Chapter 2
Effort
DESPITE WORD FROM a big-name politician, progress is still complicated.
The Human Resource Development Plan is still only in the conceptual stage, and everything, including fundraising, is just beginning, so to speak.
Except for the “training from infancy,” which is an indispensable framework, the plan isn’t set in stone.
We need to change and respond flexibly.
“...This is going to be a messy project.”
I set my feet up on the paper flooded desk and continued staring at the documents.
One wrong move and this project would be frowned upon instead of appreciated.
This is a facility to save children, not to take advantage of them.
That’s the impression that must be created in many’s minds.
But that’s only after the project has actually started.
The first step now is to gather the children to be experimented on and the huge budget for the project.
Additionally, we need a way to acquire the children.
I dialed in the 11-digit number I memorized.
“It's me. Put me on the phone with Ohba, I need a new job.”
First, I have to figure out an approach, regardless of good or evil, using the pieces I have available.
Then, after Ohba answers on the other end of the phone, I’ll tell him that I’m trying to find a way to get a newborn baby and ask him to tell me what to do.
But I know that contacting Ohba will inevitably lead me to having to rely on malicious methods.
In the middle of the conversation, a buzzing chime sounded.
“I'm sorry, but I'll call you back.”
I ended my discussion with Ohba mid-sentence and decided to attend to my visitor.
“Good morning, this is Kamogawa. Is Ayanokouji-san there?”
“Enter, It's unlocked.”
“Excuse… me”.
In a corner of the shabby office, Kamogawa's face appeared gloomily.
“Wow.”
As soon as I opened the door, I was presented with Kamogawa’s blatantly rude attitude.
However, he didn’t make any attempt to butt in, which is a common reaction among visitors.
“By any chance, does Ayanokouji-san live in this office? It smells a little occupied…”
With beer cans lying on the floor at my feet, unwashed sheets on the tired sofa, and messy clothes on the ground, even a child could easily come to that conclusion.
“So what?”
“No, not that there's anything wrong with it, but it's… It's just not like…”
“Not worth the legislator's annual salary?”
The Japanese Parliament member’s monthly salary is well over a million yen. Their bonuses are similar to that and total more than 20 million. On various occasions, they also get paid hourly wages.
“Kisarazu-san, who is three years older than me, boasted that he had signed a contract for the top floor of a tower block in the city center the week after he became a member of the Japanese Parliament. He also stated that he was able to get a loan approval that he normally wouldn't have been able to get.”
“He didn't get approved because he's a member of the Japanese Parliament.”
“What?”
“It's true that the Japanese Parliament’s annual income is high from the perspective of ordinary companies. However, whether they’re members of the House of Representatives or the House of Councilors, they’re subject to election every few years. There’s no way that banks would unconditionally lend high amounts of money to such unstable positions just because of their titles.”
“But Kisarazu-san said it went through…”
“The amount of the loan, which bank, and connections—I can provide any number of other conditions to get it approved.”
“So that's what you're saying is… I won’t be able to get my loan through…”
It's the other way around. It’s true that the Kamogawa in front of me is valued lower than Kisarazu on his own, but the bank sees his father, Kamogawa Toshizou, through him.
When they hear that he’s looking for a lender, workers from many banks will come to see Kamogawa. They would even bring a pastry or two.
“Nonsense.”
“‘Nonsense’? Who wouldn't want to live in a luxury condo?”
“I'm telling you, for your own good, don't do what Kisarazu did.”
No wonder a money-grabbing counselor would use such a stupid tactic.
“I'm not saying don't buy property. I'm just saying don't misjudge the right time to do so. Money is finite, but there are infinite possibilities.”
“I see…”
Kamogawa nodded his head as if he understood.
“Suppose a hundred million yen appeared in front of you right now and you could have it. What would you do?”
“I would save about 90 million and grandly spend 10 million. I'd go to cabarets and buy a car. I might put some of it in stocks. If I had 200 million, I would buy a condominium.”
In one sense, this is an exemplary answer, but like Kisarazu, it’s just a trivial use of money.
“You mean you wouldn’t use the money in that way, Ayanokouji-san, right? What would you do with it?”
“Think for yourself.”
“What? Please tell me.”
