Chapter 929

Tokyo, Chiyoda Ward, Kasumigaseki.

The curtains in the office of the Administrative Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Finance were half-drawn, and the afternoon sunlight squeezed through the gaps, casting a thin, elongated patch of light on the dark brown wooden desk.

Administrative Vice-Minister Okada Masahide sat at his desk, his gaze steady and resolute, his expression unsmiling; before him lay a budget proposal he was reviewing, a fountain pen gripped in his hand, its nib gliding across the paper. His hair was neatly combed, his tie perfectly knotted; after decades of navigating the treacherous currents of officialdom, this Ministry of Finance official could face any situation at any time without changing countenance.

Although Finance Minister Hanzawa had recently been acting erratically—alternating between declaring he would expel all darkness from the banking industry with an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and insisting on decoupling from South Korea to guarantee Japan's own fiscal affairs—Okada Masahide had long since become adept at handling such situations.

Power resides below, not above; when those in upper positions gradually cease to manage affairs in practice and become mere sinecures, those who hold real power increasingly become the ones who can truly control situations on the front lines and genuinely direct the bureaucratic machine—this is also why the administrative vice-ministers of the major provinces are often the ones who actually wield authority. Under Japan's MMT economic policy, the room for adjustment is actually quite limited.

Just then, the door was pushed open.

No one knocked.

How dare someone enter without knocking on the door of this Ministry of Finance official?

Is it Oowada or Hanzawa?

Okada Masahide started and lifted his head, seeing Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Oowada Seiken standing in the doorway; this fellow wore a dark gray suit, his tie slightly askew, his hair not as neatly combed as usual.

His face was slightly flushed, his breathing a bit more hurried than normal.

"Minister Oowada??? What's the matter?"

"Hmph~" Oowada Seiken walked in and closed the door.

The door-closing motion carried an irresistible force, not quite a slam, but nearly so.

Our Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism took a deep breath and then released the Oni Kishia deep breath!

"Okada Masahide! What did your son do to my daughter???"

The face of the Ministry of Finance official showed even greater astonishment.

In Japan, addressing someone by their full name without the honorific "-san" occurs only in very solemn, formal circumstances, or when the other party is angry—so I ask you, did my son also offend you?

Okada Masahide's fountain pen hovered above the paper.

He had spent his entire career as a bureaucrat, witnessing every sort of scene—budget deliberations, factional struggles, personnel changes, Diet responses—but no one had ever questioned him like this. He placed the fountain pen on its stand, leaned back slightly in his chair, and said: "Minister Oowada, please sit down. What do you mean by this? What did Masayoshi do to your daughter? Please explain clearly—I don't quite understand!"

Oowada Seiken did not sit down; he paced back and forth in the office twice, then stopped, suppressing his anger: "Your son! Okada Masayoshi! Repeatedly came to my door seeking my daughter Nao. Not only that, he even invited my daughter to a hotel. Hotel Okura. The one at Kobe Port. Do you know what that implies?"

Okada Masahide's eyebrows twitched slightly: "Hotel Okura? That's official business—he brought the Special Mission Division personnel to Kobe for an investigation, and staying there is normal. As a party related to the case, Miss Nao meeting him at the hotel also falls within official duties. Is it official business or not?" "Official business? Does official business require showing up that many times? Does official business require going out to eat alone? Does official business require staying at a hotel until late at night?" Oowada Seiken's voice rose higher and higher: "My daughter is only twenty-two! She just graduated from university! She has never been alone with any man for more than thirty minutes since she was a child! Your son directly took her to a hotel! Is her reputation still worth anything?"

Okada Masahide leaned back in his chair, feeling his head grow a bit muddled.

I have known Oowada Seiken for ten years; I have seen his flawless composure during Diet responses, his unflappable skill in intra-party factional struggles—but now the man standing before me is a father anxious for his daughter: "Masayoshi is not that kind of person. He would not proactively ask a girl so much younger than him to go to a hotel. There must be a misunderstanding here."

