Tokyo Three Generations

Although the Heisei Research Institute has declined in recent years, it still has dozens of members of both houses of parliament. No matter how rich the Obuchi family is, they cannot possibly spend 20 billion yen in cash to buy votes for each member.

Therefore, this can be considered as her giving her family special treatment.

Should we thank her for thinking highly of our family?

While thinking to himself, Takasaki Hiroshi put on a panicked expression, "This...this isn't a good idea, is it?"

Seeing Takasaki Hiroshi's cowardly appearance, Obuchi Yuko felt a surge of impatience.

She knew he was acting, and he knew he was acting, but he still had to act.

“You don’t need to act like this. My Obuchi family and the Takasaki family are old friends. For decades, we have been comrades-in-arms, supporting each other and sharing both honor and disgrace. Although your father has retired, he is still an elder I respect, and I have never forgotten his teachings to me. Now, I am just expressing my sincerity. If I can get what I want, I will definitely repay him handsomely in the future.”

Takasaki Hiroshi now understood that the other party was willing to pay such a high price for the ticket because they were actually buying his father's money.

Although my father has retired, he is still a veteran of the faction, and his words naturally carry weight.

To outsiders, he was nothing more than his father's mouthpiece... but he didn't care.

At that moment, Yuko Obuchi was looking at him intently, as if urging him to make a decision as soon as possible.

"Don't forget, Mogi is just an outsider who joined halfway through his career. He has neither a family background nor a distinguished background. He only climbed to his current position by using intrigue and power plays to win people over. How can such a person lead our faction? If he really comes to power, neither of us will be able to cope. Now is the critical moment. As long as we seize the time to unite, there is still time... We are the foundation of the Keiseikai and the Heisei Research Institute. How can we let power fall into the hands of outsiders?"

Although Yuko Obuchi spoke very emotionally, Hiroshi Takasaki was not moved at all.

In his mind, family background, blood ties, and friendships were not as important as preserving his family's power and position.

He would only support the next lord for one reason—that it would bring sufficient benefits.

20 billion in cash is certainly a very tempting huge benefit, but it could also be a poisoned apple.

The Takasaki family must stand on the side of the winner. With power and position, they can easily acquire any amount of 20 billion yen; without power and position, they cannot hold onto any amount of money.

Therefore, the more Yuko Obuchi urged him, the more he wavered and became unwilling to express his support for her here.

However, Yuko Obuchi's attitude remained aggressive, seemingly forcing him to take a stand. He could neither make a statement nor break off relations—he needed to carefully consider his options before making a decision.

Then, he suddenly lowered his head and sobbed painfully.

Eh?

Yuko Obuchi looked surprised, and under her gaze, Hiroshi Takasaki began to sob softly.

At the same time, he raised his hand and wiped away tears that weren't even in the corners of his eyes.

“Mr. Takeshita has taken good care of me over the years, and I have always regarded him as an uncle… Now he is critically ill and I am in a daze. I… I really don’t have the energy to think about these things.”

While feigning tears, he whispered in a trembling voice, "Let's discuss the patriarch's matter later... I still need to visit him in the hospital today..."

Yuko Obuchi stared wide-eyed at the shameless man in front of her, speechless. She never expected him to be so shameless as to pretend to cry in front of her.

However, once he started acting so shamelessly, I suddenly didn't know what to say.

We can't just bluntly say, "That old man is dead, so let's hurry up and elect a new president," because that would give people something to criticize.

So for a moment, she fell silent.

After the mournful sobs had been going on for a while, she finally broke off impatiently.

"Enough, Mr. Takasaki. I understand your feelings right now. In truth, I share your grief. The Takeshita family and my family have been on good terms for generations, supporting each other. My father was a general under Prime Minister Takeshita... and it was with his help that I rose to the position of Prime Minister. Therefore, my feelings for the Takeshita family are second to none." She then changed the subject, "However, compared to the survival of an individual, the survival of the faction is clearly more important. You and I have both witnessed how glorious this faction once was. Don't you hope that we can reclaim its former glory? We have a greater reason to protect it than outsiders..."

