The Reason My hair is Blonde Cause and effect Part-5
Chapter 28
Kudan-shita
The headquarters of what used to be Debt Bank/Nihon Credit Bank.
Since the banking functions were transferred to the Keika-in Bank as the main branch, this building has become vacant, with plans for reconstruction already decided, leaving it empty.
In the reception room of such a building, the butler Tachibana was conducting an intense interview with guests in front of me and my classmates, Eiichi, Yujiro, and Mitsuya, from the Teito Gakushukan Quartet.
"What exactly is going on? Could you explain?"
In front of the guest, Police Inspector Maefuji Shouichi, a newspaper lay with the headline, "Finance Minister Izumikawa Resigns! Taking responsibility for corruption within the Ministry of Finance, arrests made..."
This corruption case started with benefits given to racketeers, leading to the involvement of MOF officials and bank employees in the Ministry of Finance.
With the Finance Minister resigning and even suicides among those arrested, on top of the ongoing Asian financial crisis, Japan's financial administration is in a state of complete paralysis.
"Well, our job as policemen is to catch those who do wrong."
"I understand that. What I want to know is the process and the motives behind using me as bait for this investigation."
The smile on Inspector Maefuji's face faded, leaving only his eyes smiling behind the mask.
At least, even if I don't, the three boys are all geniuses in their own right.
They can understand the logic, which is why they're participating in this intense interview.
[T/N- No Author just wanted to put these brat in for more covarage nothing more nothing less]
Leaving aside Eiichi, Yujiro's father was forced to resign as Minister of Finance, leading him to decide not to run in the party presidential election.
Although Mitsuya's father was identified as a suspect in the investigation and nothing came of it, the Budget Bureau itself has suffered significant damage, and its future looks bleak.
As for me, I've been through a terrifying experience, and with the scandal within the Keika-in family, both my uncle and my cousin are in a frenzy over the aftermath.
Their appearance here indicates a desire to understand the whole series of events.
"Public Security investigated them quite early on, didn't they?"
At least, it seems that the matter has been settled with Public Security, not to be disclosed as an internal matter of the Keika-in family.
Considering all these factors, it's hard not to suspect that Public Security had a hand in this whole affair.
"When our car was tailed, your appearance was the evidence. The Romanov family's treasure, the Moonlight Fund. There were plenty of reasons why I was targeted. But there's someone who incited them to target me."
A calm elementary school detective presenting her deductions. It really felt like a certain famous detective.
[T/N- most probably detective Kanon reference]
"You are from Public Security. Public Security knew that the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office was targeting the Ministry of Finance. Keika-in Bank and Keika-in Securities are colonies of the Ministry of Finance, especially with the bad debt disposal issue. If the Ministry of Finance were to fall due to this scandal, the Keika-in Group could be taken under control. That's the gist of the scheme I presume!"
I paused for a moment and took a sip of grape juice. Without enjoying the aftertaste, I continued.
"The problem was that the perpetrators really intended to betray me. The huge sum of money in the Romanov family's treasure, the Moonlight Fund, was about to transition from a staged kidnapping to a real one. That's why it ended up like this."
I glanced at the three boys. While they understood, they seemed unsure how to react. They didn't know that adult fights were more than just arguments.
[T/N - no sh!t Sherlock what did you expect them do !???]
"So you had to rescue me on board at all costs , Using these three as evidence. Because it was a setup, if Inspector Maefuji acted, they would be wary. By involving me, he angered this side too, and at that time, these three were the only ones left."
The fact that Finance Minister Izumikawa just resigned and Mitsuya's father, who was the Deputy Chief of the Budget Bureau, were not prosecuted was evidence. If either of them had been arrested, the prosecutors would have scored a major victory. It was undoubtedly thanks to Inspector Maefuji's Public Security that they managed to suppress this scandal within the scope of a deal.
I won't say it here, but Eiichi? He just joined in on his own accord, being the kind of person he is.
[T/N- okay that's the whole para-
この両者とも逮捕まで持っていけば検察は大金星として評価されるものだった。
それを抑えたのは間違いなく前藤正一警部の公安で、私の誘拐事件の手打ちの中に入ったのだろう。
この場で言うつもりも無いが。
栄一くん？
彼は俺様キャラで勝手に加わったと見た。
「探偵漫画だったらなかなかの筋書きですな。
ですが、状況証拠ばかりで物的証拠が無い」
What the hell did eichi said ???? Is it something kind of typo from the author??]
"If this were a detective manga, it would be quite a plot. However, there's only circumstantial speculation and no physical evidence."
