Chapter 713: Am I Discussing This Now?

The Yamaguchi-gumi owned a restaurant in Kyoto.

It was operated solely on a membership and reservation basis, so nobody really knew who held a membership to the restaurant.

Even Yamamoto, the president of the Yamaguchi-gumi, wasn’t privy to the identities of the members, maintaining a fortress of secrecy.

When the restaurant first opened, the owners knew who held the memberships, but as time passed and it grew larger, it became hard to track.

As a result, many political figures discreetly used the Yamaguchi-gumi’s restaurant as a place for discussions.

I decided to set the restaurant as the location for Hiroyuki’s assassination.

It was likely he would agree to meet there.

Moreover, considering that Han Hyun-soo was believed dead, Takayama had no reason to decline an invite now.

Mercenaries and the Heavenly Group’s strike team were already stationed around the restaurant.

If Hiroyuki somehow survived the encounter, they would be ready to move in and eliminate him.

Hiroyuki had no chance of escaping from there alive.

Before that, I intended to discuss all the plans with Prime Minister Koizumi.

“What did you say?”

Shock crossed Koizumi’s face as we lunched and talked together.

He was so stunned he nearly dropped his chopsticks.

“…You mean you’re planning to kill the Chief Cabinet Secretary? The second-in-command of Japan’s cabinet?”

“Yes. That’s my plan.”

“Come on! Is that really something to tell me? Have you lost your mind?”

It was a horrifying plan, enough to make even Koizumi swear.

I smiled faintly at his reaction, raising one corner of my mouth.

“Isn’t that a good thing for you, Prime Minister? Hiroyuki’s disappearance could be beneficial. No need to wear a mask in front of me anymore.”

“It’s true that Hiroyuki is my political rival. But I cannot just let the Chief Cabinet Secretary be killed either. Cancel this operation, Boss Kim.”

“I will ensure his death. If I can’t manage it today, then tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, then the day after. He will die eventually.”

When I firmly rejected his plea, Koizumi slammed the table in frustration.

His tone became more aggressive, seemingly a performance to show his anger.

“Damn it! Boss Kim Mu-hyeok! I respect you, but this is crossing the line. Is it not possible that you’ve committed murder once or twice on Japanese soil? I could arrest you if I set my mind to it!”

Contrary to my expectations, Koizumi was vehemently opposed.

I remained silent, simply looking at him.

Koizumi spoke in a softer tone as if trying to calm me down.

“Let’s find another way to bring him down. You could use your various methods, right?”

Taking him down in another manner wasn’t too difficult.

Just the recorded conversations I already had would be enough to ruin him.

But I wanted more than that lukewarm outcome; I wanted his death.

“Of course I can. But what I want is for the Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki to die. I need to see it with my own eyes. The reason I’m discussing this with you is to minimize the fallout for you later. Am I not currently discussing this with you?”

Koizumi seemed to misunderstand the situation, believing our shared lunch meant our positions were equal.

My provocative words made Koizumi raise his white eyebrows in surprise.

“Are you notifying me right now?”

Koizumi retaliated with a sharp tone.

“It depends on how you perceive it.”

“I cannot accept this. No matter what, it cannot happen even if he’s my rival.”

“Are you implying that I’m doing this for you, Prime Minister Koizumi?”

“…Then what’s your reason?”

“That man attempted to use me. I will never forgive anyone trying to exploit me.”

My words were cold, causing Koizumi to inhale sharply.

“You must know by now, I am a businessman, someone who deals with trade. Whatever the product is, whoever the party is, if they present something I need, I will give them something in return. You and I are in a partnership, so you must understand what I mean.”

“I’ve established a similar relationship with Boss Kim as well.”

“But it seems Hiroyuki didn’t understand me well. He thought he could exploit me based solely on fragmentary information. That’s why he has to die.”

“Is that really… for such a trivial reason?”

“Trivial?”

I unconsciously frowned.

“To you, Prime Minister, that may seem trivial. But precedents are terrifying. If I let this slide, many will try to exploit me. Hiroyuki attempted to use me; I intend to use his death as a warning. I want to tell those who know me not to try and exploit me, but instead to deal with me. This is what I seek.”

Having finished speaking, I locked eyes with Koizumi. I could see the flames flickering in his eyes.

We stared at each other silently for a while.

The first to break the silence was Koizumi.

“Do you insist on this, Boss Kim?”

Seemingly having gathered his thoughts, Koizumi asked politely.

“Yes. If it weren’t for my relationship with you, I wouldn’t have met with you like this. It’s a huge risk for me to tell you. All preparations for execution are complete. Once I give the word, Hiroyuki will be dead. However, I’m saying this because you will not be free from the repercussions afterward.”

Koizumi sighed deeply.

No one knew me better in Japan than Koizumi.

I was the one who helped him seize power, and he knew about every detail of what I’d done in Japan.

He was well aware that even if I suffered losses, I would still pursue my goals.

“Please elaborate. What exactly is going on?”

“Are you familiar with the Heaven Church?”

“Of course. There’s no way I wouldn’t know.

“Right now, Hiroyuki is trying to take control of the Heaven Church.”

“What!?”

Clearly taken aback, Koizumi froze.

Yet, I continued to explain without concern.

I revealed that Hiroyuki had orchestrated the Han Hyun-soo kidnapping and his intent to seize the Heaven Church.

After hearing this, Koizumi rubbed his forehead as if he finally understood my reasons for wanting Hiroyuki dead.

“That foolish bastard Hiroyuki. Political and religious matters are intertwined, but he should have maintained an appropriate distance.”

“Do you, Prime Minister, have any connections with the Heaven Church?”

I asked this as Koizumi had once delivered a speech supporting the Heaven Church in his previous life.

