I Don't Want An Ordinary Life

Chapter 42: The Secret Meeting

In the western Pacific, an island emerged from the vast expanse of ocean.

Surrounding it were dozens of massive aircraft carriers and missile cruisers. On the island's sprawling airstrip rested hundreds of fighter jets and bombers.

This was IW's headquarters, serving as both the organization's command center and training ground for its operational personnel.

At the island's heart stood a towering circular building, and within one of its dimly lit rooms, a meeting was underway.

At the head of a large round table sat a middle-aged man with a prominent cross-shaped scar on his face. Around him were a dozen others, their stern expressions and the palpable tension in the air setting a grim tone for the room.

"Why did we call this routine meeting at this time?" asked one member. "There's no major shift in the international landscape that would require the Senate's direct involvement."

"Sagara, are you just pretending not to know?"

"As the organization's current president, you're a little behind the curve."

"Honestly, it's baffling why the boss chose you to take his place back then."

"…"

Sagara Sousuke, the man at the head of the table, was now IW's de facto leader—overseeing operations and making executive decisions. He felt a growing frustration toward the Senate members surrounding him.

The so-called "Senate" was made up of fifteen founding members from IW's inception. They wielded significant influence over the organization's direction.

For Sagara Sousuke, the role was proving thankless. Ever since assuming leadership, he had endured relentless criticism from the Senate at every turn.

"So, what exactly is the reason we've gathered here today?" he asked, barely concealing his annoyance.

"Isn't it obvious?" replied one elder with a distinctly Western appearance, well into his fifties. "The boss's son is being bullied in Japan."

"…"

"Do you have something to say, Sagara?"

"...That's it? That's what we're meeting about?"

Bang!

The man slammed his palm on the table and shouted, "What do you mean by 'just this?' Isn't this serious enough?"

"…Is this really that serious?"

"It's extremely serious! The boss only has one son. He was bullied while studying in Japan, and now he's even been expelled from that lousy school… Fxxk! If I weren't tied up here, I'd personally go deal with it!"

"Calm down."

An elderly man with graying hair but sharp, piercing eyes spoke up.

The moment he began, the room fell silent. Even Sagara Sousuke felt a twinge of nervousness.

This elder was George Sheik, the previous president of IW and still a member of the Senate.

Turning to Sagara, George said slowly, "Sagara, IW is not a country or a race. The reason we can gather top talent from around the world is because of the boss's exceptional skills and leadership. So when he designated you—a relatively new recruit—to succeed him, the Senate didn't oppose the decision. On the contrary, we supported you."

"I deeply appreciate everyone's support," Sagara replied.

"However, Sagara," George continued, his eyes narrowing slightly, "when it comes to handling Ronan's issues, you've been far too timid. Four years ago, what would it have mattered if a mere Japanese zaibatsu had been wiped out? And for the sake of what? A tiny bit of profit from our operations in Japan? You opted for a soft approach against a group that dared to use firearms on Ronan."

"I need to clarify something regarding that," Sagara said. "At the time, Ronan was the one who first resorted to force, so we were not entirely justified in responding. Furthermore, the Shionomiya Zaibatsu holds a grip on Japan's economic lifeline. Our operations in Japan aren't just minor gains. If we had gone beyond the limits of direct force, our entire presence in the Japanese market would have been jeopardized."

"I understand what you're saying," George replied. "After the incident, we used our Southeast Asia branch to impose a small punishment on that zaibatsu. But that punishment was insignificant. To truly send a warning, a mere financial setback isn't enough."

Another elder chimed in, "We originally planned to cut off all the Shionomiya Zaibatsu's maritime trade routes and crush the zaibatsu entirely. If necessary, we would've used force. But you, as the president, prevented us from doing so."

"Exactly. There are four major zaibatsu in Japan. Without Shionomiya, there'd still be three. Even if no one took over their operations, we could have supported a puppet to fill the void. Why did you stop us?"

"What were you thinking back then? Do you think we wouldn't act in IW's best interest?"

"Are you trying to lose your job?"

Sagara Sousuke: "…"

Not only was he facing harsh criticism from the Senate, but now baseless accusations as well.

"I never thought this kid was reliable in the first place, but I didn't expect it to be this bad now."

"Don't forget that this organization wasn't built on peace and development—it was forged through conflict, by us and the boss."

"Sagara, are you brain-dead?"

"Seriously, I have no idea what the boss saw in someone like you."

Sagara Sousuke: "…"

As if the groundless accusations weren't enough, now it had devolved into personal attacks.

"All right, enough arguing. We're here to address the issue of Ronan's suspension," George Sheik said, pulling out a file. "From what I've found, he got suspended because he was involved in a fight at school. The person he fought, a student named Ogino, is someone who lives a rather indecent life and has been blackmailing girls using underhanded methods…"

Listening to George's report, Sagara Sousuke felt exasperated.

What exactly was IW? A colossal organization spanning multiple global domains, whose actions had far-reaching effects on world affairs. Many of the world's so-called major international issues were trivial in IW's eyes.

And now here they all were, a room full of senior elders along with the organization's president, the highest decision-making body, suddenly convened to discuss a fight in a Japanese high school.

They must be bored out of their minds.

"Ogino's parents once considered filing a lawsuit against Ronan," one of the members chimed in, "so we relocated them to Africa in advance. If they try to cause further trouble, we'll handle it quietly."

"Honestly, I'm not entirely comfortable with the boss's son being in Japan," someone else added.

"Let's do this," George said, putting down the file and looking up at everyone.

"I'm retired now, just sitting on the Senate. Aside from dealing with world leaders now and then, I've got nothing much going on. To ensure the young master's safety, I'll personally make a trip to Japan. If we don't make those fools suffer a little, the world might start thinking IW has gone soft."

--------------------

If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/EggZy