100 million. If that much money came to me, I'd spend it all within days.
There are many ways to connect with the business world through bribes and payoffs, and many ways to invest in the future.
There’s no time to spend money on an office or a home when even pennies are of use.
The 100 million invested upfront can come back to you in a few years or a few decades, transformed into an unimaginable magnitude of money.
And if it comes with the title of the most powerful man in this country at the end of the line, that would be perfect.
“So, what are you doing here?”
“I'm here to help you, just like Naoe-sensei said.”
“I don't need your help.”
“That won’t do. I was one of the people who heard about the project. I don't mind Ayanokouji-san taking the big credit, but I'm also one of the people who-”
Kamogawa lives a clumsy and shitty life, but I can understand his desire to take credit. It’s true that it’s a rare opportunity. But being a member of the Japanese Parliament is a profession where the concept of breaks or days off basically doesn’t exist. They are part-time Tokubetsushoku[7]
Once the Japanese Parliament is in session, he has to participate in policy study groups in the Civic Party. Most of his schedule is filled up with support group meetings, dealing with visitors to the petitioners, political affairs, and official duties.
“Will you be of any help?”
“I’ll stand up for you. I’m the son of Kamogawa Toshizou, after all.”
Your father hasn’t made a name for himself in the world of politics.
However, we can't ignore the notice from Naoe-sensei so easily, can we?
“Then you can be as useful as you wish. I have a job for you.”
Kamogawa's eyes lit up, having never been assigned to a role of any significance before.
“What kind of work?”
“It’s essential to secure an experimental facility for the project. You’ll be in charge of selecting the site, size, budget, and whether it can be secluded. If it works out, you'll get the next job. You want to be a good councilman that Naoe-sensei will recognize, don't you?”
“I see. That's certainly something that can't be avoided, isn't it?
“Even if we can't reach the scale of a high school, we will increase the number of children every year. This means that a reasonable space is naturally required. It’s also important to maintain anonymity.”
This project cannot be advertised too publicly.
We can't have the press writing about the dangerous education of infants and toddlers.
“From a budgetary point of view, it’s inevitably going to be in the countryside, isn't it?”
(TL Note : Tokubetsushoku 特別職 ; Special Japanese civil service position)[7]
Kamogawa's face changed.
He’s a man who has been apathetic, but he isn’t content being called a second-generation worker. Give him the right job and the right words of praise, and he might be of some use. No, I hope I’m right.
“Okay. I'll try.”
“That's good. That's the best I've ever seen you look.”
“Oh, yeah?”
I gave him a few compliments, and his good-natured face immediately fell back into place.
“What are you going to do now?”
“To prepare the facility, money is the most important thing. I'm going to start making preparations.”
If we apply the conditions we’ve assumed, the amount of money needed for the initial start-up alone will be substantial.
If we take into account human resources, we would like to have 500 million.
If we want to afford a safety net, we will need more than 600-700 million…
“You mean you're going to tell people about this project and get them to invest in it, right?”
“Of course that's what I'm trying to do.”
“Wouldn't they be happy to give their children a gifted education?”
This guy really doesn't know what he's doing.
Who’s going to fund a project that’s still in the conceptual stage—just a few pieces of paper?
In the first place, the amount of money that these wealthy people are willing to contribute is not something that’s easy to come by.
Of course, as a politician, you can’t accept donations outwardly, so it would be necessary to follow the procedure of making donations to organizations such as supporters' associations.
There’s a limit to the number of donations, but it is difficult to find a politician who follows such a rule to the tee. There are many ways to bypass donations, and many loopholes to do so.
But even on a piece of paper like this, if Naoe-sensei says, ‘I'll do it,’ a lot of money will come out of nowhere.
Since that isn’t available, it’s imperative to find one big financier first.
Even if he doesn't have the same kind of charismatic power as Naoe-sensei, we have to make him think so if he’s going to invest in the project.
If he does, it isn’t impossible to raise close to 500 million yen.
I sent Kamogawa to work as if I was kicking him out of the office and took out three bank books from my desk. There were deposits from three companies, including a regional bank.
“All of them are… a little less than 10 million.”
It's not much to go on, but I guess I'll have to take my chances with this money.
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