Even if he were 15 years older, in the Japanese marriage market, he would still be a sought-after son-in-law.
The Gotoh couple were left speechless and astounded by this sudden turn of events.
The teenager in front of them was clearly not what they had imagined.
Although he had suffered quite a bit, now, he had risen like a phoenix, soaring to the high sky.
"So, you two don't need to worry about me at all. I'll definitely have the ability to take good care of Bocchi in the future."
Yukima Azuma lowered his hand, sitting upright, looking as serious and obedient as a well-behaved boy.
It took quite a while for the Gotoh couple to regain their composure.
"Aha... I see now."
"Um-Umu... it feels like we're getting old."
"That's right, you two can decide things for yourselves~"
"Yes, it's a matter for young people, let them take care of it themselves."
With that, the couple stood up and went to their room.
They casually picked up Gotoh Futari, who was trying to climb onto Yukima Azuma, and took her with them.
Bocchi stood there, wide-eyed in astonishment.
She had been so tense just now, she could hardly stand it.
She was afraid that her parents and Yukima Azuma might clash during their conversation.
After all, in the dramas she'd watched before, such conflicts often happened.
Parents would oppose a relationship and cause the two people to break up.
But in the end, things turned out in an unexpected direction.
"Azuma-kun... you don't have to do that."
After a long while, Bocchi finally managed to say something like that.
Hearing this, how could Yukima Azuma not understand her meaning?
He raised his hand and gently lifted Bocchi's soft face.
"Don't worry, our relationship can stay just as it is."
"The reason I came here was simply to avoid making you feel awkward."
"Bocchi might be a fool, but at least we should give your parents a bit of peace of mind."
As he spoke, Yukima Azuma gently pinched Bocchi's cheek.
This girl really couldn't bear the responsibilities of being a girlfriend or a wife.
On the contrary, the feeling of being a secret lover seemed to suit her better.
How could there be such a fool in the world?
"Moreover," Yukima Azuma looked straight into Bocchi's eyes. "If you've decided you won't regret it, then of course, I won't give you the chance to back out."
Bocchi seemed drained of energy, her body slumping against Yukima Azuma's hand.
She had completely given up.
In short, it seemed like she couldn't escape his grasp now.
...
That afternoon, they had lunch at the Gotoh house.
Afterward, Yukima Azuma said goodbye to all four members of the Gotoh family.
He left the Gotoh house.
Under the scorching heat of summer, the sun blazed down from above.
Yukima Azuma looked up and raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun.
In any case, he needed to be more serious about his work.
If he couldn't dominate Japan in the future and change the laws here, then marriage wouldn't be possible. (note: lol hahaha, this is really really familiar)
Correspondingly, he needed to provide more basic security for the girls.
Although Yukima Azuma hadn't mentioned Laplace Corporation while at the Gotoh house, what he wanted to provide Bocchi in the future certainly wasn't just the title of a professional shogi player.
He hailed a taxi from the side of the road.
After getting in, Yukima Azuma told the driver:
"To Shibuya."
He paused for a moment and then continued. "To the Laplace Corporation building."
The taxi driver hesitated for a moment.
Then, he took out his phone to confirm the location.
He searched the map.
It didn't take long for him to find the building Yukima Azuma mentioned.
The car began to roll forward.
"Young man, are you an employee of this company?"
On the way, the driver struck up a conversation with Yukima Azuma.
"Yeah, you could say that."
"Ah, good for you, a bright future ahead!"
"It's nothing special, just a small start-up company."
"Eh, in today's environment, what small startup company could afford to buy an entire office building? It must have a lot of potential!"
"Haha, then I'll gladly accept your best wishes, sir."
As they chatted, the taxi arrived in front of the building.
Yukima Azuma paid the fare and stepped out.
He looked up.
The high-rise office building completely blocked out the sunlight, so there was no need to worry about the glaring light.
The old sign on the building had been taken down.
Now, on the facade of the high-rise, two large words made of LCD screens were displayed:
Laplace Corporation
Yes.
Yukima Azuma had bought this office building.
