Chapter 15 - Two faces

It was 7 AM Saturday morning; most people usually were still sleeping at their house. However there were some who still have some work to do even though it was weekend. Meanwhile, there was a man went inside the big office near Saitama. His face looked a bit stressed. He repeatedly took deep breaths as if he was trying to gather some strength in preparing for something. The elevator stopped at level 20. He went out and walked towards the meeting room. He halted, fixing his posture and exhaled, then he opened the door to the room where there were eight people waiting for him. They turned to look at the person who had just arrived.

"So, everybody is already here." The man, named Matsumoto Eisaku, looked at the faces that attended the meeting. He normally would not hold the meeting during off days, unless there was something crucial that he needed to relay to the company's board. In this case, it was the latter. As the chief executive officer appointed by the board, he felt responsible to hold the meeting whenever it was necessary.

He sat at the empty seat where he faced all the board of directors. "So, thank you for coming today despite it's weekend," Matsumoto began his intro.

"You better have a good excuse for calling us all here. Wait, I didn't see Shinoda Haruki here." Abarai suddenly realized since Haruki is also one of the board of directors and furthermore, he holds 20% share for Matsumoto AMT Corporation. So, it was weird for him to not being present at the emergency shareholder meeting.

"Well, his attendance wasn't needed for this meeting so I didn't invite him for today's meeting. After all, this is a secret meeting only known to us." Matsumoto replied.

Hearing Matsumoto made all members of the board looked at each other in confusion.

"Today's meeting will be about pulling out Shinoha Haruki from being one of the members of the board. As I've heard all of your concerns regarding his methods of securing the company shares that make some of you uncomfortably shaken so I've decided that it's necessary to force him out of this." Matsumoto finally revealed his true agenda for the meeting.

All of the members were so shocked with Matsumoto's audacious intention to kick Haruki from being one of them. They did know the reason Matsumoto wanted to cut off the young leader because he did not want to deal with the yakuza clan anymore. Their demands recently became ridiculous and stricter than before. Haruki got 20% of the share thus making him the second largest shareholder after Matsumoto with 40%. Due to that particular fact, he acted as if he was the one who controlled the company. His attitude somehow irked other shareholders too; they were jealous since Haruki owned shares way more than the other members of the board therefore Haruki is always seemed to be above them in power.

"Matsumoto san, you said that as if you didn't value your own life. You did know that you're talking about Shinoda Haruki, Homura's clan leader which happens to be the biggest shareholder right after you. It was early morning and you've already sounded drunk." Abarai, one of the head manager criticized Matsumoto's plan. He thought that it was stupid and crazy because they had never faced with such problematic yakuza's head before.

"I don't even care. The quicker he is out of our company, the more control we have over it. Wasn't that what everyone here truly wants?" Matsumoto defended his stance.

"So, what are you suggesting then?" Namikawa asked.

"Well, I suggest we sell Shinoda Haruki's share to other possible candidate and hire an assassin to get rid of him. Without Shinoda Haruki, Homura clan's power will be weakened. Also, I've already found someone who can help us to buy the share."

The plan seemed simple but risky.

"Don't you think that killing him would cause a huge mess? After all we're dealing with Shinoda Haruki. His father won't stay silent about this. We didn't want trouble from Homura." Fukuyama expressed his concern, trying to shake Matsumoto from an impossible dream and pulled him back to the reality.

"Still, once Homura clan is weakened, then it's somehow a golden opportunity for other clans to take advantage and demolish the Homura clan easily. We didn't even need to lift a finger." Matsumoto calmly explained the positive outcomes if the plan went smoothly as constructed. It's dicey for him but he wanted to take any chances he possibly could.

"So, who's the guy that you think can help us buying his share?" Higuchi asked, wanting to make sure.

"And…illegally to be precise." Higuchi stressed.

"His name is Tashiro Hideo. I'm thinking of making him as a temporary shareholder before we actually sell the empty seat to our permanent candidate. Heard some of his hacking skills are able to make the illegal purchase left untraceable. I got recommended by one of my colleagues from other clans who used to work with him." He revealed his lengthy plan into details.

