Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

Chapter 96 Bottom Line

The afternoon sun streamed through the ancient corridors of St. Hua College, casting long shadows from the carved window frames onto the waxed hardwood floors, creating a row of neat, slanted geometric patterns.

Tiny dust particles floated in the air, like golden powder slowly swirling in the beam of light.

"Satsuki-chan".

Amy, who was walking beside her, suddenly stopped, reached out a hand, and patted the small, hard lump in her pocket through the fabric of her skirt.

"What's wrong?" Satsuki turned her head to the side.

"I was thinking, what if I went to buy a property insurance policy now, listed myself as the beneficiary, and then lied and said I tripped and fell in the hallway and lost this thing..."

Amy pushed up her glasses, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"Given the current premium on the Argyle pink diamond, does that mean I can retire early and buy an island in Hawaii to live out my days?"

"You can give it a try."

Satsuki smiled too.

"However, I think you'd probably prefer a state-of-the-art Cray-2 supercomputer to the islands of Hawaii, wouldn't you?"

"Hmm... you saw right through me."

Amy shrugged and flicked the diamond pocket with her finger, making a soft "thud".

"Just kidding. Although this stone is expensive, it's safe in my pocket right now—after all, no thief has ever been able to take anything from my 'mobile security system' (referring to herself)."

She quickly followed Gaoyue, her steps light and quick, her little leather shoes tapping out a crisp rhythm on the floor.

"Let's go. Aren't we going to meet that legendary Iron-Faced Chairman? Let me see what kind of person he is that makes our young lady want to make this trip for us."

"Then we'll see how you perform."

Satsuki turned around and continued walking forward.

At the end of the corridor was a heavy double oak door with a gleaming brass plaque hanging on it: [Student Council Room].

"Thump, thump".

Satsuki raised her hand and gently tapped her knuckles on the wooden door.

"Please come in."

A calm and steady male voice came from inside the door.

Satsuki pushed open the door.

The student council office was extremely spacious and well-lit. Tall filing cabinets lined both sides of the room, with a large conference table in the center. Behind a desk at the far end sat a young man reviewing documents.

He was wearing Saint-Gobain's uniform, his tie perfectly tied, and even the top button of his shirt was fastened tightly. His short hair was neatly trimmed, and a pair of frameless glasses perched on his nose. Behind the lenses, his slender eyes peered through the mountain of documents at the two people who entered.

Kudo Kui.

President of the student council at Sheng Hua Academy High School, second year.

"Nice to meet you, Saionji-kun, and Suzuki-kun."

Kudo Kyu put down his pen, stood up, and nodded politely.

"A rare guest. It's been a month since school started, and this is the first time I've seen the top student in the grade."

"I was delayed in the United States because of my family business."

Satsuki walked to her desk and placed the pre-prepared tutoring application and club establishment application on it.

"These are the application for extra lessons and the registration form for the new club."

Kudo Kei took the document and quickly scanned it. His reading speed was so fast that the sound of his fingers turning the pages was particularly clear in the quiet office.

"The 'Social Observation Department'?"

Kudo Kei's gaze lingered on the club name section, and he raised an eyebrow slightly.

"The purpose of this activity is... to study the underlying logic of modern socio-economic structures and capital flows?"

He looked up and gazed at Satsuki through his glasses.

"At Seiwa, most girls apply for tea ceremony, flower arrangement, or equestrianism. Saionji's interests are quite unique."

"After all, while tea ceremony and flower arrangement are elegant, as a former member of the aristocracy, I'm quite confident in these areas," Satsuki replied with a smile. "Does President Kudo think there's anything wrong with this application?"

"There are no problems with the process."

Kudo Kei pulled a red pen from the pen holder, neatly signed his name on the application form, and then stamped it with the student council's seal.

"Smack."

"Approved." He handed the document back to Satsuki. "The electrical wiring in the old school building is a bit outdated. If you want to use high-powered appliances, it's best to report to the general affairs office first."

"Thanks for reminding me."

Satsuki took the document and was about to turn and leave.

Just then, her gaze swept across Kudo Kei's desk.

Beside those neatly arranged stacks of documents, a single check lay forlornly.

It was a brightly colored bank draft, and the numbers on it were not deliberately obscured.

5,000,000 Yen.

Next to the check was a pink, perfumed note with a few lines written in delicate but slightly childish handwriting.

The signature reads: Class 1-A, Mariko Ezaki.

Satsuki stopped in her tracks.

"It seems that Chairman Kudo is indeed a person who is deeply 'beloved', just as rumored."

Kudo Kei followed her gaze, a barely concealed look of disgust flashing across his previously calm face. He reached out, seemingly to sweep the check into the trash can, but his fingers froze in mid-air, and he ultimately just pushed it away in frustration.

"This is not respect, it's an insult."

Kudo Kei's voice turned cold.

"That transfer student, Esaki-san. She had it delivered this morning. She said it was a donation of five million yen to 'improve the student council's office environment'."

"Isn't this great?" Satsuki asked knowingly. "The student council's budget is always tight. Five million yen can replace that photocopier that always jams, and also buy a lot of new books for the library."

"If it's just a donation, I certainly welcome it."

Kudo Kei sneered and tapped the pink letter with his finger.

