Chapter 2767
What can be done when the nation's fortunes are not on the rise?
Chapter 2767 What can be done when the nation's fortunes are not on the rise?
Edo, the island of Wa (Japan).
After a sudden downpour, the sky cleared and the air became crisp.
The cherry blossom trees on both sides of the road have already faded, but they look delicate after being washed by the sudden rain.
The sound of footsteps startled the guards who were on patrol. Looking over, they saw a middle-aged man striding towards them.
The man was dressed in a suit and tie, with a calm expression, but his eyes and brows revealed a gloomy look.
The guard recognized the person but did not approach to inquire; he continued to perform his guard duties.
"Yamada-kun, please come with me."
Just then, a young girl dressed in an elegant kimono walked out from the side and bowed respectfully.
As Yamada Tomoro saw the girl instinctively scan him from head to toe, he lowered his head and casually called out, "Hi, thanks."
The girl nodded again, then turned and walked slowly along the cobblestone path.
Yamada Tomoro, on the other hand, was looking around at the buildings.
This is a villa that occupies a very large area.
It would be very difficult for an ordinary person to occupy such a house in Edo.
This is not something that can be bought with money.
Ultimately, it all comes down to the power one wields.
Then I realized that I only have a small villa in the suburbs, which is far inferior to what this person has.
Of course, the owner of this place has built up its heritage through the joint efforts of several generations.
In comparison, he got to where he is today entirely through his own hard work.
Following the girl to a room, he said, "Yamada-kun, Grandpa is still in a meeting. Please wait inside for a moment."
Upon hearing the girl speak, Yamada Tomoro's previously somewhat frivolous expression immediately turned respectful.
He wouldn't care about an ordinary woman, but the one in front of him is the sole heir here.
In other words, the young girl will ultimately inherit everything from the old man, including his wealth, status, and power.
Instantly, Yamada Tomoro felt a tickle in his throat.
If I could win her over, then
My own struggles are nothing.
"Okay, okay, Ms. Yamiko."
Yamada Tomoro showed a respectful expression and quickly nodded in agreement.
The girl smiled, then turned and walked towards a room to the side.
But in the instant she turned around, a look of disgust appeared on the girl's face.
Women are most sensitive to the areas of their own bodies.
This man clearly has ill intentions.
Luckily I came to see for myself; otherwise, I would have been blind to make the same arrangements as my grandfather.
Meanwhile, Yamada Tomoro was still plotting how to get involved with this girl.
After thinking for a while, Yamada Tomoro glanced at the bag in his hand; it contained his best resources for advancement.
Thinking of the explosive popularity of the game and the scenes of making a fortune every day, Yamada Tomoro's breathing became rapid.
As long as you have money and achievements, this woman is yours.
Everything here will also be his.
Just as Yamada Tomoro continued to daydream, the three old men gathered again in the villa's reception room.
"Baka! This agreement to protect the ocean is aimed at us."
"Bagaya Road."
"This is prejudice against our great nation, a serious distortion of the facts, an ugly and disgusting agreement..."
This time, the hot-tempered old man on the left didn't scratch his toes; instead, he picked up a .38 revolver and started spinning it around.
The elderly man in the main seat, who was also the host of the room, did not speak, but instead looked at the very refined elderly man on his right.
Seeing this, the refined old man put down his cigar, crossed his legs, and said, "It's nothing, just a counterattack against us."
"No need to care."
"You still don't care? Do you know? This is going to ruin our fishing industry."
The old man holding the revolver immediately retorted, "Do you know how many people make a living by hunting whales these days?"
Do you know how many people live off the processing of whale meat?
Do you know how much value is generated each year from whale fishing?
The old man in the revolver shouted repeatedly, clearly dissatisfied with the old man on his right.
Of course, this dissatisfaction also stems from the different interests represented by the two sides.
He represents the interests of Japan's traditional processing industry.
The refined old man represents the interests of the emerging industries on the Japanese islands.
As for the elderly who hold the main position, they have both, but they tend to favor the interests of high-tech industries.
The three were able to work together to defend against external enemies.
However, when internal disputes arise, they will seek to gain benefits for the forces behind them.
"We will not agree to this."
The elderly man in the main seat did not let the two continue arguing, but instead ended the conversation.
“Whaling has become part of our national culture and is an inseparable cultural heritage.”
"We want the whole world to know and agree with this."
After the old man finished speaking, the other two nodded.
"As for the marine protection agreement, my opinion is that since the other party has proposed it, we might as well join it."
