Fractal Plane: Beyond Public Eyes

Epilogue - Calm Before the Storm

1

"That is the sixth lawsuit we have on our hands just this week alone, sir. I'm sorry, but the concert at the Chronodome is an unprecedented disaster for the Ishida Conglomerate."

Giving an apologetic look, the messenger carefully put the papers on the table in front of the CEO of the conglomerate.

Without needing to guess, Yoshihiro Ishida already knew what it was about.

What else could it be but the aftermath of the company's big event? The one he approved after much convincing from his sons. The very same one which involved a big rollout of a new technological product line.

To have it end in a disaster like that was unacceptable for an Ishida.

With his expression unreadable behind his shades, thee imposing man grabbed hold of the papers that were placed. He stared at the documents briefly before giving a displeased grunt. He took off his shades, and he saw that his eyes sowed fear in the other person.

Without another word, he signaled the messenger to leave. The charms decorating his body clanged, and he enjoyed the quickness at which the other person left.

When the person in a suit finally left, having delivered the news, Yoshihiro Ishida turned to the other two people seated beside the table with him.

"What a disaster indeed," he started calmly. "We can easily get through this with the money we have. But let me tell you as early as now that there will be consequences for this."

"I'm sorry, Father." The first one to respond was the gray-haired adolescent with rectangular glasses and a fade cut.

Yuichiro, eldest among the Ishida siblings, gave a very solemn bow of reverence to his father.

"I swear, the equipment was not defective. Sure, it was not the smoothest test run for the satellite drones, but I swear everything was prepared perfectly. I just did not expect a gas leak or a security compromise to happen in the Chronodome of all places."

"You have to think that if the disaster did not happen, the event would have been big for the image of the company. It was a surefire hit, and what are the odds of something like that happening and ruining everything, anyway?

Those last words came from the third person. Wearing his signature jacket, Reijy Ishida spoke up with frustration.

"Oversights are inexcusable for the Ishida," calmly said Yuichiro.

Despite the calm voice, Reijy knew that he and his brother felt those words shake them from within. Their father's expression told it all, and it was the joint effort of the two siblings that got the company in hot water.

"We are to be the prime example of the pinnacle of humanity in Shiroki City. Whether it be technology, business, education, sports... An Ishida should never settle for anything less. That also goes to sponsored representatives."

For Reijy, it was as if the entire room's attention focused on him. It did not take a genius to know why.

It was his idea to hitch on Yuki-tan's growing popularity with the company at stake. Before that, he had also helped sponsor the careers of numerous people in different fields, with one of them being a certain childhood friend of his.

He managed to hold off the mounting pressures of the two pairs of eyes before exhaling. With a confident smirk, he faced his father.

"Kimura was a mere outlier. It will not happen again. What is one setback to everything I've delivered to the family?"

His father scoffed. Reijy then felt sweat slide down his forehead as he scrambled for a follow-up.

"I am on pace to graduate near the top of my class. Our other sponsored representatives, which I scouted, by the way, seem to be doing well for themselves. I have also helped acquire some business ventures."