Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

Chapter 100 A Conspiracy on a Rainy Night

The prelude to the rainy season has begun to appear, with fine and persistent rain outside the window, enveloping the streets of Azabu-Juban in a damp mist.

The uproar about the "Internet" had subsided. Sun Zhengyi, his face flushed, left with checks worth 3 billion yen. The old-fashioned zaibatsu and politicians who weren't interested and had only treated it as a pastime also took their leave one after another.

The waiters silently tidied up the mess on the table.

Shuichi stood at the entrance of the hall and politely saw off the last retiring vice minister of the Ministry of Finance.

Only three people remained in the hall.

Besides Shuichi, there were two other men who were about to get up, but Shuichi stopped them with his eyes.

Osawa Ichiro, a powerful figure within the Takeshita faction, has a resolute face and extremely aggressive eyes.

Qin Yezi, the faction's policy expert, wore gold-rimmed glasses and his signature stand-up collar suit.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, please wait."

Xiu Yi didn't sit down. Instead, he walked to the liquor cabinet, took out a bottle of unlabeled whiskey, and three clean crystal glasses.

"We were just talking about business with young people."

"Pop".

The sound of the cork being pulled out was particularly crisp in the empty hall.

Shuichi turned around and placed the bottle on the table.

"Now, let's talk about the future. But not the future of technology, but your future."

……

On the second floor, in the secret room "Ting Song Xuan".

The soundproofing here is excellent; the sound of rain outside is completely blocked out. On the round rosewood table in the center of the room, only a dim, yellow lamp is lit, its light focused on the center of the tabletop.

Ichiro Osawa took the glass of wine that Shuichi offered, but didn't drink it. He placed the glass on the table and rhythmically tapped his fingers on the armrest.

"Shuichi-kun," Osawa's voice was deep, "did you deliberately wait until everyone else had left before keeping us behind? Is there some news you don't want those old men to hear?"

He and Qin Ye exchanged a glance.

The Saionji family's intelligence capabilities in Tokyo over the past two years have been remarkable. If Shuichi Saionji is clearing the area so meticulously, it means the topic about to be discussed is definitely not simple.

"There is indeed some news that could affect your future political careers."

Shuichi sat in the main seat and opened the drawer beside him.

He took out an unmarked manila envelope, slid it across the table, and stopped in front of Daze and Qinye.

"Take a look at this."

Qin Yezi adjusted his glasses and reached out to untie the string binding the file folder.

Inside was a stack of photocopies.

The paper was somewhat rough, and it was densely covered with the serial number, date, holder's name, and transfer price of the stock transfer.

All the records point to one company—Apex Media (an alias for Licourt's subsidiary).

Among the list of holders were the names of Ichiro Osawa and Tsutomu Qin, as well as their secretary, wife, and even distant relatives.

Qin Ye's fingers paused. He looked up, surprised that he had been investigated so thoroughly, yet it didn't cause him any panic. In the eyes of these members, perhaps only God knew more than the Saionji family. Investigating a council member's background was a matter of minutes.

Could I have accidentally gotten myself into some trouble? That shouldn't be the case, I've been keeping a low profile lately.

He looked at Shuichi, his eyes filled with deep confusion.

"Shuichi-kun, what does this mean?" Qin Ye asked. "Is there a problem with this list?"

Osawa Ichiro also frowned, picked up a few sheets of paper and flipped through them.

"Apex stock. This is the share that Ezaki distributed to party members in preparation for the IPO. Everyone has some; it's not a secret." Osawa looked at Shuichi. "Shuichi-kun, what are you trying to say by bringing this up?"

They don't understand.

The transfer of unlisted shares is commonplace in Nagatacho, serving as a lubricant for maintaining factional operations. Buying before listing and selling afterward yields a huge profit, considered a "safe" way to make political donations.

Shuichi leaned back in his chair, his hands crossed on his knees.

"In the past, this really wouldn't have been a problem."

Shuichi's voice was calm, as if he were stating an objective fact.

"But according to the reliable intelligence I have received, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Department has already set its sights on this company."

Upon hearing the words "Special Investigation Department," Osawa and Qin Ye's expressions finally changed.

In Japanese politics, the Special Investigation Department signifies an end.

"Special Investigation Department? Why?" Osawa asked. "Ezaki's operating procedures are compliant."

"It appears compliant on the surface." Xiu Yi pointed to the list, "but if the transaction involves the exchange of specific administrative conveniences, then it is bribery."

Xiu Yi paused for a moment, then continued.

"A deputy mayor of Kawasaki City received these stocks in exchange for giving Apes the green light in urban planning. The Special Investigation Department is already investigating secretly, and Kawasaki will take action as early as the end of this month, or at the latest in June."

"Kawasaki is just the starting point."

Shuichi's gaze swept across the two faces.

"The Special Investigations Department isn't looking to catch small fish this time. They want the big ones. Once the lid is lifted on Kawasaki, all eyes will be on Epes. Then, everyone on that list will become a target."

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Only the clock on the wall made a "click-clack" sound as it ticked.

Ichiro Osawa picked up the whiskey on the table and downed it in one gulp. The pungent liquid calmed him down a bit.

