92: Chapter 92: The Economy Minister Who Became a Discarded Pawn

Inside the surveillance room of Lin Family Manor, a massive screen was divided into dozens of feeds, one of which was broadcasting the scene inside the conference room of Jinghu Manor in real-time.

When Suzuki Tomoko announced the establishment of the "Zaibatsu Alliance," and those Zaibatsu leaders were gearing up to discuss how to retaliate against the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Lin Long held a freshly brewed cup of Longjing tea, a playful smile playing on his lips.

"Interesting."

He took a sip of tea, watching the high-spirited Suzuki Tomoko on the screen, "I didn't expect this woman to have such boldness; I underestimated her."

Ghost stood to the side and reported, "According to the news sent back by the Black Shadow, the Zaibatsu Alliance has already determined its first target—the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry's new energy project. They plan to apply comprehensive pressure from three aspects: technology, equipment, and funding, to bring the project to a complete halt."

"New energy project?" Lin Long raised an eyebrow, the face of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry flashing through his mind.

That man was a pawn he had planted previously, relying on the funds and intelligence provided secretly by Lin Long to climb to his current position; he had indeed passed on quite a bit of useful information over the years.

"BOSS, do you need us to intervene?" Ghost asked.

After all, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry was Lin Long's man, and watching him being suppressed by the Zaibatsu Alliance without doing anything seemed hard to justify.

Lin Long waved his hand, his tone nonchalant, "No need. He is just a Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; if he's gone, he's gone. It's nothing to regret."

In Lin Long's eyes, pawns only had utilization value; there was no such thing as "whether they should be protected or not."

The role of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry had already been mostly fulfilled when it came to forcing the Zaibatsu to pay up and intensifying the conflict between the government and the Zaibatsu.

Now that the Zaibatsu Alliance had been established, it just happened to need a "sacrificial offering" to raise its flag, and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry was the most suitable candidate.

Using a discarded pawn to force the Zaibatsu Alliance and the government to completely tear off the mask of civility was a very profitable deal.

"Let the Black Shadow keep watching; no need to intervene," Lin Long ordered, "I want to see just how sharp the fangs of this group of Zaibatsu really are."

"Yes, BOSS."

After Ghost retreated, Lin Long walked to the window, looking at the silhouette of Tokyo in the distance, a glimmer of excitement flashing in his eyes.

The emergence of the Zaibatsu Alliance was like throwing a handful of salt into an already boiling pot of oil, making the situation in all of Tokyo even more unpredictable.

The government, the US military, the Zaibatsu, the Black Organization, the Public Security... having so many forces entangled together was the scene he most wanted to see.

Only in this kind of total chaos could he continuously absorb various energies to strengthen his own Black Shadow Kingdom and eventually ascend to godhood.

...

Over the next half month, a war without smoke broke out in Tokyo's economic circle.

First was the new energy project strongly pushed by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Just the day after he had finished boasting in the Diet Building that the project had "broad prospects and could create tens of billions in revenue for the country annually," trouble arrived.

The Tanaka Zaibatsu, which provided the core battery technology, suddenly announced a "technological upgrade, suspending external licensing"; Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, responsible for equipment manufacturing, "happened" to encounter a "supply chain crisis," and delivery times were indefinitely postponed; even the several banks that had originally promised to inject capital withdrew their loan applications "because risk assessments did not pass."

Overnight, this project, which the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry regarded as his "political calling card," turned into an empty shell with no technology, no equipment, and no funding.

The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry was so angry he smashed a cup in his office. He personally called Tanaka Masao of the Tanaka Zaibatsu, only to receive a cold reply: "Commercial decision, hope you understand."

He wanted to use government power to apply pressure, but found that those politicians who usually took his bribes and patted their chests promising "full support" were now hiding like tortoises—they had long since received word that this was the will of the Zaibatsu Alliance, and no one wanted to court disaster.

What made him even more frantic was that "problems" had also emerged at home.

The shipping business at the port in his hometown was suddenly "monopolized" by a company of the Ooka Zaibatsu, the small factory run by his relatives was ordered to close due to "failure to meet environmental standards," and even the scholarship for his son studying abroad was "inexplicably" canceled.

This series of "coincidences" was like an invisible net, firmly trapping the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. He finally realized that he had provoked people he shouldn't have.

But it was all too late.

He tried to seek help from Lin Long, but the messages he sent were like stones cast into the ocean, with no response.

Half a month later, the new energy project came to a complete standstill, and the billions of yen invested in the initial phase went down the drain.

The Diet was filled with overwhelming calls for impeachment, and the opposition party seized the opportunity to make a big fuss, demanding that the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry be held accountable for "dereliction of duty."

In order to appease public anger and also to pacify the Zaibatsu Alliance, the Cabinet quickly made a "sacrifice."

The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry was suspended from duty for investigation and subsequently arrested and imprisoned for "suspected abuse of power and accepting bribes." Several Cabinet Ministers who had once supported him were also dismissed from their positions on the grounds of "poor supervision."

When the news broke, the entire Island Nation's political scene was shaken.

No one expected the Zaibatsu's counterattack to be so swift and so ruthless.

