Chapter 586 A Decisive Decision

Shuichi took a sip of tea, and after a moment, he slowly began:

“So, you went in a circle, and in the end, you still handed the business right back into your own hands?”

“How can you put it that way?”

Satsuki blinked quite innocently.

“I am clearly helping those small and medium-sized enterprises solve their security assurance problems.”

Watching her solemn expression, Shuichi was amused to the point of laughing out loud.

However, after laughing, he pondered carefully for a moment and suddenly realized another matter.

“But Satsuki, what if other enterprises establish their own professional security organizations in the future?”

“Then let them establish them.”

Satsuki did not mind.

“The law wasn’t written exclusively for Saionji.”

“As long as they meet the conditions, other enterprises can certainly apply as well.”

She took a sip of black tea.

“But Father, how much time do you think it takes to build a set of professional security systems?”

“Half a year? A year?”

“Even if they are willing to spend the money, training personnel from scratch, establishing crisis centers, and passing various government reviews is definitely not an easy task.”

“And are those business operators who already realize they are unsafe really willing to wait that long?”

Shuichi was silent for a moment.

“I’m afraid not.”

“That’s right.”

Satsuki nodded.

“So, they will likely purchase services from us first.”

“In a few years, when other enterprises finally establish their own security systems, we might already have a large batch of long-term clients.”

“Besides…”

She paused slightly.

“A matter like professional security doesn’t end just by buying equipment.”

“Personnel need training, equipment needs maintenance, intelligence needs continuous updating, and various crisis response plans also need regular adjustment.”

“If someone has already arranged all these things for them, why build a new set themselves?”

Hearing this, Shuichi looked thoughtful.

He had already caught his daughter’s underlying meaning.

Once those enterprises got used to using the security services provided by Saionji, it wouldn’t be so easy to completely break away from this dependence in the future.

Moreover, this wasn’t just economic dependence.

After all, the security department needed to know the daily itineraries of the protected targets, the locations of important facilities, and potential security risks within the enterprises.

This information itself possessed quite high value.

Of course, even if enterprises were willing to purchase services, it didn’t mean Saionji could arbitrarily acquire and use this data.

But long-term and stable security cooperation would inevitably form a relationship between Saionji and its clients that was much closer than ordinary commercial transactions.

Thinking of this, Shuichi looked back at the television.

“You are even planning to take care of other people’s security now.”

Satsuki smiled slightly.

“As long as they are willing to pay, why not?”

While they were talking, the second-to-last inquiring lawmaker had appeared on the television screen.

It was precisely the one mentioned on the liaison room list just now.

Compared to the emotionally agitated conservative lawmaker earlier, his attitude was noticeably much gentler.

“Regarding the equipment scope for special security personnel, I believe the government’s current stage of consideration centered around pistol permits is appropriate.”

“At the same time, to ensure the absolute safety of firearm management, the strict standards in the bill regarding all-weather crisis management capabilities, professional training systems, and communication equipment must never be easily relaxed.”

Shiokawa Masajuro at the government bench saw his previously tight expression ease up a little.

However, before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the lawmaker changed the subject and opened a page of supplementary documents in his hand:

“However, considering the practical security needs mentioned by several colleagues just now, if an enterprise indeed faces severe threats and lacks the capability to independently establish a crisis management center, this seat suggests adding a supplementary clause to the bill—allowing enterprises that meet the protection conditions to directly entrust institutions that have already obtained special security qualifications to provide armed security services on their behalf.”

Hearing these words, Shiokawa Masajuro’s brow furrowed again instantly.

He looked down at the original bill in front of him.

Today’s meeting was originally just meant to go through the final procedures and vote to pass the basic bill centered on corporate self-defense, which had been discussed for over half a year.

But now the opponent suddenly proposed allowing external commissioned security, and the nature of the matter changed completely—that meant enterprises holding licenses could not only arm themselves, but also legally lease armed forces to other companies.

According to the consistently cautious style of Kasumigaseki, such a major issue crammed in at the last minute should, no matter what, be left for future amendments to haggle over slowly.

Shiokawa Masajuro instinctively reached out, preparing to pick up the microphone and first block the matter with official jargon like further in-depth study by relevant departments is still needed.

