Chapter 363: Chapter 363

Internationally, undercurrents were swirling as various forces made contact and exchanged information, all striving to unearth the details of Vincent's incident.

In the media, all sorts of well-informed sources and knowledgeable insiders burst forth with explosive revelations.

Real or fake, it was hard to distinguish.

Netizens didn't need to discern truth from fiction. They simply chose to believe the part they wanted to accept as fact.

The waves of the world washed over the campus, where they became calm and leisurely.

The midday sun was scorching, and the cicadas' calls fell from the branches of the osmanthus trees one after another.

Aozawa walked toward the club building and circled to the side, where the familiar sound of the guzheng drifted from a window.

It had been a while since he had heard the two play the guzheng.

He approached the window.

Inside, two girls in school uniforms sat upright, a guzheng placed on the tables before them.

They wore finger picks, plucking the strings of the instruments.

Aozawa didn't urge them for the lunch box. Instead, he leaned his elbow on the windowsill and listened intently to the duo's performance.

After they finished, Natsuka Yanagimachi looked up and smiled, "Aozawa-senpai, don't you feel like our music has cleansed your soul?"

"Summer Flower, you shouldn't be so overconfident," Aozawa teased. Their playing was only average and certainly not soul-cleansing.

Moreover, unlike Maggie and the others, Shouko had the kind of personality that wouldn't rest until she got to the bottom of things.

Insincere praise would easily be seen through.

"Hehe, I knew it, Aozawa-senpai's soul can only be cleansed here~"

Natsuka Yanagimachi wrapped her arms around Hojo Shouko's chest, causing the impressive mountainous curves to stand out.

Aozawa immediately cleared his throat, "Why did you suddenly decide to practice the instrument?"

Hojo Shouko corrected him and pushed away Natsuka Yanagimachi's frolicking hands, then stood up, saying, "This weekend, the Guzheng Club is planning to hold a public performance in front of the Silver Department Store to raise funds for those who died in Washington D.C."

A look of surprise crossed Aozawa's face, "Shouko, do you have a connection?"

"It's a pretext. I think Senior Sayuri must be someone with a compassionate heart. We can use this excuse to ask for her help distributing fliers, and then we can set her up with Brother to work together."

Hojo Shouko honestly revealed her strategy.

Aozawa stroked his chin and realized there might indeed be something to her plan.

Being naive, Little Sayuri might volunteer to help with fundraising for the families of the deceased once she heard about such a good cause.

"Shouko, you're not going to do anything unnecessary, right?"

"Aozawa-senpai, I have thoroughly researched this matter, so there absolutely won't be any problems," Hojo Shouko said as she passed over the lunch box with a serious expression.

Aozawa took the lunch box and flicked her forehead, teasing, "Don't talk nonsense. Let Tetsuji do as he pleases.

I heard from Maggie that he and Little Sayuri are getting along well. Just create opportunities for the two of them to be together, and don't worry about anything else.

You mustn't try to win favor for Tetsuji on your own; know your limits."

Hojo Shouko frowned, "Aozawa-senpai, I always feel you're holding onto an old stereotype of me and are unwilling to update your understanding of who I am.

How about this: you come to the Silver Department Store this weekend, and I'll let you witness my ability."

"Because of that statement, I'll have to be there to supervise you."

Aozawa patted her on the head, calming her agitated state, and turned to walk toward the school building.

Natsuka Yanagimachi leaned in, her face full of curiosity, "What does it feel like to be patted on the head by Aozawa-senpai?"

"Aozawa-senpai's hand looks unassuming, but when he pats your head, it feels like he's holding your head like a ball."

"Don't say scary things like that."

The image of Aozawa picking up Hojo Shouko by her head with one hand flashed through Natsuka Yanagimachi's mind.

It was somewhat like the posture of a Demon King.

Hojo Shouko glanced at her and said, "I was just honestly answering your question."

"I'm not asking about the physical feeling, but whether there's that very sweet feeling, like a dog being petted by its master."

Natsuka Yanagimachi's right hand mimicked the gesture of petting a dog, her expression and tone full of emotion.

Looking at her expression, Hojo Shouko said speechlessly, "No, don't be silly."

"Then let me pat your head."

"Stop fooling around."

Hojo Shouko blocked her hand.

As if having found decisive evidence, Natsuka Yanagimachi exclaimed, "This is how you treat me, and how you treat Aozawa-senpai differently!

Why can he pat your head and I can't?"

Hojo Shouko was stunned, and a thoughtful expression appeared on her tranquil face.

Upon reflection, other than Aozawa-senpai, no other male had touched her head besides her mother patting it and then the hairdresser. Is Aozawa-senpai destined to be an excellent hairdresser in the future?

Natsuka Yanagimachi slapped her shoulder and exclaimed, "That's love!"

Hojo Shouko's brows knitted slightly.

