Chapter 716: My Role Ends Here

As Prime Minister Koizumi entered the press conference room, the waiting reporters immediately began clicking their cameras.

— Citizens.

Koizumi, giving a light nod, raised his head. His face was filled with deep sorrow.

— Our Cabinet’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hiroyuki, has been found dead with a gunshot wound to the head.

After giving a brief explanation of the incident, Koizumi moved on.

— This act of terror is a challenge to the public power and an attack on our Cabinet. I will use all the authority I possess to track down those responsible and bring them to justice.

With a heavy voice, he read from his script, delivering a rather lengthy address.

“This is quite a firm response,” I thought.

I stared intensely at Koizumi on the TV screen.

His sorrowful tone, the deep sadness in his eyes, and his deliberate way of speaking toward the camera all felt calculated.

If I didn’t know any better, I would have believed Koizumi was genuinely mourning Hiroyuki’s death; his performance was that convincing.

Koizumi finished his statement.

However, he didn’t leave right away but instead held a Q&A session with the reporters.

The first journalist to be called on asked a question.

— Prime Minister, do you know why Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki was at that restaurant at the time?

— I do not.

— That restaurant is a secret establishment owned by the Yamaguchi-gumi, a yakuza organization, where politicians and business figures secretly meet. You can’t even access it without a membership. So why was Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki there, at that place, at that time? And why was he found there as a cold corpse?

Koizumi seemed to contemplate the probing question for a moment before answering.

— I was aware that such a restaurant existed. However, the reason the Chief Cabinet Secretary was there has yet to be determined.

Although Koizumi gave a general response, the reporter didn’t seem ready to stop there.

— According to a tip we received, one of the two people found dead alongside Hiroyuki is said to be a Vice Chief of the Yamaguchi-gumi. Do you have any comment on that?

The reporter’s question was suspiciously detailed. I turned to Manager Ma beside me.

“Manager, we haven’t leaked any information to the media yet, right?”

“No, Boss. Not yet.”

We still hadn’t provided any information to the press.

I intended to share information once their imaginations had run wild and curiosity peaked.

I wanted the fallout from this incident to point toward the Heaven Church’s Japanese denomination.

But Koizumi opposed letting it spread toward the Heaven Church.

Religious issues were overly complex, particularly in Japan, where they were sensitive topics.

Japan had already endured the Aum Shinrikyo incident.

With politicians who still believed in various faiths prevalent, if a new scandal involving the Heaven Church erupted, I couldn’t even guess how far the repercussions would spread.

That said, I had no intention of leaving the Heaven Church’s Japanese denomination unchecked.

Feeding information to the media was part of my plan to keep fueling the flames.

— Nothing has been definitively established yet.

— But this is a blatant violation of the Prime Minister’s policies. As the Deputy Leader of the current Cabinet, the Chief Cabinet Secretary was reportedly meeting separately with a Vice Chief of a yakuza organization. Although we can’t know the details, this runs counter to your numerous statements about driving violent organizations out of Japan!

As the reporter continued to point this out, Koizumi couldn’t hide his discomfort.

— What answer do you wish to hear?

— If that’s true, what will you do? Will you investigate the Yamaguchi-gumi?

That reporter was really intent on pressing him.

It seemed he already had some knowledge that Koizumi was connected to the Yamaguchi-gumi.

— I have already instructed the police department to commence a search of the Yamaguchi-gumi headquarters.

The questioning reporter and others nearby began murmuring.

In response, Koizumi spoke with a stronger tone.

— I will never compromise with any form of violence. The reason I haven’t dealt with the Yamaguchi-gumi is that they complied with my policies and ceased violent activities. Let me reiterate—I have no connection with them.

Koizumi’s firm words silenced the questioning reporter.

Afterward, several other reporters posed questions, but only received vague answers.

— That will be all.

The host swiftly ended the press conference, and Koizumi exited the stage.

— Prime Minister! Prime Minister!

The reporters desperately called for him, but he didn’t return.

Next, the anchor’s face returned to the screen announcing breaking news regarding the Yamaguchi-gumi headquarters.

The situation was described solely through subtitles and the anchor’s voice.

At that moment, my phone rang.

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

— Boss Kim.

Just as the statement ended, Prime Minister Koizumi called me.

“I saw the press conference. You were well-prepared.”

— Did you perhaps already leak information to the media?

Even with my compliment, Koizumi jumped straight to business with a serious tone.

“Not yet.”

— We have tightly controlled the scene. However, the Yomiuri has already identified everyone involved.

Look at that? Koizumi was suspicious of me.

“I told you I haven’t leaked any information. Maybe it’s the media that has a mole in the police department instead.”

— ······.

“Besides, if I had leaked anything, it would have been accurate information, not conjecture. So don’t waste time questioning innocent people and proceed as planned.”

— ······ I will trust you.

Despite saying he would trust me, disbelief was deeply etched in his voice.

But it didn’t matter if he had doubts. There were more important things at stake.

“How did the situation report come in?”

— We intend to make it appear that Hiroyuki was caught in a yakuza struggle.

“Since we set up the scene that way, there shouldn’t be any major issues. Although some oddities might be discovered with deep investigation, I doubt there will be a prolonged inquiry, right?”

— That’s true. They say it was a clean kill.

His voice, which had seemed so sorrowful during the announcement, now felt incredibly cold.

He displayed an emotionless demeanor, as if he had no feelings even with the silence surrounding the dead.

“It’s a bit messy, but we’ve cleaned it up well. Leaving traces of unnecessary resistance would only complicate matters.”

— I’m thinking of shaking down the Yamaguchi-gumi this time. Initially, I planned to just warn them… But now that the reporters are catching on, I’ll need to be more aggressive.

