Ch. 2226..2230: The Secretly Rich Man Chapter 2226-2230
Chapter 2226
Gerald Crawford: The Secretly or invisible Rich Man Chapter 2226 “While I do know that this map belongs to the Seadom tribe, it’s only because of passed down knowledge from my ancestors… Truth be told, this is in y first time seeing this map as well,” muttered Takuya with a sigh after briefly looking at the map.
“Then… Do you have any idea how we can get to Yearning Island? Or at the very least, how we can locate it? From what we know, the island seems to float about on sea and is only locatable through a special method of sorts. As Master Ghost said, the island appeared on the map once, but never again ever since…” replied Gerald with a slight frown as he looked at the map.
“Well… As you may have already guessed, the Seadom tribe used to inhabit that island, though that was ages ago. While I can’t say that I know how to get there, worry not, brother! Since you’ve helped my family this much, I’ll definitely find a way to get you there!” declared Takuya as he began racking his memories, hoping to remember details about the island and the Seadom tribe.
Shortly after, Takuya walked over to a bookshelf and began flipping through the books there.
Seeing that, Fujiko who was still finding it difficult to process all this couldn’t help but mutter, “I’ve never even heard of the Seadom tribe or Yearning Island up till this point…”
Quite honestly, now that she knew Gerald’s true goals, she couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. After all, she had initially thought that he was doing all this for her! In truth, he had only helped her family so much to obtain information! Though she felt that all this was a little too much, this was simply the reality of the situation.
Whatever the case was, Gerald simply shook his head with a bitter smile as he replied, “Had I not encountered the map, I wouldn’t have known about any of this either…”
It was a while later when Takuya returned with a dusty book in hand. Handing it to Gerald, he then said, “Here. This book contains a thorough history of our family, though I’m not sure if what you need is in here.”
“Please let me have a look,” replied Gerald, his eyes glinting with excitement as he quickly began flipping through the pages.
However, the more he flipped, the more his enthusiasm dropped. As it turned out, this truly was just a family history book. Not even the words ‘Yearning Island’ was mentioned in it! What more, from what Gerald had gathered, the book’s first records began around five hundred years ago, which was probably when the Seadom tribe had first left the island.
With that in mind, Gerald was prompted to ask, “…Is this the only book?”
“Unfortunately, it’s the only relevant one I managed to find. Is there nothing relevant to you in there?” replied Takuya as he shook his head.
Every book in this room had been labeled according to its contents, and though there was a lot to go through, Takuya knew that his ancestors only kept the ‘more important’ books here. In other words, records of the Seadom tribe and Yearning Island probably wouldn’t have been stored here.
“Sadly, no. The book is simply a record of everything that’s happened to your family,” said Gerald as he shook his head, feeling slightly frustrated.
“I see… Unfortunately, this room already contains everything passed down from my ancestors. While I’ve been told that I’m a descendant of the Seadom tribe and I do remember my father and grandfather
mentioning Yearning Island, I was never really told how to get there…” muttered Takuya, feeling bad for not being able to help Gerald.
“I do wonder whether Miss Fujiko’s pendant is the key to all this…” said Master Ghost out of the blue as he looked at her pendant; From the very first time he had seen it, he could already tell that the item was a special one, and Master Ghost knew for a fact that such items were usually the more useful things.
“This…?” muttered Fujiko as she removed her pendant.
“It’s just a guess, of course, but it’s something,” replied Master Ghost as he shook his head.
“Well, whatever the case is, I believe that we’ll eventually crack the code,” said Takuya as he lit a cigarette.
Chapter 2227
Gerald Crawford: The Secretly or invisible Rich Man Chapter 2227 “Indeed… Either way, now that you know about my situation, please don’t tell this to anyone. Since this concerns the safety of my parents and sister, if any accidents happen, I’m afraid I won’t forgive that easily,” said Gerald as he clenched his fists.
“Got it!” replied both Takuya and his daughter as they nodded.
With that said, after sitting in the secret room for a while longer, the group eventually left together before parting ways.
