After rebirth, I became Tokyo Sentimental

Chapter 230, Page 229: Minister Sato, could you please bring me two bottles?
The Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization is primarily responsible for promoting the recovery and growth of the national economy and facilitating international trade and investment relations. He ranks nineteenth out of twenty members in the cabinet, and his position carries relatively little power.

However, even if the weighting is low.

He eventually entered the cabinet, the center of power.

It was actually predictable that Haruno Tsukasa would be targeted by Sato Yuuji, but he hadn't paid attention to it since he smeared himself in front of the media last time.

After all, their feud started a long time ago.

Perhaps out of shame that his sister could only be his wife without a title, or perhaps because he was narrow-minded and still held a grudge against him for kicking him twice back then, Sato Yuji abandoned the family business ten years ago and used his resources to enter politics, and has been at odds with him ever since.

Basically, whatever Haruno Tsukasa opposes, he supports; whatever Haruno Tsukasa supports, he opposes. You could say the whole Diet knows that the two of them hate each other and wish they could fight each other when they meet.

However, Haruno Tsukasa usually had the upper hand.

After all, Japan is a country that values ​​seniority-based promotion, and Tsukasa Harano's long tenure in politics has long been an advantage.

In terms of resources and background, with the full support of the Suzumiya family and the support of Sato Mie herself, he is no worse than Sato Yuji. What's more, he has no shortage of money, while Sato Yuji often lacks support from his family and has to resort to means to obtain political donations.

However, Harano Tsukasa was not allowed into the cabinet.

Or rather, they didn't choose to enter.

Because he is an independent, and the cabinet is composed of members selected from within the party by the party leader who wins the election, he certainly does not meet this requirement.

Of course.

It would be easy for him to join if he wanted to.

However, Haruno Tsukasa never had this idea.

Because he was not short of money and had a relatively strong background, Harano Tsukasa never engaged in any corrupt activities during his tenure. Even if others wanted to force him to collude with them, they could not do so. Therefore, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's Special Investigation Department's investigation into him came to nothing. Sato Yuji also did not have the power to let this foreign dog act as his dog and make false accusations at will.

That's why he was able to get out so quickly.

To put it bluntly, it was just to deliberately disgust him.

They wanted to humiliate him in this way.

In reality, this was just a simple political revenge, but Haruno Tsukasa did not intend to give in to the other party, because hesitation would only lead to trouble. This country and this nation have a deep-rooted tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong. The more they retreated and tolerated, the more audacious Sato Yuuji would become.

So he ate the fish.

Knowing that the Japanese police were a bunch of incompetent fools, Haruno Tsukasa secretly funded the training of his own bodyguard team many years ago. He focused on training orphans who didn't want to study but chose to take this path. Now, ten years later, the team has long been formed.

Japan has strict gun control, but that didn't stop Haruno Tsukasa, so his team was well-equipped.

Where there are superiors, there are naturally subordinates.

During his tenure as Vice Governor of Tokyo, Yuji Sato served as the Vice Minister in charge of preparatory work for the establishment of the Disaster Prevention Agency, primarily assisting in disaster monitoring and recovery efforts.

This position is quite lucrative.

After all, whether it was the government's unified procurement of supplies before the disaster or the local budget for post-disaster reconstruction, everything had to go through his hands. He didn't even need to investigate; he had already heard many rumors about Sato Yuji's corruption and bribery. But that was normal; Japanese political families were basically corrupt families, and it would be abnormal if they didn't take bribes.

Haruno Tsukasa's counterattack was simple.

He openly ordered all companies under his control or influence to shut down, and assigned specific individuals to lead opposition to economic policies within Sato Isao's authority.

In secret, they began sharpening their knives.

If you have solid evidence against Yuji Sato, or if you have subordinates or former secretaries with unforgivable blemishes, throw them all into Tokyo Bay to feed the fish, and then reveal only fragmentary evidence to the media.

Defeating them both physically and psychologically simultaneously.

During this time, Sato Yuji did resist, and the Metropolitan Police Department also came to investigate Harano Tsukasa, but after investigating for half a month, they found nothing, and there was no evidence that he had any connection with the people around Sato Yuji who died. In the end, they could only let it go.

When Haruno Tsukasa heard that the other party would be working at the Cabinet for several days, he couldn't help but transform into a desktop cleaning master and roar in the office after receiving the call.

This is not Tokyo University after all.

The role of money has also been exaggerated to an extreme degree.

After nearly two months of fighting, Yuji Sato finally raised the white flag and admitted defeat. He even bowed and apologized at a press conference, claiming that he was slightly incompetent and had not done his job well. However, he did not resign as required by procedure and stubbornly refused to resign, which gave him a very bad image in the media.