Just at this moment, a government official guarding the side-rear of the government bench hurried forward, and taking the opportunity of handing over supplementary materials, leaned down and whispered two sentences into Shiokawa’s ear.

Shiokawa Masajuro’s hand reaching toward the microphone froze in mid-air instantly.

He lowered his head, glanced at the sticky note clipped to the very top of the folder, then raised his eyes again, casting his gaze across the podium toward the Liberal Democratic Party seats below.

In just the past few short minutes, several batches of people had quietly entered and exited through the secretary passageway at the side door of the chamber.

At this moment, among the semicircular red seats, not only the twenty or thirty core lawmakers who usually followed Saionji’s lead, but also a large swathe of lawmakers nearby from the Construction Caucus, Commerce and Industry Caucus, and Postal Services Caucus—whose interests were closely intertwined with Odaiba development, the national logistics network, and financial restructuring—had all put down the materials in their hands.

There were a full fifty or sixty people back and forth, accounting for almost nearly a quarter of the ruling party’s seats, and even including several factional cadres and committee directors sitting in the front rows.

They all seemed to have received the same instruction, and at this moment, their gazes looked uniformly toward the government bench, silently exerting pressure.

At the same time, that lawmaker on the podium appropriately added a sentence:

“Minister Shiokawa, if even a compromise plan like this—one that balances strict regulation with practical demands—cannot be established today, I’m afraid the business community’s concerns regarding high-intensity attacks will only further intensify, and the debate surrounding relaxing weapon restrictions and lowering entry thresholds just now will also be hard to truly calm down before the vote.”

As his voice fell, those senior lawmakers and committee directors in the front row who had close ties to Saionji slightly adjusted their sitting postures almost simultaneously, their calm gazes falling upon Shiokawa Masajuro.

The air at the government bench seemed to suddenly become a bit heavier.

Shiokawa Masajuro remained silent in his seat for a full four or five seconds.

As a cabinet minister who had struggled for many years in Nagatacho, he naturally understood the weight behind that vast expanse of gazes below the stage, and he also understood the meaning of the government official’s whispered message just now.

This was the meaning from Odaiba.

This bill originally arose because of the June 27 Incident. If he openly rejected Saionji’s proposal today, not only would the lawmakers of the Saionji faction no longer help the government suppress the clamor of the radicals, but when formulating the implementation rules next time, the National Police Agency would have to face the wheel of pressure from the entire business community all alone.

Conversely, if he agreed to this condition while the entry threshold remained stuck at the highest standard, the National Police Agency would only need to keep an eye on a very small number of licensed institutions to smoothly push today’s bill through.

Weighing the pros and cons was merely a matter of an instant.

Moreover, he had no room to refuse.

Shiokawa Masajuro slowly took a breath and picked up the microphone again:

“Just as the committee member said, the strict review benchmarks are to ensure that firearms remain under reliable supervision.”

Looking at the podium, he replied in a deep voice:

“For business operators who do not possess a complete crisis management system themselves, having institutions that have already obtained special security qualifications provide related security services on commission complies with the principle of this bill to control the proliferation of firearms and guarantee core security. The government agrees to accept this supplementary amendment clause and will clarify the division of responsibilities between both parties in the subsequent implementation rules.”

As soon as this reply came out, a subtle commotion instantly arose within the chamber.

On the Socialist Party seats on the left, several opposition lawmakers instantly and acutely sensed that something was wrong, whispering to one another, and someone had already reached out to press the speaking application badge on the desk.

What was even more interesting was that the conservative lawmaker who had just loudly called for the provision of long guns and automatic weapons was originally still nodding slightly in his seat, seemingly feeling that this counted as a pretty good compromise.

Yet merely two or three seconds later, as if he had suddenly figured out some calculation, the expression on his face stiffened all at once.

Wait—

The entry thresholds remained completely unchanged, while simultaneously allowing institutions that obtained qualifications to undertake external business?

Wouldn’t that mean the enterprises behind him not only wouldn’t get a shred of weapon authority, but in the future, if they wanted to find someone for armed protection, they would only be able to beg Saionji, which had long since built the complete system?!

The lawmaker’s expression changed, and he abruptly turned his head to look at his colleagues beside him, raising his hand intending to signal the speaker for an additional inquiry.

