Chapter 15: The Grand Leader
Denki Kaneko, the Grand Leader of the Renegades, is at his subdivision unit, checking on his laptop for updates and important messages relayed back to him from the High Leaders of the Renegades.
He cautioned the High Leaders against holding the Masquerade Ball, but they blatantly disregarded his advice upfront and held it, anyway.
Their Masquerade at the Fujiwara mansion ended up in total disaster, and as a result, the Renegades got weakened.
Denki knew that the spies sent to infiltrate and disrupt the Masquerade did it on the orders of the Premier.
He also knew that the Premier took advantage of the chaos that ensued right after, to inflict serious damage on the Renegades.
The High Leaders must think of ways to steadily regain their lost strength.
Denki had to play a hand in the security of the Renegades, while the High Leaders are occupied.
He won't let the group he created to oppose the Premier fall that easily.
He'll not go down without a serious fight, and a fight to the death it is.
After he finished checking for important messages, he called one of his 13 assistants on his cellphone.
"Hello, Yamato Hirayama. This is Denki speaking."
"Hello, sir Denki. What made you call at an hour like this? Do you have something important to say?"
A male voice replied on the other end.
"Straight to the point, as always, Yamato. All right, I'll get straight to the point. As you've noticed, the Renegade Factions are currently weakened because of the mistakes they did at the Masquerade held in the Fujiwara mansion a few days earlier. "
"What are you implying with this, sir? I still have a lot of stuff to attend to, so spit it out, and get on with it."
"The point is, you can't afford to make mistakes in helping to handle the security of the Renegade Factions. If you, do, I'll come after you and kill you and your merry little 12 friends myself. "
"Sir, rest assured, we won't fail you."
"We shall see. As for your other friends, I'll have to dismiss them, as there are only 6 High Leaders of the Renegades remaining. And, tell those you contracted to supplement the security of the Renegade Factions that there's been a change of plans. They are all dismissed. "
'But what about their payments, sir? And what about the security of the Renegade Factions?"
"I've already handled it. And I also found a more suitable replacement for them. I hope you get along well with them and make sure they do their work properly. You can dispose of them when you find out they aren't doing their work."
"Yes, sir."
He then went to the kitchen to reheat the beefsteak he placed on the refrigerator.
He also popped open a bottle of beer.
After he finished in the kitchen, he went to the living room carrying a tray with reheated beefsteak and beer on the tray.
His flat-screen smart tv switched open.
He placed the food tray on the glass-top sofa table.
"Sirius, connect the flatscreen television to the Bluetooth speaker. While you're at it, switch Netflix on, and play the fourth episode of Money Heist."
Then he started eating and drinking while watching the series.
He still remembers his dark, tragic, and not-so-clean past.
He was born rich and privileged, to the rich and influential Kaneko family.
He often hangs out with the kids of the rich and the famous.
He studied at Akita University from preschool to college.
He graduated from college with a degree in Financial Management at the top of his class.
After he finished college, he got a lot of offers to work in well-known companies in Eloria.
He was known as a smart student.
He was a popular student, both inside and outside the campus.
He's involved in a lot of extracurricular activities.
He has good looks, is fair-skinned, is tall, and is muscular.
He's also upfront fierce, a blunt talker, and outspoken.
He has a lot of admirers because of that, but he also had his fair share of detractors.
At first, things seemed to go uphill for him, but tragedy unexpectedly struck.
When he reached 18, his father got himself entangled in a major business deal he agreed to, but failed to deliver.
Masashi Hamamoto, the business partner of Denki's father, sent a video message to his father, threatening to sell all of his information to competitors.
The disgruntled business partner also took his uncle as a hostage for extra leverage against Denki's father.
The video message also showed that his uncle was forced to sign a few documents, with hooded thugs pointing high-powered anti-magic pistols at his uncle.
News quickly reached Denki.
He was just relaxing at his father's condo unit at that time.
Denki and his father quickly rushed to the scene, but not before preparing some precautions beforehand.
Both of them hid fully loaded anti-magic pistols in their clothes.
They also prepared some documents and brought the car with them.
When they arrived at the scene, they were greeted by the sight of Masashi pointing his gun straight at the head of Denki's uncle.
"Whoa, Masashi, what are you doing? Put the gun down. I'm sorry that I failed to deliver."
Masashi lowered his pistol and placed it on the table.
"Sorry? Ha-ha. I waited for that moment, only for you to spoil it! You made me fall flat and lose a major deal, you stupid asshole!"
"Can you calm down and relax? Let's talk it out peacefully. There's no need for all this drama."
"There's no need, huh, Mr. Kaneko? Are you even aware of how much effort I put into this company? "
" Spare me your corporate pity talks. I've heard it before. Let's get straight to the point, shall we? Did it occur to you that we came here prepared?"