"A misunderstanding?" Oowada Seiken's voice suddenly dropped, filled with questioning and resentment: "Do you know what people are already saying outside? They claim that during Okada Masayoshi's investigation in Kobe, he hooked up with the granddaughter of a former prime minister, saying he brought that young lady to a hotel, saying they spent an entire night together in the hotel room. Do you know how damaging such rumors would be to my daughter? She is only twenty-two, just graduated, and still has to marry someday!"

"You don't believe me? Look at the VCR!" Oowada Seiken pulled out his phone and played a short video from the Japan-Korea section.

In it, Oowada Nao leaves the Oowada residence in Osaka, is brought into a police car by Okada Masayoshi, and throughout the ride she holds onto the corner of his clothing.

Then the second segment shows Oowada Nao checking in at the Kobe Hotel Okura, with Okada Masayoshi accompanying her the entire time; they talk continuously, she keeps gazing at him, and afterward she even asks him to lead the way to the room.

Iron! Proof! Like a mountain!

Masayoshi???

Upon seeing such irrefutable evidence, Okada Masahide fell silent for a moment; he indeed recalled that this matter had caused quite a stir, and yesterday afternoon he had called his son to ask whether he could confirm the solid proof—after all, accusing a former Olympic champion without irrefutable evidence would invite serious trouble, while Okada Masayoshi had replied, "Don't worry, Uesugi is here, nothing will happen," and indeed had mentioned Oowada Nao, but said it was "assisting the investigation," that he had "provided many useful leads," and that "she is smarter than I imagined."

Those words, in the context of official duties, are perfectly normal; but if heard from another angle, they do carry a slight unusual nuance. In high society, everyone needs to maintain appearances; although these matters cannot be brought to light, and even if they were escalated to the chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, Nanko Taro, Okada Masahide could be absolutely certain his son would face no punishment—but causing a scandal would inevitably damage his son's hitherto spotless record and his reputation as a national hero.

Indeed, the face of this ever-impartial Ministry of Finance official showed some change.

Indeed, his son is his soft spot, and Minister Oowada's face flashed with a sharp gleam.

"Minister Oowada, what exactly do you want to say? If you think Masayoshi has acted improperly, I can have him apologize to Nao. If you think the influence is bad, I can have him cease contact with Nao. You say the word, and I will comply." Indeed, Okada Masahide yielded.

Oowada Seiken stood firm in front of the desk.

He said nothing; his face shifted from flushed to another hue—a deeper, more somber shade; he stood there, took another deep breath, and said: "Things have come to this point; what I want to say is that the situation has already become this way, and we must proceed with a relationship. A serious relationship, with marriage as the goal!"

"Ah???" Okada Masahide was utterly stunned.

What does it mean?

"I am not suggesting this to you; I am informing you. My son and my daughter must be together. Moreover, they must be together formally, openly, seriously, with marriage as the precondition. Your son must take responsibility for my daughter!" Minister Oowada angrily slammed the desk: "Did you hear that???"

Okada Masahide crossed his hands on the desk, gazing at Oowada Seiken's face. His mind raced to process this information, pulling out the details he had previously deemed "abnormal" but suppressed, re-examining them from a new angle.

He suddenly understood.

Oowada Seiken was not coming to question him in anger; he was coming to propose a marriage!

He had spent ten minutes laying the emotional groundwork, creating pressure, making the other party feel at fault, then, at the critical moment, revealed his trump card—this was a meticulously designed "reverse proposal."

"Minister, do you mean that Nao and Masayoshi…?" Okada Masahide narrowed his eyes; in the eyes of this senior official, a spark flashed for an instant. Oowada Seiken's mouth twitched slightly—the movement was not obvious, but Okada Masahide noticed it.

"Nao is my only daughter. I have worried about her marriage for many years. She has high standards, comes from a good background, and is strong-willed; ordinary men she does not look up to."

"The men I approve of, she does not look up to. I have introduced her to several—sons of minor zaibatsu, young talents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even a collateral branch of the peerage—but none satisfied her; frankly, she herself is not from a top university nor particularly talented, and some people also look down on her."

