Translator: Dreamscribe
“CEO-nim?”
“Ah.”
“Are you alright? I called you several tis but you didn’t respond.”
I snapped out of my daze.
‘Was that just now the sound of a gunshot?’
At first, I thought it was a gunshot, but thinking it over again, I realized it might not have been.
How should I put it?
It felt a bit more like a firecracker.
But considering that a chilling and strong red aura had flashed past, it felt like sothing ominous was about to happen.
“About Japan.”
“Yes, CEO-nim.”
“Is there a serious issue with firearms in Japan by any chance?”
“Firearms...?”
“Yes. Since there are Yakuza over there, I wondered if firearm smuggling happens a lot.”
The Vice President tilted his head.
It was indeed a strange question, even to myself.
“Both Japan and Korea are countries extrely sensitive about firearms. In fact, Japan has even managed to track down all the smuggled firearms that had been brought in by the Yakuza. If a firearms-related incident were to occur, it wouldn’t just be the police responding, there’s a high chance the anti-terror units and even the military would be mobilized.”
"So they generally don't touch guns?"
“Yes. On top of that, just like our country’s gangs, the Japanese Yakuza have also lost much of their forr influence due to continuous governnt crackdowns.”
In our country as well, most firearm incidents occurred within the military.
Japan too has almost never experienced a firearm incident within urban areas.
‘Then that really wasn’t a gunshot...?’
I thought about placing my hand over forr Pri Minister Dobe’s profile again, but I didn’t want to experience that horrifying emotion once more, so I let it go.
Those who haven’t experienced it wouldn’t understand.
Whenever such an image, sound, and a series of emotions flash through , I break out into a cold sweat and feel completely drained.
“But CEO-nim, why did you suddenly ask sothing like that...”
“Ah, I was just curious. Anyway, what you're saying is that firearm incidents almost never occur within Japanese cities.”
“Yes. Just like in our country.”
Then that's good enough.
Even though my intuition had shown sothing bizarre, this investnt still felt like a positive one.
“Please inform the Japanese side. That we’re willing to invest generously under these conditions.”
“Yes. But... aren't they expecting a breakthrough strategy from us that could reverse their approval ratings? What should we do about that?”
“How could we know sothing that even the seasoned veterans of the political field haven’t figured out? So let’s leave that part out and just send them a positive signal for now, shall we?”
“Yes. Then it’s better not to expect too much in return.”
“Still, just in case, please prepare for the investnt at the group level. Also, look into which sectors would be good to enter in Japan right now.”
“Yes, CEO-nim.”
Just like the Vice President said, I didn’t hold much expectation.
The reason the Liberal Democratic Party had made such a drastic proposal was because they wanted advice from us.
A breakthrough strategy that could reverse their current slump in approval ratings.
But how could we, who knew nothing about politics, provide such a thing?
“Even if sothing big happens now, it’s unlikely their approval ratings will turn around.”
Though no one can predict the world, this ti, it seed unlikely that the Liberal Democratic Party could defeat the opposition.
***
“Has a response co from Kwangwoon?”
“Yes. They’ve said they accept our conditions positively.”
“Then does that an they’ve also given us a strategy to defeat the opposition?”
The senior mbers of the Liberal Democratic Party had a gleam in their eyes.
The fact that Kwangwoon had accepted the proposal ant they must have given what was desired, didn’t it?
“Well... there was nothing ntioned regarding that.”
“What? What do you an there was nothing ntioned?”
“Exactly what I said. The only response we received was that they accept our conditions positively and will begin preparations for the investnt. Nothing else was said.”
“Could it be we conveyed our ssage poorly?”
“We clearly stated our position. We asked for help to overco the current crisis facing our Liberal Democratic Party.”
And yet, they hadn’t made a single ntion of a plan and rely accepted the drastic conditions?
“Isn’t this basically trying to get everything for free?”
“Exactly. Just how little must they think of us to...”
The senior mbers, who felt they had been mocked, were fuming with anger.
Pri Minister Yoshida cald them down.
“There’s no need for everyone to be upset.”
“But Pri Minister, isn’t Kwangwoon trying to accept only the conditions we offered?”
“They must know as well. That for the conditions we presented to be realized, our Liberal Democratic Party absolutely has to win the election.”
“Then, could it be...”
“It’s one of two things. Either they have a concrete plan but aren’t revealing it to us yet, or they really don’t have a plan at all.”
Only then did they begin to understand a little.
The fact that Kwangwoon had accepted the proposal might an that they were formulating a plan of their own.
