"Perhaps it's because Senior Chi's personality is easily misunderstood," Kyogoku Makoto thought for a moment. "If there's a chance, I'll help clarify it for you!"
Chi Feichi snapped back from his thoughts. "How old are you?"
Kyogoku Makoto didn't understand why Chi Feichi suddenly asked this. "18. Why?"
"Not young anymore," Chi Feichi said calmly. "Why do something you know is impossible to improve?"
"Someone has to do it," Kyogoku Makoto said firmly. "At least I can tell the friends I know that the rumors are fake. And no matter what it is, as long as a breakthrough point is found, it can be broken. The first clarification is the breakthrough point to shatter the rumors!"
"What you say makes sense," Chi Feichi nodded; these words were easily touching. "But have you ever thought that some people actually don't care about the truth?"
"Don't care about the truth?" Kyogoku Makoto frowned in confusion, unable to comprehend.
Chi Feichi didn't continue. Although Kyogoku Makoto seemed mature, he was still a high school student after all, and his thoughts inevitably had moments of naivety.
Of course, it could also be that Kyogoku Makoto's thinking was too traditional. In traditional Japanese thought, damaged reputation is 'shame'. Many people who commit suicide after failure do so not just because of pressure, but because they feel they have failed, their reputation is damaged, and they are a disgrace.
Failure in interpersonal relationships is also a kind of failure. Being regarded as difficult to get along with would probably also be considered an intolerable shame.
Chi Feichi felt indifferent about it, and perhaps Kyogoku Makoto couldn't understand this indifference.
"I still want to do it." Kyogoku Makoto's attitude was resolute. After fighting once, he felt Chi Feichi was a powerful, taciturn, but upright and just person. Since he knew about this rumor, he would feel uneasy if he didn't help do something.
"That's your freedom." Chi Feichi secured the bandage wrapped around his fingers. "Do you have ice?"
Kyogoku Makoto stood up to get ice. "Please wait a moment, I'll go get it... Senior Chi, you said earlier that your relationship with Sonoko is closer because of family ties. Are the elders in your families friends?"
"There is no conflict between the development of the Suzuki Conglomerate and the Zhenchi Group, but neither needs to rely on the other. In the early years, the relationship wasn't close, and there was little cooperation," Chi Feichi took the ice and towel Kyogoku Makoto brought and applied it to the bruise on his arm. "However, since Sonoko and I met and got along well, there have been some changes in the relationship between the two families. Sonoko might not be aware, but I learned a little about the Zhenchi Group's plans for the next six months. The Zhenchi Group and the Suzuki Conglomerate have started to cooperate on some multinational projects. Because in the eyes of the elders of both families, since Sonoko and I have become friends, as long as no accidents happen in the future, the two families can support each other. And as long as the elders of both families become friends, Sonoko will feel closer to me."
Kyogoku Makoto was a bit dazed. "Suzuki Conglomerate?"
Chi Feichi explained, "Sonoko is the second daughter of the chairman of the Suzuki Conglomerate."
Kyogoku Makoto froze for a moment, sat back down, lowered his head, and applied ice silently. It took him a long time to squeeze out a sentence, "You two are matched in social status, right? Compared to me..."
"Don't overthink it," Chi Feichi shook his head. "The Suzuki family only has two daughters, and Sonoko's sister is married."
"Um..." Kyogoku Makoto didn't understand the logic. "Does what I said have anything to do with Sonoko's sister?"
"It relates to the issue of inheritance," Chi Feichi felt this junior was a nice guy, so he spoke frankly. "At the level of the Suzuki Conglomerate, being matched in social status is meaningless. The Suzuki family only has two daughters. What they need is an heir. They need one of the daughters to find someone to marry into the family (mukoyōshi) instead of marrying out, to inherit the family business in the future. That's also why the Suzuki family raised them to be grounded."
"Grounded?" Kyogoku Makoto was puzzled.
"It means living like ordinary people, without a group of servants following them around when they go out, and not putting on airs of a rich young lady," Chi Feichi saw Kyogoku Makoto nodding thoughtfully and continued. "Sonoko's sister's fiancé, Tomizawa Yuzo, is also the son of a chairman of a large group. Although the Tomizawa family has more than one son, for the sake of face, they would absolutely never agree to their son marrying into another family. So for the Suzuki family, the remaining Sonoko must find a boyfriend who can marry into the family."
"The Zhenchi Group is much stronger than the Tomizawa Group. Your family is even less likely to agree to you marrying into another family..." Kyogoku Makoto understood. Thinking about it this way, he still had an advantage.
"Yes, I am the only son in my family. Not only the Zhenchi Group, but my mother's group shares also seem a bit messy, but I am also the heir to those shares. If Sonoko and I were together, it would be inevitable that one side would be annexed. The Suzuki Conglomerate wouldn't agree to the woman marrying out, and my father would firmly oppose me marrying in. Sonoko and I being good friends but not lovers is the best outcome," Chi Feichi continued to analyze. "Even if the two families came up with a suitable countermeasure, other consortiums and large groups wouldn't be happy to see the Suzuki Conglomerate and the Zhenchi Group merge into one. Sometimes one plus one is not just equal to two; their survival and development space would be compressed. To avoid damage to their own interests and development, they would unite to exclude us, play tricks in the dark, and even hiring hitmen wouldn't be impossible. At that time, Sonoko and I would inevitably become the primary targets. As long as one dies, the so-called merger would very likely cease to exist."
"Would it be that serious?" Kyogoku Makoto frowned. He didn't expect so many complications behind the scenes, nor could he understand the idea of hiring hitmen for this. "Aren't they worried about being investigated?"
"There is more than one party with such thoughts. With so many people having motives, it's hard for the police to investigate. Moreover, for those who dare to act, it's also very difficult for the police to investigate them. As long as the channels used are hidden enough, it's not impossible to deceive both families. Of course, if two people insist, external factors are not problems; there are always solutions. However, Sonoko and I really don't have that spark," Chi Feichi said. "In short, Sonoko's parents should want to find a son-in-law who can marry into the family, has a business mind, and can help Sonoko manage the consortium's affairs in the future."
"But I know nothing about business..." Kyogoku Makoto smiled bitterly. Just thinking about learning those things gave him a headache... No, forget learning. Listening to Chi Feichi's analysis, he could understand it, but if he had to figure these things out himself, he would rather fight in the ring for three days and nights without rest.
"As a second-best option, if there is someone who can think for Sonoko, has good character, and is reliable, her parents aren't unable to accept it," Chi Feichi reminded. "I just want to tell you that her parents' requirements aren't that high. However, instead of considering this, you should probably consider how to tell Sonoko first."
Kyogoku Makoto blushed furiously again. After struggling for a while, he said truthfully, "Actually, I plan to study abroad. I wanted to seize this opportunity to explain clearly to her, but I still don't know how to start."
Chi Feichi suddenly thought that because he proposed a spar, Kyogoku Makoto sprained his foot, which very likely might cause Kyogoku Makoto to miss the opportunity to be a hero saving the beauty. "Do you still plan to continue following Sonoko secretly?"
Kyogoku Makoto nodded. "Can you not tell her first? I'll find a suitable opportunity to formally tell her my feelings..."
"I won't say anything," Chi Feichi paused. "If you need help, you can find me."
"Thank you!" Kyogoku Makoto breathed a sigh of relief. Chatting with Chi Feichi for a while felt like taking a reassurance pill; he felt his chances were still quite high. "By the way, Senior Chi, did you learn Chinese martial arts?"