Now, the entire building belonged to Laplace Corporation.
Leasing office space was just a temporary solution.
Once you have money, who rents anymore?
If employees saw that they were still leasing office space, they might think the company wasn't capable!
A little workspace like that, who would find it sufficient?
Every department needs its own floor!
One person, one floor!
Ahem... one person per floor might be a bit much.
In any case, from a future perspective, buying this office building, especially after Japan's economic bubble bursts in a few years ago, would definitely not be a bad investment.
In the future, Japan's economy will recover, and real estate prices will rise again.
Even with the aging population and vacant houses starting to appear in the suburbs, an office building located in central Tokyo, in the Shibuya areaone of the busiest areas in the countrycould never fail to be profitable.
Moreover, Yukima Azuma wanted to hire real talent.
Laplace Corporation was aiming for the "future's pie," and of course, they needed to show the right attitude.
Otherwise, what genius would want to work here?
News of the acquisition of the office building had stirred public opinion.
At the moment, very few people had the means to make such a bold real estate purchase.
The specific good or bad evaluations of the deal were still unclear, but at least the company's reputation had been elevated.
Even taxi drivers driving through Shibuya knew: "Ah! This is the company that suddenly bought the whole office building."
Looking at the small details, you can still see the bigger picture.
Yukima Azuma entered the building smoothly.
The security staff at the door, upon seeing Yukima Azuma, all greeted him with a bow.
There was no typical scenario where the guards look down on him or mock him or slap-face casually.
At present, most people working in the Laplace Corporation building knew who Yukima Azuma was.
Although, since the building was acquired and the staff expanded, Yukima Azuma rarely appeared at the company anymore.
When Yukima Azuma entered the elevator, swiped his card, and pressed the button for his floor, the employees in the lobby on the first floor began to whisper excitedly.
"Was that really our President just now? He's so young!"
"He's even more handsome in person than in the photos, like a perfect male lead from a CEO romance novel!"
"Didn't some people complain before, saying the President pictures were overly edited, looking fake?"
"Didn't you think that at the time? Who would have thought he'd be so handsome in real life?"
The receptionists huddled together, chattering away.
....
The elevator moved up.
It stopped on the twenty-second floor.
Yukima Azuma stepped out of the elevator, walked down the quiet corridor, and reached the office at the end of the hall.
Knock knock.
At the sound of the knocking, a dignified female voice echoed from inside.
"Come in."
Yukima Azuma pushed the door open and immediately saw Yukinoshita Yukino, busy at her desk, not looking up.
"Which department are you from? What's the matter?"
Receiving no response, Yukino frowned and looked up.
To her surprise, she saw Yukima Azuma standing right next to her.
Seeing his familiar face made her heart flutter.
The coldness on Yukino's face quickly melted away, her eyebrows relaxed, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily curved into a smile.
Yukima Azuma walked over to her, placed his hand on her slender shoulders.
Her muscles were tense.
She must have been in that posture for too long.
Yukima Azuma applied gentle pressure with his hand, finding the pressure points on her shoulders and neck, and began massaging to help her relax.
"Mm~..."
Yukinoshita Yukino, who was always so dignified, let out a soft, somewhat suggestive moan.
As she felt his hand massaging her, the soreness in her shoulders was quickly relieved.
"May I ask, is there something you need from me? Big Boss suddenly being so considerate, it makes me a little uneasy."
Despite saying that, her tone carried no actual unease.
Instead, it was more about hiding the embarrassment.
Though she had decided to pursue Yukima Azuma, being massaged like this still made Yukino too shy to look up.
"Uwa~, your comments are really heart-wrenching."
"I didn't mean it..."
"Eh? You didn't choose to be tough and keep quiet? Apologizing like this makes me embarrassed."
Yukino looked up, her black hair flowing down like a waterfall behind her.
Her eyes looked up at Yukima Azuma from beneath her lashes.
Her cheeks puffed slightly.
"Anyway, Azuma-kun, what brings you here?"
"Just came to check on the company, haven't been here in a while."
