Tokyo Three Generations

He didn't say anything more, but looked at Takasaki Jun again.

"Senior, I shall take my leave now."

"Well, goodbye, Mogi." Takasaki Jun nodded. "We'll leave today's events unsaid. I won't waste any more words; let's prove our sincerity with actions. In short, we're absolutely on your side, and we'll leave the future of our faction to you."

Mogi bowed solemnly in farewell, then turned and left the private room, leaving behind a table of almost untouched dishes.

After he left, the Takasaki grandfather and grandson remained seated in their original positions. Takasaki Jun seemed lost in thought, while Takasaki Jun dared not speak up lest he disturb his grandfather's train of thought.

"That Mogi fellow does have some skill." After a moment, the old man finally spoke, his face still serious, but his tone much more relaxed than before. "I was initially worried he would look down on our family, but now it seems he's ultimately given me some face—"

As if afraid that his grandson hadn't understood, he explained it to him again.

“Even if we don’t intervene, his supporters still have the upper hand. Those who are still observing will likely support him after weighing the options, so he will ultimately prevail. Therefore, we have given him a significant advantage, making it easier for him to win. However, this is not the decisive factor, so we must be realistic about our demands and not set them too high, lest others think we are ungrateful.”

He sighed softly, "His price is now high enough, even exceeding my original expectations, which shows his respect for me. Of course, perhaps it's also out of disdain for your father, thinking he won't get in his way, so a higher price is no problem..."

As he continued, his tone became more helpless and sarcastic. "Your father seems to be a universally acknowledged easy target... That's a good thing, since he can't be strong, he might as well be incompetent. A half-baked person is the least hopeful. This is the last time I'll help him. From now on, it's up to him."

67. Spoken inappropriately while drunk.

After the secret dinner, Jun Takasaki took his grandson home by car.

The old man kept his eyes closed and rested the whole way, while Jun Takasaki didn't say a word and quietly played on his phone with the sound on silent.

After the vehicle had traveled for a while, Takasaki Jun slightly opened his eyes and then fixed his gaze on his grandson's phone.

Watching the anime girls jumping around on the screen, along with the colorful special effects, the old man felt both curious and incredulous.

"Chun, don't you get tired of playing with these things all day long?"

Tired of it?

Jun Takasaki thought for a moment, "Sometimes I do get tired of it, but when I do, I just switch to another game."

“Changing to another one wouldn’t make much difference…” the old man muttered under his breath, then asked, “Why can’t you spend your time on more meaningful things? I’ve been observing you these past few days, and you haven’t contacted those kids at all. If you have time, you could invite them out to play…”

Since their farewell in Akita, the three little girls from Tsukimori had left a very good impression on the old man. And with his experience, he could certainly tell that they all had a deep affection for him. Therefore, he hoped his grandsons would "come to their senses" and take the initiative to seize opportunities.

However, in the past few days, he has seen no movement from his grandson, not even a phone call.

So he got a little anxious and took the opportunity to try to comfort his grandson.

However, while the old man was anxious, Jun Takasaki seemed indifferent.

"They are all very busy with their studies... I didn't want to bother them."

"It's still spring break, isn't it? School hasn't even started yet, how can you be so busy?" The old man said sternly. "Are you going to try these tricks on your grandpa? Besides, I think if you ask them, they'll always have time!"

After his grandfather said that, Jun Takasaki was speechless for a moment.

"Um... I don't really like to contact people proactively when I have nothing to do. I'm quite happy having fun alone." He finally replied, "I'll talk to them if they need anything."

"What a good-for-nothing! He can learn anything, so why doesn't he learn from his father in this area?" Takasaki Jun said helplessly, and couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

Then, like those elders who like to defend their own, he immediately took his anger out on the mobile game.

"Hmph, it's all these bastards, cheating people out of their money and harming them, turning young people into closed-off individuals! And wasting so much money! If I were still in Congress, I would have already pushed for legislation to ban them all!"

Faced with his grandfather's incompetent rage, Jun Takasaki simply smiled.

It's impossible to expect an octogenarian Showa-era grandfather to experience the joys of two-dimensional anime girls, and he's too lazy to explain himself.

In short, don't argue back; just let it go in one ear and out the other.

The old man was angry for a while, but then realized it was useless, so he had no choice but to give up.

In the end, he could only utter the usual lament of Old Deng, "Young people these days are truly incomprehensible..."

As for his thoughts, he was already secretly planning to create some opportunities for his grandson after finishing the most important things here—otherwise, hoping that his grandson would take the initiative would take forever.

Just as the grandfather and grandson were talking, the car slowly drove back to the Takasaki family home.

Upon seeing his father return, Takasaki Hiroshi, who had been anxiously waiting, immediately went to his father's side.

"Dad, how did your talks go?" he asked softly.

Takasaki Jun glared at his son first.

