Zongman, working as a teaching assistant in Trasen

......They always thought that middle-aged and elderly people liking to wear vests under their shirts was just an urban legend, but they didn't expect to actually see it in real life.

"Why, why are you here instead of celebrating with your friends?"

Uozuka Saburo had just come out of the restroom, a cigarette between his fingers. It was obvious that he was planning to join Kitahara Jo's group. This made Fujimasa March, who didn't interact with many people but was more intelligent, suddenly think of a possibility:

"You asked Kitahara Jang to call these people over... specifically?"

The blue horse girl asked, causing the black burly man to look at her with admiration.

This group of horse girls can really give him some surprises from time to time, right?

Chapter 232: Your horse's legs are sharp, but our legs are not?

"Indeed, I can even say they are the most important 'audience' of my play."

Uozuka Saburo nodded, looked at Fujimasa March curiously and asked, "How did you come up with this idea?"

"Intuition... and suspicion. I feel like you've done so many things for a purpose."

"Oh~"

After sighing in his heart once more, and looking at Ace Norn, whose eyes revealed a bewildered expression, as if he understood something but didn't, the dark and strong man couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Alright, since you've figured it out, it doesn't hurt to tell you. Come with me, Norn, you come too."

"Eh? Oh..."

I was originally thinking that the two of them were going to have a private conversation and it would not be appropriate for me to be here, but I didn't expect that Uozuka Saburo would directly call my name to go with him. After a moment of confusion, I could only continue to carry Fujimasa's shoulders and help her, who was almost collapsed, to keep up with Uozuka's pace.

Could it be that this uncle forced me to do hard labor and asked Fujimasa to follow him because he didn't want me to support him? Then again, how come they were both exhausted, the horse girl collapsed, but this human was still walking briskly?

Could it be that... he still has some energy left? This...

Not knowing that he was gradually becoming a demon in the imagination of Noren Ace, Uozuka Saburo just silently felt his physical strength recovering quickly and his strength draining away quickly. He knew that the effect of this last bit of potion would be exhausted today, and he would have to return to being ordinary from now on.

...never mind, it's just an external force after all. Always indulging in this kind of vain "supplementation" will not be beneficial to improving your own strength.

He still had to refine himself and make more preparations like his elder brother, even though his body was still an ordinary one. But which horse girl who could stand on her fist could get within five meters of him?

Strength and weakness are relative.

Putting aside all distracting thoughts, he put on his shirt and suit, which were already a little ill-fitting, and donned a hat and sunglasses. Then, the burly man in black boldly joined this small group.

"Hey! Our big devil is here!"

Kitahara Jo had already noticed Uozuka Saburo standing at the entrance talking to two horse girls. He had already prepared a speech. When Uozuka Saburo approached, he pretended to divert his attention and said, "Everyone, don't just stay with your old friends for too long. Come and meet our lucky star!"

"Mr. Uozuka!"

"Mr. Uozuka!"

As they got closer, Fujimasa March and Noren Ace realized that these people were not unfamiliar to them, and some of them were even particularly familiar to them:

In the past, when they had dinner or went shopping outside the school, didn’t they spend a lot of time in the restaurants, shops, stalls, and rides of several of these people?

Although I don’t really know their names, I have met each of them more than once. They are super familiar bosses!

This surprised them and made them a little confused. Why would Uozuka Saburo specifically ask Kitahara Jō to gather them together at this time and at this point?

Uozuka Saburo didn't hide anything either. He was anxious to catch the afternoon train, so he just glanced at the clock on his watch and said with a businesslike smile:

"Alright, everyone's busy, and I have important things to attend to later, so let's cut to the chase—do you have any ideas for having your names printed on Kasamatsu's big sign?"

"...?"

----------

Uozuka Saburo's strategy was not complicated at all, or rather, in such a short period of time, he couldn't think of a complicated enough method.

Although he often has to command the work of the organization's peripheral members from a distance, he is very clear about his own strategic level - not to say that he is useless, but he can be said to be mediocre.

Since his IQ is not enough to support his tricks, all he can do is try to be honest and exchange sincerity for sincerity.

These small and medium-sized vendors, familiar to Kitahara Jo, were local merchants in Kasamatsu. They had long been established in Kasamatsu, but due to issues with their business philosophy, they had never considered expanding their businesses. Instead, they simply operated one or two shops and three or five carts, hawking their wares and building good relationships with the neighbors. Unexpectedly, with the recent decades of the Umamu economy and industrial production, their businesses gradually declined.

The horse girls all have big appetites. They prefer a large, ordinary but filling plate to a small plate of delicious food. Small business owners like them may be favored by one or two horse girls, but their production capacity is limited after all. They cannot compare with those consortium merchants who can meet the demand on a larger scale. As a result, the reputation of peddlers has gradually been squeezed out and reduced a lot.

