Chapter 495: Financial Bandits

At the headquarters of the Ikkyō Group, the three members of the Sakai family were once again gathered together.

They had lost count of how many times they had met during this period.

It was just too frequent!

There was no other way, as various crises had them all in a frenzy. No one person could make a decision. Even Sakai Kōhei, the head of the family, was unable to make a decision and could only consult with the others.

However, compared to previous meetings, this time, the mood among the three was slightly more relaxed.

They had received news that Jiuding Securities had publicly announced that it held 23.8% of the shares in the Otowa Group (including both on-market and off-market acquisitions) and had aggressively initiated a takeover bid.

This news greatly relieved the Sakai family's pressure.

Originally, the Otowa Group was relentlessly pursuing them, and internally, they faced infighting, while externally, they had to contend with Otowa Group's continued acquisition attempts.

Especially after the board of directors had been infiltrated, the Sakai family had been continuously hindered. Many internal matters could not be concealed from the Otowa Group.

There was no other option. To increase their shareholding, they had to switch accounts and acquire shares in the name of the family to avoid being fully investigated by the Otowa Group.

Despite the three of them working together, this period had still been extremely tough.

They were caught between internal and external struggles, including power struggles, public opinion impacts, declining manga sales, plummeting stock prices, and the looming threat of a takeover. The pressure was too much to be described, and the Sakai family could only endure with tears.

Fortunately, Jiuding Securities' sudden aggressive acquisition of the Otowa Group had thrown Otowa Group into chaos, forcing them to shift their focus to deal with Jiuding Securities, giving the Sakai family a chance to breathe.

This was the benefit Jiuding Securities' acquisition brought them.

But there were downsides as well. The Otowa Group's stock price plummeted again due to a series of effects triggered by Jiuding Securities' intervention. Moreover, when the securities company they hired attempted to buy up shares, they found that someone else was buying up shares even faster, always managing to acquire them before they could.

"Could this buyer be Jiuding Securities? They are shorting our stock, so are they now buying it back at such a low price?" Sakai Seitarō squinted and speculated.

Sakai Ichirō nodded slightly and said, "It's quite possible. Our group's market value has already dropped below 50 billion yen. They might be buying it back at a low price; otherwise, how could they return it if we acquire it?"

"Your words make me think of a question. Is Jiuding Securities' acquisition of Otowa Group's shares genuinely intended for acquiring the Otowa Group, or is it to get the shares we hold in the Otowa Group?"

A light bulb went off in Sakai Kōhei's mind, and he squinted his eyes as he spoke.

As soon as this was said, both Sakai Ichirō and Sakai Seitarō's pupils shrank, and they pondered this possibility, increasingly feeling it might be true.

"So should we create trouble for Jiuding Securities?"

Sakai Ichirō's heart grew cold, and a fierce look flashed in his eyes as he said.

One reason for their recent difficulties was Jiuding Securities' aggressive shorting of their stocks. Now that they had uncovered Jiuding Securities' plan, Sakai Ichirō's desire for revenge swelled.

Sakai Kōhei, although tempted, was the head of the family for a reason. Besides his talent, he was known for his calmness, patience, and awareness of the bigger picture.

He weighed the pros and cons and shook his head to reject Sakai Ichirō's idea, explaining, "No, we cannot be sure Jiuding Securities is thinking this way. Now that Jiuding Securities has approached the Otowa Group, it's already a form of relief for us. We don't need to attract their attention."

"Moreover, even if Jiuding Securities does intend this, let them be. If Jiuding Securities takes the stock, it's better than if it stays in the Otowa Group's hands!"

Hearing this explanation, Sakai Ichirō was unwilling but was rational enough to accept that Sakai Kōhei's point was valid.

If Jiuding Securities took the stock, it was merely a matter of grudging acceptance, which they could endure. However, if the stock remained with the Otowa Group, it would be a matter of life and death.

Since Otowa Group infiltrated their board with its stock, troubles had come one after another, leaving them with a huge headache.

If they had to continue scheming against Otowa Group, life would be very difficult and result in real losses.