Then, with a stern face, he replied, "The talks went fairly smoothly. Mogi is very sentimental; he promised me that if we help him secure 10 votes, he'll make you the secretary-general—"

Upon hearing this unexpected good news, Hiroshi Takasaki was first relieved, and then his face lit up with ecstatic joy.

Although he has inherited the family business for almost 10 years, in terms of seniority, he can still only be considered a junior member of the faction. In addition, his reputation as a playboy has led his colleagues inside and outside the faction to look down on him. Therefore, his career has been extremely bleak in recent years, and he has only managed to keep his seat and family business.

Now, if he were promoted to Director of the Secretariat, it would mean he would have access to the core resources of his faction and participate in major decision-making. This would be the first step towards making a name for himself.

If he performs well enough, he might even become a minister in the future...

Just as he was lost in thought, the old man's cold words interrupted him. "Don't be too happy yet! A position is a position, and power is power. If you take the position but can't do a good job, you'll be sidelined in no time. Mogi only said he could give you this position; he didn't say he would guarantee your rise to prominence!"

This reminder was like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering Takasaki Hiroshi up.

He also knew that his father's words were profound truths.

"Dad, I will do my best... From now on, I will do what I should do."

Although he looked sincere, Takasaki Jun only glanced at him and said, "You'd better take care of yourself. This is all I can do to help you."

Then, Takasaki Jun looked at his grandson.

"In the future, consult with your son more often and let him gain more experience. I just had him meet with Mogi, and he did well. Mogi seemed to appreciate him quite a bit."

Hiroshi Takasaki looked at his son with a look of satisfaction.

With a father above and a son below protecting him, why worry about his career not soaring to new heights?

"Chun, let's work together to bring glory to our family from now on. Dad believes in you!" He patted his son's shoulder heavily.

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

The very next evening, Takasaki Hiroshi arrived at the factional councilor gathering as scheduled.

These gatherings are usually attended by new and inexperienced members of parliament, with the aim of enhancing mutual understanding among members and increasing factional cohesion. However, those in key leadership positions do not attend.

Because the core leadership doesn't attend, the atmosphere at these gatherings is usually quite relaxed, with everyone chatting freely and toasting each other.

Although Takasaki Hiroshi wasn't particularly skilled, his years working in the entertainment industry had honed his approachable and easygoing nature, making him friendly with everyone. He also had a high alcohol tolerance, easily getting several people drunk. As a result, he was quite popular among these people—of course, this popularity was only superficial; no one considered him a reliable older brother or leader, let alone someone who would serve him.

As usual, after arriving at the party, Hiroshi Takasaki went around toasting people and chatting happily. Under his influence, the atmosphere of the party became extremely harmonious.

Soon, after a few drinks, everyone was a little tipsy, and the conversation started to get more serious, with topics such as recent public opinion trends and the funding problem that was causing everyone a headache.

Just then, someone brought up the health problems of the current chairman, Takeshita Wataru.

Although the president's health status is currently kept secret from the public, it is certainly not a secret among these people.

This topic quickly turned the lively atmosphere into a somber one, with many people showing signs of worry.

Don't misunderstand, although some people are worried, they are not worried about the chairman's impending death, but rather about what will happen to the faction and their own future after his death.

For non-senior members of parliament, the resources of a faction almost determine the life or death of their political career. If the faction falls into a new round of turmoil after the death of its chairman, they may be caught in the crossfire, and even their re-election in the next parliamentary election will be in question.

"Don't worry, everyone." Just then, Takasaki Hiroshi, slightly drunk, spoke up in a nonchalant manner, "Our faction has weathered so many storms over the years. So many disasters haven't broken us, and we'll definitely get through this one too."

“Takasaki-san, you make it sound so easy. After all, your constituency is so stable, and you have your father protecting you, so of course you don’t have to worry. But we’re in a terrible situation…” a councilor suddenly interrupted him.

His words were echoed by several others.

Normally, such things shouldn't be said to colleagues face-to-face, but since everyone is drunk, they can let down their guard and speak their minds—which is the purpose of this gathering.

Despite being openly criticized, Takasaki Hiroshi wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, he chuckled and continued, "Our stable constituency is thanks to our family's consistent efforts, and you all can do the same! As long as we have a strong leader to guide us in the future, I believe everyone will be able to retain their seats. Not only that, we can also further expand and enhance our achievements!"

As soon as he said that, some people began to sense that something was amiss.

His words, though seemingly spoken under the influence of alcohol, sounded more like a discussion about the next chairman.

The more astute individuals had already kept quiet, preparing to observe the winds of change; while some who were quite drunk still hadn't caught on and pressed him for answers.

"What kind of strong leader?"

Hiroshi Takasaki had been laying the groundwork for so long, all because he was waiting for this question.

When the question was actually thrown at him, he remained calm, picked up his glass, and took another sip.

Then, he continued speaking with great interest.

"I don't know who to support. I just hope we can get a leader like that. For many years, our faction has adhered to the principle of meritocracy. Only those with ability can become leaders, not just those with family background and bloodline... Just imagine, if someone clamors to lead the entire faction just because of their family background, would that make sense?"

