90: Chapter 90 Suzuki Tomoko's Scheming

Suzuki Manor is located in the hilly area of the western suburbs of Tokyo. Although the cherry blossom season in the courtyard had passed, the lush green branches and leaves still exuded a sense of nobility.

This vast manor is not only the residence of the Suzuki Family, but also one of the symbols of power in the island nation's financial world—

Every decision issued from here could potentially influence the rise and fall of the Tokyo stock market.

However, at this moment, the atmosphere inside the manor was unusually heavy.

As soon as Suzuki Shiro's car drove into the main gate, the butler keenly sensed his master's anger—the tightly clenched fists, the tense jawline, and the heavy footsteps on the stone path when getting out of the car all signaled that a storm was brewing.

"Sir, do you need dinner prepared?" the butler asked cautiously.

"No," Suzuki Shiro's voice was like ice, "No one is to disturb me."

He walked straight through the living room, leaving Suzuki Sonoko and Suzuki Tomoko looking at each other in confusion behind him, and strode into the study, slamming the door shut with a "bang."

In the living room, Suzuki Sonoko stuck out her tongue, her usual boisterous energy instantly reined in by more than half.

She rarely saw her father get this angry, so she even lowered her voice when speaking:

"Mom, what's wrong with Dad? He was fine when he left this morning..."

Suzuki Tomoko sat upright on the sofa, her fingers gently rubbing the edge of her teacup, her expression as calm as deep water.

She was wearing a well-tailored kimono, her hair was meticulously styled, and her eyes, which usually held a smile, were now flashing with a sharpness that saw through the world.

"He probably got upset outside," she said lightly, "Your father went to attend a Cabinet Minister meeting today."

"A meeting? What kind of meeting could make Dad this angry?"

Suzuki Sonoko was even more curious; she knew that as the helmsman of the Suzuki Zaibatsu, her father had seen all kinds of situations, and even if the stock market plunged by several percentage points, she had never seen him lose his composure like this.

Suzuki Tomoko did not answer directly, but patted her daughter's hand:

"Sonoko, you should go back to your room first, or go find Ran and the others to play. Don't worry about adult matters."

Although Suzuki Sonoko was burning with curiosity, she knew her mother's temper, so she nodded obediently, picked up her bag, and walked out of the living room.

Just as she reached the door, she couldn't help but look back at the closed study door, muttering to herself: "Something big must have happened..."

The living room returned to silence, with only the ticking of the antique clock on the wall echoing.

Suzuki Tomoko picked up her teacup, gently blew on the foam, but her eyes gradually darkened.

She could vaguely guess—whatever could make Suzuki Shiro this angry had to be related to money, and a sum of money enough to affect the foundation of the Zaibatsu.

Sure enough, not long after, a loud "bang" came from the study, as if something had been slammed hard onto the desk.

Suzuki Tomoko put down her teacup, straightened the lapels of her kimono, and got up to head toward the study.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in," came Suzuki Shiro's voice, suppressing his anger, from inside.

When Suzuki Tomoko pushed the door open and entered, she saw Suzuki Shiro standing in front of the window with his back to the door, his broad back trembling slightly with anger.

On the desk, an expensive blue and white porcelain pen holder lay on the floor, pens scattered everywhere; clearly, that was the source of the earlier sound.

"Shiro, what's the matter?"

Suzuki Tomoko's voice remained calm, like a clear spring, quietly smoothing out the restlessness in the air.

Suzuki Shiro turned around abruptly, the livid color still on his face, and the anger in his eyes almost bursting forth. He pointed to a document on the table and said through gritted teeth:

"Tomoko, you didn't see the faces of those politicians today! It's simply disgusting!"

He walked to the desk in a few strides, grabbed the document, and slammed it onto the floor:

"They actually want us Zaibatsu to pay! A 1 billion USD security fee, just forcibly apportioned like that, and the Suzuki Family has to pay 300 million! 300 million!"

Suzuki Tomoko bent down to pick up the document, scanned it quickly, her brows furrowed imperceptibly, but they soon smoothed out.

She walked to Suzuki Shiro's side and gently pressed on his trembling shoulders: "Tell me slowly, what exactly happened?"

Suzuki Shiro took a deep breath, as if to spit out all the anger in his chest, and then recounted the events at the Imperial Palace meeting room today—how the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry used glib words, how he packaged "dedication" as an "obligation,"

How they used the threat of the US military to force them to submit, and how those politicians who usually called each other brothers fanned the flames and kicked them while they were down.

"Tell me, isn't that infuriating!"