However, it is said that the higher-ups have already given the order that if Sato Yuji cannot resolve this matter, he will definitely be kicked out even if he refuses to leave. That's why he's been so anxious these past two days, like an ant on a hot pan, that he arranged a dinner with Harano Tsukasa in an attempt to resolve the trouble.

Katsushika Ward, Tokyo.

Inside a private room of a restaurant with excellent tranquility.

Wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking slightly weathered, Yuji Sato crossed his legs and forced a smile as he chatted idly with the politicians and businessmen he had invited to the gathering.

Although today's theme is apology.

But he still couldn't help but make a few sarcastic remarks about Haruno Tsukasa.

After fighting for so many years, he originally thought that after entering the cabinet he could finally settle accounts with Haruno Tsukasa. However, he never expected the economic strength hidden beneath the surface of the other party. He was dealt a heavy blow by the other party, and he was even about to lose his position.

The matter cannot be resolved without going into the cabinet.

It's no use getting in.

Wouldn't this cabinet membership have been for nothing?

Of course, it wasn't a wasted trip.

Putting aside his personal motive of seeking revenge against Haruno Tsukasa, this was a huge leap forward for both his family and himself. After all, Sato Yuji was not even forty years old yet. Even if the prime minister stepped down and the cabinet was reorganized, he would not be involved for two or three consecutive terms. By the time he was around sixty years old, he would definitely be one of the most senior veterans in the party.

How come it will still be this position then?
Even if he doesn't get the highest position, he won't become the Chief Cabinet Secretary. But whether it's the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Minister of Finance, or the Minister in charge of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the power of those positions is more than ten times greater than it is now. After all, there are three ministers in the cabinet in charge of economic affairs, and he is the last one.

Compared to their own political future, personal grudges should obviously not be stumbling blocks on their path forward.

to be honest.

He really wants to improve!
Therefore, even though he was extremely embarrassed and his story was being secretly gossiped about by countless people, Sato Yuji still humbled himself and asked Harano Tsukasa for forgiveness.

Progress is nothing to be ashamed of.

However, just as he couldn't help but speak ill of Haruno Tsukasa to the others present, the door suddenly opened.

The private room fell silent.

Standing at the door, Haruno Tsukasa glanced expressionlessly at everyone present, then walked silently to the dining table on his right and headed straight for the head seat.

Yuji Sato quickly snapped out of his reverie, stood up hurriedly, and said with a smile, "Why did you come in? I was just about to go outside to greet you."

Haruno Tsukasa didn't even glance at him.

Fujikawa Hosokawa, who was a step behind him with her hair neatly tied up, stood still and sighed, "You don't need to say such things. Since we arrived here, we've gone into several wrong rooms without even a guide."

"I just arranged for someone to pick me up."

Sato Yuji looked somewhat embarrassed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Yuan Ye Si had already sat down in the main seat with a blank expression. He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and quickly walked over to explain, "I'm sorry, brother-in-law. I specially arranged for someone to pick you up outside. They probably didn't see you. I'm really sorry."

"You've already called me brother-in-law, what's there to be embarrassed about? We're family, why stand on ceremony?" Haruno Tsukasa took out a cigarette from his pocket and said calmly. Sato Yuuji saw that Haruno Tsukasa was holding the cigarette to his lips but didn't light it, so he took out a lighter, bent down slightly, lit it, and held it to Haruno Tsukasa's lips, forcing a smile and saying, "Then let's serve the food first?"

"Don't rush to eat, could you please bring two bottles of white wine?" Haruno Tsukasa said, flicking his cigarette ash.

"Waiter, please help us..."

Sato Yuji turned his head and only said half a sentence.

Haruno Tsukasa interrupted him, raised his hand and gestured towards the door, saying, "Don't bother the waiter, please ask Minister Sato to bring two bottles."

Veins on Sato Yuji's forehead began to throb.

The hand gripping the lighter tightened more and more.

But two seconds later it suddenly released its grip.

"Okay, I'll go get it."

Sato Yuji left with a dark expression, and everyone else present remained silent, not uttering a word.

However, he had only been out the door for a few seconds.

An angry voice came from outside the door.

"Idiot! Go get two bottles of white wine!"

Everyone in the private room looked up, instinctively glancing at Haruno Tsukasa, trying to observe the expression on his face.

Haruno Tsukasa stubbed out his cigarette and laughed:

"Insulting himself?"

