"Kouzou-san, do you know about collateral being used to repay a debt?"
Looking at the man standing before him, slightly uneasy, Takayanagi Ichiro spoke of the way to settle a debt when one could not repay a loan.
"What?"
Akizuki Kouzou had come to borrow money from Takayanagi Ichiro, because he had just gotten married. But he did not live together with the three girls from his remarried family. Instead, he wanted to carry out a secret research project.
If the research succeeded, then he would be able to obtain whatever he wanted.
Unfortunately, because he offended his superior, he was fired from Kohoku University, and now could only work as a chemistry teacher at Seifuu Academy.
Misfortune and fortune go hand in hand. At Seifuu Academy, he encountered a pair of very beautiful sisters who could actually trigger a reaction in his congenital impotence.
After a round of promises and flattery, he successfully married the mother of the sisters.
However, from beginning to end, Akizuki Kouzou never once touched the sisters' mother's hand, let alone slept with her after marriage, because his target was the pair of sisters.
After getting married, he did not live in the Akizuki household. Instead, he rented a place near the school, all to make use of the school's chemistry laboratory for his research.
It was just that chemical research was not something that could be completed by mixing a few drops of liquid, let alone making chips.
A laser with only 25 watts of power causing an explosion, even comparable to an earthquake-level reaction, was something only a brain-dead editor could write.
Doing chemical experiments costs a lot of money, so Akizuki Kouzou appeared here.
If he were still a professor at Kohoku University, after grinding for a few years to become a full professor, he would have had his own connections and network.
But now everything was cut off, and he could only use money to talk.
Yet the young man opposite him, who looked like he had just graduated from university, told him about collateral being used to repay a debt.
"That is to say, I lend you ten million yen, Kouzou-san, and after one month you need to repay me twenty million yen."
"And if you really do produce research results, Kouzou-san, the product patent will still belong to me."
"If, by then, your research fails and you have no money to repay me, then you will need to use the most important thing you have to repay the debt, for example, something like your own life."
Takayanagi Ichiro smiled as he explained what collateral repaying a debt meant, namely, the most important thing.
After hearing this, Akizuki Kouzou immediately shook his head. He came to borrow money, not to give up his life.
"Then that's a bit of a pity. Without collateral, I can't lend the money," Takayanagi Ichiro also shook his head, making his stance clear.
"What if I have something else important?"
Akizuki Kouzou was unwilling to give up. He had finally encountered hope, and of course he could not let it slip away.
Because the only one willing to lend him money was Takayanagi Ichiro, even though the method of collateral was a bit strange.
"Actually, collateral repaying a debt is also meant literally. If you have a daughter as 'collateral,' she can also be used to repay the debt."
"I don't have a daughter, but I do have a newlywed wife."
"I married her only so I could focus on chemical research. If my research doesn't pass in the end, I can use her to repay the debt."
Takayanagi Ichiro's explanation made Akizuki Kouzou understand that the so-called important thing did not necessarily have to be his life. It could also be someone important around him.
A daughter, of course, could not be used to repay a debt. So he could only use his wife.
Anyway, he had no feelings for her. She could just be used as collateral, and afterward he could completely dump her for real.
"Kouzou-san, you really are a good man."
At this moment, Takayanagi Ichiro applauded Akizuki Kouzou.
Although he knew that Takayanagi Ichiro was mocking him, Akizuki Kouzou did not care. All that mattered was getting the money.
"President Takayanagi, I've already stated the method of repayment. Can you release the funds now?"
"Of course. I am a man of integrity."
Since the other party had already put up the collateral, Takayanagi Ichiro did not delay any further. After drafting the contract, once both sides signed, it took effect.
Ten million yen, all with Fukuzawa Yukichi's handsome face, would be a thousand bills.
But now there was something even more convenient. He wrote Akizuki Kouzou a check from Mitsubishi Bank.
"Kouzou-san, I hope the final outcome satisfies both of us."
"If you succeed in your research and want to run away, you can try and see whether I can find you."
These were words of threat. A loan shark would never lack other means.
After hearing this, Akizuki Kouzou shuddered all over, looking extremely frightened.
"President Takayanagi, I understand. I definitely won't do anything reckless."
"Then I look forward to our next meeting."
This was a dismissal. Akizuki Kouzou could hear it clearly, so he immediately put away the check and left Takayanagi Ichiro's company.