Natsuka Yanagimachi smiled and said, "Shouko, in my opinion, you should try dating Aozawa-senpai. Newest update provıded by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩

Maybe it's unexpectedly suitable. Isn't that sense of security, similar to the one a brother brings, quite wonderful?"

"Don't talk nonsense."

Hojo Shouko retorted to Natsuka Yanagimachi's remark, feeling a trace of bewilderment in her heart.

She found her current relationship with Aozawa-senpai pleasant. Why did Summer Flower insist on pushing her forward? Would truly dating lead to a good outcome? Some people make great friends, but dating might lead to conflicts, then a parting of ways, never to meet again. Rather than ending up like that, it might be better to maintain the status quo.

Hojo Shouko turned around, "Alright, Summer Flower, let's continue practicing.

You don't want to lose face in front of others, do you?"

Natsuka Yanagimachi ended the conversation.

She certainly didn't want to embarrass herself in front of strangers. She at least wanted to play a piece that would be considered decent, not one that would make people think, 'She's a stunning beauty, but what on earth is she playing?'

「Two o'clock in the afternoon.」

Shinjuku, Central Building.

The sunlight outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was blazing, making the skyscrapers glisten like mirrors.

Jack had no choice but to draw the curtains, holding a phone in one hand, listening to the woman on the other end complaining.

"I think the CIA in the United States doesn't need my help at all."

"Miss Morimoto, I know something important happened in Washington D.C., but the crisis has now been averted, so you don't have to worry."

Jack tried to soothe her emotions and emphasized, "I was surprised that such a thing happened."

"I risked my life coming here, and you think saying it was 'unexpected' resolves the issue?"

"Okay, in addition to your reward this time, I'll give you a car. How about a Bugatti Veyron?"

"Do you take me for someone who can be bought with just a car?"

Listening to the accusatory tone on the other end, Jack massaged his temples, grudgingly saying, "Then how about this: with the summer holiday approaching, I'll give you a villa near the beach, two hundred square meters in size, with an open-air bath, on the Miura Peninsula."

"Ensure the property tax for the house is paid for life, and the Bugatti Veyron must be bright red."

"Alright, I'll have it paid for a hundred years."

Seeing his sincerity, Morimoto Chiyoda didn't pursue the matter further. She was well aware that no matter how generous Jack was, he always had a bottom line.

Moreover, such an incident couldn't really be blamed on Jack.

No one could have foreseen that a brigadier general, in collusion with an admiral, could instigate such an extensive war. And he almost succeeded.

"Not a single person from the CIA has come to see me while I've been resting at this hotel.

How much longer do I have to stay here?"

With her feet up on the sofa, Morimoto Chiyoda asked, "Is that guy Bruno dead?"

Extorting concessions was just a side note. What Morimoto Chiyoda really wanted was to understand the current situation and when she could return to Tokyo.

She hated this sensation of being out of the loop.

After pondering, Jack answered truthfully, "Miss Morimoto, the current situation is that the Director of the CIA is missing.

Someone like him should have retreated promptly into a bunker. However, he wasn't found there. This means he might not have had time to evacuate, or he might have been kidnapped."

"As expected, Vincent wasn't the mastermind behind this conspiracy."

"That's not entirely correct. He's the apparent mastermind.

He planned and executed this operation, and it was his personal charisma that influenced the people in the air force to follow him."

Jack corrected a misunderstanding of Morimoto Chiyoda, "However, this incident involves an extensive web of connections and is quite complex, with both domestic and international powers involved.

The CIA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and all domestic intelligence agencies are at work.

The biggest known participant is the Rockefeller Family.

Their aim with this opportunity was to eliminate the families behind the Chicago Financial Group, Boston Financial Group, Morgans Group, and California Financial Group.

However, their intelligence on the other financial groups was flawed, and those targets were not eliminated.

Now, the Rockefeller Family is being hunted by these surviving groups. We cannot rule out the possibility that some among them knew about the plan in advance and turned it to their advantage.

Not to mention foreign intelligence agencies like MI6 and KGB; even the Phoenix Academy cannot be excluded from suspicion."

"How is the Phoenix Academy related to this?"

Morimoto Chiyoda was surprised to hear about a Japanese family involved.

Jack, sitting in his chair, explained, "During the war, the Phoenix Academy indirectly benefited.

Kochou's advice led Lieutenant General Orochi Mc Arthur to firmly side with The White House during the turmoil.

His swift mobilization of the Air Force at Langley earned him high praise from congressmen. He was subsequently promoted to a four-star general, becoming Chief of Staff of the Air Force and concurrently Commander of the Northern Command.

His rise in rank, coupled with the death of several generals in the Pentagon Building, nearly brought the Mc Arthur Family back to its peak influence in the military.

He and Kochou are as close as brother and sister.

The status of the Phoenix Academy naturally rose, and they even participated in dividing the assets of the five major financial groups."

"In your eyes, any power that benefits is a suspect."

"Exactly. Things are going to be busy for a while. The CIA also has to select a new Director.

What do you think I should do?"

Jack earnestly sought advice.