Chapter 1207: Starting your own business?

Yes, four years is indeed a long time.

How many four-year periods are there in a lifetime?

Now, Takeshita is already 59 years old, so there is no way he can make it this year. If he doesn't start building up his strength now, he will be 63 years old in four years' time.

If he still hasn't made it by then, he will have to wait another four years.

Or pray that the prime minister from the Liberal Democratic Party will also step down and seek a successor.

But to seek a successor, you also need to have enough supporters. Without sufficient power, why would you be allowed to succeed?

Currently, Takeuchi is still being suppressed by Tanaka, and he does not even have control over his own party, let alone the entire party. How can he compete with other factions?

If Takeuchi cannot advance, then it will be difficult for others to support him, as he is Takeuchi's disciple. This also involves his political career.

Now he is already 46 years old, and among the members of the same generation as him, he is considered to be slow. His master Takeuchi, who was the same age as him, had already entered the cabinet.

So he must also prepare in advance!

If there are a few major companies like Nomura Securities supporting him, not dozens, but just a few that are willing to fully support Takeue, it will be enough to greatly enhance Takeue's strength and foundation, giving him more confidence to develop allies and cultivate the backbone of the party.

After a long time...

Obuchi's thoughts gradually became clearer, and his mood gradually calmed down.

He straightened his glasses and said solemnly to Junpei Hinata, 'Junpei-kun, I will convey your meaning and that of your friends to Takeuchi-kun exactly as you have said.'

Junpei Hinata nodded with a smile, "Obuchi-kun, I'm counting on you.'

Then, he took out two business cards from his pocket and handed them to Obuchi-san, saying, "Obuchi-kun, this is my personal business card, with my satellite encrypted landline number on it.'

'You or Takekami-kun can contact me at this number!'

Obuchi Keizo solemnly accepted the two business cards and said, 'Okay, thanks!'

'This is my business card!'

After putting the business card in the inside pocket of his suit, Obuchi Keizo also took his business card out of his pocket and handed it to Junpei Hyuga with both hands: 'Junpei-kun, this is my business card, please accept it.'

...

After the banquet, Junpei Hyuga went home and reported the situation tonight to Xia Yu via an encrypted phone call.

Oobuchi Keizo, on the other hand, spent the night at home thinking about it, and he continued to ponder the matter at work the next day.

In the evening, he visited Takeuchi Noboru at home with fruit and a small gift.

'Teacher, I'm here!'

'What's with the gift? Come and sit down!'

When he saw Obuchi arrive, Takeshita's doll-like face broke into a happy smile as he greeted his favourite disciple. (Takeshita does have a doll-like face, but you can look him up yourself on Baidu.)

'Has the work been stressful recently?'

'Have you encountered any major problems?'

Takeshita asked, concerned, after Obuchi had sat down.

Keizo Obuchi shook his head and said, 'Teacher, the work pressure is not that great. I have also grown a lot in my work. Although I have encountered some difficulties, I can solve them myself.'

Hearing this, Noboru Takeshita smiled with relief and said happily, 'That's good. You have great potential. As long as you keep working hard, you will definitely surpass me in the future!'

Hesitant, Obuchi said modestly, 'You will always be my guiding light. I just want to follow in your footsteps and learn from you.'

Although happy, Takeuchi pretended to be dissatisfied and said, "You can't think like that. You surpassing me will only prove that my teaching was useful.'

...

After a while of small talk, Takeuchi took the initiative and asked, "Keizo, you said you had something important to tell me. What is it?'

Keizo Obuchi's smile quickly faded, and after taking a deep breath, he said solemnly, 'Teacher, last night, the president of Nomura Securities, Junpei Hirata, asked me out to dinner, and we had a long chat.'

Nomura Securities!

Takeshi Takeue's brows furrowed slightly, and his expression became serious. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, 'Was it about Junpei Hirata, or about the Sanwa Consortium?'

Takekami knew a fair bit about the six major Japanese consortia and the various families, and he paid particular attention to the latest developments in the consortia from time to time.

He knew full well that after the Second World War, the Emperor had been sanctioned by the West, and the power of the Japanese imperial family had been curtailed to the point of non-existence. Politics in Japan had become the politics of the consortia, and no politician without the backing of the capital could become prime minister.

