"Does Mr. Yoshimune mean for me to force them to close their four department stores in Ginza?" Duanmu Ci seemed to understand his meaning. "Then, when they can't manage both ends and their family interests are severely damaged, they won't have the money or the will to support Aokawa Ki anymore, and the Genji's chances of winning will be greater, right?"
“Exactly!” Minamoto no Yoshimune laughed. “Back when your father, Duanmu Qu, was acquiring properties in Tokyo, it was during the lowest point of Japan’s economy in the 1990s, and everyone was filled with anxiety. My Minamoto clan helped him acquire several plots of land in Ginza, and now four Mitsukoshi department stores stand on those plots. If we could force them to close down…”
“Then the Mitsukoshi family definitely won’t be in the mood to help Aokawaki with his election campaign,” Duanmu Ci finished with a smile. “After all, Ginza is their main source of profit! You know, that’s Ginza…”
Ginza, on par with the Champs-Élysées in Paris and Fifth Avenue in New York, is one of the world's three major bustling centers. Along with Mount Fuji and Kyoto, it symbolizes nature, history, and modernity, holding an extraordinary position. Therefore, it is also known as "the heart of Tokyo."
The Mitsukoshi family owns four department stores here, and unfortunately, all four are located on Duanmu Ci's land. If Duanmu Ci forces them to close, the Mitsukoshi family will be in a panic, and where will they find the extra money to support someone else's election? What a joke!
And if Aokawaki, Genji's biggest rival, loses the support of political donations, the consequences are pretty much predictable.
After figuring out the cause and effect, Duanmu Ci couldn't help but laugh and said, "It's quite a coincidence. The contract between my Duanmu family and the Mitsukoshi family is to be renewed every ten years. Now that the ten-year period is just around the corner, my Duanmu family can even save the trouble of breaching the contract. It's truly a blessing from heaven for Mr. Yoshimune!"
Minamoto no Yoshimune was overjoyed. "Then I'll leave it to you!"
Duanmu Ci thought for a moment and smiled, "There's no rush. The candidates are about to start their campaigns. Let's wait and see. When Qingchuanmu's campaign reaches a crucial moment, we can make a surprise move and give them a big surprise..."
This is truly "ruthless." Duanmu Ci refused to directly cut off his opponent's source of income, instead waiting until the crucial moment to strike. This way, he could not only make his opponent suffer immensely but also leave them with no room to turn back. Otherwise, if he had acted before the publicity began, Qingchuan Mu might have abandoned the Mitsukoshi family and found another financial backer, thus defeating the purpose of "poking a hole in the opponent's purse."
Once the campaign begins, if Aoyama suddenly runs out of money, he will be forced to stop the campaign and find another sponsor. In that case, what threat does a prime ministerial candidate who has disappeared from the voters' sight pose?
It was practically a foregone conclusion that Genji would become prime minister.
Minamoto no Yoshimune laughed loudly, "So thoughtful! So very thoughtful! Don't worry, Duanmu-kun, if my Minamoto clan wins this election, then the Duanmu family's interests in Japan will be protected to the greatest extent, and my Minamoto clan will also do our best to help the Duanmu family's business in Japan! Everyone... a win-win situation!"
Duanmu Ci smiled and thanked him. He still trusted Minamoto no Yoshimune's character.
The old saying, "One trick is all you need to get by," is absolutely true! The ancients were right!
Oh, I almost forgot, I am an "ancient person"... (To be continued)
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