Chapter 56: The Inoue Family's Close Friend

Before the tea table carved by Izumi Inoue’s own hands, Fukuie No. 3 and he sat facing each other.

“You remain as unchanged as ever.”

Fukuie No. 3 instinctively shrugged, imitating Utaka, a gesture that caused Izumi Inoue opposite him to pause for a moment before smiling and saying,

“It seems Master Uta’s influence on you is still quite strong.”

At these words, Fukuie No. 3’s gaze darkened as he looked at Izumi Inoue. Seeing this, Izumi immediately explained,

“There is no surveillance involved. It’s merely that files on the people around you have been kept, to facilitate quicker allocation and matching of resources if needed in the future.”

Casting a faint glance at Izumi, Fukuie No. 3 reluctantly believed him for the time being.

Izumi Inoue was an exceptionally clever man, and extremely measured, which was why Fukuie had never deeply warped his will.

A smart partner was far more valuable than a subordinate prone to sudden madness.

“Your time is running short too, isn’t it? If you need anything, remember to tell me.”

With a calm voice, Fukuie No. 3 held his tea cup, and Izumi, looking at his indifferent expression, sighed wryly.

“Forget it. I’m old now. There’s no need to become a lunatic just for a little more time.”

Fukuie No. 3 remained noncommittal.

After all, facing death, there were not many who would wag their tails like stray dogs begging for mercy, even knowing that after injecting their own cells, at best, they could prolong life by a month — to feel youthful vigor for just one more month.

Then, they would become twisted lunatics, unable to discern their own identity.

To this day, many elderly members of the Inoue family still long to relive their youth before the end.

Of course, they all eventually died by prearranged suicide.

An all-in-one solution: themselves, their bodies, and the Fukuie cells inside, all incinerated at 3000 degrees Celsius.

“As a gift for our many years of acquaintance, I can let you die lucid.”

Upon hearing this, Izumi’s drooping eyelids widened slightly.

“You again...”

Fukuie No. 3 showed no reaction, quietly sipping his tea.

That fool was truly special; only after implanting his cells did the connection between himself and the cells sever. The cells retained powerful regenerative ability without developing consciousness.

This was likely why he could resist Fukuie’s strange charisma, as if completely blocking out any negative influence.

“Then, I’m counting on you.”

With the same serene expression, Fukuie No. 3 seemed to hear nothing as he admired the carefully tended bonsai by Izumi.

---

“Send these two pots over.”

Izumi Inoue looked at the two bonsai Fukuie No. 3 pointed to, his mouth twitching.

“You have quite the eye…”

One was a solitary cluster of Moonlight Pines standing straight and tall, the other a 300-year-old five-needle pine. Their value was undeniable, but the real pain for Izumi was that he had nurtured these for over thirty years.

The time and effort invested caused him a sharp pang in his heart.

Fukuie No. 3 was unmoved by Izumi’s silent complaint.

After a brief reunion and a night’s rest in his personal residence within the Inoue estate, the next day Fukuie No. 3 set out to fulfill his mission.

Inside a sleek black luxury car, he skillfully produced a bottle of red wine from the compartment and poured himself a glass.

His custom deep blue backless gown accentuated his slender figure, while understated white high heels with delicate straps cradled his veined, graceful feet.

Fukuie No. 3 gazed thoughtfully at the neon lights outside the window. When the car stopped, he tilted his head back, downed the wine in one gulp, casually tossed aside the empty glass, and donned a veil over his face.

When the attendant opened the car door, he stepped out with elegant poise.

On the way to the hotel suite, passing guests all cast curious glances at the alluring enchantress.

Trailing behind him were Koichi Inoue, worn and haggard, and his sorrowful lover and illegitimate daughter, escorted by two bodyguards, following closely step by step.

Ding.

The elevator arrived at the floor, and Fukuie No. 3 emerged like a bewitching rose, walking gracefully into tonight’s main venue, welcomed on both sides by attendants.

For the cost of Koichi Inoue’s miserable night spent as a collateral damage along with his lover and illegitimate daughter, securing a single word from White Eagle was undoubtedly a bargain.

After all, countless millions in hush money, a nearly ten-billion-dollar project, and insignificant lovers and children of the family—these were trivial for a great clan.

“Are you the Inoue family’s representative this time?”

Chris, with brown hair and piercing blue eyes, arrogantly appraised Fukuie No. 3’s slender figure, a hint of amusement gleaming in his gaze.

Fukuie No. 3 was all too familiar with the implication behind Chris’s look.

Though clearly eager to strip and devour on the spot, they had to maintain so-called decorum and dignity. Among the polished beasts of high society, this was a skill they all possessed.

All these years, only that fool had truly feared working with her...

Frowning slightly, Fukuie No. 3 dispelled the sudden memory of Utaka that had surfaced in his mind.

“Beautiful lady, is something troubling you? Speak, and perhaps I can help.”

In the brief pause, Chris stealthily closed the distance and tried to grasp Fukuie No. 3’s hand.

Calmly dodging, though visibly irritated, the eyes behind Fukuie’s veil still squeezed out a smile as he began to subtly exert subconscious influence over Chris.

“Just thinking about a vexing fellow, Mr. Chris. Would you do me the honor of sharing a drink?”

---

Chris was inwardly displeased by Fukuie No. 3’s avoidance and was about to vent his anger, but upon seeing the hopeful look in those eyes, the flame suddenly vanished.

“Of course~”

Ding.

After clinking glasses, Chris’s sharp, clear gaze dulled and his movements grew sluggish. Fukuie No. 3 smiled faintly, having the bodyguards bring Koichi Inoue forward, then quietly approached from behind, voice laden with suggestion and temptation.

“Mr. Chris, to show the sincerity of the Inoue family, you may do anything you wish to Koichi Inoue’s household to vent your anger.”

“Anything?”

“Yes. You will become a good friend of the Inoue family, won’t you?”

“Hm...”

“I believe a man as outstanding as you wouldn’t mind having such a powerful ally as the Inoue family, would you?”

Repeating the suggestion over and over, unable to directly twist his will but implanting enough psychological cues so that in future thoughts about the Inoue family, he would instinctively lean toward helping them.

For Fukuie No. 3, this was an enormous hassle.

As ‘Fukuie,’ she was far better at outright distorting others’ wills than delicately influencing them like a precise surgical procedure.

But this was unavoidable, as Chris was a high-ranking official in White Eagle and could not be directly manipulated.

Otherwise, today’s affair would cease to be legitimate business and turn into an international espionage conflict, exposing Fukuie to White Eagle’s scrutiny.

To further shatter Chris’s reason and stir up his darker impulses, Fukuie No. 3 snapped his fingers.

Under Koichi Inoue’s horrified gaze, he trembled but suppressed his emotions to approach his lover and illegitimate daughter.

Amid their pleas, he tore their exquisite dresses, revealing heated flesh beneath.

Then, Koichi Inoue prostrated himself before Chris.

“Mr. Chris, please enjoy!”

The vivid scene, one most men fantasized about but never dared or had reason to realize, was before him—and these were women from the Inoue family’s main line.

This intoxicating feeling of trampling the powerful beneath one’s feet completely shattered the last vestiges of reason and caution in Chris’s eyes.

“The entire floor has been thoroughly handled. Now, our good friend of the Inoue family, Mr. Chris, enjoy yourself.”

With that, having implanted sufficient suggestions, Fukuie No. 3 turned away expressionlessly, ignoring the misery of Koichi Inoue and his family.

Back in the luxury car, Fukuie No. 3 ordered the driver to depart, leaving behind the glittering yet sordid place.