"But recently, she has begun to mention your son's name on her own initiative, several times. She told her mother, 'Mr. Okada came to our house today,' she said, 'Mr. Okada is truly reliable,' and she even told me, 'Mr. Okada once saved a child named Kawabata Kohna'—I remember that!" "Vice-Minister Okada, I ask you, what does this mean?"

Oowada Seiken pressed forward aggressively, yet the meaning in his eyes was very clear—seeking common ground.

Okada Masahide reflected even more deeply.

His son, Okada Masayoshi, Special Mission Division Supervisor of the Metropolitan Police Department, Career Track Police Superintendent, National Hero, thirty-two years old, divorced and childless, good-looking, of impeccable family background.

More importantly, he is Okada Masahide's son.

If this man is not a good son-in-law, then there are no good sons-in-law in this world!

Are you eyeing my son?

Good fellow, snatching a son-in-law from the榜下?

Okada Masahide leaned back in his chair, watching Oowada Seiken's face shift from anger to sincerity, then from sincerity to earnest entreaty.

He suddenly felt this matter was far more interesting than he had imagined. He had long worried about his son's marriage. Since the divorce, Okada Masayoshi had poured all his energy into work, avoided emotional talk, and sealed himself off tightly. He had tried to introduce potential partners, but each time his son had lightly brushed them aside.

Masayoshi is not unwilling; he is afraid, after all, the Miki incident… is something anyone might carry as a shadow, and as a father I understand.

He needs an external force to push him across that line.

This is a good thing after all!

Strong alliance! Perfect match! Handing Masayoshi over to Minami Nao, who comes from a noble family, puts this father at ease, while Nao marrying Masayoshi, a national hero and civil servant, brings peace of mind to the Shosuke family!

Three wishes, all fulfilled at once!

I used to think my son was still young, no rush, he'd eventually meet the right person, but now that Shosuke Seiken has laid it out like this, I realize that "right person" might truly have appeared.

Moreover, the Shosuke family's background is something no Japanese bureaucrat would refuse. Granddaughter of a former prime minister, daughter of the current Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism—such lineage is worthy of anyone.

But Masahide Okada needs to keep the initiative in his own hands.

"Although… but, Minister, I understand your thinking, but Masayoshi is ultimately a divorced man, his ex-wife even died. If this gets out, it won't look good for Minami's reputation either? The main family really dares not aim so high~"

"What's wrong with being divorced? That was his ex-wife's fault, not his. I can see his character. He could use his body to block a knife and save a stranger's child in front of a live audience—he'd be able to protect my daughter when she's in danger. Such a person is a hundred times better than those who've never married and don't know what responsibility is." Indeed, when Minister Shosuke heard Masahide Okada still had reservations, he immediately grew anxious.

"Okada wants to save face—doesn't the Shosuke family want face too? If we really make a scene, it won't be good for him either."

"Hah, this guy, at this moment he doesn't even care about his daughter's reputation."

"I see your daughter—she's already been taken by my excellent son!"

"Otherwise, why are you so anxious, anxious, anxious, anxious, anxious—Anxious King, what's it to you?"

Masahide Okada remained silent for a long time.

Minister Shosuke watched him anxiously.

Finally, the Vice Minister of Finance revealed a smile—faint, but genuine, and extremely rare.

He slowly nodded: "Seiken-san, you've moved me. Since it's come to this, I have nothing more to say—children's affairs, as parents, we can only give them a push. Whether they end up together depends on their own fate. But if you're willing to push with me, I believe these two forces are enough to push them across that line."

"Then, shall we arrange a meeting?" Masahide Okada asked tentatively.

"Fine, let's arrange a meeting—give you face, and give these two young people a chance!" Minister Shosuke exclaimed, relieved.

Afterwards, he extended his hand: "Listen, this hand I extend does not mean I forgive your son's actions—I merely… make this sacrifice for Minami's lifelong happiness! I only don't want to let down her late grandparents and her mother's hopes!"

