NIS Agents Tearing Up the Japanese Empire - Chapter 240



Only Krnovel

NIS Agent Tears the Japanese Empire Episode 240

Beginning of Spring (2)

“No one is saying anything.”

“Ahem.”

“… … .”

“Are you saying that you have no interest in the lives of the soldiers who went out to fight for the peace and well-being of the Empire of Japan?”

Tokyo, the heart of the Japanese Empire.

The Imperial Palace, located in a great location in the heart of Tokyo.

Now that the Emperor, the master of this palace, and the Crown Prince who will succeed him are away.

The one left to take on the duties of his older brother and father was Prince Yasuhito, the Emperor’s second son and the Crown Prince’s younger brother.

It was too much of a burden for him to handle at such a young age, and the current government has resigned en masse, taking responsibility for the corruption of the regime, the earthquake, and the subsequent conflict between the Army and Navy that led to several incidents and accidents.

Former Navy Minister Yamamoto Gonnohyoe, who took over as acting prime minister, was unable to resolve these issues at all.

As a result, the burden on Yasuhito, the provisional regent of the Japanese Empire, became heavier, and he was expected to do much by the citizens.

People looked to Yasuhito to protect the tottering democracy of the Japanese Empire, rein in a military that was running wild, and safeguard a government that was as fragile as a house of cards.

People had no doubt that Yasuhito, who inherited the imperial blood, would listen to their demands.

All they had seen of the imperial family up until then were people like Emperor Meiji who took the lead in changing the country, or Emperor Taisho who ran the country with passion and sincerity even when he was not feeling well, or Hirohito who ran the country well even at a young age.

“Are you all silent because you have no thoughts? Or are you keeping your mouths shut because you don’t like me?”

In this situation, the stress on Yasuhito, who was being pushed around by many older, senior politicians, was not small.

“Are the people gathered here just taking up space and being useless? Aren’t you all pillars of the nation that are responsible for one axis of the Empire of Japan! Pillars!”

“… … .”

“Ahem.”

“Hmm.”

Despite Yasuhito’s appeal that was filled with frustration, the army and navy personnel gathered at the imperial conference only looked at each other.

He didn’t say anything.

It was no different from a meeting of senior ministers, including several cabinet ministers, members of the House of Representatives, and members of the House of Peers.

“Hmm.”

“hmm.”

“Use it.”

In such a difficult situation, everyone decided to keep quiet rather than step forward and give their enemies an excuse to attack.

Someone had to take up the mantle and resolve this difficult situation, but in a situation where the Army and Navy regarded each other as enemies and each political party was suspicious and distrustful of the other, only Yasuhito, who was determined to normalize the empire, was left to die.

“after.”

Yasuhito, who had wasted time today without achieving any results and buried himself in the dingy smell of the old people’s rooms, locked himself in his room and quietly poured himself a drink.

He was the type of person who usually avoided alcohol or cigarettes, but in this situation, he couldn’t stand it without drinking.

“after.”

No matter how much alcohol was poured on Yasuhito’s burning chest, the flames would not be extinguished.

Rather, the flame in his heart seemed to burn even more fiercely when it met alcohol.

Just as the blazing flames were about to engulf Yasuhito’s entire body.

“Your Majesty, a guest has arrived.”

The servant’s words reached his ears.

“Is it Kato?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then let me come in.”

The door opened and the guest he was waiting for came in.

“Your Majesty, I am Takaaki Kato… … .”

“Okay, sit down.”

Yasuhito stopped Kato, who was about to give an example, and gave him the seat.

“Your Majesty, why have you come to seek my advice?”

It was a question that had no particular meaning and was simply a question of personal curiosity, but it sounded a little different to Yasuhito, who had been on edge for a number of reasons.

“… … Why? Do you also find it annoying and unpleasant when I tell you to do this and that?”

“Oh, no. How could I dare to have such a disloyal thought… … .”

Kato was startled by Yasuhito’s words, which raised thorns like a hedgehog’s, and lowered his head.

Yasuhito felt a little relieved when he saw Kato’s bald head, which was completely empty from the forehead to the crown of his head.

“Whew… … I’m sorry. I was so upset by recent incidents and accidents that I made a mistake.”

“No. Even the children on the street know that Your Majesty is devoted to the Empire of Japan. How could I, out of exhaustion from state affairs, say something that would offend Your Majesty?”

“Even the kids on the street know this story… … . It’s really funny.”

Yasuhito chuckled and overturned his small drinking table.

Bottles of liquor, glasses, and plates of snacks fluttered into the air, and small tables rolled on the floor.

The servants and guards came rushing into the room at the loud noise.

“majesty!”

“Are you okay?!”

Yasuhito gestured for them to leave, then asked Kato, who was lying face down.

“Even the children on the streets know that this country is in crisis, so how come the high-ranking officials do not know this?”

“… … .”

“You keep your mouth shut in front of me too.”

“Oh, no. How could I commit the disrespect of not answering Your Majesty’s question?”

“Is that so? Then tell me, what is needed to overcome the crisis that has befallen our empire?”

“Wait a minute… … Is it okay if I think about it?”

“Good, but you can’t leave this room until you answer.”

Kato thought quietly at Yasuhito’s slightly drunken permission.

How many minutes will it take?

Kato opened his mouth.

“The problem today is not that we spilled water on the floor, but that we did not clean it up in time.”

“Water spilled on the floor? Does that mean it wasn’t caused by an earthquake?”

“Yes, the Great Tokyo Earthquake was more like the starting point for the problems that had been rampant throughout the empire but had been covered up because everyone thought they stank, to burst out all at once.”

