Tokyo Three Generations

"asshole!"

The original Takasaki Hiroshi, though not very authoritative, at least had some of the dashing charm of a middle-aged playboy. But now, he was furious, as if he had just been punched.

No, it might be more serious than getting punched.

After hanging up the phone, Takasaki Hiroshi took a few deep breaths, then picked up his phone and dialed his secretary, Sakura Kenji, telling him to come over and wait for him.

Then he paced restlessly in the living room, his breathing heavy and arrhythmic, like a wounded wild animal.

Soon, Kenji Sakura arrived at the Takasaki residence.

"Sir, what's wrong?" he asked in a deep voice.

“I just received a call. The Kuroshima office is under surveillance by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office. The office has been searched, and some important executives have been arrested,” Takasaki Hiroshi said with a grim face.

"Kuroshima Office?" Kenji Sakura, who knew the inside story, instantly turned ashen-faced. "Haven't they been doing this for many years? How could such a mistake happen?"

"How should I know?" Hiroshi Takasaki retorted impatiently. "Anyway, something happened."

"Then, who was arrested?" Kenji Sakura gasped, then asked tremblingly.

"I don't know, you'll have to confirm that," Takasaki Hiroshi replied immediately.

Kenji Sakura paused for a moment, then nodded deeply. "Yes!"

Then, he picked up his phone and searched through the special chat software until he found a number with a very inconspicuous chat name.

He knew that his life's honor and disgrace had reached a critical juncture.

Because, while Kuroshima Office is nominally a legitimate accounting firm, it is actually a money laundering operation that helps politicians in Nagata-cho handle their financial affairs.

Hiroshi Takasaki was one of the important clients of this money laundering business.

To be a "clean and honest" legislator while still indulging in a life of extravagance, he simply cannot do without the help of such institutions.

Over the years, Hiroshi Takasaki has spent huge sums of money in nightclubs. Sometimes, in order to patronize the top hostess, he would spend tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yen on drinks in a single month (of course, he couldn't do this every month). Such huge expenditures in a short period of time could not be recorded on nightclub receipts, but a reasonable explanation had to be given.

This is where money laundering operations come in handy. They use numerous accounts to falsely report various seemingly legitimate expenses, obtain money from Representative Takasaki's office, spend it legitimately, and then pool these funds back together for Representative Takasaki's clandestine expenses.

The same principle applies to spending money, and equally to receiving money.

According to national law, members of parliament must declare their assets, so the money they receive must not be registered in their personal names; it must be received through their law firm or support group.

When Representative Takasaki accepted donations, he had to come up with a legitimate reason to cover it up, such as hosting a dinner party, writing a book, attending a lecture or training course, etc.

At this point, specialized agencies are needed to inflate the number of people and transfer huge sums of money into relevant institutions and accounts through various small donations and contributions.

Therefore, whether it's receiving money or spending it, politicians like Takasaki will never be able to do without money laundering agencies.

It can be said that as long as politics and class exist, the bright and dark sides of Nagata-cho will endure forever.

In comparison, being "willing to put on a show" is already a sign of respect for the people. After all, in the United States today, since the abolition of donation limits for Super PACs, there's no need to put on a show anymore; large corporations and conglomerates can openly donate unlimited amounts...

The cooperation between the two sides has always been very pleasant. Kuroshima Office has received generous commissions from Takasaki Hiroshi's huge cash flow, while Takasaki Hiroshi can live a clean life as a member of parliament.

However, this harmony was suddenly shattered on this sunny afternoon.

For some reason, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has set its sights on the Kuroshima office. The Special Investigation Department, which is responsible for anti-money laundering work, seems to have gathered a lot of evidence and has already shut down the office and arrested its staff.

This also means that Hiroshi Takasaki is very likely to be involved in the case.

If the worst-case scenario comes true, it will have a devastating impact on his already low political standing.

This is not without precedent. In 2015, Yuko Obuchi, a member of the Diet who was also a member of the Heisei Research Institute and the daughter of former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, was investigated by the District Public Prosecutors Office for using her support group, the Future Industries Research Association, to falsify accounts and embezzle political donations. The total amount involved was about 1 million yen (the funniest part is that one of the funds was used to pay for the consumption of her sister's fashion studio and her brother-in-law's clothing store).

