Chapter 45

After the early spring New Year, the final report of the third-party evaluation agency's assessment of the cooperation project between the Atobe Zaibatsu and Hasegawa Logistics surfaced. Although the performance of the operation over the past year was barely satisfactory, the Atobe Zaibatsu board of directors, after comprehensively evaluating the operating conditions of Hasegawa Logistics and the future prospects of the project, decided not to renew the contract after the expiration of the first year in February.

Hasegawa Logistics' reaction to this result was unexpectedly calm.

As the person in charge of the project, Hasegawa Shu did not make any attempts or efforts to save the result except for verbally expressing regret. He just accepted the decision of the Atobe Foundation calmly and signed a contract with the new partner half a month later.

The new investor of the project is Yokotani Construction, the new relative of the Hasegawa family.

"I was wondering why it was so calm, it turns out that you already found a new owner."

It was still chilly in the spring, and you could still feel the biting chill from your open collar. Yuushi Oshiro leaned against the French window in his office, raised his hand lazily, and the morning Yomiuri Shimbun lazily slipped through his slender fingers and landed on the brown transparent coffee table. The wind turned a few pages, making a rustling sound.

"Don't tell me you didn't see this, Oshiro."

Keigo Atobe leaned on the sofa opposite, his legs elegantly crossed, his sharp eyes only lingered on the eye-catching headlines in the financial section for a moment, and the arc at the corner of his mouth was full of sarcasm.

The dark blue-haired Kansai man just smiled casually: "It seems that Hasegawa has found a new supporter and no longer intends to rely on the Atobe Group for funds." 

Atobe snorted coldly, stood up, and looked at the bleak winter scenery outside the window with his hands behind his back: "No matter how shameless a person is, he should know that if he challenges me, even if it is only in secret, he must be prepared to bear all the costs." 

"So, he is a smart man." Oshitari raised the corners of his lips lazily, suddenly turned around and looked into his eyes, "Atobe, there is something I think you must be interested in." 

"Hmm?" 

"Your uncle from the Yue family, the old chairman of Hasegawa, secretly arranged for someone to do a DNA test." The genius of Hyotei pushed the glasses on his nose, and the thin morning sunlight swept across the lenses, making a bright white. 

Atobe narrowed his eyes: "The result?" 

"No match." Oshitari remained calm. 

"Are you sure?" 

"In the medical industry, the Oshima family still has some informants." Oshima laughed, "However, I am just stating the facts. You can judge for yourself." 

Everyone knows that what the Ice Emperor was most proud of back then was his amazing insight. 

Atobe Keigo lowered his eyelids, the double image in his eyes darkened a little, and finally raised the thin lip line. 

"Got it." He raised his eyelids, "Also, Oshima?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Find a way to dig up the background of the Yokotani family." 

"Oh, Master Atobe, this is double the favor..." 

Oshima spread his hands and showed an innocent smile. Atobe Keigo just glanced at him lightly, took the coat on the sofa and put it on: "Stop talking nonsense, how can I treat you badly when the time comes?" 

After that, he walked towards the door. 

"Leaving now?" 

"I've almost finished my stay here, and it's time to finish over there too." 

Just kidding, this morning, Master Atobe was just accompanying his wife for a regular physical examination. If it weren't for Yuushi Oshizuka who called him to his office with a mysterious look on his face, he wouldn't have had the time to reminisce with this Kansai wolf. 

"Tsk tsk, it's rare to see Master Atobe being so gentle and considerate." Oshizuka was in a very good mood, leaning against the window and waving goodbye to him, with a pale white sun behind him. 

The teased President Atobe frowned as if he had a headache, and twitched his mouth slightly as if he was holding back something, before he opened the door and walked out. 

The sun was already high at that time, and the pale golden beams of light poured into the corridor. 

Since the car accident and miscarriage, Youji had to follow the doctor's advice to go to the hospital for regular checkups every month. 