Yasuhito sighed.

“Ah… … . That’s what it was.”

And while doing so, think to yourself.

‘Why did this have to happen during my father’s generation?’

Kato said.

“Everyone is just thinking as Your Majesty is thinking now.”

“… … .”

Yasuhito’s face distorted in an instant when his own shame was exposed.

“They must have thought the same as me… … Are you asking me to understand their feelings and forgive them?”

“If Your Majesty is thinking of the grand scheme… … . He must embrace them.”

-Tink!

Yasuhito’s favorite teacup fell right in front of Kato’s nose and shattered into pieces.

“This is something my father gave me, saying it was a precious item he brought from Joseon.”

But Kato’s words did not end there.

“… … The current problems facing the empire are like a knot that is difficult to untie, and it is impossible to solve them all at once.”

“Alexander the Great, the great king of the West, untied the Gordian knot by cutting it with one stroke of his sword.”

“Strange measures can only provide temporary solutions, and cannot be a fundamental solution.”

“Then how can we solve the fundamental problem?”

Kato didn’t answer for a moment.

There were many thoughts in his head, but he was reluctant to reveal them to the person in front of him.

“that…….”

“You’re acting strange in front of me too.”

Yasuhito waved his hands in disappointment, looking greatly disappointed at Kato’s attitude.

“I think it’s okay to go back now.”

Kato, who had been pondering Yasuhito’s order to congratulate his guests for a moment, raised his head and straightened his posture.

And then.

“Your Majesty, please appoint me as Prime Minister.”

“… … you?”

“Yes, I will try to persuade the old people in the House of Representatives, so please give me your support.”

“Why should I do that?”

Kato answered Yasuhito’s sarcastic question curiously.

“Isn’t it because Your Majesty loves this empire just as I love my family and children?”

Yasuhito laughed loudly.

Afterwards, Prime Minister Yamamoto Gonnohyoe resigned, taking responsibility for his incompetence, negligence, and the national crisis that occurred in Tokyo last time.

Kato succeeded him as Prime Minister.

The military expressed their discontent with Yasuhito’s attitude of openly supporting Kato, and many politicians in the government also looked at them with concern, but neither Yasuhito nor Kato paid any attention.

This was because the two of them knew that they had boarded an express train from which they could not get off any longer.

* * *

Meanwhile,

In Manchuria, the independence army continued to carry out large-scale road reinforcement and civil engineering work.

At the center of this large-scale construction was our great leader… no, the vicious pro-Japanese collaborator, Yun Deok-yeong.

The Daegaldaegam of Gyeongseong took this teacher’s words that he needed help and sent many merchants and businessmen to Manchuria as his agents to start doing business.

From simple businesses such as peddlers who import goods from Joseon or China to large-scale construction companies that carry out large-scale civil engineering projects.

Among almost all the companies and stores visible in Yeonil, there was hardly a single one that was not touched by the hand of Daegaldaegam.

Here, Daegaldaegam amassed a huge amount of wealth and naturally laundered funds for the independence army. At the same time, he received counterfeit dollars flowing in from Shanghai and circulated them in Gyeongseong to make them into legal funds.

Of course, it has only been a few weeks since I started this, so I haven’t seen any noticeable results, but at least I was able to provide the independence army with a legal and stable source of funding.

But at this point, one question arose.

“When you run a business, you can’t always make a profit, right? So how can you always make a profit?”

“Because there are no labor costs.”

“Labor costs? Ah!”

All of Daegaldaegam’s businesses utilized Japanese prisoners of war.

The number of Japanese prisoners of war captured by the independence army in the previous battle alone was in the thousands.

It was a joyous thing for the independence army to have captured so many prisoners, but they did not have enough money to keep them.

There was no shortage of food, but can a person survive on only having food?

And the Japanese government lacked the will to repatriate them… …. From the perspective of the independence army, they were as much of a headache as the XX Electronics stocks that were bitten on the 85th floor.

“But at that moment, the great chieftain stepped forward.”

“Oh… … I heard that the Great Prince paid the ransom for the prisoners.”

“Yeah, I did pay the ransom… … .”

As a loyal subject of the Japanese Empire, Daegal Daegam felt sorry for the plight of these prisoners and negotiated with the independence army to pay their ransom and rescue them.

But they only gave their ‘ransom’.

They didn’t even pay for their transportation back home.

“Huh? What is that… … .”

“So you’re saying I should pay for my own transportation back home.”

“Ah… … . This… … .”

Daegal Daegam fully displayed his unique spirit of being a slave and made use of thousands of free workers at will.

Daegaldaegam virtually monopolized several projects contracted by the independence army and forced Japanese prisoners of war into various construction projects.

“But if you keep doing it like that, won’t you end up paying all the transportation costs?”

“I guess so.”

“Then all the manpower will leave… …. Will the business be closed down after that?”

“No, there won’t be any loss of manpower, right?”

“yes?”

“First of all, officially, Daegaldaegam did not ‘pay’ the ransom for those people, but rather ‘loaned’ the money to them.”

“ah.”

After his dealings with the independence army, Daegal Daegam became the greatest loan shark of the century.

Our great lord has put a leash around his neck and chained himself with money in this affluent world where there is no concept of legal interest.

“What… … . Such poor authors… … .”

“The pitiful ones are us who believed the words of the great tycoon and invested in Gyeongseong Trading Company and lost our money.”

“That’s true too… … .”

“under…….”

The two men stared at the stock market board on the Gyeongseong Exchange, which continued to fall.