《I Found a Hole in my Yard. It Might Be a Dungeon, but That’s Now my Garbage Dump》
Chapter 1: One Day, I Found a Hole in my Yard
Chapter 1: One Day, I Found a Hole in my Yard
[It made a hole in that ce huh?]
After the typhoon passed, Gomi Hiroki was cleaning up his messy garden when he found a big hole in the corner of his property.
[Geez The real estate guy really just forced a randomnd on me]
and involuntarilyined.
Its been two years since Hiroki resigned from his job at a ck tradingpany in his 30s, retired, and opened a recycling shop in his hometown.
With a mini-truck and a super cab, he went around the local area to collect and repair recyble goods, a job that suited him well, but he hardly had any profits.
If he would even need to improve his homeground, there was no telling how much it would cost him.
Fortunately, the yard, which doubles as his storage area, isrge and far from his home and office.
[For the time being, I guess Ill just throw some of the garbage in it.]
After throwing the branches and leaves from his yard into the hole, Hiroki went back to his usual work.
The time after a typhoon is a good one for the recyclers to make some money.
Starting the engine of his mini-truck, Hirokis partner cheerfully responded again today.
[Well then, I guess its working again today Wait, arehh? Where did the branches go?]
The next morning, Hiroki checked the condition of his yard and when he saw the hole, he found something unusual.
The hole that should have been filled with garbage yesterday became an empty one again.
[This is bad Is this hole quite the deep one?]
Looking at that hole, Hiroki was reminded about a foreign news report he had seen about how huge holes in the ground were due to the soil flowing with the groundwater.
He also learned from it that investigating it by himself wouldnt be safe.
[For the time being, I guess Ill just throw some more garbage in it.]
Hiroki decided to throw away the shredded documents and unnecessarybustible garbage that had umted in his office.
For a not-so-profitable recycling shop, throwing away documents that are ssified as business waste is quite the responsibility.
Anyhow, the situation hes in cant get any worse than it is now.
Its the real estate agents fault for being negligent innd management.
"
"
Justifying such thoughts within his mind, Hiroki dumped 30 40L bags of office documents into the hole.
Thereupon, he simply picked up his shovel and covered the hole with soil.
[No, no. As expected, this is just strange]
The next morning, Hiroki found the hole that he should have filled up waspletely empty, as if nothing had happened.
[Did someone dig the contents out? Is this some sort of prank?]
With that thought in mind, Hiroki looked around for a hidden camera somewhere in the bushes in his yard.
Nowadays, the world is being gued by pranksters who shoot their videos without thinking about the troubles theyre causing.
Hiroki could brush that matter aside if they just took those trash with them, but if they spread the office waste somewhere else, Hiroki could be held liable andpensation issues may ur.
[This is troubling Should I install a surveince camera?]
These days, even cameras costing a few thousand yen can provide infrared surveince at night.
Setting up the camera he had bought from a fellow recycler and linking it to hisptop, Hiroki then dumped the rest of the office waste into the hole and buried it.
If there really was someone pranking him, he would be caught in the camera.
The next day, Hiroki found that the garbage still disappeared.
The hole was also still there.
[Now then, lets see if the camera caught the culprits face]
If someone is trespassing on his property every night without permission, even if its just a man living alone, theyd still find the intruders actions really unpleasant.
[There Lets see Hmm? Hmmm?]
The surveince camera caught no one.
The hole just quietly swallowed up the garbage Hiroki threw in it.
[Is this one of those ground-shifting stuff? Or perhaps, that so-called quicksand Ive heard about?]
Hiroki feels that something out of the ordinary was happening, but as long as there was no culprit involved in it, he thinks that there are no particr problems with it.
Putting unnecessary thoughts aside, Hiroki decided to just go back to his recycling business.
The new dumping ground for business waste saved him money, but without sales, his small recycling business wouldnt be able to survive.
Chapter 2: Throwing Garbage into the Hole Continues
Chapter 2: Throwing Garbage into the Hole Continues
That day, Hiroki was troubled by the unreasonable demands of his business partner.
[Hey,e on now, Gomi-chan, please take our dismantled products for recycling.]
[Eh? But Director, these arent recybles, these are construction wastes.]
[Cant you somehow do something about it?]
On that day, Director Tsuchiya was very forceful.
He was short, blond, muscr, which earned him the nickname Bean Tank. Hes the kind of person that Hiroki isnt good at interacting with.
Recently, the regtory authorities have be stricter, and it seems that the business model of bribing bidders to pay off the construction costs isnt working anymore. To impose the losses onto his business partners, Director Tsuchiya wanted Hiroki to collect the construction waste, calling it recybles.
When you do business in a rural area, you would have an inseparable rtionship with corrupt vendors like him. Or rather, you dont have any other choice but to resign yourself from doing business with people like these.
In the end, Hiroki was forced to collect a whole truckload of construction waste.
[Well, I suppose things depend on how you look at them. I guess Ill just dump them all in that hole.]
That was Hirokis best attempt at bravado.
But after he returned home and dumped the garbage in the hole in his yard, his bravado turned to surprise.
The hole, which used to be filled just by throwing away the office waste bag, showed no sign of being filled even after dumping a mini-truck full of construction waste.
[Could it be that this hole is expanding underground?]
Thinking about such a situation, Hiroki felt the trouble he would be in. There was no telling when the hole would reach underneath his house and sink it underground.
[I need to throw in even more garbage]
Not questioning how he possesses physical ability to withstand throwing a whole truckload of trash into the hole, thinking about how he still needed to throw in a lot more earth tomorrow, he started revising his work schedule within his mind for tomorrow.
In the end, Hiroki took in a lot of construction waste from the corrupt constructionpany.
As expected though, Hiroki didnt collect them for free.
However, the price was much lower than the market price.
Some of the garbage was even from the demolition of houses.
[Arent these considered industrial waste already]
Dumping industrial waste is an illegal act.
However, Hiraki felt that he had to keep throwing garbage into the hole to prevent his house from copsing.
He was just driven by a strong sense of urgency to do such a thing.
However, he doesnt know where this convictiones from.
Hiroki continued to throw a huge amount of garbage into the hole, enough to fill two mini-trucks.
However, the hole was still there the next morning, showing its inner darkness.
Its as if the hole is mocking him, telling Hiroki that all his actions are in vain.
Construction Contractor Tsuchiya was concerned about a young recycler he had been seeing more and moretely.
That recycler is a dangerous person.
Having been working as the local construction contractor for many years, Tsuchiyas gut feeling was telling him that that recycler is dangerous, or at least, connected to someone dangerous.
The illegal disposal of industrial waste is good cost-wise.
But if one doesnt do it right, you would find their hands right behind you.
This is why there are no idiots dumping garbage in the local area.
Tsuchiya thinks that that recycler is dumping their garbage in the mountains of some other prefecture.
Whether its because hes in need of money or because he felt threatened, the reason is none of Tsuchiyas business.
However, he thinks that he might need to prepare in case the recycler does the unthinkable.
Until then though, he would make as much money as he could.
That was what Local Construction Contractor Tsuchiyasmon sense was telling him.
Chapter 3: The Voice I Hear From the Hole is Probably Just Within my Imagination
Chapter 3: The Voice I Hear From the Hole is Probably Just Within my Imagination
There was a sudden increase in the surplus excavation soil and construction demolition waste.
[I wonder if this is because of Director Tsuchiya Geez, forcing the unreasonable on others]
When Hiroki talked to the person who brought those wastes to him, they told him that Director Tsuchiya was using his connections as Construction Contractor to distribute information about him to otherpanies within the same industry.
There is even a constructionpany that drove to his home with a 10-ton truck instead of a mini-truck.
Hiroki wants them to stop though.
Because of their deeds, Hirokis main business, recycling, is now closed.
He is now throwing garbage into the hole from morning to night.
He isnt forced to the red because he epts their garbage for a fee, but he eventually reached the limit of carrying the garbage by hand.
Thus, he asked a nearby metal worker to set up a simple conveyor belt and installed it in his workshop.
It was then attached to a simple conveyor about 10 meters wide, matching the full diameter of the hole.
Hiroki would then ask the dump trucks to dump the trash they brought on the conveyor, andter he would use a shovel to load the trash that had spilled out and cram it into the hole.
This made his job much easier.
The problem though, is the eyes of his neighbors.
Although Hiroki lives in the countryside and his neighbor is more than a hundred meters away from his home, when a suspicious dump truck which actually is rted to suspicious business- but anyhow, with a dump truck like that around, it bes a rumor in the neighborhood.
The hole will quickly dispose of the garbage they brought, but Hiroki doesnt want to hearints about the noise from the dump trucks and conveyor.
[I think you better get a license for waste disposal. Ill introduce you to a guy who had influence with the prefecture and is good with permits.]
When Hiroki went toin about this to the corrupt Construction Contractor, they introduced him to someone else.
[Ive heard rumors about you. Im Kaneda from Kaneda Asset Management Finance. Ill do my best to make sure Hiroki-san wont be disadvantaged.]
He is about 180cm, a little taller than Hiroki, and of slim build. He speaks politely, but the way his hair is all gelled up and the tortoiseshell sses over his narrow eyes give him an eerie impression.
[Finance? Youre from the bank? I dont need your offers.]
[No, no. We do invest in good businesses, but our forte is in real estate and permits. Were well-acquainted with those in the prefectural government after all]
[Huhh]
In short, it seems that he has rtives in the relevant departments of the local government.
Thats prettymon in businesses in the countryside.
[Its very easy to get a waste disposal license as long as you have the proper paperwork.]
Even though Kaneda said such a thing with a smile, the eyes behind his tortoiseshell sses werent smiling at all.
I originally nned to start a private recycling business, but before I knew it, it had be a waste disposalpany.
Officials from the prefectural government came to inspect the site, but the inspection went off without a hitch.
At any rate, there was hardly any waste left on the site.
With the paperwork in order, there was nothing left for them to inspect.
I bought up morend around the site, expanded it and put up high walls made of galvanized iron. Thereupon, I decided to ept arge amount of industrial waste with open arms.
At the same time, my ount started to show an amount of money that I had never seen before.
At any rate, all Hiroki had to do was ept the garbage and send it to the conveyor connected to the hole.
It was a no-cost business with no inventory to keep track of, no risk to take and no employees to pay.
It would be strange if Hiroki doesnt make any profit.
It is said that if garbage is piled up for a long time, it may cause problems likebustibles suddenly igniting, but in Hirokis case, he had no such risk at all.
All he had to do was throw the trash in the hole, and it would be gone the next morning.
Its a great business that brings zero pollution.
Recently, Hiroki decided not to worry about where the hole leads to.
What is important is the amount of money umting in his ount.
Even if his home were to copse because of the hole, he already had enough to move anywhere he wants.
[Giii Giii]
[Ginyaaa yaaaa]
Thats why, he decided to think that the little screeches he sometimes hearding from the hole were just the sound of garbage scraping together.
His mental health was safe and sound.
At any rate, since Hiroki started this job, his body has been feeling unusually good.
The tiredness he used to feel every morning when he wakes up even disappeared.
With his current body, Hiroki feels that he can run faster than when he was a student.
The amount of money umting in his ount must have been revitalizing his mind.
That was what Hiroki tells himself.
Chapter 4: Bums are Approaching the Hole
Chapter 4: Bums are Approaching the Hole
Hiroki was met with another problem.
Just when he thought his business was going well
It was that money-lending tortoiseshell sses from Whatever Finance who brought in the trouble.
[No, no. Thats outrageous. This is good news for you]
[Huhh]
[The heck is that, bro? Even though Im the one bringing in all the profits, what the heck is with that attitude!? Yeah!?]
[Huhh]
Flopping down on the couch in Hirokis office in a white double suit, the guy ced his feet, wearing enamel shoes, on the table. Looking at him though, Hiroki wondered.
This is good news?
Hiroki thinks that his definition of good news differs greatly from tortoiseshell sses.
[Errr Hougi-san was it?]
[Yeah! Im Hougi!]
[Which family are you with?]
[What bullsh*t are you on now!? Im apany employee!]
If he had just told Hiroki his familys name, he could have refused the deal ording to the Anti-Boryokudan Act.
(T/N: Its aw in Japan that apparently shifted the Yakuza VS Police to Yakuza VS Society. An ordinance that prohibits citizens from making or keeping up a rtionship with the yakuza)
These days, yakuzas are so clever that they can be troublesome.
But then, those who werent clever were either thrown behind bars or had their ties cut off by their family.
[I see What is thepany employee Hougi-sans business here?]
[Ahhh? You freaking looking down on me!? I said! Im here to talk business!]
[Huhh]
Looking at the raging guy in front of him, Hiroki wondered.
Why is it that even though a guy, who clearly looks like hes a yakuza, is threatening him, he isnt feeling fear at all.
When Hiroki silently returned his gaze, for some reason, it was Hougi who looked away.
[Tsk Well, simply speaking, were asking you to dispose of our trash.]
He clicked his tongue. That isnt something apany employee would have done.
[Im still taking up contracts for disposing of construction waste though.]
[Nah, nah, the trash were having you dispose of is special.]
[Special huh]
Hearing his words, Hiroki wondered why he had a bad feeling about it.
[This is to help the people working in the hospital and farms In other words, its an act of mercy.]
[An act of mercy huh]
Those were words that didnt fit a yakuza at all.
No, hes a self-proimedpany employee, isnt he?
Thinking about it though, the bad feeling Hiroki was having was just getting stronger.
[So, what exactly are you talking about here?]
[Disposing of syringes Also, this and that.]
[This and that?]
[The soil scraped from the surface of farnds. The farmers were feeling troubled with that]
Hearing what he said though, Hiroki doesnt seem to understand what he meant by scraping the soil until he seemed to have realized something.
[Radioactive waste!? Also, youre asking me to deal with medical waste!? What are you thinking!? Thats impossible!]
And thus, Hiroki shouted.
Those two types of waste posed a different order of risk for Hiroki.
Those matters wouldnt just involve the local prefectures government.
If one doesnt do well with dealing with them, the country wille after them.
If that happens, the idiotic tail that would be cut off would definitely be Hiroki.
[Ahhh? Dont you want to help people?]
Even if the yakuza threatens him, Hiroki thinks that doing this is impossible.
[I cant do that. I refuse.]
[Even if I ask like this, you refuse?]
[Please go help people by yourself.]
[You f*cking brat! You dare get cocky on me!]
Enraged, the yakuza was about to grab Hiroki by the cor, but for some reason, he was able to easily grab the yakuzas hand.
On the contrary, Hiroki was even naturally overwhelming him.
[You cant do that. Im against violence.]
[You b*stard!]
He tried to strike again with a headbutt, but Hiroki gently stopped him with his other hand.
From Hirokis eyes, the yakuzas actions seem really slow.
He thinks that if a guy like him is going to make a living off violence, he should work out a bit more.
[Guhh This guy]
[Well then, please go home. The door is over there.]
Just like that, Hiroki drove the yakuza and the tortoiseshell sses out of the room, and roughly closed the door on them.
[Fuuuu]
Letting out a sigh, Hiroki wondered What in the world has he be?
Staring at the crumpled doorknob in his hand though, for some reason, Hiroki found himself unable to feel a shred of anxiety.
[Geez, what act of mercy? Radioactive waste isnt a joking matter]
Comining about what had happened during the day, Hiroki opened a can of beer.
He thinks that its better to drink and forget about unpleasant things.
[As expected, low-malt beer really wont do. It has to be the premium.]
(T/N: Premium is a beer. Hes talking about The Premium Malts.)
Hirokis drinking had been increasing recently, partly because he could now afford it.
He used to have a hard time the next morning if he drank too much, but he doesnt feel such a problem at all now and could drink without worry.
The yakuza didnt really scare him, but the deal he brought him was still in Hirokis mind.
[Radioactive Radioactive huh I guess I could do that]
Hiroki vaguely remembered an article he had read in a magazine some time ago about a radioactive marker that was apparently used to track something.
He usually pretends to have forgotten about it, but Hiroki was actually wondering where the garbage he had thrown in the hole went.
He also wondered if there were any chemicals or other substances that might leak to the surface.
[I think Id better get it checked by a specialist No, those in the prefecture wont do. But if its a university or someboratory they might be able to do a private test for me if I pay them.]
Opening the website of a local national university, still in a tipsy mood, Hiroki started looking for a suitableboratory.
Chapter 5: The Hole is a Money-Making Tree
Chapter 5: The Hole is a Money-Making Tree
[That brat Ill never forgive him]
On the other hand, the yakuza and the tortoiseshell sses couldnt calm down as they were kicked out of the room by ayman.
If ayman even looks down on him, he couldnt call himself someone who specializes in a violence-rted work.
[With the situation like this, I say we just abduct him and bury him in the mountain]
[No, killing him isnt a good idea, Hougi-san. Hiroki is a money-making tree. Until we find out where hes dumping his industrial waste, we have to keep him alive.]
Neither the yakuza nor the tortoiseshell sses believed Hirokis exnation when he told them that hes stuffing them in the hole in his yard.
Everyday, several 10-ton dump trucks full of industrial wastee and go on his property.
Its obvious that if Hiroki dumps his garbage in a hole dug up in a corner of his yard, it would overflow in no time.
They were convinced that Hiroki was secretly transporting the garbage he had received to a secret waste dump.
[But you know what, if hes roughed up a bit, wont he start listeningter?]
[Killing is a no, okay?]
Thinking that doing that could make future dealings proceed more smoothly and it might be better to let the yakuza vent at this point, the tortoiseshell sses reluctantly agreed.
On that day, as Hiroki was driving his mini-truck to the convenience store, the Mercedes Benz in front of him suddenly braked, blocking his way.
[Watch out!]
Hiroki managed to bring the truck to a sudden stop with a high-pitched squeal of the brakes, and stopping his truck, he got out of the car toin to the reckless driver.
Thereupon, five people who didnt look like respectable people got out of the Mercedes Benz that was blocking the road.
[Oi, oi, oi, this Mercedes is a special car that costs 200 million, you know? Whoa there, thats some serious scratches over there!]
[Now thats a problem, isnt it? Thats gonna need at least a hundred million to fix it.]
[Hey, bro, why arent you saying something? You getting jitters there?]
The young man wearing a jersey in the middle of the group unnaturally caressed the Mercedes Benz and coarsely sneered.
Of course, there were no scratches on it.
After all, Hirokis truck is quite a few meters away from their Mercedes Benz.
[I wonder what youre talking about? I have nothing to do with this.]
When Hiroki calmly replied, the young man wearing a jersey snapped.
[Shut up! Youre rted to this!]
The young man wearing a jersey was famous in his group for his fighting skill.
He knew from experience that ayman would be intimidated by a punch to the face.
No matter how experienced someone is in martial arts, the young man believes that no one can beat him with his actual fighting experience.
The young man wearing a jerseys confidence was even boosted by the fact that he had beaten many karate ck-belters and judo veterans in the downtowns nights.
The fist he swung, confident of his superiority in violence, stopped just before it caught Hirokis face.
No, his fist was stopped.
[Watch out there, what are you suddenly doing?]
The young man wearing a jersey was easily caught in Hirokis palm.
It wasnt guarded, nor was it blocked, but was caught with the punchs momentumpletely stopped, just like those Chinese Martial Arts masters who use what they called inner power.
If the young man wearing a jersey had any experience in martial arts, he would have been surprised at the difference between their abilities, Hirokis skills being superior than his, and would have run away.
But the man only knew street fights, and as a result, he misjudged the situation and didnt pull out.
[Y- You b*stard!]
The young man wearing a jersey raised his other fist and was about to strike again, but when his center of gravity moved behind him, Hiroki instantly pushed out the center of the mans chest with the bottom of his palm.
Vigorously blown away just like a character from a gag manga, the young man wearing a jersey crashed nearby two of his friends and with the white of his eyes clearly seen, he fainted.
The hooligans, who had been told that it was just a simple job of beating up a middle-aged man, were clearly shaken.
[W- What the heck is he!? What the heck did he do?]
[Kempo? Karate?]
[I didnt hear anything about this!]
Hearing what they said, Hirokis suspicions were confirmed.
These guys are the subordinates of that yakuza the other day.
[Im just ayman that hasnt really done anything special. Youre just slow and weak.]
That was what Hiroki personally felt.
These guys arent scary. Theyre weak. Slow. Light. Frail.
Hiroki thought about how even though he just took a few steps, the two guys he approached werent able to react at all.
Just a light tap and their teeth were blown away.
He thought that if he had just pulled his arm down a bit, he might have immediately dislocated his shoulder and would be kissing the ground.
[For people who were supposed to be specializing in violence, you sure arent working out, arent you?]
Seeing Hiroki, who had literally knocked out another two of them in the blink of an eye, smiled and pointed out how theyck skills and training
[H- Hes a monster!]
Leaving those words, the demoralized hooligans drove off in their Mercedes Benz, leaving those who had copsed on the street.
[What about these guys? Im not taking them to the hospital, okay? Well, whatever.]
Not deeply thinking about them, Hiroki got into his truck and headed towards the convenience store again.
After all, today was the release date of thest chapter of the weekly manga series that Hiroki had been following since his school days.
In Hirokis mind, that must be more important than the well-being of hooligans who picked a fight with him
Gripping the steering wheel, Hiroki seemed to be in a good mood as he hummed a lousy tune.
Chapter 6: The Moon in Heaven, The Hole in Earth
Chapter 6: The Moon in Heaven, The Hole in Earth
Something mysterious is overflowing from the hole in the yard.
Hirokis doubts regarding that hole continue to deepen.
So far, he hasnt had any problems with his body.
In fact, hes feeling too good.
He wondered, could it be that the chemicals leaking out of the hole are making him superhuman?
[Hahaha. No way. I suppose Ive been reading too many Americanicstely.]
A spider dude bitten by a spider, a speedster struck by lightning Hiroki feels troubled if he had to wear tights at his age.
Work has been good for Hirokitely.
The money in his ount is growing.
With less work and less worry about the future, most people certainly would be healthier.
Hiroki thinks that the fact that he was able to overpower hooligans was probably due to the muscles he developed through physicalbor and the confidence he gained through work.
[For the time being though, the local universitysbs that do geological and environmental research I still dont know what to do with them.]
There are so many different fields of science at universities, but with Hirokis level of knowledge, he had no idea whether he should start with the chemistry department for whatever the chemicals the hole was exuding, the physics department to investigate the radiation, or for an environmental assessment from the architecture department.
[Hmmm, maybe I should just send an email to the admin office first]
With that thought in mind, Hiroki contacted the universitys main office and was easily introduced to theboratories he wanted.
Since the incorporation of national universities, there has been a depressingck of funding for universityboratories.
Also, since the secretariat was promoting the idea of industry-university coboration with localpanies, Hirokis wish was fulfilled in exchange for a modest amount of research funding.
A few weekster, the university sent equipment and personnel from severalboratories to do the assessment.
As expected though, the professors themselves didnte, as the staff was mainlyposed of associate professors and postgraduate students.
[So, President-san, you want us to investigate the environmental pollution of thisnd?]
[Yes, thats right. It had already been surveyed by the prefecture, but since the site is so close to some houses, including my own, I thought it would be better if more detailed tests could be conducted so that the people around could feel more secure.]
[I see, so youre focusing on business sustainability and regtorypliance huh.]
[Yes, thats right.]
Ishida, the graduate student from theb he had been sent to, talked a lot.
What did he mean with that sustainosomething orpliwhat?
Hiroki couldnt understand thenguage used by intellectuals.
He thinks that theyre probably some kind of academic terms.
Clueless about what Ishida was talking about, Hiroki just affirmed in response.
The day before the survey, Hiroki had covered the area around the hole with galvanized iron sheets so that no one could enter.
It would be troubling for him if anyone identally falls into that hole after all.
[What kind of tests are you going to do?]
[Lets see In ordance with the Soil Contamination Investigation designated byw, we will test for heavy metals, vtile organicpounds and pesticides. Thus, the method well be using is abination of Soil Dissolution, Soil Content Investigation, and Soil Gas Investigation.]
[Huhh That sounds difficult, arent they?]
[No, no. Today, well be taking topsoil samples from several locations in your yard, and after doing a boring investigation, well be using the universitys equipment for analysis.]
[Ehh]
[What is it?]
[By boring, you mean digging deep into my yards soil, right?]
[Yes, thats right. Though I say that, were really just going to dig a hole of a few centimeters in diameter, so you dont have to worry about the groundwater. Well make sure it wont affect the nearby buildings.]
Hiroki felt anxious at his words.
If the hole in his yard had stretched wide, theboratorys boring drill might have arrived at the garbage he had thrown into the hole so far.
Despite Hirokis worries though, the people in theb began to prepare for the boring by setting up a tripod made of steel pipes.
Of all ces, they were setting it up near the galvanized iron sheets hiding the hole!
[Are you going to dig there?]
[Yes. This is far enough from the residential buildings that it wont affect them much even in the case of an ident.]
Researcher Ishida made a good point, so Hiroki couldnt object.
[Then, digging start.]
With his words, the boring drill was lowered from the tripod, and with the power of the jack, it dug deeper and deeper that an extension pipe was even added.
[Its digging quite deeply.]
Judging from the length of the extension pipe, they must have dug about 4 meters already.
If there was an underground cavity underneath the hole, they would have breached through it by now.
[It will be alright. The guys in theb are used to this. So far, it doesnt seem like weve hit any rocks or groundwater. The surrounding area used to be farnd, isnt it? I think the ground around here is very solid.]
[Is that so?]
Did the area they buried just happened to have no underground cavity in it?
In any case, Hiroki felt lucky.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
That night, after sending off the people who had been dispatched from the universityboratory, Hiroki happily opened a can of beer.
[Well then, Ill send the test results to thepanyter. I still wouldnt know the details until after the analysis, but from what I see, I dont think there will be any problems. After all, even for a waste disposal site, this ce is very clean.]
Researcher Ishida assured him as such.
Even so Hiroki wondered if the young researcher Ishida noticed anything about the secret of the hole.
Even among the many young people in theb, he was a man of leadership, and hes eloquent, even when talking with the older Hiroki.
Thinking that such a person would eventually rise to the top in his organization, Hiroki slumped down a beer with a strong bitter taste.
Well, whatever.
Hiroki thinks that he should just leave the smart work to the smart people, while people like him will do the work appropriate for him.
Tomorrow morning, hell start working on throwing all the piles of garbage brought by the hopeless people into the hole.
Hiroki could feel it He has to fill that hole.
To do that, he has to collect more and more garbage.
The conviction to do this steadily rose within him.
Crumpling up the empty beer can with one hand, Hiroki threw it into the trash can in the corner of the office.
Thereupon, Hiroki heard the sound of a stray cat running away, startled upon hearing the sound of a heavy metallic trash can being dented.
As the full moon shone brightly in the night sky, the ck hole in the ground opened up.
Chapter 7: Seeking the People Behind that Man
Chapter 7: Seeking the People Behind that Man
A few weekster, the results of the soil investigation from the universityboratory arrived at Hirokis office by mail.
He didnt know what the detailed numbers and such stuff meant though, so he called theb, and Researcher Ishida personally gave him the seal of approval.
[Itspletely clean. There is absolutely no contamination whatsoever. There is no problem with the groundwater either. You can even use it as farnd as it is. What kind of technology did you use to have thend treated like this?]
[No, well Thats a trade secret]
When Ishida asked about the waste treatment technology used with great interest, Hiroki had no choice but to cover it up with a wry smile.
Anyhow, Hiroki felt relieved and confident after receiving the results of thebs investigations.
Apparently, no contaminants were leaking out from that hole.
This meant that he didnt have to worry about his health and well-being.
[I think I can take on a bit more garbage. I suppose it should also be alright to take on some of the high-unit price waste]
The high-unit price waste means the waste that is highly toxic or difficult to dispose of.
This includes the ones the yakuza had offered Hiroki, medical waste and radioactive soil.
[I guess we can handle twice as much now, right?]
"
"
Two to three dump trucks a day bring garbage to Hirokis waste disposal site.
Hirokis job is to have them dumped on the conveyor and then shovel them into the hole in the yard.
Each of those trucks handles 10 tons of waste, so even with the help of his rickety conveyor, it used to take several hours of hard work, but Hiroki has gotten used to work and can now do it in an hour at most.
Moreover, Hiroki enjoys the sound of the garbage grazing against each other, crying out Gyaaooo every time he pushes the garbage deep into the hole.
He needs to keep throwing more and more garbage into the hole.
He has to do it.
Carrying a shovel on his shoulder, Hiroki went to dispose of the 20 tons of garbage piled up in the yard, stacking up to a 5-meter mound.
It was just the right amount of work for him to work off the pork ramen hed eaten for lunch.
[How mysterious Really mysterious.]
The money-lending tortoiseshell sses refrained from contacting Hougi after the hooligans sent were easily defeated.
He realized that he couldntpete with simple violence.
[When Tsuchiya-san introduced me to him, he seemed like an amateur who could be easily cajoled]
Introduced as a recycler with a hidden route where he disposes his trash, Hirokis first impression was nothing more than that of amon loser.
Hes just a dull garbage collector who lost thepetition for sess as a sryman in Tokyo, and left the city.
But by some stroke of luck, he has found a good route to collect industrial waste without the government finding out.
In short, he should have been a sitting duck.
He was supposed to be nothing more than a tasty bait that would be useless after he spits out his secrets after scaring him a bit.
However, the duck struck back with his surprisingly strong strength.
[I guess he really has backers behind him]
The tortoiseshell sses didnt believe the nonsense that Hiroki had beaten five hooligans by himself.
Perhaps, he had foreseen that Hougi would attack him and hired a skilled bodyguard.
Itsmon sense in this world that a goose thatys golden eggs should have a guard dog.
Knowing this, the tortoiseshell sses changed ns.
"
"
First, he decided to investigate which family or organization was behind Hougi, before making contact with them.
To start with, for the past few weeks, he has been using his extensive experience as a real estate agent to hire a detective agency and his subordinates to watch Hirokis industrial waste site, but the results werent good.
[Their operations start at 8:00 am. epting 10-ton trucks of industrial waste. License te number 12:00 pm, operation stop. Lunch break, having pizza delivered to him. 1:00 pm, operation resume. Industrial waste trucks delivery. License te number 6:00 pm, operation ends. 12:00 am, lights out]
He threw the investigation report on the desk.
[In other words, what? The man wakes up in the morning, takes care of the garbage on his property, and never goes outside? Hes doing that all week long!?]
[Huhh It seems like it.]
The detective agencys chief replied with a shrug.
[That doesnt make any sense! He hasnt been out? Hes having his meals delivered? Well, being a single man, that certainly is likely. However, how many trucks do you think have brought in waste in that past week? How many is it?]
Kaneda banged on the desk with such force that his tortoiseshell sses almost shook.
[27 trucks.]
[Yes! Twenty-freaking-seven 10 ton trucks full of industrial waste! If he brought in that much waste, it would have piled up in that poorly equipped dumpster of his! However, theres no sign of that happening at all! Those trash would pile up like a mountain, but in the morning, theyre all gone! He must have taken them out somewhere during the night!]
In a muffled voice, the detective agencys chief tried his best to rebut.
[Even so, we have our own experts tailing him and even use nighttime surveince cameras. Theres no indication that they were removed from his property.]
Thats right. The detective agencys chief had discussed the surveince n with the tortoiseshell sses beforehand, and Kaneda himself had agreed to it.
Hearing their n so far, Kaneda hadnt found any problem.
That guy really is hiding some secret.
[Its quite mysterious, isnt it?]
[Quite so. Its as if were being deceived by a fox.]
[Alright. Ill take care of this myself.]
Perhaps, there really might be some secret about thatnd.
He cant beat him up. If one cant even monitor him, he might as well have someone probe into the property directly and perhaps, elicit a response from the man.
Of course, the tortoiseshell sses had no intention of being the one going within that property himself.
He had plenty of people that he can use as sacrificial pawns after all.
Chapter 8: The Pebbles Disappeared within the Black Hole
Chapter 8: The Pebbles Disappeared within the ck Hole
He was a man of ability, but no luck.
At least, that is what he believes himself to be.
He was supposed to have graduated from one of the best schools in his hometown and went on to graduate from a good university, but unfortunately, an unprecedented job recession suddenly urred and unable to find a job, he was forced to work as a dispatch worker. He moved from one ckpany after another, and before he knew it, he was in debt.
He really had no luck.
But now, a chance revealed itself before his eyes.
A chance to turn his life around.
[So Kaneda-san, if I can aplish this job, my debts will be cleared, right?]
[I didnt say Ill pay off your debts. I said that if you enter the premises ande up wwith conclusive evidence, Ill purchase that information at your asking price. Of course, if the information you acquired is valuable, you can ask for an amount of money enough for you to pay your debt.]
[Ohhh!]
He had a debt exceeding ten million from the tortoiseshell sses.
Being a frencer in his mid-twenties, he had no way of repaying the debt.
[K- Kaneda-san, well do our best too!]
"
"
[Thats right! Like hell well let you outrun us by yourself!]
[I can also aplish things when needed!]
The tortoiseshell sses had gathered a group of people who were scums except for him.
Drug, alcohol, pachinko, sex, gacha games, credit cards There are many reasons, but these are the people who have run themselves into the ground and are now unable to pay their debts.
The man believes himself different from the others. He believes he can still start over.
He just wasnt lucky enough.
Determination within his mind, he resolved himself. His luck is going to change tonight.
[Now then. I wish youd be able to find out something.]
Adjusting the position of his tortoiseshell sses, Kaneda looked at the six scums in front of him.
He gathered only those who were drowning in debts, and to make sure it wouldnt be tracked, he gathered those who were rtively strong and had been abandoned by their rtives.
Even if anything were to happen to these guys- even if these scums were to die The bereaved family will not be able to run to the police.
They are but scums that society would prefer to see dead.
[Listen closely. All of you received bvas and disposable phones. With that, go and find some kind evidence. If the police catch you, dont tell them anything. At best, you would just be charged with trespassing, and youll be released in no time. If such an incident ur, you can be relieved that Ill have awyer by your side. Other than that Dont even think about running away, okay? The GPS on your phones will tell me where you are as soon as you run away. If I catch you doing that, your debt will be tripled, okay?]
Everyone silently nodded at Kanedas threat.
But then, even though Kaneda said that, the risk of these guys escaping was probably low.
All of them were given smartphones for information gathering andmunication.
They were disposable smartphones ones that they could just easily dispose of.
There is no way to trace them back to him.
At first, Kaneda thought about buying a high-end drone to do reconnaissance himself, but the purchase history could be traced back to him, and thinking about it, having humans do it would be much cheaper especially the lives of scums like these.
These scums seem to be convinced that this is their chance to turn their lives around.
Some of them even have bloodshot eyes.
You will never know what people can do when theyre trapped in debt.
Well, if Hiroki gets hurt, Kaneda thinks of just leaving things to the future.
Whatever urs would be their own responsibility.
[Alright. Go ahead!]
Late at night, after dropping off the scums packed in a ck one-box car with windows tinted dark near the waste disposal site, Kaneda decided to drive to his office and wait for the report.
In this case, Kaneda didnt use his subordinates.
If one uses others for something shady, they could possibly be traced back to you.
In his line of business, people are meant to be used, not trusted.
That was the lesson Kaneda learnt through his money-lending business.
Fortunately, there is whiskey and sses in the office, originally prepared for visitors.
As he sips his whiskey, he gazed at the list of customers he has lent money to, and felt pleasure as he imagined the life of a customer be ruined.
This was the modest hobby of Kaneda, the money-lender with tortoiseshell sses.
[Well, one or two of them should be able to aplish it.]
The people he sent may be scum, but theyre desperate.
"
"
Theres no way one or two bodyguards would be able to take down six people at once.
Then, at least half of them could take photos or videos, and send the information to a dummy address.
After that, it was up to their luck and ability to escape from the organization behind Hiroki.
In other words, this is nothing more than throwing a pebble to find out who it is thats lurking beneath the darkness.
[Whether a demon or a snakees out, only God knows what will happen. Whatever it may be, that would be their own responsibility. The unfortunate ones here would only be the thrown pebbles.]
Having such thoughts in mind, the melting ice in the whiskey ss raised by Kaneda made a clinking sound.
However, what urred was beyond Kanedas expectations.
In the end, none of the scums that Kaneda sent had contacted him.
The GPS signal on their phones had also disappeared, and not a single photo or video had been sent.
Suspecting that they had escaped, he had a detective agency investigate, but there were no sightings of them at the nearby train stations or bus stops, nor were there any passing vehicles on the main road that they had to keep an eye on.
The six people Kaneda sent disappeared without a trace.
The pebbles they had thrown into the darkness, without even resounding an echo, was lost in vain.
All within the ck hole, darker than even the darkness.
Chapter 9: Those who Break the Darkness of the Night
Chapter 9: Those who Break the Darkness of the Night
Lets move back in time a little.
That night, Hiroki was having his customary evening drink.
[Kuuhh! Beer after a hard days work is the best!]
Todays trash hauling was a good workout for Hiroki.
Because of the increase in garbage Hiroki is receiving, he began using arge, wide shovel, one thats normally used to shovel snow, but it bent under the weight of the garbage.
Thinking of that shovel again, Hiroki ponders if he should specially order a sturdier one from the metal worker where he ordered his conveyor.
After he arranged some snacks from therge refrigerator he had recently bought, Hiroki sat down on the sofa with a can of beer in his hand.
[Now then. I wonder what kind of appetite the hole has today
Hirokistest hobby is to watch as the garbage was being swallowed by the hole while drinking.
He has already installed arge TV-cum-monitor in his room so the infrared camera he installed earlier for nighttime surveince.
As he stared at the hole swallowing the garbage, Hiroki somehow feels as if his stomach is getting filled up as well.
Hiroki wondered though Has he be crazy?
[Well, Ive heard that there are people in the world who eat their food while watching videos of cats and dogs eating food, so I guess this is normal.]
Humans could possibly have an instinct where they feel satisfied by feeding something.
The only difference is whether that something is a dog or a cat, or well, a hole.
However, Hirokis moment of repose was interrupted by a tactless buzzing sound.
[What? The rm? Did another deer get in here again?]
Since the yakuza attack, Hiroki had installed his own security system at the waste disposal site and his home.
There were several reasons why Hiroki hadnt signed a contract with a securitypany even though he had the money to do so: He still had the mindset of a pleb, there was an rm system among the recycled parts he excavated, and he had enough knowledge to install a simple rm system.
However, the biggest reason is that Hiroki basically has no expectations of others.
Even if he signed a contract with a securitypany, they wouldnt be able to take down criminals, and since he was in a remote area, it would take time for them to arrive.
Hiroki thinks that it would be more efficient if he just does it himself.
The rm system, which had been installed by an amateur and was second-hand, had many false rms, but tonight, it seemed like it really had done its job.
Soon, several figures appeared on the monitor that was showing the hole.
[Who the heck are these people?]
Basically, there shouldnt have been anything but garbage in the waste disposal area.
So, if they were robbers looking for money, they would havee directly to Hirokis house, but it didnt look like they were aiming there.
From the looks of it, they looked surprised to see the garbage being swallowed into the hole, and standing near the hole, they seemed to be arguing about something.
But just from looking at the image alone, Hiroki couldnt make out what they were saying.
[What a blunder I shouldnt have been so stingy with the surveince microphone.]
Looking at the people caught on the camera, Hiroki grumbled. Should he go out of the room now and get rid of them?
[However.. Ive had a few drinks already, and standing up from thisfy seat sounds troublesome]
Even through the monitor, Hiroki could tell that their movements looked amateurish and their sense of danger wasnt stimted at all, so he just watched their silent argument in a daze.
[Ohhh. Are they going to start doing something?]
Lets move the time once again back, just as Hiroki saw the figures on the monitor.
Alighting from the car, the unlucky guy was losing his presence of mind.
He hadnt realized how draining it would be to travel within the darkness of the countryside with no lights or even the illumination of the moon.
It felt suffocating for him to travel with the bva on. Wearing it makes him feel like hes being choked.
Aside from the unreliable night lighting at the dumpsite, there wasnt a single streetlight around, and thus, the man could barely find his footing with his phone.
Perhaps, because he hadnt been getting enough exercisetely, it felt like his legs wont respond to his thoughts.
The scums who had been dropped off at the same time as him seemed to be in a simr situation.
ording to their prior discussion, some of the members were supposed to circle around the waste disposal site, but not one of them seemed to be able to do that anymore.
Like a school of fish waiting to be eaten by their natural predator, they somewhat gathered around and walked towards the night light shining within the dumpsite.
[That sure is high.]
[That looks difficult to climb]
When they finally reached the waste disposal site, they were at a loss at the sight of the high walls surrounding it.
It looked like something an amateur would make, made out of galvanized iron sheets, but the wall, which served to cover what was inside it, was approximately about 4 meters high.
[Should we go around to the entrance?]
[If we do that, theyll discover us! Use your head!]
They whispered such things to each other, but it doesnt seem like theyre able to find a break in the deadlock they found themselves in.
