CHAPTER 492: CHAPTER 490: THE YOUNG LADY DOESN’T WANT TO BE THE CONQUER BARBARIAN GENERAL_1

The setting sun’s dusk fell upon the Prime Minister’s residence.

Beyond the imposing walls, the construction of the Prime Minister’s residence still contained a touch of Japanese subtlety.

The exterior boasted a garden that was a delight to the eyes.

Kochou had seen such a scene before, but this was the first time she sat here as the owner.

She looked down at the outside through the bulletproof, bomb-resistant glass windows, finding a special flavor in the view.

Within the Prime Minister’s Office on the fifth floor, in just a single afternoon, its appearance had completely changed from before.

From the furnishings to the color of the walls, all had been altered to suit her tastes. There was no trace left of Kumazo Yasuda.

Even the most towering authority loses its power upon death, which is why those in power crave eternal life, wanting to forever preserve their vast authority.

Kochou leaned back in her chair, beginning to understand why some were so intoxicated with standing in the spotlight. In fact, the feeling of guiding a country and leaving one’s mark in history was truly splendid.

CLICK. The sound of the door opening echoed.

Kochou swiveled her chair to face the entrance.

"Prime Minister, you—"

The blond girl stepped inside, her expected pleasantries stalled as she caught sight of the woman in the chair.

A shock flashed across Phoenix Academy Maggie’s porcelain doll-like face as she blurted, "Mother, why are you sitting here? Where’s the Prime Minister?"

Kochou had deliberately refrained from telling her daughter about Kumazo Yasuda’s death and her own ascension. She wanted to see her daughter’s shocked expression.

She showed a gentle smile and said, "Kumazo Yasuda is dead. He was kidnapped by Number Nine at noon, murdered live in front of the public. I have taken over as the new Prime Minister. What are your thoughts on this?"

Pranks were rare for Kochou, but sometimes, she wanted to see her daughter’s bewildered face.

She crossed her arms, resting her chin on them, and said with a smile, "After I took on the role of Prime Minister, you will succeed as the chairman of Phoenix Academy Group, taking control of eighty percent of its shares."

"Eh?!"

Successive pieces of news left Phoenix Academy Maggie unable to respond immediately. Her mind churned. She soon regained her composure, closed the door behind her, and asked, "Mother, can you handle all this work?"

Phoenix Academy Maggie thought it over for a moment, not believing that her mother would hand over all matters of Phoenix Academy Group to her at this age. Even if she became the chairman, it was unlikely she would meddle in the group’s affairs.

Kochou was pleased with her daughter’s quick recovery and laughed, "Don’t worry, I can deal with the affairs of the state during the time I used to rest. If Nett can be President, there is no issue with me, being so young, serving as Prime Minister."

Phoenix Academy Maggie walked over to the desk, pulled out a chair, sat down, and said, "Mother, didn’t you always say that it’s best for the syndicate to operate behind the scenes and steer the country’s development? This way, we don’t have to bear the blame for the country’s ups and downs and can develop freely."

"Times have changed."

Kochou certainly wouldn’t tell her daughter about the things she had done to the Director of Intelligence. She could only use another excuse: "As the times advance, the power behind the scenes is needed, but so is the power at the forefront. Having this identity will make our actions much more convenient from now on."

"So that’s how it is. Mother intends to use these few years to deal with the crisis."

"No, I intend to bind this country and the Phoenix Academy family together."

Kochou leaned back, revealing her ambition.

Since she had chosen to take on this role, she didn’t intend to maintain the electoral system. Instead, she wanted to create a position that her family would inherit permanently.

Regarding the group, she shouldn’t use people from Phoenix Academy or some relatives. However, when it comes to governing the country, she could easily place family members throughout the various institutions.

She wanted to turn this country into a property belonging to Phoenix Academy, which would require negotiation with the five major syndicates and support from the United States.

"Could the five major syndicates allow this to happen?"

Phoenix Academy Maggie was surprised, staring at her mother in front of her, feeling somewhat estranged.

She didn’t believe the people from the five major syndicates to be fools; they were well aware that their influence on the country came from elections. Without elections, there’d be no need for campaign funding. This would reduce the importance of the syndicates’ financial power, making it easier to return to the old state of politicians suppressing the syndicates.

"Don’t worry, I’ll handle them slowly, eliminating any factors that can affect us," Kochou replied nonchalantly.

She was willing to engage in superficial exchanges with the five major syndicates only because she wasn’t yet strong enough. When the right opportunity arose, Kochou would naturally choose to turn against them.

That opportunity would come when she fully controlled the forces of the Self-Defense Forces, the National Police Agency, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The most important thing was to secure the support of U.S. Forces Japan.

With the MacArthur family resurging in the military, it was advantageous for her interactions with U.S. Forces Japan. As long as she established a strong and unbreakable mutual benefit with them, the five major syndicates could only come to terms with the new reality and serve her as instruments to stay alive. If they refused to comply, then they would simply be replaced.