Suzuki Shiro became more agitated as he spoke, his voice even trembling,

"Haven't we in the Suzuki Family been good enough to them all these years? We paid the tuition for the former Prime Minister's son to study abroad;

When the Minister of Foreign Affairs' daughter got married, the gift list we sent could fill a table;

Even that Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, whose family factory was on the verge of bankruptcy—who used connections to pull him out of it? It was us, the Suzuki Family!"

He slammed the table, making the desk lamp shake:

"And the result? When it comes to a critical moment, they show this kind of face! They turn on us at the drop of a hat, treating us like a cash cow, to be milked whenever they want!"

Suzuki Tomoko listened quietly without interrupting him.

She knew her husband too well—on the surface, he was a powerful Zaibatsu head, but deep down, he still carried some of the "loyalty" of an old-fashioned merchant, always feeling that "if you respect me a foot, I will respect you a yard," but he forgot that in the game of power, there are never permanent friends, only permanent interests.

After Suzuki Shiro's emotions calmed down slightly, Suzuki Tomoko spoke slowly: "This is normal."

"Normal?"

Suzuki Shiro looked as if he had heard a huge joke, "Making us pay money to the US military as protection money, you call this normal?"

"To them, it's very normal."

Suzuki Tomoko walked to the window, looking at the green trees in the courtyard, her tone flat,

"Those who can reach that position in politics, who hasn't climbed up over the corpses of others? This bit of 'shamelessness' is just a basic skill."

She turned around, her gaze landing on Suzuki Shiro, carrying a trace of imperceptible sharpness:

"Shiro-kun, you've been in charge of the Suzuki Family for so many years, haven't you seen through it yet? Politicians and Zaibatsu have always been in a relationship of mutual exploitation.

They need our money to pave the way, and we need their policies to make money.

Those 'favors' in daily life are just lubricants to maintain this relationship; when a real conflict of interest arises, the lubricant will be wiped away without hesitation."

Suzuki Shiro opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but realized that what his wife said was the truth.

He knew these principles in his heart, but when he truly became the one being sacrificed, he couldn't help but burn with anger.

"I just can't accept it!"

He sat heavily in his chair, a hint of grievance in his tone,

"We paid the money, and not only do we not get any benefits, but we also have to be treated like suckers! Just wait and see, if this gets out, those foreign Zaibatsu will definitely be laughing at us behind our backs!"

"Laughing?"

Suzuki Tomoko gave a light laugh, walked to him, leaned over slightly, her eyes flashing with shrewd light,

"Shiro-kun, you're at this age, why are you still so naive? What do you rely on to survive in the world these days?

Isn't it just going back on one's word and treachery? Do you think the Ooka Family and the Tanaka Family are willing to pay? Their anger is probably even greater than yours."

She picked up the phone on the desk, dialed a number, and said into the receiver: "Get me a detailed list of the capital transactions between the major Zaibatsu and Cabinet members in the last three months, along with the recent developments of their family businesses, and have it sent to the study within half an hour."

Hanging up the phone, she looked at the still indignant Suzuki Shiro and continued:

"There is an old saying in China: 'Good people don't live long, while scourges last for a thousand years.' We won't be scourges, but we can't be 'good people' who are slaughtered by others either. If they want to scheme against us, they have to pay a price."

Suzuki Shiro's eyes brightened: "You mean..."

"Don't be angry anymore, it's not worth it to ruin your health."

Suzuki Tomoko patted the back of his hand, her tone carrying a trace of comfort, but also an unquestionable decisiveness,

"Put yourself in their shoes; if I were the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, in his position, perhaps I would do the same—sacrificing the interests of a few to preserve my own official position; this is the instinct of a politician."

She changed the subject: "But we cannot be schemed against for nothing. Later, I will contact the old lady of the Ooka Family, Tanaka Masao, and others to find a place to meet secretly. I think it's time for us Zaibatsu to unite."

"Unite?" Suzuki Shiro was a bit surprised, "What do you want to do?"

"Nothing much."

Suzuki Tomoko smiled slightly, but that smile hid an edge,

"Just want to let those people know that the Zaibatsu are not soft persimmons that can be squeezed at will. If they can unite to force us to pay, we can unite to let them know what it means to 'lose more than you gain'."

She walked to the desk, picked up the apportionment document, and tapped her fingertip lightly on the signature of the "Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry":

"Don't those Cabinet Ministers want us Zaibatsu to pay for their mistakes? Then we will pay for them, but we will make a big scene out of paying."

