The photochemical smog that had gathered over Tokyo for several days was finally blown away by the night wind last night. The entire metropolitan area was clear and the sky was so blue that the bottom of the retina seemed to be dyed blue, and the sun poured down.May 19th looks like it will be a beautiful early summer day. Shunsuke Gotong hangs his suit jacket on his right shoulder and holds a travel bag in his left hand as he walks on the expansive new land of Haipu. This Haipu new land with an area of ​​more than 200 football fields will be built into a city with a high concentration of intelligence in the future, but currently there is only a large piece of land and sparse weeds.Appearing in front of Shunsuke was a silver object that was bigger than the building, like the legendary giant's favorite football, this object was actually a large flying ship that had just been completed.

Luxury flying passenger ship "Asuka / ASUKA".This is a super-large rigid airship funded by the well-known entrepreneur You Ben Taizao, and today is the departure day of its maiden voyage.The voyage is scheduled to depart from Tokyo Bay, cross the North Pacific Ocean, and head to Vancouver, a metropolis in western Canada. The Hindenburg, a large German flying ship, exploded and burned at Lakehurst Airport near New York in 1937.This is the orthodox airship that has reappeared after fifty years since that incident. Youben is not a simple person, he decided to decorate the first step of this feat with an extremely gorgeous performance.Therefore, cheerleaders, drum bands, singers and entertainers can be seen everywhere.

The overall picture of the flying ship "Asuka" is roughly as follows if expressed in numbers: the total length is 500 meters, the maximum diameter is 84 meters, the height is 133 meters, and the gas capacity is 1 million cubic kilometers feet, with a carrying capacity of 840 passengers and 160 metric tons of cargo, a cruising speed of 160 kilometers per hour, and a maximum speed of 195 kilometers per hour. The diameter of the stern contra-rotating propeller is 18 At 1.3 meters, the output power of the turbine engine is 15,400 horsepower. The crew has a total of 53 crew members, including 44 room service personnel, and can sail continuously for 18,000 kilometers each time.

The content of the promotion advertises that passengers can enjoy a comfortable journey comparable to the luxury cruise ship Queen Elizabeth II in the air, not at sea, and it is by no means comparable to airplane travel bound by seat belts in small seats.Since the flying altitude is about 1,000 meters, it is not blocked by the sea of ​​clouds and cannot see the ground scenery.Of course, the speed is not as fast as the plane, but in terms of the comfort of the journey, it should be far better than the plane. The "Hindenburg tragedy" that occurred in 1937, in addition to causing damage to thirty-five lives in the suburbs of New York, also took away the future of flying ships as a means of transportation.Although the impression that "a flying ship is a dangerous means of transportation that is prone to gas explosions" has long been ingrained, the Hindenburg used hydrogen, and as long as helium was used instead, there would be no danger of explosion and combustion.However, it seems that it is not so simple to overthrow the long-rooted impression of "dangerous".

The Titanic sank in the North Atlantic, but the cruise ship did not disappear from the sea.The same is true for airplanes. Every year there are reports of where they crashed and killed people, but no one advocates the complete abolition of the use of airplanes.Just because of an accident, the flying ship's air supremacy was taken away by the plane, and after that, it is still irretrievable to this day. It is said that what the shipowner had originally wanted to control was the operating rights of the airlines. However, Japanese airlines are all under the control of powerful existing forces, and there is no room for newcomers to intervene. Transfer to flying ship.Becoming a pioneer in the airship industry is like opening up an uninhabited wilderness. If you have the book, you can also formulate industry norms yourself.

Because in Japan under the bureaucratic system, it is impossible to achieve the effect by relying on force alone, so Arimoto cleverly used advertising companies and TV stations to stir up the practical atmosphere of the flying ship, and finally put it into practice.For Arimoto, this was a ten-year career plan. It is a matter of course that luxury airships start from Tokyo.As for why Vancouver, Canada was chosen as the destination, of course there are good reasons.Because the owner of the ship, Ben Taizo, had already built a hotel in Vancouver, using it as a forward base, and planned to expand his tourism development business to the western part of Canada with British Columbia as the center.The maiden voyage of the world's largest luxury flying passenger ship is a magnificent presentation of this plan.

