"That..." Kanako realized, "Some friends, still those friends."
"They are your aides, wanting to escort you to the leader of Xisheng, wishing for you to join the chaos," Honma Noriko gently let go of her daughter, "but don’t take these things to heart. Our family will not have a civil war."
A civil war... not happening?
Kanako was astonished.
During her mother’s youth, just over 20 years after the company had defeated the Witch, everything was growing wildly.
Honma Noriko considered each of her marriages as a business collaboration, uniting with wealthy men possessed of business acumen and investment capabilities, mutually beneficial, fully embodying the notion that "marriage is establishing an economic alliance."
After a hundred years of expansion, Xisheng had grown to its current scale and had been operating behind the scenes, pushing giants like Kyoto Infinity to the forefront while infiltrating every corner of the Archipelago Continent.
However, the form of family management also had its inherent drawbacks.
All analysts pointed out explicitly that Honma Noriko’s methods had laid an indelible groundwork for Xisheng’s eventual collapse, with too many excellent and shrewd children endeavoring to vie for her assets after her death.
Honma Noriko had supported the rise of countless companies by herself, and now she became the important link maintaining this commercial empire and the most crucial symbol of unity. But in seven months, all this would end, the superficial stability would break down completely. Under the environment of economic crisis, everyone would be striving to climb up, kicking others out of the center of interests.
But still—a civil war not happening?
Seeing Kanako’s bewildered look, Honma Noriko easily guessed her thoughts.
"Among your brothers and sisters, who is the most outstanding?" Honma Noriko asked.
"It’s..." Kanako quickly recalled, running through her older brothers and sisters.
There were 16 children in total in Honma Noriko’s family, with Kanako being the 15th.
Looking up the line, only the tenth-ranked Kurokawa Kana could be considered "outstanding," while the other children were either outstanding but had passed away or were still alive but lacked strength.
Kurokawa Kana was different.
Her father was from another financial dynasty, aligned with Xisheng through marriage. At 54, Kurokawa Kana was not only in the prime of her life but also inherited the financial capital of the Kurokawa Family after her father’s death. She not only bore a striking resemblance to Honma Noriko but also acted similarly, keen on investment, expansion, and family proliferation. With six children and three husbands already, she was well on her way to becoming the new-generation Honma Noriko.
Among the current "children of Xisheng," Kurokawa Kana was undoubtedly the most outstanding.
"It’s Kana, right?" Honma Noriko smiled, "You must have thought of her."
Kanako felt a chill rising from the soles of her feet, engulfing her head.
If Kurokawa Kana were to inherit the Xisheng Group, Kanako wouldn’t even get a taste of the soup. That cold-blooded Kurokawa Kana, mirroring her mother’s younger self, would not give her any chance to survive.
"But! But others will oppose," Kanako said, "There will still be a civil war..."
"I will take everything back," Honma Noriko sat on the edge of the bed, "I am going to issue my orders, concentrate the power of Xisheng for a restructuring, handing over all the companies to the Kurokawa."
"Ah..." Kojima Kanako was stunned.
"Passing all rights and interests to one person means you won’t have to beat each other like fools," Honma Noriko stroked Kanako’s hair, "Just the thought of such senseless events happening after my death makes the past 135 years of labor and contribution seem very empty. I... can’t let a bunch of worms divide my life’s work."
Kanako opened her mouth but said nothing. The supreme fear lingered in her heart.
"What are you worried about..." Honma Noriko said softly, "Oh, you’re worried you’ll be killed by Kana, right?"
"Yes..." Kanako wanted to know her mother’s attitude towards this.
"Some things, if they’re meant to happen, just let them happen," there was not a trace of pity in Honma Noriko’s eyes.
Kanako wanted to cry out, but knew that no form of pleading would move her mother.
She still hated this place, thinking back to the brief happy time spent on the dark little ship Anonymous, with Xu Yang and the others.
She now understood what her mother wanted to do.
To avoid the civil war brought about by her own death, Honma Noriko would, in the last seven months of her life, transfer all assets to Kurokawa Kana’s name. Such an action would naturally provoke resistance and fury, but Honma Noriko still had the strength to eliminate it.
As someone destined to die, retaining a good name and the affection of her children was meaningless.
"Kana has sent a message; she contacts me at this time every day," Honma Noriko leaned on the bed, turning to look at the large smart screen to the side.
The signal flickered, and Kurokawa Kana’s face appeared on the screen.
Kojima Kanako felt somewhat dazed, as sister Kurokawa Kana was looking more and more like their mother, even identical to the young photos of her mother, with the Kurokawa family’s genes showing almost no expression.
Dark brown eyes, long hair falling in waves to either side, lips a light pink, with teeth white and even. Her skin was not perfect, just like the younger Honma Noriko who disliked using cosmetics, her expression always stern, as though she was about to scold someone. Around her neck hung an ancestral ornament from the Kurokawa Family, a silver emblem shaped like an arrowhead, with little diamonds embedded.
Compared to the delicate Honma Noriko, Kurokawa Kana seemed more like a mother. Just standing before her image made Kanako feel uncomfortable.
"Lady Mother," Kurokawa Kana greeted Honma Noriko, then glanced at Kojima Kanako, "and you, Kanako."