"It's best to let the citizens of the island nation know who paid this money and who is selflessly contributing to the island nation."

"As for the Americans, I think we can also appropriately contact them. It's just money, right? The Suzuki Family is short of everything except money."

"If this matter is handled well, it's not impossible for our Suzuki Family to produce a Prime Minister."

Suzuki Tomoko said meaningfully.

"Shiro-kun, do you know which saying from that great Eastern country I like the most?"

"'Are kings and nobles born with high status?'" Suzuki Tomoko said with a slightly fanatical expression.

"And those politicians who follow along,"

Suzuki Tomoko's eyes turned cold again,

"Their family businesses, their children's jobs, those 'little tricks' they do in secret... we have quite a lot of evidence in our hands."

Suzuki Shiro looked at the light in his wife's eyes, the anger in his heart gradually dissipated, replaced by a familiar sense of excitement.

He knew that once Suzuki Tomoko showed this look, it meant someone was going to be unlucky.

Back in the day, his ability to stand out among the competition of several brothers and take charge of the Suzuki Zaibatsu was inseparable from his wife's strategic planning behind the scenes.

Compared to his "valuing of relationships," Suzuki Tomoko understood "an eye for an eye" better and was better at finding breakthroughs in complex interest entanglements.

"What do you want to do?" Suzuki Shiro asked, his tone already carrying a hint of cooperation.

"It's very simple."

Suzuki Tomoko walked to the window, looking at the silhouette of downtown Tokyo in the distance,

"The first step is to contact other Zaibatsu and form a united front.

The Ooka Family lost a cruise ship and is already dissatisfied with the government; the Tanaka Family's electronics factory relies on exports and is most afraid of political turmoil; and those small Zaibatsu who were apportioned fees will have even more resentment than us."

"The second step is to collect evidence and shake the mountain to scare the tiger."

She continued, "We don't need to actually do anything, just let those politicians know that we have leverage over them, so they will be afraid to act. Next time they want to scheme against us, they will have to weigh the consequences. Moreover, those pieces of evidence might become a sharp blade in our hands at certain times."

"The third step..."

Suzuki Tomoko paused, a deep meaning flashing in her eyes, "Watch the wind. With Tokyo in such chaos right now, the US military, the government, the public, and even that mysterious Joker and the Black Organization are all struggling for power. We don't necessarily have to stand on any side, but we can... push at the right time."

"If the public becomes completely disappointed with the current government team by then, it's not impossible for our Zaibatsu Alliance to become the top of the government."

Suzuki Shiro understood.

His wife didn't mean to completely tear faces with the government, but to let them know the power of the Zaibatsu and re-establish a relationship of "equal" cooperation—you give me policy, I give you support, but there's no way you're making me a sucker.

Then wait for the opportunity, preferably also giving a push to make the public completely disappointed with the current government. Then he and the others could come out at the right opportunity to turn the tide.

"Good! Let's do as you say!"

Suzuki Shiro stood up, the previous depression swept away, and fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes,

"I'll go contact the old man from Ooka right now, and say... I have an important matter to discuss, regarding 'how to make certain people pay the price'."

Suzuki Tomoko nodded with a smile: "Remember, contact them 'secretly', don't alert those who shouldn't be alerted."

"Rest assured."

Suzuki Shiro picked up his coat and strode out of the study, his steps much lighter.

Only Suzuki Tomoko remained in the study. She walked to the window, looking at the leaves swaying in the wind in the courtyard, the smile on her lips gradually faded, and her eyes became deep.

Suzuki Tomoko knew that this was playing with fire; if those high-level government officials found out that they wanted to usurp the throne, those people would probably directly disregard everything and dispatch the military to wipe out these Zaibatsu.

But she was not afraid.

The Suzuki Family had been able to stand in the island nation for a hundred years, never relying on blind concession, but on the wisdom of assessing the situation and toughness when necessary.

This 1 billion USD would be treated as buying a ticket—a ticket that would allow them to see the situation clearly, unite allies, and re-layout.

As for those who schemed against them...

Suzuki Tomoko picked up the fountain pen on the desk and gently drew a circle on the blank space of the apportionment document.

In this business, you always have to pay back.

Night gradually covered Suzuki Manor, and the lights in the courtyard lit up one after another, outlining exquisite silhouettes in the darkness. And beneath this calm appearance, a counterattack led by the Zaibatsu was quietly brewing.

The chessboard of Tokyo, because of the addition of this new force, became even more confusing.

And those Cabinet Ministers who thought they had succeeded did not yet know that the anger they had personally ignited was about to burn onto themselves.