[For Petes sake, lets just tear this up. Its made of galvanized iron, so we can peel it off if we flip the edges, right?]
[I see Youre smart!]
[Obviously! Ill have you know, I went to high school for six months!]
The low level of content exchanged by the scums gave the unlucky guy a headache.
Making loud noises at night, its as if they have no idea how conspicuous they are now.
[Oi]
Before the guy could tell them to stop, the highschool dropout and the dumb woman vigorously peeled off the galvanized iron wall.
After making a loud rattling sound, a gap barely wide enough for someone to enter.
[Nice job!]
[Oohhhhh!]
[Oi, dont try to get ahead of us, thats unfair!]
And so, one by one, the other optimistic bunch dove into the gap in the wall.
Looking at them, the unlucky guy could only shake his head. His head starts to ache again, thinking how hes grouped up with a bunch of idiots
He hesitated for a few moments, but in the end, the amount of money he owed the tortoiseshell sses pushed him towards his doom.
Ill do this. Ill grasp luck myself! Im not like these scums!
Psyching himself up with determination, in the end, he vigorously passed through the gap in the galvanized iron wall.
As he passed through the wall, he felt the jagged corner of the galvanized iron on his bva.
At the same time, the second-hand motion sensors that Hiroki had installed along the galvanized iron wall sent the information about the group that intercepted the infrared rays through the rm system.
Chapter 10: And Thus, They Disappeared into the Depths of the Hole
Chapter 10: And Thus, They Disappeared into the Depths of the Hole
Those who had briskly entered the building were wandering around the dark dumpsite with their phones at the ready.
In their minds, they think of themselves as hunters.
They hade to find out something about this ce and raise their life up from the bottom of the pits.
However, the waste disposal site that Hiroki cleaned up during his daytimebor, just as the researchers at the university had assured him, had not a single piece of trash on it.
Other than that pile on top of the hole, that is.
After a while, the people scattered around the dumpsite gradually gathered at the pile of trash nearly piled on top of the hole.
There was nothing else in the dumpsite that they could consider as their target.
[I wonder if theres something in this pile of trash]
[Do we have to dig through this? I kinda dont wanna]
[H- However, it would be bad if we just go back like this!]
[Thats right! You lot do something! Youre men, right!?]
[Oi! Shut your mouth! Stop yelling!]
Hearing their conversation, the unlucky guy couldnt help but retort in his mind.
Stop yelling, your face!
He couldnt help but click his tongue at the stupidity of the people he had been sent with.
After making all that loud noise when you broke through the wall, how effective did you think keeping your voice down now?
[As expected, how about we search that house over there instead?]
[Ehh? I heard that theres a very strong guy there though?]
[Wouldnt it be alright? Even a yakuza would be helpless if you smash their heads with steel pipes while theyre asleep.]
[Yeah, yeah, dont be scared. With our group, we should be able to do it, right?]
[Besides, the guy over there might be loaded with cash, you know? Thispany is making a lot of money, right? Why dont we have him give us some of his blessings Eh? Oi! The fuck is that!?]
Just as the discussion was about to take a dangerous turn, the pile of trash started moving.
[The pile of trash]
[Oi, oi]
[Amazing]
While they stared in amazement, the pile of trash quickly decreased in height, swallowed by the hole.
Thereupon, everyone in that ce understood.
They dont have any choice but to understand.
This is the secret that the moneylender wanted to know.
[Oh no, I have to take a video D*mn it, its too dark!]
[Stupid! Take a d*mn picture of it then! A picture! Open up the phones sh!]
[Ahh, sh*t, I didnt make it in time!]
[Ah, ahh Ahh- ahhh- ahhh-..]
They were so stunned by what had happened that when they came to their senses and tried to take a pic with their phones, the pile of garbage had already disappeared into the hole and the silence of the night had returned to the area.
[D*mn it!]
The unlucky guy missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He almost wanted to punch the ground in frustration, but barely held on as the thought of hospital bills being added to his debt crossed his mind.
Thereupon, the unlucky guy pondered. What should he do? Should he call back and report it?
Even if he reports this incident to the moneylender, would he believe what he just said?
Thinking about this, he came to a conclusion.
No, he would never believe it.
The moneylender had the eyes of a person who didnt believe in anyone.
In the first ce, there is no way that someone who believes in others can be a sessful moneylender.
Without conclusive evidence, their investigation here would fail.
If it fails, his debt wouldnt be reduced at all.
With this in mind, he panicked. What should he do? What could he do? Think. He needs to think.
As he was pacing around the hole, unable to think straight, one of the scums said hell go inside the hole.
If he isnt mistaken, the unlucky guy thinks that he should be the guy who dropped out of highschool after six months.
[I used to be a part-timer, cleaning a hospital, but I got fired after two months. I think I remember seeing a machine that looked just like this hole]
[Heehh Seriously?]
The unlucky guy also listened to the dropouts unexpected story.
[There are these pipes all over the hospital, and when the doctor writes a paper and puts it in a capsule, he puts it into through these pipes and it gets delivered to the pharmacy. It looked really convenient.]
[Errr? And so? What does that have to do with anything?]
[Doesnt this seem like something like that? Like, theres a pipe underneath this hole, and it easily sends the garbage to another ce.]
[Seriously!? Then this hole would be really quite amazing!]
[Yeah, thats why theyre keeping this a secret.]
It certainly seemed like a reasonably convincing hypothesis.
Indeed, rather than a nonsensical story about a mysterious hole that swallows everything, a mechanism that transports garbage from this remote ce to another through a pipe certainly is easier to understand.
Each of them has their own circumstances.
The heavy pressure brought by the moneylender.
"
"
The fatigue of walking around in the darkness of the night.
The horror of the phenomenon that urred before their eyes.
Thus, they clung to it.
The hope that was dangled in front of them.
They jumped at the reasonable hypothesis.
They believed it
No, they wanted to believe it.
[Well then, Ill be going ahead. Ill be taking home the evidence and start my life over.]
As the highschool dropout disappeared into the hole, the rest of the group also became impatient.
Thats right.
They hade here to start their lives over.
If they freaked out and went home now, they would be chased by debt collectors all over again tomorrow.
[D*mn it! Ill be going in too!]
As another person followed suit and jumped into the hole, it became the decisive catalyst that controlled the atmosphere of the ce.
[Oi, oi, oi They seriously jumped in]
Hiroki, who had been watching the intruders actions on the monitor with a can of beer in his hand, was at a loss for words as he watched the figures jump into the hole one by one.
Thest remaining one, a human with an ear that seemed to be cut off by a de, also showed signs of hesitation, but still ended up jumping into the hole.
[Ehh What should I do here?]
Its not that Hiroki didnt want to know what was deep within the hole.
On several asions, he had tried a string to a cheap digital camera and thrown it into the hole, and even sent a smartphone attached to a drone.
However, all of them failed.
The camera he pulled up by the string showed nothing but darkness, while the drone he sent never came back.
After that, Hiroki just abandoned the option of going into the hole.
Now, he just epts that the hole in his yard is that kind of hole.
He collects the garbage that the hole wants, and throws the garbage into the hole.
Thereupon, Hiroki receivespensation that is more than enough for him.
In Hirokis mind, thats good enough for him.
The people who jumped into the hole were most likely working for either the yakuza or that moneylender.
Theres also the possibility that they are rted to the constructionpanys director.
[Hmmm This turned out to be quite the pain in the ass]
Putting aside if its just a bunch of weak hooligans attacking him when he goes out, when theyre going as far as invading his property, Hiroki thinks that dealing with them is troublesome.
[I guess Ill have to think of some other way]
Hiroki blurted out such a thing, but there was no way that he could think of an idea out of his alcohol-clouded mind.
[Ill have to consult with someone smart]
Suddenly, the face of a researcher that talks really smartly came to his mind, whom he got to know when he asked for an analysis from the university.
Chapter 11: And Thus, They were Thrown Into the Darkness
Chapter 11: And Thus, They were Thrown Into the Darkness
In the early afternoon of the next day, Hiroki called the university from his workce.
The 10-ton dump of waste brought in earlier in the morning had already been cleared away by him in an hour.
The hole had gotten a little biggertely, so the disposal was getting easier.
[Researcher Ishida speaking.]
[Ahh, thank you for the other day. Im Hiroki Gomi, the person who asked you for soil analysis. Youve really helped me out at that time]
During the time between Ishidas lectures, Hiroki was able to talk to him directly.
However, Hiroki felt that he would just end up being an annoyance if he kept making small talk for too long, so he quickly started talking about his business.
[Actually I have a question regarding my business. So, I was wondering if I could ask for your wisdom]
[Yes. Industrial waste disposal, right? I may be able to help you with the technical aspects How can I help you?]
[As Ishida-sensei knows from the previous inspection, our business might be small, but we have the technology to dispose of waste at a low cost. However, we would like to avoid revealing it if possible. Like that, I would like to talk to you if you could help me think of a good way to hide the technology, but still expand my business]
[Why!? President Gomi, the test results of thatnd were excellent! If we could spread that processing technology around the world, the benefits to society would be immeasurable!]
[Errr, its kind of hard to say this, but the technology Im using is difficult to replicate and spread. It was created only by ident.]
Hiroki told him the excuse he had prepared in advance.
[I see The technology is still in its seed stage, and what you use is still a prototype huh.]
[Yes, its that prosomething.]
Even if it was a bit forceful, Hiroki felt relieved to hear that researcher Ishida hade up with a theory that he could ept.
[So May I ask why you want to expand my business? The business seems to be running well enough as it is now, doesnt it?]
It was understandable why Researcher Ishida is suspicious.
Hiroki didnt seem to be the type of person with a lot of ambition and self-expression that is often seen in people who want to expand their business.
However, Hiroki has a reason prepared for this as well.
That is exactly when shes asking him for advice.
[Actually Im embarrassed to say this, but weve recently been threatened by some unsavory business partners who have taken notice of my technology folks that tread upon the gray area]
[Ahh, I suppose that could happen No, that was rude of me. However, wouldnt that be something youd talk to awyer or the police about?]
[Thats the thing. Among my business partners is an influentialpany within the prefecture. It seems that he had rtives in the government and within the police, so consulting with them would get me nowhere Thats why, I thought that I should expand my business. If my business was apany instead of something I privately own,panies like that in the prefecture wouldnt be able to do as they please.]
Moreover, in Hirokis mind, if his business bes a bigpany, he can collect even more garbage and throw even more garbage into the hole.
Hiroki feels it.
The hole desires more garbage.
Ishida is unable to gauge the middle-aged man on the other end of the phone.
Hiroki, the President of his small waste disposal site, was a man that had a rather thin impression.
Many of the people who manage local businesses in this area- Unlike those in Tokyo- have an air of unreliability around them.
It is said that people like Hiroki, who have worked in Tokyo before, often had this personality where they made light of the business world.
In reality, however, Hiroki seems to be doing well.
Thend Ishida was asked to analyze the other day was not onlyrge, but also cleaned up to the nooks and crannies so well that at first nce, one wouldnt have thought that it was a waste disposal site.
Only a few conveyors and a pile of galvanized iron sheets discreetly asserted that thisnd wasnt farnd or residentialnd.
Normally, there should have been heavy equipment and dump trucks for waste transportation and disposal around but manypanies seemed to be renting those expensive equipment, so they might have just been out of town while the soil analysis was being conducted.
Just to be sure, Ishida did ask if he was still just nning to start his business on thend, but Hiroki answered that work has been in progress for a few months already.
From the look on Hirokis face as he carried a shovel in his well-worn jumpsuit, it seemed that he wasnt lying.
It was a slightly strange request, but after passing him the clean test results- that should have been the end of their rtionship with Hiroki.
And yet now, holding upon the revolutionary waste treatment technology, the man hase to him for advice on how to expand his business.
For theboratory, which has been starving for research funds since the national university incorporated them, this is an extremely delicious prey.
While on the phone, Ishida unconsciously gulped as he imagined the huge amount of research funds that Hirokis story would generate and the strengthening of his position within the university.
[I see With that being the case, I think I can propose a good solution.]
[Ohh! As expected of you! Schrs really are different huh]
On the other end of the phone, Hiroki sounded impressed.
Thats right. This story was an opportunity.
New technology, an asset for all mankind, must be used correctly by the people who can handle it correctly.
Using his brilliant mind to draw up a strategy to maximize the value of this technology, and for himselfter on, Ishida answered Hiroki on the other end of the phone.
[Yes. Its actually very easy. With President Gomis technology, you just have to use the universitys facility and turn it into a universityunched venture!]
[Ehh. Such a thing is possible?]
[Its possible! The university has a funding facility called the Industry-Academic Coboration Office. Although we have a meager budget, we have excellent credibility with the general public and banks. We are also well-staffed for press releases and media rted groups.]
Once it started revolving, Ishidas brain and tongue wouldnt stop.
Dont give the caller a chance to think.
Flood them with so much information that their thoughts would paralyze from the overflow.
[I see Universities sure are amazing.]
Thats right. Yes, the university is an umtion of vast amounts of knowledge assets.
Its full of talented people, including Ishida.
However, for there to not have the necessary research budget allocated to them, it is the world that is mistaken.
[If you set up the system properly, no backwardpanies wille to you. In order to leverage the business by bringing in funds, its essential to have good governance andpliance. In terms of business security and sustainability, I think its greatly advantageous for President Gomi to work with the university.]
[Oh my Thats very kind of you.]
Ishidas tongue remained sharp until the end, and he felt that he had overpowered his opponent.
After hanging up the phone, Ishidas cheeks couldnt help but rx.
It was a good thing that they only made an audio call, not a visual one.
If Hiroki had been able to see his facial expression, Ishida felt that their conversation would end right there and then.
The proposal Ishida made certainly is a good one.
The problem is that there is a minor difference in the vector, as to whom that proposal is good for.
Thereupon, thinking of solidifying the future structure of the university with a team that could do as he wished, Ishida started vigorously contacting people in departments both inside and outside the university.
Within theboratory, the fast sound of typing keyboard resounded until midnight.
At the same time that Researcher Ishida was striving towards his future dream, Hiroki was sitting on the sofa after work, opening his daily can of beer.
[Its getting hot already. I might as well splurge and buy some American beer online]
Hiroki has been honestly making a lot of money as an individual these days.
"
"
The proceeds arent so bad, but his profits are on a different level.
After all, the investment cost of his business is almost zero.
As for the breakdown
Zero transportation costs because he lets thosepanies bring their waste to him.
Zero rental equipment costs because he uses shovels instead of heavy equipment like bulldozers and excavators.
Zero disposal costs because hes just throwing the garbage into the hole.
Zero storage costs because the processed garbage will disappear.
Zerobor costs because Hiroki didnt hire any employees, working only by himself.
His office is also his home.
Thepany boasted an astonishing profit margin that would look like bogus to hispetitors.
[Well then, I wonder hows the appetite of the hole today?]
Suddenly feeling hungry, Hiroki went to the kitchen, grabbed a pack of fried chicken from the refrigerator and came back to the monitor showing the hole.
What Hiroki didnt realize though, is that in the ten seconds he had been in the kitchen, he had missed the scene of something that looked like a beast running out of the ck hole at great speed, leaping over the 4-meter high galvanized iron wall and disappearing into the darkness.
The second-hand rm system recorded how something had crossed the wall, but the monitor showed nothing, so Hiroki stopped paying attention to it as just another malfunction.
The surveince camera also showed something that looked like a beast with a torn ear, but the scene was buried in the usual pile of recorded data and was never sought out by Hiroki.
Chapter 12: The Duck that Waddled Into the Hole
Chapter 12: The Duck that Waddled Into the Hole
A few days after the call, Ishida visited Hiroki with someone who seemed to be a school staff.
[Im sorry for having youe all this way.]
[No, no. It sounds interesting, and Im the kind of person who is inclined to go to ces when something interests me.]
When they got out of the car and exchanged greetings, Ishida suddenly felt something strange.
[Arehh President, doesnt the atmosphere around you feel rather different?]
[Ehh Is that so? Ive been drinking oftentely, so I guess I became fatter?]
Laughing, Hiroki tapped his belly, which was tighter than before.
However, Ishida feels like Hiroki is a whole lot bigger than he used to be.
Also, theres his eyes.
There are two ways that people look at highly-educated intellectuals like Ishida.
They either look at you as if youre a youngster who doesnt know what the real world is like, or they look at you with pure respect.
Hirokis eyes were neither of these though.
"
"
His eyes felt like theyre ck holes, as even though he himself had approached them, it felt like he wasnt interested in them and was looking at something else.
[Sensei, is something the matter?]
When Hiroki called out to him, Ishida realized that he had been silent for a while.
Ishida pushed such thoughts away from his mind.
The reason he hade to such a remote ce was to take the initiative in the uing business.
In order to do that, he had to keep talking with more information than the other party could process.
[Its nothing. It was just that I had been upte doing research.]
[I see. I guess being a schr really must be tough. Ahh, its getting hot, so lets talk about the details in the office.]
[Yes. Were in your care.]
Pulling himself together, Ishida followed Hiroki.
[This ce was quite clean, wasnt it?]
Ishidas praise at the sight of the office was exaggerated, but he wasnt just trying to say ttering words.
Unless they work in an industry where theyre serving customers, the office of local small businesses would usually be a messy ce littered with picture frames with quotes on the walls and papers scattered all over the ce, but Hirokis office that they were led to was tidy for a room that also functions as his home.
[Well, I suppose its just that I dont have that much stuff.]
As Hiroki said, there were so few things in his office that it was almost bleak.
In his office, there was a sofa for visitors, an office desk and aptop. Then, theres the small refrigerator.
And then, on the wall, there is only arge t screen monitor.
All of these are new.
[Thats a big monitor.]
[I use it for my hobby. It also doubles as a TV.]
There didnt seem to be much equipment in the office that would require the use of arge monitor though, so Itsuki wondered if Hiroki used it to watch moving or something.
If that was the case though, he should have had a better sound system, but he didnt seem to have any speakers or anything like that.
However, he just pushes such thoughts aside.
"
"
They came here today to talk about business.
[First of all, Id like to exin our services to you]
[Youre talking about that venture, right? I understand.]
[In the first ce, there is the context in the government policy that universities andpanies should contribute as members of the localmunity]
Ishida signaled to the staff to prepare the documents for everyone, and began smoothly speaking his words.
[And so, well, thats how it is. This is the background of the promotion of the system known as the Universityunched venturepanies. Its a national policy, so to speak.]
Ishidas hour-long monologue finally ended.
[I see, so thats how it is.]
Wondering how much he really understood, Ishida smiled at Hirokis constant affirmation.
[The universitys technology is put to practical use by thepanies. The way they do this is through corporatization. If the university sells their technology and thepany just buys it, there will be no mutual development. In the first ce, technology is always advancing, so incorporation is desirable to ensure continuous investment in technology development.]
(T/N: Corporatization refers to the restructuring/transformation of a state-owned asset or organization into a corporation.)
[Hmmm but does that even apply to this case? Im not receiving any technology from the university after all]
Ishida nodded his head in agreement to Hirokis answer.
This was the point where Ishida focused his wisdom the most.
Guiding the listeners questions by giving exnations with holes in them beforehand, and increasing their confidence by answering them.
This is a presentation technique that is also used in academic paper presentations.
[Thats the thing! I think President Gomis technology is wonderful. However, even though they knew that you had some sort of great technology, the municipality andrgepanies that you do business with are worried about the fact that they dont know what exactly you were doing.
Please dont misunderstand what Im about to say, but even though there are somepanies that have been touted for their amazing technologies, there are also somepanies that would be seen as fraudulent for possessing an impossibly amazing technology. In the U.S., there was a scam that raised a huge amount of money by iming that they were able to diagnose all diseases a person has with a drop of their blood. As for ascertaining such technologies, I think it would be difficult to say. Thats whypanies that can exin their technologies will often get the job.]
[Ahh, I see. Ive read about thatpany on the inte. If I remember correctly, the president was a young and beautifuldy, wasnt she?]
[Yes, she was. However, she actually did well. Large corporations and local governments are vulnerable to appearances.]
[Hmmm But I kinda look like]
[No, no, President Gomi looked fearless enough, but that isnt the point. What Im talking about is the appearance in business transactions of the scientific reliability of the test results data.
For example, youve seen thosemercials that show a notebook PC that was dropped from a meter above ground several times in a Drop Impact Test, right? When dealing withrge corporations, you would need such data.
"
"
If I were to give a concrete example, you would have to send in the results of the survey we didst time to your business partners, only it would be before and after your waste treatment. If possible, install sensors and monitoring posts, and set up a system that allows for hourly reporting. If you can show that you are inpliance with thew, thenpanies will be able to do business with you with confidence.]
[I see The appearance of the data huh. Thats certainly something I didnt do]
As a sole proprietorship, Hirokis office didnt have the facilities to conduct such inspections, nor did he have the skills to write reports that could support an audit by arge corporation.
[You could set up just the monitoring post, and the data transmission could be done from the universityb. In fact, that might make it look more reliable.]
[But even theboratory would be part of apany through the Industry-Academic Coboration, right? Being that its part of the circle, would that report really be alright?]
(T/N: So, its just like asking the CIA to investigate the CIA.)
[It was because theboratory is still affiliated to the university. Thats the way its supposed to be.]
[I see, appearances huh]
Ishida felt like the duck was getting totally drawn in.
There is no way hed let this timing away.
After Ishida signaled the staff beside him with a nce, the staff pulled out a contract from his bag.
[For the time being, for our conversation to proceed, I prepared a contract. The contract is just a memorandum, and its for applying to the university for future travel expenses and such. If its good with you, Id like you to stamp your seal on it.]
[Ahh, yes, yes.]
Hiroki epted the contract that was naturally presented to him.
Hearing Hirokis words Ishida inwardly smiled.
For if he just stamps his seal, that technology would now be his.
Thinking about how unbing such technology is for a country-sidepany, Ishida ns to make it useful to the world
Ishida was convinced that his n would be a sess.
Chapter 13: The Duck Heads Towards the Hole
Chapter 13: The Duck Heads Towards the Hole
Thats right Just stamp it
Behind his sincere, intelligent, and kind smile, Ishida was thinking about the next step.
As soon as Hiroki stamps his seal on the contract, he would take it to the patent manager and campuswyer to obtain the rights.
The rights holder will, of course, be Itsuki and theboratory.
After all, Hirokis possession of the rights for this technology will not bring about a change in the world.
It would remain as nothing but an obsolete technology if it remains in the hands of this middle-aged man from a small localpany who just happened to understand its capabilities, and within Itsukis mind, this technology must be properly steered by him so that he could invest the universitys facilities and excellent human resources to make it useful to society.
As Ishida gazed at him, imagining the brilliant future, Hiroki started casually flipping through the pages of the contract, seemingly checking the number of pages.
[This contract has quite a number of pages, isnt it?]
The contract is a special one that Ishida approached a youngw student to make for him.
Because it was designed to cover all kinds of cases so that they could win the case against Hiroki even if he took the case to court, it had much more uses than a normal contract.
Even though it was difficult for him to understand the contents, it seemed like he was knowledgeable enough to wonder why the contract had too many pages.
However, Ishida had also prepared an excuse in case he was asked that question.
[Yes, well, its the universitys temte contract. The university is also a bureaucracy when ites to procedures, so those documents are very detailed.]
[I see, thats how it is huh. The university is also a bureaucracy huh. I suppose that might be the case.]
[Thats right. As you may have heard from the news, when you want to apply for documents such as transportation expenses, you would need at least 100 yen for just one sheet. Anyway, the office is very fussy.]
[I suppose all ces have their own problems eh.]
Nodding his head in agreement, Hiroki continued to flip through the contract, as if he were looking for his favorite manga in the magazine he had just finished reading.
Ishida is getting increasingly frustrated. Hurry up and stamp it already.
Or perhaps, has he noticed the trick in the contract?
Ishida pondered if he should have narrowed down the uses a bit more but he just shook that thought aside. He thinks that there shouldnt be any way that he can read and understand the contents of the contract by flipping through it at that speed.
He calmed himself down Hes just dealing with a middle-aged man with a private business. There shouldnt be any way he can understand
[Mhmm!?]
Thereupon, Hiroki stopped moving while he was flipping through the pages.
[W- Whats the matter!?]
When Ishida reflexively called out, Hiroki shyly answered.
[No, well There are a lot of kanjis that I cant read, making me feel like Im in a bookstore, so I cant help but feel like peeing Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom.]
When Hiroki excused himself to use the restroom, the staff beside Ishida whispered to him.
This staff was also one of Ishidas coborators at the university.
He had been doing routine work for the old man at the office, when Ishida called out to him.
[Ishida-sensei, that was quite close, isnt it? It looked like he was going to stamp his seal right away.]
[Yeah. Just one more push. Wed clinch this contract if we just went like this. You know what to do when you bring back the contract, right?]
[Of course]
Taking advantage of the absence of their prey, the two of them whispered to each other to confirm and discuss their future ns. Perhaps, it was their hopeful outlook for the future that was making them so excited that they couldnt stop their voices from rising.
A little whileter, telling them Well, sorry about that, Hiroki came back with a refreshed look on her face.
The staff wanted to ask him to stamp the seal already, but Hiroki stopped him before he could speak.
[Before we sign the contract, how about we talk about the business a bit?]
Small business owners like to talk about their business.
They talk about how capable they are, how hard they have worked, and how they have ovee difficulties to achieve sess.
They satisfy their need for approval by bragging about how thepany and themselves are one and the same in their exnation of their business.
Signaling the staff with his eyes to pull back the contract, and once he did, Ishida took a listening posture.
Ishida would take all the rights for this business awayter anyway.
At least, for the time being, hed lift this man up and make him feel good.
Unlike Ishidas expectation, Hirokis exnation ended up being very immediate.
There was no hint of Hirokis personality within his words, he just talked about the number of this, and the amount of that.
However, those numbers were still enough to astonish Ishida.
[A 10-ton dump truck earns you 200,000 yen!? Is that kind of calction right!? Dont businesses like this change the unit price depending on the type of waste?]
[Well, with my technology, Im able to process both boards and rubble at the same time. If I have to separate them all, the hourly rate will go down.]
To Ishidas astonishment, Hiroki wasnt even separating his waste when disposing of them.
Just by reviewing the unit price, Ishida could already think of ways where he could probably triple the current sales.
[With my current system, Im only able to process about four trucks worth a day. Theres also hardly any expenses. I think the amount that could be processed would be much more than that but]
[That client that troubled you?]
[Ive been harassed in various ways. I mean, I do think that I can handle not only construction waste, but probably more difficult wastes as well. Like medical waste and radioactive waste.]
Hiroki didnt go into specifics about how he was harassed, but being in this kind of industry, Ishida somewhat imagined that something like that could happen.
More importantly, there was something in what Hiroki said that he couldnt ignore.
[Radioactive waste too!? No, given the incredible cleanliness of the soil test results, it does sound possible that radioactive waste could be processed. I suppose we may need to investigate this matter with radioactive markers.]
[Yes, yes. if we want to do that, well have to set up a monitoring post like you said, right? I think that if we dont set up such testing equipment and provide data, the public wont trust us. Thats why, Im hoping for your cooperation.]
[I see Well, even so, it sure is a wonderful technology.]
When Ishida reflexively muttered, Hiroki smiled and sitting up on the sofa
[Well then, would you like to take a look?]
Hirokis demeanor and tone were so light that for a moment, Ishida seemed to not have understood what he was talking about. A few momentster though, Ishida vigorously agreed and stood up.
Within Ishidas mind, hes inwardly astounded at Hiroki.
His guard is quite loose Hes nning to show me that technology even before signing the contract.
This technology really must be under his management.
As Ishida followed Hirokis back, he was convinced of how justified his strategy was.
Not even knowing what awaited him where Hirokis leading him
Chapter 14: The Duck Dances Above the Hole
Chapter 14: The Duck Dances Above the Hole
The person in charge was about to stand up after Ishida, but Hiroki stopped him, saying that Whats after this is only for Ishida-senseis eyes.
Since they are going to have an important discussion, it would be preferable to have it one-on-one.
It wasnt really a problem for Hiroki if the two of them went with him, but then, he thinks that he might have to resort to other means.
In that case, that would be terribly troublesome.
[I understand. Its a natural precaution, isnt it?]
Ishida himself agreed toe along by himself, so that troublesome situation was avoided.
Thereupon, the two of them left the office and Hiroki brought Ishida to the ce that was usually surrounded by galvanized iron walls.
In the middle of thepound, there was a small hut with a padlocked entryway.
[Ishida-sensei, do you remember this ce?]
[This ce is Ahh! I remember now. This is where we conducted the boring analysis in the earlier inspection. I see So thats why you were acting a little strange at that time.]
[You noticed I was acting strange huh.]
Hiroki wryly smiled. He had been flustered to see if the boring drill would pierce through the ceiling of the hole underground.
He thought that he had mended his demeanor at that time, but it seemed like his thoughts were sensed by him.
[I see.]
Dealing with a lot of people on a regr basis really seems to improve ones observation skills.
In many ways, Ishida is undoubtedly capable.
[So, the device is on the other side of the wall, is it?]
Ishidas voice buzzed with excitement.
[Yes. Youre actually the first person Ive ever shown this to.]
To be precise though, there were about six people who hade to see it on their own, but they were already gone, so I guess it wasnt a lie.
[This is quite an honor! Ahh, Im sorry, I cant see very well in the dark.]
[Ahh, I suppose Ishida-san wasnt able to see it. Ill turn on the light now, okay?]
With a flicker, Hiroki flipped the switch on the wall and an undecorated light bulb lit up, revealing a hole in the ground.
It was a big, ck hole, with the bottom not visible at all.
[A hole?]
[Yes, a hole. Im throwing all the waste into the hole. I can throw anything in it, and yet, no matter how much I throw in, the hole will never feel satisfied. It is the perfect hole. Hmmm, it looks like it got a little bigger.]
[Youre kidding, right? Wheres the processing machine?]
From what Hiroki sees, Ishida must have felt that he was being deceived.
Looking like he lost his temper, Ishida began looking around.
[Whether Im kidding or not, how about I show it to you?]
Evidence is better than theories. Seeing is believing, as they say.
Hiroki picked up a piece of concrete block that had fallen into the shed and threw it into the hole.
When it touched the hole, the piece of concrete block suddenly disappeared from their sight.
No sound of falling or crashing into anything could be heard.
It waspletely silent.
[See? No sound could be heard, right?]
Ishida was bewildered by Hirokis entricities and the weird phenomenon that urred before him, and wasnt able to hide his trepidation.
There was something going on that was ipatible with themon sense of his world.
[How about you try it out, Ishida-sensei?]
Doing as Hiroki asked, Ishida threw the piece of concrete he was given into the hole.
The moment it was thrown into the hole, it became invisible and no sound could be heard.
[What in the world is this?]
[I wonder? I dont know what it is either. All I know is that its a hole where I can throw as much garbage as I want. Thats good enough for me.]
[What are you saying!? This is amazing! Im going to be writing about this in my essay for the academic meet]
[No. I cant have you doing that.]
Hiroki stopped Ishida, who was running ahead with his words in an excited tone.
He couldnt let him do such a thing.
[W- What? Its a phenomenon of this magnitude! The world must know about it and conduct research]
[Ishida-sensei. This hole belongs to me. To make a living, I require this hole. The hole also requires waste. I can feel it.]
When Hiroki stared at him, Ishida turned pale and averted his gaze.
[I I see. Is that so? I understand. A- Anyway, Ill be taking my leave today.]
As Ishida tried to slip aside and exit the door though, Hiroki gently grabbed him.
[Ive told you this much. I cant have you going home like this.]
[Pl Please unhand me. Let me go, d*mn it! Let me go or Ill call the police!]
In fear, Ishida iled his arm to free himself from Hirokis grip on his shoulder, but he was unable to resist Hiroki.
Meanwhile, Hiroki wasposed enough to make his grip gentler so as not to crush his shoulder in the process.
[Ishida-sensei, I mentioned earlier that Ive met with some troubletely, havent I? I was actually attacked by some hooligans the other day. All under the direction of the local petty yakuza.]
Remembering how frustrated he was at that time, Hiroki seemed to have put a little pressure on the hand that grabbed Ishidas shoulder, making him scream in pain.
[H- Hyiiiii]
[It was then that I realized that I feel much healthier since this hole appeared. Thanks to the hole, I can do things like this.]
Saying those words, Hiroki grabbed Ishidas ankle with his other hand and hung him upside down.
Ishida was a little short, so his head didnt hit the ground, but his hand could still reach the ground.
Whats happening at that moment makes Hiroki feel like it isnt as cool as what could be shown in movies, but holding Ishidas feet, Hiroki mutters to himself.
[U- Uwaaa What are you doing!? Let me go! Let go of me!]
Still, the experience of being hung upside down by the person he had been talking to seemed to have enough of a panic-inducing effect on Ishida.
iling his arms and legs, he shouted to put him down.
[Should I really let you go?]
Ishidas iling about was annoying him, so Hiroki changed the ce he hung Ishida upside down.
More specifically, right above the pitch-ck hole.
As if he understood what was under him, Ishida stopped iling about and started to plead.
[D Dont let me go! No, go back! Move away from here!]
[How troubling. In the first ce though, is there any reason why I should listen to Ishida-senseis instructions? Im just dealing with a swindler after all.]
"
"
When Hiroki said this with a sigh, Ishida began to unsightly refute her.
[W- What are you talking about!? You Youre out of your mind!]
[I told you Ive gotten much healthier, didnt I? Its not only my physical strength thats gotten healthier. My hearing is much better too.]
[W- What of it!?]
[I heard it when I was sitting in the bathroom. The conversation between Ishida-sensei and your henchman, I mean. It seemed like youre having quite the fun, eh?]
[T- That doesnt prove anything at all!]
[Pfff I told you how I had faced quite the trouble just now, didnt I? Did you really think that I wouldnt at least have installed recording devices around my home?]
When Hiroki pointed out that he had proof, Ishida began to tremble.
If the contract had been forcefully taken away, and on top of that, there is audio recording data, its him who will be ruined.
The university would surely cut off Ishida for causing a huge scandal, and no university would be willing to pick him up as a researcher after that.
[Gomi-san, no, President Gom, lets talk about this. It seemed like there was a misunderstanding.]
[Yes. I wanted to discuss this. That is why I called you here.]
As he suspended Ishida over the hole with one hand, Hiroki smiled broadly.
Hanging in midair, Ishida shivered and nodded again and again.
Within Ishidas mind, Hirokis ck, piercing eyes were more frightening than the hole below him.
A few weekster, a small article appeared on the universitys website and in the local newspaper: With the Launch of a Ground-Breaking, New Waste Treatment Technology, A University-Launched Venture has been Established
T/N: With this chapter, the novels 1st Arc is finished. I wont be posting any further chapters for I would be focusing on tranting another one.
Chapter 15: We have Become a University-Launched Venture Company
Chapter 15: We have Be a University-Launched Venture Company
Now then, as for what changes happened after Hirokis waste management, which was only his personal business, steps up to a Venture Company with the cooperation of a university
He decided on apany name.
He ordered a new set of business cards.
He bought a new suit.
He bought a Mercedes Benz (which he tagged underpany expenses).
He had a website made.
He had created an ount on various social media sites.
He had also written and stamped various documents.
Hirokis to-do list became so filled with the ckness of ink that he had to do a lot of extra work, but the way his business works didnt particrly change.
[Well Its not like things are going to change anytime soon.]
Indeed, the public appearance of his business may have improved, but the situation remained the same, with the only activity that generates money being Hirokis job of throwing garbage down the hole.
Thepany is still registered at Hirokis home, and no progress has been made in acquiring the surrounding properties.
Since its apany though, he would need a name appropriate to one.
Thus, thepany has been named as Mass Clean Technology ck Hole (MCTBH) Inc.
A name telling the public that theyre apany that would clean up everything.
Since all waste is thrown in the hole, they would certainly clean up those that you may not want to be disposed of, so the name isnt necessarily wrong.
As for the employees, he had asked Ishidas group to join thepany, namely as the researchers.
Hiroki had no other contacts in the university, and above all, he found recruiting people as too much of a hassle.
Salesmen who called themselves agents came to peddle their skills, but he drove them out because they want high margins even when they were all just spouting random nonsense.
Rather than deal with such people, even though he isnt trustworthy, he would rather make use of Ishida, though that is while keeping an eye on him.
Besides, since hispany is known to the public as a Technology Venture Company that makes full use of thetest technology to tackle global environmental problems, its natural that he would ept personnel from a university.
Of course, he would properly pay them sries.
[Youre paying us this much?]
[Its a srymensurate with the amount of work you will do. I will have you working for me from now on after all.]
He will give money to these people who want it. That way, there would be less chance of betrayal from them.
Ishida, who had been restrained by the contract and recorded data, became quiet after Hiroki crushed a considerablyrge piece of concrete in front of him.
Though perhaps, the fact that Hiroki got hold of information about him and his family from his residence card and drivers license when he was asked to submit his CV for employment may have had an indirect influence on his mindset.
Hiroki understands that normal business owners would do the same when hiring employees, but thinking about it again, such an act would allow the employers to have a firm grasp of their employees personal information.
As is often the case with Venture Companies and startups, Hirokispany was entirely self-financed.
Of course, considering what Ishida had done, he did not hand over any shares to the university.
He had no intention of handing management control to such people.
The university side was insistent to acquire at least the non-voting shares but Hiroki refused.
As a result, the dispatched personnel were only limited to those he could designate, and he was also responsible for their sries.
Hiroki took another look at the list of things that had happened so far.
He paid for the capital himself.
He owns the technology.
He also gets the work himself.
He also pays the sries of his staff with his own money.
[Can I seriously call this a University-Launched Venture Company?]
[You can use the Universitys name, so I suppose so]
[Hmmm Yeah, but putting aside if were talking about University of Tokyo]
So far, Hiroki has not received any benefits beyond the mere lending of their name.
Well, I guess thats just how things would go, Hiroki thought.
Even though they may be University-Launched Venture Company in name, there are many of suchpanies with high degree of purity in staff, with university professors serving as presidents and directors, as well aspanies that merely rent space and names.
Which meant the influence of the university to hispany is one of the thinnest.
If universities had the know-how to makepanies grow rapidly, the world would have been filled withpanies that originated at universities, so Hiroki just decided not to worry about it.
However, once one bes apany, its inevitable that problems wille their way.
[And so, I think we would need capital investment.]
[Capital investment huh]
When thepany was transformed from a sole proprietorship to apany, it was decided to hire a licensed tax ountant to keep the books in order.
It seems that the tax ountant industry is also having a hard time finding enough people, so Hiroki was able to hire a young and talented person.
When he was asked to look over the books, he discovered something very serious.
[President, if things continue as they are, your taxes for next year will be very high.]
[I- Is that so?]
Because he was making too much profit, he would end up needing to pay a crazy amount of corporate tax.
Hiroki had been running an unprofitable recycling shop untilst year, so he didnt really understand what tax ountant meant.
[Well, with the structure of the business being this profitable, I guess it cant be helped.]
After all, hispany is an amazing zero-cost business.
Zero transportation costs, zero equipment rental costs, zero inventory storage costs, zero waste disposal costs He had achieved zero emissions at zero cost.
Its an Ultimate Eco-Friendly Company.
[However, you will be expanding your clientele to include major corporations in the future, right?]
[Thats right. We can no longer meet the demand for waste treatment from small and medium-sized businesses in neighboring prefectures after all.]
This was all because hispany has been collecting waste at a stupidly low price.
His actions had apparently adversely affected the other waste disposalpanies.
[If that is the case, as part of our capital investment, we need to install sensors in the surrounding area and establish an inspection system as a first step. We would also need to be able to bring out reports on a regr basis.]
Ishida, who had knowledge of how they can make use of capital investment, spoke.
[I suppose so. You can do whatever you want regarding those.]
Ishida and his group have the important task of continuing to produce dummy data that can be used byrgepanies, so now is not the time to spare any funds.
[And so, well develop as many business partners as we can]
Collect as much garbage as possible and throw them in the hole.
That is the hidden mission of thispany.
Once the meeting at the office was over, Hiroki continued to throwrge amounts of waste into the hole with arge shovel at an almost inhuman speed.
Although a dump truck can roughly be used to transport the waste to the hole using the conveyor belt, its still necessary to have someone adjust at thest part for the time being.
[What? Are you happy?]
Suddenly, for some reason, the ck hole seemed to tremble a little.
Chapter 16: Just Desserts
Chapter 16: Just Desserts
Having the title of University-Launched Venture Companyes in handy in many ways, and Ishida has been using his contacts to collect various kinds of waste from rted organizations on and off-campus.
Since this is nominally an experiment to test the operations of a new facility, they were rather amodating.
As many peoplee and go to the premises, the university also produces a wide variety of waste.
Therge amounts of papers used in the office, cans and containers from students eating and drinking, brokenputers and air conditioners, pruned leaves and branches from trees and shrubberies within the school, and broken equipment and chemicals from the science department
He has been taking those things back to thepany under the guise of experiments.
As for the university, they were apparently very pleased with the cost savings.
