Wanted to give y'all an actual new chapter, so here we are ahead of schedule. Hope you like it!

Chapter 5

When Kenji Tsuragamae had come across a few newspapers bringing the daily talks over an entrepreneur returning to Hosu City after a world trip, he had paid it little to no mind. Thanks to Hosu's seaport, businessmen and celebrities were a common arrival as they made their way towards the capital of Tokyo. Another business big-shot wasn't worth anything more than a simple turn of the page.

That had been before Kenji found out that the entrepreneur was not only an heir, but a rather young one as well. Enough to garner some attention and lead to a bit more reading on the subject was what that led to. Still, no real curiosity yet.

BUT… that had been before Kenji found out that the aforementioned heir was not only the long gone son of the famed Midori-Wayne family, and his world trip being nearly a decade in duration, but said teen was reforging his father's company into his own; a notion proved by the title Enforcer Enterprises altered to Reinforcer Enterprises. Further reading revealed the company -now in the ownership of the Midori-Wayne heir- had been practically overhauled; the military assistance program it was oh so known for having been shut down in order to give rise to four new departments. The company was going private as well; no longer in direct cahoots with the government, as its stocks from the market all but vanished. All in just under a month.

Over the continuation of two months, the heir began to make more appearances after that, though he kept distant from the more well-known radio stations and news anchors unless personally invited. Why? Kenji had no idea, but to each man his own.

It was a week later that the dog-man had found out that the boy was Quirkless.

Despite being a cop, Kenji did know a thing or two about matters of discrimination in the entrepreneual world. And when it came to business, the Quirk you had -if any at all- did not really matter. In fact, Quirks were rather frowned upon when discussing matters of entrepreneurship. During the era where Quirks first began to appear, too many tycoons had used Quirks to influence consumers into abusing their budgets, negatively affecting the economy as a whole with debt and inflation and bankruptcy. That, paired with vigilantism, discrimantion, increased crime, civil war, and even human experimentation, had led the world to the brink of collapse. Once things began to stabilize however, the governments put Anti-Quirk Business-Use laws into practice. The world of entrepreneurs was one of the increasingly few places where those 'left behind' in the race of evolution could find equal footing.

Didn't mean they didn't face entirely pleasant treatment, however. Though with the decrease of Quirkless in the world's population, situations like those were rare.

…The Midori-Wayne boy was Quirkless and young, but he had gotten lucky with being at the top of the industrial food chain.

Being a mutant-class, Kenji could sympathize with rough treatment. He personally didn't mind if one possessed the extra toe joint or not -didn't matter if you were Quirked or Quirkless, you could be a law-abiding citizen or a criminal either way, so his opinions on the young man were unbiased.

He couldn't say the same thing for some of his co-workers though.

Anyway, Izuku Midori-Wayne turned out to be incredibly mature and skilled for someone his age. Running his company with a respectful but strict demeanor, having a bit of a calm, rich hunk attitude with the ladies, and keeping up with the big leagues who had years of experience over him with seemingly little effort; it was surprising to see such a young man jump into the fray that was business so boldly.

…and reap rewards so quickly.

Then again, the teen had been gone for nearly a decade. Plenty of time to get to know the ins and outs of the corporate world like the back of one's hand should one have a good head on their shoulders and dedication.

Business-wise, the young man was an up and rising star. The same could somewhat be said when it came to social media.

Kenji wouldn't delve deep on the subject; he himself was far more focused on the industrial side of things. But let's just say, for the sake of commenting, the black-haired teen sure knew how to model.

Many others -especially the ladies- thought so too; Quirkless status be damned, surprisingly.

But back to the matter at hand. Kenji had watched the interviews; listened to what the young man had to say. And the dog-man found himself agreeing with the teen's ideology concerning his company and his beloved parents' outdated methods. Despite the fact that building their industry had taken almost their entire lives up until the night of their murder, his parents had made a good living out of provisioning supplies to the government's military. A profiting business, but as the boy said, increasingly flawed as time would pass. Militaries in a world of Quirks were barely active, whatever personnel the factions held no more than hundreds compared to the once thousands, so the young Midori-Wayne's renovations were actually the saving grace of the company.

The commotion was not to last forever though, and after another two months passed, things started to calm down. The paparazzi slowed, the interviews stopped, and the fangirls… more or less remained the same.

It was then that the Hosu Police Department received an invite to a technological expo held by none other than the aforementioned Midori-Wayne heir's company.

Well, with what Kenji had seen and heard on TV, he was game, and so was the Commissioner, so off they went along with a few higher-ups in their ranks.

They proceeded to have their minds utterly bewildered.

Turns out the company had ditched their supplying of the military in favor of a more spread-out way of business; the assisting of everyday citizens, common authorities, heroes, and medical practitioners were all to be put into practice with Reinforcer Enterprises's new system. Technology, equipment, funding, insurances, training, etc; all were to be offered by the company's personnel to the proper groups under Izuku Midori-Wayne's supervision.

But that was far from all. As soon as the company would be officially in business -which it would be by the span of four months- and with a steady stream of supply lines -again; four months- it would be open for hire, giving freshly-graduated youths an opportunity to set up their career paths and cement their goals and dreams.

