17. One Hundred Million Yen Investment Limit

Without paying any mind to the icy female boss’s reaction after he finished reciting the formula, Harano Tsukasa simply left.

This was a very basic tactic of playing hard to get.

Yet, under certain conditions, it proved especially effective.

Take, for example, a woman as dangerously volatile as Suzuka Ryomiya—someone who despises you all the more for being obedient and even digs up old grudges to settle scores.

Or consider Ruka Hoshino, the gold-digger who could be effortlessly attracted just by showing off a bit of wealth.

In truth, there is no hierarchy of techniques. The real skill lies in discerning which move suits the current circumstances when dealing with a vixen. Harano Tsukasa, equipped with a “dark desire list” that almost reads people’s hearts and grants him preemptive insight, held a clear advantage.

Besides, Suzuka Ryomiya was way too dangerous.

Losing her wouldn’t be regrettable.

Just like their brief encounter earlier—although they had no formal relationship, the intense desire to control and exclude each other was palpable. If they were to become involved legitimately, it would spell disaster for a man like Harano, who could never be without a woman in his life. She would be a ticking time bomb by his side.

Lost in thought, Harano pulled out his phone and called Ruka Hoshino. Seconds later, the call connected:

“Hoshino-san, where did you go?”

“I’ve already gone home…”

“Why did you leave early?”

“…Something came up suddenly, so I left ahead of schedule. Sorry…” Ruka’s hesitant, low voice crackled through the receiver.

“No worries. We’ll meet next time.”

“Mm-hmm…”

Listening to the beeping silence on the other end, Harano’s expression remained unchanged. His mood was steady.

This was exactly as he had expected.

After all, anyone who witnessed the scene outside the Prada store moments ago would have thought it was a caught-in-the-act scenario. As the ‘caught’ female lead, Ruka would naturally have many thoughts about his relationship with Suzuka. Add to that the rigid hierarchical dynamics between them, and it was hardly surprising that Ruka dared not continue meeting him.

“But this is a bit troublesome…”

Harano pocketed his phone, glanced around, and headed toward the mall’s elevator while muttering to himself.

The gold-digger plan had hit a rocky start.

It seemed he would have to find a new candidate.

Of course, he wouldn’t give up. No matter how you looked at it, this plan was the most beneficial for him—lowest risk, highest reward.

You want my money.

I want your affection.

Isn’t that mutual pursuit?

However, constrained by reality, the very reason Harano hesitated about quitting his job was because a job meant more than just a paycheck and fatigue; it also represented a certain degree of social connections. Without it, the circle of people he could contact through normal channels would shrink drastically.

Yet now, Harano realized he had yet to break free from the typical low-level corporate drone mindset.

Having money, why fear lacking connections?

Why worry about whether a gold-digger would come to you?

You hardly even need to seek them out. Just flaunt spending boldly in places frequented by gold-diggers and fake socialites, and many fishes will bite willingly.

“Looks like it’s time to change my mindset…”

Harano took the mall elevator down to the parking lot, found his brand-new Mercedes, opened the door, and slid inside under the welcoming glow of the triple-star emblem.

The citrus fragrance from the car’s air freshener mingled with the faint scent of leather and drifted into his nostrils.

He started the engine but didn’t rush to leave. First, he activated the internal circulation air conditioning. Feeling the cool air flowing out, he buckled his seatbelt and summoned the faint red holographic interface of his “dark desire list.”

[Automatic Salary Increase: 1.4 yen/s (active)]

[Salary Accumulated: 231,913.4 yen]

[Withdrawal Channel: Please link a bank account]

[Achievement Random Card: Pending activation]

[Achievement Random Card Activating]

[Reward: Investment Stage Card (investment quota issued in stages, applicable for corporate business investments)]

Compared with the 17 million yen cash-back bonus he had received just today, the mere 200,000 yen accumulated over two days through automatic salary seemed insignificant.

But if calculated on a yearly basis, it meant he could earn over 40 million yen comfortably without lifting a finger.

