Chapter 5974

As Tawanna obsessed over Charlie, Mitsui Yoshitaka felt both shocked and relieved to witness how adeptly Charlie had managed the situation. He exhaled deeply, gave Charlie a thumbs-up, and remarked, “Mr. Wade, you truly are remarkable! I never expected that so many highly trained warriors would fall short against you!” Charlie cast a cold glance in his direction and replied, “All these bodies are your responsibility. Remember, you must dispose of them thoroughly without leaving any traces. Even if you do leave traces, do not bring me unnecessary trouble. Do you understand?” Having witnessed the deaths of over a dozen individuals in a single moment, Mitsui Yoshitaka found himself somewhat overwhelmed. It wasn’t that the Mitsui family lacked experience in corpse disposal, but they had never dealt with such a large number of bodies simultaneously, especially in downtown Tokyo. Figuring out how to manage this many corpses was going to be a complicated task. However, his daughter had made a commitment to Charlie earlier. If he failed to handle this situation properly, he feared his daughter would lose all respect for him. Furthermore, she had told Charlie that if he couldn’t manage the situation well, she would sever ties with him. Although she seemed quiet and fragile, she had a resolute character. If she said it, she would certainly follow through. Thus, he steeled himself and assured, “Don’t worry, Mr. Wade, I will manage all these bodies without fail.” Charlie added, “Additionally, for the living survivors, except for the blind one, I will arrange for the rest to be transported to the Middle East. You don’t need to worry about their destination. Contact me once they pass through the Suez Canal, and I’ll have someone ready to pick them up.” For Charlie, although he had the capability to eliminate all these warriors, he deemed it unnecessary. Firstly, they hadn’t intended to kill him, so there was no reason for him to take their lives in return; Secondly, these warriors had trained rigorously since childhood and were undoubtedly skilled laborers. They represented a valuable resource, and he didn’t see any reason to let them go. Thus, he planned to transport them to the headquarters of the Dragon Temple, where there was ample work awaiting them. Mitsui Yoshitaka struggled to comprehend Charlie’s reasoning. From a workload and complexity standpoint, eliminating these individuals would be significantly easier than quietly moving them across the border. Moreover, the Middle East was perpetually unstable. He found himself questioning what Charlie aimed to accomplish by sending these people there. But at that moment, he knew he couldn’t directly ask Charlie what he intended for the captured individuals, so he reluctantly promised, “Don’t worry, Mr. Wade, I’ll ensure everything is arranged perfectly.” Charlie nodded and responded, “Let’s proceed this way. To ensure you remain diligent and avoid mistakes, you’ll need to pay me a deposit of 5 billion dollars upfront. This amount will be held here for three years without interest. If, after three years, there are no lingering issues, I will return the full 5 billion to you. However, if you fail to manage it properly and cause me unnecessary trouble, this money will be considered compensation for my losses.” Everyone present, including Mitsui Yoshitaka, was taken aback by Charlie's demand. What did 5 billion dollars even represent? It was a sum that not even ten Nasdaq-listed companies might achieve in profit after a year of hard work. Given the current financial market conditions, such a substantial amount of cash, even at the most conservative interest rate, would yield at least 5% annual return, which translates to 250 million dollars! Over three years, with compounding interest, the total could accumulate to approximately 780 million dollars! The Mitsui family, being a global investment powerhouse, could easily pay 5 billion dollars and was accustomed to utilizing such funds for returns exceeding 10% annually. If Charlie’s request were to be met, the Mitsui family would essentially be forfeiting at least 780 million dollars in interest, meaning they stood to lose that amount over the next three years. Mitsui Yoshitaka felt a twinge of despair. As a businessman, his primary focus was always on profit. When confronted with loss, his instinct was to minimize it as much as possible. In his view, Charlie requesting a deposit felt like a significant loss, yet refusing him wasn’t an option in this situation. He was compelled to devise a way to mitigate his losses. So, he said to Charlie, “Mr. Wade, our Mitsui family is well-established and respected in Tokyo, so you can rest assured I’ll handle this matter flawlessly…” Charlie nodded casually and replied, “I appreciate your confidence in me, and as long as you ensure no problems arise in the next three years, I’ll return your deposit without any deductions.” At this point, Charlie pressed him directly, “Do you feel this deposit is excessively high and beyond what you can afford?” Mitsui Yoshitaka was momentarily taken aback; he hadn’t expected Charlie to vocalize his thoughts so directly.

