Chapter 111: Deepening the Partnership
Ren swiftly signed his name on the contract.
A short while later, his phone chimed.
Ding.
He unlocked it and discovered that 25 million yen had already been deposited into his account.
A surge of genuine happiness welled up from the bottom of his heart.
The tension that had been lingering on his face finally melted away.
Mei Mei picked up an empty wine glass and poured him a drink.
"A toast."
She smiled.
"Uh..." Ren hesitated. "I'm not legally old enough to drink yet."
"I didn't expect Ren-kun to be such a rule-abiding man."
Mei Mei covered her mouth and chuckled.
"But sometimes, breaking free from restrictions can bring a certain forbidden thrill."
Ren accepted the glass and cautiously took a sip.
"Well?" Mei Mei asked curiously.
"How is it?"
"Not great."
Ren frowned.
"It's bitter. Astringent."
He thought for a moment.
"Cola tastes better."
"Haha."
Mei Mei laughed but offered no comment.
She simply raised her glass, clinked it lightly against his, and drained the remaining wine in a single swallow.
A faint blush once again spread across her cheeks.
Ren absentmindedly finished his own drink before setting the glass down.
"Alright, that should do it."
He stood up and naturally extended a hand.
"Give me the room key."
"What?"
Mei Mei blinked in surprise.
"You said tonight's expenses were on you."
Ren eyed her suspiciously.
"Don't tell me you only booked one room and expect me to take a taxi all the way back to the mountains in the middle of the night?"
For several seconds, Mei Mei simply stared at him.
She didn't answer.
Instead, she poured herself another half-glass of wine, rose from the sofa, and walked toward the window.
Reaching the floor-to-ceiling glass, she turned around and smiled.
"It's still early."
"Why are you in such a hurry to sleep?"
"Your schedule is practically that of an old man."
Leaning lazily against the window frame, she took another sip.
"The view here is incredible."
"Want to take a look?"
Ren frowned and glanced down at his phone.
How could he not be in a hurry?
The call log displayed a long list of missed calls.
Maki Zenin × 5
Tsumiki Fushiguro × 3
Mai Zenin × 2
And one from Kasumi Miwa.
Though that one was probably unrelated.
She was most likely calling to ask him about schoolwork again.
Still...
A Royal Suite at the Imperial Hotel.
Opportunities to enter a room of this caliber were rare enough.
Opportunities to stand before these windows and overlook the city from such a height would probably come only once in his life.
With that thought in mind, he reluctantly walked over.
---
The vast nightscape unfolded before him.
Brilliant lights illuminated the city below.
Towering skyscrapers stretched toward the heavens.
The dazzling colors reflected from glass facades painted the city in dreamlike hues.
Far beneath them, car headlights shimmered like scattered stars.
The streams of pedestrians looked no larger than grains of rice.
Standing there, Ren felt an odd sensation of weightlessness.
As though the entire city lay beneath his feet.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
A subtle fragrance drifted through the air.
The silver-haired woman had quietly approached from behind.
Leaning close to his ear, she spoke softly.
Ren nodded.
"It is."
"This," Mei Mei whispered, "is the power of money."
"The power of wealth."
Her breath carried the sweet aroma of red wine.
Her hands came to rest gently on his shoulders.
"As long as we work together, everything you see before you will one day belong to us."
Her voice grew lower.
"This city."
"This country."
"And perhaps..."
"The entire world."
The rich scent of wine, coupled with her deep, hypnotic tone, almost lulled Ren into a trance.
Almost.
Then he blinked and snapped back to reality.
The entire country?
The entire world?
Wasn't that escalating a little too quickly?
And more importantly—
The way she said it...
Why did it sound exactly like something a villain would say?
Ren had a feeling she was drunk.
That was the only explanation for the increasingly outrageous things coming out of her mouth.
He shifted his shoulders, trying to free himself from her grasp.
"Mei Mei-san, it's getting late. I should head back and get some rest."
"Head back?"
Mei Mei giggled.
Her long, soft hand slid down from his shoulder and settled around his elbow.
"Don't be in such a hurry."
"Our partnership is only just beginning."
"Only just beginning?"
"Mm."
"I was speaking to you just now as the president of Black Bird International Security."
"But that company is only one of many businesses under my name."
"Beyond jujutsu-related operations, I have investments in mining, stocks, funds, real estate, and numerous other industries."
"In short, the wealth I control is beyond what you can currently imagine."
"And all of that wealth..."
She smiled softly.
"I hope to share it with you."
"That's why, besides the contract we just signed, there are many other opportunities I'd like to explore with you."
As she spoke, Mei Mei suddenly stepped closer.
Her arms wrapped around him.
Threading past his sides, her hands seized his wrists and held them firmly.
"Mei Mei-san?"
Ren's voice trembled in surprise.
"Ren-kun."
Her crimson lips brushed close to his ear.
The scent of wine lingered on her breath, rich and intoxicating.
"Would you like to build an even deeper partnership with me?"
Instinctively, Ren tried to pull away.
But the tall woman leaned forward, pinning him against the glass window behind him.
The soft pressure against his back made his thoughts scatter.
"Mei Mei-san...?"
he managed to say.
"It's obvious," she continued with amused interest, "that although you want money, and certainly possess the talent to earn it, you're not the type willing to devote every waking moment of your life to chasing wealth."
"And I'm the exact opposite."
A smile tugged at her lips.
"Money is my life."
"Your talent."
"My ambition."
"We complement each other perfectly."
She enclosed both of his hands within her own.
"Ren-kun entrusts himself to me."
"And these hands will bring Ren-kun an endless stream of wealth."
"We're a perfect match."
Her fingers intertwined with his.
The gesture was simple, yet strangely intimate.
Ren felt his entire body tense.
This is bad.
Very bad.
No girl he had ever met had affected him this strongly through something as innocent as holding hands.
His pulse raced uncontrollably.
The sheer force of her presence was overwhelming.
Compared to her, even Mai Zenin—who usually carried herself with confidence and allure—seemed almost innocent.
Danger.
Every alarm in Ren's head was blaring.
If she'd used this tactic from the very beginning, he suspected he might have signed any contract she placed in front of him.
"Then..."
Mei Mei moved even closer.
The distance between them disappeared entirely.
The fragrance of her perfume and wine surrounded him completely.
"Since Ren-kun isn't saying no..."
A playful smile touched her lips.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Her voice carried unmistakable satisfaction.
"From now on, we're going to have a comprehensive and deeply integrated partnership."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"And I intend to tie our interests together completely."