Inspector Maefuji responded as if he were cooperating with my nonsense, almost like he was the culprit himself. Even if he blamed himself, it would be like cutting off the lizard's tail. The Finance Ministry's defeat had already been decided.
"The return of Hong Kong to Communist China and the Asian Currency Fund Plan."
[T/N- till 1997 Hongkong still was under UNION FLAG (England+Scotland+Wales), after the china took over from The Great Britan, and that's the official End of British Empire]
Inspector Maefuji's smile disappeared. It seems this is where the real battle begins.
"Japan managed to weather the storm of bad debt disposal through the Finance Ministry's convoy system. But in doing so, they missed something important. Communist China regained control of Hong Kong during this time, but did you know that a significant portion of the underground money there flowed into Asian countries? And who absorbed that money? Hedge funds in the United States."
"Miss, even in a story, there are things better left unsaid."
Hedge funds based in the United States were running rampant during this time. And it coincided with the interests of the United States. Interestingly, there were many conservative politicians who wished for "Japan's weakening" during this time. There were still people from the wartime generation who didn't want to confront the United States again after losing the Pacific War.
The Asian Currency Fund Plan was proposed by an elder of the Keika-in clan who had served as Minister. It was a grand plan that not only provided funds to protect Japan from hedge funds but also included economic support. However, if this plan had been realized, it would have overlapped with the functions of the IMF, which the United States opposed. In order to maintain the Japan-US alliance, the Keika-in family made out the scapegoat. The Keika-in family was chosen for this stage precisely because of my past as an Eastern sympathizer.
"Fair enough. It was quite an interesting story."
As Inspector Maefuji tried to leave, Nakamaro onii-sama entered with a voice. Unlike his usual indifferent noble appearance, his emotions were clearly visible.
"Ah!"
Nakamaro onii-sama punched Inspector Maefuji in the face as soon as he entered. Inspector Maefuji collapsed on the floor, blood streaming from his nose.
"Don't involve my precious sister in such dirty things!! From now on, you will never set foot in the Keika-in family estate! Make sure you report that upstairs."
Wiping the blood from his nose, Inspector Maefuji bowed silently and left. But I knew better to take to face value.
Nakamaro onii-sama hugged me tightly.
"I'm sorry, Runa. I didn't know you were so scared. But rest assured. No matter what anyone says, you're a member of the Keika-in family and my precious sister!!"
Nakamaro onii-sama's tears fell on my cheek.
Even a police inspector would have been trained in martial arts for the sake of apprehending criminals. Nevertheless, Inspector Maefuji was punched by Nakamaro. In other words, this falls within the scope of the deal between the Keika-in family and Public Security.
"Don't cry, Runa. Hey, could you guys say something to cheer up Runa?"
Nakamaro and the three boys panicked at my tears. That's not it, everyone.
Hey, Keika-in Runa.
What was it about the protagonist that you envied so much, are you descended into paranoia and distrust of humanity?
[P/R- forgive the guy for that constant b!TCH!ng towards the male leads , he read Korean otome-sekai for few days and now he hate the guts of every male protagonist of otome genre, he dislike them from the beginning as he found them boring but now it changed into pure hate , it will tone down in few days, and I will delete half of the "T/N" don't worry]
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Glossary
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The corruption within the Ministry of Financ
Also known as the "No-Pants Shabu-Shabu Incident." While researching for this piece, I came across the revelation that "No-Pants Shabu-Shabu was categorized as a restaurant, unlike a brothel, allowing bureaucrats to use it for entertainment expenses by obtaining receipts." I burst out laughing. So, receipts were the key, huh?
Corporate raiders
Individuals who buy shares of a company to profit. They're different from vocal shareholders, but to the average person, they don't seem too different—I chuckled while reading a certain Y! Answers thread.
Mof-officer
a colloquial term for negotiators dealing with the Ministry of Finance. It seems to have been replaced by "FSA-officer" (negotiators dealing with the Financial Services Agency) nowadays. Also, there's apparently "BOJ-officer" (negotiators dealing with the Bank of Japan).
Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office
The era when their special investigation unit acted meant a political and business scandal was afoot, for sure.
The Return of Hong Kong
To China occurred in 1997. There were so many things happening at the time that trying to create a conspiracy theory about it ended up feeling more real than fictional, as I once heard.
The Asian Currency Fund Plan
Japan's vresion of the AIIB. If this had been established, it would have been a key point in the economic speculative fiction.
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Translator Note
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I am changing this series as daily one too , ah but tomorrow there will no chapter as I am traveling a bit for God knows why?
~~~End~~~