He had also been trying to gain the full support of a certain consortium, but had never succeeded. The support of the consortium all went to Tanaka Kakuei, the leader of the faction.

And the Sanwa consortium was now fully supporting the Miki faction. Suddenly finding Obuchi Keizo, could it be...

Just as Takeuchi Noboru's heart was wavering, he was immediately poured cold water over by Obuchi Keizo.

Obuchi Keizo shook his head and said, 'Last night, he didn't even mention the Sanwa consortium, just Nomura Securities.'

Upon hearing this, Noboru Takekami could not help but look regretful.

The difference between Nomura Securities and the entire Sanwa Group was too great...

'What is the main purpose of Junpei Hinata?'

A little disappointed, Noboru Takekami's tone of inquiry became a little casual.

However, Obuchi's next answer made him perk up again.

'Teacher, Junpei Hinata wanted me to pass on the message that they, Nomura Securities and some other companies, have a lot of resources and are considering them,'

'As for what resources, he didn't say, he just told me very definitely that their resources are beyond our imagination.'

'Beyond imagination...'

Takeshi Takesue narrowed his eyes and mouthed the words, although his eyes were narrowed, it seemed as if the light in his eyes was getting brighter and brighter.

Nomura Securities and those unknown companies are preparing to make major investments in politics, and they obviously fancy someone like himself who has no support from a financial group.

After pondering for a long time, Takeue Noboru suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and asked again, 'Apart from these, what else did Junpei Hinata say? Tell me everything!'

'Yes!'

'Junpei Hinata said that he knew that you are in a somewhat awkward position, that it is difficult for you to stand out in the Tanaka faction, and that you need sufficient support to break free from the chains.'

'He also mentioned the House of Representatives election at the end of the year, saying that if you don't seize this opportunity, then you will have to wait another four years.'

'Finally, he gave me two personal business cards with his satellite-encrypted landline number on them, saying that if you or I have any problems, we can call this number.'

After saying this, Obuchi took the business card out of his pocket and handed it over, and Takenouchi immediately took it.

After looking at the business card, which only had a name and a number, for a few seconds, Takenouchi put it aside, and from his actions, it was clear that he attached great importance to this business card.

After a long pause, Takenobu looked at the quietly waiting Keizō Obuchi and asked, 'Keizō, what do you think?'

Keizō Obuchi was used to this kind of teaching method from his teacher, and he spoke out the results of his thinking last night and today: 'Teacher, I think that Jun'ichi Hyuga and the forces behind him want to support you and establish a close relationship with you.'

'It's just that they haven't made up their minds completely, and they obviously want to take the initiative and let you take the initiative to go to them.'

'And from his attitude, I think he wants you to break away from the Tanaka faction and form your own faction in preparation for the upcoming prime minister election.'

'I think that's what they care about most.'

'Teacher, that's all I understand.'

Takenaka looked approvingly and said, 'You're right in your analysis, that's what they want.'

'But...'

At this, Takenaka didn't say any more.

He stood up, walked over to the bed, opened the curtains, and looked out at the starry sky through the glass. He just couldn't calm down.

He understood the concerns of the likes of Hiromi Hyuga. If he were in their shoes, he wouldn't choose to invest in a politician who had no control and complete freedom, because that represented a risk for capitalists.

So now he was also faced with a choice. Was now the time to strike out on his own?

Just Nomura Securities alone could not make him make up his mind; its influence was not enough!

I just don't know which companies are behind Nomura Securities, and how much resources they can provide!

The latter is the most important!

This involves the prime ministerial election system.

The prime minister is the president of the majority party that obtains a majority of votes in the Diet, and the key to the party president also depends on the number of seats occupied by the factions in the Diet.

Factions with a large number of seats can naturally suppress other factions and stand out to become the party president.

Therefore, the most critical factor is the seats in the Diet.

And according to the Constitution of the island country, the Diet is made up of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. This is a clear difference from other European and American countries.

The House of Councillors has 242 seats, with a term of office of up to six years. Half of the seats are elected every three years, making elections more difficult.

The House of Representatives is different. It has 475 members, and each term is four years in length if the Prime Minister does not dissolve the House of Representatives.