He is an extremely astute political animal. If the Special Investigations Department really gets involved, this won't be a simple matter of donations, but a corruption scandal that will shock the entire nation.

"Shuichi-kun."

Osawa put down his wine glass, leaned forward, and stared intently at Shuichi.

"You're telling us this at this time not just to help us avoid danger, are you?"

If the goal was simply to protect them from danger, a private reminder would suffice. There was no need to make it so formal, and to specifically isolate them from the old guard of the Takeshita faction.

I'm afraid... the Saionji family has bigger ambitions than meets the eye.

"Risk avoidance is the first step."

Shuichi met Osawa's gaze without flinching.

"Those around Prime Minister Takeshita are earning far more than you. This includes his chief secretary and several key figures in the Ministry of Finance."

"Once this scandal breaks, the Takeshita Cabinet will face an unprecedented crisis of confidence. In fact, the collapse of the cabinet is highly probable."

Xiu's voice was very soft, but to Osawa and Qin Ye it sounded like thunder.

The cabinet collapsed.

This means a power vacuum, and a massive reshuffling.

"This ship... the ship of the Jing Shi Hui (Takeshita Faction), is burdened with too much of the weight of the old era," Shuichi said calmly. "It is too large, too sluggish, and too greedy."

"However, you two are still young. You both have ambitions."

"If you are still standing behind Takeshita Noboru at this time, then this storm will also affect you."

Qin Yezi took off his glasses, wiped the fog off the lenses, his hands trembling slightly: "You mean...cutting?"

"To be precise, it's a 'reorganization'."

Shuichi pulled out another document from the bottom of the file folder.

It was a pre-prepared draft statement written by the Saionji family's legal affairs team, and a pledge of political donations from SA Group.

"The old order is about to collapse. This is both a crisis and an opportunity."

Shuichi pushed the letter of commitment in front of the two of them.

"The first step is to immediately return the shares. Create a chain of evidence that has already been rejected. The Saionji family's lawyers will handle the procedures flawlessly, ensuring that you are clean before the Special Investigation Department takes action."

"Step two."

Xiu looked at Osawa and said, word by word.

"When scandals break out, don't remain silent. Stand up. As a 'clean stream' within the Liberal Democratic Party, demand a thorough investigation and that the Prime Minister take political responsibility."

Osawa Ichiro gripped the handrail tightly, trying his best to keep his hands from trembling.

Backstab.

This is a blatant betrayal.

"This is... a political maneuver," Osawa's voice was hoarse. "If we fail, we'll have no place in the party anymore. And once we're separated from the faction, where will the election funds come from? How will the young members of parliament live?"

"The funds are here."

Shuichi tapped his finger on the pledge.

"After the old faction was embroiled in scandal, corporate donations that used to flow to the Takeshita faction will stop. Those zaibatsu are all opportunists; seeing Takeshita Noboru lose power, no one dares to spend money anymore."

"However, SA Group will fill this gap."

"Osawa-kun, Qin-kun. As long as you are willing to raise the banner of 'political reform' and form a new faction, the Saionji family will provide you with full campaign funding."

"It is legal, clean, and a continuous source of funds."

"This money is enough for you to recruit those young members of parliament who have nowhere to go in the storm, and enough for you to build an iron army in Congress that only obeys your orders."

Osawa Ichiro's breathing became rapid.

In this room, on this rainy night.

He saw not just a crisis, but a shortcut to the pinnacle of power.

If Takeshita Noboru falls from grace, and the old bigwigs are forced to retire due to scandals, then who will fill the vacuum in the D?

It can only be these "reformists" who have laundered their money in advance and have funds in hand.

"Shuichi-kun."

Osawa raised his head, his eyes flashing with a mixture of ambition and fear.

"Do you want to be the 'kingmaker'?"

Shuichi raised his glass, looking at Osawa through the amber liquid, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

"No, Mr. Osawa. I am just a businessman."

"A businessman who hopes Japan will become more 'rational,' more 'open,' and more suitable for doing business."

"The current Liberal Democratic Party is too old and too rigid. It needs some fresh blood."

Shuichi moved his glass forward slightly.

"So, how about it? Would you two like tickets for this new ship?"

Qin Yezi put his glasses back on and turned to look at Daze. He was a reformist by nature and had long been dissatisfied with the old-fashioned money-driven politics of Takeshita Noboru. Now that there was financial support, he was naturally tempted.

Ichiro Osawa took a deep breath.

He stood up, his movements slow but firm. He reached out and picked up the fatal file folder on the table, and also the letter of commitment.

"Mr. Saionji," Osawa's form of address had changed, "I'd like to consult your lawyer regarding the specific legal wording for the withdrawal of my shares. It needs to be finalized tonight."

That means you've agreed.

"certainly."

Shuichi put down his wine glass and pressed the call bell on the table.

"Take Mr. Osawa and Mr. Qin Ye next door. Have Attorney Sasaki receive them with the highest level of hospitality."

Watching the two figures leave, Shuichi leaned back in his chair, gazing at the dark night outside the window.

Although things are calm outside, he knows that a conspiracy to change the political landscape of Japan for the next decade has already laid its first piece tonight.