June 27, 1991, 9:02 PM.
Nine minutes remained until the start of "Operation Stahl."
When Satsuki opened her eyes, the first thing she heard was Chizuru's lowered voice.
"Understood. Continue to confirm, and do not alert them."
She seemed to be speaking with someone on the other side of her headset.
The sedan continued to drive forward smoothly, and the air conditioning maintained a very comfortable temperature inside the cabin.
The agreement that Satsuki had casually placed beside her earlier had been repacked into the document bag, and even the topmost fountain pen had hardly shifted due to the vehicle's movement.
The lights of Tokyo's night slid backward continuously through the dark windows.
Satsuki straightened up a little.
"Have we arrived?"
Chizuru quickly ended the call and turned around.
"It should be."
"The perimeter just confirmed three suspicious vehicles, two of which have been following us from behind for some time."
"There is also another one operating near the intersection ahead, and its license plate matches the list held by SIS."
Satsuki lowered her gaze to look at her watch.
9:02 PM.
From leaving the ryotei until now, more than ten minutes had passed.
"Slower than I imagined."
"Young Miss."
Hearing her evaluation, Chizuru did not follow with a smile.
"Young Miss, I still feel that tonight's matter should not be handled by you personally."
Satsuki was originally still looking outside the car window, but hearing this, she turned her face.
Chizuru's expression was very serious.
In fact, she had raised this question more than once before.
Since the SIS was able to grasp Washio's movements in advance, and Dojima Gen had prepared so many people, in Chizuru's view, it was entirely possible to find a way to have someone else take Satsuki's place in this convoy.
Even if it could not fool Washio for long, as long as they could lure the people out, the subsequent matters could just be handed over to S.A. to handle.
"We have indeed made a lot of preparations, but no matter how thorough the preparations are, there will always be areas we cannot cover."
Chizuru said softly:
"Vehicles can break down, and other situations might suddenly appear on the road."
"The other side even has real guns; as long as a single link goes wrong..."
She did not continue speaking.
Satsuki naturally understood what followed.
She looked at Chizuru for a moment, and finally shook her head.
"However, if someone else were sitting here, the significance of this matter would be completely different."
"Young Miss..."
"Washio bringing people to smash a few of Saionji's cars, and him knowing full well that I am inside yet still bringing people to block my car, are two different things."
Satsuki looked out the window again.
The black SUV on the right was still closely following them, and through the car windows, heavily armed guards could be vaguely seen inside.
"Tonight, they just promised me that they would restrain their subordinates themselves."
"As a result, in less than an hour, someone came with guns to block my car."
"Then I can certainly believe that relying on themselves is no longer enough."
Hearing this, Chizuru seemed to understand something.
"You want to expand the scope?"
"Mhm."
Satsuki nodded.
"The current agreement only dictates what they can do in the future."
"Many of the previously left-over affiliated companies, capital flows, and businesses are still there; as long as they change a name or put someone else in the president's seat, who knows where the money will eventually flow?"
"But if someone really shoots at me tonight, the situation will be different."
She reached out and tapped lightly on the document bag on her lap.
"Banks can re-examine loans related to violent groups, insurance companies can re-audit affiliated companies, and securities accounts can re-confirm actual controllers."
"Those construction, transportation, entertainment, and real estate companies that are still entangled with the organization will also have to re-decide which side they are actually prepared to stand on in the future."
Chizuru was silent for a moment.
"Will the three families agree?"
"That is why I am sitting here."
Satsuki smiled.
"If only one of Saionji's cars was smashed tonight, they could say I am sticking my nose into things that are not my business."
"But what if the person sitting inside is me?"
Chizuru did not answer.
"The agreement was just signed, and the subordinates launched an armed attack on me."
"By that time, I demand that all those relationships they left behind in the past be thoroughly investigated. Who else could say that Saionji is overreacting?"
Satsuki leaned back into the seat back again.
"As for after the investigation—"
She thought for a moment.
"Truly clean companies cannot possibly have hundreds of employees lose their jobs together just because they had relations with the yakuza in the past, right?"
"If banks are unwilling to continue lending, Saionji can provide new financing; if insurance companies are unwilling to underwrite, it can be transferred to us; if the original shareholders need to exit, we can also buy out their shares."
