Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 932: Taking Action against the Suzuki Family

At this moment, the atmosphere in the private room became increasingly tense. Tojo Yuei's eyes were like ice, fixed on Suzuki Taijie who had not yet expressed his opinion. He frowned slightly, and said in a low and powerful voice: "Suzuki-kun, so far, the other three family representatives have expressed their positions and determination. Now, I want to hear your opinion."

A sly smile appeared on Suzuki Taijie's face. He slowly stood up, crossed his hands in front of his chest, and his eyes revealed the shrewdness and calculation unique to a businessman: "Your Excellency Prime Minister, I, Suzuki Taijie, am a businessman, a businessman who has been struggling in the business world for many years. I understand that the rise and fall of a country is more important than Mount Tai, but for me, the rules of the business world cannot be violated. I need to see enough benefits before I decide whether to invest."

Tojo Yuei frowned even more tightly, and his voice revealed a hint of coldness: "Suzuki-kun, the survival of the empire is not a business. What we need now is unity and the determination to face the crisis together. The interests you mentioned are the last thing we should consider when the country is in danger."

Suzuki Taijie's smile remained, but his eyes were more provocative: "Mr. Prime Minister, I understand your position, but please allow me to remind you that businessmen are also part of the country, and our interests also need to be protected. Otherwise, why should we take the risk of supporting a country that may not give us anything in return?"

A trace of anger flashed in Tojo Takehiro's eyes, and his voice was low and dangerous: "Suzuki-kun, are you challenging my patience? The survival of the empire is related to the future of every citizen, including the Suzuki family. You should understand that the sacrifices and contributions at this moment are for the prosperity and stability after the war."

Suzuki Taijie was silent for a moment, as if he was weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he said with a fake smile: "Mr. Prime Minister, I understand your anxiety. I am willing to contribute 500 million yen to the war funds. This is a token of our Suzuki family's kindness."

Hearing this, Tojo Yuei flew into a rage. He slammed the table with a deafening sound: "Suzuki Taijie, you are insulting the empire and the efforts of all of us! The Suzuki family is the head of the four major families and is rich enough to rival a country, but they only took out a mere 500 million yen. You are simply treating me like a fool!"

A gloom flashed across Suzuki Taijie's face. He retorted without giving in: "Prime Minister, please be careful with your words. Five hundred million yen is not a small amount. For any businessman, it is a huge investment. Moreover, my brother Suzuki Taro's death is closely related to you. In this context, you still ask me to make selfless contributions. Isn't it a bit too much?"

Suzuki Taijie's words were like a sharp knife, piercing Tojo Takehiko's heart. He widened his eyes, as if he was about to spit fire: "Suzuki Taijie, are you threatening me? I warn you, don't try to challenge my bottom line. The interests of the country are above all else, and personal grudges seem insignificant at this moment."

Suzuki Taijie sneered, seemingly not afraid of Tojo Yuei's threat: "Mr. Prime Minister, I am not threatening you, I am just stating the facts. Our Suzuki family has made enough contributions to the country. Now, what we need is fairness and justice. If you insist on asking for more contributions, then please solve our family's problems first."

The atmosphere in the room instantly dropped to freezing point, and the tension between the two became stronger. Everyone present held their breath, waiting for the outcome of this fierce confrontation.

Tojo Yuei's face was extremely gloomy, and his clenched fists were shaking slightly, obviously trying his best to control his anger. He looked at Suzuki Taijie coldly and said word by word: "Suzuki Taijie, you are just a mere businessman, how dare you be so presumptuous in front of me, the Prime Minister! Do you know that your current behavior is already challenging the authority of the entire country!"

Suzuki Taijie smiled nonchalantly. He gently shook the suit on his shoulders, his eyes full of disdain: "Prime Minister Tojo, don't forget that you are just from a farming family. You can't be compared with natural aristocrats like us. I can smell the mud on you even when I'm sitting here."

Tojo Takehiro's eyes seemed to be spitting fire. He suppressed his inner anger and said coldly: "Suzuki Taijie, your words have crossed the bottom line. As the prime minister, I represent the entire country and the hope of hundreds of millions of citizens. When you insult me ​​like this, you are insulting the entire country!"

Suzuki Taijie laughed, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world: "Prime Minister Tojo, don't take yourself too seriously. In Fuso, the Suzuki family is the real king. We own more than 60% of the light industry. We don't even take the marriage of the royal princess seriously, so how can we take you seriously?"

At this point, Suzuki Taijie's eyes were full of pride and arrogance: "If you dare to touch a hair on my body, the situation in Fuso will only get worse. By then, not only will the war be unable to continue, but even the country's economy will be on the verge of collapse. Think about it, can you really afford such consequences?"

Tojo Yuei clenched his fists even tighter, and his face turned livid. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down: "Suzuki Taijie, don't go too far. As the prime minister, I naturally know how to weigh the pros and cons. But you have to understand that the interests of the country are above all else. If you do this, you will only push the country into a more dangerous situation."

Suzuki Taijie shrugged nonchalantly: "Prime Minister Tojo, are you threatening me? Let me tell you, the Suzuki family is never afraid of threats. We have the strength and means to deal with any challenge."

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Tojo Yuei's eyes, but he remained calm and restrained: "Suzuki Taijie, don't think I dare not touch you. In this country, no one can challenge my authority. If you do this, you will only bring disaster upon yourself."

Tojo Yuei's patience has reached its limit and the anger in his eyes seems to burn everything.

Suddenly he jumped up like an enraged lion, grabbed Suzuki Taijie by the collar and pulled him over.

Taijie Suzuki obviously did not expect that Tojo Takehiko would make such a drastic move. He widened his eyes and looked at Tojo Takehiko with horror.

However, it was too late. Tojo Takehiro angrily slammed his head on the table, making a loud "bang".

Suzuki Taijie groaned in pain, he wanted to struggle, but Tojo Yuei's strength was too great, he couldn't move at all. Tojo Yuei's eyes were already bloodshot, he picked up the teapot on the table and smashed it madly at the back of Suzuki Taijie's head.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The teapot shattered on the back of Suzuki Taijie's head, and tea and porcelain shards splashed everywhere. Suzuki Taijie's moans gradually weakened, and finally disappeared completely. He collapsed on the table, no longer having the strength to struggle.

This scene made everyone stand there in a daze. They had never seen Tojo Takehiko so crazy before. The private room fell into a deathly silence, with only the sound of the teapot fragments falling to the ground echoing.

Watanabe, Mitsui Kazuki, and Fujita Hisashi looked at each other, their faces showing expressions of fear and anxiety. They all knew that Tojo Takehiro's move not only meant that the hatred between him and the Suzuki family was irreconcilable, but it was also likely to cause unrest in the entire country.

"Prime... Prime Minister..." Fujita Hisashi stuttered. He could not believe his eyes at all.

Tojo Yuei slowly stood up, glanced coldly at everyone present, and said in a low and powerful voice: "Whoever dares to challenge my authority again will suffer this fate."