“Do whatever it takes, but you must not touch Yamamoto. If you intend to apprehend him, it would be better just to eliminate him.”

— Of course. I can’t arrest Yamamoto. That could trigger the yakuza into action again. Still, I will ensure he fears the public power to some extent.

After instilling enough fear this time, Yamamoto should move in line with my wishes for a while.

As long as I leave Yamamoto alone, it wouldn’t matter what else I did.

“Let’s proceed then.”

— I heard a diplomatic delegation will be sent from Korea next week regarding the Seven Islands issue. I was told representatives from two oil companies in Russia and the U.S. would also be coming. Will you be attending?

“No, my role ends here. I feel I shouldn’t be involved in future matters. I have other things to attend to.”

It was necessary to cleanly wrap up the situation between the two denominations in Korea and Japan this time.

— What exactly do you intend to do on our home turf…?

“There won’t be any further deaths. So you need not react so sensitively.”

— Well, if that’s the case.

“However, if I’m not around and you don’t proceed according to our agreement, I’ll become your enemy then.”

— I understand. I’m not that foolish.

I had just witnessed how those who crossed my lines ended up.

Koizumi would likely remain quiet for a while.

“When public attention is focused on Hiroyuki’s death, swiftly resolve the issues regarding the Seven Islands and North Korea. That’s the only way to minimize backlash.”

— I’ll handle it. Let’s contact each other again.

Koizumi hung up first.

I placed my phone down with a smirk.

“Koizumi seems determined.”

“Seems so, Boss. Given his unusual movements, he likely doesn’t intend to let a rival like Hiroyuki rise again.”

“Who knows how long he’ll stay in power, but during his time, he certainly won’t allow any foes to emerge. If he lets a rival grow unchecked, he’s the type of politician who would pay for it.”

Just then, an urgent news broadcast appeared on the TV screen.

The program analyzing Prime Minister Koizumi’s statement was overflowing with praises for his achievements.

* * *

At the moment Japan was thrown into chaos.

The Heaven Church, now without a master, was quickly being taken over by Kim Seon-ja.

“Lord! Embrace the poor Hyun-soo…”

Kim Seon-ja, the woman who co-founded the Heaven Church with Han Seong-jin and the biological mother of Han Hyun-soo.

She was genuinely overjoyed at Han Hyun-soo’s death.

Although no one was certain if Han Hyun-soo was truly dead, Kim Seon-ja knew he was.

After Han Seong-jin was captured, she attempted to seize control of the Heaven Church.

However, Han Hyun-soo had moved ahead of her, causing her to be pushed aside.

Kim Seon-ja waited at the sanctuary, plotting in secret. She was fully aware of the Japanese denomination’s ambitions and quietly instigated them.

“Amen!”

Kim Seon-ja cried out, tears streaming down her Botoxed cheeks.

Seeing her tears, the many congregation members gathered in the chapel began to weep as well.

To them, it was the sight of a mother mourning her lost son.

None knew of Kim Seon-ja’s dark intentions.

“Amen!”

“Amen!!”

The congregation echoed Kim Seon-ja’s cries of ‘Amen.’

Feeling a strange satisfaction, Kim Seon-ja continued speaking.

“My husband, the Messiah Han Seong-jin, has been humiliated at the hands of the unbelievers, and my son, the second priest Han Hyun-soo, has vanished in Japan, leaving his fate unknown. I believe all of this is a trial from God, testing our faith…”

The service led by Kim Seon-ja began.

The congregation clasped their hands together, heads bowed.

Her voice echoed throughout the chapel.

Two men standing at the back of the chapel watched the scene for a long time before leaving.

“Brother. Are we just going to let mother have all this?”

The two brothers who left the chapel were Han Hyun-jin and Han Hyeon-woo.

In response to Han Hyeon-woo’s question, Han Hyun-jin scoffed.

“You’re a competitor too, you little brat. Don’t act all buddy-buddy with me.”

“Brother. If this continues, both of us will end up as nobody. Instead of that, let’s push mother out and divide the power between us. If things stay like this, we’ll truly have no place left.”

With Han Hyun-soo seizing control of the denomination, the two brothers were completely excluded from the Heaven Church.

Especially Han Hyun-jin, the most likely successor, was effectively barred from any outside activities, forced to report every movement.

At that moment, recalling the situation, Han Hyun-jin clenched his teeth.

“We can’t allow that to happen. Do you have a good plan?”

Han Hyeon-woo nodded with a sly grin.

“I have evidence that mother is behind Hyun-soo’s disappearance.”

Han Hyun-jin was taken aback.

“What? Is that true?”

Han Hyeon-woo nodded again.

“Yeah. Hyun-soo is no longer part of this world.”

“…Are you saying he’s dead?”

“Of course. You won’t even find a body.”

By chance, Han Hyeon-woo had overheard his mother and the Japanese denomination conspiring.

He learned all about her scheme and recorded everything.

“Would the congregation nominate mother as the next leader if they discovered she had a hand in Hyun-soo’s death?”

“There’s no way.”

Shaking his head, Han Hyun-jin gave a suspicious glance at Han Hyeon-woo.

“But why are you revealing this to me? If you disclose it, you’d gain the advantage for yourself.”

“Brother. We’re family. We can share power, but there’s no need for one of us to hog it all. Besides… You’ve always had more support than I do. The pastors favor you more.”

When Han Hyeon-woo spoke honestly, Han Hyun-jin lifted some of his suspicion.

“Alright. Show me the evidence first. Then we’ll talk again.”

With a bright smile, Han Hyeon-woo took Han Hyun-jin to where the recording files were stored.

In that location lay the harsh reality where mother feasted on her son while the son conspired to bring down his mother.