"Warehouses, land, transportation companies, parking lots—as long as the price is right, there is similarly no need to waste them."
Chizuru finally understood completely.
What Satsuki wanted from the very beginning was not just to make Washio the first person to be dealt with after violating the agreement.
She intended to use this single gunshot to pull out, one by one, those hands that the entire underground society had extended into the normal economy over the past few decades.
As for the positions left behind after pulling them out—
Saionji naturally would not let them stay empty.
"If the yakuza do one less business, regular companies can do one more."
Satsuki looked at the receding lights outside the window, her tone sounding even somewhat pleasant.
"Anyway, someone has to take over this market."
"Instead of benefiting others, we might as well benefit ourselves, right?"
Chizuru was silent for a good while.
She understood.
And precisely because she understood, she knew that she probably could no longer persuade Satsuki.
In the end, she only said one sentence.
"I will protect you well."
The smile on Satsuki's face softened a bit.
"Mhm, I know."
"However—"
Chizuru suddenly leaned down and pulled out a pre-prepared black soft bag from under the seat.
After the zipper was opened, a neatly folded bulletproof vest was revealed inside.
Seeing this, the expression on Satsuki's face suddenly became somewhat subtle.
"Do I have to wear this too?"
"Yes."
Chizuru answered unusually crisply this time.
"The vehicles are bulletproof, and the guards are all outside, but if we really need to get out of the car later, this is the last layer of protection."
She took out the bulletproof vest and handed it with both hands in front of Satsuki.
"Since you insist on participating personally, please at least make all the preparations that can be made."
Satsuki lowered her head to look at that bulletproof vest.
Then she raised her head to look at Chizuru.
Chizuru showed no intention of backing down at all.
The two looked at each other for a few seconds, and in the end, Satsuki laughed first.
"Alright, alright, alright."
She reached out and took the bulletproof vest.
"If I do not listen to you on this too, Father will probably really be angry when we get back."
Chizuru finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"If Lord Shuichi knew that you were originally prepared not to wear it, he would probably be angry right now."
"So do not tell him."
"Chizuru cannot promise you such a thing."
"..."
Satsuki hugged the bulletproof vest and looked at her for a good while.
"Chizuru."
"Yes."
"You have become harder and harder to fool lately."
Chizuru lowered her head, but the corners of her lips curved up slightly in secret.
"It is thanks to Young Miss's good teaching."
Satsuki was slightly taken aback.
Then she could not help laughing out loud.
A slight static sound suddenly came from the front passenger seat position.
The special agent in charge of the car's internal communications quickly pressed his headset, listened to a couple of sentences, and turned back.
"Young Miss, Mr. Dojima confirms that the other side has begun to approach. Over the next few minutes, the convoy may change lanes quite frequently. Please remain in your seat."
"Mhm."
Satsuki nodded.
She leaned back against the seat back once more.
Chizuru glanced at her.
"Are you really not nervous at all?"
"Why should I be nervous?"
Satsuki asked rhetorically.
"We lured the people out. What kind of cars they drive, where they come from, and what guns they carry—the SIS has people watching all of it. Dojima has also transferred everyone he could mobilize tonight."
She glanced out the right car window.
Almost as she spoke, the black SUV that had consistently guarded the right side of the sedan slightly accelerated, pushing half its body ahead.
A dark sedan, which had originally been following behind separated by several ordinary vehicles, also began to shorten the distance bit by bit.
Satsuki saw it.
"That one?"
Chizuru also looked over along her gaze.
"It should be."
A taxi had originally been sandwiched between the two cars.
But at the next intersection, the taxi slowed down to prepare to turn, and that dark sedan suddenly stepped on the accelerator, quickly squeezing forward from the vacated space.
Its speed suddenly became much faster.
The guarding SUV on the right also shifted outward almost simultaneously.
There had originally been a distance of several meters between the two sides, but in the blink of an eye, less than a car length remained.
The atmosphere inside the cabin changed accordingly.
The special agents in charge of the front row had already sat up straight, and the driver held the steering wheel with both hands, constantly switching gaze between the road and the rearview mirror.
Chizuru similarly put away that bit of ease she had when speaking with Satsuki just now.
Only Satsuki was still leaning there and watching.
She knew what would happen next.