If they angered Jiuding Securities now and faced their retaliation, and if Jiuding Securities sold their shares in the Ikkyō Group to Otowa Group, it would indeed be disastrous.

Thus, even if they might have guessed Jiuding Securities' intentions, the Sakai family trio dared not act on it.

Under the eaves, one has to bow their head!

This was blatant and ruthless! They were not afraid of their knowledge!

The tragedy of the weak!

"Alas…"

Sakai Ichirō's unwillingness turned into a long sigh in the end.

---

The Sakai family trio was deeply troubled, and the senior executives of the Otowa Group were having an even worse time.

Because unwelcome guests had arrived!

At the Otowa Group headquarters conference room, the atmosphere had fallen into a strange silence.

Sitting at the head of the table, Shiba Seikō's face looked very grim. The original second-largest shareholder, Watanabe Akihito, did not look any better, and the remaining directors all had varying expressions.

But one thing was the same: their eyes were all fixed on two new faces.

Shiba Seikō felt that the smiles on these new faces made him want to hit someone! He was extremely frustrated!

At the same time, he thought about the two missing directors and was also very annoyed.

Those two directors were a big problem; they had sold their shares to Jiuding Securities, bringing huge trouble to the Otowa Group.

And now, the general manager of Jiuding Securities, Wang Qi, and the general manager of Jiuding Publishing Group, Gavin Peter, were sitting here.

Wang Qi and Gavin Peter held a combined 23.8% of Otowa Group's shares, and just thinking about it made Shiba Seikō's heartache.

As the largest shareholder, he only held 24.5% of the shares, while this new party held 23.8% of the shares and was surely still acquiring more, which seriously threatened his position.

However, knowing they were unwelcome guests, he couldn't afford to anger them, lest it provoke uncontrollable consequences.

Shiba Seikō took a deep breath, forced a smile, and said to everyone, "First, let's give a warm welcome to the two new directors. Please, let's applaud!"

"Clap, clap, clap…"

A round of uneven applause erupted.

Shiba Seikō smiled awkwardly.

Wang Qi had a playful expression, looking at Shiba Seikō and saying, "It seems everyone isn't too welcoming of us…"

"Oh, not at all, Mr. Wang, you're joking. We certainly welcome your addition. The company's strength is even greater now, and we are quite pleased!"

Shiba Seikō said hypocritically and clapped again, and others also woke up and clapped vigorously.

These two were like grim reapers, and even if he felt frustrated, Shiba Seikō had to endure.

Especially in comparison to Wang Qi from Jiuding Securities, Shiba Seikō was even more concerned about Gavin Peter, the white man sitting next to Wang Qi, who seemed lost in thought. Gavin Peter was the newly famous general manager of Jiuding Publishing Group.

This person was the one who posed the greatest threat to the Otowa Group!

Recently, this white man had rapidly absorbed five publishing houses, creating the third-largest publishing group in the country, and had been eyeing them.

Now this dangerous person had teamed up with Jiuding Securities, and upon arrival, announced that he had obtained a 10% stake from Jiuding Securities. The threat implied was too strong, making Shiba Seikō extremely anxious.

This scene seemed somewhat familiar?

Shiba Seikō thought to himself with a bitter smile, as their relationship with the Ikkyō Group was exactly the same as now.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The Otowa Group had become the mantis?!

"Alright, everyone, I don't want to waste your precious time any longer!"

Wang Qi gathered his smile and said.

This calm tone made everyone in the room perk up.

"I'm here today with only one purpose. I'm not interested in your company's shares. The only thing I'm interested in is the Ikkyō Group's shares."

Upon hearing this, Shiba Seikō and the others' faces instantly turned grim.

Before they could speak, Wang Qi scanned everyone meaningfully and smiled, "Of course, if you're unwilling to provide them, it's alright. I've thoughtfully made a backup plan. The gentleman next to me, Mr. Gavin Peter from Jiuding Publishing Group, is very interested in your company's shares, or the Ikkyō Group's shares."

"Indeed, I'm interested in any company's shares

!" Gavin Peter said in English, showing an enthusiastic smile.

Shiba Seikō's heart sank as he heard the meaning behind their words.