A few days later, Kaito decided to go to Takahashi Corporation to check things out. He felt like it would be a shame if he did not inform his Uncle Senzo of his glorious return. After all, he knew the old man had schemed at length to get rid of him permanently.
According to Taiki, Senzo made the report because he found out that Kaito was not weak. Since he could not get rid of his nephew himself, he wanted to borrow a knife from Martial Island. If Taiki had not taken the mission, Kaito might have already met his end.
Kaito had established a plan for dealing with his uncle. However, he did not want to eliminate him directly. It would be a shame for him to have a quick death after all his deeds. He wanted the man to surrender everything in his hands and suffer pain as his life slipped from his hands.
If he had acted so desperately for the rare material, he probably wanted to enjoy a long life of prosperity. He had safeguarded the company because he hoped to keep controlling it for a hundred more years.
Of course, things were not going to be so easy. Kaito would let him know that long life was not all that great. He wanted his uncle to wish for death and be unable to get it. And he wanted to see him lose everything he had killed his kin to possess.
"You should take Uncle Taiki with you to the company," Akira said during breakfast.
Kaito still felt a little annoyed when he heard Akira calling his uncle so naturally. Furthermore, it seemed like she was serious about letting him stay with them in Mountain Ridge. He could not understand her intentions, but he accepted the situation.
That did not stop him from glaring at Taiki childishly.
"I am just going to say hello, nothing more," Kaito said. "I do not plan on dealing with him immediately. And even if I was planning on fighting him, I can handle everything he throws at me."
"Alright. I am going to visit my father later. Uncle Taiki can come with me." Akira did not insist.
Kaito frowned. "I have already made arrangements for a driver and a couple of bodyguards. You do not have to worry."
"There is no harm in taking one more person," Akira said. "Plus, he can keep me company and help me with miscellaneous things."
Kaito did not know what to say. It was impossible to argue when someone presented a perfectly logical and reasonable explanation. In the end, he could only accept the situation in the face of Akira's stubbornness.
As he was driving to the company, he wondered if Akira was mad at him. Even though she had not said anything and even understood the circumstances, he could not be sure that she was not angry with him. She had been a little moody since they returned to Mountain Ridge.
However, he was not stupid enough to bring up mood swings with his pregnant girlfriend. He was not ready to die a slow and painful death.
On the other side, Akira and Taiki left the house at the top of the mountain. The two of them sat in silence in the back of the vehicle. Akira tapped on her new phone and checked the latest on MR Circle with ease. Her new phone was even better than the one she had.
The appearance was not prominent like the one she had before. The new one was smooth and sleek, like the high-end products on the global market. However, the functionality surpassed most high-quality computers.
She had Zhong Feng to thank for the phone. The phone model was extremely exclusive because of the cost of production. It was not a practical item for mass production because most people had no use for such computing power.
From what she learned from Hu Lei, the phone was designed by Zhong Feng. Acquiring the phone did not only require a lot of money. People would also need to have good connections. In essence, it was like a rare jewel owned by industry specialists or used to reward people at Zhong Feng's whims.
The number one trending topic on MR Circle was about Mio. Akira remembered her because she had caused some trouble during the grand opening of her restaurant, Elements. She was a socialite from one of the main families, the Izumiya family.
Someone had taken a photo of her making a scene at the Stillwater Medical Research Institute. She had almost caused a security guard to be hit by an ambulance while trying to force her way into the hospital. The scene had turned chaotic because the patient in the vehicle had a lot of relatives following in multiple cars.
It was inevitable that Mio, as a celebrity, would receive a lot of backlash because of her role in almost getting someone injured and delaying a person's treatment.
Akira frowned at this piece of news. She needed to check up on Seiji in case of a problem. If she was not wrong, that woman was probably looking for him. She had made it clear that she was interested in her brother.
The second trending topic was still on her and Kaito. It was not explicit, but people were discussing how two shamed second-generations who had been kicked out of their families had returned to Mountain Ridge in a private plane.
"You should not be reading this drivel. It is bad for your brain." Taiki said as he glanced at Akira's phone.
"Oh, don't you have something like this on your mysterious island?" She asked with sarcasm.
"We do. But I do not look at it." Taiki replied.
"Gossip is a natural human instinct. People will always want to discuss the latest drama in their community. It is a social behaviour that builds up and tears down. If you understand the patterns of gossip, you can control a lot." She said.
"Absolute strength is all that is needed to make people bow to your will," Taiki said evenly.
"That is not entirely true." She looked through the window at the passing landscape. "Sometimes, people cannot use their strength to pass along the message. But if you manipulate information, you can handle even the strongest person."
Taiki frowned a little before his face became calm and even.
"Are you hoping that the information published on this app will keep you safe?" He asked.
"No. It is a distraction." Akira said without explaining further.
Silence fell in the vehicle as the driver navigated Mountain Ridge. When they reached the gate of the ostentatious Yamazaki mansion, the driver lowered the partition. He was a young man with a subdued aura, but there was a sense of danger around him.
"Someone is blocking the gate." He said to Akira.
Akira frowned. She had told her father that she was going to visit him, so there should have been no problem. She peered through the windshield and saw a basic car at the gate. It seemed that its owner was not welcome, but they had refused to leave.
Akira had a bad feeling about it.
"Go check it out." She prompted Taiki.
Unexpectedly, the man did not complain. He opened the door and left the vehicle.