After saying these high-sounding words, she chuckled slightly, "Besides, don't forget how much protection the factions have given us before? Once we lose their protection, I'm afraid you won't be able to escape either... In that case, why don't we take control of the factions? Please think about it carefully."

Despite the other party's threats and inducements, Takasaki Hiroshi remained completely unmoved. He simply continued to grieve and refused to utter a single other word.

Seeing that he wouldn't budge no matter what, Yuko Obuchi finally lost her patience.

"Then I'll take my leave now. Please think it over carefully. Time waits for no one, and I also have my own difficulties... Please understand."

After she finished speaking, she bowed deeply to Takasaki Hiroshi and then turned and left.

Her secretary also left, but without taking the briefcase. So the two hundred million in cash just lay quietly in the briefcase, like a prop from a movie.

Takasaki Hiroshi glanced at the pile of ten thousand yuan bills, his eyes showing no greed, only the helplessness of seeing a hot potato.

He knew that he had been drawn into the vortex of the power struggle among the clan leaders.

Fortunately, I didn't agree to anything, which bought me valuable time to react and left me with room to maneuver.

So, the next step is to consider what to do.

59. Response to Unexpected Situations

After getting rid of the "plague god" that he couldn't afford to offend for the time being, Takasaki Hiroshi didn't dare to rest for a moment and immediately dialed his father's number.

Although Hiroshi Takasaki inherited his parliamentary seat and territory from his father, Jun Takasaki, the father and son did not have a good relationship. From childhood, his father's high-pressure parenting style left an indelible shadow on his son's heart.

Hiroshi Takasaki grew up amidst his father's scolding and contempt, which not only failed to motivate him but also fostered a strong rebellious mentality, leading him to spend his days indulging in debauchery.

Jun Takasaki was heartbroken by his son's lack of ambition, but there was nothing he could do, since he was his only son. So he could only do his best to pass on the family business to him while simultaneously feeling disgusted by him.

After Takasaki Jun retired, the father and son lived in different places for a long time, and their relationship actually eased a little - at least Takasaki Hiroshi didn't have to see his father's overly stern face every day.

The phone rang for a while before it was finally answered.

"What's the matter?" Soon, Takasaki Jun's aged and somewhat impatient voice came through the phone.

Previously, Takasaki Jun was kind and patient in front of the Tsukimori trio, like a kind and gentle old grandfather, but he was like a different person in front of his son—the latter was closer to his true self.

Hearing his father's voice, and feeling the long-standing pressure from him, Takasaki Hiroshi unconsciously tensed up.

"Dad, just now... Ms. Yuko Obuchi came to visit me..."

"It's her?" Takasaki Jun's tone was noticeably more serious. "What's wrong?"

Although Ms. Yuko is nearly fifty years old, in the old man's memory, she is still the little girl he watched grow up, the little princess of the faction.

“She gave me 200 million in cash and promised to give me 2 billion after the deal was done.” Takasaki Hiro briefly described what happened. “On the condition that I nominate her in the upcoming chairman election and that you stand up and speak for her to garner votes.”

This was undoubtedly a major event that would determine the future of the Takasaki family and their faction for the next decade, and might even affect the entire Japanese political scene. However, Takasaki Jun did not appear nervous or panicked; instead, he seemed somewhat saddened.

"So, Takeshita, is he about to die?"

As people grow old, they inevitably face life and death. Seeing familiar seniors, peers, and even juniors pass away, Takeshita Wataru, who was both the head of his faction and a colleague for many years, was about to die of cancer. It was impossible for Takasaki Jun not to feel some regret or sadness.

“Yes, she’s already critically ill, probably within the next few days…” Takasaki Hiroshi replied respectfully. “That’s why she’s in such a hurry to make connections, to gain an advantage in the upcoming election for the new chairman.”

"Hmph, only now trying to catch up, and you still have the nerve to talk about having an advantage?" A contemptuous sneer came from the phone. "Since taking over the family business, she has had over a decade to build her influence. Her father has such a vast legacy; if she had any ability at all, why would she be begging our family for help today..."