Upon noticing his actions, he had been interviewed by a reporter from a local newspaper, asking him Why are you doing this?, to which he replied:
[We need to contribute to the localmunity and build a track record of waste management using our new technology.]
Ishidas publicly attractive and exemry response was reported in a small article.
[Thats just an excuse on the surface. In reality, its just acting to generate dummy data on how much power is consumed for which types of waste, and what kind of processed waste would be taken out.]
[But if you throw it in a hole, theres no power consumption and no processed waste.]
[We cant bring data like that out to the public. If we dont consume power, even if we have a dummy nt, it will raise suspicion, and if no processed waste was brought out, it will raise suspicion as to where the mass brought in has gone. After all, nature would normally follow thew of conservation of mass.]
[So thats how it is.]
[Yes. And so, we are now working on a theory and the production of a dummy technology nt to cover the fact that processed waste unnaturally doesnte out. We have to go very carefully to avoid any inconsistencies here.]
[I see.]
Ishidas words were as difficult as ever to understand, but in short, he seems to be in the process of making up the theory and technology so that the phenomenon of throwing everything into a hole and making everything disappear will not be noticed.
[The Human world sure is a troublesome ce, isnt it? Ill leave those things to you.]
[? Y- Yes! Ill make up the most borate data so that the other schrs wont meddle!]
It is unknown if the considerable amount of money being paid to him is helping, but Ishida seems to be motivated in his own way.
He knows that Ishida sometimes secretly researches the hole, but Hiroki himself doesnt know about them. However, as long as he doesnt inform the world about the existence of the hole to the world and wouldnt take the hole away from him, Hiroki is willing to let him off the hook for now.
If he really wants to have the world know about the hole, Hiroki intends to have him research it up close and personal. Within the hole, that is.
Hiroki thought this would be a period of just steadily building a foothold for a year or two, but then, something happened.
Arge fire broke out in the city center, killing and injuring many people.
[Ohh, thats amazing.]
The TV broadcast showed a fire that broke out in a small building and spread to the surrounding office buildings and restaurants, growing into an uncontroble ze.
However, Hiroki thinks that whats happening over there was other peoples problem.
Fortunately, the university, which is Hirokis main customer, seems to be far away from the fire, and moreover, thepany is located in a remote area, so theres no way for him to be exposed to the fire.
The ck smoke that can be seen on TV was barely visible from where hes located.
However, due to the direction of the wind, he could smell the unpleasant stench of burning stic and other materials, as well as hear the sounds of sirens from fire trucks and ambnces.
Various videos were posted and circted on social media sites.
Eventually, therge fire was extinguished,sting until the following night.
However, it seemed that Hiroki was the only one who was thinking that the local fire was someone elses problem, as on the next day, arge amount of garbage began to be brought into thepany.
It seems that the citys waste disposal nts have beenpletely paralyzed by the massive amount of disaster waste generated by the unprecedentedrge fire.
This is why experimental treatment facilities like theirs have been called in to help.
Theyre in a situation where theyd ept any useful help avable.
[Well, well do it. Please bring as much as you want here.]
After Hiroki said this, they really began to bring in as much as they could.
Several 10-ton dump trucks loaded with burnt building materials and other stuff were lined up outside thepanys premises, and they ended up hurriedly needing to hire student part-timers to help with traffic control.
Dump trucks were dumping their loads in a heap, which were then loaded onto the conveyor and were steadily being brought towards the hole.
The spilled waste is forcefully gathered with a shovel and thrown into the hole.
The series of operations of throwing the waste into the holes was carried out without pause in a ce that couldnt be seen from the outside, but the piles of waste brought in inrge quantities being processed at a wonderful speed became a rumor among the dump truck drivers who brought in those waste.
[If you brought those things to that ce, they would deal with them.]
Thepany had gained such a reputation that not only contractors but also ordinary people began to drive their light trucks to the site of the fire and helped out in bringing the building material waste towards them.
As expected, Hiroki found it troublesome dealing with them but
[Lets just do a background check with their drivers license and push through with the disaster cooperation. Just in case, Ill report about this to the authorities through my contacts.]
Following Ishidas advice, thepany epted the waste from the light trucks for a limited period of time.
Although thepany did not gain much in terms of money, it was a small price to pay considering it brought an image of apany that contributes to society, in addition to having a proven track record during a disaster.
Even considering other aspects besides management, its significant that thepany was able to establish a route through which they can throw arge amount of waste down the hole the next time a disaster urs.
Fortunately, Japan is a country prone to earthquakes, and global warming has increased the possibility of floods urring.
Hiroki will continue to have no trouble procuring waste to throw into the hole.
[I hope the next disasteres soon.]
When Hiroki found himself muttering that, the people in the office frowned at him, telling him that saying things like that are inappropriate.
Once the work of throwing the waste was done, there was not much that could be done in terms of management.
As Hiroki absentmindedly watched the news of the fire on the monitor, he found that among the casualties from the fire was that tortoiseshell sses guy from that financepany back then.
[Heehhh So that guys name was Kaneda Katsuya huh]
Hiroki is a man that properly reflects on his actions, so the words Well, hes just getting his just desserts didnte out of his mouth.
Chapter 17: A Man with a Normal Career
Chapter 17: A Man with a Normal Career
Half an hours drive on a national highway from the burned city center reveals an unchangingndscape of country roads.
It was an area made up of either rice paddies, or otherwise mountains and scattered residential areas. A deserted diner and a decaying tourist information sign.
The session ofndscapes that looked like they were just randomly generated patterns in azily created video game reflected the reality of the countryside along the national highway.
The sound of the tires of the vehicle detectives was riding, pounding along the asphalt in a steady rhythm, feels like its gradually lulling its passengers to sleep.
[Even so, they said it was a new University-Launched Venture, but dont you think this ce is rather remote, Manda-san?]
Perhaps bored of watching the same scenery for some time, his partner, the young detective Nagai, broached the subject.
ncing at his partner, Manda thought young detectives nowadays have goodmunication skills.
In his days, young detectives used to keep quiet until their superiors opened their mouths.
[Yeah. Well, you cant really open up an industrial waste-rtedpany in the middle of the city.]
It would be troubling if he were to fall asleep at the wheel and cause an ident during a series of all-night investigations, so Manda just decided to go along with the lighthearted conversation.
Even the upper management, who is on edge in their search for the culprit in the arson and murder case that led to the massive fire, would probably agree with him for this.
[I understand that, but it would have been nice if they had an office in the city center. Because of this, we had toe all the way to this remote ce to get information.]
[What, Detective Nagai isnt satisfied with the drive with me? If thats the case, you can go back to your desk job, you know?]
[No! That drive is fun! Its just, thepany were interviewing today, that Mass Clean something technology? I dont think its very likely that the President of thatpany had anything to do with the murder]
MCTBH is a University-Launched Venture Company that was recently established by a local university to undertake waste treatment using a new technology.
ording to the scraps of local newspapers they had gathered beforehand, a University Professor with a friendly face imed that he started thepany to contribute to the localmunity and the global environment, and in fact, saidpany did a lot of work in the aftermath of the recentrge-scale fire.
[Well, yeah. However, I found the name of the President of thispany among the remains left behind in the office of Kaneda, a moneylender, after the fire. We cant just ignore it, can we?]
Daiki Gomi. Age 34. University Graduate. After working for a major tradingpany, he established a recycling shop in his hometown. This year, he switched to the waste treatment business. He partnered with the local university to start a new technology waste management venture. Never married. No criminal record.
He isnt particrly interesting, just a man with a normal career.
The reason why such a mans name was left in the remains of the fire is unknown.
Its possible that its just another person with the same name.
[But you see That Kaneda was a moneylender and andshark. He was also quite the mboyant one, wasnt he? There must be a lot of people who have a grudge against him Seems to me that that yakuza named Hougi is much more suspicious than him, dont you think?]
Kaneda had taken the trouble to print out a list of his clients and stored it in a fireproof wall safe.
At the investigation headquarters, some of those who had known circumstances were listed high on the list.
In addition to the customer list, Kaneda also kept a notebook, and the names of Gomi and Hougi were found among the burned pages.
[The Anti-Boryokudan department would get information from that Hougi guy. Our department will have our turn after that.]
[However, would someone who starts apany with a University Professor really do something like killing a moneylender He should be considerably wealthy, right? If theres no reason for him to borrow money, there would be no reason for him to get into financial trouble with a moneylender.]
[Well, thats true]
[I really think its Hougi who really did it. Like, hed get a big payout after theyd done to him, or something like that.]
[Oi, Nagai, dont let your prejudice affect the investigation. In the field work, you just do as youre told. First, we need to interview this Gomi guy.]
[I understand. Ahh, I can already see his ce now.]
Moving his gaze farther, through the front ss of the car, Manda began to see a site surrounded by tall galvanized iron walls looming around the agriculturalnds.
When a detective visits without an appointment, even if they had nothing to hide, ordinary people usually get shaken.
However, the young man who answered the door, seemingly one of the employees, didnt seem to be particrly feeling timid, and saying Please wait in the office. I will call him right away., he urged them inside.
[Seems like my face had lost some of its impact huh.]
[I guess?]
In the office to which they were ushered, several young male employees were doing difficult-looking calctions on aputer, but it was an empty and rather drab office.
Arge sofa for visitors and arge monitor on the wall were the only curious things in this ce.
[Thats a big monitor, isnt it? Do you use it to manage your work?]
[Ahh, that one is for the Presidents hobby.]
When Manda casually inquired about this, a young employee responded to him.
[Heehhh]
So his hobby is watching movies huh, thought Manda. He started imagining how intense movies must be, watching them on thisrge monitor.
Thinking that President Gomi was beginning to seem more and more like an ordinary man, Mandas shoulders slumped at the prospect that their visit might have been a wasted one.
[Ahh, the President is back.]
Hearing the front door slide open, Manda turned to see a middle-aged man wearing a dirty jumpsuiting in.
[Ill go wash my hands and change, so please wait a moment.]
Briefly informing them, Gomi disappeared into the door at the back of the office.
Holding his breath, Manda stared at Gomis back.
The interview itself took only a few minutes.
To begin with, several people, including employees, testified that the person in question was the office and had an alibi at the day the fire happened.
He also had no motive for the murder.
[Speaking of which, some months ago, Kaneda-san came to my office with a yakuza-like person to screw me into processing the illegal waste from hispany. Well, of course, I refused. If we had epted such illegal waste and had our business license taken away, we would have lost our means of livelihood. He might have some resentment towards me because of that.]
Gomis own testimony also revealed why his name was listed in Kanedas notebook along with Hougi.
[I guess it really was a miss huh, Manda-san.]
Nagai spoke to him as they drove home, but Manda remained silent.
After a while, when they entered the city center, Manda finally opened his mouth.
[Nagai, what did you think of that Gomi guy?]
[What I think Just an ordinary guy Ahh, but he had a great body, didnt he? Did he y rugby or sports like that?]
He had an average build, but he was tall and had a well-developed muscr body that could be seen even from outside of his jumpsuit.
[Youve read his background, right? He didnt do any sports in college.]
[Then, does he go to the gym? I heard its all the rage for executives to go to the gym and do muscle training.]
[Was that all there is to it?]
[Was that all Manda-san, what did you think?]
Hearing the question being returned to him, Manda didnt answer directly, but changed the subject.
[Nagai, do you know the condition of this victims corpse?]
[Yeah I heard that he was torn apart with great force, having bite marks on his body He was apparently caught in the copsing building and his body was probably gnawed off by a dog or some other animal.]
[Those bite marks They said the body was gnawed on before it was burned. A colleague who joined the agency at the same time as me, working in forensics, told me.]
[Ehhh?]
[When Gomi came in, I locked eyes with him. Ive been a detective up to this age and Ive seen a lot of different people. Ive stood in front of con artists and murderers. However, his eyes were different from any of them]
[How is it different?]
Nagais question made Manda shake his head.
[I dont know]
[You dont know, you say]
Nagai was puzzled by his answer, but Manda only murmured.
[However, theres one thing Im sure I dont like his eyes]
From that point on, Manda kept his mouth shut and ignored Nagais attempts to speak to him.
Chapter 18: Arranging Ones Public Image
Chapter 18: Arranging One''s Public Image
As thepany became more and more famous, it seemed that it was no longer enough for the President to continue the life of just throwing garbage down the hole.
The employees working in the newly rebuilt office were nagging Hiroki to buy a new suit, so he decided to go to a clothing store in town to buy one.
[Not just a suit, buy the whole set! Everything from the shoes to belts and ties! You have the money! The Presidents image is thepanys image! Please be neat and tidy!]
A menacing female student part-timer was furious with him.
Looking at her, Hiroki wondered if he hired such a student.
He was always distant from the others and throwing garbage into the hole, and he left the details of the management to Ihida and the other staff members.
The number of people in thepany has increased, and the number of faces Hiroki is unfamiliar with is gradually increasing.
[Hmm With Customer-samas physique, I think it would be better to have a custom-made one]
[I see]
Because Hiroki thinks shopping was a hassle, he tried to buy one of the ready-made suits hanging at a mens clothing store facing the street, but they didnt have a suit that fit his physique.
[With a physique and broad shoulders like yours, the existing suits wouldnt fit you.]
[Haahhh It was still close to fitting when I just bought suits like thisst time but Ive grown taller in thest few months]
[Ahaha, surely, you jest.]
It sounds like a lie, but hes telling the truth.
He measured himselfst night and found that he had grown to 179cm.
(T/N: 510. 160.3cm / 52 average height for japanese men)
Hiroki has always wanted to be more than 175cm since he was a student, so he was happy, but he felt like it was a waste if he had grown taller now.
He really would have liked it if he had grown taller when he was young so he could be popr.
Even then, its not like he can correct the troubled young clerks thoughts and forcefully tell him that hes telling the truth.
Nevertheless, for him to be unable to wear the suit he bought a few months ago Even though he may have worn that more than his favorite jumpsuit.
It seems that suits arent very cost-efficient clothings.
In the end, he went to a store in town that does semi-custom orders with the introduction of the clerk.
[We have received your call, Gomi-sama.]
[Im not really knowledgeable about these, so I will leave everything to you.]
The store Hiroki visited was on the street in town lined with stores, with a warm and elegant wooden interior and several rolls of expensive-looking fabrics on a square wall shelf A high-ss store that Hiroki had never set foot in before.
After a tailor, a specialist craftsman, served him coffee, Hirokis measurements were taken while they chatted with each other.
Hiroki, who is amoner at heart, was simply amazed at the service provided by a high-ss store.
[When you have a great physique like Customer-sama- which is often the case with swimmers, rugby yers and other athletes- First of all, the jacket and shirt dont match, right? Ready-made suits are standardized for Japanese people with generally slouchy shoulders, so we adjust the silhouette by using padded fabrics. However, in Customer-samas case, this is no longer necessary. To adjust the silhouette, we first open the back fabric straight vertically.]
[Opening it vertically?]
[Thats right. Make a vertical tear in the fabric on the back. After that, the silhouette is adjusted to a V shape and sewn together again.]
[Then, is my shirt going to be done the same way?]
[Yes. The shirt needs to have a special silhouette as well so it would be best to have them made to order]
What the short, gray-haired tailor was saying was interesting and Hiroki would have ordered a custom-made order for him, but he doesnt have much time this time.
[I have several interviews starting next week, so I need to have it done quickly. Instead of that, Id like you to find me three suits of the same size. Also, shoes, belts, shirts and ties Id like a set of those as well.]
[I see Thank you very much.]
"
"
After he gave his thanks and Hiroki left the store, the tailor was still bowing his head in the store.
Hiroki now finds High-ss stores amazing.
Hes d this store did not burn down in the fire.
Memorizing the name of this store in a good mood, Hiroki nned to patronize this store in the future.
The citys big fire apparently made national headlines, as news crews poured in from all over the country.
Hiroki doesnt know if the Universitys PR department did a good job or if Ishida was able to pull some strings, but thepany was mentioned in the context of the flood of news reports, and being the representative of thepany, he was suddenly forced to make an appearance, which was the cause of this ruckus regarding suits.
A reporter from a major newspaper who came to thepany to cover the event brought a photographer with them and took many pictures while interviewing thepany.
[And so, thepany has gained a reputation for processingrge volumes of waste at a great speed with new technology]
[Yes. We have achieved dramatic wastepaction using technology developed in coboration with the University. We cant discuss the details of the technology because of the patents involved in it, but we have received high praise for this achievement.]
[However, some people say that the speed is too fast to process suchrge amounts of debris and building materials, and that you may have been dumping the waste somewhere else]
[We understand that people would be concerned about new technology. That is why we have been monitoring posts to keep track of environmental pollution, and the tracked data is always avable online. We believe that if you look at the data, we can prove that no pollutants are leaking from the site.]
"
"
[I see, so you are saying that apany with excellent technology has emerged in the midst of this world that is being mindful of the SDGs.]
(T/N: Sustainable Development Goals, the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable world for all.)
[Thank you very much. Ourpanys mission is to contribute to themunity and solve environmental issues. It was a tragedy that that fire had urred, but at the same time, we are proud that we were able to demonstrate our technological capabilities and achievements to help speed up the recovery process.]
The media loves words like environmental issues and contribute to themunity.
As a major newspaper, the questions they would be asking had already been told in advance, so Ishida had prepared a script for the interview, telling a story that the media would like.
The article was published in the evening edition of the next days newspaper, and there seemed to be some response.
Hiroki thinks it was worth taking time out of his busy schedule to be interviewed because he received requests from neighboring municipalities for exnations and visits, and was able to secure contracts from several municipalities to handle their waste in the event of a disaster.
Incidentally though, Hirokis picture did not appear in the newspaper article.
Even though there were so many pictures of him that had been taken
Chapter 19: That Which Freely Runs in the Darkness
Chapter 19: That Which Freely Runs in the Darkness
Nightes early in local cities.
Even in the early evening in Tokyo, stores and apartments close early in the countryside, the lights in buildings are turned off, and only street lights illuminate the roadways.
Further away from the city center, vacant apartments and houses with no lights are conspicuous.
It has been a long time since people started talking about the deindustrialization of local city centers, and the city where Hiroki has hispany is no exception.
On the window of a dark and dusty office that has not been cleaned for a long time, a lonely sign in faded letters reads Looking for Tenants.
In one of the decaying vacant rooms of that apartment, he was there.
No, to be more precise, rather than he, it would be more appropriate to refer to such a being with an it. Such a being was curled up and crouched down like a wounded animal.
Amidst the faint burns and pain it feels, it was sweetly dreaming.
In the darkness, that being had seized its luck and became it.
By bing it, it had acquired overflowing power.
By bing it, it had be free.
It had be free and ran outside.
Compared to the true darkness inside the hole, the darkness it witnessed outside was as dark as the street with streetlights.
It ran freely outside, ran freely through the city, and bit off with its powerful fangs the abominable being that had restrained its freedom.
The mans astonished expression and the sweet scent of hot blood at that moment!!!
It ruminated over and over about the scent memorized in its nostrils, and was immersed in a happy mood.
Suddenly feeling hungry, it quickly smashed arge centipede that was rustling around the room and slowly chewed it.
The crispy outer skin and soft, bitter-tasting flesh were delicious.
It wiped the food scraps from its wed hands with the torn hat covering its head.
However, the memory of why such a convenient thing was attached to its head was fuzzy.
With its hunger a little satisfied, it stopped thinking difficult thoughts and slowly curled itself up in the darkness again.
That day, Hiroki continued to throw garbage with a shovel into the hole as usual.
As thepany grewrger and gained social recognition, the amount of waste brought in increased dramatically, but Hiroki continued to handle it all with his extraordinary physical strength and showed no particr signs of fatigue.
Hiroki spent a lot of time with the hole and was satisfied with his fulfilling manualbor.
[President, theres something Id like to discuss with you]
[Arehh? How unusual, seeing you here.]
[Haahh Well]
Wryly smiling, Ishida scratched his head.
Ever since his experience of being hung over the hole, Ishida has had a fear of holes.
His interest in understanding the hole remains strong, but the inescapable fear hes feeling from approaching the hole is greater.
[Errr President, what are you doing?]
Ishida saw Hiroki trying to throw something other than waste into the hole.
[Ahh, this? Its a fumigant that kills cockroaches and centipedes.]
Saying this, Hiroki showed him the several cans of fumigant he had in his hand.
They were the type of fumigants that aremonly used in closed rooms to kill insects in the room.
[No, I understand that but youre throwing them in the hole? May I ask why you do that?]
[Errr, didnt we eptmon waste during the previous disaster?]
[Yes.]
During the previous fire, thepany had made an exception and epted the waste brought in on light trucks by the general public who werent contractors.
It wasnt a bad deal for thepany, as it earned them a good reputation, but it also came with a not-so-good bonus.
[The garbage brought in at that time seemed to contain food scraps, and the number of insects and centipedes had increased They were a hindrance in my work.]
[I see Wait, did you throw those insects into the hole? You threw living creatures into the hole?]
[Thats right. So, just to be safe, I would also throw in fumigants inside. We wouldnt want those bugs to increase in the hole, would we?]
Hearing Ishida point out this question, Hiroki said this as if it were a matter of course.
[In the first ce, would living creatures be alright after theyre thrown into that hole?]
[I dont think they would? I mean, Ive never seen any living creature evere out of the hole.]
[Is that so? Well, if thats the case]
If no living creatures came out of the hole, Ishida thinks that insects increasing in the hole shouldnt be a problem, but he wasnt sure if Hiroki could ept such a contradiction in logic now.
What is thrown into the hole neveres out.
Anything thates in contact with the hole disappears from the surface of this world, vanishing without a sound.
That is the nature of the hole as Ishida knows it.
If that is the case, there may be no problem even if some living creatures are thrown into the hole.
As his mind went through such thoughts, Ishida felt a shiver run down his spine.
He had been dangled on top of such a hole and was almost thrown into it.
[So, what did you want to discuss with me?]
Ishida, who had been somewhat dazed after such a thought popped into his mind, quickly regained hisposure and consulted with Hiroki.
It was regarding a serious matter that would determine the future of thepany.
[Ive been thinking that its time for us to start epting high-grade waste. Wed like to do a preliminary test for that purpose.]
[Ahh, I see. Youre right. We cant just keep on receiving construction waste rubble and boards after all. I guess its time to do something new.]
"
"
Do something new.
Hiroki wants to give the hole a new kind of waste.
Ishida wants to grow thepany by epting new kinds of waste.
Both Hiroki and Ishida agree on the general direction of thepany.
[Yes. Thats right. We want to keep a recorded experiment with radioactive markers. Its so that wed be able to ept radioactive waste.]
[Unnn. That sounds good.]
As Ishida looked nervous, determination held within his heart, Hiroki casually gave him his permission as he plopped yet another fumigant into the hole.
It was unknown if it was because of his fear or not, but Ishida felt like the hole was cker andrger than before.
Chapter 20: Keeping a Balanced Diet in Ones Meals
Chapter 20: Keeping a Bnced Diet in One''s Meals
[What another boar?]
Machida, a security guard, sighed at the sight before him.
Arge boar had repeatedly struck the galvanized iron wall surrounding thepany, trying to break through it, and was caught in the cracks, dead.
As MCTBH has expanded its operations, thepany has built additionalpany buildings and has more and more equipment that are targets for theft.
For this reason, thepany employs a security guard who is on duty at night.
Machida was introduced to MCTBH through the citys Silver Staff Agency after retiring from a local medium-sized machine parts manufacturingpany.
The president of thepany was big and looked scary, but he felt that founders who raised their ownpany were just like that. He feels its not a bad ce to work as a ce where many young peoplee and go, so this would be a great ce to live thetter half of ones lifespan peacefully Except for a few strange and troublesome incidents.
[I think it would be better to build an electric fence to enclose the area or at least, change it to wire mesh.]
Thepany he was dispatched to, MCTBH, seems to have suddenly gotten prosperous recently, buying up the surroundingnd that has been abandoned and left in disrepair to expand warehouses and parking lots where dump truckse in ande out.
Thanks to this, there is now a mountain right behind thepany.
Animals have beening down from that mountain and crashing their heads into thepanys galvanized iron walls, killing themselves.
Just in thest month alone, from what Machida knows, there were four deers that had such a thing happen. There were also five other boars that died in the same position and from the same cause.
"
"
[I wonder if theres something with an appetizing smell wafting from thepanys property.]
Grumbling to himself, Machida pulled out his radio to request for someone from thepany to take care of the boar.
When Hiroki received the call, he dragged the boar carcass with a rope across the property to the hole to dispose of it, and the employees, seeing this, backed away with frowns on their faces.
[Youd better take your distance. Wild animals have ticks.]
A boar who had died just recently may look warm, but if you carelessly touch its fur, the ticks that had been parasitic on it will vigorously jump on you, trying to change hosts.
The first time Hiroki handled a carcass, he had carried it on his shoulder, and he had a rough time because of it.
Since then, he had been dragging carcasses with a rope so that he wouldnt have to touch it directly.
[Even if you dont say that, I wouldnt go near it. President, make sure to take a showerter.]
[President, youre handling it again? It doesnt have to be you who does things like this]
The employees eyes are cold, and they dont hold back with theirments.
[However, boars are heavy.]
Wild boars are much heavier than what their short and stout appearance shows.
A male boar is heavier than a man of standard build, and this carcass Hiroki was dragging probably weighed 90kg.
Dragging it with a single rope would be a heavy load for an ordinary person, and no matter the case, the job of throwing it into the hole is handled only by him.
Its better if he just does it alone from the beginning to the end.
[It will just attract insects if left alone, so Ill just bring them like this and deal with it.]
The carcasses of wild animals that die on the property are equivalent to general waste, so Hirokispany can dispose of them.
This boar will be disposed of as a fresh carcass, with no time for insects to spring up.
[For these things to die by a waste processingpany Is this good luck or not?]
Throwing the boar into the hole, Hiroki thought of the several deliverypanies in the city and wondered if he should eat tonkatsu for lunch.
[There arent enough ces for employees to eat!]
After Hiroki showered and went to the office, he was caught by an employee who was waiting for him.
[Ahh, errr you are]
[Im a part-timer, Kizaki!]
[Ahh, yes, Kizaki-san, yes?]
As I recall, she was that female student who insisted on making me buy a suit.
She was wearing a white coat and sses. Short hair with little makeup.
Hiroki guesses that shes a graduate student at the local university.
With her hands on the sides of her hips, Hiroki wonders.
Is she trying to be threatening?
Outside of manga and anime, Hiroki hasnt seen anyone do something like that since that y he watched back in kindergarten.
[You see, there are now more employees recently, right?]
[Thats right.]
Thanks to Ishidas skills, thepany has continued to expand steadily, and now has more than 10 permanent employees.
If the student part-timers who came in and out of thepany were to be included in the count, the total number of employees is probably three times as many.
The business started as a small, individualpany, but now it has be a respectable small-to-medium sized enterprise.
[President might be fine with it. You have your own house on the premises, so you can cook for yourself. However, us part-timers and employees whomute to the office have nowhere to eat!]
[Were in the countryside after all.]
About 500 meters away from theirpany, theres a crumbling ramen shop, but even that would be packed after serving 5 people.
The female student insisted that they had to buy bento boxes at convenience stores or make one before work, but even this can be tiring and burdensome.
[However, it would be difficult to run apany cafeteria. It would be different if thepany is 10 times its current size though.]
Its not unusual forrge factories to have apany cafeteria for their workers.
In the countryside where the workshop is located though, theres no food service industry that can satisfy the stomachs of all the workers, so they have no choice but to produce their own necessities by themselves.
This is a decidedly different situation than in an office district in the middle of a big city.
[I understand that! Thats why I talked to a bento deliverypany in the city! They will deliver bento boxes to the office everyday at a reasonable price.]
[Hohh, thats amazing.]
Hiroki guesses that she was asking for some subsidy from thepany.
However, if its half the price, Hiroki would be willing to offer it as a benefit.
[The discount is based on thatpanys request that we allow them to dump their waste at our ce.]
[Ahh, so thats how it is.]
In spite of their thin profit margin, the bento box business is one where they have difficulty controlling food loss and waste.
It would also cost a lot of money to dispose of business waste.
[If you could order me a katsudon bento, we can take up that offer.]
[Really? Then Ill make the arrangements right away!]
Lightly flipping off her white coat, the female student went outside to make a phone call.
Hiroki wouldnt have minded if she made the call inside the office though.
[Containers boxes Either way, well need toe up with some way to keep the bugs from springing out.]
It may have been Hirokis imagination, but he had a feeling that it would be better to throw not only hard things, but also soft things into the hole.
There should be nothing wrong with throwing not only deer and boar carcasses, but also human food.
Chapter 21: Keeping Oneself Hydrated
Chapter 21: Keeping Oneself Hydrated
[Ohhh. Here it is.]
As Hiroki was unloading arge package from a delivery truck, he was approached by Ishida, who had spotted the scene.
[President, whats that?]
[Ahh, I was looking for a trash can on the inte and found a nice one.]
Hiroki searched for a container to deal with the food waste, raw meat and animal carcass that was talked aboutst week, and thepany had now received what they had ordered.
[A drum trash can?]
[Kind of. Its one of those that you can open and close the lid.]
At Ishidas question, Hiroki opened the top of the drum.
Its an open drum, a container with a drum lid that can be sealed.
The drums are standardized, so they are inexpensive to manufacture and easy to transport. In other words, cheap.
[We should put these drums in the office and securitys office and use them as trash cans. If we just number them and keep track of their number, there shouldnt be any problems. I dont think trash cans are things that people would bother to steal.]
Ishida tried to carry the drum with both arms, but he staggered.
[If you let the elderly security guards carry something this heavy, they could end up in a work-rted injury.]
[Is it really that heavy?]
Hiroki hadnt thought about that at all.
It was a barrel made of iron tes, so it couldnt be described as light for ordinary people.
[In that case, they should just put the waste in it and let it roll. It would look a lot better than the way I carry the boar carcass now with ropes around them, where others can basically see what happened to the boar. Im basically the one carrying it, and if they really want to carry it themselves, they can roll it or use a push cart dolly. Ahh, I guess I should also order a forklift huh.]
[A forklift? Indeed, its about time we have at least one of the heavy machines.]
Logistics warehouses and factories are always equipped with forklifts.
Forklifts are used for lifting and unloading heavy items.
In fact, Hiroki himself had the license to operate a forklift.
Hiroki actually thinks that forklifts arent necessary because hes here, but rumors spreading inside and outside thepany are troublesome.
He used to work as close to the hole as possible to throw the waste in it, but his job as the President of thepany has be so busy that its difficult for him to be around the hole 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
If this is the case, it may be time to invest in machinery and equipment to at least keep the waste clean and collected.
[Even so, these open drums are quite nice, arent they?]
[Arent they?]
Drums are sturdy, inexpensive andmonce.
Containers used for distribution must be standardized products.
[Products like this probably have processed inner coating, right? If this is the case, we might be able to ept liquid wastes.]
[Liquid waste huh]
Drums can also hold liquid wastes.
Just fill the drums with the garbage or liquid wastes, open the opening at the rim of the hole and pour the contents through it.
If it can be reused, do so, and if it cant be reused, throw the entire drum into the hole.
Waste disposal would be much more efficient with it.
At that moment, Hiroki wonders if it was time for the Custom-Made Large Shovel No.8 that he had been using for so long to retire.
He feels like it was a waste though, as he still hasnt used it for a year.
[However, are dealing with liquid waste that big of a need that they would have them disposed here?]
Liquids are heavy, which means that transportation costs are added to the cost.
Since liquid waste is, so to speak, a disposal cost after profits have been earned frommercial activities, unless regted byw, downward pressure on prices will be exerted on it.
This is why chemical nts are often built in developing countries.
It was also mentioned how in the old days, there used to be bubbles floating in the rivers of Tokyo because of the drippings of liquid waste.
[Of course, we have our merits! Ourpanys processing method is cheap after all.]
[I guess thats true.]
After all, all theirpany has to do is bring the waste and pour it down the hole.
Nopany with a cost structure that canpete with Hirokispany will ever emerge.
[For example, when apany treats liquid waste, they would generally set up a sedimentation tank to separate the toxicponents into solid and liquid first. The solids are easier to dispose of after all.]
[I see.]
Hearing Ishidas exnation, Hiroki thought of it as just the same as water filtration treatment.
[Establishing a treatment nt takes up space, and requires a catalyst and energy. And since the liquid is still toxic, it would still need to be precipitated or catalyzed in a separate process and released into the atmosphere, or diluted with water and discharged into rivers and oceans.]
[In the end, you would need to discharge them huh.]
[Yes, one would need to dilute it and discharge torge bodies of water. That was the only way of disposing them.]
Hiroki frowned, thinking what a waste of time and money it is.
[Then, how about we do that too?]
[Yes! Leave it to us! This will definitely be a big business!]
Ishida happily puffed out his chest, before he muttered.
[And of course, well have to run some more tests for that.]
[Youre right. We have to be very careful about the tests.]
At MCTBH, tests means theory building and waste setting for dummy data creation.
Aside from throwing waste into the hole, this is thepanys core process, where they set up the required energy and waste to be emitted based on a fictitious theory for external sensor and report generation. After all, its bad for public appearances if they just stated that they were throwing garbage in some sort of magical hole and have nothinge out from it.
[Its not the same as falsifying data. The data never existed in the first ce after all.]
Ishida, who is now a very well-paid employee, is happy to get down to work.
Hiroki hopes that times like this continue, where he could continue to work without any trouble.
If something happens to Ishida, his work will be dyed.
After Ishida leaves, Hiroki scoops up the waste piled up around the hole with a shovel and throws a lot of it into the hole.
[The waste I could throw is gradually piling up. However, is it safe to throw liquid into the hole?]
As he mumbled to himself while working, for the first time in a while, he thought he heard a voice, rumbling Gyiiiii from deep inside the hole.
Chapter 22: As the Tires Grind on the Asphalt
Chapter 22: As the Tires Grind on the Asphalt
Perhaps, because thepany has begun to grow and gain exposure in the media, there has been an increase in business partnerships and investment proposals.
As Hiroki is the owner and President of thepany, holding all of thepanys shares, Ishida reported this to him.
[What do you do in business partnerships?]
[Well Its usually aprehensive contract policy wherepanies with specific strengthsplement each other to expand their business. For example, a carpany that specializes inrge SUVs may form a business alliance with a carpany that specializes in standard passenger cars to unify their service locations and logisticsworks]
[I see. What kind ofpanies are suggesting partnerships in our case?]
[Lets see. Many of them are chemical ntpanies and tradingpanies. The ntpanies working with us depend on the downstream process, or in other words, the design of the liquid waste treatment process. Since we are a business that makes money after less than a decade of operation, they want to make sure they can handle us well so that they wont be betrayed or cut off in the middle of the contract. They are also willing to provide us with capital.]
[Ahh, I see because if they can treat their liquid waste at a low cost, the nt itself can be made cheaply and operated cheaply huh. I understand that. However, why the tradingpany?]
[Its probably because ofpanies that have connections with those tradingpanies. They probably want to do business by taking on waste disposal and liquid waste treatment contracts from overseas as well. Incidentally, we have also received acquisition offers. They sure offered quite a lot of money.]
[Theres no way Ill ept acquisition but just out of curiosity, how much money are they offering?]
[Enough to buy an entire league of baseball teams.]
Hiroki could see it in Ishidas eyes. He wasnt lying at all.
[Seriously.]
[Seriously. The price includes the technology though. If they work with us, anypany can achieve zero waste and zero emissions. Potentially, all chemical and heavy industrialpanies in the world could be our customers. Theoretically, that is.]
[That would definitely be a dreame true.]
[Its quite difficult when ourpany is located ind though. We cant use tanker trucks after all.]
[I wonder if we could install a pipeline going straight towards the ocean?]
[The local residents would oppose it, so I dont think it would be possible. Long pipelines are built in deserts like Siberia after all. In our case, a pipeline heading towards Tokyo Bay would run through Tokyo.]
[That seems impossible.]
I thought it was a good idea though.
MCTBH is located in a remote area, with only one direct road leading directly to the site, a private road that branches off from the national highway. As might be expected, having just a single parking lot alone would cause heavy traffic congestion on the road during peakmuting and delivery times, so the surroundingnd has been acquired and several temporary parking lots have been set up.
In that temporary parking lot, we received aint about a car painted ck and tinted windows, which was obviously not a car by anyone rted to thepany.
[Have the security do something about it.]
[They apparently wont listen, saying to have the Presidente out. When ites to brute strength, many of our security guards were rehires, so they cant overdo things.]
[Have you tried calling the police?]
[I heard that even when they called the police, they would be gone by the time they arrived, and thene right back. They seem to have strong connections with the local police.]
[So thats how it is Well, fine. Ill talk to them directly.]
Hiroki came to the parking lot alone for a short after-meal stroll, and found a ck Mercedes Benz there, blocking the cars from entering and exiting the parking lot.
It was especially repulsive how they left enough space for someone to get through if they tried to.
If someone does try to slip through, Hiroki guesses that these people will probably im that their car has been scratched or something.
Hiroki only sighed, thinking that their modus operandi havent improved at all.
Knocking on the window of the car, which Hiroki couldnt see inside, the automatic window rolled down to reveal a man in a double-breasted suit and ck sunsses.
It was as Hiroki expected. It was indeed the yakuza from that time.
[Excuse me, this is private property. Can you please move your car out of the way?]
[Ahh? Im a well-meaning citizen who is concerned about environmental issues. Im monitoring pollutingpanies!]
[Heehhh I thought you were apany employee?]
"
"
[Im no longer apany employee. It doesnt earn me much money.]
He did hear how their profits have decreased since that tortoiseshell sses disappeared.
[However, keeping tabs on us wont make you money.]
[Really? I heard youre a very wealthy man.]
[My allowance did increase. Thanks to that, I was able to install a draft beer server at home. A guy from a beerpany evenes to maintain it.]
Hiroki couldnt think of any particr use for his money, so he renovated part of his house and built a bar where drinks could be served and some snacks as a benefit for his night shift employees.
Hiroki thinks it wasnt a bad investment, as it was well-received by young male employees and more and more volunteered to work the night shift.
[So, what is this uninfluential environmentalist doing here?]
He asked him what he hade to such a remote area for.
Well, he already knows what a money-hungry yakuza woulde here for.
[The f*ck you said!!!?]
There was a loud thump inside the car.
It seems that the yakuza kicked the door of the Mercedes and tried to open it.
However, Hiroki was standing in front of the door and lightly holding it so that it wouldnt open, so the yakuza just ended up hurting himself.
There were a few more thumping noises after that, but he seemed to have given up his futile attempts to kick the door after seeing Hiroki standing there, calmly looking at him.
[Theres someone who wants to buy stocks from yourpany.]
Lightly sighing, the yakuza said what he was here for.
It really was as Hiroki expected.
[Try bringing the money through the front channels. I might just listen to what you have to say then.]
[I tried, but we got rejected.]
This too, is something Hiroki expected. He could already guess that thepany they would use to buy their shares was just a front. Ishida seems to be doing his job well.
[Its impossible then. Go home and tell them you were turned down.]
[Even if you will regret this?]
[I wont.]
Behind his sunsses, Hougi seems to be ring at him with a dreadful expression on his face, but for some reason, Hiroki doesnt fear him at all.
On the contrary, when he was ring at him, it was the yakuza who looked away, seemingly frightened.
[D*mn it! You cant continue like this!!! Its toote to regret it after you got sunk in Tokyo Bay in a pile of concrete!!!]
Leaving a few words, the ck Mercedez drove off, grinding its tires on the asphalt with a screeching sound.
As he watched the yakuza depart, Hiroki thought that rather than worrying about other people
He should be more worried about being stuffed into a drum.
Chapter 23: You Can Stuff Drums with Anything
Chapter 23: You Can Stuff Drums with Anything
After consulting withpany personnel, Hiroki decided to begin a major overhaul of thepanys premises.
Up until now, Hiroki had been fooling around by adding warehouses and other facilities as if he was just the owner of a small to medium-sizedpany, but when it came to conducting arge business that included liquid waste treatment, they had some inadequacy in capacity for various aspects.
They hired a major constructionpany in Tokyo and had numerous design meetings with the person in charge.
In the end, they decided to pave the entire current site, enclose it with a high wall, and build arge warehouse and thepany building with a green tract ofnd in ordance with the local ordinance.
[It kinda looks like the military bases I saw in a foreign TV drama.]
Hiroki had such an impression, but the functionality of constructing it that way does indeed resemble that of a military base.
It seems that a simr arrangement was also in ce when ites to efficiently cing people and equipment, and providing security to the surrounding area.
In anticipation of entering the liquid waste treatment business, arge liquid waste tank will be installed for temporary storage.
[Somepanies will probably bring their liquid waste by tanker truck after all.]
Ishida exined.
Since its a hassle to refill drums from the liquid waste tank, a pipe is designed to run directly from the tank to the building where the hole is located.
When they want to dispose of the liquid waste, they could simply open the valve, which is revolutionary in that it allows disposal even when Hiroki isnt around.
