Merlin was puzzled: "But Young Master, you're even asking me to help you find a partner."
.. That was true.
Merlin continued her relentless verbal assault: "If you had the emotional intelligence of those game protagonists, Young Master, you certainly wouldn't be acting so hesitant and indecisive like this."
Kobe Suzuo was almost swayed by the words—not a chance.
He silently took off his glasses and headphones, physically refusing to argue with the moronic AI any longer.
Kobe Suzuo pulled out the spare laptop from the car, flagged the problematic code, sent it directly to the Overseas Technical Department.
By the time the relevant issues were resolved, the Porsche had already slowly driven into the luxurious Kobe Family estate.
The butler waiting at the door had hair as white as silver, yet his body was robust and his spirit high. Seeing Kobe Suzuo get out of the car, he hurried forward to hand over several urgent documents sent by the secretary.
Young Master, dinner is prepared.
Kobe Suzuo glanced through the documents briefly and waved a hand.
When Satoru Gojo had dinner with him in the evening, he had eaten a little, so he wasn't very hungry now.
The butler wore a look of disapproval and advised, "Young Master, your stomach isn't good, you should still eat something."
Kobe Suzuo picked out several documents and signed them on the spot, explaining, "I have already eaten."
The butler looked at the driver with suspicion, only when he saw the honest, thick-set, tall man nod with a stern expression did he say in surprise, "That is wonderful indeed. It seems your date tonight will be very pleasant."
He entered the house with his young master, his face full of relief, but his smile quickly vanished upon seeing the man in the living room.
Fushiguro Toji slumped sloppily on the sofa, switched the television to the horse racing channel, reached for the fruit platter on the table, eating while he watched.
He treated the boss's house like his own, acting as relaxed and entitled as if he were the master of the house.
His upper-body work uniform consisted of only a shirt, with his jacket and tie lost somewhere, most of the buttons undone.
It was obvious that Fushiguro Toji truly disliked this kind of restrictive attire.
Seeing Kobe Suzuo return, he didn't even move, lazily offering a greeting, "Yo, is the Young Master back from his date?"
Outside of working hours, this man couldn't be bothered to call Kobe Suzuo his boss anymore.
Kobe Suzuo pulled out the check, filled in today's commission, tossed the light piece of paper directly into Fushiguro Toji's face.
Fushiguro Toji pinched the check between two fingers and counted the zeros, confirming the authenticity of the check as a smile tugged at the scars at the corners of his mouth.
This Young Master was quite a handful, but he was generous with his money, which was much better than the dirty and chaotic private jobs he took on the black market.
Fushiguro Toji stretched, his muscular lines clearly defined, like a leopard poised to strike.
Then, Young Master, this commission is settled. It was a pleasure working with you.
Kobe Suzuo narrowed her eyes and called out to Fushiguro Toji just as he was about to leave the living room.
I remember, in the Fushiguro family, there should be a son and a daughter, right?
Fushiguro Toji paused, tilting his head as if lost in thought, said nonchalantly, "I think so? I'm not entirely sure right now."
He looked exactly like a scumbag.
Just as the intelligence suggested, this man was currently in a state of "abandoning his wife and child." Rather than marrying into the Fushiguro family, it seemed more as if he had specifically found a sucker to take the child off his hands simply because he couldn't be bothered to raise one.
Kobe Suzuo couldn't tell how much affection this scoundrel had for his own flesh and blood; he brought up the matter merely to find an excuse for the upcoming deal.
Fushiguro-kun probably isn't aware that the childcare subsidies for employees within the Kobe Group are quite substantial.
Kobe Suzuo walked over to the single armchair by the fireplace and sat down, her long legs crossed, her calves hanging naturally, her suit trousers pulling back to reveal her slightly bony ankles.
You can't blame the butler for always worrying about Kobe Suzuo's diet; he was indeed excessively thin.
“For children in the family under the age of 14, a monthly subsidy of 200,000 to 500,000 yen can be received. There are also welfare childcare facilities that provide educational and medical services.”
As he spoke, the butler had already brought over a promotional brochure and stuffed it into Fushiguro Toji's hands.
“For those who have come into contact with this world, it is a difficult matter to handle, regardless of whether the child has talent or not, isn't it?”
Kobe Suzuo's voice was calm, merely stating facts, but the intent to entice was obvious.
But the Kobe Group has interests on both sides; given Fushiguro-kun's background, he should be the one who understands the conveniences behind this most clearly.
The booklet, bearing the Kikyo crest, was made of high-quality paper and even featured gold-stamped color printing.
This series of smooth promotions offered benefits so good they felt like a trap to lure someone into having their kidneys harvested.
Fushiguro Toji didn't even bother flipping through that booklet; he simply stuffed it into his pocket and said directly, "Alright, Young Master, I know you don't do loss-making deals. Out with it, what are the terms?"
Kobe Suzuo tapped his knuckles against the wooden handrail. "I want you to sign a formal contract with the Kobe Group, from then on, you will work exclusively for me for the duration of the contract term."
The scar at the corner of Fushiguro Toji's mouth twitched, revealing a mocking, rogueish smirk.
“Then forget it. I'm used to my freedom; I have no desire to wear a collar and act like someone's dog.”
