Tokyo Bubble Life

Chapters 1548 and 1557 hereby declare the Qingye Society established!

In winter, darkness falls early. Even though it's only past dinner time, Tokyo has already entered the realm of nightlife.

At the brightly lit entrance of the Tokyo Prince Hotel, a large number of security personnel were gathered. Today, the ruling party was holding a victory banquet at the Tokyo Prince Hotel, and even the prime minister was expected to attend, so the security level was naturally raised to the highest level!

At the hotel's main entrance, Yoshihiko Noda, Shuichi Itō, and other members of the Shamei Party greeted guests.

At this moment, Yoshihiko Noda was beaming with excitement, and he seemed oblivious to the cold wind at the door. Being a greeter at such an important political banquet was itself a testament to his political status!

Moreover, after this victory celebration, he will become the leader of the emerging young and middle-aged faction within the ruling party, which means that he will undoubtedly become a bigwig in Japanese politics in the future, and may even have a chance to touch the prime minister's seat!

Just then, a discreet Toyota Century slowly pulled up in front of the door. Yoshihiko Noda immediately recognized the person inside, took a few steps forward, and opened the car door:

"Welcome, Mr. Murayama!! Please, please come in quickly."

The visitor was none other than Tomiichi Murayama, a veteran who joined the Social Democratic Party after graduation and has been deeply involved in politics for over thirty years. His strength and prestige within the Social Democratic Party are not much different from those of Tagako Doi.

"Noda-kun!"

Tomiichi Murayama greeted Yoshihiko Noda with a smile.

"You're the one greeting the guests!"

"Hey, it's so cold, it's more convenient for us young people."

"It's good to be young! It's good to be young!"

Tomiichi Murayama patted Yoshihiko Noda on the shoulder.

"You're so young yet you've already accomplished so much. Noda-kun, you have the makings of a prime minister!"

"Hahaha, Murayama-san, you're joking!!"

Yoshihiko Noda dared not agree so easily, lest the next day the word would spread that "Yoshihiko Noda wants to oust Prime Minister Doi and take over the position." In that case, he would be in a situation he could never clear up, even if he jumped to Tokyo Bay!

"Please come in quickly, there are already many people here!"

"Oh? I heard that Naoki Nagayama and Otomo Yoshimura, both from the same group, are here too?"

As a leader of the Shamei Party, Tomiichi Murayama naturally knew that Yoshihiko Noda was backed by the Akiyuu, so he asked directly.

"Otomo-san has arrived, but Naoki-san might have to wait a while."

"Oh, I see~"

With a half-smile on his face, Tomiichi Murayama walked into the banquet hall.

At these kinds of banquets, the later you arrive, the higher your status. He arrived quite late; the people behind him are powerful ministers, the prime minister, or members of the imperial family. Nagayama Naoki, does he really have such an air about him?!

Upon entering the banquet hall, soft music and warm air immediately enveloped us. The main area featured a stage and a long table, below which were various round tables. The banquet hall was filled with flowers, banners, and flags, including one that read, "Warmly celebrate the achievement of the cultural nation-building strategy."

Large celebration banquets are actually quite similar to wedding banquets and annual parties; besides eating and drinking, they also involve watching performances and making friends.

The banquet hall was almost full, with most of the seats occupied by members of the Social Democratic Party and other political heavyweights.

Tomiichi Murayama also saw some prominent figures from the business, finance, and entertainment industries—faces at the very top of Japan's pyramid.

After he entered, he quickly blended into this world of fame and fortune, greeting everyone familiarly.

"Mountain Flower Zhenfu Sang, you've come too!" "Eight Hundred Boards, Senate Saxibuli."

Many bigwigs nodded and greeted her, giving off the vibe of a Social Democratic Party socialite.

The atmosphere in the banquet hall grew increasingly lively.

After finishing her business for the day, Doi Tagako still came to the Tokyo Grand Hotel.

After all, so many high-ranking members of the Social Democratic Party are here celebrating their victory. If she, as the party leader, doesn't go, what if some guy suddenly jumps out and says he wants to start a new Social Democratic Party?!

You should know that she was the first female party leader and the first female prime minister. The senior figures in the Social Democratic Party who were in their sixties and seventies and in the prime of their political careers were basically male chauvinists and were very dissatisfied with her!

Some influential figures believe that Doi Tagako rose to power through the Recruit case, saying that she was not bribed because she had no power at the time, and some even secretly spread the claim that "Doi Tagako's prime ministership was stolen."

"Ugh, these people are so annoying!!"

Doi Tagako looked at the lights outside the car window, feeling slightly irritated.