"Join? Once you join, you'll be bound by their rules."
The refined old man still wanted to refuse.
Although they look down on traditional handicrafts, joining the agreement would not benefit them much, and might even restrict them in some scientific research fields.
This is not what he wants.
But the old man in the main seat shook his head, saying, "It's not like we can refuse whenever we want anymore."
"To date, more than 30 countries have joined the agreement, and if we do not, we will be isolated."
"There is even less reason to target them in the future!"
"Only by joining can we constrain the other party."
"Moreover, it can also let the United States understand our sincerity."
"Haven't you noticed? Recently, many people have been speaking out for those who died under the Mushroom Egg, and some are even trying to use this to restrain those countries that possess Mushroom Eggs!"
"What will the people of the United States think of this?"
"Do you expect them to come and apologize to us?"
The old man spoke slowly and deliberately, but it made the other two old men break out in a cold sweat.
Although this is what they have always wanted to do, to let the world know that they are victims, it's fine to say this in private or among the general public. But if these people dare to say it and the people of the United States find out, they will be come knocking on their door in no time, and they may not even know where they have gone.
"This matter ends here!"
The elder in the main seat made the final decision, and the other two silently bowed their heads in agreement.
"Let's talk about the recent economic development issues!"
The two of them looked up again.
"The domestic economy needs stimulation. We have already made huge sacrifices. If this is not effective, we will not be able to face the general public."
After the elderly man in the main seat finished speaking, he looked at the refined elderly man on his right and said, "Nowadays, our country still needs high-tech to drive development, and the Shinkansen is a symbol of our economic development. You must give it your full support."
"Hi!"
The refined old man nodded in agreement, then looked at the old man in the main seat and said, "We have already completed the second phase of the project, and it is expected that the entire line will be open to traffic by the end of next year. The third phase of the project is also in the planning stages."
"At that time, people from all over the world will be able to come here and experience the charm of the Shinkansen."
The refined old man smiled as he spoke, and the old man in the main seat nodded in agreement.
The Shinkansen has now become a symbol of the rise of a great river nation, especially given the current extremely unfavorable economic and social situation, which makes this boost even more necessary.
"And what about the satellite program? What was the United States' response?"
The elderly man in the main seat composed himself and inquired earnestly.
The refined old man's face showed some anger, and his heart was burning with rage. "These devils, a bunch of dishonest bastards."
"It was originally supposed to be arranged at the beginning of this year! But there have been constant delays and obstacles. Either there's no plan and it needs to be re-planned, or there's pressure from the alliance, or there's pressure from within the country."
"They just don't want to keep their promise, they just don't want our Osumi to go aboard! Bastards, you idiots!"
The once-refined old man, when angered, was utterly devoid of refinement; he became a complete raging old man. The old man in the main seat frowned. They had already made enormous concessions, even groveling and calling each other "father," wasn't that enough?
Does the United States intend to force them to their deaths?
The elderly man in the main seat slowed his breathing and calmed down before asking, "Did they specify a time?"
"Are there new conditions?"
The refined old man shook his head. "No, they just sent out a document, just to inform us!"
"idiot!"
The old man on the left threw his revolver on the table, his tone angry.
They were angry at this disrespect.
However, it was just anger. Now the whole country was under someone else's nose, dependent on their breath, so how could they dare to show the slightest displeasure?
After a moment of silence, the elder in the main seat spoke up, "No matter what, this matter must be completed as soon as possible."
"The people of the Yellow River are all looking forward to this. This is an important means for us to regain our national self-confidence and a symbol of our national rise and participation in the space program."
"Furthermore, the other side has already launched two satellites, and we still have a chance to catch up. But if they launch three, it will be difficult for us to catch up at all."
"This matter must be accomplished."
The old man in the main seat spoke with absolute certainty, and then gritted his teeth and said, "Use the No. 6 gold reserve, and we'll give them the money they want."
"If you want a woman, choose the most gentle and beautiful one."
"In short, we must meet all their needs and get our satellite up and running!"
The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with astonishment.
Gold reserves number six.
These are the only two left.
During the war, patriots on the Japanese islands anticipated the possibility of defeat, so they began to plunder gold extensively.
After the defeat, most of them were seized by the Allied forces, but a considerable amount remained.
Moreover, their Japanese islands are rich in gold, so they secretly kept seven gold reserves.
