A cold corpse lay before Kochou.
Normally, she scrupulously avoided such scenes and would never let herself appear where a body was present.
But Takeya Takizawa was different.
Kochou genuinely believed this man had ability; before he rose to prominence, she had invited him to join Phoenix Academy to work for her.
Unfortunately, Takeya Takizawa was too proud and not the type to willingly play second fiddle, leading to this outco.
Kochou gazed at the ghastly pale cheeks. Unable to discern any trace of pain on the face, it looked peaceful.
"What a pity."
She sighed softly, withdrew her gaze, and turned to Kai Bunta beside her.
The old man knelt on the ground, assuming a position of deep reverence with his head touching the floor, embodying utmost submission.
"I deeply apologize for our people disturbing the young miss. Please forgive us, Madam!"
Kochou looked down at Kai Bunta, the man who controlled many ninjas and ran the Shinobu Introduction office, undertaking various assassination tasks.
In terms of skill alone, this aged body could probably snap her neck in an instant.
But under the disparity of power, he could only prostrate himself on the ground, begging for her forgiveness.
Even if Kochou did not forgive him, Kai Bunta wouldn’t dare lay a hand on her, for he had a family to think of.
"Forgiveness cos at a price, Mr. Kai."
"Yes, I will fully compensate for this incident!" Kai Bunta said through clenched teeth, readying himself to be fleeced.
Kochou smiled and tossed a photo in front of him, whispering, "I don’t need money. I just need you to kill the man in the photo for , without any failure."
Upon viewing the photo, Kai Bunta saw a blonde-haired, blue-eyed man.
"His na is Charles. He has a young lover living at Shinjuku Nozaki Apartnt 305. When you send soone to kill him, do not use the phone or internet to make contact. Use the most primitive thod: paper notes, or et the ninja in person to communicate."
Kochou trusted that the intelligence branch had the capability to monitor any secret plots Takeya Takizawa had against her.
It was unlikely that Takeya Takizawa knew of her relationship with the intelligence branch.
She deliberately kept such information secret, never revealing it to the outside world. However, she had not received any warning from the intelligence branch. This indicated internal changes within it that were not in her favor.
Without any knowledge, Kochou’s thod was to first bury those who knew her secrets and then fra the KGB or other intelligence agencies.
Anyone who threatened her, unless they were an absolutely unsolvable problem like Dio, Kochou was determined to eradicate completely.
Gentle thods were only her way of managing subordinates; at critical monts, she was more ruthless than anyone.
"Make sure it’s done covertly, without leaking a single word."
Kai Bunta’s face broke out in a cold sweat. He understood that the earnestness of Kochou’s instructions indicated this Charles must be a man with a dangerous background, yet he had no room for refusal.
If he refused, he would probably have a hard ti leaving through that door today.
"Okay, I will take care of it."
"Once it’s done, I’ll have soone deliver a generous reward to you in three months."
Kochou, of course, wouldn’t let him work for nothing.
Upon hearing there was money involved, Kai Bunta’s eyes lit up, finding the task agreeable; after all, his line of work always involved risking his life.
"Please rest assured, Madam. I guarantee the task will be completed," he vowed.
"Rember, do not contact ."
Kochou turned around. She still had to visit Phoenix Academy Island to see Maggie and those two boys. They had been able to take out an Upper Ninja Level from the Shinobu Introduction office and Katsuhisa Shindo, the renowned enforcer from the Takizawa Group.
They both had great potential.
They could be said to be part of her daughter’s future core team. As a mother, she naturally wanted to go and express her concern, showing a kind deanor.
「WHOOSH! WHOOSH!」
Bursts of fireworks exploded in the night sky, like colorful lollipops smashed and scattered across the heavens.
The night on Phoenix Academy Island, far from Tokyo, revealed stars and a full moon whose brilliance was overshadowed by the blazing fireworks.
By the stairs leading from the castle rooftop to the interior, Aozawa, Phoenix Academy Maggie, and Nomura True Wave all peered out, watching the boy and girl standing before them.
The loud fireworks muffled their voices, but Yoshikawa Sayuri could be seen with an incredulous expression on her face.
"Quick! Kiss her now!" Aozawa silently cheered on Hojo Tetsuji.
Nomura True Wave took out her phone, eager to record the mont the two kissed. "Hehe, I’ll play this in front of Little Sayuri from ti to ti."
"Are you a demon?" Phoenix Academy Maggie quipped, then added, "Rember to send a copy afterwards."
"Haha." Nomura True Wave chuckled lightly, her heart thumping as the two drew closer.
The mont their lips touched, fireworks scattered across the sky in a dazzling display.
The word "romantic" deeply etched itself into Nomura True Wave’s mind. She had never imagined that one day she would be able to play matchmaker for a friend.
"Oh no, I feel like crying," Nomura True Wave said, her voice thick with emotion.
"Don’t say things like that! Let’s get out of here so they don’t spot us," Phoenix Academy Maggie quickly urged, and they slipped back inside the castle.