“So let’s wait. They might contact us again soon. If they really have no plan, then this deal will naturally fall apart, won’t it?”
“What if they actually manage to reverse the approval ratings?”
"That's......"
Pri Minister Yoshida paused for a mont.
To be honest, sending that proposal to Kwangwoon had been a desperate move, like clutching at straws.
No matter how he looked at it, there seed to be no way to turn the situation around.
Could Kwangwoon be any different?
But what if they really pulled it off?
In that case, the Japanese governnt would have to fulfill all those outrageous conditions.
“Well, let’s think about that when the ti cos. As everyone knows, realistically speaking, it would be difficult to honor all those conditions. We could just pretend to go along and drag things out.”
There was no way it would co to that, but if Kwangwoon really helped them overco this crisis, they planned to fulfill only a few of the original conditions and stall the rest.
Agreeing to all of them would be no different from turning Japan into Kwangwoon’s puppet.
“So we just have to wait quietly until Kwangwoon gives us so kind of hint?”
“No.”
"What?"
“Do you know where forr Pri Minister Dobe is going today, just like yesterday and tomorrow? He’s traveling all across Japan’s cities. He’s personally putting in the effort to raise our Liberal Democratic Party’s approval rating, even just a little. With him working that hard, do you really think it’s right for us to just sit still here?”
“Ah...”
It was a ssage: don’t just sit around, get moving too.
“Everyone, do your part to gain even one more vote. Victory is never sothing that cos for free.”
***
Though forr Pri Minister Dobe was out on the campaign trail, his ears were open in all directions.
“Tsk. I told them we should never go begging to Kwangwoon.”
Dobe scoffed at the foolish senior officials.
To reach out to the very ones who had brought Japan to this state, were they out of their minds?
On top of that, Kwangwoon had sent back a response that sounded like they were mocking the Liberal Democratic Party.
The truth was, those bastards had nothing to lose.
“They’re probably thinking if the Liberal Democratic Party suffers a crushing defeat in this election, they’ll just make a new deal with the opposition.”
Dobe knew it too.
That no matter what move they made now, it would be hard to turn the approval ratings around.
Kwangwoon surely knew that too, that’s why they were acting this way.
“But you never know. A miracle might happen. That’s why I keep going out on the campaign trail.”
“Pri Minister, but... aren’t you going to wear a bulletproof vest again today?”
“Bulletproof vest?”
Dobe chuckled at the chief of security’s question.
“What would I need a bulletproof vest for in a country without guns? Besides, I have to et the citizens and shake hands. If I wear such a thick bulletproof vest, it’ll actually have a negative effect. And do you know how hot the weather is outside right now? What if I collapse from heatstroke while walking around in that thing?”
If it were Arica, maybe.
But Japan was a country safe from firearms.
“More importantly, aren’t you guys here to protect ? If anything happens, you’ll block it right away.”
“Yes, don’t worry about that.”
Guns or not, today’s sumr weather was brutal.
It was obvious that wearing a bulletproof vest during a campaign rally in this heat would lead to collapse.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Dobe felt a deep sense of responsibility for how much the approval rating of the Liberal Democratic Party had dropped.
If only they had not attacked Korea, if only they had not provoked Kwangwoon, the Liberal Democratic Party would have won the election comfortably.
But now Japan was collapsing.
The Liberal Democratic Party was collapsing along with it.
That was why it had to be saved.
If this party could be revived once more, Japan too could be set back on its feet.
Even if it seed like there was no chance of victory, elections were sothing whose outco no one could predict.
He believed that if they moved forward hoping for a miracle, they could surely win.
“Please trust our party just one more ti. We will definitely return this country to exactly how it used to be!”
It was while he was shouting at the citizens like that.
Bang-!
Startled by the sound of a firecracker exploding behind him, Dobe looked around in alarm.
“What was that just now?”
Was it just a firecracker set off as a joke?
That thought lasted only a mont.
“......?”
Was soone hurling curses at him?
Frowning, he turned his head, and there stood a man holding a gun.
And it was aid straight at Dobe.
“W-what!”
Bang-!
He had no ti to dodge in his shock.
The bullet that burst out from the muzzle struck Dobe directly.
***
“H-how on earth did this happen?! A gunshot wound?!”
The Liberal Democratic Party’s senior leadership rushed breathlessly to the hospital where Dobe had been transported.
The Pri Minister had also canceled all his schedules and was on his way.
"Apparently so guy shot forr Pri Minister Dobe due to personal grudge."