"But in her letter, she hinted that she hoped to join the soon-to-be-established 'Cultural Festival Executive Committee' and serve as its vice-chairperson."

"She bought a title for five million. That's what she calls a 'donation'."

He raised his head and looked directly into Satsuki's eyes.

"Saionji-kun, I know the rules in your circle. But in the Seiwa student council, at least during my term, I don't want to see this kind of dirty dealing."

"I will return this money."

Righteous and awe-inspiring.

Amy, who was standing to the side, pushed up her glasses, looked at the chairman, then at the checks on the table, and said nothing.

Satsuki chuckled softly.

"Dirty?"

She took a step forward, placed her hands on the edge of the desk, and leaned forward slightly, shortening the distance between herself and Kudo Kyu.

"President Kudo, your father is a prosecutor, right?"

Kudo Kei frowned: "This has nothing to do with my family."

"related."

Satsuki stared into his eyes.

"Because you inherited that black-and-white value system. In your eyes, the world is divided into two halves by a line: legal and illegal, clean and dirty."

"But is that really how the real world is?"

She extended a long, slender finger, pressed it on the check, and gently slid it back to the center of the table.

"Five million yen. For the Ezaki family—that is, the Epes Group which is currently in the limelight—it's just a drop in the ocean. If this money is returned, Mariko Ezaki won't feel ashamed; she'll just think you're complaining about the amount, or that you're an ungrateful bookworm."

"Then she'll use that money to bribe others. Like the head of the student union, or some more influential board members. In the end, she'll still get that position, while you'll gain nothing but an enemy who's hostile to you."

Kudo Kei's expression stiffened for a moment.

"So? Does Saionji-kun mean I should just go along with it?"

"No."

Satsuki shook her head.

"What I mean is that accepting private donations is also part of social life. The question is how to handle these funds, which donations can be accepted, and which cannot."

She picked up the check and flicked it lightly with her fingertips, making a crisp sound as she read it.

"The paper itself is not guilty. The so-called 'filth' only exists at the moment the transaction is completed."

"If she gave you money and you gave her the position, that's bribery. That's dirty."

"but."

Satsuki changed the subject.

"If she gave you the money, and you put it into the public account, turning it into a new air conditioner for the library or new equipment for the club. Then, when selecting executive committee members, you still strictly followed the rules and rejected her because she was 'incompetent'..."

"At this point, the money is no longer a bribe."

"It was a donation from a kind-hearted classmate."

Kudo Kei was stunned.

He looked at Satsuki as if she were an alien.

"This...this is fraud," he managed to utter. "This violates the spirit of the contract."

"Did she sign a contract with you?" Satsuki pointed to the pink letter paper. "Does it say 'I'll get a refund if I don't resign as chairperson'? No, it doesn't, right?"

"Since there's no written contract, it's just her wishful thinking."

Satsuki gently patted the check on the back of Kudo Kyu's hand.

"President Kudo, isn't politics simply about transforming private desires into public interests?"

"If Mariko Esaki wants vanity, then give her vanity—for example, publish a small thank-you note in the school newspaper praising her generosity."

"As for power..."

Satsuki straightened up and clapped her hands.

"Power cannot be bought or sold. You are absolutely right about that."

"Eat the bait and spit out the hook. That's what a mature manager should do."

A deathly silence fell over the office.

Kudo Kei held the check, his fingers trembling slightly.

Five million yen.

If the money were used to repair the roof of that old, always-leaking gymnasium, or to establish scholarships for underprivileged students…

He took a deep breath and looked up at Satsuki.

"Saionji-kun."

Kudo Kyu's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Are you... really a high school student?"

"certainly."

Satsuki tilted her head and pointed to the dark green ribbon on her collar.

"A genuine first-year student."

She picked up her schoolbag and walked towards the door.

"Well then, we won't disturb the president's work any longer. The Social Observation Department's activity room still needs cleaning, so we'll take our leave now."

Amy followed, and as she passed Kudo Kyu, she gave him a slight bow.

As she reached the door, Satsuki suddenly stopped.

She didn't turn around, but with her back to Kudo Kei, she said softly:

"By the way, President Kudo."

"Regarding the Epsom Group behind the Ezaki family... there seem to be some unpleasant rumors circulating lately."

"That company's stock, like this check, looks tempting, but if you're not careful, it can burn your hand."

"This is... my way of returning the favor for approving your club application."

After saying that, she pushed open the door and walked into the sunlit corridor.

The heavy oak door closed slowly behind us with a dull thud.

Kudo Kei sat alone behind his desk.

He looked down at the check in his hand, then at the letter that reeked of cheap perfume.

Much later.

He opened the drawer and took out an account book stamped with "For Financial Use Only".

He picked up his pen and neatly wrote down the following in the income column of the ledger:

[Donation Income: 5 million yen. Source: Mariko Esaki, Class 1-A. Purpose: To be determined (suggested use for library air conditioning system upgrades).]

After writing this line, he crumpled the pink letter into a ball and accurately threw it into the wastepaper basket at his feet.

"Thump."

The sound of the crumpled paper falling to the bottom.

And it was accompanied by the sound of something breaking—a bottom line, once cracked, is hard to mend.

The chirping of cicadas outside the window came through the glass, sounding particularly noisy on this early summer afternoon.