Seeing this design, Hiroki wants to have the disposal of drums to eventually be automated as well.
Also, the building where the hole is located will be surrounded by thick concrete walls.
This is because a few days ago, a boar finally broke through the exterior galvanized iron wall, and covered with scratches, it plunged into the wall surrounding the hole.
In addition, corporate spies and yakuzas have been hangin around thepanys vicinity, so its no longer eptable to simply enclose the hole in a shack made of galvanized iron.
[It feels a little oppressive though, so I dont like it.]
Hiroki asserted.
[That is an absolutely confidential matter. We cant just have it covered with galvanized iron forever.]
However, Ishida insisted.
It was indeed just as Ishida said, but the buildingspletion n is too exaggerated.
He wanted it covered with a cube-sized building made of thick concrete.
It looked like a scaled-down version of the concrete building he saw at a nuclear power nt he saw back then.
[Rather than a building, it looks more like a tomb. no, a stone monument?]
As was the case at the site of the Chernobyl power nt, the concrete buildings of nuclear power nts feel more like stone monuments than buildings.
Stone monuments of science and technology that makes people feel fear, as if something that cant be handled by humans has been hurriedly covered and reinforced with concrete.
Hiroki thinks that Ishida is probably just afraid of the hole though.
Having this in mind, the monitoring posts filled with deceptive sensors that have been erected around the site seem like wards to block anything that mighte out of the hole.
The sensors are connected to the cables for power and data transmission, in a way which makes it look like shimenawa.
(T/N: Shimenawa are lengths ofid rice straw or hemp rope used for ritual purification in the Shinto religion. Having a shimenawa tied around or across an object or space denotes its sanctity or purity.)
Looking at it this way, it could be seen as a ritual ce where humans continue to offer the filth of the world in the form of waste to prevent something ominous froming out of the hole.
[In that case, am I supposed to y the role of the Shinto Priest in this ce?]
Imagining himself in a Shinto Priests ikan, Hirokiughed at how ill-suited it looked.
Inrge-scale construction, in addition to the clean deskwork of designing, theres also the mundane groundwork.
On the site that had been purchased for site expansion, a group of people had gathered out of nowhere and started to build a cabin under the sign Group Against Environmental Pollution.
The people actually sitting in the shack looked like skinny olddies and naive students, but it was clear that whoever was supporting them was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
[Feels like I always end up having to handle these jobs]
MCTBH is officially a technology venturepany, and Ishidas contacts and preferences determine who gets hired.
In other words, the employees hired were all schrs and for some reason, the physicalbor and rough work is done by Hiroki, the Owner/President of thepany.
[This is private property. Please leave.]
[With our rights as citizens, we oppose environmental pollution!]
[Oppose!]
[Oppose!]
[Polluting corporations should leave!]
As Hiroki had expected, they didnt listen to him.
Do you call what they were doing Sprechchor or something like that? Anyhow, as they were shouting in unison, Hiroki thinks that what they were doing looks fun.
He did try to convince them that, from a data point of view, the pollution theyre worried about doesnt exist.
After all, they have thrown everything into the hole, so theres no way for pollution to spread.
[We have sensors that collect data on environmental pollution indicators, and the data from the monitoring posts is always avable online. Looking at it, isnt it obvious that there was no pollution outbreak?]
[Those data are fabricated!]
[It cant be trusted!]
[Fabricated!]
[Fabricated!]
Well, this is something Hiroki had expected.
They are paid by whoever was supporting them, so theres no way they would listen to him.
Also, their data being fabricated was the only thing they got right.
He then tried the opposite way
[There are a lot of wild animals around here, so please be careful if you are going to stay in the wild. Also, you should properly get rid of your garbage.]
For an environmentalist group, these people were quite sloppy, with food scraps, wrapping paper and stic bento boxes littering their surroundings.
Hiroki doesnt know if its because hispany was located in a remote location, but they were dressed in filthy clothes, as if they hardly had any shower.
Hiroki wonders, were they part of amune or something? They looked like theyre from a refugee camp.
(T/N: Amune is a group of people who live together and share many of their possessions and responsibilities.)
[You should throw your garbage away properly.]
He reminded them.
[Oppose!!!]
[Oppose!!!]
[Capitalist pig!!!]
As strangely trained curses rained down his back, Hiroki returned to his office.
A few dayster, he heard the news that the environmentalist groups cabin had copsed after being chased around in the middle of the night by a pack of boars that hade to scavenge food scraps.
A human being would have been helpless if attacked by a boar weighing more than 100kg in the dark.
Many people were injured and the group was devastated, and by the next morning, several ambnces seemed to have arrived.
When Hiroki went to check it out, they found the copsed cabin, arge amount of garbage left behind by the boars and baits that had been scattered about during the night. They are all stuffed into the drum and thrown into the hole.
Can be filled with anything and easily thrown away, drums really are convenient.
Within theplete darkness, they were born from their eggs.
As soon as they hatched, they devoured the carrion around them,peting with their siblings to eat, and they who triumphed scavenged the carrion around them again.
The carrion around them seemed endless, but soon there was nothing left but bones.
The hungry them gnawed at the hard bones with their strong jaws, drilled into them, and burrowed into them to sip the marrow of these bones.
When the bone marrow ran out, the hungry them finally began to cannibalize their siblings.
After a fierce struggle, they who survived gnawed on the flesh of their hard, fat siblings, crushing their shells, and again sipped their marrow.
Before long, sniffing the scent of new carrion falling from the heavens, they spread their wings wide and leaped.
All toy their eggs, swollen with tens of thousands of lives, in thisnd near the new carrion.
Chapter 24: I Had a Dream
Chapter 24: I Had a Dream
I dream a lot these days.
There is and of pitch-ck darkness where nothing can be seen.
Its and of peace where enveloping warmth awaits me.
Theres something deep in the darkness.
Something beckons me Deeper and deeper
I have a strong feeling that something warmer and more peaceful awaits deep within.
Head deeper
Head deeper
Even deeper
Even deeper
Just as I am about to proceed forward, I wake up.
When I wake up, that feeling of being wrapped in thefortable warmth always remains.
Thanks to this, I wake up every day feeling good and in good physical condition.
Last night, however, I had a somewhat noisy dream.
Something was crawling on the floor
Something was flying around
Something was creeping about
Even now, I feel restless and uneasy.
[What kind of dream was that]
Even when I thought of it though, just like most dreams, the dream that was so clear and impressive when I was asleep waspletely forgotten when I woke up, and only a vague impression of that dream remained.
[Oh well.]
Washing my face, I changed my clothes and headed for the bar that had been renovated in my home.
When Hiroki arrived, even though it was still early in the morning, he found several employees rxing over coffee.
[Good morning!]
[Morning.]
Greeting them, he brewed coffee from themercial coffee maker.
The renovated bar has a draft beer server, as well as amercial coffee maker.
As thepany is located in a remote area, theres no ce to get a cup of coffee nearby, and it takes an hours drive to go to somebucks or other trendy cafes, so he installed a coffee maker when he renovated the bar.
There are several vending machines on thepanys premises, but because of the remote location, the vending machine vendor doesnte to change the machines every day, so theyre often out of stock.
That being the case, thepany has opened these machines to the employees as a small employee benefit so that they can at least drink coffee as they want.
Employees and visitors can drink them for free, so many employeese here after a shift change or early in the morning to spend their break time.
[Now then, lets see whats in the news today.]
Spreading out the newspaper which is also acquired by thepany, Hiroki checked the news.
Even now, newspapers are convenient for reading through news from multiple newspaperpanies,
Its good to keep a connection with not only the national newspaper, but also local newspapers, in the form of socializing with them.
Since Hiroki runs a business that is easily criticized, waste disposal, I need to build a good rtionship with the local media.
Well, this is mostly what the sociable Ishida told me.
[The murder of a family of business owners. The murderer is still atrge huh. This looks disturbing.]
The front page of the local newspaper reported the gruesome murder of Tanabe Masaru, 54, a local transportationpany owner, along with his wife and three children, by a criminal who broke into their homest night.
[Theyre apparently calling it Serial ck Companies Murder Case.]
[The heck is with that.]
One of the employees, who was having coffee, informed Hiroki, talking about a rumor on the inte.
[There have been a series of murders of executives and their families in the past few months, and all of them have one thing inmon: they are all from ckpanies. The police are investigating the cases as if these weremitted by employees with a grudge. Well, thats how the rumors go.]
[Oi, oi, then Ill also have to be careful too.]
[No one would attack the President. I mean, youll probably turn the tables at them.]
Hiroki tried making a joke, but it seems like the employees didnt get it.
[That Prefectural Police Commissioner, he was a bum, wasnt he?]
[Yes. Well, it was a murder case within their jurisdiction while they were on high alert. The pressure from the top must be intense.]
Detective Manda made fun of Detective Nagai, who was driving the car, for yelling at the government employee to the point of breaking his voice in the morning investigative meeting.
[Well, I can understand why you wanna yell at the higher-ups.]
There were four cases in this prefecture alone. With seven consecutive murders in a row, including those in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures, its not hard to imagine the criticism against the police, who are unable to solve the cases, are getting stronger.
[Not only the presidents of thepany, his wife and children as well That freaking murderer, hes not human.]
[Even though his modus operandi is quite rough, why is that they still havent caught him, Manda-san?]
[Its exactly because hes rough. They dont know his motives, the murder weapon, the tools he use or anything like that. Its as if whoevers attacking those families was just a random attacker.]
The modus operandi of the perpetrator is so simple andmon that its almost mind-boggling.
Thats why the police are investigating this as a series of crimes aremitted by the same person.
First, the perpetrator sneaks into apanyte at night.
Then, he would threaten a small number of employees working overtime to get information about the presidents home, and he would then either knock them out, tie them up, shove them into lockers or the like.
Then, after robbing thepany of its money and valuables, he would break ito the presidents homete at night and murder his family.
[Manda-san, is it true that the murderer only targets ckpanies?]
[Are you talking about that story from the weekly news? Well, allpanies dont have a good reputation. It is true that theyre on MHLWs list of ckpanies.]
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) publishes a monthly list ofpanies by prefecture that are in vition ofbor standards-rtedws and regtions in order to improve the popces working environment.
The so-called ckpany list refers to this list of vitingpanies.
[But Nagai, how manypanies do you think there are in the world? Including those with past vitions, there are hundreds of suchpanies in this prefecture alone. Its impossible to be on the lookout for all of them.]
[Moreover, that criminal is frighteningly agile and strong. He broke into an office on the 7th floor of a 20-story building through a window, stole the money in the safe and smashed through the iron grill fence. He moved so fast that the security cameras didnt even see them.]
[Most ces dont even have their security equipment running when theyre working.]
With the exception of a few financial institutions and infrastructure-rtedpanies, mostpanies only turn on their rm systems at night when thest employee leaves the office.
Also, mostpanies dont operate security cameras during the day, except for those in industries that require remote monitoring.
[Moreover, none of the victimspanies had rm systems or surveince cameras to save money. Manda-san, do you think this could be a coincidence?]
[I wonder Company presidents are often quite stingy.]
Manda stared at the blurry photograph distributed at the investigative meeting, which was described as the image of a man who looked like the culprit moving around.
The photo, which was taken by a surveince camera from a distance, was out of focus, and probably because he was moving at a high speed, the image was too blurry to be useful in identifying the culprits face. However, the murderers odd posture low, wearing a beanie, hunched over, and arms outstretched was well captured.
Chapter 25: "It" Went Back Home
Chapter 25: "It" Went Back Home
Takemura Ayano is a housewife living in a quiet suburban residential area.
She currently lives with her husband and daughter.
What she currently desires is to have at least one more child.
This morning, after sending her husband off to work as usual, Ayano noticed that her daughter was not in the living room.
[Again? She really never gets bored]
Her 5-year-old daughter, Rino, has a special talent for disappearing before she knows it when she takes her eyes off her for even a moment.
Even when they dont have much time, she would still y hide-and-seek.
She seems to enjoy it when her mother frantically searches for her.
[Now then, I wonder where did Rino hide?]
The daycare bus will be picking her up soon, so where could she be hiding again
Lightly sighing, Ayano was about to look for todays hiding ce when her daughter came trudging down the stairs from the second floor.
[Ara? Youre quite admirable today. Now, now, lets get you ready for preschool.]
First, she would wash her face, feed her, dress her and check if she had all her things in her bag
[Hey, Mama, did someone move in next door?]
Ayano was busily rearranging her schedule for this morning when her thoughts were interrupted by her daughtersment.
[Ara. The house next door should be empty. Did you see a moving truck there?]
The house next to the Takemura family has been vacant for several years.
Ayano had always felt that it would be nice if someone suitable would move in since things have been disturbing as ofte, so this seemed like good news.
[No. Someone went into the second floor of the house next door. I wonder if they live there?]
[Eh?]
[The neighbor went woosh to the window. Its amazing.]
[No! Rino, stay right here! Lock the windows and then and then Yes, the police!]
Looking up at her mother, who suddenly turned strict and pulled out her phone, the young girl puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
Even though she would have liked to tell her how easily the neighbor had jumped to the window, how easily the neighbor had opened the locked window with his long arms, and how they were wearing a beanie
When they received a report that the suspect in the serial murder case had been spotted holed up in a residential area in the suburbs, Detective Manda and Nagai rushed to the scene.
[That b*stard was hiding in a suburban residential area. After all those incidents, hes got a lot of guts not to run away.]
[However, is the guy here really that culprit? Is there any possibility that its just a homeless person? A prowler, perhaps?]
[I wonder about that. If that were the case, hed have been arrested by now, and they wouldnt be needing any backup.]
[Ahh. Manda-san, it seems like theres nothing to worry about then.]
[Thats a lot of backup. It seems like the Commissioner is quite enthusiastic about this]
When the two detectives finally arrived at the scene, they found it filled with police officers and vehicles from the surrounding area, which resembled arge exhibition hall of police uniforms and patrol cars.
Lines were set up to keep residents and the media away, and the surrounding residents were being asked to leave their houses.
When the scale of the crime bes thisrge, there isnt much work that Manda and Nagai, who are just detectives, can get involved in.
Finding a policeman hes acquainted with, Manda spoke to him to gather information.
[Thats quite the number youve gathered here. Isnt it possible that this isnt the right target?]
[A kid in the neighborhood saw the culprits appearance and hat. She said the guy had very long arms and was wearing a beanie, so theres a good chance this guys that criminal.]
[What about the house? Is anyone living there?]
[No, its uninhabited. It seems that the resident separated from their family some years ago and skipped out by night, and the house has been empty ever since.]
[I see Then, just go in and arrest him. Why are you all still surrounding the area?]
Based on the testimony of his physique, he seems to be the serial murderer of the business owners and their family.
If thats the case, it would be better to go in and drag him out.
There should be no reason for them to keep their distance with the ce surrounded.
[Dont tell me, he had hostages?]
[No Thats not it. The Prefectural Police District did send a raid team about an hour ago but they failed.]
[What?]
The Prefectural Police Districts raid team is an elite group of police officers with superior physique and arresting skills.
No matter how narrow the interior of an ordinary house may be, they have trained to the point where no ordinary criminals can match them.
If even they had failed, the next step would be to neutralize the criminal with small-sized firearms.
[The scene is indoors, dark, and he seems to have a troublesome sharp tool Their people are injured. The higher-ups are in a panic right now, scouting and rearranging the n.]
[Oh my God]
Looking at the surrounding vehicles again, Manda saw several ambnces parked among the police cars.
[So, what are you going to do next? What are you thinking of doing next? Are you going to continue with the siege?]
It turned out that even the most well-trained police officers wouldnt have a chance against an inhuman criminal with a sharp tool in a room.
One option would be to surround the suspect, buy time and wait for when the criminal bes tired.
[Rumor has it that the police are going to call in the SAT from Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.]
[SAT huh]
SAT stands for Special Assault Team. Theyre a special unit belonging to the Metropolitan Police Departments Security Division.
Manda has only found rumors about them, but its said that they are equipped with special firearms such as submachine guns, special equipment such as shbangs, and bulletproof equipment, and they are trained in german-style raids.
An organization simr to this is the SIT, the Special Investigation Team, with special equipment and training for the purpose of apprehending criminals.
The detectives on the spot werent familiar with any of those organizations.
[Theyre dispatching the SAT means the higher-ups decided that this criminal is to be shoot-to-kill!?]
Manda chided Nagai for his outburst.
[After all those murders, it seems like the criminal still got the murder weapon on his body. It cant be helped.]
The murderer of the families of business owners killed a total of 25 people. The murderer had brutally killed a wide range of people, from the elderly as old as a 78-year-old to a child as young as a 4-year-old.
The shock to the public was so great that even if this case were brought to a trial, he would receive no other sentence other than the death penalty.
Although media control had been imposed in that ce, news helicopters have begun to fly in the sky.
[I hope we can get this over with by nightfall.]
As he looked up at the sky, which had begun to cloud over, Manda muttered to himself.
Chapter 26: "It" Went Back to the Home it was Born
Chapter 26: "It" Went Back to the Home it was Born
Around dusk, the SAT arrived from Tokyo.
They arrived in a heavy-armored vehicle with a jet-ck body and ck tinted windows.
[Tokyo department got quite the budget huh.]
Looking at his 10-year-old rickety investigation vehicle, Manda felt jealous.
The men who got out of the vehicle quickly entered the tent functioning as the temporary headquarters, so Manda couldnt see them clearly, but he could see that they were all dressed in bulletproof helmets and bulletproof vests, and had weapons such as submachine guns.
As the sun set and it became dark, a power-lighting truck, also from Tokyo, illuminated the house where the murderer was holed up with brightness as if it were midday.
There was no movement for a while, but even Manda and Nagai, who were on the outer edges of the encirclement, could sense the tension at the scene had reached its peak.
[Were counting on you all Avenge the peoples deaths]
The SAT raid was about to begin.
This ce calms me For this is my ce
It was huddled in a room of the abandoned house.
It has known this room the longest.
The decrepit bed
The bookshelf with nothing in it but an empty frame
The wall clock with stopped hands on the floor
It wondered, how long had it been since then
It has already lost its sense of time.
However, at the time its being had be definite, it was already here
There is a small scratch on the pir of the room.
Tiny little scratches every few centimeters since it was less than a meter high.
Scratches that prove the time it had been here since it was young
Huddled in this ce, it felt like it could return back to the fun times
However, enemies now stood before its path.
There it is again
The enemy
An enemy that interrupts my time reminiscing the past
I fought them off earlier, but they wont learn their lesson and are back here again
And this time, there are more of them
Its hearing as acute as the angle of itsrge, pointed ears, it can easily see the multitude of people surrounding it.
[Ready Go! Go! Go!]
The raid operation began with a light burst of sound and smoke.
Pom pom pom, tear gas shells were fired in rapid session, followed by the sharp sound of residential windows breaking.
First in the strategy was to fill the interior with tear gas and smoke the criminal out.
If hees outdoors because of the pungent odor of the smoke, he can be seized by arge number of people.
However, seemingly as if the culprit had strong patience, he didnt run out of the house.
[Did he have a gas mask or something prepared? It doesnt feel like hed be the well-prepared type of guy.]
Manda wonders about the behavior of the criminal, which does not match his image.
When it sensed arge stone breaking the window, smoke came out of the stone.
It stinks! Smoke painful. Its alright. Bearable.
Im fine with something like this.
Even with no sense of smell, I can still hear them.
p the stinky stone away.
However, that was as far as it could endure.
For at that moment, the sound of another stone being thrown rang out.
"
"
[Throwing!]
Continuing on, a SAT member threw in what seemed to be a small ck grenade.
With an explosion of light, a thunderous roar filled the room.
Its a shbang. Its also called a stun grenade. Upon detonation, it produces an explosion of over 170 decibels and a sh of over one million cand, causing dizziness, deafness, loss of sense of direction and disorientation.
It should be especially effective against the murderer who had been hiding in the dark for a long time.
[Charge!]
With submachine guns at the ready, several more SAT members rushed in from the front entrance and the windows.
A roar and a sh.
Cant see. Cant hear.
In a daze, it felt as if its whole body had been hit by a continuous stream of hot mes.
Tatatatatata, the sound of submachine guns being fired in session echoed through the air.
The sound of gunfire could be heard even by Manda, who was outside of the encirclement.
[It has finally ended huh]
It seemed to signal the end of the long siege and the horrific incident.
Relief could also be seen on the faces of the police officers who had been guarding the scene.
It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.
It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.
I dont want things to end.
Go home.
Not here.
Go home.
Not here.
Go home.
The rxed atmosphere around everyone suddenly turned for the worse.
With a thump, the sound of something heavy kicking against the roof resounded on everyones ears.
At the same time, a ck figure leaped into the air, illuminated by light.
[Thats impossible!]
The criminal, who was supposed to have been shot all over his body, kicked the window sill of the second floor and jumped out.
However, his posture suddenly became unsteady mid-air.
The sound of sharp gunfire, unlike that of a submachine gun, followed.
It was a rifle shot by the sniper team.
[Alright, arrest him!]
The police rushed toward the fallen criminal with their polycarbonate shields and batons.
But the criminal, whose posture should have been broken mid-air,nded on his feet, and crawling on the ground, he kicked the police shields that surrounded him, mounted their shoulders, and literally leaped through theyers of encirclement.
[D*mn it! What the heck was that!? Is that even human!?]
[After it! Dont let that get away! Get on the patrol cars!]
[Copters! Have the copters chase after it!]
[Dont let that get away! Do everything you can to catch it!]
With such arge force surrounding the scene and even the SAT, the polices most precious asset involved, it was every police officers worst nightmare.
The scene was filled with angry shouts from the police officers, and the police car radios were shouting instructions and scoldings to the pursuers.
[Whoaaaa. Things are getting really serious It got away huh]
Hiroki and his employees were watching the police siege broadcast on TV on therge monitor.
Since the scene was in their prefecture, many employees, whose homes are in the city, were anxiously trying to grasp the situation on their smartphones and from social media.
"
"
The helicopter was in pursuit of the fleeing criminal for a while, but when the criminal began to skillfully hide in the dark, it was beyond the limits of what an ordinary helicopter without special nighttime lighting equipment could do. Now, the live screen only showed the road brightened by the lights.
[Oh, we appeared! Ourpany appeared on TV!]
As the helicopter was turning around, a glimpse of theirpany appeared in the corner of the screen.
[There isnt really anything around, so you cant clearly see it though.]
Thepany building, illuminated at night, looked like a floating ind cut out of a jet-ck ocean.
Chapter 27: I Dreamt
Chapter 27: I Dreamt
It was fleeing in the darkness of the night.
For it that knows true darkness, the darkness of the night outside isnt a hindrance.
That house isnt its home anymore.
I want to go home I want to go home
However, it has lost too much blood.
Despite the stinging heat it feels from its wound, its body and limbs grow colder and colder.
I want to go home
Back to that warm ce
It staggers towards a building that stands out in the darkness of the night.
However, there was a wall surrounding it.
A wall that, if it were in perfect physical condition, it could have leapt over with a single jump.
However, it was hopelessly high for it, whose consciousness was starting to be hazy
At that moment, it suddenly smelled the scent of blood, stimting its appetite.
Blood I want it Blood Flesh Meat
The delicious scent It wafts from thatrge iron cylinder
And thus, going into the cylinder, it started eating carrion before eventually losing consciousness.
[How scary. I hope they catch the culprit as soon as possible.]
Machida, a security guard who hade to work after shrugging off his familys pleas to not go because of the danger, looked up at the helicopter flying overhead and anxiously muttered.
He is grateful to thepany for continuing to employ even people like him who held no special skills.
Besides, thepany has many employees who are younger and more capable than he is.
And so, Machida believes that its the job of the elderly to protect the young.
Machida recently obtained a forklift license.
Its so that he can contribute to thepany in any way he can.
[Its time like this that I have to do my job as usual.]
Following his usual routine, Machida used the forklift to load several drums for harmful animal carcasses disposal that were ced outside the gate onto a transport cart.
The President had set up these special drums for this purpose, which made it much easier to deal with the animals that ran into the fence.
[Safety first after all.]
ording to the work procedure manual, if theres an open drum, the contents will fly out and cause an ident, so its important to check it.
Following the procedures, Machida checked the drum and properly closed the loose drum lid.
[Good grief. The police are very energetic in the morning, arent they?]
Hiroki was awakened by the roar of search helicopters flying over early in the morning, and after washing his face and getting dressed, he headed to the bar a little early.
[Many of the employees werent able to go homest night I guess there would be plenty of coffee brewed already.]
Fortunately, Hiroki had stocked up arge amount of coffee beans as a hobby.
[Morning.]
[Good morning]
There were several times as many employees as usual hanging out at the bar.
The color of tiredness was deep in all their faces.
[What, you couldnt sleep? Was there not enough futon in the security room?]
The security room was supposed to be equipped with enough sleeping bags, water and food for the number of employees in case of a disaster.
[No Its just that, isnt it scary that a murderer who could break through a police siege had escaped and was left on the loose?]
[Thats right. Those who could sleep through that are the ones that are strange.]
The employees were talking about the horrible incidenttely.
[That aside, what are we gonna have for breakfast? We do have emergency food ration bars for disasters.]
[I guess there would be no delivery around at the moment huh.]
[I dont think so. Even the morning papers werent delivered earlier.]
In addition to the fact that thepany is inside the police emergency line, theyre in a remote area, and even the employees are afraid to go out ofpany premises.
Even if they were to order meals for them delivered, they would be refused.
However, even if they dide, they would feel too sorry for the part-timers who had to make those deliveries.
It would be bad for their conscience to make them risk their lives for a 1200 yen an hour job.
[Ill ask the contractor to deliver the lunches toe earlier, and Ill increase our orders. Since its an emergency, well pay for it out ofpany funds.]
This is the limit of the measures that can be taken.
The good thing about theirpany is that they dont have to worry about too much food loss and waste.
However, that isnt something important at the moment, for theres an important test that will being upter.
The test, titled Advanced Waste Disposal Monitoring Test, is a critical test for MCTBHs future strategies, or so Ishida said.
[To put it simply, this is a test to see if theres any leakage or dispersal of waste, solid or liquid, that is difficult to treat at existing facilities.]
It was hard to make out the color of Ishidas face, as he was dressed in a full protective gear often seen in biohazard movies, but his voice rings out loud and clear.
Because of the sensitive nature of the test, Ishida and Hiroki are the only two people near the hole.
[The construction work has beenpleted to prevent anything from leaking outside, right?]
[Yes. It was simple construction work after all. With that, the negative pressure room is ready.]
The concrete box covering the hole is still under construction, so some of the steel frame is only covered with metal sheets, but the basic piping for a negative pressure room has beenpleted.
In facilities that handle poisons and pathogens, air conditioning is designed to keep some rooms at a slightly reduced atmospheric pressure, which is often referred to as negative pressure.
The air pressure is kept a little lower in the room so that air cane in from the outside but not go out.
Conversely, in food processing and precision machinery factories, positive pressure rooms are designed so that air can leave but not enter.
This is to prevent the entry of fine dust and bacteria.
The hole is equipped with a negative pressure room due to the disposal of substances hazardous to humans.
However, the negative pressure piping system here is different from that of ordinary facilities.
In a normal facility, polluted air that enters the room is passed through multiple filters to reduce it to a harmless concentration before being exhausted to the outside, but here, the air is simply forced into the hole as polluted air.
In other words, the air is sucked into the room and disposed into the hole. In a stupidly convenient way, not having any filters.
In short, what they had installed in their facility was just an air pump.
[Its foul y that this is all thats needed toplete the construction.]
Ishida said, astounded.
This is why all the chemical ntpanies, gued by the cost of cleaning up the contaminated liquid waste and contaminated air that will inevitably be produced once the facility is up and running, are eager to partner with MCTBH.
[Well then, lets get started.]
Hiroki lifted up the color-coded drums for the test one by one and threw them into the hole.
Meanwhile, Ishida recorded it in a notepad.
It was apparently easier to record with a pen than with a keyboard when wearing protective clothing.
[Arent they heavy?]
Ishida asked Hiroki after he had thrown three more drums into the hole.
[Not really. Well, its hard to move in this outfit.]
A drum full of liquid How much did it weigh again? About 300 kg? Maybe a little more.
In any case, it doesnt seem that heavy for Hiroki.
Hiroki continued on, lifting up the drums and throwing it down like a machine.
[Ahh.]
However, suddenly feeling a different response in the drum he was carrying, Hiroki reacted.
[Is something the matter?]
[I felt a strange sensation. It felt as if something inside moved.]
[Errr, that drum is a carcass disposal drum. The sensation is different from that of a drum filled with liquid, so it may have shifted inside.]
Ishida checked the data in his hand and spoke about the contents of the drum.
[I see. That certainly felt like that was the case.]
The mere tossing of the drums, which wasbeled as an Advanced Waste Disposal Monitoring Test, continued for the next two hours, and then ended uneventfully, with only the external sensors monitoring the drums on the hour.
When Hiroki went out of the building, a police helicopter was still circling noisily in the sky.
[I want to drink a beer and go to bed. I hope the police will catch that culprit as soon as possible.]
As he took off his protective gear, Hiroki muttered to himself.
That night, Hiroki had another dream.
In the usually deafening silence of the jet-ck world, a fierce struggle was taking ce.
In the Kingdom where they crawl around, rejoicing in their prosperity, a foreign body had been thrown in
The sound of mincing meat and the ground being tread on is drowned by the sound of buzzing wings.
It and they swung their ws, stomped with their feet, bit with their sharp jaws, and pounced on each other for their own survival
It was huge, a thousand times bigger than them
They were a multitude, assaulting it with numbers over a million
It wasnt possible to say who was the winner of the short, but furious struggle
The battle between size and numbers seemed to be tilted in favor of numbers, but the surrounding polluted atmosphere caused those with poor gas exchange ability to fall one by one.
However, it also lost a lot of blood in the struggle outside, weakly falling down on the ground
The polluted air and water that are continuously thrown down from the heavens ruthlessly washed away the weakened it and them.
Soon, the warm ce became silent and only the darkness of the ce remained again.
Head deeper
Head deeper
Even deeper
Even deeper
Hiroki thought he heard something calling to him in his dream.
Thanks to this, he was able to wake up the next morning in a peaceful and pleasant mood again.
Chapter 28: Growing Bigger
Chapter 28: Growing Bigger
A few days after the criminal escaping incident, Hirokispany received a request for police assistance in the search.
In addition to the wide-area search from the sky by helicopter, they also seem to be conducting human-wave tactics using foot patrols.
[They want to search the premises, right? Thats fine. Just give them a tour of the site so that they dont get involved with the equipment and cause an ident.]
Hiroki gave instructions to the General Affairs Staff through the receptionist.
Of course, the main intention of his words was to keep them away from the hole, but MCTBH has many other dangerous chemicals and facilities that could be dangerous if they are approached.
The police wouldnt want to identally go missing after all.
As thepany grows, for better or worse, rtions with the local police are inevitable.
Employees arent some holy people of virtue, and as the number of employees increases, its inevitable that some willmit minor vitions or incidents.
In such cases, its the locally hired people who have police officers in their families who can y an active role.
Although they arent specifically hired because of their connections with the police, such people are assigned to the General Affairs Department to coordinate with various groups and deal with the police.
The search was apparently a request to look around the property to make sure the criminal wasnt hiding there, and it ended after an hour with no sess.
However, the handler with the police dog tilted his head, saying I wonder if there are bears near thispany Ive never seen this guy this scared.
"
"
ording to the employee who showed the police around, the dog was apparently so frightened that it had tucked its tail between its legs, looking so pitiful that it couldnt even search anything by scent.
[President, you arent keeping some sort of hidden pet around here, right? Like, do you actually have some pet tiger around?]
[What kind of person do you even think I am?]
The employee who had spoken lightly intended to say it as a joke, so Hiroki responded to him with the same lighthearted tone.
Well, he isnt exactly lying. He certainly doesnt have a pet tiger.
No matter how big an incident is, if it doesnt directly involve someone in their life, the incident fades away for those not involved.
The serial murders of ck Company executives families that shook all of Japan isnt an exception to this rule.
Even though the police made the historic blunder of surrounding and chasing down the murderer, only for it to end up escaping, with many people ending up getting fired because of this, and even though the conspiracy theory that the murderer was staged by the police to distract attention from the failure of the administration was talked about on overseas media, even if the uTubers who analyzed the video of the escaping criminal raised outrageous theories, such as that the criminal was a monster and not a human being, and the public opinion on the inte was in an uproar, these theories had no effect on the people leading normal lives and people gradually went back to how it was normally.
It was also the same case for MCTBH, as thepany has been busy installing new equipment and expanding their site.
The results of various waste treatment tests using test pieces showed no problems at all, so thepany decided to proceed in earnest with the capital investment and business expansions.
Radioactive markers, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, hexavalent chromium, and so on Anyhow, they tried throwing all kinds of liquid wastes, but it seems like there really was zero leakage.
"
"
Ishida, who was analyzing this data, had his eyes wide open.
[What in the world is going on I would need to do more tests]
Saying this, seemingly wanting to investigate what was inside the hole so badly.
[Yes, well, feel free to do so. I can always give you the push anytime.]
But upon hearing that response, he turned pale and quickly denied it.
Ishida is doing a good job of running thepany, and since Hiroki finds it troublesome to find another coborator to dangle on top of the hole, he hopes that he will continue to work diligently for a while.
The hole is now surrounded by a box-like building covered with 30cm thick reinforced concrete and 3cm thick lead. It looks like a tofu building built by someone whocks architectural sense in one of those Craft games.
Its a cube with each side measuring about 20 meters, but when it exists in the real world, it feels very foreign and oppressive.
Theres an air-conditioning exhaust port on the ceiling, and on the side, the drum cans could be connected through a transport pipe from the outside to dispose of liquid waste.
Theres only one entrance and exit for people.
Only two people, Hiroki and Ishida, can enter this room, and they would have to go through three authentications just to gain ess.
For those inside and outside thepany, within this room is supposed to be thepanys super-secret equipment, and the hole ispletely covered with a steel te so that it cant be easily seen from the outside.
On the ground surface, pipes for depositing liquid waste and negative pressure air conditioning are directly connected to a lid, which is also equipped with a valve for shutting down the system.
The drums are automatically brought in by an automatic loading line, and the lid, which is about the same diameter as the drum, is automatically opened when the drums are dumped.
Its a high-performance steel lid.
To put it simply, the equipment is covered so that the lid doesnt reveal the presence of the hole to others, while the process proceeds almost automatically.
Hirokis job is now not toboriously throw waste into the hole, but to maintain this automatic waste disposal and transport system, seeing to it that the waste is continuously being thrown into the hole without dy.
Unfortunately, the season for Hiroki working as a manualborer has ended.
[It does feel easier, but the response from doing things like this doesnt really feel good]
Remembering the time when the hole was still in the corner of his yard and could be closed for a while just by throwing a tree branch in it, Hiroki felt a little sad.
He was even missing the days when he had just started epting construction waste and had to work hard all day long with a shovel to throw piles of boards and concrete into it.
He was sad that the lid made it impossible for him to do his daily hobby of watching the hole on the monitor while drinking in the evening, so he had a nap room built in that room as the owners privilege.
With that, he can now sleep near the hole.
Being near the hole, he will definitely have good dreams.
While the hole in the waste disposal line was continuously filled with a huge amount of waste iparable to manualbor, under the room that was covering it, not to be seen by others, the hole was getting bigger and bigger
Volume 2 End
Chapter 29: Unable to Dream Here
Chapter 29: Unable to Dream Here
Due to the automation of a part of the waste disposal process, the proceeds at MCTBH have apparently been dramatically increasing.
One day, at a management meeting, Ishida approached Hiroki to consult about thepanys future ns.
[Do you remember when I mentioned how there were cooperation proposals from tradingpanies and chemicalpanies?]
[You did mention something like that.]
Thepany was wondering back then about how they could deepen their rtionship with suchrge customers when they started business in the field of liquid waste treatment.
Hiroki remembers how one of the methods discussed was in the form of a partnership with otherpanies or epting investments.
[Whats going on now?]
[The President of thosepanies expressed their difficulty in investing in thepany, so we settled on a long-term contract.However There seems to be a lot of dissatisfaction on their side.]
[Are they asking for a change in the way things are done now?]
[Yes. The volume of processing ourpany does have be sorge that the clients business could be at risk if the contract is terminated. The clients management probably wants to invest in thepany to reduce management risk and to have some voting rights or some control over thepany.]
This is a natural request, as the client wouldnt want to take the risk of suddenly being told that the price of waste processing that has been outsourced to them for 10 years would be tripled the following year.
Hiroki had no intention to do such a thing because he isnt in it for the money in the first ce, but the clientpany isnt going to just believe him for his words.
Even so, troublesome things are troublesome.
[I dont like the idea of having my shares held by people I dont even know, but thats also troublesome]
With Hiroki owning 100% of MCTBHs shares, the hole can be kept secret, and he is allowed to have his strange habits like setting up a nap room next to the hole.
If other people were toe in, someone might find fault in Hirokis irrational behavior, or Hiroki would at least need to give out some exnation.
Thinking of all this, Hiroki found it a real hassle.
[Also, its not just one or twopanies that areing to us saying that.]
[I see However, isnt this something that cant be helped? Do you have a countermeasure in mind?]
[Yes. Thats what I came to consult with you. I was thinking that we should just buy their trading or chemicalpany.]
[Eh? Are you talking about corporate takeover?]
Hiroki had seen this word in economic novels and news, something about M&A.
(T/N: Mergers & Acquisition)
[Yes. We would buy the entirepany for distribution and nt processing equipment, internalize the process and monopolize the profits ourselves. That way, we dont have to let thosepanies make money from us and we can keep thepanys secrets. From an ounting perspective, we would increase fixed costs and decrease variable costs. From a business perspective, therger the size of thepany, the more profitable it is. In other words, we are steering thepany towards a greater size. I believe this is in line with the original purpose you had when you started the business, which was not to ept interference from yakuza or local government.]
Hearing Ishidas words, Hiroki remembered that when Ishida was still a university researcher, the purpose of his consultation with him was to make thepany bigger so that no troublesome matters woulde near him.
For Ishida to still remember that Hiroki himself had forgotten all about it until Ishida mentioned it.
However, Ishidas proposal may sound reasonable, but it seems like it would also have its own problems.
[That sounds like a very reasonable proposal, but putting aside how profitable thepany is, do we have enough funds to buy thepany in the first ce?]
[We have a lot of peopleing to invest or lend money. There are even more of them than those who request partnerships. Thats part of the reason why Im consulting you about this.]
[Are we really getting that many inquiries?]
[To the extent that we would need to hold exnatory meetings.]
[How in the world did they sniff us out when thepany isnt even listed on the stock exchange?]
Money hyenas sure are scary, or so Hiroki thought.
[People are troubled because they have no ce to invest money. Chinas real estate bubble has burst, and bitcoin, which led the cryptocurrency boom, isnt doing so well. People say that India would be the next superpower, but their caste system is dragging the country down, and their industries other than IT arent developing at all Ahh, ourpany is also mining cryptocurrency with our surplus power. Waste disposal without making use of any power is just unnatural.]
[Huhh]
[People in Europe are in an uproar, you know? They went to the trouble of setting up a clean technology business topete with the US, China and Japan, but now, some randompany appeared in Japan that had reduced everything to zero. They will have to rethink their industrial strategy at the national strategic level.]
[The topic getting that far is too big for me, so I dont really understand.]
Hiroki blurted out.
Even when people say that MCTBHs business of processing any kind of waste at a very low cost will affect the world situation, it doesnt make any sense to Hiroki at all.
Hiroki just wants to stay by the hole and keep throwing as much waste into the hole as possible.
What was more shocking to him though were Ishidas subsequent words.
[And thats why, were going to hold an exnatory meeting for investors at a hotel in Tokyo.]
[Eh?]
[In three months, we would like President to speak in Tokyo.]
[Ehhhh]
It seems like Hiroki would need to pull out his suit, which he hadnt worn since the previous interview.
As for where and at what hotel will the investors meeting be held
The selection of such a hotel is said to be strongly influenced by the coordinatingpanys brokerage firm.
Since Hirokispany is an amateur in this area of management, they paid amission to outsource this work.
This time, the exnatory meeting was to be held in a hall of a 5-star international hotel in Tokyo because of the high interest of investors from overseas.
In the hall, there were a lot of hyenas in high-end suits sitting in a row, all of them wearing custom-made suits.
All of them were probably wearing suits that were specially made for them and watches that cost more than their cars.
Hiroki thought that his suit might be the cheapest one in that room.
When the seats were 80% filled, it was time for the event to start, and MCTBHs investor presentation began.
Although English is the preferrednguage for presentations like this, the investors were already told that Hiroki was unable to speak Business English, so he had to exin things in Japanese through an interpreter.