However, before he and the opposition people could raise their hands, the Saionji faction lawmaker scheduled to speak last had already stood up cleanly and decisively:

“Mr. Speaker!”

“This seat expresses satisfaction with the government’s reply just now, and supports the previously formally submitted amendment motion!”

He raised his voice slightly.

“This seat forfeits the remaining speaking time. At the same time, given that relevant issues have been fully discussed, I move to terminate the inquiry and immediately enter the voting procedure!”

The speaker in the main chair seemed to be in a rush to get off work as well, not even sparing a second glance in the direction of the opposition party and that conservative lawmaker.

He directly picked up the agenda sheet in front of him and decisively hammered down the final word:

“Inquiry time concludes here! The supplementary amendment motion meets the quorum. Next, we shall proceed immediately to vote on this bill and the amendment clauses together!”

“Mr. Speaker! Wait a moment—”

Someone protested loudly from the opposition party seats, and those traditional business community faction lawmakers who had just caught on anxiously shifted forward in their seats.

But everything was already too late.

“Those in favor, please rise!”

As the speaker’s command fell, the Liberal Democratic Party majority lawmakers and centrist allies who had long received hints stood up from their seats in unison with a rustle.

“The ayes have it!”

“The amendment motion passes!”

The crisp sound of the wooden mallet striking the tabletop directly covered up the sporadic uproar below the stage, spreading through the television across the entire office.

“This bill has been passed as amended by the House of Representatives!”

“The Special Security Bill for Important Private Facilities has been officially passed!”

In front of the television, Shuichi looked at those business community faction lawmakers on the screen who still had their mouths open in stunned dismay and frustration, then looked at his daughter leisurely picking up her teacup beside him, and couldn’t help shaking his head.

“Well, this is great. Without even letting them catch their breath, you’ve directly presented them with a fait accompli.”

“Who told them to argue so fiercely just now.”

Satsuki finished the last bit of warm tea in her cup and said with a smile:

“If they hadn’t proactively hyped up the atmosphere to that point, I wouldn’t have found such a good excuse to make Minister Shiokawa nod on the spot.”

“When those chairmen behind them see the final text of the bill tonight, they will probably really want to call that lawmaker over and ask who on earth he went to speak for today.”

Chizuru stepped forward, picked up the remote control, and turned down the volume of the television a bit.

Shuichi stood up from the sofa, stretched his shoulders, and a relaxed smile also appeared on his face.

“Anyway, the dust has finally settled. Over half a year of effort wasn’t wasted; once the implementation rules come out, Dojima’s side can officially open for business.”

“Mm, this is enough for the first stage.”

Satsuki also stood up along with him, walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, and looked toward the shimmering Tokyo Bay in the distance under the sunlight.

Starting today, the institutional door for private enterprises to legally possess armed forces had been officially pushed open by her.

However, compared to the smooth passage of the bill itself, that little episode that occurred in the chamber today actually made her find it even more interesting.

Half a year ago, when she had just woken up from the hospital and decided to push for revising the security system, she thought this would be a long tug-of-war that required Saionji to push the government forward bit by bit from behind.

But by today, she discovered that some things no longer needed her to push.

One change triggered another change, and the people drawn into it followed their respective interests and fears to make choices that had never existed in the original history.

The current world seemed to be relying on its own inertia to accelerate its deviation from the original worldline.

The sunlight on the sea surface was a bit dazzling.

Satsuki stood quietly by the window thinking for a while, then gently exhaled a breath, and the trace of contemplation between her brows gradually smoothed out.

Let it deviate if it wants to.

She lowered her head, overlooking the five-hundred-meter-tall black skyscraper beneath her feet.

Today’s Saionji was long no longer the Former Kazoku from seven years ago that could only rely on her foresight to pull chestnuts out of the fire.

Massive capital reserves, global industrial and intelligence networks, a top-tier scientific research system, plus the legal armed authority officially held in her hands starting today… This behemoth she spent seven years building with her own hands had already become a part of determining the wind direction itself.

Even if the future trajectory became increasingly unfamiliar, what did it matter?

No matter where this world drifted next, the current Saionji already possessed sufficient capability to cope with any changes.