If it weren't for Ma Musume's huge appetite, and if it weren't for the fact that after Oguruma became famous, Kasamatsu would have produced a large number of "big eaters" who revered Oguruma, making the catering market never saturated, which gave them some breathing space and gradually rebuilt the reputation of their small shop by relying on the quality of their food.

————However, those things happened at least 20 or 30 years ago.

Times are progressing and people are changing. If we say that the first batch of now deceased craftsmen more than 50 years ago insisted on their original intentions and were unwilling to accept the then still barbaric capital industry to ruin their lifelong reputation, then the food industrialization system that has now completed capital accumulation and begun to move towards perfection has lost those deadly dregs and is left with only convenient efficiency.

Although this generation of craftsmen are not young anymore, the older family heads who are used to having children when they reach adulthood even have grandchildren, but they are no longer the kind of people who would rather die than bow to mechanical production.

We are all out here to make a living. How can we still talk about making a living when we starve our entire family to death just for the sake of a signboard?

What's more, as those horse ladies with round bellies every day can attest, they are confident that their food is no worse than the "finished products" processed on industrial assembly lines. Why can they make a fortune with inferior food, while those of us who work meticulously have to "be content with poverty"?

Doesn't this make sense?

Therefore, although they are also those who have a share of the "Uma Musume industry chain", these people do not want to continue to follow behind those big conglomerates and big families and just drink the soup.

This behavior has a special scientific name in Japan: subjugation.

They have connections, skills, and ideas, so why can't they try to make it big on their own? All they lack is an opportunity to realize their ambitions.

This was the opportunity that Uozuka Saburo gave them.

"While horse girls are indeed good runners, they're always overrated by the audience, making them think they're the only race in the world who are good at running."

Uozuka Saburo exposed his calf, patted the three-part muscle bundle, and chuckled, "Your horse's legs are sharp, but my legs are not?"

“““““Oh~!”””””

Chapter 233: Oh wow~ what a beautiful view!

"Simply put, it's about getting these smaller vendors to unite and invest heavily in cultivating human runners in a similar, yet not identical, way to compete with Mamusu."

Sitting on a metal bench with a cup of milk tea in hand, Uozuka Saburo said, "We're not training with the goal of becoming athletes, nor are we thinking about it in terms of regular human competition. Instead, we're studying horsegirls purely as our opponents, training them with the goal of defeating them at their best, and showing the world that the upper limit of humanity is far higher than they imagine."

"Well, it's a nice gimmick, but..."

Kashimoto Riko turned around speechlessly, looking at this ally she had only known for three days and said, "Isn't it inappropriate for someone like me, the acting chairman of Umamusume Gakuen, to be the president of this union and give orders to these vendors as the mastermind behind the scenes?"

"Ha~ Isn't that fascinating?" Uozuka Saburo laughed, shaking his milk tea. "The passionate protagonist, after overcoming great difficulties and defeating their opponent, discovers that their stern yet amiable, trustworthy leader is actually the boss of the enemy organization. Their worldview is instantly shattered, then rebuilt. After straightening their mindset, they shout, 'I'm going to wake you up and take you back!' Isn't that incredibly dramatic? It's bound to be a great promotional theme!"

"...I don't think that's possible."

Despite complaining like this, Kashimoto Riko did not reject the proposal, and even fully understood what Uozuka Saburo really meant: he wanted to use this method to strengthen her ally's voice in the local area.

In this drama, the students of Tresen Academy basically recognized Kashimoto Riko, or at least no longer opposed her. It can be said that the most fundamental hidden danger in her administration has been eliminated - but this is not the only hidden danger.

When it comes to reform, problems never arise from the side whose interests increase, but rather from the side whose interests are harmed.

Kashimoto Riko's problem from the beginning to the end was that she, as an airborne acting director, did not have enough energy to compete with the local bosses in Kasamatsu.

So what if the URA committee has a good relationship with the chairman of Central Teresin?

In front of local financial groups that have deeply taken root in the local area and have absolute say in both the political and business circles, it is just a "beggar on his knees."

If they're in a good mood, they'll sing you a few nice songs. If they're in a bad mood, they'll let you run into a wall and have no way out. Not to mention you actually wanting to touch their cake? They're giving you face, aren't they?

Uozuka Saburo didn't know the intricacies of this, nor did he bother to know. He couldn't even finish the day, and out of pure profit considerations and amusement, he casually directed such a big drama:

The local faction doesn't want to help? Then create a local faction for yourself.

This faction doesn't have a good project? Then I'll give you a good project!

In short, it would be great if it could develop as he expected and succeed in the end, but if it fails, it has nothing to do with him. At least it can muddy the waters and give Kashimoto Riko a chance to fish in troubled waters.

Now that the plan has been exceeded, both Uozuka Saburo and Kashimoto Riko are very satisfied and no longer worry about minor issues.

The road has been paved, and you only need to follow the steps to reach the end. There are no longer any insurmountable obstacles.

"By the way, although this plan was made by me, you must be careful, okay?"

