Flying over the bubble era

Chapters 1578 and 1579. The Most Cunning

"So, who is the one who should be eliminated?"

When Hideo Fuyuta asked his question, Hiroyuki Narita couldn't help but turn his gaze to Shinichi Iwahashi.

……

This was the third time Narita Hiroyuki had met Fuyuta Hideo. After their first meeting, Narita Hiroyuki had already ascertained the man's background. He was not an industry insider, but rather a spokesperson for the Inagawa-kai's front company.

Without a word, Shinichi Iwahashi revealed a card that Hiroyuki Narita was unaware of.

However, these days, Narita Hiroyuki wouldn't be surprised by whatever suit of cards Shinichi Iwahashi holds. Rather, this particular card further confirms that Iwahashi was determined to defeat Ikuo Suo long ago.

Tonight is a secret gathering held at a ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant), with only Hiroyuki Narita and Hideo Fuyuta invited.

To deal with the yakuza, there needs to be another yakuza. This is why Hideo Fuyuta exists. Hiroyuki Narita sat there, but he had already prepared his words: Dentsu could assist Shinichi Iwahashi in the talent show to put pressure on BURNING, but that was all.

Given Shinichi Iwahashi's shrewdness, this explanation had no chance of being used.

But Narita Hiroyuki was curious about what he would do next.

They exploited Tetsuya Komuro's vacillating ambitions to lure him into joining the audition. They then used the show to put Burning in a difficult position.

Bringing the conflict to the forefront angered Ikuo Suo, causing BURNING to scramble to resolve the issue. And then what?

That decisive blow is still missing.

Even the Yakuza are sitting here. If the goal is simply to use this talent show to undermine BURNING's efforts in poaching Tetsuya Komuro and make Ikuo Suo lose face, then something seems to be missing.

Hideo Fuyuta asked this question because Shinichi Iwahashi said that Suo-san of Burning, his three capable subordinates, each had their own agendas. When things were going smoothly, everything was fine, but as soon as the waters were stirred up, they would inevitably reveal their true colors.

“Brother-in-law Narita,” Shinichi Iwahashi said, “BURNING shouldn’t be as domineering as it used to be in the industry, but BURNING has to exist. Isn’t that right?”

Narita Hiroyuki was somewhat embarrassed. "Well, as you said."

BURNING has its purpose; if it ceases to exist today, another BRUNING will be established tomorrow.

Both the advertising agency and the television station had the power to bring Ikuo Suo down. But neither side would do it.

Advertising agencies and television stations can be a dark cloud hanging over law firms, but they cannot allow pressure to become a direct blow. Compared to the media, which holds the fourth estate, law firms are certainly in a weaker position. However, if law firms cannot become the third leg of the tripartite balance and are arbitrarily manipulated by advertising agencies and television stations, the ecological balance will collapse, and the industry will cease to exist.

This is why both the television station and Dentsu have taken the opportunity to become Shinichi Iwahashi's allies.

To deal with the yakuza, you need another yakuza. To deal with the firm, you need another firm.

Shinichi Iwahashi's question to Hiroyuki Narita hit the nail on the head, directly addressing the very answer Narita had prepared. The question was so accurate that Narita felt a strange sense of being deliberately provoked by his brother-in-law.

However, Shinichi Iwahashi always knew when to stop. He continued his topic nonchalantly: "'BURNING' must exist. This will be the key."

Such powerful forces, which have always been assertive in their dealings with outsiders, will inevitably unite against a common enemy and engage in a head-on confrontation if attacked from the outside. Therefore, only by dividing and splitting them from within can the ultimate goal be achieved. "Shunichi Baba orchestrated the BURNING group's strategy in the record industry. His actions included persuading Nagato-san of BEING to join the establishment of VERMILLION, bringing Namie Amuro from Okinawa, and completing the collaboration with Komuro-san."

"At the BURNING headquarters, Kawanishi Shigeo can be considered Suoh's representative. He handles all matters, big and small, and is Suoh's most trusted confidant. In terms of gaining Suoh's trust, the other two cannot compare to him."

"And Higuchi Norio..."

Shinichi Iwahashi recalled that before being attacked by Takeyama, he had a chance encounter with Norio Higuchi, who had reminded him to be careful of his surroundings. Later, Higuchi even went to great lengths to arrange for Yuki Uchida's short-term record deal to be with GENZO, where Tetsuya Komuro produced two singles for her.

At that time, the relationship between GENZO and BURNING was already quite tense, but Norio Higuchi still broke down the barriers between the two organizations. Yuki Uchida was a rising star whom he personally mentored and nurtured from the very beginning.

This person's stance is very clear: to change BURNING's previous domineering and exploitative style and complete its transformation in the new era. To some extent, this is at odds with the views of the other two.

When Shinichi Iwahashi mentioned Norio Higuchi, his momentary hesitation was noticed by the other two people present. Hideo Fuyuta asked, "Does Iwahashi-kun have any connection with this Mr. Higuchi?"

"Friendship?" Shinichi Iwahashi thought for a moment. "Perhaps you could say that."

Higuchi Norio, with whom he has some acquaintance, expressed his desire to meet and talk to Iwahashi Shinichi the day before yesterday.

"Could this Higuchi-san be the breakthrough point, Iwahashi-kun?"

Unlike Narita Hiroyuki's cautious and taciturn nature, Fuyuta Hideo always took the initiative. This was not due to the personality of a yakuza member, but rather because, compared to Narita Hiroyuki who was involved, Fuyuta Hideo, who was uninvolved, had fewer scruples.

Shinichi Iwahashi didn't answer, but Hiroyuki Narita suddenly looked very interested. He asked, "What do you think, Shinichi-kun?"

"I'm wondering who among these three is the most cunning."

Kawanishi Shigeo adheres to BURNING's consistent principles, while Higuchi Norio is determined to implement reforms.

As for Shunichi Baba, he is a true pragmatist. He will use any means necessary without hesitation to achieve his goals and gain benefits. He can suppress Daikichi Nagato and also open up cooperation with Tetsuya Komuro. He is not opposed to poaching talent, but he is also willing to travel thousands of miles to Okinawa to find Namie Amuro, the untapped gem.

This man is the most capable of the three. And what he's plotting is the most intriguing.

"Norio Higuchi."

Shinichi Iwahashi answered their questions: "In a firm with a domineering style, Norio Higuchi's ideas certainly seem out of place. But on the other hand, with the arrival of a new era, he's more eager than anyone else to transform, to achieve a soft landing, and to escape potential crises..."

He gripped his wine glass and concluded, "These are the most loyal people."

Higuchi Norio appears to be at odds with Suo Ikuo's policies, a weak point that wavers between the two sides, but in reality, he sees himself as a "loyal subject".

When someone like this requests a meeting, Shinichi Iwahashi can almost guess what their intentions are. In a sense, Norio Higuchi's wavering stance and polite demeanor are another kind of disguise for achieving his goal.

There is an unshakable core within Norio Higuchi.

Conversely, the more unshakeable something is, the more opportunities there are to explore it.