Jujutsu Sorcerer families were all the same; Fushiguro Toji did not think the Kobe Family would be any different.
He gazed at Kobe Suzuo's inscrutable black eyes, suddenly feeling it was boring, turned around to leave once again.
Are you really not going to consider it, Fushiguro-kun?
Kobe Suzuo's tone was steady, as if she were very certain, "The Kobe Group only limits the scope of work; they do not interfere in the lives of their employees."
A stable job is better than being used and then losing your life during some unknown private job.
Fushiguro Toji could tell that there was a subtext to the man's words.
“Are you threatening me, Mr. Kobe?”
The smile had vanished from Fushiguro Toji's face, his pale green eyes looked somewhat terrifying.
His life over these years has been quite regular; when he had money, he lived comfortably, when he was broke, he would find some side jobs for himself.
When he was broke, it was always more frequent than when he was wealthy; the money earned from being a gigolo could never support his exorbitant cursed tools and his black-hole-like gambling luck.
And due to the monopoly held by the Three Great Families and the Jujutsu Director's Department, Fushiguro Toji's channels for taking on missions were quite limited.
The dark web, curse user forums, intermediaries—there were roughly only those few types.
Therefore, Fushiguro Toji's whereabouts were very easy to find; if someone wanted to take advantage of this to harm him, he would most likely fall into the trap.
However, Fushiguro Toji simply could not imagine anyone would go to such lengths and use such a complicated method to harm him.
No matter how widely the reputation of the Heavenly Tyrant spread, Fushiguro Toji was merely a non-sorcerer piece of trash who had been "expelled" from the Zenin Clan.
“I am merely discussing a certain possibility.” Kobe Suzuo raised his hand to signal the butler to present the contract, fully embodying his persona as a man of riddles.
Perhaps you and I have long been placed on a chessboard.
Fushiguro Toji looked at the single sheet of paper with black text on a white background being held out before him, gave a cold snort, did not take it.
It doesn't matter," he said. "Do I look like the kind of person who cares about such things?
Fine." Kobe Suzuo raised an eyebrow. "You certainly don't seem like the type of person who would choose to compromise just to stay alive.
“Can I leave now, Young Master?” Fushiguro Toji pulled a check out of his pocket, which he had folded into a small square, waved it between his fingers.
Although I can't sign a long-term contract, I'm still happy to take on short-term work like today's.
Kobe Suzuo nodded, "Yeah, you can go now."
After speaking, he looked toward the channel broadcasting the horse racing program with a look of regret. "It's just a pity; employee benefits at the Kobe Group include these kinds of programs as well."
He sighed with great solemnity, "I thought Fushiguro-kun might be interested in racetracks and gambling."
Fushiguro Toji..
Fushiguro Toji turned stiffly, finally giving the contract in the butler's hands a proper look.
After seeing the long list of underground industries belonging to the Kobe Zaibatsu, Fushiguro Toji felt as if his brain had reached a state of transcendence.
The Kobe Group started out in real estate, focusing on biotechnology and healthcare in its middle and later stages. In recent years, there has been a trend toward transitioning into artificial intelligence. Overall, the group maintains a positive image in the eyes of the public.
Who would have thought the Kobe Family had this kind of industry.
Why talk about child support? Why not just bring that thing out from the very beginning?
Fushiguro Toji scanned the list of venues, there were indeed some he had visited before. His gaze toward Kobe Suzuo changed instantly:
Young Master, I didn't expect you to be quite the dark one.
Kobe Suzuo said modestly, "It's fine, everything has been reported to the higher-ups."
He was also quite surprised when he first discovered these "original industries" of the Kobe Family in the Jujutsu World, but after taking over and making some reforms, they have now become quite useful hubs for information exchange.
Whether Kobe Suzuo was black-hearted or not didn't matter; Fushiguro Toji was only interested in the employee benefits.
He casually skimmed through the employee regulations before cleanly signing his name in the employer column.
Then, the Contract took effect.
A Cursed Technique with the same effect as a Binding was activated. Even though Fushiguro Toji was a Heavenly Restriction, he could still feel the restrictive power enveloping his body after the golden Cursed Energy flowed through him.
His expression shifted repeatedly as he sneered at Kobe Suzuo, who sat as motionless as a mountain by the fireplace, "You played me."
Kobe Suzuo clasped her fingers together at her chest, her expression remaining calm and composed. "Rest assured, a Contract binds both parties simultaneously; it won't harm you."
Fushiguro Toji's expression remained impassive, but his mind was racing through countless thoughts.
Something is wrong.
His vigilance toward Kobe Suzuo was too low.
Logically speaking, this was essentially a contract that sold him out, but so far, Fushiguro Toji actually felt an excessive amount of resentment, even becoming inexplicably calm.
Well, it's already signed, so this little matter is nothing; it doesn't matter.
Fushiguro Toji quickly convinced himself, took a long stride, settled back into the sofa.
Out with it, Boss. Why did you trick me into working under you?
Kobe Suzuo once again revealed her usual elegant and dignified smile: "I want you to kidnap someone named Riko Amanai tonight."
Chapter 10: That Kidnapping
Tonight?
"Tonight." As Kobe Suzuo spoke, she pulled up Riko Amanai's profile.