When she was young, she was busy with her livelihood and rarely paid attention to her health. She has always had symptoms of cold and weak body, so she had to pay more attention to the recovery treatment after the miscarriage. Now, four months have passed, and her body has recovered. She doesn't care much about it, but she still comes for regular checkups every month, probably because of Keigo Atobe's insistence. 

"The indicators these few times are all normal, it seems that she has recovered well." Her attending physician, Shinomiya Masako, is an authoritative professor of obstetrics and gynecology. She is over 50 years old and is a graceful and kind woman. After several contacts, Yuki also has a good impression of her, "The whole person looks much better." 

"Thank you for coming every time." The elegant woman sat up from the examination bed, put on her coat, and smiled lightly. 

"No, this is my job." The elderly female professor smiled kindly, "But you still have to pay attention to recuperation and rest, don't be too tired. Although you have recovered well now, if something goes wrong during the next pregnancy, it will be difficult to guarantee..." 

Shinomiya Masako just spoke slowly, and Yuki was slightly stunned when she heard the last sentence. 

Next time...pregnancy? 

She recalled the man's whispers in her ear at that time, and her heart trembled slightly. 

As if noticing her somewhat dazed look, Shinomiya paused: "Don't think about the past anymore, you are still young..." 

"Doctor." She interrupted her, retracted her wandering eyes, and her expression suddenly became solemn, "Please tell me the truth, given my current situation, can I have another child?" 

Shinomiya Masako was silent for a long time, and the small clinic was quiet. 

"Child." She called the elegant and indifferent woman in front of her like this, "Many things are possible as long as you don't give up hope." 

Youji heard it, but didn't say anything. The light sunlight overflowed from the gap in the blinds and sprinkled on her slightly trembling eyelashes. 

After a long time, until there was a crisp knock on the door behind her, she turned around belatedly. The tall purple-haired man was leaning against the door frame with an elegant posture. The sunlight in front of him shone into his dark gray eyes, as deep and bottomless as the night sky. 

"There will be a regular meeting later. Shall I take you home first?" 

She didn't know when Atobe stood there. When they came out, Atobe just held her hand and didn't say anything. It was not until they drove the black Lincoln out of the gate of the University of Tokyo Hospital that he spoke casually. 

"It's still early. Take me to the office." Youji said lightly. She had said this for a hundred times in her heart but she didn't ask it out loud. She sighed faintly and lowered her eyelids with a little fatigue. 

Atobe Keigo heard her faint sigh, and the color in his eyes darkened a little, but he did not say anything: "If you are tired, go back and rest?" 

"It's just a check-up, nothing." She shook her head. "Besides, senior Kudo Ryoko just handed in her resignation. The firm has lost this ace, and we are a little busy." 

Atobe Keigo had heard about these things in silence. It was not long ago that the ace lawyer Kudo Ryoko, who had always been far ahead in performance, handed in her resignation to President Makotoyama without any warning, and went to another industry leader, T&Z Law Firm, for a higher position. Not only the paralegals below, but even the senior management of AE were caught off guard.

"Ryoko Kudo?" He narrowed his eyes, as if he was quite interested. "It seems that AE, this big tree, can't keep her."

"T&Z invited her to join as a partner, which is something that lawyers can't wait for." Youji curled the corners of his lips lightly, without revealing too much of his feelings.

Kudo Ryoko's departure was somewhat unexpected to her. Her predecessor was very versatile, decisive and sharp, and his achievements were proud of. When she first entered the industry, she was also one of her goals. This sudden departure made her feel a little empty.

"Is there something that Oshitari wants to talk to you about?" She didn't continue the topic and turned it off quietly.

"That guy seems to have found something interesting." Atobe raised his lip line and glanced at her sideways. "It seems that your uncle has gone to verify it."

Youji was slightly stunned, and after a moment of realization, he lowered his eyelids and said nothing more.

When the car drove through the bustling streets of Ginza and stopped at the door of the AE office building, he pushed open the door and got out.

Atobe called out, and when he looked back, he had already gotten out of the driver's seat, walked a few steps closer, and then stood still.

