ryethenovel Chapter 104 A cornered beast fights on.
Chapter 104 A cornered beast fights on.
July 5, 1988, late at night.
Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
The rain after the start of the plum rain season seemed endless. Raindrops pounded on the tin roofs of the old town, forming a murky trickle that flowed down the rusty drainpipes into the greasy sewers.
In a cheap izakaya in the back alley of the station, the air was thick with the smell of cheap tobacco, burnt grease, and fermented alcohol.
Yamamoto sat in the corner. In front of him was a half-empty glass of lukewarm shochu, and next to him were several skewers of now-cold grilled chicken skin. As a social affairs reporter for the Yokohama branch of the Asahi Shimbun, his shirt collar was slightly yellowed, and he had deep bags under his eyes.
He picked up his wine glass, then put it down again.
The recent investigation into the bribery case related to urban development in Kawasaki City has reached a dead end. The informant has kept quiet, the editorial department has exerted pressure, and all leads have been completely exhausted in front of the deputy mayor named Hideki Komatsu.
"Welcome!"
The wind chimes by the door were struck. A damp, cold wind blew in, dispersing some of the smoke.
A man wearing gray overalls and a dark baseball cap walked in. The brim of the cap was pulled low, and the shadow covered most of his face, revealing only his chin covered with stubble.
The man neither ordered nor looked at the menu.
He walked straight through the noisy crowd to Yamamoto's table, pulled out the chair opposite him, and sat down.
Yamamoto looked up warily, his hand instinctively protecting the notebook on the table.
"Who are you?"
The man did not speak.
He pulled a thick brown paper envelope from his pocket and pushed it in front of Yamamoto. The envelope still had a few drops of rain on it and looked heavy.
"What is this?" Yamamoto frowned.
"A ticket to the Pulitzer Prize."
The man's voice was completely flat.
After saying this, the man didn't linger. He pulled down his hat brim, stood up, and, just as he had come, quickly disappeared into the rainy night streets.
The izakaya was still noisy, with drunks playing drinking games and a baseball replay playing on TV. No one noticed this little incident.
Yamamoto stared at the envelope for three seconds.
He reached out and picked it up. It was thick and rough to the touch.
He tore open the seal and peeked inside.
In that instant, his pupils contracted sharply, and the effects of the alcohol vanished instantly.
It's not about money.
It is a stack of photocopies.
The top sheet prominently displays the words "Equity Transfer Agreement." Transferor: Recruit Cosmos; Transferee: Hideki Komatsu.
Yamamoto's fingers began to tremble. He quickly pulled out the document below.
Copies of bank transfer records, receipts stamped with a personal seal, and even a handwritten memo. The date, amount, and seal—a chain of evidence as clear as a textbook example.
This is what he has been searching for for three months without even finding a trace of it.
Yamamoto slammed the envelope shut and stuffed it into his inner pocket with all his might. He pulled out a thousand-yen bill, slammed it on the table, and without even bothering to get change, grabbed his briefcase and rushed out of the izakaya.
The rain outside was heavy, and the cold rain hit his face, but he felt as if his blood was burning.
……
The next morning.
Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Tokyo headquarters of the Asahi Shimbun.
The enormous rotary printing press roared deafeningly. Tons of paper rolls raced between the cylinders, devouring the black ink and spitting out sheets of still-warm morning newspaper.
The robotic arm packs and bundles the newspapers.
Loaders threw bundles of newspapers into the back of the truck.
"Bang."
The truck's rear door closed.
At four o'clock in the morning, hundreds of transport trucks drove out of the newspaper office and scattered to every corner of Tokyo and the surrounding area.
5:30.
At the entrance of a convenience store in the port area.
The clerk cut the newspaper binding tape and placed the first morning paper in the most prominent position on the shelf.
Front page headlines.
The huge black lead characters looked menacing and glaring under the fluorescent lights:
Kawasaki City Vice Mayor Hidehiro Komatsu is suspected of accepting unlisted Recruit shares.
The subtitle is even more lethal:
"Bribery? Special Investigation Department Has Launched an Investigation"
……
Eight o'clock in the morning.
Nagata Town, the official residence of the Prime Minister.
It's very quiet here. The only sounds are the ticking of the wall clock and the slight hum of the air conditioner vents.
Takeshita Noboru sat in a deep red leather chair, with the Asahi Shimbun spread out on the mahogany desk in front of him.
His breakfast—a bowl of miso soup and two dishes of pickles—was placed beside him, already cold.
"Bang!"
The office door was pushed open.
Chief Secretary Aoki Itsuki walked in. He was pale, and his usually meticulously combed hair was somewhat disheveled. He was holding several faxes in his hand.
