CHAPTER 508: 506

Kochou was observing the implementation of Mexico’s four-year plan.

Mexico now was different from before.

It was clear to everyone that the current President, Nied, had ascended to his position with the support of the Shadow tribe Emperor.

Countries wishing to establish contact with the Shadow tribe Emperor naturally paid close attention to Mexico’s movements.

According to what Kochou knew, after Nied became president, he didn’t implement any policies immediately but chose to visit the United States as quickly as possible.

Nett was very accommodating and arranged a direct meeting.

The specifics of what the two parties discussed behind closed doors for a long time remained unknown, but judging from the results, some details of the North American Free Trade Agreement had been adjusted.

With this assurance, Nied began the formal implementation of his four-year plan after returning to his country.

Kochou read through the complex plan from start to finish, which was also a form of learning for her.

She was able to summarize it into the following main points.

First was agriculture.

Since they were no longer planting the raw materials for flour, Nied naturally had to provide farmers with new crops. This meant returning to Mexico’s traditional agricultural track by growing corn and similar products.

To ensure these agricultural products could provide people with a good livelihood, Nied naturally had to protect domestic agricultural interests. This included refusing the unilateral dumping of large quantities of corn by the United States.

If this couldn’t be achieved, struggling farmers would still be forced to take risks and choose to plant the raw materials for flour.

The prices offered by the major groups to farmers for these raw materials were not high. However, under the existing trade system, continuing to grow corn and the like meant they would have to farm at a loss.

Nied was very clear about this, so in the four-year plan he implemented, restoring agriculture and increasing agricultural subsidies were of utmost importance.

If people couldn’t get enough to eat, nothing else mattered.

Next was the issue of security.

After eliminating the major groups, Nied needed to quickly stabilize domestic security. This would allow him to achieve his third point: attracting foreign investment to establish factories.

Of course, wages had to be increased, and so did taxes.

It was unacceptable for Mexican workers to do the most work yet be among the lowest paid in Latin America.

In Nied’s plan, he didn’t necessarily aim for Mexico to evolve into the world’s factory within four years. His primary goal was to gradually steer the country’s economy onto a normal track, rather than relying on a false prosperity built on flour and a host of super-rich foreign tycoons.

Fourth, restore capital punishment.

For those involved with flour, he referenced a certain Eastern Great Nation’s approach: trafficking more than fifty grams would result in direct execution by firing squad.

Crimes such as theft, assault, vandalism, and robbery, including sexual offenses, could, depending on the circumstances, result in a maximum sentence of death.

Kochou thought Nied was very capable, taking full advantage of people’s fear of the Shadow Emperor to rapidly implement policies that would normally not even be dared to be considered.

Then there were education, infrastructure, and the anti-corruption act, among others.

Proceeding with Nied’s four-year plan, it could be said that Mexico in four years would be completely different from now.

The precondition was non-interference from the United States.

But would the United States interfere?

Kochou thought this was not very likely.

As long as the Shadow tribe Emperor’s attitude remained unclear, neither the United States nor Mexico’s own high echelons would dare to move against Nied.

If the Emperor withdrew his support, Nied could meet with an "accident" due to some "unforeseeable circumstance" within minutes.

Such an aggressive plan wasn’t just about taking a slice of someone else’s cake; it was about seizing all the ingredients and baking an entirely new cake.

If the anti-corruption law hadn’t been implemented without retrospective application, officials would likely have all fled.

Having read Nied’s four-year plan, Kochou felt a bit envious.She would not dare to launch such an aggressive plan lightly.

However, Kochou was not discouraged. Given enough time, she would definitely be able to change Japan, transforming it into a strong nation, a Japan that belonged only to Phoenix Academy.

Perhaps, in the time to come, like the Tokugawa Shogunate, history would record this period as the Phoenix Academy Cabinet.

Thinking about how future history books might evaluate this, Kochou then continued to devote her energy to the work of the next term.

...

As time passed and Kochou truly began governing the country, she discovered it was different from managing a group.

Managing a group merely required her to calculate financial accounts.

The decision of whether to undertake something primarily depended on its profitability.

Charitable activities were feasible because the wealthy had turned charity into a business—a venture that was both profitable and reputation-enhancing, so naturally, some were willing to engage in it.

But governing a country was different.

Continuing to view everything solely from the perspective of monetary gain was prone to problems.

Kochou had to learn new knowledge.

At her age, most people would be unwilling to continue learning, but she was not only willing but also capable of learning quickly.

Kochou’s success was built on her eagerness to learn and her clear self-awareness.

She wouldn’t attempt to implement her own plans before thoroughly mastering the necessary knowledge.

She would first leverage her strengths in power struggles to consolidate authority, and only then would she consider which plans to implement.

Kochou was very aware that it was not impossible for the Japanese to accept a hereditary cabinet.

Hereditary politicians were already an accepted fact among the Japanese public, so a hereditary Prime Minister wouldn’t be beyond their scope of acceptance.

Most people think that as long as life is good, it doesn’t matter who’s in charge.