"What?" She looked up in confusion, quietly waiting for the next words.

Atobe didn't speak for a long time, just lowered his head and looked at her steadily, his purple-gray hair scattered into his eyelids, and the pale sunlight from the top of his head blurred the real emotions in his eyes.

After a long time, he finally sighed slightly, opened his arms and hugged her gently: "I'll pick you up after the meeting this afternoon."

The faint smell of cologne filled the surroundings, and she didn't react for a while.

"Still on the street, what are you doing."

After a while, she struggled out of his arms, lowered her head and put her scattered hair behind her ears, and there was a bit of shyness.

Atobe couldn't help but smile, and stopped talking, just patted her shoulder and motioned her to go in.

She didn't ask about the words that she had considered along the way, and he didn't mention them after all.

After watching her back leave, he returned to the driver's seat, and then Akiyama Takuma called:

"Master Keigo, there are new developments in Yokotani Construction."

"Wait at the headquarters, I'll be back soon."

The gorgeous purple-haired man raised his eyelids, his saber-like eyes became sharp, and a cold edge flashed in his eyes. The black Lincoln honked, turned around, and drove into the depths of the crowd.

"It seems that Master Atobe really cares about you."

Through the bright glass window on the side of the corridor, you can clearly see the eye-catching Lincoln. Kudo Ryoko retracted her gaze, glanced at the woman in front of her, and just smiled very lightly.

Yuki Terajima had just walked out of the elevator and stopped at the entrance of the corridor. She looked at the smart and capable woman in black in front of her, and was slightly surprised, but she raised the corner of her lips lightly: "Hasn't the senior reported to the new office?" 

"I forgot something here, come and get it." Kudo Ryoko raised the corner of her lips, stepped on high heels and walked over step by step. She was tall and looked more capable and neat. "By the way, I came to see everyone." 

Yuki just smiled lightly. 

Kudo Ryoko's resignation this time was a big blow to AE. 

Not only did she leave personally, but it also led to the loss of most of her cooperative clients. 

She has been in the industry for ten years, from a small assistant to a well-known ace lawyer in the industry. The painstaking cultivation of AE's president, Makoto Tomoya, is indispensable. Now that she has grown up, she has been poached by competitors, and some people have privately criticized her. 

As Sakai Otonashi said, "I heard that President Seiyama spent a lot of effort to cultivate her as a small assistant, but she left her old employer as soon as he offered her better conditions. She really didn't keep any friendship at all." 

Yuki did not comment. With Kudo Ryoko's current reputation in the industry, it would be very easy for her to change jobs. In the legal community, it is common for famous lawyers to open their own firms after they have established a foundation. Leaving AE at this time is simply because AE no longer has room for her to continue to grow. But she is very curious. With Kudo Ryoko's status in AE, she could even become a partner, but President Seiyama, who has always valued talent, did not offer the same conditions to retain this former ace lawyer. What kind of irreconcilable conflict has occurred between the two? 

"Since you left your job, maybe we won't have many chances to meet in the future?" 

"Maybe we'll meet in court or at the negotiation table." Kudo Ryoko had been walking by her shoulder, but she stopped suddenly after hearing this, turned around, and raised her lips. 

"In that case." Youji said calmly, "I will do my best to surpass you." 

Kudo smiled, his eyes sharp, looking into her eyes: "You are luckier than me, Youji. It took me ten years to get to where I am today, but for you, maybe five years is enough." Youji 

was stunned for a moment, then she curved her lips slightly, unable to tell whether she was happy or angry. 

"There is gain and loss," she said, "Nothing is free." 

Nothing is free. 

Whether it's money or reputation, if you want to achieve your ambitions, you have to give up something. 

The smile in Kudo Ryoko's eyes deepened, and she didn't say anything else. She turned around and walked towards the elevator, and the sound of her high heels hitting the ground echoed crisply. 

Youji did not move, but stood there calmly, turning his eyes to the view of the tall buildings outside the window of Ginza. In the chilly spring, there was no bloodshed in the mall, so it must be not far away.