Lucky Mutual Aid Society (25)

"Ah, Mr. Matsui! Hello." Inuyama Heita said with feigned embarrassment, "Because the food at this gathering is so delicious, I accidentally took a little extra. It should... be okay, right?"

Matsui looked at the tower on Inuyama Heita's plate, his eyebrows twitching slightly. This guy really came here just to eat his fill. But he still said gently, "It's fine, you can eat as much as you want, as long as you don't waste it..." Thinking about the benefits Inuyama Heita would bring him later, eating a little was nothing. If the other party was obedient, he could eat as much as he wanted.

"I won't waste it!" Inuyama Heita happily stuffed a pastry into his mouth.

Seeing Inuyama Heita's foolish expression, Matsui nodded secretly. The more foolish this kid is, the easier it will be for me to control him. This is a good thing. Then, Matsui leaned closer and lowered his voice, asking, "Heita-kun, when you go on stage later, don't be nervous. This is for everyone."

Inuyama Heita asked hesitantly, "Um, Mr. Matsui, is President Oiwa really like you said? Is this really not a misunderstanding?"

"Yes, if my investigation is correct." Matsui said seriously, "I didn't even know about this myself. I only noticed something unusual recently. I've worked with the President for over a year, and after discovering these things, I was the most pained and disbelieving person. But for the sake of the innocent people in the Mutual Aid Society, this is something we have to do. Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, Inuyama Heita nodded earnestly, "I believe you."

Matsui smiled, "It's great to have your trust. For everyone in the Mutual Aid Society, let's work hard together. Only by overcoming this difficult hurdle will we have a better tomorrow."

"Mhm! Munch munch..."

Amidst a harmonious atmosphere, this gathering was finally about to begin. The members took their seats in an orderly fashion. The senior members sat in the front row, while other ordinary members sat behind them. Qian Xiaoyi, as usual, found a seat at the very back. He took out popcorn from his bag and held it in his hand, with a cup of cola in the other. He stared at the stage in front with anticipation, fully prepared, looking excited as if waiting for a movie to start.

The lights in the venue gradually dimmed, and the noisy chatter of the members subsided with the brightness of the lights, turning into whispers, and then fell silent. They could all sense that this gathering was different from the previous ones, and there was likely something important to announce.

In the darkness on both sides of the stage, Matsui was on the left, with Inuyama Heita standing behind him. President Oiwa was on the right. The two exchanged calm glances for a few seconds. Matsui smiled slightly, extended his hand in a "please" gesture, signaling President Oiwa to go on stage.

President Oiwa snorted, adjusted his collar, and then strode into the spotlight on the stage.

"Hello, everyone." President Oiwa said into the microphone.

"Hello, President Oiwa!" the audience responded in unison.

President Oiwa looked at the adoring eyes of the audience and nodded with satisfaction, continuing, "Has everyone's week been as LUCKY as ever?"

"LUCKY!"

Qian Xiaoyi curled his lips. Still the same opening as last time, how boring. Let's get to the main event.

"Everyone is full of energy today too!" President Oiwa said, "Are you all satisfied with today's gathering? As you can see, the exquisite food on the long table, even I couldn't resist taking a few bites. It can be said to be very thoughtfully arranged, and all of this is thanks to our old friend, Mr. Matsui. Everyone knows him, right?"

"We do."

"Of course."

"Who doesn't know Mr. Matsui? He's the one who introduced us to the club."

"It's hard not to know him."

The members responded in a lively chatter. Matsui stood below the stage, still smiling, seemingly unaware of any danger.

"That's right, who doesn't know Mr. Matsui?" President Oiwa continued, "Everyone knows him. No matter what you need, he's the first person you think of. Reliability seems to be his motto. Which one of you here hasn't received Mr. Matsui's help? Even I have benefited greatly from Mr. Matsui's kindness. You might think that because I am the president of the Lucky Mutual Aid Society, Mr. Matsui must be my subordinate. This is a misunderstanding."

The crowd quieted down, listening intently.

President Oiwa said, "In fact, Mr. Matsui and I are more like partners. It's just that I'm a few years older and have a bit of talent, which is why I became the president. You might not know, but the initial proposal to establish the Mutual Aid Society came from Mr. Matsui. You could say that without him, there would be no Lucky Mutual Aid Society today. Mr. Matsui is the undisputed pillar of our Lucky Mutual Aid Society!"

"Mr. Matsui is amazing!"

"I thought Mr. Matsui was just President Oiwa's secretary?"

"Mr. Matsui, I love you!"

"...However." President Oiwa's tone shifted, becoming somewhat somber as he said, "Recently, I've discovered a crack in this seemingly reliable pillar."

This statement spread throughout the venue, causing immediate silence. Everyone wondered if they had misheard something. Was President Oiwa... accusing Mr. Matsui? They all turned to look at Matsui, who remained standing there, smiling, without any reaction.

"Heh, playing the 'build up before tearing down' tactic." Qian Xiaoyi ate a handful of popcorn and muttered to himself, "Looks like this old shut-in didn't waste his year as president."

President Oiwa glanced at Matsui. Matsui's expression had gradually shifted from a smile to a calm one. Encouraged, President Oiwa continued, his voice becoming heavy with emotion, "...Matsui and I have known each other for a long time. We are true friends, and everyone has seen our relationship. At first, I couldn't believe something like this could happen, but self-deception is undoubtedly the most potent slow-acting poison. I cannot tolerate my friend doing such things, especially to you all. The Lucky Mutual Aid Society is a family. He is my friend, my family, and so are you... Therefore, I have decided to tell you something I recently discovered. You all know that our members are required to donate one-twentieth of their income as charity each month. This is a large sum of money, basically used to help members whose luck can be changed, to alter everyone's destiny. But..."

The venue stirred. President Oiwa took a deep breath, as if making a major decision, and said, "Matsui, he embezzled these charity funds!"

The scene erupted in an uproar!