sinovels Chapter 1308 (1317): Who exactly is the mysterious person who reported the bribery case?!
Chapter 1308 (1317): Who exactly is the mysterious person who reported the bribery case?!
Chapter 1308 (1317): Who exactly is the mysterious person who reported the bribery case?!
The Japanese political scene has actually been quite quiet during this period.
The sudden stock market crash drew everyone's attention, leaving no time to focus on Prime Minister Nakasone's resignation and the re-election of parliament.
Even the news that Takeshita Noboru left the Liberal Democratic Party and then announced that he would bring the Takeshita faction to join the Socialist Party, which was renamed the Social Democratic Party, was covered up.
The Licourt bribery scandal, which had been making headlines in the media for months before the stock market crash, seemed insignificant due to this global emergency, since the public had truly suffered losses this time.
However, the protagonist of the incident, Jiang Fuhaozheng of Recruit Company, was not happy because his company's stock, Recruit Universe Stock, was also severely damaged in the stock market crash!
On the one hand, previous public opinion had already caused the stock price to fall significantly, and on the other hand, this stock market crash has caused Recruit Cosmos stock to fall below its issue price!
Jiang Fuhao was even more aware that even if the stock market crash was over, the stock price of Recruit Universe would never recover!
He was on the verge of bankruptcy.
In less than six months, Jiang Fuhao had gone from a spirited president of a multi-billion dollar conglomerate to a gray-haired, heartbroken old man.
"Who is it?"
After lighting incense at the family shrine, Jiang Fuhao gently tapped the alms bowl, finally feeling a bit calmer.
He genuinely felt that he had encountered a jinx this year, which caused his career to suddenly decline, so he set up a Buddhist shrine at home.
"Who exactly leaked our internal transaction records to the media and the Socialist Party?"
This matter has always troubled him, causing him to distrust even his closest confidants. Now that his career is almost ruined, his only obsession is to find this person!
"Takeshita Noboru has joined the Socialist Party, or rather, the Social Democratic Party now. I can ask him about his background."
He believed that the top brass of the Social Democratic Party must know about it, and it might even have been launched from their side.
After all, from the perspective of the beneficiaries, the Social Democratic Party is clearly the one who made the biggest profit, almost directly overthrowing the Liberal Democratic Party's long-term rule, and then expanding its own party influence. The next ruling party is almost already decided!
Jiang Fuhao then took out a notebook from the safe, found the phone number of Takeshita Noboru's secretary, Aoki Itahira, and dialed it.
"Beep~~~Beep~~~Beep~~~"
"Moshi moshi, this is the Aoki family home."
"Moshi moshi, this is Jiang Fuhaozheng, I'm looking for Aoki Ihei."
Hi, please wait a moment~
The phone rang with calls of "Honey, it's on the phone!" and a moment later, the person in question spoke:
"Moshi Moshi, I am Aoki Itsuhira. May I ask who you are?"
"Secretary Aoki, this is Jiang Fuhaozheng!" Jiang Fuhaozheng said calmly, "It's been a while since I've greeted you. How have you been lately?"
"."
Aoki Ihei, sitting opposite him, paused for a few breaths before speaking directly.
"Vice President Jiang, is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Ah, it's nothing serious," Jiang Fuhao said calmly. "I'd like to ask Takeshita-san to help me find out who passed on the insider information to the Social Democratic Party."
Aoki Ippei remained silent for a few seconds:
"Vice President Jiang, as you know, I've already been dismissed by Takeshita-san and have been accused of bribery."
"Hahaha, Secretary Aoki, don't try that excuse. I know how you politicians operate."
Jiang Fuhao laughed.
"This is only a temporary separation. Once things have calmed down, Takeshita-san will still bring you back!"
A politician's personal secretary—who knows how much private information they possess? It's impossible to simply dismiss such a secretary. They'll either remain a secretary for life, become a trusted confidant within the party, or be released to become a front for accumulating wealth.
"."
Aoki Ihei remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Jiang Fuhao knew that he wouldn't have contacted Takeshita Noboru for help unless there was further pressure.
"That guy, Aoki-san, almost bankrupted my company. He's the biggest grudge I have in my life, and I'll do anything to find him!"
Jiang Fuhao's tone became hateful as he threatened,
"Don't force me to say anything that could damage our existing relationship!"
"Oh?"
Aoki Ihei was somewhat surprised. "You, Jiang Fuhao, are about to go bankrupt. How can you threaten Takeshita Noboru?"
"Those political donations from Aoki-san need to be returned! 2 million yen. Can you come up with that now?!"
Who knew that Jiang Fuhao wasn't targeting Takeshita Noboru, but rather him directly?
"If you don't come up here soon, you'll go to jail!"
How could an ordinary person possibly repay such a huge sum as 2 million?
"You!" Aoki Itaru's expression changed. "It wasn't for me!"