[And so, our strategy is to take the number one global market share in the growth of the global green business sector. Specifically, we aim to reduce the value-added costs of the entire value chain by establishing a low-cost global supply chain of waste materials, starting from CO2 and various waste emitters in the petrochemical industry, which is the upstream sector of the industry, to consumer goods, which is the downstream sector of the industry]
Unnn. Even though Hiroki was speaking in Japanese, he himself couldnt understand what was being said because of the many foreign words involved.
The interpreter was actually given an English trantion of the draft beforehand, so regardless of the content, the participants should have heard a beautifully pronounced and well-written English presentation.
Ishida had reassuringly told him President has a powerful physique, so please look ahead and speak confidently. We will take care of the rest, so even though itsted only 20 minutes, Hiroki managed toplete the presentation.
After the management finished exining the business, apuse simultaneously rang out in the hall and it was time for the question-and-answer session.
An Anglo-Saxon-looking white man stood up and spoke in rapid English.
Hiroki had no clue what he was saying though.
[I will answer your question.]
Lightly nodding his head, he left it to Ishida to deal with it.
Subsequent Q&A sessions were between Ishida and the foreigners.
Simr exchanges took ce with a Chinese-looking old man, a Japanese-looking old man and a Hispanic-looking old man, all of which were answered by Ishida.
Just like that, the investor meeting ended peacefully.
After the meeting, there was a light dinner party, where Hiroki was asked to speak to some people, but he just left it to the interpreter and Ishida, and concentrated only on his meal.
Thepany is paying for this meal after all so he had to make up for their moneys worth.
That night, thepany personnel stayed at the international hotel.
Perhaps, because of the generous hall rental fee, they were offered a suite room with some kind of service.
[Good grief. Im more tired than when Im disposing 100-ton shovels of garbage down the hole.]
The spacious room, the soft bed and the night view of Tokyo from the hotel window were all somewhat tasteless for one person.
The only desire he had in mind was to go back to that bleak room near the hole as soon as possible for Hiroki doesnt think that he would be able to have a good dream here.
Chapter 30: Night Drive
Chapter 30: Night Drive
The day after the exnatory meeting, interviews continued in the hotel conference room from the morning with arge number of hyenas, taking their turn to speak.
After the fifth group, Hiroki gave up trying to remember their faces andpany names.
He began to umte a stack of high-quality business cards printed with stylish western letters.
Looking at these business cards though, Hiroki couldnt help but think that if they really wanted to invest in eco-business, he wouldnt say things like they should stop driving cards and start riding bicycles, but they should at least use recyble paper.
Hiroki heard that some people from the media wanted to interview them, but they apparently turned them down because they were busy.
He feels like things are bing bigger than he thought.
All Hiroki wanted was to go back home though
Perhaps sensing Hirokis thoughts from his expression, Ishida spoke to him.
[I have a few more business meetings in Tokyo, what would President do now?]
[Im going home. Im worried about thepany.]
To be precise, its the hole that Hiroki was worried about.
[I understand. I will arrange for a hired car and driver.]
"
"
[No, I want to drive home alone. It would be great if you could have someone arrange an appropriate car for me.]
[Well then, I will have the hotel arrange it for you.]
Inrge international hotels, there is a concierge service that fulfills the request of wilful customers. They would at least arrange a rental car for him.
After an hour or so, Hiroki went to the lobby, and the person who seemed to be in charge of this had a car waiting for him.
[We have prepared the best car.]
A slightly built businessman handed his business card to Hiroki along with the car keys.
[Arehh? Youre not from the hotel?]
[Yes. Our firm has prepared this car for you. If you like this car, you can buy it as is.]
For such a convenient service to exist, rich people are amazing.
The car Hiroki was shown was a Lexus, the most luxurious car made by a Japanese Automobilepany.
The windows were slightly tinted, and the silhouette of the car looked somehow powerful.
Hiroki again marveled at the high-level of service, thinking that it was very thoughtful of the concierge of the international hotel to arrange a domestic car for him.
[Just a short time ago, I was only driving a light truck]
Looking at this car, Hiroki was reminded of the SuperCab that he doesnt drive anymore, the vehicle which used to be hispanion for shopping.
It now sits in a corner of thepanys warehouse, gathering dust.
When Hiroki opened the heavy door and started the car, the engine started quietly but powerfully, and he couldnt help but smile upon feeling the vehicles feedback.
Hiroki began to think that the drive home from my depressing business trip to Tokyo was going to be a pleasant one.
His rusty driving skills would need the help of the car navigation system.
It wasnt long after that Hiroki, who had beenpletely buoyed by the feeling of driving a luxury car for the first time in a long time, broke out in a cold sweat when he came upon the Metropolitan Expressway Inner Circr Route, a narrow and winding route that resembles a racing game course.
Around the time Hiroki was struggling, but still driving on the Metropolitan Expressway with the help of the high performance of the car and its GPS
A ck SUV was driving a few cars away from the Lexus.
The windows of this car were tinted so that one couldnt see the people inside.
Riding in the car was a Hispanic man in the drivers seat and an Anglo-Saxon Caucasian in the passenger seat, giving directions over the radio.
[This is Car 1, target confirmed. Currently in pursuit. All units, report your status.]
[Car 2, clear. Traveling approximately 100 meters in front of the target.]
[Car 3, clear. On standby at the parking area before the national highway.]
[Copy that. All units, hold your current positions and stand by.]
After confirming the radio instructions, the Caucasian in the passenger seat looked again at the car the target was driving.
[Good grief, he sure is carefree, isnt he? Does he not realize that hes a VIP?]
[Japan is a peaceful country after all. A goose that has suddenly gained weight recently wouldnt know how big of a foie gras it would make.]
The Hispanic man who was driving the car made a light remark.
[Goose huh He seemed more like a lobster that has been hiding in a rocky ce and hase out though. If he just kept hiding in his own factory, he wouldnt have been eaten.]
Their target is believed to be the developer of the groundbreaking waste treatment technology that is being talked about around the world.
After developing the technology, he seemed to have partnered with a university and brought in researchers to create a cover story, but since the researchers have no technical background, one could clearly see that it was just a poor attempt for a cover up.
With the potential for future growth in the eco-business, the target is probably the most economically valuable and tasty prey in the world at the moment.
Perhaps out of fear of kidnapping, there were even rumors that the target had been lying down and getting up in the most secure facility in thepanys factory.
The fact that the target hase all the way to Tokyo and is driving alone in a car without an escort shows a serious imbnce in their security awareness. Its likely that they havent hired any professionals to protect them.
I guess this is what you would expect from Japan, the nation who got senile from the peace.
Thanks to that though, it was easier for them to do their job.
[Alright. Lets start the operation.]
As the Caucasian guy gave the order over the radio, the other cars responded with a Copy.
At the same time, the SUV designated as Car 1 elerated and began to close the distance to their target.
In front of the Lexus, the SUV designated as Car 2 also came into view.
[Well then, the car looks tough on the outside, but what about the inside?]
The Hispanic driver of the SUV started shing his cars headlights, rapidly closing the distance and honking his horn.
Then, he meanders the SUV provocatively, and even moves in closer until their bumpers almost touch.
The intensity was so intense that a timid driver might miscalcte the steering wheel and immediately cause an ident. In fact, the Hispanic driver has a track record of burying many of his targets with his driving skills.
He performed his signature tailgating routine dance several times, tapping out his high-driving skills for three minutes, but the Lexus driving waspletely unwavering.
[Tsk.]
[Hows it going?]
[It was no good. If he was scared and stepped on the gas pedal, Car 2 in front could have braked hard and hit him, but he didnt step on the gas pedal at all. Hes also keeping a good distance from the car. Hell probably avoid it even if Car 2 brake checks him. Hes tougher than I thought. Hes probably driving in cruise control.]
[Then, I guess we cant go on with this approach huh.]
[I guess so. We might as well move on to the next n.]
[Alright. You heard that? n Alpha aborted. Moving to n Bravo. Car 3 in the parking area, wait for the target.]
[Copy.]
It seems like theyre facing a hard-to-catch lobster.
Nevertheless, while the n to cause an ident on the highway failed, it must have seeded in wearing down the targets nerves considerably.
Most humans tend to drink a lot of water when put in a tense situation.
Either they would get thirsty and buy water, or they drink the water they had in their car and end up needing to go to the bathroom.
They may also want to take a break and rest.
Either way, its highly likely that he will stop at the nearest parking area.
Car 3, who is waiting there, will attack and kidnap the target.
That is n Bravo.
[Car 1 will continue to pursue the target.]
While giving instructions over the radio, the Caucasian felt a little annoyed at the target, which wasnt moving as they had hoped.
Meanwhile, Hiroki, who was described as a tough target, was fed up with the narrow and winding highways of Tokyo and the mannerless people driving on them.
[Well Its been a while since I drove in Tokyo, but Tokyo drivers sure had be rude]
Some of the drivers would close the distance even though they were right next to the track and their visibility was restricted, and one of the rudest drivers drove in an expensive SUV in such a tantly aggressive manner that I thought our cars would end up scraping each other.
[This car looks expensive and Im just borrowing it, so I hope they give me a break]
Checking the cars GPS, Hiroki found that it said they were almost near a parking area.
[Hmmm Well, lets just go home.]
He hesitated for a bit, but he wasnt feeling particrly tired, so Hiroki stepped on the gas and drove past the parking area.
At first, he felt a little uneasy with the car, but pressing on the gas pedal in the driver seat feltfortable.
As one would expect from a Japanese luxury car, or so Hiroki thinks.
Humming a lousy tune, Hiroki continued to drive on the highway at night.
Chapter 31: Properly Ask your Mommy, Okay?
Chapter 31: Properly Ask your Mommy, Okay?
[Target is passing through the parking area.]
[Copy that. Car 3 to merge.]
After receiving the report from Car 2 and instructing Car 3, which was waiting at the parking area, to join up with the others, the Caucasian tapped on the dashboard in frustration.
[D*mn it! No traffic ident and he passed through the parking area huh. This is totally the habit of a lobster.]
[Both n Alpha and Bravo didnt work huh. For ayman with matters rted to this, he sure does well. Could it be that he has good instincts?]
The Hispanic guy agreed with the Caucasian.
Is the target a tasty foie gras or a wild goose?
Either way, it makes no difference for them as theyre both preys, but they still found it troublesome needing to hunt for it.
[Probably. It cant be helped. It will be a direct attack, but lets just go with n Charlie. Wellmence it after we leave the expressway.]
[n Charlie, copy.]
While confirming the responses from each car, the Caucasian started formting their escape route after a sessful kidnapping.
Hiroki was satisfied with his first drive in a long time.
Driving on the expressway in Tokyo was nerve-wracking and there were some aggressive drivers, but after passing through Tokyo, he was able to have a good drive.
After exiting the expressway at the next exit, the number of cars in his sight dropped drastically.
[Theres nothing near thepany after all.]
asionally, a tanker truck full of liquid waste or a truck full of drums of hazardous materials would pass by him.
With Hiroki driving safely, he would asionally be overtaken by those trucks that had great speed.
[Thats dangerous Theyre carrying hazardous materials, so they need to be careful.]
Seeing this, Hiroki thought that when he returns to the office, he might want to discuss this with the person in charge and have them warn the tradingpany thats driving erratically.
At that moment, another car started speeding up from behind him.
With the cars headlights being on high beam, making it too bright for Hiroki to see, he couldnt make out the cars model, but he guessed that it was probably a ck van.
When he shed his tail lights, urging the driver to go ahead, the car cut in front of him before mming Hirokis car.
[The heck, youve seen too many Hollywood movies!]
Panicking, Hiroki mmed on the brakes to stop his car, but the door of the van in front of him opened sideways and three men in ck with bvas covering their faces got out.
[So its this pattern again huh]
From their silhouette, Hiroki could see the prey these men had their eyes on.
One of them even clearly appeared to be holding a handgun.
[Car 3, target stop confirmed. Continue with the operation.]
[Car 2, roadblock established.]
All cars have been contacted.
Cars 1 and 2 would briefly block the roadsing from both sides, faking an ident, while Car 3, with the kidnapping team on board, would abduct the target.
That is Operation Charlie.
It was a strategy that they wanted to avoid because it would obviously be an incident since the kidnapped victims car would remain behind, but they had no other options.
The sess rate of their kidnapping would depend on how much time is bought between the execution of the kidnapping and the time of reporting.
"
"
[Car 1, roadblock confirmed. Activate the phone jamming device. Finish it in 5 minutes.]
Car 3 is equipped with a device that blocks phone signals within a certain range.
Even if he were to call the police, this would allow them to buy some time.
[Car 3, were going to go ahead with the operation.]
The men in Car 3 are all experienced professionals.
They werent going to let ayman, who was just a little cautious, be a problem.
They would stop the car, break the ss, open the door, drag out the target and board him to the car.
The whole process would take less than a minute.
[The heck, I cant break the window!]
A puzzled voice came over the radio.
Trouble seems to have urred.
[Whats the matter, Car 3?]
[This guys freaking cocky, riding a bulletproof car. I did try smashing the window with a hammer D*mn it, it wont break!]
The sound of a hammering sound of dull stic can be heard over the radio.
It seems like the Lexus Hiroki was a bulletproof car.
[It even set off a damned rm! Hes really making it hard for me!]
The rm system of the car seems to have been triggered.
Thereupon, a high-pitched siren can be heard.
[Car 3, calm down. Its only a light bulletproof car with domestic specifications. You are allowed to use a handgun. One bullet wont prate, but if you shoot the same spot several times, you should be able to break it. If you aim at the ss in the back seat, you wont injure the target.]
[Car 3, copy. Hey, take out your gun!]
It was surprising for them that the target even owned a bulletproof car.
Considering the value of the targets assets, having a bulletproof car certainly is natural, but they received no prior information about this.
What should they do though? Should they pull out?
However, they dont know if they would get another opportunity like this.
"
"
Should they continue to force their way in?
While the Caucasian was wondering about this, Its open! came a voice from Car 3s side.
[Whats the matter? Did the gun bore a hole in the window?]
[No, the b*stard must have been scared of the gun, because he opened the window. What an idiot! Oi, open the do.. Uwaahh!]
After a scream resounded from the other side of the radio, there was a moment of silence.
[Whats going on!? Oi!!!]
[You b*stard! Give back Adam! The f*ck is with this guys strength Uwaaahhh!!!]
Just as another scream from the kidnappers was heard for a moment, the radio went silent again.
[Oi, what the f*ck is going on!? Car 3, whats going on!?]
[J- John and Adam got dragged into his window!!! He also got the gun with him!!! Theres a huge scream inside! W- What do we do, Harold!!!?]
[You f*cking idiot! Dont speak out names!]
Things turned out for the worst.
"
"
The Caucasian didnt know what happened, but it seems that 2 of the 3 kidnappers, John and Adam, had been captured.
Without their gun, they cant get to the target in his bulletproof car.
The kidnapping is a failure.
The police will be there soon.
Having no choice, they have to abandon their members, retreat and rethink the operation.
That is, if they ever get the chance to do that again
As Harold gnashed his teeth in frustration, his radio rang.
[Ahh, I wonder if you can hear me over there? Hello? You understand Japanese?]
From the radio came aid-back male voice.
[I can hear you.]
After Harold replied in Japanese, the target continued in a voice that sounded relieved, unlike someone who just repelled his attackers.
[The car Im riding is loaned, okay? Its a very expensive car. The insurance will pay for it, but Id like you to at least pay for the repairs.]
[Well take that into consideration. Are the two people you dragged in safe?]
[Theyre asleep in the car. They were quite annoying, so I had to silence them.]
[Alright. Well get you the money. Ill call you as soon as its ready.]
[Have it prepared quickly, okay? The car rental fee will be very expensive after all.]
After a brief exchange, the radio went dead.
[D*mn it!]
Clutching his radio so hard his fingers turned white, Harold screamed.
[What the f*ck is that guy!? What the f*ck is going on!!!?]
Things werent going as the information they received. Their target was supposed to be ayman in matters rted to violence who just happened to grab a lot of money in Japan, the nation who got senile from peace.
From the way the target spoke on the radio, it isnt as if he was being tough or acting brave He was acting as if he didnt know who they were right from the very start.
Even though he was almost kidnapped by multiple foreigners with guns, he talked as if he was talking to mischievous children who had crashed their baseball into his house and broke his garages window, and is now asking them to go and talk to their mommy about it.
The Caucasian was confused, wondering what was going on.
Is he going to say its not a big deal and wont call the police?
Or perhaps, he had some hidden circumstances that he wouldnt want the police to know about this?
Could it be, he was already involved with some other criminal organization already?
As the Caucasian was stunned by the various questions swirling in his mind, the Hispanic man in the drivers seat urged him to takemand.
[I need your direction.]
Thats right. It is when the operation fails that the directions are truly necessary.
Barely regaining hisposure, Harold sent instructions to each car.
[Operation Charlie failed. Cars 1 and 2, clear the roadblock. Car 2, retrieve Car 3 and retreat to assembly point A.]
While leaving the Hispanic man to drive and shifting his attention to their retreat and thinking of a way to raise money, Harold couldnt shake a question away from his mind.
What in the world are they dealing with?
Chapter 32: Lets Talk
Chapter 32: Let''s Talk
[Good grief. I hope theyll at least pay for the repairs of the Lexus.]
Hiroki pushed the tworge foreigners into the back seat of the car, before stepping on the gas pedal again to return to his office.
It was the middle of the night and there was hardly anyone at the office except for the security guards, so Hiroki was able to get to thepany parking lot without being seen.
[Hmmm I wonder what I should do with these guys I dont wanna leave them here in the car, but I also dont want the employees to ask many questions.]
Hiroki folded his arms for a few moments, then realized that he had something suitable in hispany.
[Speaking of which, if I stuff them in those, that could work.]
The thing Hiroki had in mind was also just the right size.
Thereupon, Hiroki carried two open-topped oil drums from the warehouse on his shoulders, dragged the men out of the car one by one, before shoving them into a drum.
He already knows the blind spots on the parking lot surveince cameras.
It was a bit of a struggle for Hiroki because these guys are ratherrge, but fortunately, they didnt utter aint, probably because they were passed out.
[Ah, theyre probably gonna suffocate if I just leave it as is.]
As he was about to put the lid on the drum, Hiroki realized this.
"
"
The drums he used to stuff these men in were designed to seal liquid waste, so they were airtight.
[But it would be troubling if the lides off In that case There, a hole for them to breathe in]
Since he doesnt have any tools at hand, Hiroki had no choice but to use his fingernails, which have been growing longer and longertely, to poke a hole in the lid of the drum can.
The same thing was repeated twice on the lid of the other drum.
[Then, putting the lid back on and giving it a squeeze]
When Hiroki squeezed and deformed the drum and its lid, the drum let out a metallic scream.
Upon doing this, the lid should no longere off.
[And with this There, that should do it.]
Hiroki carried the drums containing the two kidnappers on both shoulders again, heading for his private ce in thepany where he could quietly talk with them.
ng!
The sound of metal crashing against concrete resounded, and the simultaneous impact on his body woke the man up.
However, it was dark.
He tried staring into the faint light, but all he could see, with his body bent, was his own abdomen.
He finds it hard to breathe.
Within that situation, his first thought was wondering if he was buried alive.
He had once been buried by an avnche in the snowy mountains during unit training.
He couldnt move his body at all, and had to wait to be rescued in the same tough position as he is now.
It was a hellish time.
Fortunately, he was still able to move his hands at the moment.
Slowly and carefully, he touched the wall around him and felt a smooth, cold touch, like stic or metal.
What in the world is happening?
Should he call out for help?
Such thoughts pop into his mind, but his keen senses are telling him that some terrifying presence is nearby.
If he shouted, he might attract the attention of whatever that is.
As he has been trained to do in his unit, he breathes quietly and slowly.
Calm down Calm down... Breathe in Breathe out Slowly Slowly
However, even as he finally calms his mind like this, his tentative stability is broken by a sudden cry that rises nearby.
[Uwaaahhh! Let me out! Let me outta here! What the f*ck is this ce!!!? Let me out!!!]
[John!!!]
That was his partners shout.
Bang, bang!
A hand striking hard metal resounded.
[D*mn it!!! Ill be right there! Ggghhh!!! What the hell is this!!!?]
Adam also smacked the metal around him with his hands and kicked at it with his feet in an attempt to rescue his partner, but he was unable to exert any force due to his tough posture.
[Zeeehh Haahhh Tsk Haahhh]
"
"
After 30 seconds of struggling, he felt suffocated and had to give up the idea of escaping on his own.
John also seemed to be in the same situation, as he had eventually quieted down.
There, Adam finally realized that he and his partner had been caught by their target.
Hiroki carried the drum containing the two men into his nap room set up beside the hole.
In this room, he could leave them there without being disturbed.
To begin with, Ishida and Hiroki were the only ones who could enter the room where the hole is, as its surrounded by concrete walls and had triple authentications needed to gain ess, and since the nap room was Hirokis private space, there was no need for him to worry about anyone elseing in.
It wouldnt be unnatural to enter a waste disposal facility carrying drums, and no one would question the contents of those drums he was carrying on his shoulders.
[Now then, what should I do with these?]
The contents of the two drums were merely worth the repair cost of the car he had rented, but Hiroki wanted to have a little chat with the person who had tried to kidnap him.
Though he says that, Hiroki isnt good withnguages.
The radio operator guy he talked to could speak Japanese, but the shouts he heard from the drums sounded like English.
He couldnt call an employee to trante either
[Would a trantion app do the trick?]
He started up a trantion app on his phone.
[Travel Business This isnt it Education, I guess?]
There isnt any To have conversation with someone who kidnapped you option in the menu, so he just gave up and asked a question among the general sample sentences.
Who are you?
The apps synthesized voice echoed unexpectedly loudly off the hard floor and ceiling of the nap room.
After 30 seconds or so, he heard a reply in English.
Just get the fuck out of here and let us go!
Ill fucking kill you!
Get us out of here! You sadistic bastard!
Our people will be here soon.
And then youll be minced meat! You hear me?
It seemed like English could get through them.
[I dont understand.]
However, Hiroki couldnt understand what he was saying because he was talking too fast and his tone was disorderly.
He could barely make out the words kill and fuck.
Im sorry. Please speak more slowly.
This time, only slow but loud cursing came back.
However, Hiroki only thought of their words as amazing. He found it amusing how people actually say words like fuck and son of a bitch.
Hiroki is a little impressed upon hearing cussing phrases that he had only heard in Hollywood movies.
Even then, he cant talk with them if theyre that temperamental.
It seems like he may need to change the direction of the question a bit.
Please answer the question.
"
"
You seem a little shaky. Are you alright?
As the synthesized voice said this, Hiroki lifted one of the drums and shook it for about 30 seconds.
As an additional service, he also gave it an awesome aerial twirl.
[Up we go, and another one we go. How about that?]
As he continued on to shake the other drum, he heard no more cursing.
Are you feeling alright?
Please tell me your name.
After a while, a low voice telling My friends call me J and Ace came back.
I understand. Lets be friends.
Hiroki felt a small sense of satisfaction that he had sessfully establishedmunication with them.
He wondered what they could talk about next. They seem to know a lot about guns, so Hiroki thinks of asking them what the name of the gun he took away is.
As such thoughts popped into his mind, Hiroki felt like he heard a small sobbing sound from inside the drum.
Chapter 33: Gyudon Set at Dawn
Chapter 33: Gyudon Set at Dawn
Although he was able tomunicate with them, the cross-cultural exchange between them didnt go very far.
Unfortunately, there were no Jokes to Make Friends with Kidnappers in his phones trantion app, so it was difficult for Hiroki to exin theplicated circumstances behind the kidnapping with the vocabry of the temte examples provided.
Besides, Hiroki guessed that J and Ace (which were probably pseudonyms) were the lowest-ranking members of this kidnapping group and they didnt have any information about their clients. Theres also the fact that one of them couldnt talk at all because he kept crying.
[Pretending to cry was probably a ruse, so when I let down my guard, they would fight back with a knife hidden in their boots or something like that.]
Hiroki has seen stuff like this in movies and dramas. In fact, hes quite familiar with it.
He was so impressed with the two of them showing guts even thiste that he carried the drums to the hole and hung them up above it.
Of course, if he dropped them, he didnt feel like fetching them up, so he carefully held them up with both hands so that only the bottom half of the drum was dipped into the hole.
However, the crying guy started going crazy the moment he was dipped into the hole, and he almost let go.
Hiroki wondered, was it extremely cold in the hole or something?
After a few hours or so thwarting the kidnappers like that, the phone had been taken from the kidnappers rang.
The number was unknown. Well, Hiroki could already guess who it is.
[Hello?]
[Are the two safe?]
In fairly fluent Japanese, the guy on the other end of the phone first asked Hiroki for the twos safety.
It seemed like the leader of their group was very considerate of his fellow workers.
[They are alive. However, I havent given them any water or food, so I think we should hurry this up.]
Hiroki could hear him cursing in English on the other end of the phone.
Its just, well, its hard to give water or food to a person stuffed in an oil drum, and if they did something, small orrge, Hiroki suspects that they would probably do something so hed end up wanting to throw them into the hole, so Hiroki hopes that the guy on the other end of the phone would make apromise.
[Including car repairs and nuisance fees, weve got $100,000 ready for you. Im sorry, but we cant offer more than that.]
[Its fine. Where do you want me to take them.]
Its not like Hiroki had any money problems.
There was an interval of up to a few seconds before the other party responded, as if he was a little perplexed by the fact that Hiroki hadnt negotiated with them at all.
[I sent you the location. Meet me there in half an hour and Ill give you the money in exchange for the two.]
With that, the call was disconnected.
The designated delivery location was on an ordinary country road in the middle of nowhere.
It was right in the neighborhood.
It was only a 15-minute drive from his office through an ordinary road.
[Well then, lets get going.]
Hiroki got up and left with the drums, which were slightly darkened and discolored at the bottom, and loaded them into his personal light truck, which was parked far away from the bulletproof Lexus.
[As I thought,pared to the Lexus, this ones noisy andcked power.]
However, as Hiroki drove the truck, he felt at home, as it had been his favorite vehicle for many years.
Feeling this, Hiroki thought it might be a good idea to take the SuperCab out of the storehouse for the first time in a while and give it a tune-up.
Hiroki drove his light truck along the country roads that were beginning to light up a bit.
The leader of the kidnapping group was waiting for Hiroki on a single road at night with good visibility.
Only one ck SUV, the same one he had seen somewhere, was waiting nearby with its lights on.
"
"
Hiroki still had his guard up though, considering that there may be other people hiding somewhere.
As Hiroki got out of the light truck, the guys leader took off his bva.
He was a Caucasian with short-cropped hair and sharp eyes.
[Good evening. I see you were able to get here very quickly.]
[Speed is the key to business. Isnt that right?]
[That sounds amazing, it really feels like the American Way.]
The Caucasian didnt answer, but stared at the light truck and drums behind Hiroki.
[You came in a rather shoddy car. Are the two in there?]
[Yeah. However, its very convenient because it can carry a lot of stuff and is very maneuverable. Farmers in the US countryside drive pickup trucks too, right? This ones the same as those.]
[Countryside farmers huh.]
Hmph, the way the Caucasian snorted looked straight out of a movie.
[How about we start by handing over the two?]
[Yeah, sure.]
Saying this, Hiroki took the drums off the back of his light truck and quietly ced them in front of the Caucasian.
He ced them carefully so as not to stimte the people inside, but the leader guy seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
[Ahh, I guess it would be better if I open up the drums here huh.]
Since the other party will not have any tools avable, it would be kinder to open the drum here.
Putting his hand on the lid of the drum, he peeled off the lid.
He also went on to peel off the lid of the other drum.
Since Hiroki thinks it would have been difficult to get them out of the drum, he tore the drum itself from the side as if he was peeling off the wrapping paper.
He was able to peel off the drum cleanly, leaving only the drums bottom te, which secretly felt good for Hiroki, as if he had peeled off the skin of an apple in one go.
If there had been an audience like those in cooking shows, hes sure they would definitely be just as satisfied as him.
[What is that? Some kind of magic trick?]
Ripping open an oil drum with his bare hands, and two big men appeared! Looking at that scene, that certainly looks straight out of a magic show.
Hearing that gives Hiroki some pretty good ideas for the future.
However, his two magic assistants who were rescued sat down on their knees and didnt move.
[Its not magic. Anyhow, here are the two men, safely handed over.]
[What did you do to them?]
[We just had a little talk.]
After the Caucasian gave his signal, several men d in ck, wearing bvas, emerged from the darkness and carried the two hostages out.
With their backs to Hiroki, they were cursing something in English, but the only word Hiroki could make out was sadist.
[Heres the money. Theres $100,000 there.]
Checking it for a bit, Hiroki saw that the small suitcase handed to him by the Caucasian was stuffed with stacks of dor bills.
Hiroki was toozy to count them though, so he just calmly nodded.
[Lastly, I have some questions to ask.]
Hiroki called out to the man who was about to turn back after they finished their transaction.
"
"
He had a few questions he wanted to ask them.
[If the kidnapping had been sessful, how much ransom would you have demanded?]
[100 million dors would have been a firm guess.]
High. However, from the amount of cash thepany had, Hiroki thinks taking out money like that would have been possible.
They could probably pay it all in one lump sum.
[Heehhh Thats quite the amount. Can you tell me the name of the client?]
[They seemed to be having some sort of fun. I dont know the details because it went through several intermediaries.]
[A fund huh I dont remember incurring anyones grudge so nothinges to mind.]
[Thats what super rich people would think. They probably wanted to add yourpany to their portfolio.]
Hearing that, Hiroki wondered. Are they treatingpanies as cards you collect?
In that case, is MCTBH some sort of rare card with special effects?
Thinking of it like this, Hiroki wanna collect some of those cards too.
[So, what are you gonna do after this?]
[Are you going to call the police?]
[No, I wont. I think someone may call the securitypany for that bulletproof car though.]
[Well use a ship then. We would take a cargo ship to Hong Kong, the Philippines, Indonesia Then, well ride whatever that would bring us out of Southeast Asia.]
That seems to be the case.
Hiroki couldnt help but smile at their resilience.
They may have been kidnappers, but they were certainly pleasant people who cared about their men.
[I hope you get home safely.]
[And I hope we dont ever see you again, you and your demonic ck eyes.]
As the Caucasianmanded, with controlled movements, the men in bvas loaded John and Adam, whose feet had ckened until the top of their boots, into the SUV and drove off.
With the mountainside starting to be bright, dawn is almost upon them.
It has been quite an eventful and enjoyable evening.
"
"
Stretching out wide, Hirokis stomach growled with hunger.
[I guess Ill go to a gyudon chain resto for breakfast.]
Gyudon is a workers best friend in the morning, with a raw egg lightly drizzled in soy sauce, a lot of red ginger, and plenty of shichimi.
As he drove off his light truck, Hiroki felt like having such a meal.
The next day, or rather,ter that day, the person in charge was happy when Hiroki told him that he decided to buy the bulletproof Lexus.
And when he requested for a repair, he didnt say anything about the ident on the car side just in case.
Even then, the data on the security side might still be there, but since Hiroki had bought the car, the other side would just take care of that.
If they dont Hiroki wonders if he should bribe them with the dor bills he received from the kidnappers.
He isnt very clear about the rules of the underworld.
A few weekster, the entire crew of a certain cargo ship disappeared and said ship was found drifting in the Indian Ocean as a ghost ship.
It was unknown if the ship had been attacked by pirates or not, but blood seemed to have been sttered all over the ship.
However, none of the ships cargo was missing except for food.
Since the ship wasnt registered or owned in Japan and had no Japanese crew, it didnt appear in Japans news except for some maritime-oriented websites.
T/N: Gyudon, or Japanese Beef Bowl, is basically a dish of thinly sliced fatty beef, cooked in a slightly sweet mixture of mirin and soy sauce and served over rice.
Chapter 34: Dad is Happy with More Allowance
Chapter 34: Dad is Happy with More Allowance
It seems that the investors meeting held at the international hotel in Tokyo was bigger news than Hiroki had expected, as despite restrictions on media coverage, it was still covered by the economic TV news.
He caught a glimpse of himself giving a presentation from a distance, but the media seemed to be more interested in the fact that famous big-name investors were in Japan, and 90% of the news coverage was about those investors, making Hiroki sad.
He felt sad to see that they focused more on the people who have money than those who are actually working.
So this is capitalism huh, or so Hiroki thought.
Incidentally, the attempted kidnapping in Tokyo wasnt reported at all.
Thats just how things are.
This news was featured in the papers as well.
Even though the Keizai Shimbun only wrote a small article about this, a business magazine ran a several-page feature about thepany as a unicornpany from the countryside.
(T/N: Unicornpanies are those that reach a valuation of $1 billion without being listed on the stock market.)
However, it seemed that someone in the PR department was in charge of that story, writing what looked like fiction that 1000% beautifully incorporates thepany philosophy and motive for starting a business.
Who the heck is this wless superhuman overflowing with willpower?
[I see the President started this business because you couldnt tolerate the global pollution huh I didnt know that.]
Looking at this article, Hiroki thought that this young President, Gomi Hiroki, is amazing. He really wanna get to know him.
"
"
[Weve hired an excellent writer.]
Ishida shrugged his shoulders.
Perhaps, because he had talked to so many foreigners in Tokyo, even Ishidas mannerisms feel somewhat like a foreigners.
[Well then, Id like to report what happened back in Tokyo]
[Lets hear it then.]
[First of all, we received 743 investment applications. Heres the breakdown.]
Ishidas report, whichsted for about an hour, could be roughly summarized as follows: investmentpanies are genuinely interested in investing, businesspanies that are looking for synergy with their business, securitypanies and consulting firms that are in the market for advisory services for fundraising, and some beingbinations of these businesses.
[A local regional back did offer us a loan, but both the amount and the terms were out of the question so]
[What were the terms?]
Hiroki asked out of curiosity.
He was curious to know how much effort the local bank exerted for a localpany.
When Hiroki used to be in the recycling business, they were the ones who took care of him.
They didnt lend him much though.
[The line of credit was 10 billion yen. The interest rate will be 8%. The loan was secured by cash and deposits. I heard that the person in charge of the loan was willing to take responsibility for that but]
[But they just cant huh.]
The person in charge certainly did their best, but its a heavy burden for a regional bank that cant do due diligence properly when ites to investmentpetition with foreign firms.
[The amount of investment in the fund is like 100 billion yen at the starting point after all]
Capitalism is a game that favors the rich, so theres little room for human sentimentality.
Its not unusual for a global fund to have several trillion yen in assets under management.
Poor local banks arent eligible to y in the game.
[From the global funds point of view, what our business is doing is alchemy in itself. There were even some pretty overbearing investment offers among them.]
[Heehhh. What do you mean by overbearing?]
[They wanted to buy all, or at least one-third of our shares, and they wanted their staff in thepany.]
[Thats a very hostile offer.]
Hearing how some gave overbearing offers, Hiroki thought they would be more subtle with their approach, such as hiding their fangs a bit, holding on to a tenth of the shares and gradually increasing their say in the management.
[In exchange for that, they came in with a huge pile of money. Their tactics is literally trying to p us with a wad of bills.]
[How much is this huge pile of money?]
[In terms of Major Leagues Baseball teams, even though you cant buy the Yankees, you can be the owner of any of the other teams. You can also buy all the Japanese teams with it.]
[Thats toorge of a money that I dont really understand it.]
[Thats how serious they are about it. Its predicted that green taxation and carbon pricing will be promoted all over the world in the future, so our zero-cost waste disposal business is something they would love to have.]
Green taxation and carbon pricing are, in essence, a system whereby businesses can receive tax benefits if they use environmentally friendly methods and, conversely, those with business activities that are bad for the environment, such as emittingrge amounts of carbon dioxide, will be taxed more heavily.
The scrutiny onpanies, especially in Europe and the US, is getting tighter, and theres no foreseeable future of that loosening.
This is the reason why manypanies are making fierce efforts to invest in the development of environment-rted technologies.
The amount of investment is said to be several trillion yen or even tens of trillion yen when all thepanies are added together.
However, the existence of ourpany that makes all those investments nil has quite an impact.
[In any case, just by doing business with us, they could have theirpany have that shining greenpany title on it. Pollutingpanies with a bad reputation in developing countries can even turn into honorable greenpanies simply by doing business with us. And they wouldnt need any investment to achieve that.]
[Hearing you describe it like that certainly makes thepany quite attractive.]
I activate the SSR card MCTBH on this Eco-Polluting Company! It nullifies the Debuff Card: Environmental Pollution and upgrading it to Green Company!
Thinking of it as such a card, Hiroki wants to have one like that too.
Well, they still have to do their best to prevent air pollution, but as for the liquid waste, if they bring them to thepany in drums, they can dispose of it with zero pollution.
[In addition, they can expect tax benefits under the green tax system and an improvement in their operating profit margin due to lower waste disposal costs. For example, if theres a 10% improvement in the former and 10% improvement in thetter, the operating profit margin would be improved by 20%. For apany with an original operating profit margin of about 10%, their profits would be triple.]
[Thats amazing.]
If youpare this to a father whose sry is 300,000 yen and monthly allowance is 30,000 yen, his monthly allowance would be 90,000 yen. Thats amazing!
[Well, it really is amazing.]
With a monthly allowance of 90,000 yen, Dad here will be happy.
[Thats right! Thats because it applies to all of thepanies in which the funds invest. A fund investing trillions of yen in assets can achieve an increase in the business value of several hundred billion yen or more per fiscal year without any effort. Its no wonder they see that we are worth more than several trillion yen.]
[Haha]
I activate the SSR card MCTBH on this Air-Polluting Company! It nullifies the Debuff Card: Air Pollution and upgrading it to Green Company! Not just that, the Buff card: Green also applies to allpanies in hand, upgrading all Polluting Companies to Green Companies!
This SSR card sure is game-breaking Its too much of a cheat.
With all these hundreds of billions or trillions of yen talk, Hiroki doesnt really feel all thats happening is real, but at any rate, what he understood is that the hole looked like a fountain of gold to the fund.
[And thats why they tried kidnapping me huh]
[What are you talking about?]
Hearing the words Hiroki reflexively muttered, Ishida asked.
Realizing his blunder, Hiroki thought it would be better to just talk about this matter.
Ishida might be targeted as well after all.
[No, actually, I was almost kidnapped by some rather pleasant people on my way back from Tokyo. They were foreigners.]
[What!?]
Hiroki tried to rein Ishida, who stood up, seemingly unable to control his emotions.
[Well, it was nothing serious. Ah, the Lexus in front of thepany was something I bought. Its a nice car, so you can use it.]
[Yes, Ill gratefully use it, but, I see]
Looking like she had realized something, Ishida seemed to be pondering.
[Did hearing that make you think of something?]
[Actually]
Thereupon, Ishida began to talk about the time when he was working on fund-rted matters in Tokyo.
Chapter 35: Each Peoples Dreams
Chapter 35: Each People''s Dreams
Ishida confirmed that the conference room was locked first before he began his report.
[After the President left, I visited the Tokyo branches of several funds and VC firms, guided by the lead coordinators securitypany. I myself was also unfamiliar with their industries. Its not unusual to find ghostpanies to have no substance and were only apany in name. There were even some of them I found to have questionable sources of funds.]
The purpose of Ishidas visit was apparently to flick away the suspicious fundpanies.
Unlike businesspanies with assets and facilities, funds only have their numbers, so they are easy to counterfeit.
Hiroki did hear a story about them, about how rich people all over the world were evading taxes through such dummypanies.
[Errr, what was it called again? Was it Panama or Pandora something?]
[President must be talking about Pandora Papers. As the leaked list of offshore tax-saving dummypanies for the super-rich was revealed, the super-rich, who ount for 90% of the worlds wealth, are always looking for profitable investment opportunities. Especially investments that dont charge taxes.]
[Hmph However, we pay our taxes.]
The waste disposal industry is an easily-beaten business, and keeping a good rtionship with the locals is important.
And so, theirpany properly pays their taxes.
As for the local bank, well, Hiroki thought of borrowing a little bit of money from them to keep rtions with the person in charge
[ording to them, its a betrayal to capitalism to entrust the use of funds to ipetent groups such as the nation. The proposal also included an invitation to join a tax-saving circle for the super-rich but the President isnt interested in that, right?]
[Nope.]
In the first ce, Hiroki thinks that he has more money than he would ever need.
Hiroki had lived in poverty for a long time and had the financial sense of amoner, so when he went to a gyudon chain, he was still having a hard time deciding between a medium or arge bowl.
[Well, they are the ones who induce that kind of personal profit even before they invest in a business. Their investments are nothing but proposals. Other than that Ummm]
Seeing him hesitate, Hiroki could guess what had happened.
[Proposals for personal benefits personally to you, Ishida?]
[Well, something like that. Youre practically in charge of the management of thepany, and with our investment, well make you the President, or so they said.]
A coup detat proposal by apany hijacker.
In one respect, Hiroki does think theyre correct in their view that they can control thepany by manipting Ishida, the person who is actually in charge of thepany.
[That sounds very usible. You epted it?]
Of course, if Ishida epts the proposal, Hiroki wouldnt have any other choice.