Takasaki Jun's undisguised contempt made Takasaki Hiroshi slightly nervous. He looked around again to make sure no one could overhear him before whispering back to his father.

"Yes, I also think she's incompetent and lacks sufficient authority. If someone like her becomes the leader of a faction, it will be difficult to unify the people internally, and it will also be difficult to secure benefits for the faction externally..."

"So you took her money?" Jun Takasaki asked rhetorically.

“I didn’t accept it; she forced me to put the money here,” Takasaki Hiroshi quickly explained. “I declined her request, citing my overwhelming grief and lack of interest in politics, and didn’t agree to anything she asked.”

"It's good that you still have some sense." The old man's tone softened slightly. "We can't accept this money. We can't tie ourselves to a sinking ship... She can't be the chairman."

His father's words coincided with Takasaki Hiroshi's own thoughts.

In fact, based on his years of observation, he was absolutely convinced that Mogi was more likely to succeed as chairman between Obuchi and Mogi.

Although Obuchi has a family background, a vast wealth and network of connections left by his father, and a large number of "retainers," Mogi is clearly superior in terms of personal ability and resource integration.

Moreover, Motegi currently has very good relations with other factions and has even gained the favor of the current prime minister, holding a key position in the cabinet. By all accounts, Motegi seems to have a brighter future.

Although my father is old and lives in seclusion in his hometown, seemingly isolated from the world, he is not out of the loop at all, and may even be better informed than I am. His judgment is naturally more reliable than mine.

Looks like we don't need to choose anymore.

Thinking of this, all the gloom in Takasaki Hiroshi's heart dissipated.

"I understand. I will sever ties with Xiaoyuan's family as soon as possible, and I will return the two hundred million in cash to her as soon as possible..."

“No, don’t rush to distance yourself. She’s still useful.” Takasaki Jun immediately rejected his son’s suggestion. “Now is the time for us to hold out for the best offer. If Mogi knows that the Obuchi family is begging for our help, he will be anxious, and then you can ask for a reasonable price.”

“Well…” Takasaki Hiroshi hesitated for a moment.

With his intelligence, he could certainly have come up with the "wait and see" strategy, but doing so would have been extremely risky and required very precise execution and discretion. If he went too far and Mogi thought he had become a "sworn brother" of the Obuchi family, and then put his family on the list of mortal enemies, then he would have suffered a great loss.

"So you're just useless, always so timid and hesitant!" Faced with his son's hesitation, Takasaki Jun immediately got angry and cursed him.

After he finished cursing, he made a decision, "Fine, let me handle it. Since the chairman is dying, it's only right that I come to Tokyo for the funeral..."

In fact, Takasaki Hiroshi's hesitation was all for the sake of getting his father to come out of retirement and take charge personally. Seeing that his father had made a decision, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He was just a playboy, but Takasaki Jun was different. With decades of experience, everyone in the faction had to respectfully call him a veteran. He was truly qualified to negotiate with anyone.

“With you personally overseeing things, things will be much easier,” he immediately agreed.

“The Obuchi family and we have been friends for generations. I was indebted to her father and I am still grateful to this day…” Takasaki Jun sighed, seemingly somewhat wistful. “Such a dear friend and relative deserves a good price to make it worthwhile.”

Despite the grim situation, Takasaki Hiroshi almost burst out laughing after hearing his father's感慨 (sentiments/reflections).

"She can't blame us. If she were capable of leading everyone, why would we have bothered with all this? We could have just followed the old rules and followed her. It's her own incompetence that forced us to make a different choice. We don't owe her anything." Takasaki Jun added coldly, "However, the young lady is still the young lady. She probably doesn't think that way... Has she threatened you?"

“She just hinted that the faction has protected me for many years…” Takasaki Hiroshi answered truthfully. “I think what she meant was that if I don’t support her, she’ll take action against me.”

The old man was not surprised by this threat; instead, he went straight to the point.

