Chapter 10
1138words
"Hana Sawamura's brother, which company does he work for?" he asked his secretary.
"Tokyo General Trading Company, Sales Division Three. I heard the company is laying off employees, and his position is in jeopardy."
"Very good." Kokonogi sneered, "What else?"
"His wife just gave birth to their second child, and they're applying for a housing loan. With his current income situation, the bank will likely reject it."
Kokonogi picked up the phone and dialed a number: "Is this Mr. Tadokoro? This is Kokonogi... Yes, I'd like to ask for a small favor... Hana Sawamura, a reporter from the Asahi Newspaper... She has a younger brother named Makoto Sawamura..."
Ten minutes later, Kokonogi hung up the phone with a smug smile on his face.
The next afternoon, Makoto Sawamura received an unexpected call.
"Mr. Sawamura, I am Tadokoro, the HR director of Tadokoro Trading Company. I heard you work at Tokyo General Trading Company?"
"Yes, what can I do for you?" Makoto Sawamura asked cautiously.
"Our company is recruiting talented sales personnel. Your resume is very impressive, and we'd like to invite you for an interview. The salary would be twice what you're making now, plus a housing allowance."
Makoto Sawamura could hardly believe his ears: "Really?"
"Of course. However..." Tadokoro paused, "I heard your sister is a well-known reporter? We hope she could occasionally write positive reports about our company, or at least refrain from publishing articles that are unfavorable to us."
Makoto Sawamura's heart sank, but thinking of the baby in his wife's arms and the financial pressure before him, he nodded: "I... I can talk to her."
That evening, Hana Sawamura sat in her apartment, listening to her brother's stammering explanation.
"Sis, could you stop writing those offensive reports? I really need this job..." Makoto Sawamura's voice was full of pleading.
Hana Sawamura remained silent; she understood all too well what this meant.
"What are their conditions?" she asked.
"Nothing special, just hoping you could balance the perspective of some reports... like the matter concerning that architect Arata Nakayama, maybe focus a little less on it..."
Hana Sawamura's heart completely sank.
After her brother left, she sat alone in the darkness, recalling herself ten years ago when she first entered the profession.
At that time, she had just graduated from journalism school, full of passion to expose the truth and speak for the vulnerable. She remembered when her first report was published, she was so excited that she couldn't sleep all night.
"What is the responsibility of a journalist?" Her old professor once said, "It is to be the conscience of society, to build a bridge between power and the people."
But what about now? Should she sell her principles for her brother's job?
Hana Sawamura walked to the window, looking at the flickering neon lights in the distance, remembering Shin's determined eyes, remembering those innocent citizens who might lose their lives due to building defects.
"No, I can't do this." She clenched her fist.
The next evening, Hana Sawamura took the initiative to contact Shin.
"Nakayama-kun, I want to meet you. I have something important to tell you."
The two met at a quiet café. Hana Sawamura looked solemn, the coffee cup in her hand had gone completely cold.
"What happened?" Arata keenly noticed her unusual behavior.
Hana Sawamura took a deep breath: "Kokonogi is threatening me through my brother's job, wanting me to stop supporting you."
Arata's expression instantly darkened: "What?"
"They offered my brother a lucrative job on the condition that I change my reporting stance." Hana Sawamura's voice trembled, "My brother is currently facing unemployment, his wife just had a baby, and they're under great financial pressure..."
"Did you agree to their terms?" Arata stared intently into her eyes.
"No." Hana Sawamura firmly shook her head, "I refused."
Arata remained silent for a long time, then slowly spoke: "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I hope there are no secrets between us." Hana Sawamura looked at Arata, "And... I want you to know that some principles cannot be sold, no matter how great the cost."
Arata's gaze grew complex: "Don't you regret it?"
"Of course I regret it." Hana Sawamura smiled bitterly, "But if I had compromised, I would no longer be the person I wanted to become."
Shin suddenly spoke up: "My father was that kind of person too."
"What?"
"More than twenty years ago, he discovered quality problems with Yamato Construction, and insisted on reporting them." Shin's voice became low, "Everyone advised him to let it go, including my mother. They said, how could a small structural engineer possibly fight against a big company?"
Hana Sawamura listened quietly.
"But he didn't back down. He said, if even architects won't take responsibility for the safety of buildings, then who will protect the people living inside?" Shin's eyes grew moist, "In the end, he lost his job, lost his reputation in the industry, and even lost his life."
"Nakayama-kun..."
"But now I understand, he didn't do anything wrong. What was wrong was that dirty world." Shin looked up at Hana Sawamura, "Thank you for reminding me of all this."
Late at night, Shin walked alone on the empty street.
Hana Sawamura's choice shocked him and made him reflect on his own actions for the first time.
He recalled Moriyama's worried face, the workers who were willing to testify for the truth, and the pressure Hana Sawamura endured for the sake of principle.
"Is what I'm doing really right?"
The flame of revenge had been burning in his heart for three years, supporting him to this day. But now, he began to realize that his path of vengeance was dragging innocent people into the quagmire.
Moriyama might lose his job for testifying; those workers might face retaliation; Hana Sawamura was already facing threats for supporting him.
"Is it worth making so many people pay the price just for revenge?"
Shin stopped in his tracks and looked up at the starry sky. His father's voice seemed to echo in his ears: "An architect's responsibility is not for personal grudges, but to protect more people."
"Dad, what would you do if you were me?"
No one answered him, only the night breeze gently blowing through the streets.
For the first time, Shin experienced genuine wavering in his heart. Revenge was no longer his only goal; protecting these kind people around him might be more important.
But the problems at the civic center still existed, those corrupt officials remained in power, and Kokonogi's threats wouldn't stop.
He needed to find a new approach, one that could both expose the truth and protect his allies.
"Starting tomorrow, I'm changing my strategy," Shin clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with a different light than before.