"So, what do you have on you, Mr. Kaneko? "
Denki's father placed the documents on the table.
'Once again, I apologize for making you fall flat and causing you to lose that deal you've been wanting for a long time. As a consolation, here are some documents. I'll transfer the ownership of this company to you."
Denki's father slid the documents to the other end of the table.
"What company are you transferring over to me? "
"Kaneko Hotels Group of Companies. You just need to sign these papers, and the transfer is complete. It will take some time to make it official, though."
Masashi took out his pen, and read the contents of the documents.
Angered at the fact that the document is fake, Masashi picked up his gun again and pointed his gun at Denki, before Denki or his father could make a move.
"What's the meaning of this? Trying to trick your way out? This gun is loaded. One bullet to your son's head, and he'll die."
Masashi pulled the trigger, aiming for the head of Denki's uncle.
It was a point-plank blank shot, followed by another shot to the head, and Denki's uncle immediately fell to the ground, lifeless.
It made Denki and his father reach out for their pistols, both of them pointing their guns at Masashi.
At the same moment, two men in suits and ties barged into the room, with their pistols pointed at the back of Denki's and his father's heads.
Two more men, wearing a tuxedo, also barged into the room, pointing their pistols at the heads of those who just entered.
"Did you think we came in this lion's den defenseless? My father and I aren't that stupid. You know it very well."
Denki said to Masashi, grinning, with his pistol still aimed at Masashi.
"Fire another bullet, and I doubt anyone will leave this room alive. Can your family handle the aftermath afterward?"
Denki added.
"Why did you have to make me fall flat? Did you think that I built up my company only to be rejected by a major potential investor who offered the deal? You've neglected what you're supposed to do! You forced me to do this."
Masashi shouted at Denki's father in anger.
"I was just being cautious around you, pulling at your strings. I heard you also used shady methods to build your company from the ground up. I heard about your history. I suspected you wanted to gain control of my company, so I agreed to be your partner. I did nothing to uphold my end of the deal, to prove my doubt. And the investor you wanted to grab a hold of, is one of my closest friends. You didn't have to resort to this. All you had to do is ask nicely, and I'd set up a meeting. Let's go."
Denki's father returned his gun to where he hid it while delivering his sharp remarks, then picked up the documents and went out the door, followed by his son, and the two men he hired.
This incident, and the loss of his uncle, whom he held dearly, affected him so deeply that he confronted his father.
His father reminded him that although the death of his uncle is regrettable, it's a common sight in the business industry and that they must know the background of the people around them, and stay alert.
They must do whatever it takes to survive.
He still remembered his father's words and used his father's words as his guideline before taking any actions, up to the present day.
Ever since that day, he stopped being warm and friendly.
He grew colder and more calculating.
He learned to do background info on those he associated with before he approached them, and made friends with them.
He also cut off bridges with those whom he thought aren't important, and too toxic to have around.
He also got more active in helping to manage the companies his father owned.
After he finished college, he got a lot of offers to work from famous companies.
But he stuck to helping to manage his father's company.
He also helped around with government projects and is close friends with the kids of prominent politicians.
That's how he got a head-start in politics.
He started out helping with government projects, either out in the field or in the office.
He got offers to be a supervisor or even a manager in a government department.
He declined them and opted to run for government office instead.
He was already in his late twenties back then.
He ran for office as a lawmaker for the main party list and easily won in an overwhelming victory.
He made a great contribution while he was seated in government, creating one law after another.
He had a dark side that is an open secret to everyone who knew him.
It started when he was still a teenager because he got exposed to the elements of crime and disorder.
He dabbled in the grey area and even dipped his hands in the black market.
He made shady deals with those involved in criminal activities and did everything he could to bail them out of prison and protect them.
And that's how he got to know the High Leaders of the Renegades.
His involvement in all of the shady and illicit stuff caused him to be placed on the top list of the rumored Hydra file back then.
He had a nasty and ruthless streak around him.
He had those who crossed him, and those close to him eliminated.
He also had those who failed his orders eliminated.
He sometimes eliminated them himself.
He used whatever means he could to have them removed from the scene, either through imprisonment, or sending them straight to the graveyard.
He returned back to reality when he noticed that he already finished his meal.
He got up from the living room and went back to the kitchen to place the used cutleries and plate on the kitchen sink.
He'll wash them later.
The Denki Kaneko of the past is gone. What the Premier and her allies will deal with is a more ferocious, and dangerous ex-politician whom they scorned. The Premier and her allies, after all, have no right to play the morality police when in the end, they are no different and use the same tactics as him.
Denki Kaneko thought as he went back to the living room to finish what he is watching.