Some nodded, while others chuckled softly after the atmosphere eased, all echoing Haruno Tsukasa's mockery of Sato Yuuji, but none dared to say anything more.

pat!

The door was pushed open again.

Yuji Sato strode in carrying two bottles of white wine, his smile seeming more genuine and relaxed. He walked up to Tsukasa Harano and said with a smile, "Brother-in-law, I brought them to you."

"Wait." Harano Tsukasa raised his hand, stopping Sato Yuuji from placing the sake next to him.

He lifted his chin and tilted it to the side:

"It wasn't me who drank it, it was Secretary Fujikawa who drank it."

After he finished speaking, the entire private room fell into a deathly silence. Sato Yuji was stunned for a moment before a burning passion ignited in his chest.

He looked at the old woman beside Haruno Tsukasa.

He knew Fujikawa Hosokawa; she had been by Harano Tsukasa's side for ten years and later served as his secretary. She was probably almost sixty years old now. For a cabinet minister to pour wine for such a lowly old woman would probably make the cabinet and parliament laugh their heads off.

Fujikawa Hosokawa looked at Sato Yuuji, whose face was turning pale and then red, but she was not intimidated by his status. Instead, she smiled and nodded, "I prefer this."

"Secretary Fujikawa, please take good care of me."

With a force that nearly shattered the wine bottle, Yuji Sato spat out his words through clenched teeth.

"Thank you," Fujikawa Hosokawa replied with a smile.

As Sato Yuuji poured wine for Fujikawa Hosokawa, his body trembling slightly with anger, Harano Tsukasa placed his hands on the table and asked, "I heard you throwing a tantrum outside just now, Yuuji. What happened?"

"When I went to get the wine, I found that the waiter wasn't standing outside, so I couldn't help but curse."

"Well said." Yuan Ye Si fully affirmed his approach, leaning back tactically and chuckling, "People who don't follow the rules should be scolded. If the situation is serious, it's not a bad thing to use some methods, so that these people don't lose their sense of proportion and think they're someone important."

“…Brother-in-law is right.”

Yuji Sato is remarkably patient.

But it’s understandable.

After all, for politicians, their position is far more important than their reputation.

The rest of the meal was much easier.

Haruno Tsukasa didn't hold a grudge against him.

Even if you don't care about the monk, you have to consider the Buddha. After all, he is Sato Mie's younger brother, and if you really want to kill him, you can do it, but there will probably be more trouble afterward.

The meal was very enjoyable.

But some people were unhappy.

After dinner, Haruno Tsukasa didn't go home. He asked Fujikawa Hoshino to drop him off at a nearby street, then got out of the car and saw Shimizu Yuko standing by the roadside in a pure white dress. She even waved to him.

"How long have you been standing here waiting?"

"It didn't take long."

"Is the matter resolved?"

"It's resolved, it's not a big deal, and didn't I tell you you didn't need to make a special trip?"

"It's not far, so it's no big deal to come along the way. I'll have my secretary take you there first, Yutaro."

"The weather is quite nice today. The irises in the nearby Shuiyuan Park should be in bloom. Let's go for a stroll there." Yuan Ye Si paused for a moment and then said, "I have some questions for you and would like to hear your suggestions."

"...What's wrong?"

"Who do you think I should leave my property to?"

"..."

Yuko Shimizu stopped abruptly, her beautiful eyes widening in shock as she looked at Tsukasa Harano. A moment later, her voice trembled slightly as she said, "Don't joke around, are you trying to scare me? I was with you when you went for your medical checkup six months ago, and you were perfectly healthy. How could you…?"

"I'm not sick." Yuan Ye Si was taken aback by her strong reaction, then realized that she had misunderstood.

"Not sick? Then how come you..."

"I mean later."

Yuko Shimizu breathed a sigh of relief, then couldn't help but glare at him. After calming herself down a bit, she said, "Isn't it a bit too far ahead to think about this now? After all, the children haven't grown up yet."

“It’s still necessary to take precautions.” Yuan Ye Si shook his head, disagreeing with her statement: “The more family property you have, the more problems you will have. If you don’t clarify these things as soon as possible, the troubles will only get bigger in the future, not to mention that the child is not even born to the same mother.”

"That makes sense..."

“I recently clarified my current financial situation. Including my shares in many listed companies and private equity funds, plus readily available liquid funds, I have about two trillion yen.”

"How many!?"

Although Shimizu Yuko had anticipated Haruno Tsukasa's assets—after all, she herself was involved in business and often handled Haruno Tsukasa's affairs—she still hadn't expected him to possess so much. She was stunned for a moment, exclaiming, "Two trillion…that's outrageous!"

(End of this chapter)