"What methods do you think she might use? Now that we're going to sell her out and use her as a stepping stone, we have to be wary of her retaliation. It's not a big deal if she catches you doing something minor, but if it's something fatal, then things will get complicated... Mogi won't protect you with all his might either."

This problem really stumped Hiroshi Takasaki.

He pondered for a moment, carefully considering his current situation.

After becoming a member of Congress, he engaged in corrupt projects, accepted bribes, conducted related-party transactions, and provided shelter to criminals... His misdeeds were numerous, but these were all "routine problems," and he was confident that he had few flaws.

It's not that he did a perfect job, but that he inherited his father's business and had decades of experience in doing these bad things. All the procedures were very mature, and the people in charge and the scapegoats were all in place. With so many firewalls, no one could do anything to him.

However, if it's a different problem, it won't be so easy to solve.

He frequented nightclubs and made a name for himself at several, having helped several well-known female escorts rise to fame. This was not just a matter of sex scandals; it also involved a large amount of financial transactions.

Although he has been very careful, it is hard to guarantee that no one will use this as a pretext to attack him.

Faced with his father's questioning, he was embarrassed, but he could only stammer out his doubts.

“Dad, this isn’t a big problem. I’m being quite cautious. They won’t be able to find any evidence against me.”

"Are you really that confident?" Takasaki Jun retorted. "A group of prostitutes, what wouldn't they do for money? Are you sure no one will tell anyone about your affairs?"

“This…” Takasaki Hiroshi wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t.

In the end, he could only try to save face, saying, "We're all just friends in the entertainment industry... Even if someone reports me, they won't have any serious evidence against me... Don't worry."

"Don't worry, when have you ever let me rest easy in your life!" His father responded with a furious outburst and a barrage of insults. "You good-for-nothing! Besides squandering the legacy I laid for you, what else can you do? You do nothing productive all day, making yourself a laughingstock! What do you gain from hanging around in places like that? Are they really that captivating? You've accomplished nothing in your life, you're good at nothing but half-hearted tasks, and even your taste in women is inferior to your son's!"

Faced with his father's insults, Takasaki Hiroshi was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged, and he gripped his phone tightly.

Since taking over the family business, although the factions have declined over the years, even prime ministers or tycoons have at least shown some respect. I have never suffered such humiliation.

However, he was in the wrong to begin with, and his father's long-standing authority was hard to shake in his heart, so he could only curse inwardly and dared not utter a word in retaliation.

After yelling for a minute or two, the old man seemed to finally calm down a bit, since yelling wouldn't solve anything.

"Forget it, I knew what kind of person you were all along, and I never expected anything from you. Bring your wife back; if there's any trouble, let her help you weather the storm."

……

Hiroshi Takasaki froze.

Over the years, his relationship with his wife, Mio Takasaki, had long since broken down, and they were like strangers. It was really too much for him to ask his wife for help now.

However, he also knew that his father's words were the right thing to do.

History has long proven that in this country, if a politician is involved in a sex scandal, the most powerful response comes from the politician's wife.

If the wife were to publicly state that the couple has a good relationship and doesn't care about external matters, the public's perception would be much better.

As for the issue of money accounts, as long as you're determined, you can always find a way to gloss over it.

The key question is, is the wife willing to stand up and embarrass herself?

“Mio and I have been arguing for years, she might not be willing to stand up for me…” After hesitating for a moment, Takasaki Hiroshi said softly.

"Do you think she would do anything for you? She'd love for you to suffer!" Takasaki Jun snapped angrily. "But this isn't just about you; it concerns her son. She won't stand idly by. Do you think she's as unreasonable as you?"

In fact, Hiroshi Takasaki himself understood this principle, but he just couldn't bring himself to give in to his wife.

However, now is not the time to argue with the lady. At this critical moment, the Takasaki family either advances further or continues to decline; there is no middle ground. At this time, the family must unite.

Fine, I'll just have to beg her.

"By the way, you don't have any illegitimate children outside, do you?" After a moment of silence, Takasaki Jun suddenly asked.