Chapter 125: Something Happened

Sorry for the delay; things were a bit chaotic, and pulling off this stunt proved rather complicated.

Zeng Xiaoxian, a socialite draped in a daring, backless evening gown, held a wine glass while chatting with Qiu Hongwen. She wore no necklace, but a delicate, expensive bracelet adorned her wrist. Noticing that Qiu Hongwen, despite his casual demeanor, kept casting intentional glances toward Jiang Yaowen, Zeng Xiaoxian decided to probe: "You and Fatso Jiang seem to..."

Qiu Hongwen replied in a measured tone, "That kid is a treacherous, two-faced snake. Just watch how I take him down this time."

Zeng Xiaoxian’s expression shifted slightly. She knew there was history between them, but she hadn't expected such intense hostility from Qiu. She didn't know what exactly was going on, but Qiu Hongwen was a formidable figure in their circle; he had made more than a few prominent people suffer the consequences of crossing him. Since she was already engaged in conversation and had been spotted by Jiang Yaowen, leaving immediately felt awkward, regardless of her desire to avoid trouble.

Stuck in the conversation, she figured she might as well say something that would please him. "Why so serious, Mr. Qiu? Surely things can be discussed calmly. I hear Fatso Jiang has quite a complex backing; he’s not someone to be trifled with."

Qiu Hongwen kept his eyes fixed on the other side of the room, his voice cold. "For a while, he certainly was jumping around. It’s not that no one could handle him, but until recently, no one wanted to start a war over minor interests. The situation has changed. Even the people behind him are about to be taken down. Naturally, Fatso Jiang won't be jumping for much longer. Just wait and see. Perhaps, one day soon, he’ll be on his knees at my feet, weeping and begging for mercy."

Zeng Xiaoxian wanted to leave, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Are you really that certain? The problem is that once certain wars are started, if they aren't won quickly, they become a massive burden. It isn't just a simple calculation of military strength. If it were just about that, the U.S. military could crush a million Afghanistans, yet they still ended up bogged down in the quagmire. Military might is useful as a bargaining chip, but once the gloves come off, things are rarely so straightforward."

Qiu Hongwen couldn't help but linger his gaze on her stunning figure and graceful demeanor. By all accounts, she majored in economics; why was she spouting philosophy? It made him want to whisk her away for a tryst.

Just then, a man with a peculiar look, clearly Spanish, entered the hall. Qiu Hongwen’s brows furrowed deeply. Zeng Xiaoxian asked with curiosity, "Who is that?"

Qiu Hongwen hesitated for a moment before saying, "That is the man behind Fatso Jiang. His name is Anthony."

Zeng Xiaoxian was taken aback and couldn't help but steal another glance.

Qiu Hongwen continued, "He isn't the primary figure, though; he's just the assistant to that woman. Judging by his appearance, he isn't here to make a scene for Fatso Jiang, otherwise, he wouldn't have shown his face so openly."

There was a difference between talking about someone and seeing them in the flesh. Zeng Xiaoxian felt a genuine sense of unease and fell silent, hesitating.

"Don't worry. Even if the person behind Anthony were to show up, it wouldn't matter. Whatever happens today, we can handle it," Qiu Hongwen said with a faint smile.

Across the room, when Jiang Yaowen saw Anthony—Elsa’s financial assistant—walk in, his scalp tingled. He assumed Anthony had come to hold him accountable for the "business trouble." However, a moment later, he noticed the Spaniard surveying the room and then engaging in conversation with an unremarkable-looking Japanese man. This left Jiang Yaowen puzzled.

Nearby, Zeng Xiaoxian asked curiously, "Who is that person talking to the Spaniard, Anthony? I thought I heard him speaking Japanese."

Qiu Hongwen seized the opportunity to wrap an arm around her waist, playing the role of the all-knowing expert. "Him? I know him, too. That’s Shinoda Hiroshi, the grandson of the sixth-generation leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi. I hear Hiroshi is involved in some delicate matters. In order to be successfully elected as the seventh-generation head, he’s currently taking a different path, which has caused significant friction with factions inside the Yamaguchi-gumi. That’s likely why he’s meeting with the Spaniard. Of course, I’m not close with Hiroshi, so I don't know the inside story."