Upon hearing this, even the most oblivious people sensed something was amiss, because the implications of these words were all too obvious.

As he became increasingly explicit, some people panicked.

"Takasaki, you've had too much to drink, haven't you? Go and rest." Someone immediately advised him.

Hiroshi Takasaki knew that the person who was advising him was doing it for his own good, fearing that he might actually be drunk and say something that could cause trouble.

However, he cannot accept this good intention today, because he is about to "get into trouble for what he said".

He glanced at the person who had persuaded him to stop, then continued in a drunken tone, "Strong and powerful, when our faction is in turmoil, we must find a man with an iron fist so that we can stabilize the situation and lead us into a new era."

Look at those guys in the opposition parties now, the female leaders they've put forward—Mizuho Fukushima, Renho, Yuriko Koike…aren't they all leading their parties down a downward spiral? Politics should be left to capable men! I can't imagine what would happen if a woman became our chairman, or party leader, or even prime minister; we'd probably face the demise of our party and the nation…”

At this point, everyone present completely lost their composure and was utterly shocked.

After all, there are many female members of parliament not only in the opposition parties, but also quite a few in our own party. If such politically incorrect remarks by the old conservatives were to get out, they would certainly be met with fierce criticism from the outside world.

Even if he had been drinking, he shouldn't have said such a slip of the tongue... Many people thought to themselves.

Surprisingly, it was precisely because these words came from Hiroshi Takasaki that everyone found them quite normal.

In the eyes of his colleagues, this young and inexperienced Prince Takasaki has always been labeled as "incompetent and lacking in political skills," and his words do seem to fit his public image.

Because everyone was so shocked, they fell silent and almost everyone looked at Takasaki Hiroshi.

They had just snapped out of their "politically incorrect" state and instantly realized another layer of meaning—

This slip of the tongue while drunk is tantamount to making it clear that in the upcoming party leadership contest, Hiroshi Takasaki will stand firmly against Yuko Obuchi's faction, and there is absolutely no turning back.

After a moment of silence, as if by prior arrangement, everyone began to whisper about other topics. They tacitly agreed not to follow up or discuss Takasaki Hiroshi's drunken slip of the tongue, as if Takasaki Hiroshi had not said anything at all.

But in their minds, they were already racing, thinking about what position they should take next.

Although everyone pretended to be nonchalant, it wasn't long before some people said goodbye, and then more and more people left, much earlier than usual.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi Takasaki, still appearing to be unable to hold his liquor, slumped on the sofa, occasionally chatting and laughing with the people next to him while continuously pouring himself more alcohol.

He has now achieved his goal.

By using the pretext of "slipping his tongue while drunk," he took the initiative to launch an attack. On the one hand, he wanted to make his stance clear to Mogi's faction, showing that he was absolutely on their side and demonstrating his sincerity. On the other hand, he took the initiative to act as a vanguard against Obuchi, thereby demonstrating his own value.

As for saying politically incorrect things, it doesn't matter anymore. Even if it gets out, people will just laugh it off, thinking, "After all, he's just a spoiled brat..."

That's how the world works; the lower your standards are, the more tolerant others will be of you.

However, for the person involved, this is certainly not something to be laughed off... Takasaki Hiroshi's public statement means that he has become a mortal enemy, and next, he should wait for revenge.

68. Revenge and Pity

Late into the night, the gathering of non-senior councilors finally came to an end.

In the end, no one echoed Takasaki Hiroshi's criticism, and no one continued the discussion. It was as if everyone had tacitly agreed to forget everything he had said.

Of course, this cannot be forgotten.

Anyone with eyes can see who Takasaki Hiroshi is targeting.

This is tantamount to the Takasaki family issuing a direct challenge to the Obuchi family.

Such a challenge is unlikely to be forgotten or overlooked.

The ironclad rule of politics is that when you are in power, you can be magnanimous, but when you are weak and powerless, you must be aggressive and never allow the slightest offense—because if you tolerate offense today, then everyone will think you have lost power, your supporters will be disheartened, bystanders will waver, and you will eventually be abandoned.

Strangely, nothing happened for the next two days, and everything seemed calm and peaceful.

However, what was bound to happen eventually did happen. On a calm morning, the revenge that the Takasaki family had been waiting for finally arrived without any surprise.

On that very day, a weekly magazine published a long article with a sensational title:

Unleashed, the Beastly Nature of the Night! Why are prominent politicians frequenting Ginza's entertainment districts?!

Aside from the striking title, the main text is quite long, and can be summarized as follows:

Mr. T, a well-known congressman, has been frequenting famous nightclubs in Ginza for many years, indulging in extravagant spending and leaving behind numerous scandalous affairs. In recent years, he has gone even further, becoming infatuated with a famous hostess, showering her with expensive gifts and purchasing large quantities of alcohol to boost her sales figures.