Upon arriving at his room, Gerald waited for Master Ghost and Aiden to enter as well before closing the door behind him. Once that was done, he couldn’t help but sit on his bed, feeling dejected. After all, all this time, he had simply assumed that once he found the Seadom tribe, the mysteries of Yearning Island would be in the bag. Now that things had taken this turn, he realized just how naïve he was to think that.
After all, now that he thought about it, the Seadom tribe was an ancient one. With that in mind, even if he had managed to find descendants of that tribe, everything from the past should’ve predictably been whisked away by time! Just knowing who their ancestors were was clearly not enough!
Sensing Gerald’s discontent, Master Ghost was quick to ask, “Well… Now that we know that the Futabas can’t help us get there, should we still remain? It’ll pretty much be a waste of time by the looks of things…”
“Let’s just wait a bit…” muttered Gerald with a sigh.
Honestly, he wasn’t sure what was best for their current situation either. Still, to think that their only lead had been a dud this entire time…
“And what if we still can’t find anything after ‘a bit’?” asked Master Ghost.
“We’ll talk about it then. Besides, we still have to help the Futabas with their issues before leaving. Remember, when helping others, we need to see through it,” replied Gerald before lighting a cigarette and taking two deep puffs of it.
Already predicting what Gerald would say, Master Ghost then nodded before saying, “So be it. We’ll do whatever you ask us to!”
Hearing that, Aiden who was feeling bad for Gerald then added, “Why don’t we just take the Kanagawas and Hanyus out straight off the bat? That way, we’ll be able to quickly begin investigating how to get to Yearning Island again!”
“I’ll… consider it,” replied Gerald with a bitter smile.
Currently, many thoughts were plaguing his mind. For one, he had no idea how his parents or sister were doing on the island. What more, it wasn’t easy living undercover all the time while his enemies remained out in the open.
In all honesty, Gerald couldn’t deny that he had considered letting Will’s men capture him so that he could finally head to Yearning Island. However, if he did so, then the risk of him failing was still pretty high.
After all, who knew how they would lock him up once he got there. If he ended up losing his life, then all would truly be lost.
Either way, Gerald then sent the two away before laying on his bed to think things through.
When morning came, Gerald was awakened by a knock on the door, followed by someone saying, “Mr. Crawford…? The chairman of the Fareast Consortium has come over, and he says that he wishes to meet you.”
“Derrick’s here…?” muttered Gerald as he rubbed his eyes before rolling off the bed. After slipping his jacket on and exiting his room, Gerald realized that the person at the door was the individual whom Takuya had selected last night to deal with the Fareast Consortium.
Upon seeing Gerald, the Futaba family member who went by Takushu then quickly replied, “Indeed… After meeting him earlier, he insisted that he follow us back! Not daring to refuse, we simply led him back to the manor… With that said, please meet up with him, Mr. Crawford… We really can’t afford to offend him…”
“I will. Lead the way,” said Gerald as he recalled just how much Derrick had helped.
Chapter 2228
Gerald Crawford: The Secretly or invisible Rich Man Chapter 2228 Derrick himself could be seen nervously pacing at the door. After all, he was well aware of how abrupt his visit was, and he was honestly worried that this might upset Gerald. Even so, he knew he had to come over. After all, he hadn’t been able to meet with Gerald in years! With how much Gerald moved around, Derrick was seriously worried that he wouldn’t be able to see Gerald again till another few years had passed if he didn’t make his move now.
His fears, however, were quick to vanish when he saw Gerald walking toward him. Smiling broadly, Derrick then jogged into the manor while waving his hand as he shouted, “Brother Gerald!”
Watching as Derrick fished a pack of cigarettes out before offering one to him, Gerald accepted one before replying with a smile, “So… What brings you here on this fine day?”
“I… just wanted to see you, honestly. After all, if I missed this chance, who knows how long it’ll be before we can meet again!” said Derrick as he lit Gerald’s cigarette while grinning sheepishly.
“And here I thought you needed my help with something…” joked Gerald with a chuckle.
“Oh, please, brother Gerald! As if I’d ever ask for your help all willy-nilly! However, feel free to request for more help from me if you ever need it!” replied Derrick with a laugh.