The reason why Junsuke became a paying passenger on this inaugural voyage was not because he had any close friendship with the ship owner, nor was it because he was a well-known figure in the society.In fact, one hundred of the passengers this time were solicited "general public", and Shunsuke was one of them. Shunsuke had an inexplicable liking for things like flying boats and hot air balloons, and published an article about flying boats in an aviation magazine two years ago, perhaps because of that incident.Although this is a strategy used by Youben to win over the general public, since he can go to Canada by airship, Shunsuke has no reason to refuse.Besides, there is nothing inappropriate about Jun's involvement in the selection.

In this way, Junjie came to the take-off place of the flying ship as the first batch of passengers, but he couldn't help mumbling with a wry smile. "Everywhere you look, they're all celebrities. It's flattering to be nobody." After all, this kind of trip is not suitable for taking part alone, you should come with your companions.Junjie thought in his heart that while enjoying the leisurely journey, it would be better to have someone to talk to.If you can have a young and beautiful female companion, it is even more desirable. Shunsuke looked around, and randomly picked an empty seat from the folding chairs placed in a corner of the temporary tent group and sat down.The Helexin capsule in his pocket jumped slightly.

The distance from Tokyo to Vancouver across the North Pacific Ocean is about 5,200 kilometers, a journey of 33 hours.Depart at 6:00 pm on May 19th, cross the international date line, and are expected to arrive in Vancouver at 10:00 am on the 20th of the next day.There is a 17-hour jet lag. In order to eliminate the discomfort of jet lag, passengers are provided with the prescription of Helexin, which is a drug that can affect the biological clock. Generally, jet lag is more severe when traveling from west to east than when traveling from east to west.Circumstances vary from person to person, and some people even need ten days to fully adjust to jet lag.Since this will inevitably affect the interest of sightseeing, Arimoto Taizo prepared such things in advance at the suggestion of his doctor friend.

This time, the invited passengers are expected to stay in Vancouver for three nights, with free activities during the day. Indus Shunsuke, thirty-one years old.When I introduce myself, I am usually called an archaeologist, specializing in the cultural circle around the Sea of ​​Japan, that is, conducting research on the exchanges of ancient civilizations in the northeastern part of the Chinese mainland, the Korean Peninsula, the coastal states of Russia, and the Japanese archipelago surrounding the Sea of ​​Japan. Shunsuke has worked as a part-time lecturer at two universities since he obtained his master's qualification from the graduate school.But part-time lecturers are incredibly cheap, and it's impossible to live on that income alone.The reason why Shunsuke can live a decent life is because of the small piece of land left by his deceased parents in Nishi Kanda in Tokyo.That was achieved when land prices were still within the scope of common sense.

