2.2
When I woke up, the stains on the dingy ceiling appeared to be shaking and shaking.
“I must have had too much to drink these days…”
As I lay there in a daze, unable to muster the energy to get up, the chime rang three times at short intervals.
Perhaps noticing that the door was unlocked, the visitor came in without hesitation.
Kamogawa, who had not been heard from for about two weeks, came to the office breathlessly.
“Ayanokouji-san, wake up! We've found the perfect place for you!”
“...Don't make too much noise.”
In combination with my lack of sleep, I feel as if he’s shouting at me through a loudspeaker.
With ringing in my ears, I have no choice but to get up and receive Kamogawa’s report.
“You reek of alcohol. I envy you. Where did you have such a good meal?”
“Drinking alcohol is my job, it's a constant struggle. I don't have the nerve to think it's fun.”
If you think I was drinking cheaply with women, you’re naive.
Even if you become a politician, you can't act like a big shot, and you have to repeatedly bow and pour drinks for your superiors. It’s no different from the daily life of businessmen.
Kamogawa's report contains a document on the property where the project will take place.
“Saitama, huh? That's your hometown, isn't it?”
It wasn’t surprising; it would be unrealistic to have it set in Tokyo with its high land prices.
“Yes. There used to be a factory of a pharmaceutical company deep in the mountains, but after the pollution problem was reported a few decades ago, sales dropped and the company went bankrupt a couple of years ago. Though, the factory wasn’t demolished and still remains today. The site is neither too large nor too small, and seems to be an ideal place to carry out the project.”
I put the documents on my desk and used my computer to view the map and confirm the specific location.
In this day and age, it’s nice to be able to get the information you want in real time wherever you are.
The ideal location is more than an hour away from the nearest station, and there’s no bus service in the area.
The site also includes prices for both renting and buying. It seems that one can choose to lease the property and then buy it after a few years, although the price is a little expensive.
Well, the interval and price can be varied depending on the negotiation.
“But aren't you being ripped off at 2.4 million? There’s a similar place 30 minutes from the station for 2.5 million. I think there’s room for more negotiation.
“I think they're just exploring first.”
It’s not easy for this place to find tenants so it shouldn’t be difficult to get them to desire us renting it out without directly asking for it.
If it’s a long-term contract, there’s a possibility that the other side will agree to substantially reduce the price.
“Isn't this a nice place?”
“You seem very enthusiastic. What’s your budget estimate for renovation work, etc.?”
“Here it is!”
He pulled another document out of his bag and held it out to me.
It seems that he at least has the ability to think and act.
Looks like all the minimum items required for the construction have been accounted for.
And even the 3D modeling was done.
“You did this too?”
“Yes. I asked a friend of mine who works in the construction industry. Of course, I never told him about this project… What do you think?”
“Not bad. But there’s no need for any extra paint. I'm not going to spend money on beautification.”
“You are pretty thorough on cutting the costs, right?”
“I'll make sure it looks good when I get the money.”
“I’ll try to take that into consideration when I arrange it.”
The first step is to get the project back on track.
But we also need results.
“Well done for now. I'd like to contact the owner of this property as soon as possible.”
“What about the intermediary? Should we skip it?”
“No, since we already have an intermediary, it would be counterproductive to try any tricks. It would be better to move them to our side.”
“Understood.”
We need to continue to look for the second and third candidates, but I'd like to make a decision all at once if possible.
“Assuming all goes well… What about the children? Even if you have the money, facilities, and educators ready, what are you going to do without the children?”
Of course, we’re working on that point in parallel.
“Don't worry. We've got it all figured out.”
“What do you mean, you have an idea? Please tell me exactly what you have in mind. I'm part of the project.”
I gave Kamogawa a glare as he looked at me expectantly.
“There are some things in this world that’s better to be ignorant of. If you carelessly find out, I won't be able to help you if something happens. Are you prepared to spend years, if not decades, in prison?”
“No. No… not at all…!”