Zeng Xiaoxian took a deep breath, feeling a chill in her chest. She felt she shouldn't have come here to show off today; the world seemed to be getting more dangerous by the minute. She wanted to leave, but it wasn't convenient, especially with Qiu’s arm still around her waist.

Shinoda Hiroshi was speaking to Anthony with the fervor of an orator. Anthony, however, rarely spoke, merely watching Shinoda with an odd expression as he listened.

After a long time, Shinoda bowed and said, "That is essentially the situation. I look forward to your support."

Anthony remained noncommittal. A moment later, he smiled faintly. "Since a certain year, the corporate culture of the Yamaguchi-gumi has shifted significantly; you basically don't touch 'drugs' anymore. Since the great collapse of the Japanese real estate bubble, your dividends from property have shrunk drastically. You mainly rely on providing security services and routine business to make a living. You’re suddenly bringing these requests to me—I wouldn't say you can't do it, but it feels very strange."

Shinoda bowed again. "The businesses you refer to aren't untouched; they are just less involved. The Yamaguchi-gumi has hundreds of thousands of members and nearly a thousand organizations; the philosophies of each group differ. I need the financial resources to consolidate internally. The potential for the future is immense."

Anthony remained noncommittal, continuing to watch him.

It wasn't that the Yamaguchi-gumi couldn't get things done, but the regional attributes made certain matters incredibly sensitive. Japan was a place where American troops were stationed, which meant the CIA was highly active. This manifested in Japanese politics being extremely unstable; at times, changing a prime minister was as frequent as changing underwear.

To an extent, the shifting prime ministers weren't the fault of those CIA bastards, but rather the result of major conglomerates and organizations like the Yamaguchi-gumi existing, creating a disconnect between the grassroots and the upper echelons. In other words, it was the natural conflict between career bureaucrats and political appointees.

As everyone knew, without the cooperation of career bureaucrats, no government decree could leave the Prime Minister's residence, and if it did, it was nothing more than a piece of paper.

"The barracks are iron-clad, but the soldiers are flowing water"—in politics, this rule was reversed: the elected officials were the flowing water, while the career bureaucrats were the iron-clad, stagnant fish in the pond.

An elected official had one advantage: they could retire without having actually done anything. But that was only if they *truly* did nothing. If they wanted to accomplish something, they were usually met with the fate of being impeached and kicked out. And that was the mild version. Because they were mere "flowing" politicians rather than leaders, they couldn't inspire anyone, and no one believed them or listened to them.

The system dictated that if these politicians tried to do anything, they would be trashed by media outlets controlled by organizations like the Yamaguchi-gumi and the career bureaucrats. Conversely, when they did something useful, the media would never report or promote it.

That was the reality. Unless, of course, the Prime Minister said what the "stagnant fish" wanted to hear.

Basically, excluding China with its different system, this situation existed in every country. It was just a matter of degree. Of course, it was very severe in Japan. It was still much better than South America, where it was even more absurd—police stations and military barracks were often wiped out by organized factions.

The benefit of the Prime Minister being a puppet was that it allowed groups like Anthony’s to ship in money laundered through cruise ships. But the biggest problem was that because the CIA was so deeply involved in that region, and his group was currently in a state of war with the CIA, intervening in Japan too easily would only complicate matters.

This was a problem Anthony had to consider.

Shinoda Hiroshi waited anxiously for Anthony’s response. Unfortunately, Anthony remained silent, lost in thought. He didn't even offer a timetable for a "future discussion," which left Shinoda breaking into a cold sweat.

As Shinoda bowed again, wanting to say something more, one of Anthony’s bodyguards walked over, handed him a phone, and whispered, "Something happened in the United States."

Anthony’s brow furrowed. He cut off Shinoda, stepped aside, and answered the phone. "What’s the situation?"

"I don't know the full details yet," a woman’s voice said over the line. "I only know that a joint task force led by the CIA has surrounded two of our strongholds in the U.S."

Anthony asked, "There are many U.S. strongholds belonging to different people. Whose business is this?"

"I checked. That sector belongs to Jiang Yaowen. What should we do?" the woman asked.

Anthony asked, "Are you sure it’s a CIA task force?"

"Yes, I am certain," the voice replied.

Anthony couldn't help but mutter a curse: "Those damn pigs must have taken the wrong medicine. How dare they launch an operation on their own soil?"