Even finding such a small oversight dealt a huge blow to her reputation. Although she destroyed the evidence in time and had her secretary take the blame to escape legal punishment, she was forced to resign as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry under public pressure and has been in a slump ever since.

Hiroshi Takasaki had no intention of following in his footsteps.

Kenji Sakura's anxiety wasn't solely due to his concern for his master; he knew that if things went as worst as possible, he too could become the scapegoat... since he had been in charge of all the financial transactions.

Both of them turned ashen-faced, their heavy breathing and heartbeats creating a deathly silence in the living room.

=========================================

On this beautiful, sunny weekend, Nagasaki Motoyo returned home after shopping.

As soon as she got home, she skillfully started doing housework, humming a song as she prepared dinner, waiting for her mother to come home.

Since her mother, Chizuru Nagasaki, divorced her father when she was in elementary school, she has lived a life of mutual dependence with her mother.

She felt no discomfort about this, because her mother had never skimped on her life. Not only did she live in such a luxurious apartment, but she also sent her to a top-tier girls' school. She felt only gratitude for this.

If there's any downside, it's that my mother's work is too busy and her hours are irregular, making meal preparation a bit of a hassle. For example, even on her day off today, she was busy outside.

To this day, she still doesn't know why her mother is able to earn so much money, but adults have their own methods, and she doesn't dare to ask too many questions.

Just as she was putting the saury and fried chicken nuggets for dinner on the table, she heard the sound of a key unlocking the door.

Yay! I'm so lucky today, I just barely made it to the mark.

A small cheer erupted in her heart, and then she looked towards the door.

Sure enough, Mom was already back and was changing her shoes in the entryway.

"Mom, welcome home!" she greeted sweetly. "Dinner's just ready, let's eat together."

Although Nagasaki Chizuru looked exhausted, he smiled as he looked at his daughter, very satisfied with Suze's well-behaved and sensible nature.

"Su Shi, you've worked hard."

"Not at all, you've worked much harder."

The mother and daughter sat down at the table together, chatting and laughing, and then Nagasaki Chizuru drank a bowl of miso soup.

The rich aroma instantly relaxed her tired body.

"Mmm! Su Shi's cooking is always so delicious." She praised sincerely.

Just then, Nagasaki Chizuru's phone rang.

Nagasaki Chizuru glanced at it casually, but her expression changed after confirming the caller ID.

Then, she answered the phone but didn't say a word; she just listened quietly.

She sat there blankly until the call ended, as if she had been petrified into a statue.

Nagasaki Motoyo felt a little nervous. She had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but she didn't know what was going on.

"Mom... are you alright?" she asked tentatively.

This question seemed to awaken Nagasaki Chizuru from a dream.

Then, Nagasaki Motoyo discovered that her mother seemed to have become a different person.

With meticulous skincare and exquisite makeup, Nagasaki Chizuru has always maintained the image of a sophisticated Tokyo urban woman, showing no signs of being nearly forty years old. Nagasaki Motoyo has always been proud of her mother's makeup.

However, at this moment, the mother's lips twitched and her face showed terror, as if she were possessed by some evil spirit.

"No... I can't hesitate any longer, there's no time left."

She ignored her daughter's worries and muttered to herself.

Then, she suddenly stood up, went to her bedroom, looked at the laptop on the table, unplugged the USB drive, and then tried to smash it a few times with the glass ornament next to her.

After realizing that her efforts were in vain, she calmed herself down, took a hammer from the cabinet next to her, and smashed it hard against the computer.

The laptop with the fruit logo emitted a pitiful groan, but she showed no remorse and continued to smash it relentlessly.

"Mom!" Nagasaki Motoyo was stunned by her mother's frantic actions. "What's wrong with you?"

After smashing it for a while, Nagasaki Chizuru was exhausted. She looked at the computer, which was now in pieces, put it all into a basin in the bathroom, added some kindling, poured alcohol on it, and then set it on fire.

The rising flames emitted a pungent odor that brought tears to her eyes, but a near-maniacal smile appeared on her face.

At this moment, she finally regained some of her senses.

Su Shi... Su Shi...

She turned around abruptly and saw her daughter looking worried.

"Su Shi, come with me, we're going somewhere."

"Where to?" Nagasaki Motoyo asked blankly.