Shunsuke received a considerable sum of money after entrusting a real estate company to sell the land he inherited with his sister.It's just that this money is not a huge sum of money that can be used for food and clothing for a lifetime, and academic books are quite expensive. In addition, his wish is to go to Russia's coastal states for archaeological exploration, so he has to live frugally. Japanese companies, even if they have excess funds, will not consider giving back to the society. Instead, they will go overseas to buy land or buildings.Although recently more or less started sponsoring cultural undertakings, it was limited to art, drama, music, etc. It was impossible to sponsor activities such as archaeological exploration.If you want to explore the exchange of earthenware civilizations in East Asia before BC, you can only pay for it yourself. "Big brother!" Startled by the sudden shout, Shunsuke focused his attention on the white girl standing in front of him.Because her sunhat, T-shirt, and hot pants are all white or light shades close to white, that kind of visual experience is caused. The pretty short reddish hair and the energetic face smiling at Shunsuke seem familiar. "Sure enough, it's the big brother. It's me, diary, don't you remember?" "You are a diary..." Junjie muttered to himself, feeling a little unbelievable for a moment.Appearing in front of him was his niece, that is, his sister's daughter. She should be eleven years old this year, and she hadn't seen her for two years.The reason why he is called "big brother" is because Shunsuke is taboo to be called "uncle".This is the general psychology of single men. "You've grown taller again, diary." "Because I'm already in the sixth grade. Will the big brother come to take the airship too?" "Well, you too? Did you come with Mom?" The mother of the diary runs a boutique and is also an essay writer. During these three or four years, her popularity has greatly increased and she has become a famous woman.Not only have talent, but also have the judgment and action to seize the opportunity to display their talents. "My mother is in a bad mood. Recently, after she broke up with a teaching assistant at a certain university, the teaching assistant immediately went back to a certain female celebrity, so she said that men are unreliable, and she was very angry. But my mother also complained. got a boyfriend." The diary told uncle all the gossip of the two years at once, and Shunsuke couldn't help showing a wry smile. "Your mother is still the same, very popular." "It's very eager to be popular." The girl asserted sternly.This made Shunsuke feel the similarities between mother and daughter.Diary sat down on the chair beside Shunsuke, and even this movement was very similar to her mother's when she was young. Junjie once helped his sister who was three years apart received many love letters, but her sister always dismissed boys of the same age.Thanks to his sister, Shunjie was complained by many friends and had to listen to their complaints. In the early summer sunshine like a waterfall, a heroic woman walked over.Although Shunjie doesn't understand women's fashion at all, he can be sure that it is a refined and flawless outfit.Wearing a green-based two-piece suit, this is Shunsuke's older sister and diary's mother Minako Gogi. "Don't instill strange concepts into the diary." After two years, the siblings' first greeting did not contain any sentimental element.Although Minako is thirty-four years old, she looks five or six years younger than her actual age.There are not many women in Japan who have the body shape and attitude that can show the charm of suits so naturally.And also "Don't instill strange ideas" as a greeting. "It's already over 30 years old, aren't you married yet? I can't wait for your wedding invitation." "Who told me to be different from my sister? I'm not welcome at all." This is not a polite word, on the contrary, it is a bit embarrassing.In fact, it's not that Junjie has never been in love, it's just that he always wrestles before reaching the finish line. "Single nobles are no longer popular in this era. A man who is worthless and attractive will only be abandoned by women again and again." There was no trace of tolerance or politeness in my sister's tone. "I've experienced this before." Once again, Shunsuke had to show a wry smile.His older sister gave birth to Diary eleven years ago and became a so-called "unmarried mother".Shunsuke never wanted to blame or criticize the fact that the diary's father is a famous married man, because everyone has the freedom to fall in love. It's just that unmarried mothers are a way of life, but if a mother imposes her own way of life on her children, it is too unreasonable.Shunsuke thought so.Children should affirm and accept their parents' way of life. This kind of selfish plan of parents actually goes against their own ideas, doesn't it?However, Shunsuke did not express such thoughts. "Could it be that you have too high a standard for property and appearance?" "How could it be? Men nowadays are very self-aware." Although these words are ironic, Minako's mental system has always been able to automatically filter out unpleasant irony, and even her eyebrows remain motionless. "Diary, you can go with uncle. Anyway, since you were young, you have liked your big brother more than my mother." After unexpectedly saying this, Minako turned back and walked away at a pace that could be called "high efficiency". She walked into the side of a middle-aged gentleman in an elegant hunting suit, and started chatting and laughing after exchanging greetings .Although Junjie didn't know this person, it was conceivable that he must be a person with both status and reputation. The diary explains again. "That person is a composer. I heard that my mother will write the lyrics this time, and that person will compose the music. They are helping a singer called something. These days they often see each other." Now my sister has another title of lyricist. Shunsuke really admires Minako's versatility.The only thing Minako lacks is probably the ability to be a mother.It is really inappropriate to say such things as loving an uncle more than a biological mother to a child.Even though it looks like this on the surface, deep down in the child's heart, he must