“I’ve already heard that. But there were guards deployed all over, weren’t there? And they couldn’t stop even that? Does that make any sense at all?”
“It happened so suddenly, and it seems they never even imagined that soone would actually fire a gun at forr Pri Minister Dobe.”
Even so, they were guards assigned to protect a forr pri minister who had once represented an entire nation.
And yet they failed to stop an ordinary civilian, ard with a crude gun made with a 3D printer, from firing?
“On top of that, I heard the culprit missed the first shot?”
When the first bullet missed, the culprit waited a few seconds and then aid at Dobe again and fired.
It was a short span of ti, but not a single guard, whose top priority should have been protecting Dobe’s safety, moved.
“They did say that at first they thought it was just a firecracker going off and didn’t want to overreact, but......”
Pri Minister Yoshida could not shake his suspicion.
They selected only the best guards in Japan to protect the pri ministers, yet they made such a mistake.
“So then, what is forr Pri Minister Dobe’s condition?”
“They are doing everything they can right now, but they told us to prepare ourselves.”
“.......”
Yoshida tightly shut his eyes.
This was a tragedy.
How could a forr pri minister of Japan be shot?
This was nothing less than a national disgrace.
“However, Pri Minister. I know it is extrely delicate to say this right now, but...... this might actually be our opportunity.”
“What did you say?”
“First, we should declare a state of ergency response at the national level, and if forr Pri Minister Dobe passes away, we must imdiately hold a grand state funeral. So that everyone’s attention is focused on it. And we must clearly show our determination that we will never tolerate such violent acts.”
“Are you saying we should fra the opposition as the culprit?”
“Yes. We should push the narrative that the opposition, who feared forr Pri Minister Dobe’s influence, orchestrated this. There are only a few days left until the election anyway. If we delay the investigation until next week and create conspiracy theories to damage the opposition’s image, our Liberal Democratic Party might be able to turn things around.”
Even as forr Pri Minister Dobe was hovering between life and death, the cabinet mbers were instead viewing this as an opportunity.
What horrifying people they were.
But Yoshida, who was listening to them, was also a politician to the core.
“I thought there was absolutely no way for the Liberal Democratic Party to win.......”
Even if the sky collapses, there's a hole to crawl out of?
“Do as you said. Imdiately declare a state of ergency response, and I will prepare to release a statent.”
“Yes. We will also prepare our response at the party level.”
No one was worried about Dobe’s condition.
If anything, they were at the point of hoping he would simply close his eyes.
His death would beco the only way to save the Liberal Democratic Party.
“By the way- wait. About this shooting incident. What kind of grudge did the shooter supposedly have?”
“That’s still under investigation. From what I’ve heard, it seems to be related to so kind of cult, but nothing is confird.”
“Could it be... this has sothing to do with Kwangwoon?”
“!?”
Everyone, who had been about to move quickly, flinched at those words.
“Right after Kwangwoon said they’d accept our proposal, this happened. It ans a miracle solution has erged, one that could reverse the approval ratings of the Liberal Democratic Party, which was said to have no chance.”
“P-Pri Minister. Does that an... Kwangwoon was the one who targeted forr Pri Minister Dobe?!”
“Does it make any sense that elite bodyguards couldn’t stop a single shooting incident? That so random civilian suddenly appeared with a gun and aid at the Pri Minister? Does that really sound like a coincidence to you?”
That a civilian could shoot and kill Dobe, even with guards present, it was hard to believe.
And such an unbelievable incident happened right after they had made contact with Kwangwoon.
There was not a single person here who truly believed it was re coincidence.
“Then what are we supposed to do...?”
“What else? Like it or not, a window of opportunity has opened. Our last chance to overturn this election. For now, we have no choice but to make use of this opportunity. We’ll deal with everything else after we’ve won.”
The senior mbers all nodded at the Pri Minister’s words.
They hadn’t expected the ga to be overturned like this, but right now, the party had to be saved, no matter what.
“.......”
After sending them off quickly, Pri Minister Yoshida’s hands and feet began to tremble.
Dobe would soon die.
Whose fault was this, really?
Was it Kwangwoon’s fault for murdering Japan’s forr Pri Minister?
Or was it the Liberal Democratic Party’s fault, for making the first deal with the devil that was Kwangwoon?
The devil had acted in accordance with the contract.
But what happens if they don’t receive what was promised?
“.......”
Yoshida swallowed hard.
If you’ve made a deal with the devil, then you must offer a fitting price in return.
Even if that ans turning this country into a permanent puppet.
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