Chapter 356: The Threat Gradually Closing In

Sushirou is a very common affordable conveyor-belt sushi chain in Japan; the average per-person spend is only 1,000–2,000 yen, and even a glutton like Uesugi Muneyuki eating his fill would come to just three or four thousand yen, so treating someone there shows a complete lack of sincerity.

However, after experiencing the bursting of the bubble era and becoming disenchanted with consumerism, Japanese people do indeed value "practicality."

Many prime ministers and cabinet ministers like to eat at cheap places like Matsuya or Yoshinoya, or convenience-store udon and rice balls, all to project a "down-to-earth" image.

Many Japan-apologists love to cite these examples to show how "clean" Japanese bureaucrats are, but that is pure nonsense; eating a 300-yen 7-Eleven rice ball at noon and dining at a 100,000-yen-per-person ryotei at night are not mutually exclusive. Ministers eat at cheap chain restaurants for two reasons: the food comes out fast, portions are large, it's all-you-can-eat, and it saves time; second, they need to pretend a little to appear in touch with the common people and maintain their approval ratings, because Japan is ultimately electoral politics — if they're exposed eating too well, voters might not vote for them next time.

Japanese people are very conservative and realistic on this point: if you don't want to be a minister or Diet member, there are plenty of people who do!

However, Uesugi Muneyuki is neither a bureaucrat nor a public figure, so his behavior isn't constrained by these factors; therefore Kirekawa Buchou felt this brat was truly stingy — even if your grandfather were treating me, it would be at least Saito-ya, ten or twenty thousand yen per head, right?

"It's not something very difficult to arrange." Uesugi Muneyuki was still quite respectful toward this former Peerage Department Manager: "I just need you to leak me a little intel during your investigation." "Cut it out! You stinking brat, you stir up trouble everywhere you go, even got an NHK Taiga drama cancelled! And you're still putting on airs in private? Did Kuninori-san teach you this rotten attitude?" Kirekawa Buchou couldn't help retorting: "The Kabukicho case isn't over yet? Now you've stirred up a Taiga drama corruption case — is there anything in Japan you don't dare do?"

Uesugi Muneyuki thought: Is that my fault?

The Taiga drama corruption — blame the production crew and producers, not me? The Kabukicho mega-case — blame the host-club system and Saijo Yasue, not me?

"Speak up, what exactly do you want me to do?" Kirekawa Buchou asked again: "If it's too troublesome I can't promise anything — after all, I'm just a humble national public servant."

A national public servant earning 13 million yen a year, huh? Uesugi Muneyuki rolled his eyes.

"What I want from you, Buchou..." Uesugi Muneyuki stated his request in a low voice.

"Emmm~" Kirekawa Buchou pondered for a moment, then reluctantly nodded: "Although—you've offended far too many people, we don't even know where to start investigating. Fine, if we get any leads I'll notify you."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Buchou." Uesugi Muneyuki thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "There's one more thing."

"More???" Kirekawa Buchou's face immediately darkened: "Then you'd better bring another document to trade! One matter per matter — there's no rule that helping you once lets you make unlimited demands."

"No, I just want to say: I love Taiga dramas, and I'm afraid it's done for." Uesugi Muneyuki said calmly: "We're both descendants of Old Domain Peerage families; the Taiga drama's existence itself is the best publicity for us, even though it's already been filmed into the ground,

and the more they film, the further it drifts from history — but it's still the Taiga drama, and I hope there will still be a day when it can be revived."

"Oh, that." Kirekawa Buchou nodded: "Everyone thinks the same way; Kasumigaseki will put effort into it."

The problem with this matter is extremely serious, because NHK's revenue basically depends on taxes paid by the people; so when the people feel their money has been embezzled, their anger is unimaginable.

Watching TV isn't a necessity; if rice prices are high, the agricultural cooperatives can still say "What can you do about it? If you're capable, don't eat rice, eat noodles instead."

But with NHK doing this, the people's rage could topple the entire NHK Broadcasting Corporation.

The predictable outcome: the NHK President resigns taking responsibility, all senior directors connected to the case resign, the entire production department is purged, the Gunshi Kanbei crew faces judicial investigation, a third-party special investigation committee is formed, already-filmed episodes are permanently shelved and production halted mid-way, and it could even mean the permanent end of the Taiga drama series itself.