Harano did the math carefully.

Including the balance originally in his bank account plus the cash-back and all his expenses, he still had close to 20 million yen in hand—an amount equivalent to what one would earn working as a corporate drone in the ward office without eating or drinking for ten years.

Money was almost synonymous with dignity in reality.

Perhaps it was the confidence money brought, or the power granted by the dark desire list to be fearless of poverty, but wherever Harano went now, he no longer cowered.

At least in front of luxury brand counters, he no longer pretended to look the other way while sneaking glances at the items he fancied.

To claim a state of disinterest in material things was probably beyond Harano’s reach for life, and those who could truly reach that level were mostly people who had experienced wealth firsthand and thus had the clarity to let go. No one could restrain their desires before tasting glory and riches.

If one could, their magnitude and spirit would be admirable—but he certainly could not.

Putting that aside, Harano’s current concern was solving the qualitative and quantitative issues of the gold-digger ladies, as well as the achievement rewards he had almost forgotten about before receiving a call to support his campaign for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly.

[Investment Stage Card: Limited to commercial investments, materialized in the company’s official account. Unauthorized use through any channel is prohibited for the principal.]

[First Stage Quota: 100 million yen]

[Stage completion and how to unlock the next investment quota—please explore independently.]

“One hundred million yen investment quota.”

Harano stared at the figure for a long time.

Only after two minutes did he close his eyes.

Emerging from a slight daze, he reflected.

Even though this one hundred million yen was Japanese currency, roughly equivalent to a medium lottery prize in Chinese yuan, how many people in the country could easily produce about five million yuan in liquid assets?

This was cash—liquid capital—not liabilities, fixed assets, or stock valuations.

Even if he didn’t use this money for himself, it was still under his control. And judging by the description of the reward, the quotas for subsequent stages would be even higher.

Setting aside other considerations, just this one hundred million yen gave Harano immense operational flexibility, potentially becoming a crucial asset in his gold-digger plan.

Gold-diggers were human, too.

They lacked security.

Even if they were kept or willing to sell their bodies for money, as long as their minds retained some clarity, they knew exactly where to turn once they grew old, lost their charm, or were discarded.

Youth’s wheels kept turning.

Never stopping.

Everyone lived only one lifetime.

That was why so many gold-diggers struggled desperately to secure fixed assets from men or investment in businesses—not too much, just enough to maintain financial independence after being abandoned.

Only a foolish woman who failed to consider her own fallback would focus solely on short-term gains.

Therefore, the investment stage card from the achievement reward was like a pillow to a sleepy man for Harano, offering him plenty of room to maneuver.

“I need to expand my gold-digger backup team…”

Engaging the electronic handbrake, the sleek Mercedes slowly rolled out of the garage. After setting this tone, Harano focused on driving.

Time flowed invisibly, and before he realized it, evening had fallen.

Tokyo stirred back to life.

The orange-red glow reflected off the dark glass of skyscrapers. On the clearly marked streets, bathed in gentle crimson light, countless feet hurried home after work.

From Shinjuku, the Tokyo Tower was clearly visible.

As Harano entered the expressway, the red-and-white lattice tower slowly receded in his rearview.

The expressway was a continuous stream of traffic.

All that met his eyes were deep red brake lights.

In this metropolis built with the full might of Japan, Harano felt little of the city’s warmth. Instead, he sensed only the cold pace of urbanization and a peculiar loneliness despite the population of over fourteen million.

Orange-red twilight spread like a vast sea of light, and the gentle evening breeze lifted Harano’s hair softly, as if caressing.

His tangled thoughts grew and spread like vines until he reached his apartment building in Toshima Ward. After parking in a permitted spot by the roadside, he stowed away his belongings.

Just as he locked his car and confirmed he had collected all his purchases for the day—standing before the slightly worn and weathered apartment door, entering his code—a voice suddenly came from just behind him.

“Harano-kun, may I call you that?”