Chizuru Nagasaki didn't know how to explain it.

All she knew was that she had to escape from the house with her daughter as quickly as possible and get to the safe house that had been prepared beforehand.

She knew that a safe house might not actually be safe, but at least it could buy her some time, even if it was only a few days.

As long as they haven't been arrested yet, there's still hope.

She can use this time difference to do everything she can to turn the situation around, or at least save herself.

What if all of this fails?

Was it years in prison, or the bottom of Tokyo Bay?

She couldn't imagine it, but neither outcome was one she could accept.

Having entered this industry, she had also come to a corresponding understanding, but... Su Shi was the only thing she couldn't let go of.

She grabbed Nagasaki Motoyo's hand and practically dragged her outside.

Motoyo Nagasaki did not rebel against her mother. To her, her mother was her home, and she would naturally go wherever her mother was.

Everything happened so suddenly, she didn't know why.

My dull, numb brain is completely blank, with only one strange and even funny thought.

Mom hasn't finished the meal she prepared so carefully... What a pity.

17. The family name remains intact

In this dreamlike, surreal state, Nagasaki Motoyo followed her mother out of the house in a daze.

Instead of driving his car from the underground parking garage, Chizuru Nagasaki took his daughter downstairs and headed straight for the subway.

The mother and daughter from Nagasaki originally lived in a large apartment in Minato Ward, Tokyo. After taking the subway, they traveled along the JR Yamanote Line through Shibuya and Ikebukuro, then transferred to the Saikyo Line, and finally arrived in Itabashi Ward in northern Tokyo.

This area has many universities and educational institutions, a large young population, relatively cheap rent, and importantly, a much lower density of surveillance cameras compared to the core areas, making it an ideal place to hide temporarily.

The mother and daughter walked through several alleys and arrived at a rather old apartment building.

This apartment building is the safe house that Chizuru Nagasaki prepared for himself.

She didn't expect to escape the Special Investigations Department's investigation here, but at least it would buy her some buffer time—or rather, time to save her life.

Once inside his room, Nagasaki Chizuru finally let out a long sigh of relief, feeling completely exhausted.

Although exhausted, her mind was racing, constantly thinking about her current situation.

The call she just received was from the firm's boss, Kazuo Kuroshima. Due to the time constraints, Kuroshima only had time to explain the most important matters.

The firm was raided, but fortunately, at the last moment, the boss received information about the raid through special channels of the prosecution, so he immediately began to implement an emergency response plan.

The firm's core secrets were not stored on the office computers, and the destruction process had been initiated before the investigators went upstairs. Even if the prosecution had the technical means to recover them, it would be difficult to retrieve them all. At the time, most of the firm's employees successfully evacuated, with only a very few being arrested.

While those arrested may not be able to withstand the prosecutor's interrogation, the firm has always adopted a single-line information isolation model to ensure client safety. Each person is only responsible for their own client, and each client is referred to by a pseudonym. Therefore, even if those arrested confess everything, they will only be able to divulge very little information.

Looking back, Nagasaki Chizuru was actually quite fortunate that he happened to be at the office yesterday. If the prosecutors had raided the office yesterday, he might have been arrested on the spot.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has extensive authority and can detain suspects for extended periods without bail. Once caught by the prosecutors, even the most capable person will find it difficult to escape unscathed.

After feeling relieved, Nagasaki Chizuru began to think about another, more important question.

At this point, who else can come to the rescue?

Forget about the boss, Kazuo Kuroshima, or any other colleagues. After hanging up the phone, Kuroshima himself went on the run, and it's possible the two of them will never see each other again in this lifetime.

Even minor figures wouldn't help; even if they knew their situation, they wouldn't be able to save themselves.

The only ones who can truly help me out are my closest clients.

However, clients who are too assertive are also no good; they have ways to get away and won't lend a hand.

After much deliberation, she finally decided who to ask for help.

She gritted her teeth and made up her mind.

She destroyed her original phone before fleeing to avoid further tracking, but she had a backup phone with a SIM card registered under someone else's name, so she didn't have to worry about being tracked for the time being.

She took the spare phone out of her bag and logged into the dedicated chat software.

Meanwhile, an avatar was flashing on her anonymous account, indicating that the news of the "Kuroshima Office being raided by prosecutors" had spread and someone was asking her for confirmation.