"This is outrages! Contacting with other clans about this? Have you out of your damn mind Matsumoto? What if they snitched you to Homura??" It irked Fukuyama to no end. Matsumoto might have risked all of them and their families to that untrustworthy union of clans.

"Oh, just shut your mouth if you didn't want me to strip you off your current comfortable position! And I did mention before, didn't I? We will sell his share by any illegal means and once that matter is settled, we will eliminate him. Done." He snapped his fingers.

"But…How to kill him? He is always guarded by several bodyguards. And I believe the girl who is always stay beside him, the secretary, is also one of his skilled men. Worst is the Mad Hound, the guy who keeps wearing the stupid plain bodyguard façade, Yamasaki if that's what he is called as I recall. You know that there were already several occurrences where Haruki used him to eliminate their enemies. Recent bloody murders of the sub-clans in the news were mostly from Mad Hound. Matsumoto, you do know it and still want to proceed with this plan? Be my guess then. But I didn't want-"

Fukuyama was abruptly cut out when Matsumoto slammed his hand on the table due to annoyance of Fukuyama's objections.

"Fukuyama, either you just went along with this plan or resign from this company, I don't need a coward like you." Matsumoto clearly gave the final warning. He did not even look at Fukuyama as he was possessed by the vengeance he had towards Haruki.

Again, Matsumoto asked the members of the board to confirm whether they would follow along with his plan. All of them nodded in agreement. Matsumoto smirked as he felt his plan would go smoothly this time.

"Since you are so eager to execute this risky plan, I bet you already hired Tashiro Hideo." Abarai knew Matsumoto would make that plan even without board of directors' approval because he is not the type that waits for others. The meeting is more likely just a formal way to proclaim his agenda.

"Yes, indeed he's already here." He pointed out to the door and there was a guy who stood still wearing black suit while holding a suit case. The man politely bowed to them. He walked towards the table, opened the suitcase. There was a laptop inside there. He then switched on the laptop by pressing the button.

"Nice to meet you guys. I'm Tashiro Hideo." A voice is heard coming out from the laptop.

"Wow, I didn't know that Tashiro Hideo is a mere computer, Matsumoto. This is ridiculous." Namikawa expressed his disappointments.

Some of the members of the board were also seemed doubtful by the appearance of a mere internet connection via laptop.

"Well, I get that everybody in the room may be concerned and think that I shouldn't be trusted as I never show myself to anyone before. Fret not; this is only for safety measures since I'm mostly needed to deal with quite dangerous tasks by clients. Furthermore, you've requested me to go against that new yakuza leader who was rumored to be so treacherous at the moment. So, I assumed that now you guys understand how risky it is to me to reveal my face?" Tashiro's lengthy clarification was enough to snap the board of directors to reality.

"Understandable, but how will you make sure that it is going to work then?" Namikawa still was not convinced.

"Hacking is my specialty. I've worked for countless of times with zero failure. Give me one week, and you will see the result." The man with black suit switched off the laptop and dismissed himself out.

"Are you really sure this will work, Matsumoto?" Fukuyama asked again; wanting confirmation. He seriously did not fond with the idea at all.

"Come on. Let the man do his works. Now dismiss." Matsumoto ended the meeting and proceed to leave. Fukuyama sighed as he can't believe with Matsumoto's decision.

"I can't believe he can trust a guy who hides behind a screen!" Fukuyama raised his voice.

"Well, he was clearly desperate. Now, I'm interested to see what will happen next." Higuchi chuckled.

"You're didn't take this is very seriously, right?" Namikawa joined the conversation.

"You know I don't really care who's controlling the company though. Overall, it's all the same to me. Excuse me. I have to leave now. I got a date with a sexy lady." Higuchi stood from his chair, ready to leave following Matsumoto's departure.

"Geez, who is it this time that worth throwing your money for?" Abarai looked at him.

"The most expensive and exquisite one, Lucian." He laughed in satisfaction.

"Oh hot damn, that one is really hard to get. Always fully booked."