"How about it, Vice Minister Okada! What do you think? If you think it's possible, cooperate or not—it's your call!" Masahide Okada pressed his lips together, nodded, and stood up: "This hand I extend isn't because of how your daughter turns out—I'm not afraid of you making a scene! I do this for Masayoshi, this boy, who's always been stubborn—what happened before… I was indeed too strict, fortunately there's Uesugi Ando and Minami."

The two hands clasped together on the desk of the Administrative Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Finance.

"One word, set?"

"One word, set!"

The new alliance was formed!

The two people's hands cast a stretched shadow in the afternoon sunlight.

"Then… in-laws?"

"In-laws!!!"

The two fathers had smiles on their faces and light in their eyes!

Minami Nao sat on the sofa in the living room of the high-floor suite at Hotel Okura, holding a cup of untouched milk tea in her hand, her eyes on Masayoshi Okada, carrying a touch of caution and a touch of feigned timidity.

"Mr. Okada… I feel like I've done something wrong." Masayoshi Okada sat opposite her, about to pick up a piece of yokan from the tea tray, hearing this, his hand paused: "What wrong?"

"I think… I accidentally let my father know. He knows I went to Kobe, knows I'm staying at this hotel, knows I'm with you… He seems to have misunderstood something." Her voice grew softer and softer, the last few words nearly inaudible, eyes downcast, fingers rubbing back and forth on the rim of the teacup, looking like a helpless little woman.

Masayoshi Okada jumped, quickly putting the yokan back on the plate: "Your father? Minister Shosuke? How did he find out?"

"I… I was on the phone with my mother, and I accidentally let it slip. I said I was in Kobe, with people from the Metropolitan Police Department. My mother asked who I was with, I said… Mr. Okada. Then she handed the phone to my father." Minami Nao lifted her head to glance at him, then quickly lowered it, speaking weakly: "My father seems very angry. He said… he wants to talk to your father. Mr. Okada, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to. Will you blame me?"

Masayoshi Okada looked at her like that, originally wanting to say something like "This really isn't good, next time don't do things that cause misunderstanding" or "We're on official business, why didn't you say so?"—but seeing her downcast eyes, eyelashes trembling slightly, his words got stuck in his throat and wouldn't come out.

"No way. Of course not. This is our Special Mission Division case—you're a witness, you're an assistant, you came to Kobe with us because I agreed. If there's any misunderstanding on your father's side, I'll explain it. You don't need to apologize—we're the ones bothering you." Masayoshi Okada could only comfort her like that. "Really?"

"Really!"

Minami Nao lifted her gaze from the teacup, being looked at by her, Masayoshi Okada's face showed a kind of uncommon restraint, his ears slightly reddening. "Hehehehehahahaha roar roar roar hehehehehe coo coo coo!" Nearby, Date Nagamune, Maeda Toshihide, and Igarashi Hayato were already hanging by the window, laughing hysterically, Maeda Toshihide even rolling on the ground: "West Mata, oh nei ga, wa da shi!!!"

"Hey! Kora! You guys! Stop messing around and organize the case files, tooth sound!!!" Masayoshi Okada finally snapped, standing up and shouting at the troublemaking trio.

Minami Nao looked even more embarrassed, she lowered her head and took a sip of tea, looking wronged but silently enduring.

The corner of the noble lady's mouth flashed a curve behind the rim of the cup.

Plan succeeded.

This kind of man needs constant pressure—make him feel he owes you, make him feel you're thinking of him, make him feel you've been wronged but he can't say anything.

Step by step, slowly, he'll shift from "I should take care of her" to "I want to take care of her," from "I want to take care of her" to "I can't live without her."

Then, seize him firmly!

Is it Okada Miki?

Your husband is great, but from now on, he's mine! He belongs to my little fish fish!

Parents' side, my side—everything's settled.

Next, as long as I get Chief Medical Examiner Uesugi Muneyuki and Section Chief Uesugi Minami, Police Superintendent to approve my status, everyone will be mine, on my side—what else can you do to refuse me?

The noble lady calmly grasped all the rhythms.

Everyone from the Special Mission Division, please arrange a meeting~

Don't you also not want to see your beloved Administrative Section Chief Okada, a national hero, end up alone and lonely in old age?