"Yes." Kanako felt the suffocation of her childhood once again.
Kanako’s father, Kojima Takeshi, was not particularly powerful, and his status in the entire family was not high. Each time Kurokawa Kana visited the Kojima Family, they had to rack their brains to prepare for her arrival, spending millions to arrange the banquet. However, Kurokawa Kana just looked on coldly, as if none of the entertainment they provided could change her expression.
"Speak," Honma Noriko commanded, slightly raising her hand to indicate for Kurokawa Kana to get to the point.
"Black Fire Innovation’s military actions, along with Zenith’s revival, have increased Kyoto Infinity’s probability of defeat to 47%," Kurokawa Kana reported, "the outcome largely depends on the new management’s policies over the next five months. The former president has already committed ritual suicide in apology, and they have begun searching for the eighth president."
"Let Kirino Reisei do what she wants," Honma Noriko said, "I don’t want them to cause any more trouble during this half-year."
"Besides, the Seven Seals have requested Xisheng to attack Black Fire Innovation," Kurokawa Kana added, her voice devoid of personal emotion.
Kanako felt a primal fear at the mention of the Seven Seals.
The Seven Seals was a secret organization representing seven entities of significant global influence, with Honma Noriko occupying one of the seats on behalf of Xisheng Group. The statuses of the six other seats were unknown to Kanako. Only her mother and a few others at the pinnacle of power knew the secrets held within. Kanako dared not learn about or gather information regarding the Seven Seals.
"They can wait," Honma Noriko said wearily, "we don’t care... but we cannot reply like that. Maintain your silence to those creatures, Kana, no matter what they show you, remain silent."
"Yes, Lady Mother," Kurokawa Kana replied, "Additionally, a representative from Black Fire Innovative Faction has requested a video communication."
"What do you think they want to do?" asked Honma Noriko.
"They are seeking cooperation, seeking apologies," Kurokawa Kana assessed, "they attacked Xisheng’s ships yesterday, and seem remorseful for assaulting Xisheng’s staff."
"Let them through," Honma Noriko said.
The image signal from Black Fire Innovation appeared on the screen.
Upon seeing the image, Kanako was stunned. Honma Noriko’s actions changed subtly, and Kurokawa Kana showed a hint of panic.
Kanako stared unblinkingly at the screen, where her nephew, Kurokawa Kana’s biological son, Morisawa Hinata, a vibrant young man of 25, was held captive in a glass box.
The young man looked particularly fearful, stripped of everything, bare for all to see, which made Kanako feel even more peculiar.
"That is clearly..." Honma Noriko’s tone changed upon seeing the scene, "your son Hinata, wasn’t he stationed in Baraya as our diplomat?"
Inside Black Fire Innovation’s laboratory, an attractive, authoritative man walked over from one side of the room, accompanied by a Witch with a strange smile. She was dressed in a black lab coat, with a dark golden spear-like Restrictor piercing her chest.
Kanako recognized the man. He was Jose Alonso, Chief Executive Officer of Black Fire Innovation, a key leader of this arms conglomerate. The Witch, known as "Huang Feng," had previously been stationed on Archipelago Continent and was exchanged back before the war.
"Welcome," Jose greeted the Xisheng Group personnel behind the screen, bowing to Honma Noriko, Kurokawa Kana, and Kojima Kanako, "Welcome to witness the first act of Black Fire Innovation changing the world."
"A tedious trick." Kurokawa Kana, sensing something amiss, was about to interrupt the communication.
"Let him continue," Honma Noriko said calmly.
Jose pulled the Restrictor out from behind Huang Feng. She acted both manic and abnormal, pressing herself against the glass, gazing at the pitiful, helpless young man inside the box as if he were a toy.
"Man into woman," she said.
As the Magic Power coursed through, Kanako could clearly see significant changes occurring in the key areas of Morisawa Hinata’s body, first shrinking and then inverting inward. He let out a shocking scream, knelt on the ground, and his form underwent drastic change.
In just a few minutes, "she" looked down at her new physical traits, desperately trying to cover them, then looked up desperately at the screen to her grandmother, mother, and aunt.
Huang Feng let out a chilling, strange laugh, and Jose re-stabbed the Restrictor into her body. Then, she became eerily calm again, merely gazing maliciously towards the screen, as if trying to see through the members of Xisheng Group.
"Now, we do not need him, we do not need this ’diplomat’," Jose said, "Madam. We will soon make an announcement that we are seizing all of Xisheng’s assets within the Taiya Archipelago, ending all collaboration and adding Xisheng to our list of war targets. Our fleet will head towards the Xisheng Shrine to blast you out of your palace. We are escalating this corporate war, and as for what means we possess, you will witness in time."
"It’s my fault," Kurokawa Kana quickly sought forgiveness from Honma Noriko, "Lady Mother, I..."
Honma Noriko’s expression was indifferent as she cut off Kurokawa Kana’s communication, bringing a sense of relief to Kanako.
"Why are you still here?" Honma Noriko narrowed her eyes slightly and turned to Kanako.
Kanako’s heart pounded.
She knelt before Honma Noriko, leaned forward, and whispered into her mother’s ear.
"Mother," she said, "you don’t have to hand the assets over to Kana. I have a way, a way for you to survive..."