"Right, it's like I'm hitting the jackpot today. Well then see you guys around, now it's time for me to blow my stress away from this useless meeting." He continued laughing.

Matsumoto bit his lips. He was inside his office. It seemed like he was waiting for something. His fingers were tapping the table while his left foot were fiddling non-stop. Suddenly, his phone rang a notification which he quickly reacted to open the message. The message was indeed from Tashiro Hideo, the one who he had been waiting the whole week. He sent him some pictures proving that he already managed to buy the share illegally. He laughed with joy. He then asked his secretary to gather all the board of directors for a meeting. This time, Haruki was also invited.

"Hahaha I can't wait to see his face when he knew about it. It is now time for his assassination," He muttered to himself.

"What do you mean by I'm no longer one of the members of the board?" Haruki asked Matsumoto directly when he heard the announcement. Both Eris and Yamasaki could feel the tone of anger coming from their young master.

"You heard that. You're no longer one of us. Your 20% share had already been taken by someone else. Therefore, you can't interfere with the company anymore." Namikawa added the fuel.

"So, you sold my share without my permission? The nerve! Well, I assumed that everybody in this room is involved, right? You clearly have no idea what you've got yourselves into." Haruki smirked.

He then stood, "Well, enjoy this moment while you can." He walked out followed by Eris and Yamasaki.

"Hehe, it's your last day anyway. You won't see me enjoying this moment." As Matsumoto was speaking, suddenly, bullet shots echoed from outside of the room.

"Shit, so you really hired an assassin to kill him. Brilliant." Namikawa was shocked but at the same time he was happy.

"If we didn't kill him quickly, sooner or later it will be us being shot. Let the rest clean that shit up. Anyway, why don't we celebrate our victory? All's on me." They clapped in excitement.

"Sounds good then." Abarai said.

"And also, to thanks the person who became part of this plan, Tashiro Hideo will join us today. In person." Matsumoto seemed so pleased because his plan to kicked Haruki out of the boards of directors was successful. On top of that, he managed to get rid of Haruki from his life forever.

"Ah, so he wants to finally show himself. I guess he feels safe now." Fukuyama uttered.

"The matter is done, there is no threat anymore, so why not?" Higuchi was in agreement.

"Now what are we waiting for? Let's go."

They all went out together, laughing as if no one inside the company except them.

They went to an exclusive private Japanese restaurant. They booked the place entirely. They waited for Tashiro Hideo's arrival while drinking the sake. The laughing voices echoed across the restaurant.

"This MVP sure is late, hahaha!" Matsumoto wondered.

"Oh come on, heroes will always arrive late, they say." Abarai continued.

"Don't worry. He will be here soon." Matsumoto then tossed his drinks with others.

Later, the waitress knocked the door. She opened the sliding door and greeted them.

"Mr. Tashiro Hideo has arrived." She said, informing them of Tashiro Hideo's arrival.

"Haa finally the hero is her-" Matsumoto stopped as the person who was entering the room is not Tashiro Hideo but Haruki, accompanied by Yamasaki and Eris. He then sat in front of them. He smiled at them, albeit dangerously.

"Wait! We just ki-" before he managed to continue, Haruki instantly shut him by putting his index finger on his lips. Everybody went silent automatically.

"You mean you're just killed me? Well, too bad the gunshot is just a sound played from Yamasaki's phone. Now you might be thinking your assassin ditched his work. Well, he didn't actually. He was a great assassin, but it's just Yamasaki was better. Oh, by the way he's dead." He sipped the Japanese sake, taking time to chill for a second.

"And the 20% share that Tashiro Hideo tried to buy illegally, well, that's where you guys are bunch of fool baboons. Trusting a person who worked behind a screen without having the effort to find the real information about such person, you are such idiots, huh? Tashiro Hideo is just a pseudo named for my secretary here, Lady Eris. She has worked with that pseudo name with so many clans, and you happened to request her assistant from mere recommendation from other subs-clans. Funny." He let out a small laugh.