He feels sad, but he will give him the push as they part ways.
[No way! No, please dont look at me like that! I have no intention of epting at all!]
Looking really terrified, Ishida denied it while breaking out in a cold sweat.
Hiroki thinks he doesnt need to deny it so hard though.
[Is that so? Maybe when youre promised lots and lots of money?]
From Hirokis point of view, what Ishida likes is money.
That much is obvious to him, so he pays as much as he can as the Director of a businesspany.
Whenbined with various allowances, Ishidas current sry must exceed that of most professional athletes.
However, its likely that the fund managers would pay him two orders of magnitude more than that.
They would think that being able to buy him for 10 billion yen would be a bargain, since they would estimate the value of this business at several hundred billion to several trillion yen.
[Well, I was offered various favorable conditions, but they are just verbal promises. Theyd obviously renege those promises. Even if we did make a proper contract, it would be in exchange for revealing the waste disposal technology. Their goal is to take over thepany and monopolize the technology.]
[Monopoly of technology huh Thats impossible.]
[It was indeed impossible. Theres no way I can reproduce thepanys technology. In that case, it would be a breach of contract and I would be thrown out without thepensation promised in advance. It would just be a short-lived rule as the short-lived President. The return is not worth the risk.]
[I see.]
The good thing about Ishida is that he is so obsessed with money that he can see things in terms of risk and reward.
Therefore, as long as Hiroki properly pays him, Ishida will not betray him.
The reward offered may seem high for those who are likely to betray, but its not feasible.
In other words, since he had low expectations from the counter-offer, Ishida wont be dazzled by them.
Its very rational and easy to understand.
[There was more than one fund that came to me with that kind of indirect takeover proposal. Some of them may have been more radical in trying to get rid of the President or to get the technology quickly.]
Radical way of thinking, having the desire to finish things quickly, making them think of choosing the violent choice as appealing.
That is the way of the Yakuzas, the Mafia and thosemunities lurking in the underworld.
[Must be someone from the underworld huh.]
[Their money must havee from the underworld. The one who tried to kidnap the President this time may have been amateurs, but I heard that some of them could hire experts with military backgrounds, so be careful.]
Ishida reminded Hiroki to take care of himself.
He knew that Hiroki was physically strong, but no amount of physical strength would be a match for a soldier with a gun.
Hiroki sometimes had a tendency to expose himself unprotected to danger, and Ishida was concerned about that.
[That would definitely be scary, wouldnt it?]
Hiroki lightly shrugged his shoulders at Ishidas advice.
In Hirokis mind though, all he thought was how Ishidas mannerisms were bing more foreigner-like.
[In the first ce, I wasnt alone, but was apanied by someone from the IR, finance, legalities and our bodyguard. Its all about splitting up the management team here.]
Ishida wasnt as overconfident as Hiroki, so he worked collectively with a team.
He contracted with a first-rate securitypany to dispatch a former military expert as his bodyguard while he was in Tokyo.
Thanks to this, he didnt face any particr danger during his stay in Tokyo.
[They sure make things quiteplicated.]
Hiroki was getting tired with all the tricks the funds people were trying to pull that he wanted to stuff them all in oil drums and throw them in the hole.
That would definitely take them off his back.
[Thats the kind of people they are after all.]
The world might be better off if those people were thrown into the hole.?
However, Hiroki didnt express his thoughts and instead asked something else.
[Theyre kind of repulsive. Did you not find more honest people?]
[There were indeed some more decent and interesting proposals from funds affiliated with industrialpanies than those that were just purely funds.]
[Industrialpanies now make their own funds?]
Hiroki, who had little experience in business management except at his recyclingpany, was intrigued by Ishidas story.
[They could do it. Most of thergepanies nowadays do the same thing as funds. A holdingpany would be the leading them and invests in subsidiaries in each business domain. Lets see Lets have the electric powerpany as an example. Electricpanies are one of thepanies that people are eager to invest in. For projects with uncertain sess rates, such as development of new power sources and natural power, the mainstream is to let ventures take on the work and then buy the ones that have produced results.]
Hirokis hazy memory suggests that news releases on the development of new battery and wind power generation technologies were usually either from researchboratories or venturepanies.
Let others cross the dangerous bridges and buy the results when they be avable.
This is the tried and tested road of richpanies strategy to minimize risk.
[Hmph. So, why are these industrialpanies interested in us again?]
[Of course, its so that they can generate nuclear power!]
Ishida vigorously exined.
[Theyre still holding on to that?]
There had always been talks of contracts with powerpanies that wanted to generate nuclear power, and eventually, thepany might be able to dump radioactive waste in the hole, but radioactive waste is under strict control of the country and is a strategic material that could lead to terrorism if taken away.
Safety measures require huge investment, and difficult and troublesome negotiations with the country and rted agencies.
Hiroki was hesitant to ept it because he could just pour arge amount of waste into the hole without having to touch upon such a thing.
To be precise, Hiroki just found it troublesome.
[Its not that It was because they will be able to fully utilize nuclear power as the countrys main source of electricity. How revolutionary this would be! The current green power business of sr power, wind power and other naturally-generated power will be blown away. Theres a wide difference between the efficiency after all!]
[That certainly sounds amazing.]
Will the windmills forested in the countryside and the sr fields spreading across abandonednd be unprofitable waste?
Thinking of all these, Hiroki thinks its great. The more waste, the better.
[Yes. The price of electricity will go down a lot. Policies of nations around the globe will change. Europe, which has invested a lot in green power generation, would be ghastly pale. The Middle East, which has been earning a premium on thermal power generation, will also have to lower the price of oil significantly.]
If Hiroki takes Ishidas words as they are, all the investments in windmill forests in Germany and the Nethends, and therge-scale sr panel factories in the US and China will be wasted.
And all of it will be waste.
[Feels like they would harbor quite the resentment]
Gaining market through business activities also means that there would be some people losing market and losing a lot of money.
Having quite an impact on the world would also incur some resentment from the world.
[When the price of electricity goes down, the price of oil would also go down. When the price of electricity and oil fall, the price of all products would also fall. Both are at the very top of the industrial structure. In other words, the global economy will improve very much.]
Except for the Middle East and those who have been promoting natural power.
Their existence is quite terrorizing for them.
[Its a dreame true, dont you think?]
[Thats right! Its a dreame true!]
Ishidas eyes lit up, but the nature of his dream might be a little different from that of Hiroki.
Ishidas dream seems to be to save the world by throwing away the waste in this world.
It is a wonderful dream.
Hyenas all over the world also have big dreams and desires for their hole.
Its a golden dream, one achieved through some sort of alchemy.
After Hiroki finished his discussion with Ishida, he headed for his own private nap room set up beside the hole.
There are a few scratches on the floor from dragging drums, but he doesnt mind and just lies down on his makeshift bed.
He feels like he can have a good dream today.
As Hiroki closed his eyes, he felt like he heard something calling to him from far away.
Shortly before the discovery of an unmanned cargo ship in the Indian Ocean, a fishing vige on Ceylon Ind, also in the Indian Ocean, had a series of incidents in which vigers who had gone fishing were found dead, their corpses pitch ck.
(T/N: I dont know why Author called it Ceylon Ind, instead of Sri Lanka, which is what its called now. Well, the Author was trying to avoid saying locations aside from the famous Tokyo, so I guess this may be intentional.)
It was thought to be an outbreak of some sort of gue, but unfortunately, the fishing vige was located in a rebel-held area on Ceylon Ind, so there was a definite dy in notifying the government authorities and dispatching an emergency medical team.
Moreover, after several days, the government issued a statement strongly condemning the rebel forces for viting guarantees for the safety of the medical personnel, as they had lost contact with the medical team they had dispatched to the vige.
Chapter 36: Black Corpses
Chapter 36: ck Corpses
Time goes back a little.
At 4,000 meters above the skies of Ceylon Ind
A man was currently dreaming.
[Doctor, we will be at the base in about 30 minutes.]
Dr. Fernando was shaken awake.
As he awoke, the blurred vision of his sses and the sharp propeller noise of the turboprop aircraft resounded in his ears.
[You look very tired, Doctor!]
A dark-skinned young soldier spoke to him in a voice loud enough not to be drowned by the sound of the propeller.
[Ahh, Im sorry about that. I was up all night yesterday trying to arrange my equipment!]
Putting on his sses back on in response to the young mans bothersome kindness, Dr. Fernando answered in a loud voice, trying to hide the difort on his face.
Rubbing the drowsiness out of his tear-stained eyes, Dr. Fernando looked out of the small window of the ne and towards the carpet of greeneries spreading out below.
The green squares spread out here and there on the mountain tops, as if cutting through the dense forests, were probably fields of Ceylon Tea.
It will be harvest season in 2 months.
Looking closely, Dr. Fernando could see the farmers working in the tea fields.
The dense forest, which seemed to stretch on forever when he boarded the ne, became sparse, and soon the horizon came into view.
[We are about tond. Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened.]
Hearing the announcers words, Dr. Fernando began struggling with the seat belts that were as tough as the hard seats of the new Chinese-made aircraft he had been led to ride in.
It was two days ago that Dr. Fernando, who works at the National University Hospital in Sri Lankas capital, received a call from the Director.
He entered the Directors Office somewhat nervous, and was shown to sit on the visitors couch.
Because the staff in this hospital were usually only given short announcements, they are kept standing before they are dismissed, but seeing this unexpectedly generous treatment, Fernando braced himself for something bad to happen.
[I read your thesis when you were studying in London. If Im not mistaken, you specialized in pathology, right? The study of infectious diseases]
[Yes.]
With the backing of his wealthy n, Dr. Fernando had chosen to study abroad in English for his studies.
His wife, also a doctor at another private hospital, was someone he met at his internship in London.
[What is your opinion of this picture?]
The director presented a white A4 sheet of paper with an erged, poor-resolution image that appeared to have been printed from a screenshot of a photo from a social media site.
The image was of a person lying on a white beach.
[It seemed to be a corpse. From its features, it looked like a Tamil.]
(T/N: Tamil is a group of ethnic people apparently living in southern India and northeastern Sri Lanka.)
In Sri Lanka, the civil war between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils had continued for a long time due to the British rule.
Even after the civil war finally ended, Tamil influence is still strong in the northern and eastern provinces.
One would guess that this photo may have been an image leaked during the civil war.
However, Dr. Fernando, an excellent doctor, felt something out of ce with the skin color of the corpse in the photo.
[He looks ck. That looks too ck to be the skin tone of a corpse who was burnt under the sun Dont tell me]
[Our thoughts were just as what you had in mind. The ck Death or at least, thats what we suspect.]
[This is domestic, isnt it? Where is it? When is this picture taken? If we dont contact all the relevant authorities immediately, it will be toote! Do you have any other photos!?]
The Director gently stopped Dr. Fernando, who flusteredly stood up.
[Wait a moment. For now, we only have this one photo as evidence. Besides, it has been erased from that social media site for ethical reasons. We cant rule out the possibility that this photo is a sophisticated information warfare tactic or just a prank.]
[But if its true!]
[Yes, if its true, this is a very bad situation. It could lead to a total country-wide lockdown. As you know, the border of any country that has suffered from a gue will be closed and all airnes will be kept at the airport. Export licenses for all cargo at the ports would be revoked, and their tea industry would suffer a major blow.]
After that much exnation, Dr. Fernando understood why he had been summoned.
The CEO, the Director and many Sinhalese upper-ss ns, including his own n, own many tea ntations as assets.
If the World Health Organization, which has a branch in the capital, were to start a fuss based on vague information, the economic loss to the nation and his familys assets that would result from the rumors would be immeasurable.
As such thoughts came to Dr. Fernandos mind, the Director gravely cut to the chase.
[The CEO is concerned about this situation. He wants to know what is going on, preferably in secret. I will dispatch a team of military doctors and military personnel to investigate this matter. I would like you to join the team as an expert advisor.]
Even though the Director said it like a request, Dr. Fernando himself knows that he has no right to refuse.
Afternding at a military base in the north, he was transferred from the military port to anding ship.
It was apparently decided that it would be faster to get to the fishing vige on the northeastern coast, where that photo on the social media site was posted, by passing through Adams Bridge between India and Ceylon Ind, and then by sea to the east coast than by taking the unimprovednd route.
There was also a proposal to rush there by helicopter, but this was rejected because it wouldnt be enough to carry the people and equipment.
Dr. Fernando, who was swiftly passed from the Air Force to the Navy like a baton in a ry race, felt the sense of crisis and impatience of the upper management.
[Ten hours to arrival huh.]
Theres only so much that can be done at sea after their departure.
That being the case, Dr. Fernando again read the militarys investigative report on the photos.
ording to the investigation, the photo was posted at 3:12 pm, two weeks ago.
It was uploaded to an Indian-capital social media site and deleted by the operator 15 minutester.
The managementpany has a history of information on the location where the photo was uploaded, and the fishing vige is considered to be the location where the photo was taken.
The contract owner of the smartphone is also considered to be a member of that vige.
However, it isnt umon in these remote viges for people to jointly own rented smartphones rather than each person individually having one, so the person who took the photo is still unknown.
There seemed to be a person from a neighboring vige whoined to the local government that he couldnt contact his rtives in that fishing vige, but because he couldnt pay a bribe, the person in charge ignored hisint and dyed reporting it to his superiors.
The same thing happened again and again in the report to the higher authorities, which dyed the report even further.
When the local government finally learned of the situation, they stepped up their efforts, but at first, they only blocked the road because they suspected that it was a biological weapons test that had been conducted by government forces, and even now, as far as they know, no on-site investigation has been conducted.
This is the only good point that hase out of this unfortunate series of events.
And this situation continues to this day. The reason for such a dy in reporting the situation from the provinces to the government is probably due to the deep-seated distrust that the Tamils have of the central government.
[Biological weapons huh]
The ABC weapons are generally called as such by the initials of Atomic, Bio and Chemical Weapons.
Bio-weapons, weaponry making use of biological means. In other words, they are ssified as B weapons.
Because they dont require a huge amount of money to develop, but are very effective, BC weapons arepared to Atomic weapons, which is why they are referred to as Poor Mans Nuclear Weapons.
Dr. Fernando sighed as he finished reading the report.
There was no way they would use a biological weapon against their own people on such a small ind
The long civil war had bred hatred between Sinhalese and Tamils.
[Ruler of the Waves, Divide and Rule huh.]
"
"
As Dr. Fernando gazed out over the calm night waves of the Indian Ocean from his cabin, he felt a faint dislike for the quarter English blood flowing in his veins.
Chapter 37: Black Something, Having the Shape of a Finger
Chapter 37: ck Something, Having the Shape of a Finger
The next morning, the ship seemed to have arrived off the coast of the fishing vige.
Dr. Fernando noticed that the sound of the engine had stopped and the view from the ind from the cabin hadnt changed.
When he went out on a deck where the sea breeze was blowing, he found soldiers pulling out rubber boats and equipment and preparing to go ashore.
[This doesnt look like the ce in the photo though.]
Fernando looked around, but all he could see was a white sandy beach and palm trees.
[Are we going tond here? I dont see any viges nearby]
ording to a soldier who happened to be nearby and answered his question, the n was tond a short distance away, build a base camp and then for the vige.
[After all, theres a possibility that the information is a trap and we might be attacked.]
The soldiers expression as he answered him was stern.
He must have been thinking that they were in enemy territory.
Dr. Fernandoter learned that he was a member of the Navys Elite Special Forces unit called SBS, the Special Boat Squadron.
Dr. Fernando volunteered to join the scouting party.
The captain of the unit was reluctant to ept it, but he convinced him that he was the only one who could medically verify the condition of the corpse.
The soldiers were amateurs when it came to infectious diseases.
He did give a lecture on board just in case, but he still isnt sure how well that would work in the field.
[First of all, I want all the scouts to wear these.]
Valuable full-body protective suits, N95 masks,tex gloves, and boots that he had gathered from the university hospital.
He found it difficult to procure them though, as there are only a few of them in all of Sri Lanka, so they now only have 8 sets of them in total.
In addition, sample collection equipment and firearms must also be carried by military personnel.
Since it would be impractical to walk through a jungle in full protective gear under the zing sun, they decided the group to split into three rubber boats and move ashore along the coast.
After crossing a small sandbar, the vige finally came into view.
And there, they also saw corpses lying on the beach.
The information in that photo was indeed true.
[Theyre all ck.]
Dr. Fernando muttered to himself as he saw those bodies.
Beforending, the team members again checked each others full-body protective suits.
If the air tightness of their equipment is breached, they wouldnt be allowed tond.
With a ssh, the soldiersnded on the shallow sandy beach, and with well-trained movements, they spread out and moved to take precautionary actions around the perimeter.
Meanwhile, Dr. Fernando carefully made his way to a nearby ck corpse.
The corpse, arge man wearing a crude T-shirt, was lying face-down, with his face not in view.
His right hand is clutching on the sand, as if he had just died.
[They dont stink.]
If the information they received is correct, these corpses should have been dead for several weeks.
Since the corpses had been left under the hot sun without being buried for all that time, Dr. Fernando was prepared to arrive at corpses that were in a terrible state of dposition.
The N95 mask they brought certainly was a high-performance mask, but even after looking at all of the corpses, the dposition doesnt appear to have progressed at all.
Is it possible that some conditions happened to coincide and the dposition didnt progress?
Or perhaps, could it be that these corpses had actually survived until very recently, and the corpse in the photograph was a different one from these?
As Dr. Fernando pondered about this, he came to the conclusion that there might be other survivors in the vige.
Having this in mind, Dr. Fernando called the Captain on the radio and received an immediate response.
[Whats the matter?]
[I think the corpses are too fresh. The dposition hasnt progressed. There may be survivors in the vige.]
[Understood. What should we do?]
The Captain was quick to make his judgment.
Dr. Fernando, feeling reassured, issued a request and a warning.
[Call out loudly and ask if there are any survivors. However, dont touch anything in the vige.]
[Understood. There are Tamils in our unit. I will have them call out in Tamil.]
[Please do so.]
Half an hourter, five more ck corpses were found in the vige, bringing the total to eight, including the corpses on the beach.
As Dr. Fernando collected samples from around the vige, heid the corpses on the beach for a full-body examination and noticed several oddities.
[None of these corpses had dposed.]
[Yeah. There are also not many of these. If the list is correct, there must have been 30 people living in the vige. Judging from the number of houses, there certainly should have been at least that many.]
[The age and gender of the corpses also seemed to be one-sided. The corpses here are only middle-aged men. Where did all the women, children and elderly go?]
[They may have made them escape? Or perhaps, they may be hiding somewhere.]
[Hiding? Where in the world would they hide]
[These small northern viges were sometimes used as rebel strongholds. In such cases, the women, children and elderly who couldnt fight in the vige would flee to a shelter and wait for the men to return. Sometimes, they would even hide for weeks]
The Captain red sharply through the thick jungle behind the vige.
[In that case, it will be impossible to find them right now. Lets go back to base camp.]
[I suppose youre right. We cant go into the jungle with these god-awful clothes on. Well, I guess its a good thing you wont be bitten by insects with this thing on.]
The Captain pleasantlyughed after insulting his full-body protective suit.
[So, what about these corpses?]
[It pains me to say this, but we will need to leave them as they are. The camp doesnt have the facilities to keep such arge number of bodies sterilized. We will analyze the samples first.]
They cant just bring the corpses and risk their camp from being infected.
At that moment, someone shouted Uwaahhh! over the radio.
[Whats the matter!?]
[No, I just felt like a corpse grabbed my leg. It was just my imagination!]
[I think its that so-called rigor mortis. The rest of the team should check their boots. Check the rest of your clothing for holes too!]
The Captain has all members of the team cross-check the airtightness of their full-body protective suits again.
[All clear. No holes found!]
[Alright! Be careful!]
[My apologies!]
"
"
The man who had caused that ruckus breathed a sigh of relief and thanked his lucky stars that the surface of his book was only ckened in what seemed to be a finger.
Chapter 38: Black Warm Dream
Chapter 38: ck Warm Dream
When Dr. Fernando and his scouting party returned by rubber boat to the base camp construction, the same one they used to ride out of their boat, they could see from the sea that a fairly full-scale base had been constructed by the soldiers who hadnded.
A number of containers had been unloaded,rge deployable tent barracks, and parabolic antennas formunication facilities had been erected.
Around them, simple trenches had been dug and surrounded by barbed wire, and even machine gun emcements had been ced with sandbags piled up around them.
[The ce looked heavily armed.]
[The northern part of the country is still home to rebel gueris. If the need arises, theres artillery support from the ship off the coast.]
[Gueris huh This area is still affected by the civil war huh]
[Its not like the capital or the south.]
The expression on that soldier, who had spat out such words in a tone so strong that Dr. Fernando involuntarily turned around, was obscured by his full-body protective suit and mask, unable to be seen by Dr. Fernando.
The good thing about the base camp was that the quarantine system had been strengthened.
The first step is to wash the entire body, including their protective clothing, in a high-pressure shower of seawater and disinfectant that has been set up.
One couldnt wash themselves, so the people showered with each other.
[Uuuu Its so cold!]
[It sure makes you want to have some warm shower, doesnt it, Doctor?]
[Well just have to be patient a little longer.]
It feels good to cool down the clothes that were heated under the hot sun near the equator.
They also couldnt dump their wastewater into the ocean, so they decided to pour it into a hole they dug on the beach and threw in lots of disinfectant in it.
In the end, those water would eventually be thrown into the ocean, but it was better than throwing them directly into the ocean.
Carefully removing the double gloves and boots, they took off his full-body protective gear and dipped them into the precious pool of fresh water and disinfectants.
[Were going to use the same equipment huh, Doctor.]
[Yeah. If we had more time and money to arrange for more protective suits, we could use disposable ones. However, we arent the US or Chinese military.]
The handling manual for full-body protective suits states that they can be reused as long as they have been pressure tested and are airtight.
Since the base camp facilities dont allow pressure tests, they will have to operate on the assumption that if no bubbles form when submerged in water and no water leaks out of the water, then its OK.
Dr. Fernando still hopes that the Director back in the capital had made arrangements for additional clothing though.
In fact, they had found scratches on several gloves when they were submerged in the water.
They must have been caused by operating firearms or boat equipment.
Fortunately, there were enough gloves to rece them.
They also confirmed that there were no holes in the boots, although some of them were dirty.
Somehow, it looks like they will be able to continue the survey tomorrow.
The tropical sunshine and sea breeze quickly dried their protective clothing.
The base camp was constructed so that Dr. Fernandos reconnaissance team and the soldiers of the base camp would bepletely separated and their movements wouldnt intersect.
Specifically, water, eating ces, tents, and even toilets are separated.
Basic conversations between the two groups are carried out via radio.
This was the agreement reached by Dr. Fernando on board the ship, but the soldiers at the base had stiff expressions on their faces due to the unfamiliarity of the situation.
On the other hand, the SBS soldiers in the reconnaissance team, who were indeed elite special forces troops, were rxed and at ease, saying that they were thankful for the tents and had noints about the hot meals.
"
"
[It seems that the guys setting up the base were so scared of this area that they sprayed a lot of fungicides and insecticides around. Im sure Doctor will be able to sleep soundly tonight.]
[Wait a moment. Putting aside fungicides, youre also spraying insecticides?]
Ceylon Ind is home to many unique and precious nts and animals, and eco-tourism for Western tourists is flourishing.
And yet, for them to spray arge number of insecticides on this ind is just
[No, Doctor, camping in the jungle without spraying insecticide is just insane. Centipedes, leeches, mosquitoes, horseflies All kinds of biting, blood-sucking insects wille into your tent and you will be able to sleep, you know?]
[Is that so?]
[Yeah. The eco-campgrounds that Western tourists are so grateful to stay in are neatly mowed, filled with water and sprayed with insecticides. My brother runs one of those campgrounds, and heins that it may be lucrative, but its time-consuming.]
[I see Well, I guess thats just how it is.]
Perhaps, people like nature when all the unpleasant factors are removed.
Can such a thing still be called nature though? Not bothering to think about this matter any longer, Dr. Fernando just thought of leaving this debate to the rich, bored eco-enthusiasts.
[Its especially the worst when we were pursuing gueris. You cant use lights, you cant build a fire, and since you have to make sure you cant be detected through scent, we would need to track them through the jungle for days with unscented insecticide on our skin We would also end up consuming our water, so we fill our hats with water from the squall and need to purify them before drinking The only food we get is cold rations that taste bad Compared to that, this ce is heaven! After all, we dont have to store our shit in stic!]
[This one sure has quite the difference!]
The loudughter of the soldiers was very encouraging for Dr. Fernando.
After the sun went down, Dr. Fernando was allowed to retire to their tent, as there was nothing much to do.
An amateur like him would only get in the way even if he volunteers for nighttime surveince.
It would be better to review the tasks for tomorrow and onward.
His private tent was surprisinglyfortable, and Dr. Fernando immediately fell asleep.
At such a time, he had a dream.
One where he was in a dark, warm ce.
At dawn, very early in the morning, Dr. Fernando woke up.
[Whats happening?]
He felt some rustling around the base.
As he exited the tent, his eyes met those of the stern-faced SBS Captain.
[One of our soldiers is missing.]
[Eh? Could he have gone back to the ship by any chance?]
Soldiers were shuttling back and forth between the base camp and the ship, partly because of the need to transport supplies.
It wouldnt be surprising if there was at least one soldier who had the good sense to spend the night on the ship in order to take advantage of the ships air conditioning.
[No, it was a soldier in the unit who disappeared. I dont think thats what happened.]
[One of the SBS huh.]
Recalling the conversation he had with the soldiersst night, Dr. Fernando didnt feel like they were people who would be bothered by this environment.
In that case, were they caught up in an ident? Or perhaps, had they been caught by an enemy attack?
[Enemy]
At that moment, an illusion that an attack was about toe from the jungle right next to the base camp assaulted Dr. Fernandos mind.
Despite the beautiful warm sun rising from the eastern horizon, Dr. Fernando felt his knees trembling and cold sweat running down his spine.
Chapter 39: To the Depths of the Black Jungle
Chapter 39: To the Depths of the ck Jungle
A soldier disappeared from the SBS barracks tent in the middle of the night.
The cause or reason for this is unknown.
However, given the current situation, there are only two possible answers for this.
Either he was attacked by the enemy or he had deserted.
Either way, both answers were a serious problem.
Both his colleague who was sleeping in the same tent and the base guard testified that they didnt notice the soldiers departure.
[If he was attacked, were dealing with a very skilled enemy. If he had deserted, were dealing with an elite SBS-trained soldier. If he seriously went into hiding, it would be difficult to find them.]
The Captain looked as if he was chewing a bitter bug as hemended the skill of the attacker of the deserter.
[So, what are you going to do about it?]
Dr. Fernandos question made the Captain think for a few seconds, before he made a decision.
[We will divide the team into two groups! A search team and an investigation team. I will lead the search team. The search team will have four members. The investigation team will have three members, and Dr. Fernando will lead this team.]
[Eh!? I- I have nevermanded an army before]
Seeing Dr. Fernando being flustered by his words, the Captain repeated his request.
[If its a medical investigation, theres no one here better than Dr. Fernando. The search for the missing soldier will just be for this day. I would like you to lead them, even if its just for today.]
[Well, if thats the way its going to be.]
Dr. Fernando couldnt disobey the Captain, who is a veteran soldier, so he reluctantly agreed to take over as the leader of the investigation team.
[Us three will be investigating then.]
The two soldiers hes with would just be there to protect him, so it was essentially a one-man investigation.
[Well, guess Ill just have to carry on as usual.]
Fortunately, the corpses of the patients to be sampled were alreadyid out in a conspicuous ce in the vige.
He should be able to carry out the investigation on his own.
Just as they had done yesterday, Dr. Fernando and the two soldiers put on full-body protective suits, double gloves and boots.
It was still early in the morning, but they had to endure the tropical heat while they were within those suits.
The good news is that the protective suit checks will only take a short time because there are fewer people to check.
They also only had to move by one rubber boat, which was good.
[If were gonna end up with these few members, it would have been great if wede with a helicopter.]
As they moved across the sea on a rubber boat, Dr. Fernando muttered to himself.
It was a bit discouraging how their investigation team only has one rubber boat.
If they hade by helicopter, they might even have been able to use it for the search.
[If that were the case though, we would need a patrol ship with a helicopter deck or the construction of a helicopter base.]
One of the soldiers in the investigation team pointed out the hole in the idea of Dr. Fernando, who wasnt familiar with military affairs.
[Hmmm I see. Then, what about using a drone for the search? Im sure the navy should have tested out their use, right?]
The soldierughed in response.
[Theres a reason why those drones are still considered toys. The navy did try loading them with a camera, but the flight time is less than an hour. It could also only be used for coastal search because it cant see from above through the dense forests. Its also vulnerable to bad weather. Cant fly in squalls or typhoons. Ahh, its useful for finding fishing spots though.]
[That means it isnt very useful huh.]
The field isnt so easy of a ce that an amateur in military matters can juste up with an idea and make it work.
While they were talking, Dr. Fernando saw a familiar sandbar.
After going around it, they would be able to see the fishing vige where the investigation was to be conducted.
Dr. Fernando considers himself useful not as a military strategist with hisyman ideas, but as a medical specialist.
Led by a soldier, Dr. Fernandonded from the same beach as yesterday.
[What the]
And soon, he undeniably perceived that the state of the matters in the vige was unlike yesterday.
The corpses arent there anymore.
Among the corpsesid out in a visible spot near the vige yesterday, not a single one of them could be seen anymore.
[Were they taken away by the waves?]
[No, the viges draining basket and poles werent washed away. This wasnt because of the tide or the waves.]
A soldier who was looking around warned everyone.
With a click, Dr. Fernando heard him undo the safety lock on the rifle he was holding.
Leaving the soldiers to take care of the surroundings, Dr. Fernando crouched down where the corpses should have been.
[Whats going on?]
Even without any further investigation, he found traces on the ground that looked as if something heavy had been dragged across the ground.
And all of the eight traces were heading in the same direction, that is, deeper into the jungle.
After informing the soldiers of his discovery, one of them took a perimeter watch, while the otherid down near the traces.
[Theyre being dragged along while still in a prone position Whats strange though, is that I cant find any footprints of whoever was dragging them.]
[Any chance theyve erased the traces that they might be the one who dragged them?]
[No, doing that would usually leave footprints all around the area but I wonder, could they have covered them up very well.]
Or perhaps, it was as if those corpses had crawled away on their own
The soldier almost said such a thing, but he shook off that delusion that had involuntarily popped into his head.
Nevertheless, for all those corpses to disappear
Dr. Fernandos field research unexpectedly failed before it even started.
Meanwhile, the search party began fanning out through the jungle around the base camp on the coast.
It wasnt an area that could be covered by just two teams of two people each, but the Navy soldiers who had set up by the base camp werent trained to move and fight in the jungle.
If they were forced to mobilize, there was a danger of another disaster happening again, and if the gueris were skilled enough to kidnap an SBS member, they would just be easy targets.
[If they kidnapped that Silva, the gueris must be pretty good. They didnt even leave a trace.]
[Yeah. Good grief. I couldnt even find a trace of blood anywhere. Did they throw him into the sea?]
[On a beach this shallow? The navy in the camp would have found him soon enough, and in the morning, hell be washed up on the beach.]
[Then, what if that guy actually betrayed us and deserted?]
Unexpectedly, one of the soldiers voiced a suspicion that no one had ever voiced out before.
Given the circumstances though, it was reasonable that they woulde to that conclusion.
[I trust the men in my unit. Theres no way he would desert. Stop saying nonsense!]
The Captain roared out upon hearing the soldiers chatter.
Thereupon, the soldiers became silent again and went back to searching.
Just like that, when they resumed their search around the ind, the search team found something they didnt expect.
[That is What in the world]
Do they give up on the field investigation? Or perhaps, follow the trail of the dragged body?
Just as Dr. Fernando was torn between the two options, a soldier radioed to him.
[Sir, we received a radio call from the search party.]
[Whats it about?]
[A military rubber boat has been found. However, it doesnt belong to our army.]
Hearing that they found a military rubber boat that doesnt belong to the Sri Lankan army isnt calming news at all.
This means that there are other troops who havended in this ce besides theirs.
[From which army is it?]
[Seems to be unknown. They apparently also found guns, bullets, and cartridges. Theyve also found traces of a battle.]
[What kind of guns did they find?]
Another soldier asked.
Hearing his question, Dr. Fernando understood his meaning. Would they perhaps be able to tell where the soldiers belonged by the type of gun?
[It was apparently an M4. The rusting on the guns suggests that they were just here very recently.]
[D*mn it What the hell!]
Dr. Fernando wonders if theres anything bad with an M4 gun, so he asked the soldier, who clicked his tongue, to exin.
[A poor pirate would have been able to use an AK. But when ites to M4s, they would either be a rich guys smuggler group or a neighboring army]
A neighboring army.
There is only one neighboring country to Sri Lanka.
[No way, this was military support from the Indian army? They were sending military supplies to the north, right?]
[We arent sure about that but]
"
"
A nation as vast as India isnt a monolithic country.
There had been rumors since the civil war that some influential people in Southern India were of Tamil descent and were supporting the Tamil independence movement.
[That being the case, the rumor that BC weapons were used on those corpses may not necessarily be false. I have never seen a corpse in that condition.]
The hypothesis that the ckened corpse might have been the result of an unknown biological or chemical weapon rather than a disease suddenly became convincing.
The reason why the corpses hadnt dposed could also be reasonably interpreted as the sterilizing effect of a chemical weapon.
Even the fact that those corpses were dragged away was probably to conceal the use of weapons in vition of international conventions.
[However, would they do such an inhumane thing to their own kin, the Tamils?]
[You dont know what kind of people they are, Doctor. They will do anything to win the battle. Perhaps, they may have wanted to make an example to the viges that werent cooperative.]
[What a disgusting story.]
Even though it has been 20 years since it ended, the memory of the civil war still divides Sinhalese and Tamils.
[However, I would have liked it if we could recover at least one corpse. If we have evidence, we can prove the war crimes theymitted.]
[However, if they were able to drag those eight corpses with them, they would at least have more than eight units with them. Wouldnt our numbers be too small to deal with them?]
When Dr. Fernando expressed his concern, the soldiers seemed to be sneering under their protective suits and masks.
[Who do you think we are? We are the SBS, intimidating enough to quieten a crying child. If its just a gueri of 10 men, us two can easily win against them.]
[For the time being, Im just going to do some reconnaissance. If they burn the bodies, there will be no evidence. Doctor, please hide by the rubber boat on the beach and meet up with the search team.]
[Alright. Be careful.]
The two soldiers returned with a salute before disappearing soundlessly into the jungle.
That was thest time Dr. Fernando saw those 2 soldiers.
Chapter 40: Small Black Hole
Chapter 40: Small ck Hole
Dr. Fernando waited on the beach for about an hour before meeting up with the search team, the Captain and the other soldiers, who were following them.
The situation had been briefly exined over the radio beforehand, so it seemed that the elite soldiers wouldnt take any unnecessary action, but would immediately begin the pursuit.
[Doctor, you can stay here or return to the base camp if you like.]
[No, Ill go with you.]
Dr. Fernando, who was more of an indoor person, wondered why he wanted to apany them to a dangerous ce.
However, for some reason, he felt an inexplicable urge to head deeper into the jungle.
The Captain had tried several times to contact the two who went to scout ahead by radio, but perhaps, due to the terrain, they seemed to be having trouble.
[Doctor, Id like to see those traces left by the corpses.]
[Let me guide you.]
Dr. Fernando leads the others to what remains of the corpses and the drag marks in the vige.
No matter how many times Dr. Fernando looked at it though, it was quite a puzzling sight.
Upon arrival, the members of the search team quickly scanned the area with their gaze.
[We know that they were dragged away. However, its strange how there are no footprints around.]
[The soldiers who went ahead said the same thing. That the footprints have been covered up really well.]
[Thats possible. However, its hard to imagine gueris having soldiers of that caliber. Moreover, they have as many as eight of them. It feels more as if]
The Captain cut his words short.
However, Dr. Fernando felt as if he could hear the voicelessly spoken As if the corpses had crawled away on their own.
Thinking that he may have lost his mind, Dr. Fernando shook that thought aside again.
[Lets go after them.]
What had seemed like a daunting pursuit towards a highly skilled gueri force turned out to be a surprisingly easy task.
The aforementioned guerris should be dragging corpses through the jungle, so they hadnt been able to cover their tracks at all.
[The gueris had the skill to cover their tracks, but not to cover that trail of dragging corpses]
[They sure are rather unbnced folks.]
"
"
Yes, what was happening was quite unnatural.
What exactly are they chasing?
Are the people beyond the path theyre going through really gueri soldiers?
Eventually, their suspicions reached their peak.
A soldier found a human fingernail peeled off and stuck into the root of a tree in the jungle.
[Doctor, what do you think this is?]
Hearing him being called out, Dr. Fernando inspected it.
The color of the nail The shape All of it looked familiar to Dr. Fernando.
[Its a human adults nail. The second finger. It seems to be the nail of the index finger. It looks like its been subjected to a tremendous amount of force and peeled off.]
[Did someone pluck that off of someone.]
[No. If that were the case, that wouldnt exin how he got stuck in the root of the tree.]
[Maybe a finger was bent from rigor mortis and got caught in the roots of the tree, and they were forced to remove them.]
[Its not inconceivable but]
The corpses really must have crawled around on their own.
And someones nail must have been ripped off when he grabbed the root of the tree.
Dr. Fernando may not have spoken that out, but that was hardly out of his own imagination anymore.
Even though the soldiers werent talking, they too were exuding a sense of fear and trepidation.
The sun was supposed to be high in the sky, but the dense greenery enwrapping the jungle made the ce look gloomy.
In the distance, a monkey whose territory had been invaded could be heard shouting warning to the intruders.
Their initially optimistic n that they would be able to catch up with the crawling intruders soon enough had already copsed.
Still, they continued to move at an rming speed through the dense jungle.
The dimness of the jungle and the fatigue were causing them to gradually lose their sense of time.
The soldiers were silent, just watching their surroundings and following the trail made by the corpses.
Dr. Fernando was also doing his best to keep up with them so that he wouldnt fall behind.
Eventually, the pursuing party came to a patch of open terrain in the middle of the dense jungle.
Sometimes, when a fire urs or storm topples arge tree over the canopy, a small t area like this is temporarily created where the sun shines down on the ground.
Dr. Fernando looked up at the narrow, circr open sky and saw that the sun was beginning to tilt.
[Alright. Well take some rest here.]
They can finally take a break.
Even the members of the team, who had been trained in strict actualbat, couldnt hide their mental exhaustion from the series of inexplicable phenomena, and they looked relieved.
For an untrained person like Dr. Fernando, not being able to see what lies ahead in this dense jungle can be extremely stressful.
He is now feeling slightly regretful, thinking that he should have listened to their suggestion and just stayed in the camp.
Having such thoughts in mind, Dr. Fernando looked out over the nd in a daze.
The nd, which seemed to have been recently formed, was sparsely popted with short grasses and short trees.
Even so, Dr. Fernando found those trees rather unusual.
The two trees in his vision, perhaps the result of another tree bifurcating, were also growing here and there on the nd that is beginning to turn dark.
[Unnn?]
However, as Dr. Fernando focused his attention on it, he started having doubts. Are those things really trees?
As the blur of fatigue came into focus, it became clear to him that those werent trees at all.
However, something had happened that Dr. Fernandos mind just couldnt ept it at all.
[Ahhh, ah]
[Doctor, is something the matter?]
One of the soldiers, concerned about Dr. Fernandos strange condition, called out to him.
However, Dr. Fenando couldnt bring himself to speak, and he only pointed at that thing that wasnt a tree.
[What about it? Is there something in that tree]
The soldier was at a loss for words at what he saw, before he shouted.
[What the heck!!!? Thats a human leg!!!]
Yes, a human leg.
Dr. Fernando repeated silently in his mind.
What was growing out of the ground, just like trees, were human legs.
Dozens of dozens of them, in rows and columns, all over this nd.
All of them are human legs.
Some are adults big legs.
Some are childrens small legs.
Some are womens slender legs.
Some of old peoples wrinkly legs.
White peoples legs.
ck peoples legs.
Sinhalese legs.
Tamil legs.
All kinds of human legs.
[rgh!]
Dr. Fernando puked, unable to bear the difort rising in the pit of his stomach.
Something sphemous and decadent was pounding on his nerves, making it difficult for him to stay sane.
[T- This is]
The well-trained soldiers didnt vomit as unsightly as Dr. Fernando, but they still tightly clutched on their guns and froze.
Some of them closed their eyes and started earnestly chanting prayers.
[T- Those legs are moving! Theyre still alive!]
One of the soldiers shouted in horror, to which Dr. Fernando raised his gaze, trying to mp down his nausea.
If the buried people are still alive, they need to save them.
[Urph Which one?]
Trying to endure his nausea, Dr. Fernando strained his eyes open.
[A- All of them. All those legs are moving!]
