Chapter 367: Chapter 367

Ten o'clock at night.

Usually, at this time, Phoenix Academy Maggie would have already been lying in bed, but today was different. She had purposefully stayed up late, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders, dressed in a pale gold nightgown, standing on her family's private helipad.

The wind brushed through the branches, lifting strands of her hair, bringing a hint of coolness to her neck.

Phoenix Academy Maggie looked up to see an airplane with blinking aviation lights in the dim sky.

The Bombardier Global 8000 was Phoenix Academy's custom-designed private jet, thirty-three meters long, with a wingspan of thirty-one meters and a height of eight meters. Weighing twenty-three tons, it could carry over nineteen passengers.

The cabin was spacious, complete with customized suites, and could reach a top speed of 1,160 kilometers per hour.

The blinking aviation lights drew ever closer to the ground.

After blinking a few times, Phoenix Academy Maggie could see the airplane's massive silhouette.

Guided by instructions, it landed on the runway of the helipad, standing tall like a fortress of steel.

Phoenix Academy Maggie quickly ran towards the cabin door.

"Maggie, it's so late. You should go to bed early."

Kochou was a bit pleased to see her daughter so attached to her, but she was also a little annoyed that her daughter had violated her bedtime.

"Don't do this again."

Phoenix Academy Maggie replied, though she was incredibly anxious to find out exactly what had happened in Washington D.C.

"It's such a relief that you were unharmed during the major incident in Washington."

"My safety wasn't due to luck; it was inevitable. Before that incident, I was already aware that a group was planning to cause trouble, using business talks as an excuse to make a stop at Langley Air Force Base."

Kochou explained the sequence of events to her daughter with a smile and cautioned, "Remember to always be careful and cautious; never stand beneath a dangerous wall. The White House really screwed up this time. The timing chosen by the Rockefeller Family was excellent. No one expected them to dare do such a thing. If the Flame Giant hadn't suddenly appeared and shattered Vincent's ambitions, allowing him to take control of The White House, Congress, and the Pentagon Building, the United States might have truly faced a change of ruling powers."

At this point, Kochou also felt a chill. She hadn't expected Vincent to take over the Pentagon Building so swiftly. It was his rapid success that had led her to persuade her cousin Orochi to place their bets on The White House—a gamble that had nearly failed.

"The Flame Giant must be Dio, right?"

"Hard to say. There's no clear evidence that it's Dio, but everyone believes it to be him."

Kochou replied, patting her daughter's head, "Don't worry about those things. I'll explain the details to you tomorrow. Now go to sleep quickly."

"Mother, are you going to sleep as well?"

"I still have some things to deal with."

Kochou was not ready for bed yet; she still had to participate in a Silver Hexagram meeting and discuss the Takamagahara Project with the Prime Minister and others.

The Secretary of State was quite the lion when it came to demands. He dug away a third of their funds in one go, practically chopping at their main artery.

However, if they wanted to continue advancing the Takamagahara Project, they had no choice but to accept the cut made by the United States. Newest update provıded by 𝗻𝗼𝘷𝗲𝗹•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥

「Late at night, Chiyoda District.」

The residence of the Prime Minister was lit up.

Although Japan has a dedicated official residence for the Prime Minister, very few have actually lived there. This has led to rumors of it being haunted, though in reality, it is due to the poor condition of the residence.

Kumazo Yasuda, serving as Prime Minister, was hardly a commoner. How could he possibly live in such a low-grade place? He had his own mansion, along with more secure personal protection, and naturally, he stayed at home.

The Minister of State voluntarily poured tea for those present.

Iwasaki Yizo inhaled the fragrance of tea in the air, the wrinkles on his face seeming to soften as he said, "You've worked hard this time, Kochou."

"It's not too much trouble, but Vincent's rebellion forced us to change our plans, and that remains an ongoing concern."

Kochou showed a trace of worry on her face.

Iwasaki Yizo smiled and said, "You can't blame yourself for that; it was all unexpected."

"Indeed, but without an official concession from The White House, our covert research plan remains a risk. If The White House suddenly turns hostile one day, all of our research could be snatched away."

Kumazo Yasuda looked slightly gloomy; he had previously emphasized multiple times the need to go public with their plans to avoid The White House possibly reneging in the future.

Everyone knows that there will be elections next year. If re-election fails, the new President might not allow such a thing.

The policies of the United States swing wildly, and it was not the first or second time this has happened. Whenever presidents from different factions take office, their first agenda is to overturn the policies of the other faction, aligning fully with their own.

The clearest manifestation is that the United States believes it cannot allow China, Russia, and Iran to form an alliance. On such a major strategy, the choices of both factions had no faults. But mixing two good policies does not necessarily make them better. Instead, it might turn into garbage.

