After coming back from the TOEI deal, Zaboru returned to his office and found that Shinsuke was looking for him regarding the distribution company. Zaboru nodded and met Shinsuke in his personal office. Now, seated across from each other, Shinsuke smiled.
"So, Boss, how did the deal with TOEI go?"
Zaboru smiled. "Well, it went well, honestly. Kudou is currently preparing the official documentation, and I'll report it to Sayuri-san later."
Shinsuke grinned. "You need to hire a secretary, Boss, so this kind of thing can be handled by them instead."
Zaboru sighed. "I've planned to, Shin-san, but I haven't found the right person for the position yet."
Shinsuke gave a dry laugh before shifting the topic. "Anyway, I came to see you because I have an update regarding the distribution company. It used to distribute electronics before an accident nearly bankrupted them."
Zaboru leaned back in his chair. "What's the company's name, and what exactly happened to them, Shin-san?"
Shinsuke nodded and explained. "The company is called Sora Distribution. They specialized in distributing electronic goods all over Japan. They had a solid reputation and worked with many clients, from smaller companies to bigger names like Panasonic and Toshiba. Most of their clients were middle to low-tier electronic companies, but they were highly trusted. Then, an incident changed everything.
"From what I heard, Sora Distribution was handling three major clients at the time, delivering their products across Japan—specifically to Kobe, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka. They used trucks and ships for transport, but somewhere along the way, all of the shipments vanished. The trucks and ships arrived at their destinations, but the goods were missing. Rumors spread that the owner embezzled the electronics and tried to claim insurance, but his claim was rejected. After that, their reputation tanked. No one wanted to use their services anymore. They've gone three months without orders, laid off a significant portion of their employees, yet the owner still refuses to shut down the company."
Intrigued, Zaboru listened carefully. "I wonder what really happened to those missing shipments?"
Shinsuke grinned. "Me too, Boss. But my real question is—do you trust them enough to negotiate? They'd probably be more than willing to become our official distribution company, but is it worth the risk?"
Zaboru leaned forward. "We can't take this lightly. Let's meet with the owner of Sora Distribution and judge for ourselves."
Shinsuke nodded. "That's what I thought as well. I've already scheduled a meeting with him for tomorrow. I'll accompany you."
Zaboru nodded in agreement and continued working, waiting for the meeting the next day.
Thursday, October 24 - Morning
Zaboru and Shinsuke drove to Sora Distribution in Shinsuke's car. Upon their arrival, the company's owner, Tatsuya Fudou, was already waiting for them. He greeted them with a warm smile.
"Welcome! Yamaguchi-san! And you must be Renkonan-san! You're so young! My name is Tatsuya Fudou, but you can call me Tatsu."
Shinsuke smiled. "Tatsu-san." Zaboru also smiled. "Hello, Tatsu-san. Nice to meet you."
With that, the three of them proceeded to the meeting room. Once they were seated, Zaboru got straight to the point.
"Tatsu-san, do you want Sora Distribution to become ZAGE's official distribution company? And if so, why?"
Tatsuya smiled. "My son loves playing ZEPS, Renkonan-san. I have a strong feeling that ZAGE will grow into something huge. Honestly, I'm hoping that Sora Distribution can rise again by working with you."
Zaboru leaned back in his chair. "I'm aware of your circumstances. May I ask for more details about the accident that caused your company's downfall?"
Tatsuya hesitated, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. "I... I'll be honest with you both, Yamaguchi-san, Renkonan-san. I looked deeply into the accident, and I know who was behind it."
Zaboru and Shinsuke raised their eyebrows and waited for him to continue.
"It was the work of a yakuza group called Maken Alliance (Rengo). They're a collection of yakuza organizations from Osaka and Fukuoka. They have a long-standing feud with the Hamazou family, who control a significant portion of Japan's criminal underworld. As it turns out, one of my clients at the time was affiliated with the Hamazou family. Maken Rengo targeted my shipments, but they didn't know which delivery contained Hamazou-affiliated goods—so they sabotaged everything.
"The client in question was Teppei Radio, a company that distributed radios. However, the majority shareholder of Teppei Radio was none other than Hamazou "Rashomon" Akechi, the prince of the Hamazou family."
Zaboru was shocked. This involves Akechi-san?
Tatsuya continued, "From what I gathered, after the incident, the Hamazou family immediately recognized Maken Rengo's provocation. This wasn't the only case—Maken had been instigating conflicts and sabotaging Hamazou operations for a while. I heard that, in response, the Hamazou family raided Maken Rengo's headquarters, igniting a full-scale turf war in Osaka. Maken Rengo severely underestimated Hamazou's strength and ended up suffering massive losses. Now, they've gone into hiding, and Hamazou has taken over much of Maken Rengo's territory in Osaka, Kobe, and Hiroshima."
Tatsuya's eyes welled up with tears. "I went to the police! I tried to clear my company's name and prove we weren't at fault, but they ignored me! They didn't want to escalate things further!"
Zaboru and Shinsuke exchanged glances.
"I see," Zaboru said, thinking carefully. "So your company got caught up in a yakuza feud."
After a brief pause, he continued, "Honestly, let's stop here for now. We'll contact you later. But don't be discouraged—I need to discuss this with an expert before making a decision. I'll get back to you through Shinsuke within a week at the latest."
Tatsuya sighed but nodded in understanding.
As they left Sora Distribution, Shinsuke turned to Zaboru. "So... you're going to ask Hamazou's prince directly?"
Zaboru nodded. "This is important, Shin-san. Even if we don't choose Sora Distribution, the fact that yakuza are involved in distribution across Japan could be a problem. I need to ask Akechi-san if he can extend his protection to our future distribution partners."
With that, they returned to ZAGE's office, and Zaboru used the office phone to call Akechi.
To be continued...
*Author note: Welp can i ask for your power stones?, lol i can`t believe i said this hahahah , anyway enjoy the chapter*