He became a god in Japan starting with the bear disaster.

Chapter 34 The mantis stalks the cicada

An intellectual woman, dressed in a sleeveless knitted vest and high-waisted wide-leg pants, with her long, textured hair that accentuates her mature femininity, a silk scarf, sunglasses, and low-heeled sandals, arrived at the entrance of a clubhouse in an alley.

He reached out to knock on the door, but the composure on his face quickly turned into hesitation.

She stopped and said in a voice that seemed out of character, "Master, I've reached the place written on the piece of paper. What should I do next, Master?"

"...Press the doorbell next to it."

After a short while, the boy's helpless voice came through the earphones.

The woman did as instructed, and after a while, a man in a suit half-opened the door.

Invitation.

"what?"

"...He's referring to the piece of paper you're holding."

"oh oh."

The woman understood and handed over the piece of paper.

"Please come in, go up to the second floor."

The man in the suit unlocked the door, opened it completely, and bowed in a gesture of invitation.

Following Isshiki Kin's instructions, Hasegawa Eri struck a pose befitting a young married woman, attempting to twist her waist and hips in a certain arc. However, she was clearly too nervous, causing her curves to become completely distorted. Despite weighing just over 100 pounds, she twisted her body to an angle of over 200 degrees, leaving the man in the suit speechless.

"You should just walk normally."

Lin Xiuyi's eyes trembled violently as she watched the footage coming from the camera; she had no choice but to speak.

Hasegawa walked into the narrow, dark corridor, looking around as he went. From the outside, the building looked like a black box, but it turned out to be the same inside and out. Only the front and back ends of the building were lit, and the only other thing was the fluorescent signs on the walls that indicated directions.

She turned around and found the man in the suit still staring at her nonchalantly. She quickened her pace and walked to the bottom of a 3-meter square courtyard before going up the spiral staircase.

As I was walking, a middle-aged woman suddenly came towards me. She was hunched over and looked rather listless, but her complexion was still somewhat rosy. She nodded to me in greeting.

As they passed each other, the woman casually said, "Good luck." A seemingly unrelated but ultimately harmless remark that left everyone puzzled.

Eri Hasegawa watched him walk into the shadows downstairs before continuing upstairs.

The upstairs room was finally fully lit, and it looked like a small office, with a receptionist and a young woman inside. Upon seeing her, the woman asked, "Are you here to visit Mr. Yokota?"

"Yes."

"You've come at the perfect time. Mr. Yokota has just finished with the previous guest. Please come in."

Step into an office where sunlight streams in through the window.

Looking through the screen, Lin Xiuyi discovered that the room layout was almost identical to that of the principal's office in Minato, and he also saw Yokota Daichi sitting in a chair with a businessman's face.

He spoke to Hasegawa through the microphone: "From now on, just repeat what I say."

Upon seeing the newcomer, Yokota displayed a seemingly harmless curiosity, asking curiously, "Eh, I don't think I've seen you before? That's strange, how come you have an invitation?"

Eri Hasegawa's expression tightened, and she answered mechanically, "Yes, she was introduced by an acquaintance. Please allow me not to reveal her name for now. My name is Riko Hasegawa."

Perhaps because she was wearing sunglasses, Yokota Daiji did not notice anything unusual.

He looked troubled upon hearing this and said, "Oh dear, that's a real headache. This invitation isn't something you can just hand over easily..."

"However, my friend also told me about the purpose of this invitation, which is why I came. Actually, I have a son who is facing the problem of getting into a good school. He admires Coucou High School very much, but unfortunately his academic ability has not yet met the requirements of your school."

Yokota Daichi's face immediately lit up with interest. "I see. It seems you've come here with the intention of cooperating as well. Then there's no problem."

He made no attempt to hide his feelings, saying, "Your love for your child is truly exceptional! To be frank, you've definitely come to the right person. I can certainly help with this; any parent who wants their child to get into a good high school has connections."

"However," he added, changing the subject, "how much are you willing to give to show your love for your son?"

Hasegawa paused for a moment, then stammered, "One...one million...is that alright?"

"One million!" Yokota Daichi exclaimed in surprise. "Mrs. Hase, are you guessing? Or did your friend tell you our offer beforehand? This is exactly the price we suggested."

"...I guessed."

"That's truly remarkable. If you're so sincere, your son's school enrollment is naturally not a concern. How would you like to pay? We can accept cash or bank transfer—"

Yokota suddenly stopped speaking, offering an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, my business partner has run into some minor issues recently, so bank transfers are probably not possible. Please bring cash instead."

"Okay." Hasegawa then asked, "So you mean, next time I come, I'll bring a million yen in cash and give it to you in exchange for a spot in my son's high school?"

Yokota Daichi's smile faltered for a moment, then he nodded and said, "That's right."

"I'm a little worried that the mischievous child won't do too well academically after enrolling. I heard that our school also has university recommendation slots that can be purchased?"

Yokota's smile widened. "Yes, if you'd like, we can also sell university recommendation slots. In addition, we have scholarships, class rankings, college admission data, and even parent committee slots. All of these are clearly priced and can be traded."

"Then I'm relieved, I'm fine."

"Speaking of which... Madam, you take such good care of yourself! You don't look like you've ever given birth to a son at all. Do you have any special beauty secrets? That would be interesting to talk about. Would you like to sit down and have some tea later, and we can chat about it?"

"No, no thanks," Hasegawa forced a smile. "I'll come back next weekend and bring my son and the money with me."

"Oh, that's fine then. Now that the cooperation has been confirmed, Madam, you are free to leave at any time."

Yokota expressed his understanding, and seeing Hasegawa rushing out the door, he thoughtfully reminded him, "Please be careful on the way."

As the person left, he remained seated in his chair, his smile completely vanished, his face cold as he muttered to himself, "Is he a third-rate reporter? Or some low-level detective hired by someone? Trying to fool me with this kind of scum? Does he really think I don't like married women and mothers...?"

He picked up the phone on the table, dialed, and immediately said, "The person who just came in is suspicious. Take her down when you leave."

……

"It's all been recorded. Your task is complete. You can leave now."

The latest instructions coming through the earpiece relieved Eri Hasegawa.

She walked down the stairs toward the exit of the dark corridor.

The man in the suit standing guard at the door opened the door for her without making a sound. Hasegawa almost jumped out with joy, but when she remembered that she still had to become an apprentice, she maintained her composure and smiled politely at the man beside her.

She stepped outside, took a breath of fresh air, and felt a surge of joy in her heart.

"Oh, madam, you've left something behind?"

The laughter that suddenly came from behind her made her stiffen. She turned around and saw a man's dark, thick hand reaching out to touch her.

His hand stopped abruptly just before it touched her.

"Hey, don't rush."

At the door, the teenager, whose back was against the wall and who was in a blind spot, dropped the microphone he was holding and reached out to grab the man in the suit first.

"You left something behind too."

As Lin Xiuyi spoke, she punched the man in the face with her left fist.