be very eager for maternal love. Junjie stopped being speechless, and said to his niece. "Diary, do you want some ice cream?" "Okay, thank you uncle." Diary laughed.It was a sincere and beautiful smile.However, the uncle who has been away for two years can't help but worry about what kind of emotion he has for his mother under that smile. "It is absolutely impossible for me to sacrifice my own future and opportunities for my children." Minako advocated and put it into practice, so the diary has been taken care of by a nanny since she was a baby.She certainly has the freedom to do so if her financial capacity permits.However, as far as Shunsuke can remember, when she was eleven years old, Minako did not express her understanding or cooperation with her parents' way of life. The passengers of the airship, the people who came to see them off, the people who came to visit the airship, the people who came to interview everyone, and the people who didn’t know how to spend their time, this and that, a total of more than 20,000 men, women and children gathered On this new land of Haipu.There are more than 50 vendors selling cola, hot dogs, ice cream, etc. to these people.After buying ice cream at one of the stalls, the uncle and niece walked together among the noisier crowd than in Harajuku on a Sunday. For a while, the two were silent for some reason, and then the diary looked up at the tall uncle and asked. "Big brother, don't you have a girlfriend?" "The stone utensils and books are my girlfriend." "It feels great, but it seems a little lonely." "Well, big brother thinks so too..." Regarding the precocity of his niece, Junjie could only smile wryly.In this era, half of all men under the age of thirty-five are unmarried.Maybe it was because of this, no matter what my sister said, Shunsuke never responded seriously.Besides, one can't get married at all, one has to have a partner, but modern women's conditions for men are becoming more and more stringent. For example, as follows. "1. Over 175 cm in height. 2. Graduated from a well-known national or private university, or with a graduate degree. 3. The family has less burden and it is best not to have to take care of elderly parents. 4. Own your own house. 5. Have a family. A stable job with an annual income of more than 10 million yen. Sixth, drive an imported bridge car." Although I don't know how serious women are about these requirements, Shunsuke passed the first to third items, but failed all the latter items.Archaeologists with an income of more than 10 million at a young age do not exist at all, do they?Even if there is, it is definitely not Shunsuke Indus.It is unbelievable that personality or character and so on are completely ignored when making such conditions.But having said that, it would be a strange thing for someone to say, "My ideal match is a man who is interested in stone and earthenware." The conditions that archaeologists must possess are: first, physical strength, second, courage, third, persistence, and fourth, wisdom.There is also a "zero fee".Money is always the most important factor. Henry Schlieman, who successfully excavated the ruins of Troy, worked diligently and worked hard in business until he was nearly fifty years old, in order to save excavation expenses.Moreover, Schliemann was lucky enough to prove his hypothesis.Unfortunately, not all archaeologists can be as successful as him.The reason why Schlieman is so famous actually means that his success is a very small number of examples.Under the brilliant glory of Schliemann, there are countless corpses of losers piled up. This is certainly not Schliemann's fault, but rather those who have irresponsibly misused his name.It's not that Shunjie has never dreamed of a magnificent success like Schlieman's, but he understands the truth that dreams come back to dreams and reality is reality.In fact, as long as life is safe and you can do what you like to do, you should feel lucky. Besides, in the past years, it was pure fantasy to go to the coastal states of Russia to dig ruins, etc., but today, if the peaceful days can continue, it may be possible to witness the stone tools of Osinovka with their own eyes. The chances of a long-awaited location such as a processing plant or the cylinder-shaped pottery excavation site of Guratkaya are not certain.For Shunsuke, pursuing this possibility is far more important than dating women.Therefore, it is not surprising that Xiao Xiao has good appearance but is not favored. As if to encourage the useless uncle, the diary said. "When Diary grows up, he will also become an archaeologist and help his elder brother." "Thank you, but the digging work is very hard. Because you have to dig with a shovel in the hot weather, that kind of work is really not suitable for beautiful girls." The niece's kindness is certainly touching, but it's better not to be too intoxicated.Looking at his watch, it was almost four o'clock.It's almost time to go through customs.When they returned to the place just now, Minako was already there waiting for them. Customs clearance is quite easy.It was exactly five o'clock in the afternoon when Shunsuke Wutong entered the "Asuka", and there was still an hour before take-off.From the pick-up bus to the boarding steps, all procedures are the same as in the case of flying.Looking back from the gangway, the ultra-modern high-rises in the coastal area form a lavender silhouette under the slanting early summer sun. "See you later, big brother." Raising his hand in response to the diary waving beside his mother, Shunsuke looked at his boarding pass.At times like this, it is also a pleasure to look for a room while walking. In order to find Room E097, Shunsuke walked for five minutes in the huge cabin.There were about a dozen celebrity couples I met on the way, but Shunsuke couldn't even remember a single name. The rooms of "Asuka" are divided into three classes: economy, first class and deluxe.Shunsuke's room is a single room in the economy class, while Minako and the diary's mother and daughter live in a double room in the first class. Shunsuke's room is similar to a single room in a general business hotel.Single bed, coffee table, wardrobe, writing desk with mirror, etc., these alone seem to fill up the space.Fortunately, the windows are large, so it doesn't feel suffocating.In