"Hahaha, didn't Takeshita Noboru dump all the responsibility on you?" Jiang Fuhao laughed. "Besides, you were the one who liaised with me!"
"Who else should I look for if not you?!"
"Vice President Jiang, if you dare to do this, I'll let you get away with it."
"Oh? What do you want? I'm about to go bankrupt!"
Now it really is Jiang Fuhao threatening Aoki Ihei.
"Go find Takeshita Noboru, find the person who leaked the information. The Social Democratic Party's top brass must know!"
"Otherwise, I'll drag you down with me before I go bankrupt! Don't make me take you with me when I die!"
The most terrifying thing is to have nothing, but actually Jiang Fuhao still has a lot of money. Even if the company goes bankrupt, he can still be a multi-millionaire.
They're just intimidating Aoki Itsuki right now.
"."
After a long silence, Aoki Ihei finally spoke.
"Okay, I'll ask for you. But we're even now!"
Haha, okay~
In reality, Jiang Zemin doesn't intend to get the 2 million NT dollars in political donations back, because he also has many other bribes from high-ranking government officials. If he were to ask for them all back, it would be tantamount to offending everyone.
Those people are almost all under quarantine measures. Once they return, they will still be high-ranking and powerful figures, at most lying low for a few years.
After Jiang Fuhao hung up the phone, Aoki Ihei called Takeshita Noboru.
"Takeshita-san, Jiang Fuhao is here to ask who the mysterious person is!"
Hearing his secretary's words, Takeshita Noboru felt a surge of anger.
"He's keeping a ghost in his house, and Jiang Fuhao still has the nerve to ask me about it?!"
"If it weren't for this guy who leaked the information, would I be in this situation now?!"
The guy who leaked the information was actually someone Takeshita Noboru had been looking for all along. After all, he was supposed to be prime minister, but because of this incident, he became a member of a new party and had to start all over again!
He may never be prime minister in his lifetime!
".Takeshita-san."
Aoki Ihei comforted Takeshita Nobu,
"Jiang Fuhao probably really didn't know about the previous public opinion, and coupled with this stock market crash, he was almost bankrupt. He must hate that person to the core and must have tried every means possible."
"."
Upon hearing this, Takeshita Noboru also controlled his temper.
Politicians need evidence to stir up trouble, and then they need the police to investigate. But a real estate tycoon like Jiang Fuhao, who has connections in both the legal and illegal worlds, would definitely resort to direct methods!
Once you get your hands on truth serum, even a professional spy can't hide it!
Since he can't find it, it means it might really not be with him!
"That guy, nobody knows who he is!!!"
Takeshita Noboru said viciously.
"I've been inquiring within the Social Democratic Party for a long time, and all I know is that the mysterious person sends letters directly. I've seen all the letters; the stationery is standard, and the handwriting is all in a printed font. I can't find the source!"
"Shouldn't printers be traceable?"
Aoki Ihei asked,
"I've heard that every printer leaves a unique print, just like a person's fingerprint."
"Experts have examined it and said it's an old-fashioned typewriter. It's decades old, there are no records of it, it's been circulating all over the world for so many years, and it's passed through countless hands in the second-hand market, so you can't find its origin at all."
In this era without the internet, Naoki Nagayama simply bought it from a secondhand market, used it, and then destroyed it, cutting off the trail at its source.
"This is troublesome. It seems the mysterious person has a strong counter-surveillance awareness!"
Before the widespread use of surveillance networks and the Internet of Things, the case-solving rate was actually very low. Except for cases with obvious clues, the rest depended on luck.
There was no motive, no source of information, no business dealings. Naoki Nagayama could be said to have absolutely no connection to this whole incident, making it even more difficult to solve than the random murder case on a rainy night!
Even Tagako Doi, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, did not know the specific person responsible. After receiving the letter of complaint, she could not find the source even using criminal investigation methods. The sender was very cautious and erased all traces.
Narasaki Yanosuke, who received the tip-off earlier, also doesn't know who this mysterious person is. Currently, the Social Democratic Party has formed a special task force to investigate this mysterious individual.
With the general election approaching, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has won several seats and is increasingly favored to become the ruling party. As a result, these former opposition leaders are facing more and more temptations, and there have even been some behind-the-scenes deals among the SPD's top brass!
Regardless of which party is in power, they need to find this mysterious person; he is too dangerous!
At that very moment, a young man took the subway from Chiba Prefecture to Tokyo!
"Tokyo...is back!"
Yoshihiko Noda sighed as he looked at the towering skyscrapers. Since graduating from university, he had returned to Chiba Prefecture, worked many jobs, but had never returned to Tokyo.
Now, having resigned from his newly elected position as a member of the Chiba Prefectural Assembly, Yoshihiko Noda has returned to the heart of Japan and is now marching toward the seat of a member of the Diet!