"prime minister……"
Aoki's voice was dry and hoarse.
"The Special Investigation Department has made its move?" Takeshita Noboru didn't look up; his gaze remained fixed on the photo of Komatsu Hideki in the newspaper.
"Yes. Ten minutes ago, the Special Investigation Department's Second Investigation Division raided the Kawasaki City Government and... Recruit headquarters."
Aoki walked to the table and put down the fax.
"I got a call from Ezaki saying that the Special Investigation Department took the shareholder register."
Takeshita Noboru tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
"He's just a deputy mayor."
His tone was calm, attempting to maintain the composure of a prime minister.
"These kinds of local scandals happen every year. As long as we cut off the connections, the fire won't reach Nagata-cho."
"No... Prime Minister."
Aoki Itsuki's body trembled slightly. He lowered his head, not daring to look Takeshita Noboru in the eye.
"The Special Investigation Department found a notebook in Vice Mayor Komatsu's home."
"notebook?"
"Yes. That's...that's a transaction record left by a middleman." Aoki swallowed hard. "According to our informant at the District Attorney's Office, it not only includes officials from Kawasaki City, but also...and people from China."
Takeshita Noboru's fingers, which were tapping the table, stopped.
The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly.
Outside the window, dark clouds hung low, and rain pattered against the bulletproof glass.
"Get rid of it."
After a long silence, Takeshita Noboru squeezed out these three words from deep in his throat.
"Notify the person in charge of the accounts to dispose of all records and vouchers. Whether you burn them or swallow them."
"But now the Special Investigation Department is watching..."
"Go do it!"
Takeshita Noboru suddenly raised his head, his eyes, which were usually squinting and smiling, were now bloodshot and filled with hostility.
"If it's not cleaned up properly, everyone in this house will be doomed."
Aoki Itahira shivered.
"Yes."
He bowed deeply, turned and quickly left.
The door closed.
Takeshita Noboru slumped in his chair, looking out at the gray sky.
"No... I haven't lost yet."
……
10:00 AM.
Bunkyo District, Saionji Headquarters.
The tea room is named "Mugou" (meaning "pure" or "immaculate").
The air here is filled with the scent of tatami mats and a faint aroma of sandalwood. The deer in the courtyard, its swarm full of rainwater, strikes the stone with a crisp, melodious "clang."
Xiu Yi knelt down in front of the tea table.
Sitting opposite him was Satsuki, who was wearing the uniform of Seika Academy.
The water in the kettle boiled, and white steam rose from it.
Satsuki wasn't impatient because the water was boiling. She scooped up the hot water with a bamboo ladle, poured it into the teacup, and then picked up the whisk, her wrist moving deftly.
"Swish, swish, swish."
The rhythmic sound of the tea whisk striking the tea soup echoed in the quiet room.
The butler, Fujita, knelt outside the door and placed a new briefing by the sliding door.
"Master, Miss. News has come from Mr. Osawa."
Fujita's voice came through the paper door.
He said that the Diet is in complete chaos. The opposition is demanding the establishment of a special investigation committee. Even some members of the Takeshita faction are beginning to waver.
Shuichi didn't turn around, but just watched his daughter's movements.
Tell him not to rush.
Xiu Yi spoke, his tone gentle.
"The fire isn't big enough yet. It's only burned a deputy mayor; the people aren't feeling the pain yet."
Satsuki stopped what she was doing.
In the teacup, the emerald green matcha foam is delicate and even, resembling a deep, bottomless pool of turquoise water.
She turned the teacup twice, then gently pushed it towards her father, with the front facing him.
"Please have some tea."
Xiuyi picked up the teacup and took a sip.
"This tea is well made."
"Father." Satsuki put down the tea whisk, pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from her sleeve, and placed it on the table.
"That reporter Yamamoto from the Asahi Shimbun is a man of great integrity."
"All we gave him was a clue about Kawasaki City."
"but……"
Satsuki pointed to the note.
"He seems to have followed the trail and found a company called 'Licurte Cosmos,' which had transferred several thousand shares to someone close to a 'big shot' named Nakasone."
Shuichi's hand paused for a moment.
Nakasone. Former Prime Minister.
That was a tiger bigger than Takeshita Noboru.
"The Special Investigations Department will like this lead."
Xiu put down his teacup.
"The Special Investigations Department is like wolves; once they smell blood, we don't need to teach them how to bite."
Satsuki stood up and straightened her skirt.
"Well then, I'm going to school."
She walked to the door and opened the paper door.
The rain was still falling outside, drizzling down.
"By the way, Father."
Satsuki turned around and looked at the hydrangeas in the courtyard, which were wet with rain.
Remember to bring an umbrella when you go out today.
"I heard this rain is going to last a long time."