104: Chapter 104 The Aftermath in Tokyo, the Island Nation

In the meeting room of the Prime Ministers Official Residence, the air conditioning was blasting, yet it couldn't suppress the subtle tension in the air.

Suzuki Shiro sat upright in a crisp navy blue suit, the Prime Minister's badge pinned to his chest. His hands, however, were quietly clenched into fists on his knees.

Opposite him, General White was in full military uniform, his boots polished to a high shine. A formulaic smile hung on his lips, but his eyes swept over everyone present like radar, eventually landing on Lin Long.

Lin Long, on the other hand, appeared nonchalant. He leaned back in his chair with one leg crossed over the other, twirling a fountain pen between his fingers. His gaze drifted out the window—where several protesters held signs reading "US Military Out of Tokyo," kept behind the police cordon.

"General White,"

Suzuki Shiro cleared his throat, breaking the silence first with a tone of deliberate solemnity.

"I am deeply grateful for your side's behind-the-scenes support in my successful election. I, Suzuki Shiro, will keep this in mind."

General White curled his lips, revealing a row of white teeth.

"Prime Minister Suzuki is too kind. Not interfering in the internal affairs of other nations is a fundamental national policy of the US."

"We support you only because you represent a stabilizing force for this island nation."

"Pfft—"

Lin Long couldn't help but let out a chuckle. He set down the pen and raised an eyebrow at White.

"That's a fresh take, General. How is it that I heard two US Army companies drove tanks onto the civilian docks of Tokyo Bay last month under the guise of a 'joint military exercise'? Is that also 'non-interference'?"

General White's smile stiffened, a flash of displeasure crossing his eyes, but he didn't dare lash out.

He knew Lin Long's weight. Forget a commander stationed in Japan like himself; even the big shots at The Pentagon had to be polite when meeting Lin Long.

"That was a routine military deployment,"

White explained, biting the bullet. "It was to address regional security threats."

"Oh? What threats?"

Lin Long pressed, his tone carrying a hint of mockery. "Were the seagulls at the dock too fierce, or were the fishermen's boats blocking your way?"

Suzuki Shiro listened from the side, his heart pounding with anxiety.

He had originally intended to invite Lin Long to "hold the fort" and get General White to show some face by moving those two US Army companies stationed on the outskirts of Tokyo back to their base—

With the recent surge in public protests, he urgently needed to use the "retreat of the US military" to stabilize public sentiment and suppress the counterattacks from the remaining factions in the government.

But looking at Lin Long's stance, he wasn't holding the fort; he was clearly looking for trouble.

Suzuki Shiro quickly tried to smooth things over:

"Mr. Lin Long is joking. General White, I actually invited you here today to discuss... the issue of the troops stationed on the outskirts of Tokyo."

"The public's reaction has been quite strong lately. Do you think you could... move those two companies back to the base first?"

He spoke cautiously, maintaining an extremely low posture.

He knew in his heart that his words meant nothing to White.

Every time he had tried to discuss it before, White would either stall, saying it "needed Congressional approval," or simply avoid him. If Lin Long weren't sitting here, he might not have even been able to step through the door of this meeting room today.

As expected, General White didn't respond. He just looked at Lin Long again, his eyes asking—what do you have to say about this?

Suzuki Shiro also looked toward Lin Long, desperately signaling him: raising his eyebrows, twitching his eyes, and even subtly tilting his chin, urging him to speak up.

Lin Long acted as if he hadn't seen anything. He picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, and smacked his lips.

"This Blue Mountain coffee tastes mediocre. It's not as good as the ones my butler brews."

Suzuki Shiro was sweating with anxiety, but he didn't dare to rush him openly. He could only continue "bombarding" him with his eyes—a look that wished it could shove the words directly into Lin Long's ears.

"Father-in-law,"

Lin Long suddenly turned to look at him with an innocent expression.

"What's wrong with your eyes? You keep blinking. Is it a twitch? Should I call a doctor?"

Suzuki Shiro: "..."

He almost couldn't stop himself from slamming the table. This brat! He was clearly playing dumb!

General White watched with amusement, barely suppressing a laugh.

He finally understood. Lin Long was doing this on purpose—it seemed this Prime Minister Suzuki had no authority even in front of his own son-in-law.

Suzuki Shiro took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart.

He knew Lin Long's temperament: he responded to soft tactics but not hard ones. He could only lower his posture and say softly:

"Mr. Lin Long, look... could you help your uncle out with this? If the US military withdraws, my approval rating will definitely rise. It'll be beneficial for both our families then."

"Both our families?"

Lin Long raised an eyebrow, his tone cooling down.

"Prime Minister Suzuki, you're being too formal. I help the Suzuki Family for the sake of Sonoko and Ayako, not to be your errand boy."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening.

"Helping you deal with the other Zaibatsu back then was out of sentiment;"

"Helping you resolve that business with Miyamoto was because I saw Sonoko was worried."

"But the US military presence involves America's global deployment. It's not something I can decide with a single word—and even if I could, why should I pay for the political future of the Suzuki Family?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, making Suzuki Shiro's face turn pale.

He finally realized he had indeed been too eager for quick success.

Lin Long had never been a subordinate of the Suzuki Family. Getting him to act relied entirely on the sentiment of their marriage alliance.

Now that he had just become Prime Minister, trying to treat Lin Long like a chess piece to be ordered around was indeed crossing the line.

General White also dropped his spectator attitude and said seriously:

"Mr. Lin is right. Troop movements require Congressional authorization. However..."

He shifted his tone and looked at Lin Long.

"If Mr. Lin feels it's necessary, I can submit an application for a 'temporary deployment adjustment' to The Pentagon. As for the reason... we'll say it's to cooperate with the Japanese government to stabilize public sentiment."

The message was clear: I'll listen to you, but you have to take a stance.

Lin Long pondered for a moment, looked at the protesters outside, then glanced at Suzuki Shiro's face full of anxiety, and finally said calmly:

"Fine. But only one company will be moved back, while the other stays where it is—to give those protesters something to think about, and to remind certain people: power isn't that easy to hold."

His words were pointed. Suzuki Shiro's face flushed and paled, but he could only nod:

"...Fine, we'll do as you say."

General White stood up immediately. "Then I'll go make the arrangements right away. I guarantee the First Company will be withdrawn to the base within three days."

Without even looking at Suzuki Shiro, he saluted Lin Long and turned to leave the meeting room.

Only Suzuki Shiro and Lin Long remained in the room.

Suzuki Shiro opened his mouth to say something, but Lin Long interrupted him:

"Mr. Prime Minister, holding onto this position relies on tactics and public support, not on anyone's charity. I'm helping you this time, but don't let there be a next time."

Lin Long stood up and straightened his sleeves. "As for the wedding date, just let Sonoko decide. I have things to do, so I'll be going now."

With that, he left without looking back, leaving Suzuki Shiro sitting alone in the empty meeting room, his face changing between shades of blue and white.

The sunlight from outside shone through the glass, casting spots of light on the floor, but it couldn't warm his currently icy heart.

He finally understood that even after becoming Prime Minister, he was still nothing in the face of absolute strength.

And Lin Long, as a chess piece, was never something he could control—on the contrary, whether he could keep his seat as Prime Minister might depend on the whims of this future son-in-law.

The distant sounds of protest seemed to have quieted down a bit, but Suzuki Shiro knew this was only temporary.

His path as Prime Minister had only just begun, and every step beneath his feet could be on the edge of a blade.