NFBE Chapter 1105 Turning against others
Chapter 1105 Turning against others
A press conference held in his personal capacity by Asahi Shimbun editor Haru Miura attracted numerous representatives from major newspapers.
Haru Miura is short and thin, which fits the image of a victim.
Natsukawa Soichiro promised him that if he could run the press conference well, he would recommend him to another newspaper as the head of the news department.
The temptation of no longer needing to follow seniority and being able to complete a path that others might take twenty years to walk was too great for Haru Miura!
He readily accepted the task and practiced at home all night.
When the press conference started, Haru Miura looked to be in very bad shape. His face was ashen, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was disheveled. This was very different from the Japanese people’s usual practice of trying to maintain a “decent” image in front of outsiders, but it had a good effect.
Many newspaper reporters, unaware of the facts, began to discuss the matter.
"Have you seen Asahi's previous report? I heard that reporter Miura was threatened!"
"Yes, those reports had a huge impact. I felt at the time that there might be some kind of struggle behind it. Looking at Miura now, he must be under a lot of psychological pressure."
"Yes, he's spreading rumors that he'll apologize, which means those previous reports were problematic?"
"Wait a minute! I have a question. Such an important report couldn't have been decided by Miura Haru alone, could it? Just because he submitted the article doesn't guarantee it would be published. There's probably more than just one or two people involved..."
No one paid any attention to these questions.
The coerced reporter, the series of sensational articles, and the recent reversal of public opinion all excited the people present. They didn't care about the truth, only whether they could hear some juicy gossip. Some even fantasized about writing a news article that would be widely circulated, making them famous in Tokyo and becoming renowned reporters.
Soon, the press conference began. Haru Miura, his voice hoarse, said, “Colleagues, or rather, I am no longer qualified to call you colleagues. Ever since the series of reports on the murder of the ronin in Beiping was published, my conscience has been tormented. Especially my colleagues in the Yomiuri Shimbun, who exposed the miserable lives of those expatriates under the persecution of disgusting criminals. Since reading those reports, I have felt like I have fallen into hell. I have betrayed my professional ethics and bowed to certain powerful figures…”
Haru Miura's directness shocked everyone present!
Aside from the crazy bunch in the military, the Japanese generally prefer to speak subtly; if they speak too bluntly, it will cause unease among the crowd.
But today, Haru Miura was extremely blunt!
"After I received those articles, I quickly discovered numerous suspicious points. Not only were some of the data flawed, but even some basic logical and common-sense errors were difficult to explain. I tried to request an investigation, but faced with strong threats from the other party, in order to keep my job, I decided to publish these articles in the newspapers..."
Someone in the audience asked, "Mr. Miura, can you tell us who exactly is the person who forced you to make false reports?"
The room fell silent as soon as he said this, and all eyes were fixed on Haru Miura.
Miura Haru slowly raised his head, opened his mouth, and said, "This man once served as the highest advisor of the Jinling Restoration Office. He recently resigned and returned to Japan. He is Shibayama Kenshiro!"
The whole place was in an uproar!
Haru Miura's words were written into countless reports, all of which were printed as special editions or supplements!
It is said that even the Japanese Emperor heard about this and sent someone to inquire with the cabinet.
Just then, Home Minister Kisaburo Ando launched a fatal attack!
He publicly stated that someone had provided him with substantial evidence proving that during his tenure as the Special Service Chief of the Central China Area Army and the Supreme Advisor of the Nanjing Restoration Government, Shibayama Kenshiro engaged in large-scale smuggling, including reselling military supplies, and even embezzling pension funds! Ando Kisaburo proposed that a comprehensive investigation into Shibayama Kenshiro be conducted as soon as possible!
At the same time, an anonymous source revealed that Kenshiro Shibayama was actually colluding with Americans, and one of his loyal subordinates, Toshiki Moriyama, was confirmed to be an American spy!
The Japanese government and public were once again shaken!
Chaishan family.
Kenshiro Shibayama seemed to have aged ten years overnight, his hair disheveled, and he slumped on the tatami mat wearing a yukata and kimono.
In front of me was a plate of food that had long since gone cold, and a messy newspaper.
The assistant cautiously pushed the door open and entered. Shibayama Kenshiro's throat gurgled, and then he uttered a hoarse, unpleasant voice, "What did Lord Tojo say?"
"The Prime Minister... has not accepted your letter..."
Kenshiro Shibayama's eyes instantly turned bloodshot!
He stood up angrily. "He tacitly approved of this! And now he's going to turn his back on us! What a scoundrel!"
"He only needed to intervene and send a few influential people to speak out to turn the situation around, but instead he's become a coward! That damned private, that damned private, he doesn't deserve to be prime minister!"
The assistant silently lowered his head.
Now everyone can see that Shibayama Kenshiro is a fallen dog that everyone hates, and Tojo's control over the situation is not that strong anymore. Faced with various factions, he would not risk public condemnation just to protect a Shibayama Kenshiro who is already insignificant.
Or perhaps, Tojo's original target was not Hayashi Sawa, and he didn't even care who Hayashi Sawa was. His tacit approval of Shibayama Kenshiro's antics was more like a test of those military leaders. If the test succeeded, he could reap huge profits; if the test failed, he would only lose Shibayama Kenshiro.
Chai Shan wasn't even a discarded piece; he was merely a casual pawn, a piece that was dispensable.
Things had gotten to a point where they were beyond Chai Shan's control, or even his imagination.
He tried to put up a final stand, but that same night, the reporter who broke the story, Haru Miura, was found dead in his home, which enraged everyone!
It must be Kenshiro Shibayama!
It was Shibayama Kenshiro who, in a fit of rage, killed Miura Haru!
The next morning, Kenjiro Shibayama was stunned when he learned the news. A deep sense of powerlessness and fear welled up from the bottom of his heart.
A few minutes later, a gunshot rang out from the Chai family's house.
Kenshiro Shibayama smashed his own head.
Food booth.
Natsukawa Soichiro sat down cautiously in front of Kojima Daiki.
He was frightened, not by the death of Shibayama Kenshiro, but by the death of Miura Haru.
Was Haruzo Miura killed by Kenjiro Shibayama?
"Young Master Jiang, I..."
Kojima Daiki picked up his teacup and smiled, "Natsukawa-kun, you've performed exceptionally well, satisfying many people. In a few days, someone will propose a motion at the Asahi Shimbun's shareholders' meeting to promote you to department head. You'd better do a good job."
"Hai! Hai! Whatever orders Lord Xiao Jiang may give in the future, Xia Chuan will go through fire and water, even at the cost of his life!"
"Hey, don't talk about death so easily. There's an old Chinese saying: 'Those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish.' As long as you don't go down the wrong path, you still have decades of good fortune to enjoy. You must be exhausted lately. Hoshino is waiting for you. Go on."