If Kenji -among all at the expo- had given a standing ovation once the showcases and grand speech were delivered… well, could you blame them?

~-*-~

The restaurant was rather quaint. Old cement, gothic architecture, and dim lighting along with soft music reminiscent of the restaurants usually seen in those pre-quirk era spy films.

The perfect place to discuss work matters.

However, Kenji… was not used to such grandiose places. Everywhere his dog-like eyes turned and looked he saw men and women dressed in the finest of clothing; the fine and rich materials of their attire evident with only a glimpse, and even the air held a scent akin to that of financial superiority to his beagle-like nose.

Selfishly fortunately for the dog-man, he was not the only one to feel that way.

The Police Commissioner had been all but eager to go to such a fine establishment, and had dressed in his best clothing for the occasion. The latter was copied by Kenji. But… it was clear once both of the policemen arrived that they had underestimated the sheer aura of the higher class society.

Suddenly, a suit and tie felt nothing short of underdressed.

If the younger entrepreneur wished to let them know who really was boss in this meeting… Kenji had to give the boy credit.

And speaking of an 18-year-old entrepreneur, it seemed as if they had finally found him.

He was clad in a dark turtleneck, a sacramento-green blazer and trousers accompanied by dark socks and Derby's finishing off his look. His wavy-curly locks of hair were tied back, and it appeared as if he had already begun to sample the fine beverages of the establishment.

Non-alcoholic beverages, one might add. And he managed to fit in quite well even without overly flashy attire.

'Woof. Guess it's more in the character, then.'

It didn't take long for the teen's emerald eyes to fall onto their location, and a swift wave of his hand was all it took for them to bring themselves out of their stupor and head on towards him.

He stood up as they finally neared, and gave a respectful bow in greeting, which was reciprocated by Kenji, "Gentlemen, a pleasure to have this proper opportunity with you two."

"Same here, sonny," replied the Commissioner, an extremely overweight man with pale, balding brown hair and darker eyes, "Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb, and the man behind me is Deputy Chief Kenji Tsuragamae."

Izuku instead gave a firm handshake to the Commissioner, and invited them to sit with him.

"The waiters will be by momentarily, that is, if you wish to eat?"

"If you're buying, don't mind if we do," agreed Loeb.

Kenji winced at the blatant statement.

Sure enough, the waiters came, and the orders were sent off. They didn't take too much time in eating, as the younger of the trio had other matters to attend later on during the day, but they made small talk over their histories before their plates and palates were to their liking.

"Now," began the teen once their empty plates had been taken, "Ever since I returned to Hosu City four months ago, I took the time to look over the city's marketing and workforce effects on multiple factors. What I found was displeasing, to say the least, so I proposed the Triple S program; a financial and commercial success.

And now, Reinforcer Enterprises has been steadily going for four months, a steady stream of revenue and expenditures along with a strong entrepreneurial foundation displaying the improvements I plan to bring to my city."

The Commissioner raised a brow at the mention of 'my city', but otherwise spoke and motioned nothing.

"Within these four months, the Departments of Public Goods and Support have been tremendously helpful in putting the company back on the market's map. And now that I have successfully set up an agreement with the government, it is time for Reinforcer Enterprises to assist the Hosu Police Department in keeping safe and efficient watch over the city."

"Woof. If I may," began Kenji, "just what were the agreements the government and you came to? Woof."

"Shared profits. One third of the revenue from the expected savings my company will cause with your advancement. The other two thirds will be for your mens' pay from the government and for us as your pay for our services."

"One third each?" came in Loeb, "Doesn't sound like a lotta money for us to me."

"The pay you and your workforce will earn is still well above the average annual wage you would earn regularly," assured the dark-haired business-teen, "That is, if you agree to the terms and conditions I have set up."

Izuku slid a folder over to the police pair, which Loeb swiped off the table as soon as his fatty hands were in reach.

Kenji himself resignedly put his hands back on the table, his earlier attempt at grasping the set of documents ruined by Loeb's successful own.

Deciding to make a bit of small talk while his boss read, Kenji cleared his throat, "Woof. So Mr. Wayne, or is it Midori-Wayne?" He had forgotten to ask that earlier; their earlier talks being with Kenji never addressing him properly.

"Just Wayne, Chief Tsuragamae. Pronouncing it all is an irrational waste of time. Not to mention a bit of a tongue twister when in a rush," he added with a small grin.

"Haha, indeed," agreed the dog-man before he took a sip of his drink, "So Mr. Wayne, -woof- do you really plan to provide our men standard military-grade training?"

A nod as Izuku swallowed the rest of his ginger tea was his response before he elaborated, "Mm, yes. While I won't completely undermine the army by providing their exact training methods the police forces' -which was another term in my agreement with the government, recruits will be given a higher degree of preparation so as to help them keep up with greater tasks. Upgraded equipment and technology will also be given, though technology will be limited to criminal databases until the Hosu Police Department is properly capable with what they have."