Washio wanted to make her "suffer a setback."
In that case, simply driving a few cars behind naturally made no sense.
They had to find a way to force the convoy to stop, or at least create a sufficiently obvious conflict, so that tonight's matter could truly become something Saionji could bring to the table afterward.
Therefore, when seeing that sedan continue to approach, Satsuki even had the mood to observe what it would actually do.
The next second, the other side suddenly jerked the steering wheel to the right.
"Bang!"
The muffled sound produced by the collision of the car bodies transmitted in through the two layers of car windows.
The SUV guarding Satsuki's right side was hit fiercely, and its rear clearly swung outward.
The tires rubbed against the road surface, producing a harsh screeching sound; the car body swayed twice, but was soon forcibly stabilized by the driver.
The sedan Satsuki was riding in also deviated slightly to the left.
The driver did not brake, but just continued to accelerate following the car ahead.
Chizuru's hand was already pressed against the edge of the seat.
Satsuki, through the car window, watched that attacking vehicle press close to the guarding SUV once again.
"They really are willing to spend."
She could not help evaluating with a sentence.
A car that could be used to ram a bulletproof SUV, regardless of whether it could still be driven in the end, would probably have to be sent to the scrap yard after tonight ended.
"In order to win this breath of pride, Mr. Washio has invested a greater stake than I imagined."
As soon as her voice fell, car headlights rapidly approached from behind.
Chizuru's expression changed slightly.
"There is another one."
A second sedan cut in from behind.
The first attacking car still tightly pressed against the right guarding SUV, while the second car continued to push outward from the oblique rear, almost forming a temporary angle.
Just as that SUV was preparing to press back into the convoy, the front of the vehicle behind slammed into its left rear side.
"Bang!"
This collision was even heavier.
The guarding SUV was pushed directly into the adjacent lane, its wheels rolling over the drainage ditch cover at the edge of the road, causing the entire car body to jolt violently.
A flurry of urgent honking suddenly sounded from several nearby ordinary vehicles.
A taxi that had originally planned to pass by slammed on the brakes, and the cars behind followed with emergency stops.
Within just a few seconds, the previously fairly smooth road became a complete mess.
The smile on Satsuki's face faded slightly.
"They coordinate quite skillfully."
This looked less like a group of temporarily incited yakuza members randomly finding a few cars to rush forward.
The first was responsible for ramming the guard car away, and the second continued to pin it down, preventing it from returning to the convoy.
The purpose was very clear.
She was slightly puzzled and looked at Chizuru.
"Confirm this, are these cars all Washio's people?"
Chizuru was already asking.
The other side of the headset quickly gave a response.
"The license plates are all on the list."
"The first car is registered under an affiliated company of Washio-gumi, and the one behind also appeared near their office last night."
"What about the people?"
"Still confirming, but the SIS judges that they should also be Washio's people."
Hearing this, Satsuki nodded lightly.
Then that could explain it.
After all, Washio had been mixing in the yakuza for over thirty years.
Him not arranging such a thing himself does not mean his subordinates have not done similar things.
Besides, the convoy was still moving forward.
Although the SUV on the right was temporarily delayed, another guard car in the rear had already begun to accelerate to fill the vacancy.
Dojima's voice also quickly appeared on the radio.
"Car Number Two, continue forward, do not stop. Number Four, fill the right side, Number Six, stay behind to handle it."
His voice was so steady that not much fluctuation could be heard.
The slight doubt that Satsuki had raised earlier also fell back down accordingly.
At least up to here, it was still considered normal.
She began to think about things after tonight.
The agreement had just been signed, and the subordinates dared to directly ram her car on the streets of Tokyo.
Hoshino would probably have a big headache tomorrow.
If someone else pulled out those pistols sent by the SIS and fired a few shots at the vehicle, things would become even more interesting.
The bigger a fuss Washio made tonight, the more places Saionji would be able to reach into afterward.
Thinking of this, Satsuki turned her head again to look outside the window.
The SUV that had just filled the spot had already entered the right side.
The convoy closed ranks again.
The first round of attacks seemed to have been left behind just like that.
"It seems Dojima—"
Satsuki's words were only halfway through.
An urgent horn suddenly sounded from ahead.
Very long.
And getting closer and closer.