Tokyo: From Lawless Madpolice to Minister
Chapter 488 - 425: The Necessity of Showing One’s Face, the Plain Nephew of the Persimmon Clan

Chapter 488: Chapter 425: The Necessity of Showing One’s Face, the Plain Nephew of the Persimmon Clan

Aoyama Xiu Xin had never liked attending gatherings before.

He found them troublesome, hypocritical, and boring.

But now, he was very enthusiastic about them.

Because they allowed more people to recognize him.

As someone who wanted to wield power and achieve something in the officialdom, being low-profile was not an option; he needed to let more influential people know and understand him.

And various gatherings were a good way to do so.

For instance, tonight’s party, organized by local political and business elites, was attended by those who actually controlled every aspect of Sapporo and even Hokkaido, affecting Hokkaido’s economy, politics, culture, and more.

Behind Fujimoto Takayoshi were these very people supporting him. It seemed he had influence over both the underworld and the lawful, dominating Hokkaido as he pleased, but if these people decided they didn’t want him to stay, he would have to leave promptly by tomorrow.

In the Hokkaido Police system, Fujimoto Takayoshi was undoubtedly at the top, but in the entire Hokkaido profiteer class, he could at best be considered middle-tier.

Not to mention that above the Hokkaido Police was the Public Security Committee under the Governor of Hokkaido, whose members, including the chairman, were all local societal elites.

Therefore, if Aoyama Xiu Xin truly wanted to replace Fujimoto Takayoshi’s position, he too needed the support of these local lords; otherwise, not even being Lord Jing would suffice.

To gain their support, he had to make himself familiar to them, and he believed they had already gotten a clear understanding of his true nature through Fujimoto Takayoshi.

Attending such a high-class dinner naturally required a female companion, and Aoyama Xiu Xin couldn’t possibly bring his sister-in-law, nor would the female reporter Hashimoto Chiyoko do; her sense of justice was strong, and she was too straightforward, inappropriate for such occasions. So only his kind mother was left.

As for whether Qingshui Yasuko’s status might be somewhat unsuitable, that was utterly unimportant. It wasn’t one of those very formal or intimate gatherings; no one would pay attention to a companion, and many brought various models to the event; weren’t those women using this method to enter high-class circles to raise their "wholesale prices"?

Qingshui Yasuko received the notification in the afternoon. Although her husband had just passed away, she had to dress up lavishly to accompany another man in public, which made her feel doubly guilty and ashamed, but she had no right to refuse.

She chose her clothes early, washed up, made up, and got herself ready to wait for Aoyama Xiu Xin to pick her up.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The knocking on the door interrupted Qingshui Yasuko’s train of thought.

"Mom, he’s here."

Her son’s deep voice came from outside the door.

"Mm," Qingshui Yasuko sighed, composed herself, squeezed out a smile on her face, gave one last check in the mirror to ensure her makeup was fine, then put on a pair of white high heels and walked out.

The moment she opened the door, Qingshui Yi saw his mother dressed up and felt a complex mix of emotions. He pursed his lips and said, "I’m sorry to trouble you, Mom."

"As long as it’s good for you, your father’s spirit in heaven would also want to see you well. I’m merely fulfilling his last wish," Qingshui Yasuko briefly smiled, raised her hand to touch her son’s face, and then stepped outside.

Watching Qingshui Yasuko’s back, Qingshui Yi clenched his fists and swore to himself that he would take good care of his mother in the future; she had made so many sacrifices for him.

Then he took a deep breath, "Let me take you there."

Aoyama Xiu Xin waited in his car outside; he was taken aback when he saw Qingshui Yasuko come out.

The previous two times he saw Qingshui Yasuko, she was in a kimono, but today she wore a strapless white mermaid dress. Her full bosom was pressed and bulged out slightly, her waist and hips outlined a graceful silhouette, and the slit in her dress revealed glimpses of her long legs wrapped in flesh-colored stockings with each step, while a bright red floral tattoo on her shoulder added a touch of glamour but didn’t come off as vulgar.

Money nurtures people! Even a little brat can develop such a temperament after living a privileged life for twenty years.

Wearing this in the dead of winter, she was surely cold.

But it was only for a while when getting in and out of the car; the rest of the time was spent inside the car or indoors.

"Senior Police Director," Qingshui Yi stepped forward to bow deeply, then bent over to help his mother open the car door.

The feeling of personally handing his mother over to another man made it difficult for him to raise his head.

Qingshui Yasuko stepped forward and bowed slightly as a greeting, then got into the car and sat next to Aoyama Xiu Xin.

Before the car door closed, with Qingshui Yi watching, the impeccably dressed Aoyama Xiu Xin pressed down and said indifferently, "Mr. Qingshui doesn’t need to be so formal; we are friends after all."

Seeing it up close for himself, Qingshui Yi finally understood why his mother couldn’t walk steadily when she came home the last time. This bastard had something grafted on, right?

As a Japanese, he seriously doubted Aoyama Xiu Xin’s pure heritage; otherwise, how could it be so sizeable?

"Please ensure my mother’s well-being, Senior Police Director. I implore you!" Qingshui Yi bowed again, his request sincere. He knew well that someone like his mother had no standing whatsoever in Aoyama Xiu Xin’s circle and feared that she would be mistreated tonight.

Aoyama Xiu Xin smirked slightly at the request and gently caressed the back of Qingshui Yasuko’s head, "Don’t worry, I shall take the utmost care of a friend’s mother."

Qingshui Yi closed the car door and bowed in farewell.

He maintained his bow long after the taillights had disappeared, standing up after a prolonged moment.

"President," a bodyguard approached to support him.

The Qingshui family residence was a traditional ancient building compound, somewhat resembling a quad, occupying a large area, hence the provision of numerous bodyguards and servants.