Kenji nodded, "Woof. If I'm allowed to channel a bit of my inner Beagle, I will say that words cannot properly describe the excitement I feel for the upcoming future. This is really going to help us policemen and women get off our asses and back into the field. Woof. Ah, to make a proper difference again."

Loeb let the folder drop onto the table, allowing Kenji to finally get his hands on it. "From what I've seen in my years as Commissioner, Tsuragamae, we've made a lasting impression if our low crime-web rates are anything to go by."

"Woof. True sir," relented the dog-man, "But nowadays we've kind of taken the back seat in authoritative matters."

"Precisely why I have taken the decision to change the status quo," interjected Izuku. The teen nodded at the folder, which had just been finished read by Kenji, "Well? Terms and conditions to your liking?"

The Commissioner put a fat finger to his chin, his mouth moving as if speaking, but no sounds coming from his mouth. Kenji kept an eye on the files, and waited for his boss to come to a verdict.

Eventually, Loeb snapped out of his thoughts and gave the younger of the three a calculating look. "I'll need to think about it. There's a lot of stuff we need to discuss with my lieutenants before I can give a proper answer. I don't like leaving my men out of the loop, I hope you understand, son."

"Hesitation is common for business such as this. Think about it, Commissioner Loeb, but I don't recommend you stress over it profusely. Hosu is the first in my list of city-wide improvements, and I won't wait forever for an answer."

Loeb simply nodded, and after another firm handshake, made to leave.

Kenji only sighed as he turned to follow, only to be stopped by his host's addressing.

"For one who uses the pronoun 'we' a lot, he seems awfully dismissive of others. Especially you, Deputy Chief Tsuragamae," he said as he handed a copy of the terms to Kenji.

"Woof. He's just a bit intimidated by the place," he chuckled, "Settings like these aren't something he visits often, if at all. And don't worry about it, Mr. Wayne, I'm used to it; it's a major part of his character. Being the boss, he likes to do most of the thinking before getting a few opinions. Though if he accepts -which he most likely will, we'll definitely be getting more exercise as time goes on. Woof." he finished with a joke. "I'm sure he'll accept. The terms you've given us are very reasonable, and the benefits are astounding. With Reinforcer Enterprises's help, us cops can really start to help people again."

"I see."

With a snap of his folder, Izuku Midori-Wayne gathered what was his and prepared to depart.

But before he did, Izuku spoke one last time.

"If you can, try to take a more active part in his decision. Show him you're capable of taking charge. I meant what I said when I spoke about not waiting too long, so I expect to hear from either one of you soon."

"Woof. Of course Mr. Wayne. Good day."

~-*-~

"No."

Kenji reeled back in shock at the sudden denial, pausing his pacing.

"But sir -woof, this is a great opportunity to get the police force back on its feet," he protested as he again paced back and forth in the Commissioner's office, "The benefits will give us the tools we so desperately need, -woof- even you can't deny that. Sure, the crime-web rates are low, but the crime that is still out there is extremely organized, and we've hadn't had much success in taking down any of the remaining big leagues. Woof! With Mr. Wayne's help, we have a chance!"

Loeb shook his head, "He'll have complete access to our history records, crime data, and activity. He's an eighteen-year-old entrepreneur with tons of money; perfect person with the perfect chance for reckless usage. What if someone on his good graces who we've busted our asses to catch manages to get the boy to bribe the guards or bail him out?"

"Commissioner Loeb, sir. You can't seriously be this paranoid. This is too big of an opportunity. And besides, he'll have little involvement in actually accessing the records. This, it's for the government to have a better, more direct grasp on the who, when, where, and what. The files explain it all in more detail of you-"

"Once again, Tsuragamae. He's filthy rich, and money can buy powerful friends in high and low places. I've worked my ass off for thirty six years to get Hosu under management, and I won't have that security be risked by some teen in a suit. He's barely been here for four months!"

"And he's shown tremendous promise already!" countered Kenji, "If deemed necessary, the government can overrule-

"No, Tsuragamae. I've already made up my mind. We'll let other Police Departments try it out for a couple of years, and should they benefit without issues, then I'll consider it. But for now, things stay as they are."

"With all due respect, sir. I thought you hated 'being behind the curveball'." commented Kenji.

Loeb stopped his paperwork, and gave Kenji a chastising glare. "I do, but I won't risk my mens' hard work in the field for faster internet."

"Then-"

"Enough, Tsuragamae. Go back to your office and finish that report I assigned you last week," Loeb snapped.

"It's already done."

He handed him another stack of papers, "Then go and finish the new one I just gave you."

With a grumbled 'yes sir', Kenji did as instructed.

Commissioner Loeb was known for being a tad paranoid in involving his department with big businesses, but for a deal as benefitting as Mr. Wayne's... what was there to truly fear? Paperwork paperwork paperwork, it was all they did nowadays. Not that Kenji hated the peace, but the quiet... it was -in somewhat appropriate terms- too much, too coincidental, and the organized crime was too far from their grasp.

They needed this boost. It was the only way Hosu City could lose its infamy as The Crime Haven.

'Woof... just what are you so afraid of, Commissioner...?'

End of Chapter 5

Ah, the plot is now thickening...