History shows that the United States' attempts to play both sides led to displeasing both, inadvertently contributing to the formation of the Three Kingdoms alliance. Even treaties set in stone could be turned on their heads anytime, let alone tacit agreements without formal treaties.

This caused Kumazo Yasuda to worry. "If the elections bring change next year, can we still safeguard our research results?"

Kochou took a sip of tea to moisten her throat, unsure if she should voice the thoughts in her heart. That was to interfere with the election, throw all her support behind it, and help her own candidate rise to power. She was pondering whether to make that suggestion or not.

Iwasaki Yizo laughed, "We must first have a next year before we can consider its affairs. The threat from Dio grows more pressing by the day, and it's an ugly truth that not one of us here, including you, Kochou, is guaranteed to live until next year."

"I know. Dio has always been different from the rest of us humans."

With this statement, Kochou made her stance clear. She was not the kind of person to leave her fate in the hands of others. She was certainly not naive enough to believe Dio's words that she was worthy of friendship and foolishly consider Dio a friend to be approached and trusted. The human heart is a mystery. She didn't want to be sold out and still have to foolishly praise the seller.

"Hehe, I know you are a smart woman."

Iwasaki Yizo chuckled and clapped his hands. "Today, I've brought a guest to all of you."

The wooden sliding door opened.

A tall, blond man walked in, his eyes sharp as a beast thirsting for blood. Yet, his facial expression was quite refined, with a slight smile on his lips. "I'm delighted to meet all of you. My name is Bruno Ante, the highest commander of the KGB in Japan."

Kumazo Yasuda's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he spoke, "Mr. Iwasaki, what do you mean by this?"

"Prime Minister, as long as we have common interests, then we can become friends," Bruno said, his face full of smiles.

He wished to rebuild the KGB from scratch. To do so, he needed to use the intelligence at his disposal to establish a firm foothold in Japan and win the support of these local power brokers. The usual high-handed actions of the United States wouldn't normally be a problem. Now, however, things were different, and such actions could easily provoke dissatisfaction.

Kochou sized up the man before her and asked, "So, you are one of the masterminds behind the Flame Project? You played the CIA for fools. Did you share the intelligence you got with MI6?"

"Certainly not," Bruno readily admitted.

He was eager to honor the existing agreements. However, the person above him disagreed. They believed that if MI6 were in the same situation, they would not share intelligence with the KGB. After all, there was no reason for a winner to provide advantages to the loser.

The Minister of State knew it was his turn to speak. He immediately said angrily, "A two-faced scoundrel like you? There's no way we can work with you!"

Kumazo Yasuda coughed deliberately and said, "Don't be rude. Sit down." As he said this, his eyes glanced at Bruno, clearly wanting Bruno to explain why they should agree to cooperate.

Bruno smiled and said, "I can provide the intelligence I've obtained to you because we are now equal partners. Russia is always sincere with its partners but is no fool, and won't be played by others. Sincerity begets sincerity."

"Then let's see what your sincerity looks like," Iwasaki Yizo spoke up.

Bruno didn't hesitate. He had already discussed matters with Iwasaki Yizo before coming and had persuaded the old man. The next step was to convince the others present. With their support, the KGB would enter a golden age in Japan.

Of course, he wouldn't let these people know who the KGB agents were. He only wanted them to provide convenience at certain times and to obtain the research results of the Takamagahara Project through joint investment.

Honestly, to carry out such things in Russia was practically impossible. Each cut would be made on themselves, and with corruption rampant, it was a lost cause. Whoever dared to block everyone's wealth was asking for death. It was better to put a hundred billion US dollars on the table, allocating it in installments to the Takamagahara Project. This was the cornerstone of the cooperation between Iwasaki Yizo and the KGB.

On the spot, Bruno revealed the intelligence and confidently stated, "Prime Minister, the Police Director and the special task force you rely on have long been with the CIA. They haven't reported these matters to you, have they?"

"That traitorous woman!"

Kumazo Yasuda's face contorted with rage; he could tolerate betraying others but not the slightest betrayal against him.

Iwasaki Yizo said sternly, "Even so, you can't just do anything to the task force, lest the CIA become suspicious."

Bruno bowed humbly and said, "Let the KGB serve as your eyes and ears from now on."

Kumazo Yasuda's anger slightly subsided as he looked around at the others to see their stance.

Kochou said, "I have no objections. Having one more person to watch is not a bad thing."

One by one, those present stated their position. Seeing their agreement, Kumazo Yasuda added nothing further. "Then it's settled."

"Alright, the Takamagahara Project officially begins, and with an extra set of eyes and ears, it's truly a double celebration."

Iwasaki Yizo raised his teacup, as if boundless enthusiasm burst forth from his aged body. He had bested many rivals on the business battlefield, and this time he also wanted to defeat Dio and achieve eternal life.