Chapter 15: Extortion and Plunder

"Whew~"

"Thank goodness, thank goodness…"

Hearing the exclamations coming from downstairs, Tekeko felt very fortunate that she had decided to invite Shishou upstairs. At the same time, she became increasingly respectful of Shishou's leniency.

"So, tell me, why did you invite me up here?"

"One billion ryo. If there's nothing of equivalent value, I won't be easily dismissed."

Shishou took the main seat in the reception room without any sense of being a guest. He came to Fire Source City to make money and if possible, he wouldn't mind taking over all the casinos and underground banks in the city. This way, he could have a continuous source of income to fund his future plans.

Hearing Shishou's words, Tekeko's face stiffened. She then knelt beside Shishou in a fawning manner.

"What do you think of me, young man?"

"Hmm?"

Looking at the beautiful casino owner gazing at him flatteringly, Shishou reached out and petted her hair as if stroking a pet. The female owner willingly accepted his touch, her eyes fixed on him.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, how lewd.

Shishou stood up and kicked her away. He walked to the window and calmly said, "I want half the shares of this casino."

"What?"

Tekeko, who had just propped herself up halfway, was stunned. She looked at Shishou in disbelief at his outrageous demand. Did he go mad?

Tekeko glared fiercely at Shishou and clapped her hands. Five figures entered the room from outside—the same five casino ninjas Shishou had seen earlier.

Although Shishou was powerful, Tekeko was no pushover either.

"It seems you're unwilling?"

Shishou turned to the five casino ninjas who had just entered.

"How could I be willing? Get him!"

Tekeko was furious. She was ready to sacrifice her dignity, but Shishou had the audacity to demand half of her shares. Half the shares! Not only was she unwilling, but even those who bled her dry wouldn't agree to it.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."

Shishou shook his head and approached the five attacking ninjas. Dodging one of them who thrust a kunai at him, Shishou chopped the back of his neck, knocking him out. These casino ninjas were likely rogue ninjas from some village, barely at genin level. Shishou didn't even use his Sharingan, taking them all down in seconds with simple chops.

This sight left Tekeko dumbfounded. She didn't expect that those ninjas, who usually acted high and mighty, would be so easily defeated by this young man.

"I agree."

Seeing her guards taken down in a single move, Tekeko immediately knelt, raising her hands in surrender.

"I agree to give up half the shares."

She didn't want her proud face to be beaten black and blue by Shishou. That would be too humiliating.

"Tell me, what's the situation with this casino?"

Shishou sat back in the main seat and waved Tekeko over. She immediately crawled to his side, massaging his legs while explaining the casino's situation. Witnessing Shishou's overwhelming strength, she dared not harbor any disobedient thoughts, fearing a beating if she didn't perform well.

After learning about the complicated background of the Good Luck Casino from Tekeko, Shishou frowned. He hadn't expected Tekeko to have to hand over 80% of the monthly profits to other casino forces.

"These people are really cruel, bullying a weak woman."

This woman was quite pitiable too. After her husband's death, she had been bullied so badly. While his hands roamed over Tekeko's body, Shishou mused.

"..."

Blushing, Tekeko rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking, "How can you say such things?"

Leaving the Good Luck Casino, Shishou headed to other casinos, winning millions. After killing a group of bandits who tried to rob him, Shishou arrived at a deserted spot and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to Konoha.

The following week, Shishou sent a clone to attend school while his main body investigated the casinos in Fire Source City. Thanks to Tekeko's efforts, Shishou soon understood the ins and outs of all the casinos and underground banks in the city. Excluding those with official backing from the Fire Country, he easily took control of the rest.

With his immense strength, the process was straightforward. First, he'd talk to the owners; if negotiations failed, he'd kill them. Most of these people were not good folks, having committed numerous crimes. Shishou had no qualms about killing them.

Using his Sharingan, he identified several evil casino owners and publicly executed them with his insects. The remaining owners, terrified, agreed to let Shishou become their new boss. Shishou then merged the casinos under his control into a new entity—Kakegurui Casino. He aimed to make it a high-end, well-known chain, banning all illegal activities and introducing lotteries to support Fire Country's charity efforts.

He also consolidated the underground banks into a new company—Ninja World UnionPay. Modeled after his previous life's Swiss Bank, it offered similar services. However, these ventures weren't Shishou's main focus in Fire Source City. His real target was the mining industry, crucial for developing industry and power.

Unfortunately, most of the mines were controlled by the Fire Country's officials, so Shishou couldn't seize them by force without provoking the Fire Country Daimyo and potentially Konoha. Not yet strong enough to confront Konoha, Shishou decided to bide his time. He delegated all operations to Tekeko, who, with Shishou's backing, quickly proved her capabilities, managing the casino and UnionPay effectively.