Shaking his head, Gerald then tugged his jacket closer to him since the early autumn morning was slightly chilly before saying, “Regardless, let’s talk inside…”
Nodding in response, Derrick then followed Gerald all the way to the Futaba manor’s parlor. Though a few maids had been cleaning the parlor before they arrived, the second they saw Gerald leading a
guest in, they hurriedly left.
Either way, once Derrick was seated, he cleared his throat before saying, “So… if you’re wondering how I got here, it’s because I asked the Futabas in charge of the collaboration to lead me here… I hope my arrival isn’t disturbing you in any way…”
Understanding that Derrick was simply worried that he had left a bad impression on him, Gerald then shook his head as he replied, “Not at all.”
“Oh, thank god! I was so worried that you’ d be annoyed! Still, to be able to meet you again after so many years… What luck!” said Derrick with a grin.
“Alright, now you just sound weird,” replied Gerald with a slightly raised brow.
Chuckling in response, Derrick then flicked his cigarette before leaning slightly forward as he said, “Well… to be completely honest, I also came here today to tell you something…”
“I’m assuming you really need my help?” asked Gerald as he crossed his legs.
“Far from it. I’m planning on handing thirty percent of the Fareast Consortium’s shares to you,” replied Derrick while shaking his head.
“… Thirty percent?” said Gerald as he raised an eyebrow.
With how high the Fareast Consortium ranked not only in Japan, but also in the whole of Asia, Gerald knew for a fact that getting even three percent of that company’s shares would be enough for a family to be luxuriously set for life for a few generations.
Chapter 2229
Gerald Crawford: The Secretly or invisible Rich Man Chapter 2229 Based on a rough estimate, Gerald figured that thirty percent of the shares would probably amount to ten billion dollars.
“Bingo. I’ve already been planning to tell you this for years, though Iwas never able to find you… With that said, now that we’ve finally met again, please accept my offering. I’ve already bought some of the company’s shares, and I’ll be transferring them to you later,” replied Derrick with a nod, his eyes blazing with passion. From the looks of it, he really wanted Gerald to have the money.
After a slight pause, Gerald simply chuckled before saying, “Aren’t you worried that I’ll take over your company after you hand me the shares?”
“So what if you do? You saved my life! Had you not given me a chance to live, I wouldn’t have been able to start the Fareast Consortium in the first place! Besides, you simply aren’t the kind of person to do such a thing!” replied Derrick.
Though his encounter with those bandits had taken place years ago, he still had nightmares about it.
Nightmares where Gerald never came to his rescue, resulting in his head getting chopped off by an ax. With that in mind, every time he woke up drenched in cold sweat, his gratitude toward Gerald only grew stronger and stronger.
Either way, upon hearing that, Gerald poured himself a cup of tea while saying, “Saving you was only a small matter for me, so I really can’t accept your shares. However, if you still insist, I’m willing to accept the offer, though in return, we can’t meet up ever again. Which is it going to be?”
“That…” muttered Derrick, clearly not expecting Gerald to say that.
“Putting that aside, tell me honestly. Is the current Futaba family capable of meeting your company’s requirements for the collaboration?” asked Gerald as he attempted to change the topic.
Upon hearing that, Derrick’s expression turned slightly serious as he replied, “Unfortunately, they can’t…”
“How large is the gap?” asked Gerald who had expected that answer. After all, while the old Futaba family may have been able to pull it off, those leeches pretty much ruined everything by replacing teamwork with greed for money.
Gerald, for one, knew that Derrick had only offered the Futabas large contracts since Derrick had been keen to please him. While this would allow the Futaba family to revive, Gerald was honestly worried that Derrick’s decision would eventually come back to burden him. In fact, it could possibly affect the Fareast Consortium as a whole, and Gerald really didn’t want Derrick to suffer a loss just because he wanted to help him.
Clearing his throat, Derrick then said, “Well… I’ll be saying things frankly then…”
“Go ahead. There’s only the two of us here now. Say whatever’s on your mind,” replied Gerald with a nod.