Considering that the people in charge, including Itō Shuichi, had scheduled the invitation for the last minute, she was even more annoyed.

"Shuichi Itō, Yoshihiko Noda, and the Tree Friends Group behind them—none of them are good people!!"

She doesn't even consider that she forced Naoki Nagayama to donate 1000 billion yen, yet she thinks it's only natural.

"When the 'culture-based nation-building' strategy is implemented, we need to gradually remove the tentacles of tree enthusiasts from the core and marginalize them. Of course, we still need to accept their funding and so on!"

While secretly planning all this, the convoy had already arrived at the entrance of the Tokyo Prince Hotel.

When Doi Tagako saw that the greeters were Noda Yoshihiko and Itō Shuichi, the corners of her mouth turned down a little. But she quickly recovered!

"Prime Minister Doi!!"

Shuichi Itō and Yoshihiko Noda stepped forward together to greet him.

Welcome!

"I didn't expect it to be Shuichi-san and Representative Noda greeting guests together."

Doi Tagako smiled.

"There must be a lot of people here today!"

"Hey, besides the party bigwigs, we've also invited some big names from the business, finance, culture, and entertainment sectors."

Shuichi Itō explained with a smile,

"After all, the 'culture-based nation' strategy involves every aspect of Japan."

"Of course, of course~"

In fact, the entire celebration banquet plan had already been submitted by Itō Shuichi and others, but Doi Tagako was very busy, so she only went through the plan once for this kind of celebration banquet that did not require a budget, and she could not check the list of so many invitees carefully.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Shuichi Itō and Yoshihiko Noda, she said matter-of-factly:

"Alright, it's so cold outside, let's all go inside."

Generally speaking, the prime minister is always the last bigwig to appear, and Doi Tagako believes that no guests will come after that!

"Hi, please follow me."

Itō Shuichi stepped forward to lead the way.

"Everyone's almost here. Aside from the party's year-end meeting, today's attendance is probably the highest we've had."

"Haha, yes, these senior members of the Social Democratic Party aren't so easy to invite."

Doi Tagako followed with a smile, but she was somewhat surprised to notice out of the corner of her eye that Noda Yoshihiko hadn't come along.

"Huh? Why is Noda-kun still greeting guests? Is anyone else missing? (Who's such a big shot?)"

"Ah, Noda-kun is waiting for Naoki-san."

Shuichi Itō easily took it away.

They said there was a traffic jam on the road.

Traffic jam?

Doi Tagako's smile was forced and insincere.

"Naoki-san is stuck in traffic? Looks like even Rolls-Royces get stuck on the road!"

Traffic police always clear the way for the Prime Minister's motorcade. Doi Tagako was secretly pleased with herself, thinking that this was the meaning of power being greater than money!

"Mr. Doi is right."

Shuichi Itō replied with a smile.

"Tokyo's traffic system is really bad; you'll get stuck in traffic no matter what kind of car you drive."

Seeing that Itō Shuichi was completely unmoved by reason, Doi Tagako quipped:

"Well, as long as you don't speed!"

It's clear that this is referring to the surge in speeding incidents caused by "Fast & Furious." At the Prime Minister's Office press conference this evening, Chief Cabinet Secretary Tadashi Yoshimoto emphasized this issue and condemned the director's irresponsible behavior.

Although he was very busy today, Shuichi Itō naturally overheard the conversation while chatting with others.

He was initially a little angry, but after thinking about what he was going to do at the celebration banquet, he wasn't angry anymore.

Sigh. Let's just let Doi Tagako laugh a little longer for now~

"Doi-san"

The two had already arrived at the banquet hall.

"Your seat is at the head of the long table in the front row."

Doi Tagako's arrival naturally attracted the attention of most people. Apart from the bigwigs, everyone else still respected the prime minister, after all, she was the leader of a country!

"Mr. Doi!" "Prime Minister Doi!" "Prime Minister..."

As Doi Tagako walked by, everyone bowed and greeted her, and the senior officials also stood up to say hello. This made Doi Tagako feel much more at ease; this was the respect a prime minister should receive!

Sitting at the head of the long table, surrounded by prominent party figures and other highly respected individuals, Doi Tagako naturally exchanged pleasantries with them. However, she soon noticed an empty seat not far away, which, although not the head seat, was still a very important one.

"Huh? There are still empty seats?"

"It belongs to Shuichi-san and Noda-kun, right?"

Tomiichi Murayama smiled and said,

"They are the 'stars' of the day! And there's Naoki Nagayama, a fellow tree enthusiast!"

Those in the party know that although the national policy of building a nation through culture is nominally led by Prime Minister Doi, the real driving force is actually a group of political upstarts centered around Shuyu!

