzuki family's sheltered little princess, she had no idea about the darker, dirtier side of the business world.
Even if she was destined to be the heir, the Suzuki family wouldn't expose her to those truths at this stage.
But last night's conversation between Ayako and Sonoko, followed by today's apology?
Li Ze saw right through it.
It boiled down to two things.
First, goodwill.
A clear message that the Suzukis weren't his enemies, for now.
Second, a warning.
Regardless of his intentions, he had made contact with Sonoko. That was an undeniable fact. This apology was a subtle way of saying: We're watching. Be careful.
By orchestrating something so seemingly simple, Ayako had made it clear there were sharp minds in the Suzuki family. A message for him to tread carefully and keep any ambitions regarding Sonoko to himself.
"Oh, I see," Li Ze said with a polite smile. "Your sister is a very wise woman."
"But you know, Sonoko, she's right. It's good to be cautious of people. If you're not careful, you might find yourself being used by someone with ulterior motives."
"Now, enough of that. Let's go ride the pirate ship!"
With that, Li Ze shifted the conversation and moved on.
Because too much was as bad as too little.
This might have seemed like a casual chat with Sonoko, but in reality, it was a subtle exchange of wits between him and Ayako.
And with those few carefully chosen words, Li Ze was sure that once Sonoko reported back, Ayako would fully grasp the message he wanted to send.
Now, onto the next move.
The two continued chatting about everyday topics as they played at the amusement park.
Sonoko, feeling at ease and having let her guard down, had begun to see Li Ze as a genuine friend. Spending the day together only strengthened their bond, making their relationship noticeably closer by the time afternoon rolled around.
At around three o'clock, as they wandered through the park, Sonoko suddenly waved and called out excitedly.
"Ran! Kudou!"
Not far ahead, Ran turned around at the sound of her name. Seeing Sonoko and Li Ze together, she looked surprised for a moment before breaking into a warm smile and hurrying over.
"Sonoko, Li Ze-kun!" Ran greeted them cheerfully. "I didn't expect to run into you two today. Are you... on a date?"
At that, Sonoko was momentarily flustered but quickly recovered with a shrug.
"Ran, don't joke like that." She rolled her eyes dramatically. "You know I have a thing for handsome guys."
"Anyway, the party at home was canceled, and I was bored out of my mind, so I thought about joining you and Kudou on your date. But when I asked Li Ze, he said we shouldn't intrude on your time together. So instead, we decided to hang out for a bit before meeting up with you later."
She gave a mischievous grin. "Though I never thought we'd bump into you like this."
Sonoko's explanation was casual and confident, showing no sign of embarrassment, especially since no one particularly handsome was present.
Ran, however, turned beet red at the mention of her "date" with Kudou. She quickly waved her hands in protest.
"It's not like that! It's not a date!" she stammered, her cheeks aflame.
Sonoko, of course, couldn't resist teasing her friend further, laughing as Ran flustered herself with denials.
While the two girls bantered ahead, Kudou Shinichi and Li Ze trailed behind them.
After a moment of quiet, Shinichi leaned closer to Li Ze and spoke in a low voice.
"Hey, Li Ze."
"I've been thinking, you and Sonoko actually make a pretty good match. Have you thought about, you know, chasing her?"
He cleared his throat and added, "Listen, I've known Sonoko since we were kids. Sure, she can be a bit over-the-top, but deep down, she's a good person. Really."
"You should give it a shot. Trust me on this one."
He shot Li Ze a knowing look, as if he were handing over the secrets of the universe.
"..."
Li Ze stayed silent, his expression unreadable.