"Member Noda?!"
Outside the station, a person holding a sign with his name on it caught his attention. The person then quickly ran up to him.
"You must be Representative Yoshihiko Noda. I'm Takeharu Kawahara, a friend of Akiyuki. I've come to pick you up!"
"Ah, Kawahara-san."
Yoshihiko Noda saw Takeharu Kawahara solicitously carrying his luggage and heading outside, and couldn't help but call out to him.
"Did Yoshimura-san send you to pick me up? Are we going to see him?"
"Yes, President Yoshimura asked me to come and pick up Representative Noda."
Kawahara Takeharu led the person to the car in the parking lot and explained with a smile,
"The president said that Representative Noda's return to Tokyo was rather rushed, and he probably hasn't arranged accommodations yet, so he asked me to take you to settle in. Then we'll host a welcome dinner for you."
"Oh? Thank you so much!"
Noda Yoshihiko smiled and said,
Which hotel should we go to?
"No, no!" Kawahara Takeharu started the car. "It's a house in Bunkyo Ward, a property registered under our friend's name. Yoshimura-san instructed that this house will be used by Representative Noda from now on."
"It will be convenient to bring my family here in the future!"
"This..." Noda Yoshihiko was somewhat flattered. "Thank you so much!"
"It's nothing, it's President Yoshimura's instruction."
Bunkyo Ward is in the city center, and the highway wasn't too crowded at this time of day, so we arrived quickly.
When the car drove directly into the yard, Yoshihiko Noda discovered that the so-called house was actually a three-story Western-style villa with an elegant and beautiful exterior, a quiet environment, and a close proximity to a transportation hub.
This location and this quality of residence cannot be simply described as an ordinary house.
"It's this villa?"
After getting out of the car, Yoshihiko Noda looked around. This villa was so much more luxurious than his old home in Chiba Prefecture!
"The rent for this villa must be very expensive!"
"Please rest assured about that."
Kawahara Takeharu-chan unloaded her luggage, took out her key, and opened the door.
"This villa is a property invested in by a friend of the tree, and it was originally vacant. Therefore, it does not require rent!"
"Moreover, in order to prevent the villa from being vacant and damaged, the tree owner needs to hire someone to manage the house!"
Kawahara Takeharu picked up a contract from the coffee table.
“Member Noda has his family sign this trusteeship contract so they can stay in the villa under the pretext of looking at the house!”
When Yoshihiko Noda saw that the contract even included a salary clause, he was even more surprised:
"So you're saying I'm living in this villa for free, and my friend is even giving me a monthly care allowance?!"
"Yes, it's not much, but it's to avoid gossip, because Representative Noda is a politician and needs to be mindful of his reputation."
"."
That's incredibly thoughtful!
"correct!"
Kawahara Takeharu also took out his car keys from his pocket.
"Since Representative Noda has just arrived in Tokyo, he probably doesn't have a means of transportation, so we're temporarily lending him that car."
"That car belongs to Shuyou's agent and is currently parked in the villa's garage because there's nowhere for it to be used. Shuyou sends someone to check on the car's condition and add gas every month."
Noda Yoshihiko took the car keys in a daze, feeling like he was being completely taken care of by his friend!
He knew his friends supported him because of his potential, but how was he going to repay them for all that? With his own body?!
"Ahem. Where is Otomo-san now?"
“Otomo-san is still working at the academy,” Kawahara Takeharu checked the time. “There’s still some time; Representative Noda can take a break.”
"I'll come pick you up tonight for the welcome party!"
"This"
After only a half-hour subway ride, Yoshihiko Noda wasn't tired at all, but he definitely needed time to process what had just happened, so he could only smile and express his gratitude.
"Thank you very much, Kawahara-san!"
"You're too kind. Then I'll take my leave now!"
After Kawahara Takeharu left, Noda Yoshihiko casually strolled around the villa.
Walking into the kitchen and opening the refrigerator, I found it was already full, filled with everyday fruits and ingredients.
Upon entering the bedroom, the room had already been cleaned spotlessly, and the bed had been freshly washed and dried, still smelling of sunshine.
I went to clean the restroom; all the toiletries were provided, meeting five-star hotel standards.
Returning to the bedroom, lying down on the soft bed, feeling the soothing comfort of his body, Yoshihiko Noda sighed:
"They've already got such great conditions before even taking power. If they become political bigwigs, wouldn't they be on top of the world?"
In Japan, it's an unspoken rule that conglomerates support politicians. Yoshihiko Noda now carries not only the label of "tree friend" but also the label of Panasonic.
However, Panasonic is a network of connections, while Tree Friends provides real resources and support.
Having experienced the allure of power, Yoshihiko Noda was filled with motivation:
"Power is indeed a wonderful thing! So this time, I must give it my all as a member of Congress!"
(End of this chapter)