"You're actually aware of that. I'm impressed."
"And you, Yukino, working so diligently. Why not hire a secretary to help share the workload?"
"It's fine, I don't need one."
Chapter 103: Amazed Yukino
"Well, Azuma-kun, you're here to inspect the work, primarily to see what?"
"I want to visit the workshop, and by the way, are there any finished products yet?"
"I'll go with you. The products are in the warehouse on the fifth floor."
"Aren't you busy, Yukino? I can go check them myself."
"I'll go with you."
"Alright."
Yukino quickly organized the documents on the desk.
Then she stood up and led Yukima Azuma out of the office.
The two took the elevator down to the fifth floor to the warehouse.
After swiping the card to open the warehouse door.
There was still another password-protected door inside.
After all, the things in here are considered company secrets.
Yukino entered the password, and the second door opened.
A large warehouse, but inside, there were only a few electronic items.
A bed, a desk, a wardrobe, a rice cooker, a dishwasher, a washing machine.
Oh, the washing machine is a by-product.
Yukino checked the app on her phone and handed it to Yukima Azuma.
Yukima Azuma glanced through it.
From the perspective of "someone who has been through it," these products still had some flaws.
But compared to the current time, they were truly ahead of their era.
Smart bed: It has a self-adjusting function and can adjust the firmness, height, and angle of the bed based on the user's sleeping habits and physical condition, providing the best sleep environment.
Smart desk: Equipped with a light adjustment system, it can automatically adjust the brightness and color temperature of the desk light based on the surrounding light, remind the user when sitting for too long, and has a clock and timer function. It can also adjust the height according to the user's height.
Smart wardrobe: Through sensors and a control system, it can automatically adjust the temperature and humidity inside the wardrobe, keeping clothes in good condition while also offering intelligent outfit combination suggestions.
These products, at Yukima Azuma's time, could be considered common.
So, there's no need to go into detail.
The washing machine also deserves mention, because although washing machines are available now, they are all semi-automatic machines.
The concept of a fully automatic washing machine was still only in the design phase.
Not to mention the research into cleaning capabilities.
Even so, this by-product, the washing machine, might turn out to be one of the best-selling items in the upcoming consumer market.
Looking at the products, there doesn't seem to be anything special.
But the focus isn't on the products sold.
It's on the basic logic of how the products operate.
Currently, the public still views furniture as something "cold."
Once you buy it, it stays the same.
Let alone the user experience.
But with Laplace's smart furniture, the basic logic is to optimize the user experience through data collection.
This basic logic ensures that the traditional furniture industry can hardly compete with Laplace.
Yukima Azuma nodded in satisfaction and returned the phone to Yukino.
"Seems fine."
"Because the design concept you proposed is not only outstanding but its feasibility is truly chilling."
"Clearly, it's because we work under the 'Laplace Demon.'"
"I've started to believe that saying now."
Yukino looked at Yukima Azuma with a deep gaze.
She put her phone away.
Then she turned her attention back to the finished products in the warehouse.
Yukino suddenly recalled the documents she had just processed.
The extremely large expenditures listed within them.
"As for the investment in our research and development..."
Yukino hesitated slightly.
Currently, overall, Laplace's research and operations truly seemed like a money-burning machine with no end in sight.
Even with optimistic forecasts, the products could become bestsellers.
But the furniture market today was really not that promising.
How long would it take to recover the investment from these products?
If they sold patents or something like that, they would surely make a lot of money.
But Yukino knew that Yukima Azuma wouldn't do that.
"It's fine, I never expected the business to turn a profit in the short term."
"Rather, making these things is just a way to burn through the money we have."
Yukima Azuma waved his hand, unfazed.
Hearing this, Yukino nodded, seeming to ponder something.
Afterward, the two of them left the warehouse together.
"Oh, and Yukino, don't forget to send a washing machine and dishwasher back home."
Yukima Azuma said with a smile.
Yukino shot him a glance.
Sometimes, she really felt like this guy was just developing these things for his own convenience.
....
The two of them took the elevator directly down to the underground parking garage.