[Thats impossible]
However, what he said was indeed true.
All the legs pointing to the sky were moving slightly.
And upon closer inspection, there was a strange regrity to the arrangement of those legs.
The legs formed arge circle across the nd, and the toes pointed outward from the circle.
[Unnn? What is that?]
And asionally, mud would be spewed out from near those legs.
No, that mud was being thrown out.
After that, the leg pointing towards the sky would sink a little.
[No way Are they digging?]
[No way]
For a few moments, as they watched in agony as if their nerves were being triggered, it seemed that all the legs were making the same motion.
It waspletely beyondmon sense, something that wouldnt have crossed their mind, but all they could think was that in this strange ceremonial space, the upside-down corpses kept on digging at the ground.
Heading straight underground, all the corpses were trying to dig a huge hole in the ground in a circle.
Dozens of corpses were digging single-mindedly, and eventually, some of the legs facing the sky were about to be buried in the ground.
[O- Oi! Those feet are wearing military boots!]
[Arent those from those that scouted before us!?]
A soldier with good eyes spotted a leg with military boots on the other side of the in.
Perhaps because it has been rtively little time since they started digging a hole, the legs on that part of the ground were rtively exposed.
[D*mn it, Ill go help him out!]
[Wait, you cant help him without wearing protective clothing!]
[Doctor, stay where you are!]
Without waiting for Dr. Fernando to stop them, the soldiers crossed the in and headed straight for the rescue of their colleague, who was buried in the ground with his military boots on.
They crossed the middle of that circle with their feet pointing to the sky.
However, they abruptly disappeared.
[Uwaahh!]
[Eh?]
The moment all the soldiers passed through the middle of the circle, they were gone forever.
No sound of impact, no sound of fall
No trained skills, equipment, nor any teamwork managed to help them.
They just fell and disappeared.
[A- Ahhh]
The legs, which had been drawingrge circles on the tnd, began to move in circles, getting closer to each other, shrinking within the circle, bing closer and closer into the circle until all that remained was a small, ck hole.
Everything was gone, leaving only Dr. Fernando nkly looked at all that happened.
And then, the doctor staggered up to his feet, scooped up the mud around him with both hands and began to throw it into the hole.
The doctor, who had lost his sanity, felt as if he heard a voice from inside the hole saying Gyeeehh in his insanity-infested consciousness.
After losing excellent SBS members and a doctor, the Sri Lankan military set a blockade and burned down the fishing vige with a napalm bomb, destroying all evidence and abandoning all their activities in the area concerned.
The nd was soon covered with the dense forests rich greeneries, and no small hole was ever discovered by anyone.
Volume 3 end
Chapter 41: Also in a Good Shape Today
Chapter 41: Also in a Good Shape Today
Several years after its establishment, MCTBH had grown into one of thergestpanies in Japan.
This was thanks to the abundant funds from foreign investors, the active backing of the local government, and the current trend of the SDGs boom.
(T/N: Sustainable Development Goods)
Outsourcing contaminated goods and waste disposal transactions to MCTBH would ensure you the achievement of zero emissions.
Thats a big step toward the SDGs.
MCTBH is now the standard bearer for environmental solutions, and therger, more brand-consciouspanies want to do business with MCTBH, which is then mored for by the investors.
[In fact, its gotten so big]
Hiroki looked down from the window of the conference room near the top of his building, which was several dozen stories high, at the hole carved into a cone several kilometers in diameter that now looked like a loose crater, and at the surrounding facilities.
Until just a few years ago, this was nothing but a used house and recycle store that Hiroki had purchased, abandoned farnd, and wastnd.
It has now be a major center of the logistics, which one might be able to call as a venous system, where thepany upies the lower reaches of the worlds industrial structure.
Just as all roads lead to Rome, one could say that all wastes lead to MCTBH.
President, may we proceed with our regr meeting?
Yeah, please.
"
"
Ishida, thepanys Managing Director, informed Hiroki that he was losing his concentration.
Even though he was a decorated Owner/President, Hiroki was still expected to behave properly in front of the board members at the management meeting.
In the bright and spacious conference room with a high ceiling and ss windows on one wall, the board members of MCTBH, which has be a huge corporation, were seated side by side.
The executives supporting MCTBH, which now handles waste treatment forpanies around the world, is made up of a diverse group of people.
Thepanys branding as a greenpany has been well-received, and thepany has attracted highly motivated and capable people from all over the world.
MCTBHs performance in the current quarter has grown 35%pared to the previous year. The main reason for this is that we have developed a distributionwork in the South American market, which has enabled us to link the economic support of the poor, who depend on the exploitation of the rainforest, to the development of the mining industry, which is a secondary industry, and to the waste take-back cycle
Since thepany has be a global enterprise by gathering human resources from all over the world, management meetings are held in English as a matter of course.
As expected, even Hiroki was forced to study thenguage, and since he had a good head on his shoulders, he could now speak and understand normally.
Still, Hirokis attention and gaze couldnt help but be drawn to the ce where the hole is supposed to be.
While Hirokis mind drifted about, the executives at the management meeting passionately discussed how to save the Earth from the danger of environmental pollution, and each executive was satisfied that theirpetence and diligence had been properly evaluated.
After a while, as he watched the board members leave the conference room in droves, Hiroki called out to Ishida.
[Did everyone go home?]
[Yes.]
[Well then, lets start with the report.]
Once the front management meeting was over, it was now time for thepanys secret meeting.
Hiroki didnt want to create anotherplicated decision-making meeting, but he doesnt trust their newly joined board members, who may be motivated by pure ambition, or may be under the influence of otherpanies or funds, so he had no reason to deny Ishidas strong insistence.
In theory, it could be said that Ishida was nning to pull Hiroki out of the information of other executives and make him a puppet and in fact, there were some employees who were calling for such a move but Hiroki remained calm, saying Ishida can do as he pleases.
[First of all, the current governor is asking for support for his campaign fund.
[Ahh, errr, who is that again? Is he that greasy guy with a barcode for a hairstyle?]
[Governor Aburai, yes. He has been an environmental advocate since ourpany started funding him.]
[Hmmm. I dont dislike easy-to-understand people like him. Isnt it alright?]
[I understand. Ill contact his secretary.]
After MCTBH announced that it would consider investment from funds, the response from the local political circles clearly changed.
Its likely that they had received pushback from the businessmunity and the electorate, who felt that it would be unbearable for a promising localpany to be taken over by a foreignpany or relocate out of the country even though they had grown locally.
In reality, its impossible for thepany to move abroad, but theyre free to use it as a negotiating technique, and theyre also free to have the other party misunderstand them.
[Were going to need their help with a lot of things.]
[Youre right. Were going to have them useful to us from now on.]
The previously stalled procedures for permits andnd acquisition went remarkably smoothly, and harassment from eco-friendly organizations and local yakuza disappeared.
This is probably because the funding from their supporters ceased.
They too are professionals, and when money runs out, their connections would disappear.
Its easy to understand in the sense that they will not do work that wouldnt earn them money.
At the same time, a certain bouncer in thepany(Hiroki) no longer had a role to y, but it wasnt that bad for him since he could spend more time near the hole.
The positive economic impact wasnt limited to the localmunity.
In fact, MCTBH had a more pronounced positive impact on the Japanese economy as a whole.
Manufacturing and chemical factories returned to Japan.
Their presence encouraged the so-called Return to Japan.
With the creation of MCTBH, cheap waste disposal became avable, and the cost of secondary industries that require solid and liquid waste disposal, such as the chemical and manufacturing industries, was greatly reduced.
As theyre currently epting nuclear fuel waste from nuclear power generation on a temporary basis, the stocks of electric powerpanies have soared with the prospect of liquidating their negative legacy, while electricity prices have stabilized at low levels.
Fortunately, though they cant exactly say that, a prolonged recession, a cheap currency and lowerbor costs had made Japan a developed country that couldpete with other developing countries in secondary industries.
[Local tax revenues soared. The surrounding factories have also increased the job opportunities. Well, I suppose thats not something you wouldin about.]
[Yeah.]
Standing by the window, Hiroki looked down on the crater-like cluster of facilities with pipes and conveyors heading towards the center.
[Looks like its also in a good shape today.]
[Yeah.]
What Ishida said isnt out of concern for Hirokis physical condition.
Ishida knows that Hiroki is as healthy as he could possibly be.
What Ishida was concerned about was that hole, hidden in the central dome, where liquid waste and waste materials continue to be brought in through hundreds of waste pipes and conveyors.
He was talking about that waste disposal hole, who is now referred to as The Hole.
The Hole, which has be an integral part of the global economy, continues to expand, unnoticed by others.
Chapter 42: Study and Reports Regarding The Hole
Chapter 42: Study and Reports Regarding The Hole
Ishidas report continued.
[So, hows the hole doing?]
[Yes. I will now report on the current status of the hole.]
As a matter of fact, several years ago, Ishida started researching The Hole as he wished.
The personnel engaged in this research are Ishida and several subordinates specially selected by Ishida.
All of them have been employees who have been with thepany since thepany was a small Industry-Academia Coborative Venture Company.
Its a top-secret project within thepany, and the team consists of only those who can be trusted.
Theres a reason why Hiroki, who had ostensibly forbidden research on The Hole, has changed his policy.
About 3 years ago, there was a time when The Holes processing capacity temporarily dropped.
The cause was unknown.
At that time, the emergency stop buzzer went off, and the concrete structure surrounding The Hole became a hellish scene of overflowing liquid waste and spilled waste from drums clogging the delivery line.
The useless monitoring posts showed abnormal readings, and the data was leaked outside the building. Its a bitter memory that Hiroki and Ishida had to deal with the overwhelming crowd of regtory authorities, environmental groups and local influential groups.
If something appears one day for no reason, it can also disappear for no reason.
Confronted with this obvious fact, Hiroki agreed that it was necessary to understand the current status of The Hole.
However, their research wasnt progressing very well.
[The diameter of the hole is currently approximately 10 meters. There appears to be no change.]
[Approximately huh. There appears to be no changes huh.]
Hiroki wryly smiled at this unreliable and subjective report from a researcher working for argepany.
[It cant be helped. The current measuring tools cant measure the exact diameter of The Hole.]
Ishida, with frustration visible on his face, could only consent to the current status quo.
They can see The Hole, and they can estimate its size from the surrounding objects.
However, when they tried to measure The Hole with aser or other means, some sort of refraction urs, causing the values to be incorrect.
Since they cant measure any gas or the atmosphere emitted from The Hole, their hypotheses as to why light is refracted in the air are limited.
[The space itself may be refracting the light.]
"
"
That is what the researchers hypotheses were.
Space refraction generally urs when something has great mass.
Even then, such a phenomenon would normally ur for things with mass several times greater than that of the sun, and its hard to imagine such a phenomenon urring on Earth.
In addition, even the diameter of The Hole, which is rtively easy to trace by sight, is smaller than the diameter of the sun.
[Even on a daily basis, it can berger or smaller. If you look at it chronologically though, theres no doubt that The Hole is gettingrger.]
The trend seems to be going upward, but the graph of The Holes size, estimated subjectively and rtively, looks like a seismic wave, or like stock prices, with jagged, detailed ups and downs.
Or perhaps, like the breathing of a living creature or the pulse of a heart.
[Well I suppose so.]
It was originally a hole of a few dozen centimeters in a corner of Hirokis yard, so theres no doubt that it has gotten bigger.
[Also, there seems to be a weak corrtion between the mass of solid and liquid waste thrown in and the diameter of the hole.]
Its not surprising that The Hole would berge, since a lot of waste was thrown into it.
However, it can also be said that the size of The Hole hasnt grown in rtion to the sheer volume of the waste.
[If we continue to dump solid and liquid waste at the current rate, the diameter of The Hole will exceed 15 meters in 10 years.]
From Hirokis point of view, it isnt so bad.
They will have to revise the central dome a bit though.
What if their business expands further, beyond 10 years? What if the projected calctions for The Holes expansion were wrong?
Its not something Hiroki can do anything about, so theres no point in him even thinking about it.
[Ultrasonic waves,ser beams, electromaic waves. We have tried sending all kinds of energy past the hole, but theres no reflection at all. As a result, we are still unable to measure the shape or depth of the hole.]
[Hmmm. Why dont you try some of the more primitive experiments? Throwing a rope into the hole, perhaps]
Hiroki spoke up his idea, but it was immediately rejected by Ishida.
[We cant ensure the safety of the ones conducting the experiments.]
[Ahh I guess youre right.]
In the past, when the hole was still small, Hiroki had tried tying a camera to a string and throwing it in, and sending a drone in, but nothing of those had achieved results.
Should he describe it as the shallowness of an amateur? Looking back, it was a reckless attempt.
"
"
[In fact, we have conducted animal experiments with mice. We lowered a mouse in a cage into a shallow part of the hole with a mechanically controlled rope.]
[Heehhh So, what happened?]
[Of the ten mice we sent, eight died. The two others turned ck, went berserk, bit and smashed through the steel cage, escaped and jumped into The Hole. Animal experimentation has since been halted because of the danger involved.]
[I see.]
The reason couldnt be more usible.
Putting aside if doing that is humane or not, they must have considered it simply too risky.
Hearing of this event though, Hiroki vaguely recalled a day when he had a slightly noisy dream.
Something was running around in the ck, warm darkness.
Feeling curious, Hiroki wondered. Were those somethings that had run deeper and deeper became happy?
Chapter 43: The Woman in the Inspection Team
Chapter 43: The Woman in the Inspection Team
[Hmmm? Is she lost?]
Nitta, a member of MCTBHs Public Rtions Department, spotted someone who appeared to be a member of the joint European Inspection team wandering off the tour corridor and called out to her.
Excuse me, miss, but you arent allowed to enter there.
[Ara, Im sorry.]
The woman who turned around and answered in beautiful Japanese was a woman of such beauty that the young Nitta was stunned.
She was probably not more than 30 years old.
She was slightly shorter than or about the same height as Nitta, who was 175 cm tall.
She had a calm atmosphere, blue eyes and brte hair.
On her neck hangs a Visitor ID, and with her tall stature, the suit shes wearing suits her well.
[You speak Japanese very well. Are you an interpreter? Im Nitta, a member of the Public Rtions Department of thepany. I can show you around if you like.]
[Thank you very much. I got a little lost and got separated from the rest of the group My name is Louise. Im here as an assistant interpreter, but the people in my home country Im with are very important people so]
[It must have been rough. Let me show you around.]
After seeing her pause, Nitta seemed to have understood what Louise was trying to say.
High-ranking government officials wouldnt notice whether a local assistant interpreter was there or not.
Driven by righteous indignation, Nitta, like the young man he is, epted the offer to guide her.
[Even though you seem to be very busy, Im sorry to trouble you.]
[No, its alright. This too is part of my job.]
Nitta waved his hands at the beautiful woman, who was apologizing to him.
Today, a Joint Inspection Team from Europe came to MCTBH, and from this morning, all the employees were busy interacting with them.
The fact that thepany is so short-staffed that even Nitta, who has only been with thepany for a short period of time, has been called upon to respond to the first such event since thepanys inception is proof of this.
The Japanese government has been approached by United Kingdom, Russia, and France, all of which are nuclear power producers, as well as Germany and Sweden, which have been producing nuclear power in the past, and are therefore struggling with low-level radioactive waste and its storage location, to conduct a practical coborative inspection of thepanys nuclear facilities.
The subject and reason for this are whether the treatment of radioactive waste that MCTBH ims to have aplished is genuine.
Is the oriental miracle achieved by MCTBH, which until a few years ago was only a localpany in a corner of the Orient, real?
If it is, then it would be a major strategic shift for the European countries, which have been strategically leading the worlds environmental issues, and for Russia, a situation that cant be overlooked for the sake of national security.
"
"
Hiroki and Ishidas MCTBH management expressed a negative attitude towards the inspection, saying that it was beyond thepanys ability to respond to the situation, but perhaps, because some in the government, which holds the permits and approvals, were not favorable to MCTBHs secretive approach, or perhaps, the governments desire to have the other countries be indebted to them prevailed
After many twists and turns, the joint European inspection team was dispatched and epted prior to the IAEA inspection.
(T/N: International Atomic Energy Agency)
Nitta didnt know what was going on with the higher-ups, but anyway, he had been running around all morning and thought it would be good to take a short break.
Besides, it would be nice to have the perk of talking to a beautiful woman.
[Speaking of which, I was wondering, is there a reason why that area is off-limits?]
Hearing the question suddenly asked by the beauty Louise, Nitta whispered in a low voice, feeling like showing off.
[Actually, that ce is where the radioactive waste treatment facility is, which is the purpose of the inspection team.]
[Ara. I guess that really should be off-limits. It would be quite a disaster if terrorists entered there.]
Pleased by Louises surprised reaction, Nitta added to reassure her.
[Its alright. I cant tell you the close details for security reasons, but a government department has already dispatched a team of elite security guards with automatic weapons to be on the alert 24 hours a day. Surveince cameras, emergency doors, and other barriers are in ce, so no matter how many territories arrive, the ce will be fully secured!]
[Thats very encouraging.]
The young Nitta blushed as the beautiful woman smiled at him, looking quite smug.
[W- Well then, this way! I will guide you!]
Feeling the blood rush to his head, Nitta briskly walked away.
He couldnt help but wonder, was she French? Or perhaps, Russian?
Perhaps, if he bes someone great, would he also be able to hire such a beautiful woman as an interpreter
Nitta, who was leading Louise, was intoxicated with a small sense of happiness.
As a matter of fact, Louise was neither French nor Russian.
Nor was she an assistant interpreter, or even a member of the inspection team.
Staring at the back of the daydreaming Japanese walking in front of her, a cruel smile appears on Louises lips, the opposite of the warm smile she had shown earlier.
Chapter 44: A K I R A
Chapter 44: A K I R A
[Infiltrate huh.]
[Thats right.]
The man who had talked to her at the dimly lit bar counter raised his ss.
It has long been said in fictional novels that Japan is a spy paradise without an anti-espionagew.
In reality, espionage activities by foreign powers in Japan are monitored by police agencies such as the Public Security Police and the Foreign Affairs Office. Except for a few Asian activities, espionage activities in Japan arent active because the benefits dont outweigh the costs of espionage in Japan, which is losing influence in the internationalmunity by the day as its economic and national power is in decline.
Under such an international situation and a solution to save scarce budgets, frence agents like her are outsourced to do the dirty work locally.
As usual, she met and talked with the person in charge of outsourcing operations at a bar on a back street in Roppongi, where many foreigners frequented.
Considering the risk ofmunications being intercepted, in the end, talking face-to-face in a noisy ce like this is faster and keeps the conversation confidential.
In fact, the person in charge of this ce had changed three times, but she had never been caught by the authorities in the past 5 years and 14 maneuvering operations.
However, the subject that was brought to her this time was an extremely troublesome one.
[You want me to go into the field? You must be kidding.]
She specializes in face-to-face social intelligence gathering, in which she establishes a friendly rtionship with the subject and extracts information from them without their knowledge.
When ites to entering and directly infiltrating the field, the risk is an order of magnitude higher than dealing with a specific person on the street.
[If you want information, hacking should be sufficient, right? If you want something like analog information, you could bribe or ckmail an employee, or you could simply use a satellite to count the number of cars going in and out.]
Foreigners like her, especially beautiful women, stand out.
While their appearance is often useful for interpersonal maneuvering, its also a disadvantage when ites to hiding or escaping.
For someone who is so memorable, infiltration missions are too risky.
[In the first ce, why should I put my body in the line for people who will wash their hands off and pretend it never happened if I fail?]
If the operation were to be exposed, she would have to flee outside the country immediately, but frence operatives must provide their own means of escape, and unlike in Europe, which is connected to other countries bynd, its difficult to escape from an ind nation.
And if she is caught by the Japanese authorities, she is aware that no agency would be so crazy as to negotiate with the government and take her into custody.
[The clients for this times mission are quite serious about this matter. The reward is great.]
[How big?]
She had already lost interest in epting this assignment, but she asked out of curiosity.
In the first ce, the reason why she is continuing this dangerous business is because of her innate curiosity for information, which is also a part of her personality.
No matter how many times she made mistakes, this disposition of hers couldnt be cured.
[200,000 Euros. Depending on the situation, theyre willing to offer up to 800,000 Euros.]
Hearing that the proceeds will be several times higher than the market price, she gasped.
[Are they really going to bring out that amount of money? I dont want to be set up as a stupid decoy, lured by a high fee that wont even be paid.]
[I dont know about that. However, if you ept the request, you will receive half of it, 100,000 Euros, as provisions.]
[Is that so?]
[Moreover, theyll back you up with information. They said they will provide maps of the area and the buildings, schedules of visitors, contact information for inside help, explosives for disruptions, guns for assassinations everything you need.]
[What about escape routes?]
The bnce of her curiosity and willpower began to tip sharply when she heard the terms.
The man, perhaps sensing this, answered with increasing seriousness.
[That would also be prepared.]
[I would need more than one escape route. Not only from the field, but also an escape route out of the country.]
[Youre very thorough, arent you?]
[Its not just that. Ensure that I would also get legal protection in case of arrest.]
[That isnt something that would be easy. However, I will try to negotiate with them.]
Hearing the mans response, a difficult expression on his face, she folded her arms and pressed for answers.
[Anyway, its not like Im the only one mobilized that day, right? Let me use the others n and route.]
[Why do you think so?]
[This feels like a pretty big n. The people who prepared these ns shouldnt be so stupid as to leave everything to a frencer like me.]
The man shrugged silently at what the beauty had pointed out.
Louise was still alert as she followed the young man whocked vignce.
Eventually, the man led her to an open corridor that at first nce looked like a station ticket gate.
[From here, you can board the disposal facilitys loop line. Please apply your visitors pass to the ticket gate.]
[Loop line?]
[Yes. Its a huge disposal facility, 1km in diameter and over 3km in circumference. And so, theres a loop line that runs along the edge of the facility, circling the entire facility for ease of movement and transportation. Originally, the tracks were used exclusively for cargo to transport solid and liquid waste, but now, theres also a passenger line to transport maintenance personnel and visitors.]
[Its a well-established facility.]
Although it went just like the information she received, she couldnt help but marvel at the scale of the facility when she actually saw it. Not to mention, she is on a mission to scout the facility and destroy a portion of it if possible.]
[Yes! Last year, we were finally able to get direct ess to the line that branches off from the JR line, allowing us to pull in containers and tank trucks full of waste loaded in Tokyo Bay to the Loop line. Ourpany also invested in the Tokyo Bay port facilities and built a dedicated automatic gantry facility, so the waste is now sent here in a fully automated process. Ah, I got to join thispany because of my research on automated container processing there! Ahhh, Im sorry. Ive been talking about myself a lot]
[No, it sounds very interesting. You must be very talented, Nitta-san.]
The young man was especially ted when Louise gave him an exaggeratedpliment.
[Then, at the facilities at each station on the beltway, solid and liquid waste are sorted by type and size and distributed to temporary treatment facilities, or diverted to conveyors or pipes at branch taps. You see that group of facilities in the middle of the slope? The final processing takes ce inside the central concrete dome. That is the heart of ourpany!]
[It feels like something out of a science fiction.]
Louise smiled with her most wonderful smile at the daydreaming man who was puffing out his chest, as if he were talking about something he owns.
[Feels like something out of a badly written science fiction.]
The photos provided in advance by the man included the group of facilities that MCTBH is proud of.
Inside the dome at the center of the kilometer-diameter piping and conveyors is the supposed dream machine that breaks down and cleans up anything.
It sounds ridiculous, but it seems to be true.
This dream machine is distorting the worlds economic bnce, giving her the reality in the form of a job and a wad of cash.
[Yeah, I suppose it is. Because of the shape of the facility from a satellite photo, people on the inte call it AKIRA.]
[AKIRA? Is that based on someones name?]
[It seems like you dont know much about Japanese subculture. Thats the title of aic book here.]
[I have a doctrine to not associate myself withic book nerds.]
The woman calmly dismissed the mans words.
While smiling at the dunce and shifting her gaze as casually as possible, Louise looked at her target in the center of that crater.
Housed within that concrete sarcophagus dome is thepanys technology, and whoever obtains its secrets will hold the worlds supremacy in the future.
T/N: I havent read/watched AKIRA, so I dont get the reference.
Chapter 45: The Womans Plan that Went Smoothly and the Man who is Easily Deceived
Chapter 45: The Woman''s n that Went Smoothly and the Man who is Easily Deceived
After a short wait at the tform of the Loop line station, a four-car train arrived.
After waiting for more than a dozen people in suits and work clothes to get off the train, Louise boarded the train with Nitta leading the way.
The train car was short and all the seats were facing forward, probably because of the tracks continuous curves.
[Please take a seat here. The inspection team is in a special experimental area six stops away.]
[Thank you for everything.]
When Louise looked into his eyes and thanked him, Nitta, who wasnt immune to beautiful women, became flustered.
Just as the two of them were about to take their seats, the Loop-line train started smoothly elerating.
[This thing runs very quietly, doesnt it?]
When Louise tried to fish for information, as if a dam had burst, the stunned Nitta began to talk.
[T- Thats right! The train runs with rubber tires, the same system as the Yurikamome line that runs in Odaiba. Therefore, the rail is smooth and there are no tracks, right? Also, you may be wondering why there was no one in the drivers seat. However, dont worry. In fact, all the facilities are operated unmanned with ATO. The power supply is taken from the rails on the side of the ground by a power collector. So, there are no pantographs or power lines, right? Not only passengers, but also waste containers and liquid waste tank trucks are towed with ATO-controlled unmanned lotives. Ahh, even when I say they were unmanned, you dont have to worry about safety. The trains are equipped with ATC, and there are also ATC extensions that will stop the train immediately if something goes wrong. Also, if theres someone with an employee ID card or a visitors card on the tracks, the train can be alerted and stopped. We have never had a single ident!]
After saying all that in one breath, Nitta started to panic.
[I- Im sorry. I couldnt help myself]
Nitta always ends up talking too much when hes in front of an attractive woman.
Its a pity that he went from a boys school without a single girl in it to a graduate school of science.
Thanks to this, he has never had a girlfriend.
[You know a lot about trains, dont you?]
But this beautiful woman, Louise, doesnt show any disgust at his disgraceful behavior and even smiled at him affirmatively, making himpletely excited.
It was because he was in such a state of mind
[Im sorry. Im feeling a little sick, so may we get off at the next station?]
that the beautiful woman sitting next to him said, a handkerchief held to her mouth
[A- Are you alright? I- I understand!]
and the security use that was supposed to have been instructed at the morning meeting, where visitors arent allowed to enter ces other than the tour route was interpreted in Nittas mind in a convenient way as As long as she doesnt leave the station, so Louise was allowed to get off at a station that wasnt part of the schedule prepared for the inspection team.
The tform at the station where Lousie and Nitta got off along the way was empty.
"
"
It was not by chance.
It was a gap in the scheduled work hours and a result of personnel being allocated for the inspection, which was also part of the n.
Its better to have few witnesses after all.
[Im sorry. Please let me freshen up a bit.]
After getting off the train as scheduled on her n, Louise entered the second private stall from the back of the womens restroom at the station.
As far as it goes, it seems like the backups are doing their job.
Inside the stic wrapping bag of sanitary products ced at the back of the room is a small paper bag, which contains several tools that looked too dangerous to be sanitary products.
When Louise confirmed that a small pistol and a fake ID were inside, she twisted a small metal fitting in the inside pocket of her suits outer coat to start it up.
This should fool the camera and its facial recognition function I dont really feel anything change though.
ording to the people who prepared her suit, it functions as a kind of electronic disguise, and when turned on, for several hours, the energized fibers sewn into her suit would emit light at a wavelength that is almost invisible to humans. The pattern created by the glowing fibers disrupts the facial recognition of surveince, making it impossible to tell if theres someone over there, and even if they could vaguely see the existence of this person, they wont be able to see her face.
In other words, for a while, Louise would be electronically invisible to the surveince cameras.
Now then. The time for being nice to the nerd is over.
Making sure that the small pistol is loaded with .22 caliber rounds, Louise softly coaxed the dumb guy standing restlessly outside the womens restroom toe inside and help her out.
Chapter 46: Welcome Ceremony, An Event to Pursue National Interests
Chapter 46: Wee Ceremony, An Event to Pursue National Interests
On the top floor of MCTBH is arge hall that can amodate several hundred people.
MCTBH, which is now one of the worldsrgest corporations, is required to hold not only performance reports as a corporate activity, but also environmental reports including SDGs, briefings andmunity events for local residents, press releases for the media and entertainment parties for politicians and bureaucrats. Its not economical or convenient to rent an international hotel for each of these events.
The wall of windows is made of ss, which is highly appreciated by guests not only for its functionality in terms of lighting, but also for its view of Tokyo, as when the weather permits it, they could see the Tokyo Sky Tree and Tokyo Tower rising from the south, and Mt. Fuji from the west.
In the hall, Hiroki, Ishida, and other executives of MCTBH and the joint European delegation from Ennd, Russia, France, Germany and other countries were having a sordid pursuit of national interests in the name of a wee ceremony.
Well, good grief, that is a wonderful technology. If high-level radioactive waste can be rendered harmless, nuclear power will once again regain its position as mankinds primary power source! I hope President Hiroki will give a keynote speech at the Davos Forum!
Across from Hiroki, raising a ss of champagne in a good mood, is a bureaucrat dispatched from France. The sharp-looking man, who seems to be a graduate of the Grandes cole, doesnt hide his good mood.
France, which hasnt given up its nuclear technology even when Europe, where environmental protection activities are popr, must be in a good mood if the era of nuclear power generation ising again.
What do you think? I dont believe the data that MCTBH is producing. It should theoretically be impossible to neutralize radioactive waste. Frankly speaking, Im quite skeptical of this.
On the contrary, a female bureaucrat dispatched from Germany didnt hide her stern expression. The government, which has abandoned nuclear power generation as a matter of national policy, has devoted its entire policy to natural power sources such as sr and wind power generation, and has soaring electricity prices, is now being used of aplete review of their policies and past policy errors, which isnt likely to improve their mood.
Even though domestic carpanies arent doing well due to the falsification issue of diesel engine emissions and the US is ahead of them in electric vehicles, if Germany falls behind in environmental policy as well, its international standing as Europes leading power will inevitably decline.
So, shes determined to expose MCTBHs fraud and earn points for her country.
To be honest, we are also still skeptical about their technologys ability topletely render radioactive waste harmless.
Perhaps having drunk alcohol, a red-faced Russian bureaucrat expressed the same concern as the German.
He must have been using drunkenness as an excuse to speak his thoughts, as no one who is going to make a career in Russia would get drunk on a few sses of champagne or cocktails.
Even if he spoke a little strongly, he would probably try to cover it up by saying I was drunk when I said those words.
Rather than economic reasons though, Russia is more concerned about this technology to render radioactive waste harmless for security reasons.
Russia, whichgs behind the US in the quality of its conventional weapons, still considers its nuclear retaliation strategy, or Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), to be one of the pirs of its national defense, and therefore, they must be sensitive to any technology that could weaken the effectiveness of their nuclear weapons.
Even though Russias center of bnce as a nation remains in Western Europe, where Moscow is located, it cant afford to neglect the defense of Siberia in the East, which is linked to the US.
All of the bureaucrats in this hall are elites who have gone through a thousand different ordeals to achieve their national interests.
They all have clear heads and sharp tongues.
They were all sent out with the intention of conducting an audit in the name of an inspection team only, or more specifically, to conduct judgment through the examination to destroy MCTBHs business, which is detrimental to their national interest.
However, their ns have so far continued to bounce off solid walls.
One of those standing on their path was the theoretical wall.
Ishida, who is regarded as the person who has made a substantial contribution to the development of MCTBH into a hugepany in a short period of time, calmly and logically answered the bureaucrats questions, which could be regarded as nothing more than ttery at times, and left no room for rebuttal.
And another wall that is stronger than that is the psychological wall.
If their opponents cant be countered by logic, they will shout, make usations, and threaten with the power of their country. The negotiation skills of the bureaucrats who carry the national interest of Europe are such that they are willing to exert both tangible and intangible pressure.
However, the kind of external negotiation logic that has worked with Japanese ministers and bureaucrats doesnt work at all with Hiroki, the Owner/President of thepany.
In their home countries, these bureaucrats, who boast of their tremendous negotiating skills and have the guts to cross paths with big-name politicians and military officers, somehow feel uneasy in front of Hiroki. As if they were suddenly brought out to fight barehanded against a grizzly bear, they just cant stop shaking.
In order to negotiate, one must gaze into the other partys eyes.
However, they cant do such a thing against those eyes.
When they meet Hirokis eyes, the bureaucrats immediately lose their grip, their teeth clench, they look away, and they shrink back, so theres no way for them to negotiate.
[Well then, I see you dont have any questions for me.]
Even when Hiroki indifferently tells them such, they could only nod their heads.
The European bureaucrats were forced to withdraw from that situation by their fundamental fear, a barrier that they couldnt ovee by their humanity.
As Hiroki and Ishida were dealing with the European delegation, one of the officers who had arrived quickly whispered something to Ishida.
[What is it?]
[We are under a massive cyber attack. It seems that some people are trying to hack ourwork.]
Ishida answered Hirokis question.
[I suppose thats something theyd obviously do.]
Its quite a tant attack, a cyber-attack at a time when theirmand capability has been reduced in response to the joint inspection teams visit.
[Also, it seems that we are missing about 5 guests.]
The weing ceremony is being held in the form of a standing buffet party so that everyone can negotiate with as many people as possible.
The freedom of movement also means that its impossible for them to keep track of who isnt seated.
The people in the delegation who were on different missions wouldnt have missed this great opportunity, where people wereing and going, changing clothes and using the restrooms, and where a few people temporarily leaving the area would be hard to spot.
[Their IDs?]
[Looks like its been thrown away or destroyed. We cant trace them.]
Hiroki shrugged.
[Then, those without IDs arent guests. Tell them theres no need to hesitate in dealing with them.]
As he looked down through the halls north window with his ck hole-like eyes at the center of the crater-shaped processing facility, where The Hole is in, Hiroki muttered in a low voice inaudible to others.
[Well then, lets see if anyone can reach The Hole]
Chapter 47: The Balance the Female Operative Carries
Chapter 47: The Bnce the Female Operative Carries
(Strange.)
Louise was unable to hide her frustration as she made her way through the dimly red-lit corridors with their emergency lights on.
The reason why the normal lights were off and the emergency lights were turned on was probably because a cyber attack had seeded in turning off the normal power supply.
This is probably done by the foreign countries to support their agents, but its convenient for Louise to go along with them.
The passageway she was in was apparently called Aisle 34. If she continues on for 35 meters and turns right, there should be a door for maintenance personnel, and the door should open with the fake ID in her paper bag.
Everything is going ording to n.
The information she received in advance is urate, and there have been no idents or unforeseen circumstances that are inherent to on-field operations.
(Strange.)
Yet, Louises intuition is making her feel uneasy.
Something must be wrong, but she cant figure out what, and this sense of urgency and itchiness wont go away.
Ignoring the walls and such in between, the target facility is less than 500 meters in a straight line from where she is.
The pathway descends gently along the slope of the crater, and like a mountain climber who reaches the summit by continuing to climb, if she keeps on descending, shell naturally reach the facility where the dream machine in the center is installed in a few minutes.
"
"
(Strange.)
Theres nothing unusual about the corridor illuminated in blood-red colors.
Perhaps because the suits electronic disguise is working, no sensors or rms are sounding.
Perhaps, because the diversionary tactics were working, but she doesnt see anyone in the corridor
Everything should be fine.
Just about everything should be going well.
She stopped and tried to listen carefully to everything around her, but all she could hear was the low hum of pumps running, the sound of running water and various other liquids, and the tter of solid waste running down the conveyor from the pipes,rge and small, running along the walls.
Thanks to the noise of the facility, the sound of her footsteps in her high heels with rubber soles dont echo.
However, bing aware of the noise around her, Louise stopped.
Why am I hearing the facility still operating?
If the cyber attack had been sessful, it wouldnt be strange if not only the lights of the facility, but even the facility itself had been shut down.
The facility is designed so that all the solid and liquid waste would gravitate to the dream machine, which is positioned in the lowest, central point of the crater, so if the power goes out and the facility stops working, the solid and liquid waste would have overflowed.
In fact, she remembered reading in a report that such an ident had urred several years ago.
Is it running on an independent backup power system? No, theres no power system that would be able to handle this much processing with a few power generation facilities and batteries.
The drawings, which had probably been obtained in advance through an inside source, detailed not only the normal corridors, but also employee corridors, maintenance corridors, cargo corridors, various maintenance hatches, and even a power generation facility and batterypartment in case of power outages.
Dont tell me Theres a power supply system not shown in the drawings?
If thats the case
Were those detailed drawings intentionally leaked by MCTBH?
which means
Have the cyber attacks even seeded? Did they perhaps make it look like a sess?
In other words, MCTBH was fully prepared for the attack and aggression by the European joint inspection team, including the agents invasion?
How was such a thing possible for a merepany from the Orient to go up against the great powers of Europe.
Louise now finds herself standing at a critical juncture.
On one hand, she currently does have a way out.
If she felt that she was about to take a risk, since she had already done the work worth the 100,000 Euros she was paid upfront, she could withdraw immediately. The loss of credibility would make it more difficult for the European intelligencemunity to outsource work to her, but with her skills and the assets she had acquired, she would be able to survive anywhere.
On the other hand, she can continue her mission.
Sudden situations like this are amon urrence in espionage missions. The ability to solve such problems in the field in a flexible manner is what makes veteran operatives so valuable.
So far, the backup is doing a good job of providing tools and information support. Even if she fails, its internationally known that Japanese intelligence agencies and corporations arent very responsive.
As a matter of fact, her mission is divided into three levels.
The 1st level is to take pictures or videos of the dream machine that exists in the center of MCTBHs waste disposal facility. The engineers in each country were apparently saying that as long as they have the images, they can deduce the path of how they arrived at such a technology. If aplished, 200,000 Euros are promised to be given.
The 2nd level is to sabotage MCTBHs radioactive waste disposal ns. To be more specific, the 2nd level is to have them nt explosives in the machinery of the radioactive waste disposal line. As long as the fact that an explosion had urred, regardless of the actual damage it causes, they could have MCTBH held politically responsible and force a halt or dy of the project. The reward for achieving this is said to be 300,000 Euros.
The 3rd level is the assassination or kidnapping of key personnel in MCTBH. The assassination of Hiroki, the Owner/President of MCTBH, or Ishida, who is considered to be the one actually managing MCTBH, or kidnapping of personnel from MCTBHs research department. The price of achieving this was more than 500,000 Euros.
All of these were too big of a reward to give up.
Unfortunately, Louise had never seen Hiroki in person.
As is often the case with young, beautiful Western women, she tended to slightly view Asian men as somewhat sexually unattractive, and she extended such an image to thispany.
(Well, Ill figure something out. No, I will figure it out.)
And so, Louise chose thetter path.
Louise continued to proceed cautiously.
With the small pistol held in her right hand, she carefully held the fake ID in her left over the maintenance hatch, and then heard the door unlock with a light electronic sound.
(See, nothing to worry about.)
Louise, her confidence growing, boldly and carefully slid her body into the hatch.
The maintenance corridor is even noisier and darker than the employee corridor, making it difficult for even her trained eyes to see.
[Oya, are you lost?]
As she somehow got her bearings and began to walk, a voice called out to her in Japanese from the end of the pitch-ck corridor.
Who is it!? Ara?
It was a small-built, old man wearing a work jumpsuit, who seemed to be a nice person with a natural smile that was unnatural in such a ce. Louise, relieved, quickly hid her gun behind her back and smiled.
Chapter 48: A Long Walkway and the Story of an Old Man
Chapter 48: A Long Walkway and the Story of an Old Man
[Yes. It seems like I got a little lost. The lights suddenly went out and I got scared]
With a voice that sounded sincerely perplexed, Louise yed the role of a young foreigner woman in trouble with perfect Japanese pronunciation and wless acting, just as she had always trained herself to do.
Men are weak to young, beautiful women, and Japanese are weak to foreigners.
Louise, who possesses both factors, in addition to her well-trained conversation and acting skills, has ovee simr situations many times before.
[Oya, that must be quite troubling. The lights will probably be back soon, but I will guide you out.]
Once again, Louises skills seemed to have been put to good use.
The old man who approached her didnt seem at all suspicious of her and turning his back to her, he started to walk as if leading the way.
Although Louise was about to be unable to fulfill her mission if she kept on being guided past the maintenance hatch she entered, the old man continued down the gently descending passageway.
(Ahead of here should be the 7th Primary Processing Facility.)
Byparing it with the map information she learned beforehand, Louise predicted their destination.
She guesses that the old man probably intends to take her to a rest area at the facility and let her rest until the power is restored.
The 7th Primary Treatment Facility, to which the effluent pipe from the Loop line leads, is naturally on the path to the Dream Machine in the central dome.
If she can enter the facility without suspicion, the discovery of her intrusion will be dyed.