They didn’t wait long. After the fireworks faded, Hojo Tetsuji and Yoshikawa Sayuri returned, their cheeks flushed.
Aozawa quickly hooked Hojo Tetsuji’s neck, pulling him aside with a grin. "How did it go?"
"She agreed." Hojo Tetsuji scratched his head, his expression lost in a dreamy smile.
He never imagined he would confirm his relationship with Little Sayuri so quickly. He was going to experience all the tropes from manga in the future.
Aozawa punched him lightly on the chest, deliberately asking, "So, did you kiss her?"
"Ah, that..." Hojo Tetsuji stamred, unsure whether to say anything. His mind flashed back to the soft touch from monts ago, and a sheepish grin spread across his face.
Everything was conveyed in the man’s unspoken delight.
Aozawa’s lips curved into a smile, his joy no less than when he had officially rounded the bases with Chitose. He whispered, "Alright, let teach you so moves that only a Martial Artist can pull off."
"Huh?!" Hojo Tetsuji was initially puzzled, then, from Aozawa’s words, understood what kind of moves he ant.
Could he really get this information for free? Yet, he couldn’t refuse Aozawa’s offer. It was like a demon whispering in his ear; he knew those things weren’t suitable for children, but he still chose to silence the angel and listen intently.
While all five of them were in a state of excitent, Mike burst into the room, announcing, "Miss, your mother has arrived."
The chatter in the room instantly died down, and the two separate groups reconvened.
Yoshikawa Sayuri’s bashfulness was quickly overtaken by curiosity. "Maggie, what kind of person is your mother?" she asked.
"She’s very beautiful, a capable and strong woman. She might be a bit strict about rules, so try to let handle her," Phoenix Academy Maggie replied, though internally she was very surprised. Why would her mother co here?
A helicopter landed on the helipad in the castle’s courtyard. The cabin door opened, revealing Kochou in a dazzling, gold-trimd, fiery red evening gown.
Her long black hair was coiled atop her head, and she wore a fiery red gemstone necklace that created a stark contrast against her pale décolletage.
That majestic, resplendent deanor made Yoshikawa Sayuri’s eyes brighten. She truly is Maggie’s mom, so beautiful, she thought.
"Mother, good evening."
"Good evening, Auntie."
Aozawa and the others spoke.
Kochou nodded, a gentle smile on her face. "Very good. Maggie was in danger this ti, and it’s thanks to your protection. Truly, heroes erge from the young!"
Her eyes swept over Aozawa and Hojo Tetsuji, and she ford a good impression of them. In these turbulent tis, those who can fight are often more important. Especially now. No one knows what the future might hold, so naturally, she hoped her daughter’s classmates would be as skilled in combat as possible. As for thinkers, her daughter alone was enough.
Kochou’s gaze then shifted to Nomura True Wave and Yoshikawa Sayuri. She smiled and said, "You must be Nomura True Wave and Yoshikawa Sayuri. Maggie often ntions you to ."
"Oh, really? Hehe, you’re very pretty, Auntie," Yoshikawa Sayuri said with an innocent smile.
Kochou also smiled. "Thank you for the complint."
Only Phoenix Academy Maggie’s heart sank a little. Those words had likely caused Yoshikawa Sayuri’s standing to plumt in her mother’s eyes. She felt a pang of distress; not everyone appreciated sincerity. To her mother, imrsed in sches and power plays, naïveté equated to stupidity.
Kochou maintained her smile, chatting about various things without openly showing disdain toward Yoshikawa Sayuri. Her self-control was better than most.
Even when facing people she disliked, as long as the relationship wasn’t exceedingly poor, she would exhibit a gentle deanor, hiding any scorn deep within her.
After a brief exchange, Kochou concluded that Nomura True Wave and Yoshikawa Sayuri themselves held little value.
Aozawa and Hojo Tetsuji, however, were promising.
"I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t intrude on you young people’s fun," Kochou said, having no intention of staying long. She was here rely to make a gesture.
Hojo Tetsuji and Aozawa had saved Phoenix Academy Maggie; it was only right and proper for her, as the mother, to co and express her gratitude.
She did not plan to give money; rewarding young n should be different from rewarding soone like Mike. Young people valued sentint more. A personal word of thanks from Kochou would be more effective than any amount of money.
"Take care, Auntie," Hojo Tetsuji said with a casual wave.
Kochou smiled. "I have so snacks upstairs, Maggie. Could you help fetch them?"
"Yes, Mother," Phoenix Academy Maggie replied and followed her up.
As Kochou placed the snacks from the cabin’s table into her hands, she remarked indifferently, "If you want to use Little Sayuri to get closer to Hojo, I don’t object. But Nomura True Wave isn’t very useful. Moreover, that girl, Little Sayuri, is too foolish. This incident might have been leaked by her. From now on, don’t share important matters with her."
"Mother, please don’t talk about Little Sayuri and True Wave like that! They are my friends!" Phoenix Academy Maggie could no longer bear her mother’s disdainful attitude towards her friends. From the very first greeting, her mother had consistently looked down on Little Sayuri and True Wave.
They were truly nice girls.
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