Calling it a company was a bit of a stretch. It was just a storefront Takayanagi Ichiro had bought a few days ago, with a sign that read Takayanagi Credit.
Of course, it was not Shohei who bought it, but the person Shohei had replaced.
Shohei was a transmigrator. When he arrived in this world, he happened to run into Takayanagi Ichiro hanging himself, so he naturally took his place. After all, the two looked very similar.
Moreover, the real Takayanagi Ichiro was not completely useless. His disappearance helped Shohei activate the system, and also transferred his memories and some of his skills to Shohei.
Takayanagi Ichiro was the eldest son of the loan-sharking Takayanagi family. He had just graduated from the University of Tokyo this year, and had already reached the age to inherit the family.
Unfortunately, Takayanagi Ichiro's biological father died early, leaving only Takayanagi Ichiro and Takayanagi Kouji as brothers. [T/N: Thank God he died.]
And the Takayanagi family's power was seized by their uncle, Takayanagi Musashi. He kept Takayanagi Ichiro's younger brother by his side to cultivate him, while sending Takayanagi Ichiro to Tokyo to study, saying that once Takayanagi Ichiro graduated from the University of Tokyo, the power would be returned.
However, yesterday, what Takayanagi Ichiro received was good news sent by his uncle, Takayanagi Musashi.
Because of certain physical reasons, Takayanagi Musashi had taken a new wife to bring good fortune, and asked Takayanagi Ichiro to come back to attend the wedding banquet.
And after returning, there would also be a surprise waiting for Takayanagi Ichiro.
As for what the surprise was, Takayanagi Kouji, who already had a rift with Takayanagi Ichiro, had leaked quite a bit.
It was that Takayanagi Musashi wanted to have a successor of his own, have Takayanagi Kouji help raise him, and after Takayanagi Musashi's death, it would be Takayanagi Kouji's time to take power.
Once Takayanagi Musashi's successor came of age, whether the power would be returned would depend on the situation.
This was, of course, a lie used to deceive Takayanagi Kouji, but Takayanagi Kouji actually believed it.
So Takayanagi Ichiro already knew what the surprise was. Perhaps the bride already had a cousin growing in her belly.
His uncle monopolized the family power without returning it. His younger brother was also not of one mind with him. Feeling that there was no hope of reclaiming the Takayanagi family's authority, Takayanagi Ichiro chose suicide, which ended up benefiting Shohei.
["Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the first high-interest loan!"]
[Reward: One jar of super fine wine. The host can drink it with no issues. Other people who drink it will have problems, and no problems can be detected.]
[Reward: FBI Elite-level Shooting Skill, one Glock 19 with unlimited ammunition.]
[Reward: Portable space. Current area: 10 square meters. It can be expanded as long as loans are issued and debts collected. At the extreme, it might even be able to hold living beings. (Of course, there are other functions as well. The host is encouraged to explore them.)]
Shohei, no, from now on Takayanagi Ichiro, becoming the head of the Takayanagi family came with great convenience, so continuing to use that name was fine.
Takayanagi Ichiro awakened a loan-sharking system. Every time he issued a loan or collected a debt, he would receive rewards. For example, this time, lending money to Akizuki Kouzou gave him a full three rewards.
Of course, this was very likely because it was Takayanagi Ichiro's first loan deal, so the rewards were especially generous.
Now, two of the rewards appeared before him.
The first was the jar of super fine wine. He could completely take it back to congratulate his uncle Takayanagi Musashi. Anyone who drank the wine would definitely have problems.
As long as he himself had no issues, it would be a good thing if everyone in the Takayanagi main family had problems.
The second reward was for Takayanagi Ichiro's survival. A Glock pistol with unlimited ammunition, plus FBI elite-level shooting skills, made him unbeatable in close combat.
Moreover, in order to keep the pistol from being too conspicuous, the system also gifted him a portable space.
Although it was only ten square meters at the start, as long as he continued issuing loans and collecting payments, it could keep expanding.
At the extreme, it could hold living beings.
'Can I stuff all the beautiful girls of this world into it?'
With a thought, Takayanagi Ichiro immediately sensed the portable space. It was indeed not large, but its safety level was very high.
Then, with another thought from Takayanagi Ichiro, the wine and the Glock that had been outside earlier both appeared inside the space.