Louise decided that it wasnt a bad idea to let the old man guide her for a while.
The fact that the small-built old mans back, reflected under the dark, blood-colored dim emergency light, looked so unreliable and could be neutralized at any moment helped her make such a decision.
[Are you able to see your footing? Its dark and sloping, so be careful.]
As the old man in front of her warned, the emergency lights in the passageway were very dark, as if there were only a few of them installed.
(If thats what you think, then turn off those obtrusive lights.)
The light from the old mans shlight makes it difficult for Louises eyes to adjust to the darkness and obtain information about her surroundings with her vision.
Despite Louises frustration, the old man was moving forward with a surprisingly youthful gait, as if he knew the passage well, so she had to suppress her frustration and tried her best to follow him.
(Strange.)
They turned down the passage several times, but the passage was consistently descending gently.
Physically, she must have walked more than 100 meters.
If it was the 7th Primary Processing Facility that they were going to, they should have arrived at their destination by now.
[Ummm Where are you headed now?]
When Louise asked while keeping the act of a helpless woman, the old man who had been walking with his back to her suddenly stopped and turned around.
[Ahh! Excuse me, I forgot! Theres a break room just ahead that I always use. Please hang in there for a bit.]
It was indeed as Louise thought.
However, based on the distance they have walked so far, Louise estimates that their destination may not be 7th Primary Processing Facility, but some sort of private break room for maintenance personnel that isnt on the map.
Inrge facilities or factories, employees sometimes bring in tables and chairs in a small open space and set up a private rest area.
As long as it doesnt affect the operation of the facility, the management will overlook such little privileges of the employees.
Perhaps, it was just as the case with the young male employee she had met earlier, or the sad reality of a rapidly expandingpany, MCTBH is surprisinglyx in its control of its employees.
[Grandpa, have you been working for thispany long?]
Trying to fish up a conversation, Louise asked the old man as they walked along.
Most old people like to talk about themselves.
Maybe she could get some information from him.
"
"
[I guess you could say it was long enough to say Ive been working here for quite a while. After all, I have been with thepany since it was still a prefabricated building covered with galvanized iron walls.]
[Oh my! So youve been with thepany since it was just founded!]
If a young woman responds favorably to you, they will unknowingly end up bing talkative and saying things that they shouldnt say.
In this way, information would be fished out, grasped and manipted without the other party even being aware of it.
This is Louises skill and nature as an agent.
She didnt know if what he was saying was true or not, but the old man seemed to be an employee of thepany since its early days.
With the intention of extracting useful information if she could, Louise continued the conversation with her well-trained social skills.
[What was thepany like in the beginning? Did you ever meet the President?]
[The beginning Lets see Its not a good way to say this, but it looked like a suspicious-lookingpany. I have worked for 40 years in a local factory, covered in oil After retiring, I still wanted to do some more work, so I asked the government office for a referral, but when I arrived, I found myself in a remote area where there is nothing but wastnd and galvanized iron walls, and all they were apparently doing was waste disposal, you know? This is dangerous, or so I thought.]
Louise nodded andpared the information with thepany history she had obtained beforehand.
There are many unknowns about MCTBH before it became a major globalpany, such as its establishment and the history of the development of this supposed technology.
This old man might be a surprising bargain as a source of information for her.
[So, what did Grandpa do back then?]
[Well, I was a contracted security guard, but the work I actually do was more of a drum lookout.]
[A drum lookout?]
Louise repeated the words like a parrot, unable to keep up with the sudden appearance of that strange phrase.
[There were strange things happening around thepany back then, and there were boarsing down from the mountain. While I was on duty, I would sometimes find them dead, stuck in the galvanized iron wall. I would somehow try to push it into a drum and inform the President with a call. That was my daily routine every morning.]
[Oh my. You were calling President-san for that?]
[President-san was strong, you see. He would carry that drum with boar in it on his shoulder and carry it away. Now though, when something like that happens again, we just use a forklift to bring them away.]
Thinking back to the pictures of MCTBHs Owner that had been circting in the public, Louise was convinced that it might be possible for him to do that with his physique.
His height is well over 180cm, which is more than taller than many Western executives, and even through his suit, one could see that hes strong enough to be said to have a background in rugby or bodybuilding.
Perhaps, such actions were done as part of his training.
Many of the Western executives do enjoy muscle training.
The MCTBHs executives must be someone like them.
"
"
[Ive been in good health since I started working here Yes In a really good health]
Even as he kept on talking, the old mans gait was as light as before.
Following behind him, Louise, not as a mere act, really was getting tired and beginning tog behind.
(Strange.)
After walking such a long distance, they should have reached somewhere by now.
Moreover, no matter how much in a good health such an old man is, would she, a trained person,g behind an old mans legs?
(Dont tell me Could he be taking a long way around and stalling for time?)
That should mean that he sees that he is no match for her and calls for backup from security, and then goes a long way to buy time.
If that were the case, what a dumb agent she had been.
(No, that shouldnt be the case.)
Louise quickly denied her suspicions.
Just as Louise is good at manipting peoples emotions, shes also good at sensing their emotions.
For someone who tries to trick people into a scheme, some tension could be felt in their emotions.
However, the old man who exposed his back unprotected in front of her didnt show that kind of tension, which is difficult to hide for a human.
Besides, the passageway to which she is being led is consistently and gently descending.
If he really had led her to a side road and was stalling for time, they would have taken a passage where the incline is parallel to the slope.
(Strange.)
A nce at the dial of her watch, which she could see from the luminous painting material used in it, shows that little time has passed.
Objectively speaking, the old man isnt stalling for time.
However, Louise couldnt help but wonder.
What is this fatigue that shes feeling?
Where does the uneasiness shes feelinge from?
What is it that her intuition, which never stopped sending rms to her mind, sensing?
Relying on the hardness of the small pistol that was inserted into the buckle on her back, Louise followed the shlight that the old man was holding while enduring the gradual depletion of her mentality.
For some reason, she had the illusion that if she strayed from that light and wandered out into the darkness, she would be eaten by a monster that lurked behind that darkness.
Chapter 49: The Tea Brewed is Warm
Chapter 49: The Tea Brewed is Warm
[Well, here we are.]
The old man stopped somewhere.
In the end, Louise followed the old man, procrastinating on making her decision.
[This ce is?]
Louise tried looking around and getting some information, but the light from the old mans shlight kept on obstructing her eyesight from adapting to the dark.
There was no sign that they had entered a room, so it seemed that she had been led to some empty space.
[This is just a little storage area We have some chairs and a table over there.]
Approaching the ce indicated by the old mans light, almost groping her way in that direction, sure enough, Louise found a set of cheap-looking stic chairs and a table.
[It may be a bit cramped for the long-legged Foreigner-san, but please sit down and wait. Im going to make us some tea. Ill leave the shlight here for you.]
And so, forcing Louise to sit in an ill-fitting chair, the old man turned to leave in the darkness.
[However, are you alright with your footing, moving around in the dark?]
Louise called out, trying to confirm if the old man had really gone.
[What, dont worry. This ce is like my own yard.]
She heard such a reply from the old man from a distance.
(Now then What should I do?)
Alone, Louise finally had enough time to look at her situation objectively.
She was caught up in that strange old mans pace.
I dont like this darkness. It feels repulsive.
When she put it into words, she became aware of it once again.
This darkness is repulsive.
Operatives like Louise are trained to operate at night and in dark ces.
Night and dark rooms are dark, quiet, and being a ce where your opponent is deprived of vision and one could y one-sidedly with your opponent, they were a perfect battlefield for silent killing, and they have been trained to fight in such battlefields.
So, by nature, the darkness of the nights and dark rooms should be a field in which Louise excels.
However, something is different about this sickening darkness.
Its as if there is something lurking around her.
Its as if that something is crawling all over the walls.
Its as if something irreversible would happen the moment she turns off the shlight on the table.
She felt as if the moment she shines the shlight on the ceiling, she may end up seeing something that she cant recover from
Fear, akin to paranoia, is restraining her actions as an operative.
Her reasoning knows what she should do.
She must act now.
She may have taken a detour, but shes sure that she had drawn closer to the central dome. Calcting from the distance she had walked, its possible that she had already entered that dome.
The Dream Machine, the objective of her mission, may be very close by.
(The question is, what should I do with this old man?)
She could either shoot him dead or ignore him and leave.
For the time being, would the old mans activities be greatly impeded if she took his shlight with her?
Thinking of this though, she changed her mind. She wouldnt want him to tip her existence to the security out of kindness when he finds out that she disappeared.
At the very least, he would need to be neutralized.
Fortunately, she still had all the .22-caliber bullets left in the small pistol hidden in her back.
It was probably too much for the small, old man though.
[Tea is ready.]
Suddenly hearing the call from behind her, Louise turned around, hiding her astonishment.
The old man, faintly illuminated by the shlight on the table, had brought a tray of tea, but she didnt hear his footsteps or even feel his presence.
[Come, here you go. Would Foreigner-san want to drink coffee instead of tea? We do have them, but theyre only instant coffee]
[No, please dont mind me.]
The old man, cing a paper cup on the table, sips his tea leisurely, saying They sure are finding it rough to bring back the light huh.
Louise also had no choice but to sip her hot tea, when she suddenly thought of something and thought of mentioning it.
[Grandpa, how did you boil the water for this tea? The power is out, isnt it?]
[Ahh, we have a gas water heater here. In times like this, old equipment is more convenient.]
[An old water heater in a newly built facility? In a ce that isnt a break room?]
[Fumu Is that strange?]
[Yes, it unfortunately is.]
Louise took off her mild-mannered foreigner mask and quickly drew her pistol, a natural ruthless smile on her lips.
[Fuhii]
The old man who had the gun pointed at him, his head still looking down, started wheezing like a sick man who could no longer breathe due to asthma.
It seemed to be the old mans way ofughing.
Louise kept pointing her gun silently at him without letting her guard down.
Finally, the old man, who had been making strange breathing noises for at least a minute, slowly looked up.
[Good gracious, even when I be old, I shouldnt be so careless huh]
She doesnt know if it was because of the darkness surrounding them or not, but Louise felt like the old mans eyes, looking back at her, were like ck holes, reflecting nothing at all.
Chapter 50: Everything is Already Too Late
Chapter 50: Everything is Already Too Late
Carefully raising her gun and aiming it between the old mans eyes, Louise asked.
[May I ask your name, Grandpa?]
[Asking that now doesnt have any point, Louise-san. Everything is already toote.]
Louise raised an eyebrow.
Even though she was now wearing the ID with another persons name that she received from her informant, this old man called her by that name without any hesitation.
[Its up to me to decide if its already toote You knew all along huh. Good grief How stupid.]
[No, no. You dont need to be discouraged. Of course, I didnt know about this from the beginning. It was just that I asked about you from your friend earlier.]
[I dont have any friends.]
She has been living as an agent in another country with which she has no connections with, so she doesnt have any friends, even as a cover.
[Oh my, Im sorry about that. If hes not your friend, I suppose hes more of a business associate then.]
What the old man was pointing out was perfectly conveyed to Louise.
That the operatives established by other countries had been caught.
It was possible that he was simply bluffing, but standing before the old mans boundless demeanor, its hard to believe that he was lying.
[So, what are you nning to do?]
[What do you mean?]
Louise is more than a little annoyed by the old mans attitude, which showed no sign of agitation in spite of the gun pointed at his head, and she felt he was a little creepy.
(All this must be because of this damned creepy darkness .)
[Are you stalling for time because backup will be here soon? Or perhaps, youre going to let me go?]
[Ahh, I see So thats what you mean. The answer is neither. After all, everything is already toote.]
[I heard you the first time!]
Louise shouted, and at the same time, the pistol she was holding opened fire.
Psshhh!!! The shlight on the table shatters with a cracking sound.
With the only light source in the ce lost, both Louise and the old man were covered inplete darkness.
[Everything is already toote.]
As he heard Louises footsteps as she ran away, the old man murmurs in a low voice that others cannot hear.
Relying on the glow of the red emergency light, Louise was weakly running down the passageway.
In any case, I have to get away from this ce first.
As is usual for an undercover agent, she had a perfect memory of the passageways of the facility where she had obtained prior information.
In addition to that, escape itself isnt difficult if she just traces back the route guided by the old man.
No, I cant. The security will be waiting for me there.
Louise calmly revised her n based on her situation and calcted the best escape route.
The disposal facility has a circr shape with a diameter of 1km, so the circumference is approximately 3 km.
Its inconceivable that MCTBH, a mere privatepany, would have enough personnel to guard the entire perimeter of the facility while attending to the joint European inspection team.
Inevitably, the security teams strategy would have to consist of pursuit by a small group of elites and ambush the intruders through key points.
If thats the case!
Louise quickly stopped climbing up the aisle and plunged into a side path.
Louise has her own advantage.
Its location.
Being near the center of the facility, she can force the guards located in the outer circle to move arge distance away just to move a small distance in the inner circle.
In extreme cases, if Louise were in the center of the circle, she would only have to turn the other way to force the guards on the outer circle to move more than 1.5 km to ambush her.
If she could sessfully find a sideways passage and keep moving through that path, she could take advantage of the suits ability to block the surveince cameras tracking and nullify the guards ambush from a distance.
Now all I need to do is disperse the tracking team.
How formidable could their tracking team even be?
In Japan, the possession of firearms by civilians is restricted.
Its difficult to imagine that MCTBHs security, a privatepany, would have firearms, even if they were military personnel dispatched by the government to guard the radioactive waste in this ce.
If so, even if she came into close contact with the security, the small pistol in her hand would give her a tremendous advantage.
In essence, she doesnt even need to be concerned about the pursuit team.
"
"
She can escape from here.
If only that creepy old man wasnt chasing her
Louise shivered in the darkness.
The reason why she had shot the shlight instead of aiming at the old man was partly to dazzle him, and partly because she had calcted that killing people would make the authorities much harsher when pursuing her after she escaped from this facility.
However, theres also the fact that at that time, she actually might have felt an overwhelmingly irrational fear that perhaps bullets wouldnt work on that old man.
It must be because of this repulsive darkness.
Louise scolded herself for having unknowingly stopped her steps and started running again.
No, she tried to run but
What is this?
The passageway she was about to take waspletely blocked off.
Before her path were countless drums piled up, blocking her way.
As she involuntarily backed away, a voice called out to her from behind.
It was the familiar voice of that old man.
[Like I said, everything is already toote.]
Chapter 51: 87
Chapter 51: 87
The walls and ceilings of the huge treatment nts corridors are lined with awork of piping for liquid waste that may or may not contain any kind of poison, and the dim red emergency lights make the metallic inorganic objects look like organic blood vessels.
The air conditioning was supposed to be working to prevent contamination, but for some reason, the air smelled foul with the scent of blood and grease, giving Louise the illusion that she was inside a living creatures body.
[You lured me here, didnt you?]
Not expecting an answer, Louise called out to the darkness behind her.
Just as she expected, her question received no answer from the old man lurking in the darkness, but somehow, she was certain that the old man would have the same gentle smile he had when they met.
Is it possible to escape through these countless piles of drums?
Louises brain quickly simted her next course of action.
If she could kick over some of the drums and climb over them, she might be able to get through the gaps between the drums and escape to the other side of this wall of drums.
No matter how good the old mans endurance is, she has an advantage because she has longer legs and has been trained to climb over copsible cliffs and obstacles.
She would be able to escape.
Waiting for the right moment, Louise stepped back.
[Youre very fast for your age, arent you?]
[Thanks to it, Im much healthier now.]
Suddenly, she sensed the old maning toward her from the darkness.
[Step back!]
Louise pointed her gun at the old man and with her other hand, she tried to knock down one of the drums that were piled up behind her and blocking the passage.
She did this both to gain an initial foothold and to have the drum tumbling towards the old man and see how he would react.
If someone had stacked the drums to block her passage, there was no way they could have stacked so many in such a short period of time and with their contents in them.
Many of them would probably just empty drums, and the numbers were probably just a bluff.
Kuhh
It was surprisingly heavy, but Louise managed to do it with the arm that wasnt holding the gun.
At that moment, mixed with the sound of the drum making contact with the hard floor, she heard a man groan.
From inside the drum, which she had just knocked over and should have been empty
Eh?
Her gaze, which had been fixed on the old man at the end of her gun barrel, was involuntarily drawn to the drum.
Was she just hearing things?
Were this darkness and the unusual situation tormented her to the point that she started hearing things?
[You werent hearing things, Louise-san. Good grief, that was terrible of you, doing such a thing to your friend.]
As if he was using her of throwing garbage on the side of the road, the old man called out.
Her friend.
Which means
A thought popped into her mind, but she couldnt believe it.
She refused to believe it.
[You What did you do?]
[What do you mean?]
[Dont y dumb! Answer me!]
Louises voice was almost a scream.
[I was just doing my usual job, the same as when I stuffed a stray boar into a drum. Look, the one you tumbled is a white drum for harmful animals and it has a serial number, doesnt it?]
The white drum Louise knocked over had the number 87 written on it in ck paint.
[A boar? You say this is a boar!?]
[Do youngdies these days think its rude to call them boars Should I call them a deer instead? Well, in any case, my job is to drum the beasts that have run into the fence and died.]
The old man spoke happily of his job.
[I think I have a knack for this job The longer I do it, the better I get at it. Thanks to that, thepany has extended my employment. I can even give my grandchildren an allowance now. Quite a grateful matter it is.]
[Are you saying that whats in this drum is a person?]
The gun she was holding and the end of her words trembled slightly.
Behind her stands a huge pile of drums.
At the foot of that pile was a drum filled with a human,beled 87.
Faced with this question, the old man didnt deny it at all.
[Yes. Well, I suppose you could say that.]
[For this For all these drums?]
[Yes. Day after day, there are so many of theming here after all.]
Saying this, the old man had a broad, friendly smile on his face, just as he had when he first met her in the maintenance corridor and offered her a cup of tea.
[What in the world are you No, what in the world are you people?]
[I dunno I never thought about it. It mustnt be that difficult of a matter of Foreigner-san though? Can we settle this already? It would be rough if Imte to pick up my grandson.]
Emerging from the darkness, the old man casually closed the distance between them, one step at a time.
Hyiiihh
Louise, realizing the futility of the situation, continued pulling the trigger until the magazine of her small pistol was empty.
The gunshots echoed off the hard, veiny red corridor, before it eventually died away.
The meeting between the European joint inspection team, impatient because they werent getting the results they had expected, and the MCTBH management, who was dodging and dodging requests, dragged on.
"
"
Even though they werent informed of the details, the bureaucrats of the inspection team werepetent enough to sense that some kind of maneuvering by their home country was going on behind the scenes, and they knew that continuing the meeting would be a diversion in itself.
However, the tearful efforts of the European bureaucrats went unrewarded.
Excuse me for interrupting the meeting.
One of the officers came to Hiroki and Ishida with a note in his hand and whispered into their ears, signaling the end of the series of events.
[The damage from the cyber attack was limited. There was no damage to the radioactive waste treatment line. Also, I heard that all the operatives who infiltrated the nt have been dealt with.]
[I see.]
That was all Hiroki said. Soon after, the bureaucrats of the joint European inspection team received the same report, and turning pale, they informed Hiroki that they would be leaving.
As a result, there were no concrete results from the joint European inspection team, but only a bureaucratically-written, characterless, and meaningless joint statement.
The only damage to MCTBH was a slight dy in operations due to the cyber attack and the reprimanding to a certain young male employee who was found passed out and tied up in the womens restroom.
Chapter 52: A Place to go Home to
Chapter 52: A ce to go Home to
The old man was at ease in the dim red darkness illuminated by the emergency lights.
Even so, he sure walked a lot today.
He did a good job today.
He will go home, y with his grandchildren, and have a good dream at night.
In his dream of a warm dark endlessly, endlessly descending road
Machida, immersed in a pleasant sense of satisfaction after a days work, suddenly felt the presence of someone approaching his domain and stood up.
Machida bowed his head to the figure who stepped out of the darkness, arge man with a magnificent body d in a suit.
[If it isnt the President. Are you going home?]
[Yeah.]
Hirokis residence is located further inside the break area Machida had set up.
In a section of the head office building that rises above the processing facility, theres a heavily guarded executive-only living quarters, but that was only a dummy.
The ce to which Hiroki goes home to is here.
[Thank you for your hard work today.]
The envelope handed to Machida with words of thanks for hisbor was thick.
[Thank you as always.]
[What, its just a reasonable bonus for your services.]
Machida bowed his head and reverently epted it with both hands.
[Would you like some tea?]
Machida indicated the table and chairs behind him, but Hiroki shook his head.
[No. Not this time.]
[I see.]
Machida didnt keep on urging him and just watched Hirokis broad back as he walked away.
The back that was moving away stopped for a moment though, and looked back at him.
[Machida-san, would you like toe with me too?]
Machida, who had been smiling at Hirokis dark, piercing eyes looking at him, felt a shiver run down his spine and cold sweat dripped down his back.
It took every ounce of his being to keep the smile on his face, something he had never needed to do when dealing with the foreign agents.
[No, I am still feeling awe-inspired before it.]
With all the willpower he could muster from his tongue, which was tangled up in fear and unable to control itself, Machida managed to twist the words into something that would be enough to refuse the invitation.
[I see.]
As Hiroki turned away again and left, Machida continued to bow deeply, deeply in fear.
This continued for some time after Hiroki hadpletely disappeared into the darkness.
He wasnt sure how much time had passed.
However, the old man felt another presence approaching.
Following the sound of light footsteps, a man wearing a white coat appeared.
[Errr, did the Presidente here?]
In contrast to the darkness around them, the mans voice was unbelievably bright and full of vitality.
[Ishida-san, is something the matter?]
Upon hearing Machidas question, Ishida hastily shook his head and looked as if he was about to start jogging away.
[There was something I wanted to let him know about the results of the experiment. So, did the Presidente here?]
[Yes. He went to the room in the back.]
[Thanks!]
Before Machida could finish his answer, Ishida disappeared into the darkness with the same light footsteps he had when he arrived.
As he watched his back rhythmically moving, Machida shook his head and decided to forget about it, unable to fully process his feelings of fear and astonishment.
The old man has a ce to go home to, a home to return to.
With his unexpected bonus, he would be able to buy a good souvenir for his grandchildren today.
The tea he had brewed for his visitors had bepletely cold.
Chapter 53: Those who Starve, Those who are Parched
Chapter 53: Those who Starve, Those who are Parched
Im the Author.
Ive been on hiatus for a while, but Im starting again.
A book will be released on December 15th (Thursday).
Got a great deal with Hifumi Shobo.
I have received a letter of rmendation from Higashide-sensei.
If it bes popr, it seems that it would be possible for Volume 2 to be released.
And thats why, I started writing the continuation.
I would appreciate your support.
It saw a dream.
It was severely hungry
It was fiercely parched
A bottomless hunger so severe that it seemed as if a hole had been punched in the pit of its stomach
A thirst so fierce that it felt as if its whole body was dried up like a dead tree, filling it with the desire to drink an oceans worth of water
It wants to do something about this hunger and thirst as soon as possible
And yet
Its mouth to satisfy its hunger
Its mouth to quench its thirst
Its extremely small
Too small
Thats why
the only
thing it could do
Mass Clean Technology ck Hole (MCTBH) has grown to be one of thergestpanies in Japan.
Its sales exceeded 30 trillion yen and its EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) exceeded 5 trillion yen, so much so that, in the words of the mottoes of several once-prosperouspanies, posted in business magazines and weekly magazines, What is good for MCTBH is good for the world and If MCTBH catches a cold, the worlds industry also catches a cold.
What supports their prosperity is MCTBHs unique advanced technology for waste treatment that is unrivaled by otherpanies.
Thepanys special treatment technology enables low-cost treatment of all types of pollutants, benefiting the entire industrial chain, from heavy and chemical industries to manufacturing, and even the service industry.
The mass-production, mass-consumption society, which had seemed to be a thing of the past due to the seriousness of environmental problems such a society had brought, has reappeared thanks to inexpensive technology that eliminates environmental pollution.
Japans economy is on a major upswing, and the benefits are being felt around the world, with the exception of Europe.
The value of MCTBH, the savior of the world, has soared in the capital markets.
Although the CEO holds more than half of thepanys shares, the value of the shares circting in the market alone totals more than 50 trillion yen. ording to an estimate by a US securities firm, MCTBHs actual corporate value is said to be 10 or 100 times that amount though.
The headquarters of MCTBH is located in the northern part of the Kanto region, less than an hour from Tokyo by expressway.
A number of foreign countries suffering from environmental pollution and foreignpanies that were scheming for a technology transfer offered serious negotiations on moving abroad or expanding overseas. Above all, due to the will of the management who emphasizes local profit or so it was said MCTBH has not relocated its headquarters even though it has be a huge globalpany.
The heart of the sprawling waste processing facility resides in a crater-shaped Central Dome 1 km in diameter, surrounded by a 3 km-long freight car railroad.
Various types of solid and liquid waste brought in from all over the world are transported by wagons running around the perimeter, sorted at each station, and then sorted into conveyor belts and pipelines that slope gently toward the center and head for the Central Dome.
The waste is the perfectly detoxified.
How is such a thing physically possible?
There must be some kind of fraud or deception in ce.
Theyre hiding something.
Several rivalpanies, environmental groups backed by other countries, and journalists trying to expose scandals involving giant corporations have tried to expose their deception, but no one has seeded.
Even with all these probings though, MCTBH simply remained silent.
MCTBH, which has be a giant corporation, has not only a vast facility, but also an administrative division that attracts excellent human resourcesmensurate with the size of thepany.
Manyrgepanies that started out in the countryside have their registered headquarters in the countryside, but although it was customary for suchpanies to eventually move their administrative divisions to the Marunouchi, Tokyo for reasons such as the convenience of the sales division,petitiveness in recruiting personnel, and to strengthen the corporate brand image, the management department of MCTBH has not moved from thend where thepany was founded, partly due to the strong will of the CEO.
As a result, a huge head office building containing the management department surrounds the crater-shaped processing facility and several buildings are under construction to expand the business From a distance, the whole building resembles a cylindrical tower.
Because of its huge tower shape that has suddenly grown up in the countryside, and the frequentings and goings of well-dressed foreigners who dont speak Japanese because they are globalpanies, as well as the huge trains and trucks loaded with waste materials, some gossipyizens even call it the Tower of Babel.
(Tower of Babel huh. Its nice. Poetic.)
Kizaki checked thepanys news while making coffee before starting work.
MCTBH has many enemies.
Posts on a level like this are cute.
Kizaki lightly crossed her long, slender legs protruding from her white coat, she put her sses down on her desk, which she only wears out of habit.
Leaning back in her office chair, she lightly closes her eyes and enjoys the aroma of coffee, when she suddenly felt like she heard something.
[What?]
The voice was far away crossing over the thick walls
[Good morning! Im Nitta, assigned to Section 7 of the Research and Public Rtions Department starting today! I look forward to working with you!]
Kisakis meditation was interrupted by the bright and cheerful voice of a young male employee.
[Errr Ahh, Nitta-san, right? Im listening. Are you feeling alright?]
[Yes! Im fine! Thank you for your concern!]
In response to Kizakis social greetings, the young male employee cheerfully responded with an exhrated voice.
(T/N: The exhrated part here, uwazutta (), could also mean sound hollow.)
At the same time, in the boardroom of the Tower of Babel, a management meeting was being held by CEO Hiroki and COO Ishida.
The old staff members trying to make thepany bigger, the new staff members trying to show theirpetence, and the others trying to achieve their other goals Everyone is actively exchanging opinions to make the world a better ce.
Shall we take a short break?
The discussion is soon interrupted by the facilitator Ishidas signal.
The energetic board members of various nationalities leave their seats to rx or make coffee in preparation for the next topic of discussion.
Mt. Fuji can be seen clearly from here. You like watching it too huh, COO Ishida-san?
The officer who spoke to Ishida was a young neer to the board.
Therge window in the boardroom on the upper floor offers a panoramic view of Kanto in.
The southern window with a view of Mt. Fuji is a popr spot among foreign executives.
The young board member had noticed that Ishida had paid attention to the window several times during the earlier meeting.
MCTBH has be argepany to the extent that without that level of attention andpetence, it would be impossible to rise in thepany at such a young age.
Yeah, well. Thats right.
With a rather vague smile for Ishida, who is known both inside and outside thepany as a terrifyingly tough negotiator, the young staff member moved away, not wanting to delve any deeper into this topic.
Instead, it was Hiroki, the CEO of MCTBH, boasting of his inhuman physique, who came to the window. The young staff member moved away, perhaps partly because he instinctively feared this mans approach.
[Its starting.]
[Youre right.]
Ishida agreed with Hiroki, who spoke in a very low voice, inaudible to those around him.
Their gazes turned to the far southwest, far beyond Mt. Fuji.
Chapter 54: Influencer
Chapter 54: Influencer
Thousands of kilometers from their gaze on a far southern ind, several men and women were making their way through the dense jungle.
They were moving swiftly through the jungle, which remained hot and humid even after the tropical sun had set below the horizon, in pursuit of something.
[Hey, Amanda. Lets stop this already. Even our interpreter is scared.]
[What fainthearted things are you talking about!? I have over half a million followers! How can I give up here!?]
The woman called Amanda strongly rebuked therge ck man for his cautious remarks.
As she was the de facto leader of the group, the rest of the men could only be reluctantly dragged along through the jungle.
A few weeks ago, Amanda was at her home and office in New York City, facing the monitor, deep wrinkles appearing between her beautiful brows.
[This month, were down 2.7% in follower growth and 14% inments Thats a serious slowdown.]
[The number of followers andmenters is also showing a trend toward fixation. Unfortunately, I think we have hit the ceiling of our niche. I think we need a new strategy, Amanda.]
Amanda Turner has dreams. She has ambitions.
She had the youth, beauty, and aplishments to have shallow ambitions.
She is an American with Indian roots, and her oriental beauty and yoga skills have made her a core favorite in the yoga cluster of the socialworking app, Winstagram.
However, her poprity has been diminishing recently.
They were having a meeting today to address this, and Amanda couldnt ignore the opinion of the producer who had helped propel her to her current position.
[Youre saying my sequence is stale!?]
[I didnt say that. However, followers simply get bored easily. I admit there is a deep philosophy in Amandas yoga sequence, but maybe it needs a strong visual impact to convey it to non-followers in 3 seconds.]
[You want me to do Extreme Yoga? Why dont you just go ahead and tell me to do a bncing act in some backcountry?]
[Im not saying that. Im just saying that a trip to the roots of yoga, as proposed by the nners, sounds like a good idea.]
At those words, Amanda bit her neatly trimmed nails in frustration.
Its easy to reject the producers proposal.
However, what awaits her would be the dwindling numbers of followers, a future of obscurity and the prospect of joining the ranks of the mediocre yoga stylists who subsisted on vague titles such as writer and photographer while teaching yoga in a middle-ss New Jersey neighborhood.
She wanted to go higher.
She wanted to have that absolute charisma that draws people.
[Was this because of my Indian descent? Ive never been to India.]
[Your followers wouldnt care about stuff like that.]
At the best resistance Amanda could muster, the producer only shrugged in the monitor.
Ones experience of life in India changes a person, or so they say.
For Amanda, arriving in India was a shock.
In a bad way, that is.
[The streets are dirty! The air stinks! Theres trash everywhere! Wheres the heck is a winstagrammable spot in a ce like this!!!?]
Ever sincending at the airport in New Delhi, Amandas image of India continued its descent.
Whenever they tried to scout locations at famous spots such as the gorgeous Taj Mahal Pce or Mother Ganges River, they were immediately surrounded by a crowd of locals and Chinese tourists, making it impossible for them to shoot a yoga sequence.
The candy wrappers and stic bottles strewn about by the tourists also interfered with her meditation.
The photos she posted on Winstagram, titled as their travel in search for thend of origins, are deceiving pictures of scends that avoid the dirty reality, avoiding the cities, but she was running out of options.
[Isnt there anywhere we could use? Whats the best winstagenic spot that really deserves to be the roots of yoga?]
In a hotel overlooking the cape at Kanyakumari, on the southern tip of India, Amandamented.
Sincending in India, she has been gued by bad dreams and chronic headaches.
Perhaps, its because of the fact that even the most remote cape has been turned into a tourist destination, and is now crowded with people.
The funds for her stay arent unlimited, and its even more difficult to keep her followers interested in topics other than yoga.
As Amanda felt impatient, her film crew split up to ask the locals.
They also dived into socialworking sites, searching for information, whether it was confirmed information or just dubious rumors.
Amidst all this, one of the crew members came across some information.
That in Ceylon Ind, there is a jewel-like beach.
It was the most beautiful white sandy beach, untouched by human hands, and not a single coconut leaf was found on that beach.
The informant had uploaded a photo with location information, but many peoplemented that it was a doctored photo.
In fact, to the eyes of those ustomed to seeing Indian beaches withrge amounts of trash washed ashore, the photo of a beach without a single coconut leaf around looked even more unrealistic.
It was just another piece of garbage information that the staff had been fed.
However, Amandas reaction to the photo was different.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the photo.
The headache that had been guing her for so long had subsided, and inspiration struck her mind.
This ce
Its the spot.
[Northeast of Ceylon Ind Its not too far if we hire a cruiser.]
[Youre not thinking of going there, right!? It crosses the border, and in the first ce, it might be fake news, right? No, thats definitely fake news.]
Upon their objections though, Amanda told her staff.
[No, this beach is the real roots. I can tell.]
The stall lost all reason to object upon the strong conviction in Amandas voice.
Perhaps it was because they saw in Amanda, at that moment, not the young and beautiful woman, of which there are many in New York, but a dignified being, as if she was a prophetic maiden.
With the staff busy with their work assignments for the next day, Amandas gaze turned to the far southeast horizon beyond the southernmost cape of India, where the sun had set and a sticky equatorial sea breeze was beginning to blow.
And reflected within Amandas eyes was a ck horizon, with not a single light in sight.
Chapter 55: Iramar Palam
Chapter 55: Iramar Pm
[Good grief. Looks like were going to get what the princess wants huh.]
The staff, who had been worried that Amandas urgent request wouldnt be fulfilled, breathed a sigh of relief.
In the morning haze of the citys harbor, they were able to find a number of cruisers with the ss they were looking for.
The southernmost cape in India is a world-ss tourist destination, and a wide variety of vessels, from small sightseeing fishing boats torge cruisers for deep-sea fishing, were anchored in the harbor, expecting tourists from all over the world.
As there were also cruisers with sses that would satisfy Amanda, the staff contacted Amanda via smartphone to get her approval and immediately struggled as they began negotiating with the greedy and experienced Indian boat owner for a long-distance rental.
However, when the staff member told them about their destination, the shipowner who had been in a good mood until then, saying Alright, alright. Its not a problem <Okay, no problem>., he suddenly changed his mind, telling them No good, no good. Nothing, nothing. Im not going to Ceylon.
(T/N: Italicized words are spoken in engrish)
[Why not? Well pay you what you want. How much do you want?]
[Its not about the money. That ce is dangerous right now. It doesnt pay.]
The shipowner told the flustered staff unpleasantly.
As she ced the nearly finished dosa on her te, Amanda asked.
[So? Why cant we take the cruiser directly there? Now, you want me to go back to Mumbai, 2000 kilometers away from here, and travel by ne?]
Amanda, who would always yell at the staff when she didnt like something, asked in a calm voice that was different from usual.
[T- They used to allow that. Disguising themselves as sightseeing tours and fishing tours, going from Southern India to Ceylon for a short time and thening back. Some bribes on the coast guards and border control people they might meet along the way for them to turn a blind eye. That way, both customers and ship owners can omit the troublesome procedures, while the soldiers can earn pocket money and everything will be fine. Thats how the work was done.]
Hearing the exnation from the staff members in charge of the negotiations, the other staff members nodded more in agreement than Amanda herself.
Even at that moment, they wondered how much the hard-headed bureaucracy of India, its voluminous paperwork, and the bribery habits of the public servants in the field bothered them during their filming tour.
Now, just by looking at the uniforms and ranks of those approaching their shoot, they can tell what kind of nitpicks they brought and the market price of the bribes theyre asking for.
[However I heard that the Sri Lankan government has changed its attitude. Moreover, they did it quite suddenly.]
The Sri Lankan government, which had been famous for being controlled by a single family and corruption of its public servants, after a certain point, they began to take maritime security seriously.
They energetically drove thetest patrol boats from China and cleaned up illegal maritime traffic with thetest radar and night vision equipment by China.
The boats the Sri Lankan government found were seized, had its owners imposed huge fines while the boats were stripped of all equipment before being returned. The shipowners business associates suffered heavy losses as a result.
As for those shipowners, with scowls on their faces, they warned the staff: If you find your lives valuable, then you should stop pursuing this matter. Phir Milenge.
[Hmph]
As she listened to the report, Amanda swallowed the rest of her dosa.
[Apparently, there are rumors that a major terrorist attack or something that hasnt been publicized urred there. The Sri Lankan government believes that those terrorists were sent from Southern India.]
The information that another staff member had gathered wasnt good news.
As she popped another serving of Uthappam into her mouth, Amanda asked.
[Terrorists? The Indians follow Hinduism, right? Ah, more chai please.]
Hearing Amanda responding in a way expected from an American, the staff exined confidently.
[Rather than religious, the cause was apparently because of an ethnic conflict. Sri Lanka has been in a civil war for 20 years between the Tamils in the North and East, and the Sinhalese, the main ethnic group in the rest of the country.
And so, toplicate things, there are a lot of Tamils in Southeastern India as well. It seems that the ethnic groups that used to live between India and Sri Lanka across the sea also got divided when the countries separated. Its the same with the Kurds. The map shows them separated, but it used to be possible to cross between India and Ceylon on foot.]
[Ara, that sounds wonderful. Is it still possible to cross through there now?]
[A big storm hundred of years ago caused the coral reefs to copse, so its no longer possible to cross it on foot. Around here, that ce was still called Iramar Pm.]
(T/N: Iramar Pm/Ramas Bridge)
[Iramar Pm huh. What does it mean?]
[In the Indian epic Ramayana, its said that the bridge was built by Prince Rama to save his princess. It used to be possible to cross it by vehicle and ferry back then, but now, its impossible due to political conflicts.]
[That sounds wonderful. Its a pity that it isnt crossable now.]
After stuffing the rest of the Uthappam into her mouth and sipping on her chai, contrary to her words, Amanda expressed her impressions lightly, sounding like she doesnt find it unfortunate at all.
[Are we giving up on that then? The coordinates of thend in the photo are right in the middle of Tamil forces, you know?]
The beach in the photo, their destination, is located in Northeastern Ceylon.
Indeed, the ce being winstaworthy, her career, and their business are important, but they arent worth risking their lives for.
They can just make anothernd as the roots of yoga or some such nonsense.
However, Amanda, the leader of the group, seems to have a different idea in mind.
[No way, were going to that beach. Were going to the roots.]
[That could be dangerous though?]
[What about it? Ill go, even if Im alone.]
The words Amanda dered had the firm conviction and charisma of a deeply religious person.
Amanda was supposed to be nothing more than a moody, egotistical woman.
Just like how she had changed sincest night, the staff couldnt hide their bewilderment as they couldnt decide whether she was really possessed by some mystical entity, or whatever was clinging to her was a harbinger of some kind of evil.
[In any case, lets eat first. Leave what to doter.]
When Amanda dered so, she stopped paying attention to the topic and ordered meals for the staffs.
Meeting over breakfast had been a custom since the film crew had arrived in India.
Breakfast at the hotel was served in the Southern Indian Indian Style, with a veggie meal for Amanda, while the other staff members were served set meals of non-veggie long-grain rice and various curries, with plenty of desserts and drinks.
The staff members are all gormandizers who are proud of their strength. They eat a lot and talk to each other to keep their spirits up for the adventurous work that is about to begin, drowning out any anxiety they may be feeling.
[Ummm Amanda, with all the food youre eating, are you good with body weight control?]
One of the staff members asked Amanda.
Amanda has been eating all on her own since this morning.
The pressure to seed. The enthusiasm for her work. The long stay in a foreign country to which she isnt ustomed, with no clear future in sight.
Its only natural for her to turn to food as an outlet for her stress.
Thus, they had no intention of saying anything about her food intake but
[Hmmm, I wonder about that too. Ive been very hungrytely. Was it stress, perhaps?]
[I- I guess so]
The number of empty tes and food piled up on Amandas table was extraordinary.
Just the amount of food she ate may have been more than enough for all the several gluttonous male staff members present at the moment.
Although she was tall for a woman, the staff member asking this couldnt help but wonder where she was fitting all that food on her slender body, which had been under strict weight control.
She, who had been spending her time in New York on vegetable smoothies and vitamin pills for her strict weight control, piled her te like a mountain, scooped up a heaping pile of rice with vegetable and bean curry on it with a spoon, and rather than eating it, it looked more like she was pouring it down her throat.
As they looked at Amanda, who looked like she had a hole in her stomach, the staff was overwhelmed by her ferocious appetite.
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