A Cabinet Minister had fallen just like that, dragging a group of officials down with him. This was no longer a simple "retaliation," but a naked "demonstration"—telling everyone that the power of the Zaibatsu Alliance was enough to influence government decision-making.

Inside the Prime Ministers Official Residence, the Prime Minister watched the news of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry's arrest, his face as pale as paper.

He knew this was just the beginning. If the Zaibatsu Alliance could topple the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, it could topple him, the Prime Minister.

"Have we... provoked the wrong people?" a surviving Cabinet Minister asked with a trembling voice.

The Prime Minister did not answer, only sighed deeply. For the first time, he truly felt how insignificant he, the Prime Minister, was in front of the economic behemoth that was the Zaibatsu Alliance.

...

Inside the conference room of Jinghu Manor, the core members of the Zaibatsu Alliance gathered together again.

Watching the footage of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry being handcuffed and taken away on the news, everyone wore a satisfied smile.

"Satisfying! Truly satisfying!" Ooka Tadashi took a sip of sake, "Let them know that we Zaibatsu are not to be bullied!"

Tanaka Masao also nodded: "This is just the beginning. Next, what we need to do is take back the right to speak that belongs to us. Government budget bills, industrial policies, tax adjustments... all must be approved by our Alliance!"

Suzuki Tomoko smiled slightly, though there was not much smugness in her eyes. She knew that toppling one Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry was easy, but to truly stand on equal footing with the government, there was still a long way to go.

"Everyone," Suzuki Tomoko said, "The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry has fallen, the government will certainly be on guard, and may even unite with the US military to deal with us. We cannot let our guard down."

"They dare?" Ooka Tadashi snorted coldly, "If the US military dares to intervene, I will shut down all ports in Tokyo Bay and see what their warships will drink!"

"That's right, we hold the blade of the economy in our hands; they won't dare to act rashly," Tanaka Masao agreed.

Suzuki Tomoko did not refute this, but said: "Regardless of whether they dare or not, we must be prepared. Notify everyone that the enterprises of the Alliance members are to begin 'strategic contraction'—reduce investment in government projects, slow down expansion, and hoard cash. Once the government makes any unusual moves, we can immediately activate 'economic defense'."

The so-called "economic defense" was actually economic sanctions—using methods like shutting down key industries, withdrawing funds, and triggering stock market turmoil to paralyze the entire Island Nation's economy, thereby forcing the government to compromise.

This was the sharpest fang of the Zaibatsu Alliance, and also their greatest source of confidence.

...

In Lin Family Manor, Lin Long watched the actions of the Zaibatsu Alliance and nodded with satisfaction.

"They didn't disappoint me," he said to Ghost, "Economic defense? It seems they intend to go head-to-head with the government until the end."

Ghost reported: "The government side has already started to panic; the Prime Minister secretly met with General White of the US military, apparently seeking military aid."

"White?" Lin Long laughed, "That profiteer wouldn't be himself if he didn't take the opportunity to extort the government."

Sure enough, not long after, news came—General White "agreed" to help the government "stabilize the situation," but the condition was an increase of 500 million US dollars in "stationing fees" and the full handover of the usage rights of Yokohama Port to the US military.

In order to exchange for the support of the US military, the government gritted its teeth and agreed.

"How foolish," Lin Long shook his head while watching the news, "Inviting a wolf into the house will only lead to a faster death."

He knew that the government's compromise would only make the Zaibatsu Alliance more furious, and would also make the public more disappointed in the government.

And the greed of the US military would be like a rope that constantly tightens, eventually dragging the government and the Island Nation together into the abyss.

"BOSS, there is movement from the Black Organization," Ghost handed over a report, "Gin seems to have been released from confinement; he has recently been secretly contacting his former subordinates, seemingly planning some action."

"Gin?" Lin Long raised an eyebrow, a flash of interest in his eyes, "He can certainly keep his cool. It seems this play is about to have another actor."

Lin Long walked to the giant map, his fingers tracing over the spheres of influence of the government, the US military, the Zaibatsu Alliance, and the Black Organization one by one.

The government is weak and incompetent, the US is greedy and overbearing, the Zaibatsu Alliance is showing its sharp edge, the Black Organization is stirring, plus a Public Security hidden in the dark...

"It's getting more and more interesting," Lin Long said softly, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.

Tokyo is like a giant chessboard, and he is the calmest observer of the game, occasionally placing a piece that can cause earth-shaking changes to the entire game.

The downfall of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and the rise of the Zaibatsu Alliance are just a small climax in this great drama.

At this moment, Tokyo seems to have returned to peace on the surface—US military armored vehicles are no longer patrolling the streets, protesting crowds have been temporarily suppressed, and the government and the Zaibatsu Alliance are maintaining a delicate balance.

But everyone knows that this is just the calm before the storm.

The economic behemoth named "Zaibatsu Alliance" has already bared its fangs, the Black Organization is sharpening its claws in the dark, the US military is eyeing covetously, and the government is treading on thin ice...

And behind all of this, Lin Long is smiling, waiting for the storm that is enough to destroy everything.