However, if people’s lives are made miserable, and one still imposes a dictatorship, it’s clearly courting disaster.

Therefore, as long as Kochou ensured a good life for the majority and controlled forces like the Metropolitan Police Department, she wouldn’t have to worry about the lower classes causing disturbances.

As for the interest groups hoping to prevent the emergence of a dictator—such as the five major conglomerates and established political families—Kochou had methods to dismantle them one by one.

She had been busy until seven o’clock in the evening, when she finally put down the documents in her hand and prepared to enjoy tonight’s dinner.

Kochou had allocated herself exactly fifteen minutes for meals.

During this time, she would savor delicious food, rest for a few minutes, and then continue to work until ten o’clock at night, when she would go to bed on schedule.

She would sleep until six in the morning, promptly start work, and keep at it until ten at night.

Beyond her official eight-hour workday, all matters Kochou handled pertained to the Phoenix Academy Group.

Since she intended for the Phoenix Academy Group to lead the country in the future, she naturally wouldn’t neglect its affairs.

Kochou put down her knife and fork and picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth.

The butler waiting nearby signaled a maid to clear the empty plates. After arranging dessert and black tea, he bowed and exited the office.

Kochou disliked being seen by others when she was resting. She took a sip of her tea, leaned back, closed her eyes, and savored the rich flavor of the black tea in her mouth.

It was four minutes until 7:15. During these few minutes, her brain was allowed to be completely still, without any thought.

As she relaxed, a pair of hands suddenly landed on her shoulders.

...

HISS!

Kochou’s eyes widened; the buttons on her shirt almost burst.

Her clothes were all custom-made, so they wouldn’t fit improperly; the snug fit of the buttons was deliberate.

This was to ensure that when she was surprised, people’s attention would be diverted from her facial expression to another area.

For this reason, the fit of her shirt buttons was perfect for this purpose.

A button slowly fell. Kochou looked up to see the blond-haired man behind her.

His skin was pale like porcelain, and his hazel eyes, fixed on her, conveyed a hint of allure and danger.

Merely being watched by such eyes, a sense of her own insignificance washed over Kochou. "Dio," she whispered.

Uttering his name, Kochou’s tense body slowly relaxed—or perhaps, it was more accurate to say she went limp with fright.

"It’s been a while."

Though she had just drunk black tea, her throat felt somewhat dry again. She was well aware of Dio’s attitude towards those in power.

Aozawa looked at the expression on her face. It was devoid of its usual distant grace and majesty, appearing much more docile—like a tiger that had been declawed. "To me, it feels like a very short time, yet you’ve already become Prime Minister. Congratulations."

"My perception of time is human, unlike that of a long-lived Angel Envoy."

Kochou envied the Angel Envoys’ lengthy lives, then sighed, "What does being Prime Minister matter? In your presence, this position is probably no more esteemed than that of a vegetable vendor."

"For you, this is something to celebrate."

Aozawa raised his hand and walked towards the sofa area.

Kochou didn’t remain seated. She quickly stood up, bringing a teapot and an unused teacup forward.

She poured a cup of black tea for Aozawa and sat down beside him, asking, "What have you been busy with lately?"

Her tone was like that of old friends catching up. She wanted to probe Dio’s recent itinerary and activities; such intelligence was incredibly valuable.

Aozawa picked up the black tea and spoke leisurely, "I’ve been busy preparing to ascend to Paradise; of the six conditions, two have been met."

A flicker of shock passed through Kochou’s eyes as she asked softly, "Which two conditions?"

"One is the ’fourteen secret phrases,’ and the other is the ’specific location.’"

Kochou suppressed the flutter in her heart, her voice growing ever more tender, her eyes like rippling spring water. "What are the fourteen secret phrases?"

"’Unicorn Beetle...’"

Aozawa casually recited the fourteen secret phrases and added, "The specific location is Mount Fuji, but the Emperor recently took the altar from there."

"The Emperor from Mexico?" Surprise appeared on Kochou’s face.

Aozawa nodded. "Yes, that’s him."

Kochou seized the opportunity to voice the doubts within her heart, "Did the Emperor slaughter hundreds of thousands in the Chihuahua Desert merely to clear Nied’s path to the presidency? What good does controlling Mexico do for him?"

"Not sure."

Aozawa shrugged. He genuinely hadn’t put much thought into concocting the Emperor’s motives. "All I know is that fellow doesn’t do things without reason. Nied must be useful to the Emperor, and so must Mexico."

"I see."

Kochou pondered, could it have something to do with the end times?She recalled the past—Dio, or rather Griffith, and the Angel Envoys’ actions all seemed to be preparations for the end times.

Aozawa let her brainstorm the Emperor’s intentions on her own, took a sip of black tea, and said unhurriedly, "The power to control a nation can easily corrupt. Kochou, I hope you are the exception."

"Yes."

Kochou’s body trembled slightly, and she immediately gave her assurance, "I will ensure our country becomes even more prosperous."

Aozawa merely glanced at her and said no more. He stood up. "I need to negotiate with the Emperor. I’ll be going."

Kochou nodded repeatedly. "Okay."