"Haha, that's right!"

Doi Tagako also laughed.

"The one who pays should sit at the head of the table."

"Haha, you're right."

However, amidst their laughter and conversation, there was a subtle undercurrent of disdain for the tree enthusiast.

After all, Shuyou is a relatively new company. Although it has the financial resources of a conglomerate, it still lags behind established conglomerates in terms of "weight."

Just then, the banquet hall doors opened again!

The members who had just been congratulating Doi Tagako on her arrival suddenly turned their attention to Nagayama Naoki and a middle-aged man as they walked in together.

Everyone was very familiar with Naoki Nagayama's appearance, but many people couldn't quite place the middle-aged man next to him.

However, it wasn't long before someone with more seniority remembered!

"Isn't that Yasuda Uemon?!"

"The head of the Yasuda family!!"

The Yasuda zaibatsu is the founder of the Fuji Group. Although the family's power is not as great as before, its influence in Japan is still very strong, especially among the old-established zaibatsu.

What followed was a flurry of whispers: "The Yasuda zaibatsu," "The Fuji Group," "Is the Shuyu Group going to join forces with the Yasuda family?" "Is the Yasuda family intentionally backing them?"

As Naoki Nagayama and Uemon Yasuda sat together at the long table in the front row, this consensus began to emerge.

Doi Tagako and the others standing nearby still had smiles on their faces, but their hearts were even more solemn. Tree Friends' shortcomings had also been made up!

Moreover, the fact that these two companies openly held a celebration banquet together for "building a nation through culture" clearly sends a message to the outside world:

The Yasuda family is now on the same side as the tree spirit!!

"Everyone!!"

Amidst the clamor of discussion, Shuichi Itō stepped onto the stage with a microphone.

Today we gather here to celebrate something.

"The 'Culture-Based Nation Strategy,' spearheaded by Prime Minister Doi and painstakingly promoted by members of the Social Democratic Party, has officially become Japan's national policy!!"

"This policy strategy will be a key focus of our work for a long time to come!!!"

"There will be a lot more work, a lot more discussions, and countless overtime hours, but this will lead to a brighter future for Japan!!"

"But today, let's celebrate taking the first step."

"Please raise your glasses, everyone!!"

"Let's do it!!"

The people in the banquet hall raised their glasses and clinked them together, and the atmosphere began to rise!

After everyone finished drinking, Shuichi Itō spoke again:

"Please raise your glasses again. This second glass has a special meaning!"

At his signal, Naoki Nagayama and Otomo Yoshimura stepped to the front of the stage, whereupon staff, who were already prepared, brought up an enormous check.

The number on the check was huge, with so many glaring zeros after the 1 that it was impossible to count the number of people!

"Naoki Nagayama, the head of the Shuyu group, recently decided to subscribe to a 30-year long-term 'cultural development bond.' The amount is..."

Shuichi Itō paused here before speaking loudly,

"1000 billion yen!!"

The moment this number was uttered, it caused an immediate gasp from those present!

Even the big names in the financial world have to take notice. 1000 billion yen is no small amount; the total market value of many excellent listed companies is only a few hundred billion yen!

This is equivalent to directly donating a publicly listed company!

Don't mention that government bonds can be redeemed upon maturity. Government bond interest rates at this time were only 4-5%, lower than the 8% bank deposit rate. Investment companies could even achieve returns of over ten percent. Shuyou Capital itself is a master investor; they could multiply their investment several times over in thirty years.

Thirty-year ultra-long-term government bonds are essentially charitable donations!

Naoki Nagayama and Otomo Yoshimura presented the check directly to Satoshi Sumida, the governor of the central bank. Even this bigwig who had seen countless sums of money was somewhat surprised!

"The second cup is for Shuyou!!"

".cheers!!"

Everyone raised their glasses again, and the atmosphere in the room erupted once more!

Even after Naoki Nagayama stepped down, Shuichi Itō continued speaking:

"The Third Cup"

"There's another good news!!"

At his prompting, Yoshihiko Noda stepped forward with great enthusiasm, followed by many young members of the Social Democratic Party and several senior members of the middle age group who were usually not very prominent within the Social Democratic Party.

"Member of Parliament Yoshihiko Noda has something to announce today!!"

Yoshihiko Noda took the microphone and said excitedly:

"Having been in the Party for so long, I have received much care and guidance from my seniors."

"However, as circumstances changed and the world turned upside down, Yoshihiko Noda managed to unite a group of comrades."

"For the development of the Social Democratic Party, and for the advancement of the 'culture-based nation' strategy"

"It is hereby announced that the Aoba Society is established!!"

"." (End of this chapter)