Putting down his milk tea, the burly man in black glanced at the high-spirited Kashimoto Riko, then thought for a moment before offering a reminder: "Appropriate competition promotes development, while a zero-sum game is a dead end. To be frank, our slogan isn't quite in line with the mainstream, so we must grasp the right balance."

"Of course, I know my limits." Kashimoto Riko nodded. "I just don't know what the other party is like. If they want to fight to the death..."

"Then contact me and I'll make them die."

"..."

Turning silently, Kashimoto Riko looked Uozuka Saburo up and down, then said with some understanding, "No wonder Director Akikawa told me to be more careful about how I talk to you, and to never offend you... You really aren't a kind person. I'm lucky I didn't fall for your tricks."

"Haha~ I never thought of pretending to be kind, so how could I say that I was lying?"

With a nonchalant smile, the burly man swallowed the last few pearls, deflated the cup, threw it into the dispensing bucket, and stood up briskly: "Alright, this is over, I should leave now."

"Indeed, here comes the car."

Woohoo————

As the Shinkansen bullet train, which had been suspended for the past few days and reopened only yesterday, appeared, Kashimoto Riko also stood up and walked to the side with Uozuka Saburo, who was carrying his luggage. There, Fujimasa March and other Kasamatsu personnel were hugging Ogurimo tightly and saying goodbye reluctantly.

"Alright, alright, guys, stop being so sentimental."

With a wave of his hand, Kitahara Jou pulled the sticky Norn Ace away from Oguruma. Uozuka Saburo first summoned Mejiro Mitsuaki and Shinki to take Oguruma aboard the bus. Then, looking at the still frail Fujimasa, he said, "After hearing so much, you're considered half an insider. From now on, this acting director will definitely use you to do some good things... Do you regret it?"

"Not at all. It suits me just fine."

Fujimasa smiled brightly, then bowed, having learned from nowhere, and said sincerely, "Thank you for taking care of Mr. Uozuka these past few days. With you watching over us at the Central Office, we can rest assured about Oguruma. Thank you very much."

"It's just my duty. It's mostly because she takes care of herself. I don't contribute much."

"Your kindness to Kasamatsu is also due. I trust you to promise that one day you will work with the Acting Chairman to support Kasamatsu Tresen and challenge the Central Government in even more areas!"

"..."

What you said, should I accept it or not?

Uozuka Saburo was helpless and wanted to correct him, but seeing Fujimasa March's high-spirited look, he had to nod and finally focus his attention on the Noren Ace who was seeing off the trio.

"...What are you doing? Just say it if you have something to say."

"No, I was just wondering how long it would take you to notice the little spider that crawled in through your open collar..."

"Aaaaaaah! Quick, quick, quick! Help!"

"Oh wow, what a beautiful view!"

"...I'm better than Grandma Li!"

beep—

He took a light step back and retreated into the Shinkansen train. Through the closed door, Uozuka Saburo mouthed "Remember to wear more clothes" and then walked away laughing amid the other party's cursing.

Next stop, Chiba!

Chapter 234: Changes in Tokyo?

Therefore, the trip was not to continue heading west, but to return to Tokyo in one go, and then take a train across Tokyo to Chiba Prefecture. That's why Mejiro Mitsuaki didn't ask his family to pick him up, and the four of them started the longest journey of this trip together.

When they got on the Shinkansen again, the three girls all felt inexplicably dazed. They sat in two rows facing each other, all turning their heads to look at the scenery outside the window, and no one spoke for a long time.

Uozuka Saburo was mentally planning various matters while using the organization's in-house chat software to contact various parties, hoping to obtain accurate information about Tokyo's current situation. Mejiro Mitsuaki was doing something similar, but she also had to figure out how to report back to her sister, Vermouth, to mask her frustration at not having a significant presence as the journey neared its end. Maki Ichichi was reflecting on the past two days, lamenting that she had truly entered a wondrous world. She felt a bit lost about the future, constantly pondering some unanswered questions similar to the philosophy of life. Oguruma's situation was much simpler; she wondered when she could eat the snacks from Kasamatsu's stall again...

It has not even been a week since Uozuka Saburo and Ogurimao left Tokyo, but they have already permanently changed the paths of many people for the next ten, twenty years, or even their entire lives. They have changed along the way, without even a break except for sleeping at night. No wonder some young girls feel as if they were in another world.

————Although the effect of the horse girl potion disappeared and Uozuka Saburo's body returned to his 30-year-old state, it was mainly due to the "earth-shaking" changes that Didi brought about.

"...Hey, that Reed Fur."

"..."

"...Tsk, Little Shrimp Hat?"

"Ok?"

"I want to...take back what I said to you when we first met a few days ago."

After much deliberation, Zhenqi Yizi was the first to break the silence. Suppressing his embarrassment, he scratched the side of his head where he had a buzz cut and said, "I shouldn't have said that about your trainer. He's truly a very good person... and one who treats you wholeheartedly. He's courageous and knowledgeable, and he'll definitely have a place on the Central Tresen trainer roster next year."