48: Criminal Reserves

"China has an old idiom that ridicules this phenomenon from thousands of years ago."

"I know, it's 'pulling up seedlings to help them grow.'"

Chitanda Eru raised her hand and answered.

"Correct."

"People are not machines. The brain cannot absorb knowledge all day long."

"This method either creates lunatics or nervous wrecks."

"Who knows, maybe one day the White House will be blown up by a student who has suffered a mental breakdown."

"I investigated—students who dropped out of the White Room midway have an absurdly high probability of developing mental illnesses afterward."

"A staggering 80%."

The girls were dumbfounded, their faces filled with disbelief.

What kind of outrageous number was this?

Was Japan's government insane?

"To be honest, this is no different from mass-producing mental illnesses."

"Although they are artificially created pseudo-geniuses, making homemade explosives is still quite easy."

"Uncle Sakayanagi, my advice is that you should cut ties with that clown, Ayanokouji Atsushi, as soon as possible."

"The fate of such a mentally unstable lunatic is bound to be destruction."

"You don't want to be dragged down by him."

"Otherwise, what about Arisu?"

Akira Sawamura narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness as he reminded:

"Arisu, you should move in with Chisato for the time being."

"The Sakayanagi family is also one of the investors in the White House."

Sakayanagi Arisu's face turned pale, seemingly not expecting her father to be involved in such matters.

"Uncle Sakayanagi, your actions are completely unworthy of the Sakayanagi family's reputation."

Sakayanagi Narumori's face turned ashen, shame evident on his expression.

"Akira, why not let me stay with you instead?"

Sakayanagi Arisu asked confidently.

She wanted to move into Akira Sawamura's home.

"Because we won't allow it!"

Akira Sawamura's childhood friends shouted in unison.

"Ahem! Because you and Chisato are good friends!"

"Besides, I'm currently running between the Sawamura and Suou households."

"I'm not home every day either."

Sakayanagi Narumori, still flustered, continued to ask, "Akira, do you know Ayanokouji Atsushi?"

"I don't, but I've investigated his background."

"It's easy to profile his personality based on his experiences growing up and his actions as an adult."

"Obsessive, self-centered, ruthless, willing to do anything to achieve his goals, and seizes every opportunity to climb higher."

"Uncle Sakayanagi, you've worked with him for so long; you should be well aware of his character."

"In his eyes, everything can be sold or exchanged for benefits."

"He is a fusion of a madman and an ambitious schemer."

"The fact that he has survived until now is nothing short of a miracle."

"Does he not realize that he is mass-producing people with severe mental disorders?"

"No, he definitely realizes it."

"But he doesn't care at all."

"As long as he achieves his goals, that's all that matters to him."

"The students who leave the White Room are practically the perfect criminal reserves."

"In the eyes of terrorist and criminal organizations, they are invaluable talents."

"Because most of them suffer from severe psychological issues."

"They hate the parents who sent them into the White Room, they hate this world."

"Even as a psychology novice, I could easily guide them onto the path of crime."

"Let alone those psychological experts who specialize in inciting criminal behavior."

After Akira Sawamura's long and thorough analysis, Sakayanagi Narumori's face instantly turned deathly pale.

Investing in the White House was undoubtedly the worst decision he had ever made.

"Ryoko, this is your moment."

Yakushiji Ryoko corrected Akira Sawamura's grammar, "It should be 'our moment.'"

"Chisato, Takina, you two have work to do as well."

"With Ryoko's backing, you must monitor the students coming out of the White Room closely."

"Whether online or offline, don't let any suspicious activity slip through."

"Use hacking to track their online behaviors."

"And hack into surveillance cameras to follow their movements in real life."

"Ayanokouji Atsushi's direct superior is Naoe Taro, the secretary-general of the Citizen's Party, the founder of the Naoe faction."

"One of the top figures in Japan's power structure."

"The White Room was also established under Naoe Taro's orders, as a countermeasure against the influence of the Advanced Nurturing High School."

"But that old man is nearly ninety."

"He's too old, like a dying tiger with its teeth and claws pulled out."

"Practically a half-buried relic."

"Uncle Fujiwara, if a scandal of this magnitude were to break out within the Naoe faction…"

"Do you think that old bastard might be so enraged that he drops dead?"

"The White House's establishment and daily operations have received investments from various political factions."

"It's easy to drag a whole group of elites down with it."

"This is our opportunity—to purge the Naoe faction and weaken the influence of other factions."

"The reason I say this is because Naoe Taro is too old."

"He can no longer control Ayanokouji Atsushi."

"On the contrary, Ayanokouji Atsushi, that venomous snake, is biting back at Naoe Taro."

"He's flipping the tables and aggressively swallowing up the Naoe faction's power."

"But Ayanokouji Atsushi is a commoner with no background."

"His wife is just a hostess."

"He won't be able to take full control of the Naoe faction in the short term."

"That's his greatest weakness."

"With the Fujiwara family at the core, combining the power of our allied families…"

"It's practically guaranteed that we can replace the Naoe faction and establish a new faction in the National Diet."

"In the future, there's even a possibility that Grandpa Fujiwara could become Prime Minister again."

"If he doesn't want the position, with all our families combined, we can always find a suitable candidate."

"But I still think Grandpa Fujiwara is the best choice."

"T-This… Akira, is this really possible?"

Fujiwara Daichi unconsciously slapped himself in disbelief, his face filled with excitement.

"Why wouldn't it be possible?"

"The noble families worked together to put Grandpa Fujiwara in power once before—why can't we do it again?"

"Especially since this time, we have even more allies."

Akira Sawamura was referring to the forces backing his childhood friends.

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