“No connections. I’ve had several invitations to meet, but since becoming Prime Minister, I haven’t entered into any discussions with religious organizations.”

“That’s a relief. Japan has two major religions that greatly influence politics. One is the Heaven Church and the other is the Soka Gakkai. Most of the politicians involved with the Heaven Church were cleared out during the last purge.”

Japan is generally lenient toward religion.

Perhaps because of that, cults ran rampant, leading to a time when a terror attack with toxic gas occurred in subways due to a cult.

Though cults had developed into terrorist organizations, they still persisted in the country.

Among them, the Heaven Church, which believes in God, and the Soka Gakkai, which reveres Buddhism, were deeply intertwined with politics.

“Yes, that’s correct. Most of them were purged. But politicians cannot ignore religion. They are also voters, after all. That’s why Hiroyuki…”

“No. He was a devotee of the Heaven Church from the start. But there was a different motive. He probably took issue with the fact that it was a religion rooted in Korea. While consolidating that power, he probably tried to take control of the Heaven Church in the process. That’s how this turmoil began.”

“…”

“If the Heaven Church’s Japanese branch falls into Hiroyuki’s hands, what happens next? Can you guarantee that those fanatics won’t target the Prime Minister?”

Koizumi must have been fully aware of the notorious terror incidents committed by cults.

Thus, his face paled. I pushed on without stopping.

“You will eventually be pushed out by Hiroyuki. You will lose your power and be forced to step down.”

“But does that really necessitate killing him? If we disclose the connection between Hiroyuki and the Heaven Church…”

“Then it will just pass over. The public doesn’t care much about politics, and as long as it doesn’t affect them, they won’t mind who becomes their politician in Japan, right?”

“…”

“Even if various scandals arise, if they’re determined to keep their posts, they can. So killing him is the most certain way to settle this.”

Koizumi sighed once more.

He lifted the now cold tea in front of him and drank it all in one go.

“What’s the plan? You’re not thinking of carrying out a sniper plot like last time, are you? That’s absolutely unacceptable. That was a special circumstance, but now it’s not.”

“Of course not. I won’t be using that method. Hiroyuki will meet with the Yamaguchi-gumi’s boss instead.”

I explained the plan slowly. When I mentioned the Yamaguchi-gumi, Koizumi’s expression twisted.

“The Yamaguchi-gumi is trying to align themselves with Hiroyuki?”

“Yes.”

“Those ungrateful pests…”

“It’s their way of survival, so try not to hold too much hatred. But they’ll soon understand that trying to grasp two lines may lead to losing both.”

“It’s time to teach them a lesson.”

“If we aren’t capturing Yamamoto, then the Yamaguchi-gumi will suffer some degree of loss. It will have to be enough so that your prestige won’t suffer greatly afterward.”

I summarized the potential scandals that might follow once the incident occurred.

Listening to me, Koizumi quickly began discussing measures.

After establishing some degree of a plan, we parted ways.

“There shouldn’t be too many casualties.”

“I understand. I don’t want any innocent people swept up either. You’ll get a report tonight. No matter how late it gets, you need to act immediately.”

“Alright. See you next time.”

After Koizumi disappeared, I spoke to Manager Ma.

“Let’s head back. Everyone should be waiting at their posts.”

“Yes. The operation will start the moment the order is given.”

As I stepped outside, dusk was approaching, and the streetlights were turning on.

I moved towards Kyoto, following the glowing streetlights with Manager Ma.

* * *

Deep into the night, darkness thickened.

Hiroyuki’s face was filled with discontent as he arrived at the restaurant.

“This is exactly why you shouldn’t get mixed up with the Yakuza…”

He was irritated that a mere Yakuza had the audacity to summon him; however, Hiroyuki couldn’t bring himself to decline the invitation.

No, to be precise, he didn’t refuse. He needed to firmly establish the hierarchy of who was above and below.

Hiroyuki entered the restaurant and was ushered by the manager toward the innermost room.

Takayama had already arrived and was waiting. Upon Hiroyuki’s entrance, he stood and bowed.

“Chief Cabinet Secretary. Welcome.”

Hiroyuki waved dismissively and sat down, not bothering to formally greet him.

Pouring and drinking green tea from the cup in front of him, Hiroyuki emptied it in one go.

Setting the cup down, he went straight to the point.

“So, what’s the reason you called me here?”

“I believe we need to discuss our future, don’t you?”

“Our?”

“Yes. The Chief Cabinet Secretary governs Japan openly while we control things behind the scenes. Wouldn’t that be ideal?”

Hiroyuki snorted derisively at the statement.

“Takayama. It seems you’re misunderstanding something. I intend to dominate both the open and the hidden.”

“…”

“I am not like Koizumi. I have no intention of leaving the Yamaguchi-gumi alone.”

“But, Chief Cabinet Secretary. There was an agreement…”

“Does it really have to be the Yamaguchi-gumi?”

Unexpectedly taken aback by the meaning behind Hiroyuki’s words, Takayama realized their intention but feigned ignorance.

“What do you mean?”

“The Yamaguchi-gumi is too large. And Kim Mu-hyeok has ties that run too deep. Do you know who Kim Mu-hyeok is?”

Takayama felt his heart race inwardly but maintained a calm demeanor.

“I’ve heard of him. He’s the one who assisted the president in taking control of the Yamaguchi-gumi.”

“Exactly. Yamamoto will never betray Kim Mu-hyeok. But I refuse to watch Japanese heroes being controlled by a Korean. Therefore, I will build an organization that will follow my command. And I intend to place you at its helm. What do you think? My proposal?”

Hiroyuki was attempting to construct a new framework.

“I, Hiroyuki, will make you the most prominent Yakuza boss.”

Hiroyuki’s words were a temptation too sweet for Takayama.