The 475 members of the House of Representatives have equal rights, and the election system is a combination of small constituencies and proportional representation.

The first type is 295 members, elected by small constituencies, corresponding to the island country's 295 constituencies divided according to the population of each prefecture. Each constituency elects one member, and the candidate with the most votes and at least one sixth of the total votes is elected.

The second type of member is 180 members, elected by proportional representation. The entire island is divided into 11 proportional constituencies, each with 6 to 29 seats depending on population, and these seats are allocated according to the proportion of votes received by political party groups.

In the election, voters over the age of 20 vote for two ballots, one for a candidate in a small electoral district and the other for a supporting political party. The results of the small electoral district vote directly lead to the election of the candidate with the most votes. In the proportional representation constituency, political parties submit a list of multiple candidates in advance, and those candidates are elected in order of the percentage of votes they receive.

Since candidates can run in both the small electoral districts and the proportional representation constituencies, political parties will list important candidates from within the party on the proportional representation list to ensure their election.

As can be seen from this electoral system, the 180 seats in the proportional election not only have to compete with other parties, but also have to compete with their fellow party members to obtain the nomination of the party and be included in the proportional representation list.

And who gets on the list depends on the strength of the various factions, which is to say, the internal division of the pie. The Liberal Democratic Party has the greatest competitive pressure because it has an extremely large membership.

So for these 180 seats, Takeuchi has the ability to ensure that he is on the representative list, but if he wants to support his own people, it will be much more difficult.

So for him, the best way is to let his people run for the 295 seats.

In order to do so, he needs sufficient resources.

For example, he needs sufficient financial resources to hold various activities to show off and gain the support of voters.

For example, he needs sufficient media exposure to let voters know him and his political ideas.

For example, he needs sufficient local businesses and organisations in his constituency to canvass votes for him.

And so on and so forth. In short, he needs support from all sides.

After all, for these 295 seats, he not only needs to compete with his fellow party members, but also with other political parties and groups. It's simply too much of a drain on resources!

However, compared to the 180 seats that require nomination by the party to stand for election, the 295 members of parliament are elected through real and fierce campaigning, without having to owe favours to other factions within the party. As long as their own people succeed in campaigning, they are absolutely the direct descendants of the faction!

Takeshi Takeshita wants to build his own faction, and the 295 seats in the House of Representatives in this December's general election are his best chance!

It's already April, and there's only eight months left until the general election in December, so time is running out.

These eight months are extremely important for people who are not well-known or well-exposed, and it would be a great pity to waste even a single day!

If he really wants to start his own political party, he has even less time.

He needs to convince people to join him, decide on a system for his organisation, and find enough candidates to run in the election.

Thinking about this, the calm that Noboru Takenoue had just regained once again began to waver.

'Phew...'

With a thousand thoughts racing through his mind, Takenoue felt in his pocket for a cigarette, but realised that he didn't have any with him.

Keizo Kobuchi, who had arrived at his side at some point, immediately took out a cigarette and handed it to Noboru Takeuchi, and then bent slightly to respectfully light it for him.

Noboru Takeuchi, who was full of worries, did not say anything polite, took a deep drag, and then let out a long exhale, the white smoke obscuring his face.

Keizo Kobuchi could feel the pressure and suffering of his master. He, who was not the one with the most direct interests, could not sleep at all last night, and he had no heart to work during the day today, not to mention Noboru Takeuchi.

After a moment of silence, Obuchi said, 'Teacher, no matter what choice you make, I will always be by your side.'

Takeshita turned his head and looked at the determined-looking Obuchi. A smile of relief appeared on his face. "Obuchi, your heart is always with your teacher.'

After saying this, he patted Obuchi on the shoulder and said, "This matter, whether it is for me or for you, the teacher will consider carefully.'

'You go home tonight, and I will think about it.'

'I will let you know the result as soon as I have it.'

'Okay!'

'Then, teacher, I will go home first. You should get some rest and take care of your health.'

After saying this, Obuchi Keizo bowed deeply to Takeshita Noboru, then walked over to the sofa, picked up his jacket, and left Takeshita Noboru's home.

That night, for Takeshita Noboru, it was destined to be a sleepless night...