But reasonably speaking, although Taiga dramas have run out of material to film, although freshness is nearly zero and fatigue is maxed out, although actors are recycled, everything is pretty boys and beautiful girl idols, and plots are childish — as long as Japanese people still film the Honnō-ji Incident, still fear the Kawanakajima rivalry between Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, still film Tokugawa subduing the Hōjō, eating ochazuke, Hideyoshi's deathbed entrustment, Sekigahara, the Three Heroes, and the Siege of Osaka — there will still be viewers, and many of them.

Similar to how the Three Kingdoms theme in the Celestial Dynasty has been thoroughly done to death, yet whenever someone brings it up everyone still loves to chat about it, and anyone can interject a comment — after all, the vast majority of people know the Three Kingdoms figures and their memes inside out.

And the Taiga drama is the golden signboard for us Old Domain Peerage descendants to promote ourselves.

After a simple Sushirou meal with Kirekawa Buchou, Uesugi Muneyuki went to pay the bill; including consumption tax, the total came to 4,396

yen.

Rice got expensive, and sushi got more expensive along with it.

Uesugi Muneyuki's face darkened; he discovered Sushirou had raised its prices too.

The most damnable thing is, the Akita Prefecture Governor is also one of our own Peerage people — the head of the famous Hitachi Satake Clan! He's already served as Akita Governor for over ten years.

Japan's Tōhoku region is the Peerage power base; including the Yonezawa Uesugi clan, these people are both vested interests and Uesugi Muneyuki's die-hard supporters and base. This New Year, when Grandfather, Father, and Elder Brother returned, the old Peerage descendants from the entire Tōhoku region all came to pay respects and bring gifts, excited beyond measure, vying to meet Uesugi Muneyuki — many even brought their daughters along.

A huge star!

Our Old Domain Peerage has finally produced a figure like this!

Hm?

The power of Spirit Vision greatly enhanced Uesugi Muneyuki's senses; he suddenly realized something, twisted his body, and vanished instantly into the Tokyo crowd, as if evaporated into thin air.

"Huh? Where'd he go?"

On the roof of a nearby five-story commercial building's internet cafe, hiding behind a water tower, a middle-aged man lowered his Canon camera in bewilderment.

What's going on?

I could still shoot him a moment ago — how did he vanish in an instant?

Impossible — my tailing skill is among the best even in Weekly Bunshun! At my peak I single-handedly shot Aragaki Yui and Nishikido Ryo meeting in private from across an entire street!

The paparazzi searched in confusion for Uesugi Muneyuki's figure.

He'd actually been ordered to tail Uesugi Muneyuki for quite a long time, ever since he returned to Tokyo on January 4th, and had already captured plenty of "ironclad proof" of Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena coming and going together — clearly cohabiting.

But this stuff isn't very useful; since the last exposure, Ikeda Erena being the Uesugi Shogun's "concubine" isn't news anymore; strictly speaking, Uesugi Muneyuki isn't a public figure, so a messy private life at most draws a few moral criticisms.

He needed more explosive dirt!

Today he really got it! Uesugi Muneyuki privately dining with Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Unit Chief Kirekawa Ryoichi!

But these two ate at Sushirou — is this criticizing them? It's giving them free publicity!

Strange — Uesugi Muneyuki ducked into the crowd, and then he was gone like he'd instantly evaporated!

The paparazzi kept searching for Uesugi Muneyuki's figure, when the sound of an elevator arriving came from downstairs.

The rooftop gate burst open, and Uesugi Muneyuki rushed over at extreme speed, pinning the paparazzi against the rooftop railing before he could even react!

"What are you doing?" Uesugi Muneyuki said coldly: "Who sent you? What's your purpose?"

"Misunderstanding, Uesugi-san! It's all a misunderstanding!" The paparazzi immediately raised both hands in fright: "I was tailing the Special Investigation Headquarters Chief — it was just a coincidence!"

"Really just a coincidence?" Uesugi Muneyuki frowned.

"Really just a coincidence!"

Looking at the fawning smile on the face before him, the smell clinging to him, the lake-green coat and long pants the paparazzi wore, Uesugi Muneyuki's expression turned grave.

He guessed right — some threats are slowly closing in.