Unable to resist, Oko Shinomiya immediately began flipping through the documents.
Soon, the private room was filled only with the rustling of turning pages.
As time passed, Oko Shinomiya's reading pace slowed dramatically - sometimes spending five or six minutes on a single page.
While the atmosphere around Oko Shinomiya grew increasingly tense, Luo Shu remained relaxed, leisurely enjoying his French meal.
The head chef had some skill, having adapted French cuisine with East Asian flavours to better suit local palates. Even though most dishes were vegetable-based, Luo Shu - typically a meat lover - found himself eating happily.
Yet while Luo Shu dined contentedly, Oko Shinomiya looked as if the sky had fallen.
After painstakingly reviewing the documents once, he immediately went through them again, twice over.
By the time Luo Shu finished his meal, Oko Shinomiya - who had barely touched his food - finally snapped out of his trance, muttering to himself:
"The one targeting the Shinomiya family... is actually the Prime Minister... How dare he... How did the Cabinet approve these measures... Why didn't I receive any warning..."
Clearly, Oko Shinomiya now understood the gravity of the situation.
This wasn't merely a crisis for the Shinomiya family - it was a matter of their very survival.
Faced with such an existential threat, Oko Shinomiya couldn't find any path to safety.
Not even the slightest chance.
When a state apparatus truly mobilises, so-called conglomerates are nothing but bloated pigs awaiting slaughter.
In any era, true power lies in the hands of those who control irresistible force.
Against such overwhelming might, Oko Shinomiya found no means of resistance.
After finishing the documents, Oko Shinomiya closed the file, took several deep breaths, and then addressed Luo Shu with a grave expression:
"I'm deeply grateful for this intelligence."
"I told you - it's the Hayasaka family's repayment to you," Luo Shu said calmly, maintaining his posture of fair exchange.
Hearing these words, Oko Shinomiya's heart skipped a beat as he began to suspect Luo Shu might be planning to stand idly by.
After all, that was the entire might of the state... It would be normal for Luo Shu not to intervene.
No, wait—that couldn't be right?!
Oko Shinomiya realised the issue.
Since Luo Shu had long known the Cabinet's intentions, yet still agreed to meet him...
It meant the crisis facing the Shinomiya family wasn't without hope of resolution in Luo Shu's eyes.
Thinking this, Oko Shinomiya suppressed his thoughts and said with a smile:
"Compared to your rewards, the Hayasaka family's value seems far too insignificant."
By the end, Oko Shinomiya wore a bitter smile.
There was some performance in that bitterness, but Luo Shu paid it no mind, merely stating indifferently:
"It seems Mr Shinomiya already understands his predicament."
As he spoke, Luo Shu lightly tapped the table with his index finger—three precise knocks.
Hearing this response, Oko Shinomiya immediately grasped something and hastily placed both hands on the table, bowing deeply:
"Please, save me."
At this, Luo Shu paused before replying in a distant tone: "The Shinomiya family cannot be preserved."
Oko Shinomiya showed no disappointment at these words, instead bowing even lower.
He knew all too well the fate awaiting those targeted by a nation.
Just look at Korea—only a few years ago, a chaebol leader related to the Shinomiyas had been driven to suicide.
And that was merely because decades prior, he'd offended a president and faced retribution after thirty years of shifting fortunes.
In a nation mockingly called 'controlled by chaebols', even its top conglomerate leaders could be forced to kill themselves.
This incident alone proved the gap between chaebols and state power.
Now, the Shinomiya family's situation bore a striking resemblance to that of the doomed chaebol.
Thus, Oko Shinomiya held no illusions about escaping unscathed. With survival itself uncertain, most of the Shinomiya wealth was clearly beyond his reach.
Besides, the current family head was his father, not him. What he couldn't control could be surrendered if it meant preserving his life.
The Shinomiyas never lacked clear-headedness.
Considering this, Oko Shinomiya couldn't help asking: "How much of the family do you think can be saved?"
His implication was clear—what portion must the Shinomiyas offer to avoid complete annihilation by the state?
Facing this question, Luo Shu remained silent before sighing:
"I can only protect 30 per cent."
The remaining 70 per cent would naturally serve to placate influential figures.
After all, Japan's government couldn't operate Shinomiya enterprises—they needed cash and resources to rebuild state institutions.
Thus, even if seized, these assets would eventually be sold off.
And the most likely buyers? American conglomerates.
This explained why Japan dared move against the Shinomiyas despite their ties to US arms giants—it amounted to dismantling key national assets to feed America's appetite.
America's payment? Mere dollars.
When stripped bare, just paper!
Luo Shu had no intention of disrupting Japan's plans.
In his view, opposing the entire world was the height of foolishness.
For a transmigrator from China, making as many friends as possible and minimising enemies was practically instinctive.
After all, such strategies were taught in the 'Dragon-Slaying Arts' from primary to high school.
Thus, Luo Shu had no intention of monopolising the Shinomiya family's assets. He lacked both the energy and the manpower to manage such an enterprise.
And if he subdued the Shinomiyas and let them continue running things, wouldn't that render his intervention pointless?
If he was going to act, he needed to keep the spoils firmly in his grasp.
So from the outset, Luo Shu's goal wasn't to hoard the Shinomiya family's benefits for himself, but rather to secure the authority to dismantle the conglomerate.
In short, he wanted to replace Japan's government as the orchestrator overseeing the dissolution of the zaibatsu.
This way, Luo Shu could trade the industries he desired to his designated factions and reap the benefits he sought.
The so-called 'thirty per cent' was what remained for the Shinomiya family—and what Kaguya Shinomiya could lay claim to.
Hence, Luo Shu's answer had been to preserve thirty per cent.
When Oko Shinomiya heard this response, he didn't even attempt to haggle. Instead, he slammed his forehead against the table with a heavy thud:
"Oko Shinomiya is at your service."
'Using someone else's family assets to curry favour, and he thanks me for it...' Luo Shu inwardly mocked before offering a benign smile:
"You're quite perceptive, Mr Oko."
Hearing the address shift, Oko Shinomiya smiled.
The ensuing conversation went without saying—at the very least, this meal left Luo Shu satisfied, and Oko Shinomiya even more so.
Once the wine and dishes were cleared, Oko personally escorted Luo Shu to the restaurant's entrance and instructed an attendant to hand over a room keycard.
"What's this?" Luo Shu curiously took the keycard from the attendant and glanced at Oko Shinomiya.
"A small gift." Oko Shinomiya flashed a mysterious smile. "Pleasant dreams."
Luo Shu scanned the address on the keycard—it was the VIP suite of the upscale hotel opposite the restaurant.
Room 2904.
Well, he understood instantly.
He'd initially intended to refuse, but his resolve wavered when Oko Shinomiya's attendant slipped him a small dossier. Seeing Mai Sakurajima's name inside, Luo Shu quietly pocketed the keycard.
Adults occasionally staying out for a night was perfectly normal, after all. At least, Luo Shu thought so.