Yet, Matsumoto and the others just froze, did not even reacted to Haruki's laugh.

"You know, the god of luck must be on my side all this time, Matsumoto. You see, I won't know this if it's not because of you'd been hiring Tashiro aka Eris to do your job. Another thing is; there's a spy I hired to relay your genius plan to me." Haruki smiled.

"A spy??!" Matsumoto was so shocked that he wasn't expected about that. And with the way Haruki said it, he assumed that there was a traitor within the board of directors.

The question is who was it?

"Relax there's no mole within the board. It's just the escort Higuchi just went out recently I just happened to know him. He used to work as a spy, selling his body to greedy horny men and by coincidence, Higuchi just have a big mouth and slipped everything to him." That exclamation is enough to make Matsumoto so furious. He grabbed Higuchi's collar shirt and punched him.

"Anyway, you guys have caused too much uproar. Not only you try to buy my share illegally, but you also have the nerve to assassinate me. Kudos to you guys for being so brave and so dumb at the same time. Ah, let me tell you a secret. The sake you drink right now contained some deadly poison."

Matsumoto and the members were totally in shock knowing that they had already drank a couple of those.

"It is my farewell gift for your bravery, dear directors! Applause, please!" Haruki spread both his hands wide, as if he was begging for their reactions.

Eris and Yamasaki applaud with a smile however the rest were left dumbfounded.

"The hell Shinoda Haruki!!! How dare you! You're a cowardly monster!" Matsumoto lost his control. He wanted to punch Haruki, but was punched by Yamasaki before he even managed to do it.

"I'm coward? Then you're more of a chicken afraid of being slaughtered to be put on everyone's plate. If you hate me so much, why not facing me personally like a real man then? Also, let me show you what being a man is all about," As he said that, he drank the poisonous sake which made everybody in the room went speechless. He sipped till the last drop.

"I've never seen anyone as sick as you!" Matsumoto and the others just gasped in disbelief seeing Haruki drank the poisonous sake without any hesitation.

"I guess this will be our sayonara. And don't worry about your company shares, I'll find other suitable candidates to join me furthering this company agendas. Also, your families will definitely be informed about your unfortunate death. Your funeral eulogy will be about the group that had betrayed the Homura clan, yes, and it will also be a perfect statement to other companies who decided to outplay us." Haruki gave his last farewell.

"You bastard!!!" When Matsumoto was about to punch Haruki back, suddenly his body went breathless. He gasped for the air. Meanwhile, other members of the board were also experiencing similar thing. A lot of bubbles came out from their mouth. Few minutes later, one by one fell to their death and Matsumoto was the last to die.

"That was the most boring way to kill, Haruki. Though, I kind of like a guy who is fearless enough to show he was prepared to take the risk, and that's you who willing to drink the poisonous sake just to show your seriousness. It's somehow remarkable to see." She was unimpressed at first but she found the last bit of the moment to her satisfaction.

"Well, I couldn't be this daring if it's not because of this antidote. See?" Haruki showed the tiny capsule to Eris and quickly swallowed the antidote before he got affected by the poison.

"So, what you're going to do with these bodies?" Eris covered the dead men's eyes, let them closed it.

"Hmm, I think you can burn the bodies away. Yamasaki, you need to help Eris to carry these bodies far away from here." He commanded his bodyguard.

"I feel like vomiting." Yamasaki's face looked so pale.

"Oh, come on, Yamasaki. Are you really the Mad Hound? You made me a bit confused there," Eris punched the bodyguard's head.

"I just like to give them an instant slaughter to the neck. Poison is not to my liking." Yamasaki gave out some excuses.

Haruki just chuckles at both of them, their usual banters always amused him.

"Anyway, you guys can go home after you finished your task. Make sure it is perfectly clean and settled. I need to go somewhere."

"Do we need to inform their families?" Yamasaki asked.

"Nah…that was just some fake bluff. Do the usual. With-no-trace." Haruki simply answered.

"Where are you going? I don't remember you have a schedule." Eris was wondering after seeing Haruki in a hurry.

"It's a date." He winked.