“Well, as you’ve said, the gap is a bit wide… Since we worked together once a few years back, I vaguely remembered the family being quite capable. However, after discussing with them in the past few days, I’ve unfortunately found that the family’s capabilities have greatly declined…” muttered Derrick with a sigh.
Honestly, had Gerald not asked him to help them, he wouldn’t have given the Futabas a chance at all, at least from the moment he learned that their family was in such poor condition.
“To be honest, you could just hand them simpler contracts, you know? Anything good enough that’ll help them recover. Following that, you can give them the more standard contracts,” replied Gerald as he stroked his untrimmed goatee.
“I had thought about that too, though in the end, I just told my secretary to loosen the requirements. As a precaution, I’ve also selected a group of technical staff and company management personnel who’ll be heading to the Futaba family’s company to lend them a hand in a few days. With that said, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem in the end,” said Derrick.
Chapter 2230
Gerald Crawford: The Secretly or invisible Rich Man Chapter 2230 “That’s good to hear,” replied Gerald with a nod.
“Indeed. Still, you really don’t have to worry about this. I know what I’m doing, so there shouldn’t be any unexpected problems,” said Derrick as he nodded in response. In the end, he was still the one who had established a massive business empire. With that said, dealing with a small issue like this was no problem to him.
“That’s reassuring to hear,” replied Gerald with a smile before sipping on some tea.
Smiling back, Derrick was then prompted to ask, “So… How long are you planning to stay here, brother Gerald…?”
“Not too sure myself, honestly. I guess I’ll just stay till my problems are solved,” replied Gerald as he shook his head. Though he said that, he knew that if he really needed to leave quickly, then all he needed was a day to completely vanquish the Kanagawas and Hanyus off the face of the planet.
That was, of course, only if he absolutely needed to leave. After all, now that Takuya was aware of his goal, there was a chance that the patriarch could suddenly find or recall things about Yearning Island. Besides, even if Gerald left Japan, he didn’t have any further leads.
However, if Takuya couldn’t find anything in the end, just staying here would be a major waste of time as well. These were pretty much the thoughts in his head after leaving the secret room the night before.
“Problems? Brother Gerald, tell me what they are and I just may be able to help you!” declared Derrick as he came closer to Gerald.
“I know you’re keen to help, but this isn’t exactly something you’re capable of helping with…” replied Gerald with a slightly bitter smile.
“We won’t know till you tell me, right?” said Derrick, refusing to give in.
Not wanting to talk about the Seadom tribe and Yearning Island, Gerald simply decided to ask, “Then tell me… How much do you know about the Yamashitas?”
Gerald, for one, was pretty sure that Derrick had heard of the Yamashitas before after living here for so long as well as the rumors that there were ninjas in that family. Based on what he now knew about the ninjas, Gerald wondered how much Derrick actually knew about them.
“I… don’t know much about them, sadly… All I know is that the Yamashitas lack any connections with the other families or consortia. What more, there are ever rumors that there are ninjas in that family, though call bullsh*t on that…” muttered Derrick after thinking for a while as he shook his head.
“I know, right?” replied Gerald with a subtle smile.
“Why? Do you have any conflicts with that family?” asked Derrick.
“Not at all. I was just curious about them,” replied Gerald as he shook his head.
“I see… Well, they are a strange family… One of the strangest in Japan, actually,” muttered Derrick as he thought about them.
“Pretty much. Also, since we’re already talking about the families here, what do you know about the Hanyus and Kanagawas?” asked Gerald.
“Well… the Kanagawas are one of the largest families in the country, and they’ve constantly made business dealings with the Fareast Consortium. As for the Hanyus, all I know is that they’re an
assassin family… I don’t know much else about them,” replied Derrick with a slight frown.
“How much is ‘not much’…?” asked Gerald who honestly felt that the Hanyus were a bigger problem.
After all, with that many assassins in that family, if he didn’t handle them all at once, then he would eventually cause unnecessary trouble to himself.
“I mean… what aspects are you referring to…?” replied Derrick.
“Everything you know about them. How’s this? Once you get back, write everything you know about the two families before sending me the results,” said Gerald in a serious tone.