However, in recent years, Japan has suffered from continuous natural disasters and man-made calamities, its economy has been sluggish, and the lives of ordinary people have been difficult. They have to rely on imports for all their living supplies, so they have started to stockpile gold.
Five have already been used.
If you use it again, there will only be one left.
Although they were worried, they also understood that times had changed.
As for whether the outflow of gold would cause instability in paper currency, they no longer cared about that.
The most important thing right now is to restore the self-confidence of the people of the Yellow River region; everything else is secondary.
The two agreed, and the matter was considered resolved.
"There's one more thing. This World Cup qualifier is an important stage for us to carry forward the spirit of the men of the Yellow River."
"I heard that China is not qualified to participate in the competition, this is our opportunity."
The refined old man spoke again, and the old man on the left picked up his Type 38 rifle and scratched his back. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "This time it really is an opportunity for us all."
"There is only one spot available in the entire Asia region."
"If we manage to snag it, we'll definitely be the talk of the town!"
The old man spoke fluently, and the old man in the main seat immediately nodded in agreement, "Yoshi."
"This is a very valuable opportunity, we must seize it!"
"Tell those warriors that for the honor of the river people, they must go all out and fight for the honor of the empire."
"If we fail, they will all commit seppuku!"
"Hi!"
"Hi!"
The two laughed and agreed, since it wasn't them who would be committing seppuku.
As time passed and the stories were told one by one, the elderly man in the main seat finally inquired about the Canon Group.
The refined old man looked disdainful. "They can even produce a new type of photocopier."
"What?! Wasn't it supposed to be released in March?"
"idiot!"
"We've given them so much support, and they still haven't finished? Are they all idiots?"
"Can't you even do it if you follow the instructions?"
"idiot!"
The old man in the main seat looked furious, even more furious than when the Ōsumi couldn't be launched.
The refined old man was equally furious, but he still explained, "Something happened to the key personnel in charge of research and development!"
"What?! What's going on?"
The refined old man was somewhat ashamed, but he still explained the situation.
"About two weeks ago, the researcher in charge of this project came home one evening and found his wife with his section chief, the president, and two colleagues..."
"The man, unable to bear the humiliation, rushed forward, only to be brutally beaten..."
"The next day, the man set himself on fire in his office, destroying all the preliminary project documents..."
After the refined old man finished speaking, the other two were dumbfounded.
It's true that there is more success than failure.
What kind of time is this to have to do something so ridiculous?
Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal.
After all, this is a kind of corporate culture!
But now is a critical time, and they urgently need to produce samples to prove the technical capabilities of the copier in order to obtain equal intellectual property rights.
This is the only way to maintain Canon's international standing.
Now all our efforts have been in vain.
At the same time, the two felt a surge of contempt for the researcher, hating him for his lack of self-awareness.
Such an important project was reduced to ashes; they are simply traitors to the people of the Yellow River!
Unfortunately, the person was already dead, so there was no point in trying to fix it.
"Those involved must be dealt with seriously!"
The elderly man in the main seat took a deep breath to calm himself down. While angry at the other man's lack of ambition, he decided to make an example of him.
They dare not interfere in the United States, but within their own little territory, their word is law!
"It's already been thrown into the Edogawa River..."
"In addition, I have asked Canon to select new personnel, and this must be completed by the end of the month."
"Otherwise, all those in charge, from top to bottom, shall commit seppuku to repay the nation's kindness!"
The refined old man said calmly, "However, we still need to smooth things over with the United States and ask for a grace period!"
The elderly man in the main seat nodded, "Since you've already spent the money, don't be stingy."
"As long as things get done, spending some money is not important!"
The two nodded upon hearing this.
After a moment of silence, the two left one after the other.
The elderly man in the main seat did not get up; he simply knelt and looked at the cherry blossoms outside the window.
Already ravaged by the sudden rain, the withered flowers and fallen leaves now appear even more desolate.
A feeling of powerlessness came over me.
At this moment, isn't the empire just like cherry blossoms after the rain?
The country is in dire straits, plagued by constant disasters.
Incompetent bungler.
It was as if Amaterasu was no longer watching over us; everything seemed like the end of a dynasty.
"At this critical moment, we should strive to improve ourselves and never give up."
"At this moment, the entire nation should unite as one to create new glories!"
The old man's strong voice came out from his stomach, and he seemed very excited.
But the next second, seeing the United States flag flying not far away, he swallowed the words he was about to say.
He then lowered his head, slumped to the ground, and muttered to himself.
What can be done when a nation's fortunes decline?