To be honest, Kochou had not initially considered such a situation. But after perceiving the threat from the CIA, she became aware of Matsuda Haruichiro’s schemes. Suddenly, a plan to deal with it popped into her mind, which then extended to a series of thoughts.

If one must take this position anyway, why not change this post into a familial inheritance?

The Tokugawa Shogunate of the Conquer Barbarian General lasted two hundred and sixty-five years. Then, her establishment of the Phoenix Academy cabinet could last three hundred years without a problem, and perhaps due to the realm of the Different World, it could be passed down for a thousand years, even ten thousand years.

Phoenix Academy Maggie didn’t know what to say. In her view, such an approach was undoubtedly unsuitable for modern Japan. After all, Japan is a developed country.

But on second thought, she realized her mother’s actions could not be considered too drastic. It was only tearing apart the original veneer, transferring the Prime Minister’s power from traditional political families to Phoenix Academy. The fundamental change wasn’t actually that big.

"But the public will oppose this once they realize it."

"It’s okay. As long as we keep instilling the view that when the Different World comes, we need excellent people to rule the country, there will be those who sing my praises."

Kochou answered with a smile, mentally preparing her next plan: to use Kumazo Yasuda’s death to arrest a large number of opposition members, incarcerate them, and bury them collectively. She had made arrangements with the Minister of State and the people from Public Security Division One.

Seeking centralization of power, Kochou naturally eliminated all potential rivals as the first step, swallowing up their corresponding powers. The killing of Kumazo Yasuda was a good pretext to do so. The public was highly concerned, which would make them accept the involvement of a series of conspiracies, even harboring thoughts of "as expected."

Then she would pin the blame for the Takamagahara Project onto those people, whitewashing the things Kumazo Yasuda had admitted on television. The real villains were those evil members of the opposition. Number Nine was acting on their orders too.

This move could be declared a smashing victory.

Having calculated everything, Kochou didn’t plan to consult with her daughter. She only called her to inform her of one thing: "From now on, you will live at the Prime Minister’s Residence. The facilities here are a bit lacking, but I will gradually remodel and rebuild a grander and more luxurious residence for you. So you’ll have to make do with this for now."

"Yes."

Phoenix Academy Maggie had no objections, understanding that such an action would facilitate her mother’s control over the security within and outside of the official residence, thereby consolidating the power of the Phoenix Academy family. After all, the incident with Kumazo Yasuda was largely due to insufficient control over the people around him.

She sighed internally, feeling as if her family was hurtling towards infamous terms from history.

The deep blue night sky enveloped Tokyo, devoid of stars and the moon, as if the goddess, hindered by money, had to reluctantly close her eyes and embrace an old man.

Aozawa ceased his chat with Morimoto Chiyoda, smiling. "Chitose, I’m going out for a night run."

"Alright, don’t exceed curfew time. You must come back when it’s time," Morimoto Chiyoda emphasized. The curfew she set was the bottom line not to be crossed, and exceeding it would surely provoke her anger.

"Roger that."

Aozawa saluted and responded before turning to walk outside. At the shoe cabinet, he took out his sneakers and headed out.

There was no intention to turn on the lights at the entrance, leaving the corridor somewhat dim. He jogged to the parking area, which was illuminated by the street lamps.

Aozawa opened the door and ran towards the small park, where familiar streetlamps flickered beside the benches.

Employing Catalyst Induction, he observed the interior of the park, detecting no other pedestrians, and then entered the woodland.

Aozawa used Schrodinger’s Cat to gradually make his body semi-transparent. The next second, he appeared outside Takahashi’s house, turned into a breeze, and slipped through the crack of the door.

Somewhat to his surprise, in the three-bedroom Takahashi apartment, only one bedroom, the living room, and the bathroom seemed occupied. The other two rooms were piled with thick dust, not looking at all like someone slept there.

Aren’t Takahashi’s parents in Japan?

Aozawa frowned slightly, then stared at the photos on the table.

He thought about it. Takahashi Saeko wasn’t at home at night—did she go out on a date with someone?

Aozawa left the apartment with a thought. He moved to a dark area outside, where he used Shadow Emperor to summon a multitude of red eyes from the shadows, swarming everywhere.

"Find the whereabouts of Takahashi Saeko for me. Without alarming anyone, you shall peer from the darkness."

Aozawa did not want the Shadow Soldiers to rashly ask others about Takahashi Saeko’s location. He intended to use their vast numbers for a quick and covert search of Tokyo. Given that the Shadow Soldiers could search directly for what he knew, he assumed they should be able to recognize Takahashi Saeko’s appearance as well.

The Shadow Soldiers swiftly dispersed.

Aozawa stood in place awaiting news. If it took more than ten minutes, he would personally take action, combining Catalyst Induction and the Shadow Emperor’s swift movement to search the entirety of Tokyo.

Takahashi Saeko couldn’t have left Tokyo, could she?

He mused to himself, standing there, waiting for the report from the Shadow Soldiers.