That wasn’t a threat. In fact, I’ve started working behind the scenes on a plan that’ll get me out in a heartbeat if everything gets leaked. I can’t let Kamogawa get involved in this matter.
It’s not to protect Kamogawa, but to protect me. If this guy gets taken by the police, it’ll be impossible for him to keep evading a serious interrogation.
And besides, they won't keep quiet about it, either.
“Don't worry, though, there are plenty of ways to get children.”
Normally, newborns born to unidentified parents are sent to an orphanage or children's home through a child guidance center. Then, they’re adopted or found by foster parents.
Whether the life that follows is happy or not, even if the child is raised by their own parents, only depends on whether or not they’re provided with a favorable environment. There’s nothing wrong with an intermediary agency, as long as it has the means to secure the newborn.
“I wish there were easier and simpler ways to obtain children, it’s not something I can't talk to you about, but it's still difficult to do right now. Even if you were to be straightforward about it, from their point of view you would still be strangers… And even if they knew you’re a politician, they wouldn't hand over the child easily.”
“Is that how it is?”
It’s true that mothers may be willing to give up their newborns if they’re offered generous protection, government favor, and a few other nice words.
However, we must assume that this won’t be the case.
“Isn't there a way to take children from an orphanage?”
“There are no orphanages in Japan. To be more exact, they are called Child Care Facilities. And in the case of newborn babies, which is what I'm looking for, they’re called infant homes, not Child Care Facilities. But it’s inevitable that they’ll be suspicious of us, too. It's a matter of life.”
“...I see.”
It’s not surprising that people in general life are not concerned about this kind of thing.
Until today, Kamogawa would’ve had his hands full listing potential sites.
“Of course, we’re going to try to find an infant home,” he said. “but only after we get the institution’s operation on track and officially declare it a government-led project.”
But eventually, the real mission will be to set up and provide a place for the children themselves.
We’ll either buy out the director of the obstetrics and gynecology department or, if that doesn’t happen, open an obstetrics and gynecology clinic.
Finding a doctor who sells his soul to the devil isn’t that hard.
I showed Kamogawa the concrete plan on the computer screen as I explained it to him.
We are to create a place for mothers who cannot take care of their children.
This way, there’s no need for anyone to interfere.
The day of birth from the mother's womb is counted as day 0, and babies under 28 days old are called “newborns”, but from newborns to 3 months old are taken in secret. The mothers are not held responsible but instead sign a contract not to have anything to do with the child.
The children are raised under strict physical supervision until they reach six months of age, at which point they’re placed in an educational program.
“So you’re prepared to abandon a perfect education for the first few years?”
“Don't be ridiculous. We give them a thorough education from the first year, regardless of whether they have money or not.”
“You’re naive if you think that half-baked achievements will move the political and business worlds, Kamogawa.”
They also educate their own flesh and blood from an early age. If they’re not able to show an overwhelming difference in ability, the credibility of this institution will be shaken.
The children must be the best in both intelligence and physical ability.
“The more samples we have, the better... whether it's one person or twenty, we'll accept them anyway.”
No matter how many people are destroyed, it doesn't matter as long as the reality is covered up.
If there are 10 survivors, just pretend that there were 10 from the beginning.
That shows the competence of the educational institution.
“But how can you educate infants? They don't even speak the language, do they?”
“Have you ever heard of baby signing?”
“Baby signing? What's that?”
“As you say, infants can't even speak. Baby signing is a language designed to communicate using gestures. Brain development and muscle growth are essential for learning and handling words, but hands and fingers develop much faster than that.”
Of course, it’ll be difficult for the baby to understand those signs until the child is around six months old.
“Haha…”
“This means that babies are much more intelligent than we adults think. If you don't teach them, all they can do is cry, but if they learn baby signs, they can tell adults why they’re crying.”
This project goes beyond that.
The ultimate form of early learning. From the moment a child is born, they’re given a thorough education.
That’s the purpose of this project.
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