In fact, he did find the deposit excessive, but… Why had Charlie questioned whether he could afford it? Wasn’t that a blatant mockery of his capability? As the head of the Mitsui family, he certainly could afford a 5 billion dollar deposit. It felt like he was being coerced into accepting it against his will. At a loss for words, Charlie continued, “Alright, Mr. Mitsui, I’ll accept your deposit. I haven’t even factored in the cost of preserving your family's well-being. If you’re uncertain, let’s settle the figure now. Given your financial standing, how much do you intend to offer me as a gratitude fee for saving your life—one billion, or perhaps two?” “Ah?” Mitsui Yoshitaka was left dumbfounded once more, thinking to himself, “Is there anyone else like this? Would someone outright demand a billion or two as a thank-you? Does he genuinely believe I’m a money-printing machine? Such a machine would overheat if it tried to print that much cash!” Realizing where the conversation was heading, Mitsui Yoshitaka recognized that accepting the deposit would likely be the best course of action. If this continued, Charlie might very well insist on both the deposit and a gratitude fee, placing him in an untenable position. He pondered, “I could always take a more defiant stance and ask, why? I never asked you to save me; you did that on your own volition. What obligation do I have to pay for that? You handled this yourself—shouldn't the responsibility be on you? Did you seek my consent before intervening? No? Then what’s the issue?” However, such thoughts remained confined to his mind, as he didn’t dare voice them. On one hand, he was wary of disappointing his daughter; on the other, he couldn’t gauge the extent of Charlie’s power. If he provoked him, it could very well lead to his demise. Feeling helpless, he replied to Charlie, “Rest assured, Mr. Wade, once everything concludes, I will arrange for the 5 billion dollars to be transferred to your account!” Charlie acknowledged him with a hum and looked back at Tawanna, asking, “Ms. Sweet, considering I’ve saved you twice now—first, when you held 10 concerts in China, and now a second time—shouldn't we add 10 more concerts to even things out?” Without a moment's hesitation, Tawanna responded earnestly, “Whatever Mr. Wade decides is fine with me. If you say 20 concerts, then I will hold 20. If you believe 20 isn’t enough, then I’m willing to add even more if needed.” Charlie gave her a thumbs-up and complimented, “Ms. Sweet, you’re refreshingly straightforward. They say women are equal to men; you surpass the majority of them.” Meanwhile, Mitsui Yoshitaka felt a tinge of embarrassment. It was clear to him that Charlie was using this opportunity to insult him while praising another. At that moment, a wave of ninjas clad in black robes, brandishing short swords, surged in from both sides. Their numbers ranged from one to two hundred, tightly sealing off both ends of the passage. Seeing a new group of ninjas arriving after Charlie had just dealt with a batch of warriors, Mitsui Yoshitaka's already tense nerves snapped back to alertness. He was mentally prepared for the worst. He was acutely aware of Charlie's capabilities and had witnessed firsthand his methods. However, this time it was not merely dozens of individuals but hundreds—two or even three hundred. Charlie couldn't possibly overcome that many adversaries with his limited resources, even if they stood still. Three hundred foes against thirty rounds of ammunition? It was simply impossible! Yet Charlie remained utterly unperturbed, standing with a relaxed demeanor as if he were merely observing a performance. The fallen warriors saw the wave of ninjas and felt a flicker of hope rekindled within them! Uncertain where the ninjas had come from, they instinctively believed these newcomers had arrived to complete the same mission as theirs—to seize the bounty. The sheer size of this ninja force indicated they could overpower Charlie’s group. If that were the case, wouldn't they also find themselves safe? Ninjas took lives for pay. They’re only hired for such tasks, and they executed operations swiftly, leaving no evidence behind. Thus, they wouldn’t complicate matters for themselves. One of the warriors shouted to the approaching ninjas, “Brothers of the ninja clan, eliminate these people quickly and seize the billion dollars of hidden fortune!” The leading ninja swiftly approached him, glared at him, and without hesitation, buried a short knife into his heart. The knife didn’t have a blood groove, and remarkably, not a single drop of blood followed the thrust. As the warrior felt the sharp pain in his heart, his entire body went limp, as if his very soul had been extracted. Before he passed away, he gazed vacantly at his companion and murmured, “You... why... why did you kill me?” Ignoring the dying man, the ninja bypassed him and approached Charlie, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and respectfully stated, “Mr. Wade, Hattori Hanzo and the Iga ninja have come to report to you! If I arrived late, I ask for your forgiveness, Mr. Wade!”