Chapter 1580
Chapters 1580 and 1581: Never Transfer
Chapter 1580, Chapter 1581: Never Transfer
External shocks may become an opportunity for internal change.
But the interesting thing is that if people within an organization start to hope that external shocks will drive change, it actually means that the seeds of division have been sown within that organization.
The reason is simple: if there is a unified force within the organization, change will naturally occur.
In an organization where such a subtle atmosphere has been cultivated, arguing about right and wrong is the most superficial form of speculation. The more fixated one is on the "right" path, the closer one is to being ousted.
If others only look at Higuchi Norio's usual behavior, which is different from the other two, and Iwahashi Shinichi's ambiguous attitude, they might misunderstand and think that he thinks highly of Higuchi Norio.
But Haruko Akamatsu astutely grasped the real key point.
Shinichi Iwahashi then had a real discussion with Haruko Akamatsu about the three key members of BURNING.
"Higuchi-san's proposed route is naive and laughable." He was merciless. "He wants to be a loyal subject of Buring, push for Buring's transformation, and open up connections with us... He is utterly cowardly and incompetent."
“Too much contact with such opportunistic people will damage GENZO’s own reputation.”
Shinichi Iwahashi told Haruko Akamatsu, "In the end, we can only have brief contact with organizations like BURNING, and we must never have any real, in-depth dealings with them. ... Otherwise, not only will our previous plans become a joke, but the situation will reverse, and we will become the targets of our attacks."
“At this moment, we can put external pressure on BURNING, but we must not interfere.”
At this moment, the worst thing to do is to be greedy and have too much.
After defeating BURNING, you can slowly gather its remnants, but you absolutely cannot interfere with BURNING's internal affairs at this time. This is because the efforts of all parties are based on the premise of "defeating BURNING." If you fail to understand this and are eager to greedily seize power, then Shinichi Iwahashi will become an even more deserving target than Ikuo Suo.
The situation is captivating.
The moment when a plan is most prone to failure is when you have the upper hand and it seems like everything your opponent has is within your grasp.
"Higuchi Norio is nothing but a mediocre talent... he's just putting on a refined and elegant facade. It's Baba Shunichi who will try to probe this side through Komuro-san."
Shinichi Iwahashi pointed out, "This means that what this person is seeking is something that could never be achieved by conspiring with Norio Higuchi."
"The movements of these two are actually under control; the real variable is another person."
The answer is self-evident.
……
Whether it's Norio Higuchi's proactive approach or Shunichi Baba's subtle flirting, both of them have a clear connection with GENZO.
But from beginning to end, only Kasai Shigeo watched from afar.
Of Suoh Ikuo's three key lieutenants, Kawanishi Shigeo had the lowest profile.
Higuchi Norio attempts to contact Iwahashi Shinichi, hoping to use this incident to advance his desired new system. Baba Shunichi subtly signals his interest, trying to ascertain Iwahashi Shinichi's stance. What Iwahashi truly cares about is the record company he spearheaded.
Both of them have something they clearly want.
Only Kawanishi Shigeo remained inactive, never truly revealing his own thoughts or taking any action—whether positive or negative—simply faithfully fulfilling his duties as a deputy. It seemed that he followed Suoh Ikuo's lead in everything and had no other intentions.
This stealthy posture is the most troublesome posture.
What bothered Shinichi Iwahashi was that this person had never revealed what he truly wanted. Therefore, it's hard not to make an assumption:
A deputy who faithfully fulfills his responsibilities is a candidate who can step in at any time.
Kawanishi Shigeo, from beginning to end, had no intention of achieving anything or pioneering anything; he simply gazed at Suo Ikuo. Simply.
When there are no changes, he will always be a loyal deputy.
But what if he were given the opportunity to seize that throne?
Or rather, does it give his attempt to seize that throne an undeniable legitimacy?
……
Admittedly, external shocks can spur internal change. Similarly, external shocks can also force internal change. While they may seem similar, they are actually quite different.
Sometimes, when faced with immense external pressure, people develop a kind of illusion.
"A change of environment can bring about a turning point."
"A new boss will bring about completely new changes."
"Getting the ringleader to come forward and give an explanation will quell the current chaos."
The TV station and Dentsu wanted to put pressure on BURNING, so Ikuo Suo had to give an explanation. But BURNING's existence was also part of this industry ecosystem.
The key to striking the right balance lies in one thing: always keep the focus on Suo Ikuo and never shift it.
The pyramid structure of the organization means that the lower-level members will adopt a wait-and-see attitude. When headquarters issues orders, they will cooperate with headquarters to wage a war of mutual resistance. But they will never charge into battle.
When internal conflicts arise and people harbor their own agendas, what is most needed is consensus. Therefore, the more someone holds a particular viewpoint, the less likely they are to have the power to overwhelm other voices.
But this subtle atmosphere inside is the perfect opportunity to make use of it.
To put it bluntly, internal conflicts amplify external shocks. And when the pressure accumulates to a certain point, even if franchisees are acting in their own best interests, they will still hope for a smooth resolution.
That will be the most dangerous time for Suoh Ikuo.
Shinichi Iwahashi repeatedly damaged Ikuo Suo's prestige in order to push the situation to that point.
Faced with immense external pressure, the once all-powerful hegemon has lost its authority.
Simply replacing the leader would provide an excellent opportunity to eliminate the current pressure. Once the atmosphere is built to this level, internal decisions will naturally be made.
Since BURNING is destined to exist, then the consensus within the BURNING community must be that "BURNING must continue to exist".
Only in this way can Suo Ikuo become meat on the chopping block.
Therefore, Shinichi Iwahashi was certain that the key player was not Shunichi Baba, nor Norio Higuchi, but Shigeo Kawanishi, who faithfully fulfilled his duties as a deputy from beginning to end.
Shinichi Iwahashi had been brewing this plan since he started putting constant pressure on BURNING.
Kawanishi Shigeo doesn't need to get involved; once things progress to that point, he'll have no choice. Meanwhile, the subtle actions of Baba Shunichi and Higuchi Norio will conveniently provide the necessary support to push things along.
“Higuchi Norio is a mediocre talent. The more mediocre a person is, the more likely they are to make things spiral out of control.” Iwahashi Shinichi suddenly laughed. “This man considers himself a loyal retainer who endures humiliation and hardship, a gentleman whose actions differ from others…”
He said to Haruko Akamatsu in a lighthearted tone, "In that case, we must help him achieve his goal."