case you really feel suffocated, you can go to a bar or restaurant to get some air.There is also a bathroom attached to the guest room. Although the space is small, it is fully equipped with shower room, washstand, toilet and other equipment. The equipment of the luxury suite must be even more gorgeous.But in terms of Shunsuke's financial ability, maybe even a single room in the economy class is not in line with his status.Besides, being selected by the lottery does not mean that you can enjoy a free flying boat trip.When Junjie paid the travel expenses, he was thinking about how many academic books he could buy with the money. The destination of the airship, Canada, is an emerging country, and Vancouver is also an emerging city, so there is nothing to look forward to in terms of history and tradition, but if you can dig out the coast of British Columbia, you may find North America Prehistoric relics of the aborigines are also possible.The stone tools or earthenware excavated from there should be very similar to those of the Jomon period in Japan. Although Shunsuke experienced this trip with such a mentality, in his mind, it would be a good thing to occasionally go outside of Japan even if the possibility is ignored. As far as archaeologists are concerned, young people who are immature are putting their luggage in the wardrobe. The owner of the flying passenger ship "Asuka" and the chairman of Toyo Air Ship Co., Ltd., Arimoto Yasuzo, is leading the signed entourage in the corridor inside the ship. superior. His appearance is not as outstanding as his strength.Medium build, neither fat nor thin, height no more than 165 cm.Although he looks much younger than his actual age of sixty-two, his appearance is like "cooked fiddler crab".The clothes are average, but even in ordinary clothes, it looks strangely skewed, probably because everyone who sees it is overwhelmed by Youben's malice. Arimoto was heading towards the salon.The salon on the ship can accommodate 950 people, which means it is a party venue that is more than enough to accommodate all the passengers.From 5:30 a departure commemorative party will be held there.The people who explained various things beside him were the captain of "Asuka", Masamura, and the chief of staff, Kuwahara. "Everything is going very well so far. But having said that, if there are any problems during the stay on the ground, let alone the Pacific Ocean, it is impossible to cross Tokyo Bay." The reason why the aviation veteran Masukura left the airline halfway is not worth mentioning, but it is rumored that it has something to do with the verbal incidents he caused repeatedly.It is also said that although Yicun is cautious and upright when he is sober, he becomes unable to control himself when he is drunk.All in all, these are trivial things for Youben.It doesn't matter whether Yicun is an alien or an underground person, as long as he is a capable pilot, other costs will not be considered. On the other hand, Chief Purser Sang was poached from a shipping company in principle, and has ten years of experience as chief of affairs for ferries and sightseeing cruises. Although he is fifty-two years old, he is proficient in cruise business and is reliable, but his personality seems a bit cautious. In Youben's eyes, as a dictator, he doesn't need any capable and ambitious subordinates.It is enough for his subordinates to obediently obey his ideas or orders and implement them.Since Arimoto participated in this maiden voyage, except for the difficult technical aspects, he will naturally take care of all affairs in person, and Kuwahara only needs to be responsible for running errands. "For condolences, it seems too early to say, and the next step will be the main event. After we arrive in Canada safely, I guarantee that everyone will have a generous bonus." Ben laughed.This approach is like hitting someone in the face with a whole bundle of banknotes, but Youben is not stingy at all.As long as his subordinates have meritorious service, he will be rewarded with shocking rewards.In fact, it can be said that the reason why there are subordinates who are willing to follow Youben, who is the only one I respect, is because of this reason. In the process of rapid expansion of assets and businesses with capital, not only advanced and wise methods are adopted, but also vicious and vicious methods are adopted. This is the so-called "Eatonian" approach.That is the usual method of the Eaton family, known as the king of department stores in Canada. After acquiring the land in the center of the metropolis, they leave the land idle for several years or decades, hindering the city government's urban planning.It wasn't until the unbearable city government came to negotiate that they severely proposed conditions that were beneficial to themselves, and then started to build department stores, or forcibly sold the land to the city government.All in all, it is to earn "struggle benefits". Arimoto used this method repeatedly to obtain great benefits, and afterwards merged companies with degraded evaluations with other companies, or changed the name of the company to obliterate the existence of the original company. "It's a nasty thing to say the least. I don't want to be with that kind of guy." There are naturally many people in the financial world who are so aggrieved.However, Yuben never took them seriously. Most of the passengers had already gathered at the party, chatting and laughing.Shunsuke Wutong, who was not used to dressing up in a suit, was also in a corner, holding a glass of whiskey with water in his hand.At this time, he and Arimoto Taizo were strangers, so even if they passed by each other, they would not exchange a single word. "Oh, the master is here." "No matter how you look at it, it looks like a hero." "If you want to fully understand and start to explain the philosophy of life, I'm afraid you have to wait a hundred years. Look at his virtue, his face is shiny, and his brain is full of fat." Whispers drifted into my ears from time to time, but Yamoto Taizao didn't mind.Because in the near future, he will dominate the skies all over the world with a network of spaceships.He couldn't care less about those booing voices behind his back, and for the complaints of those losers who lost after competing with him, at most he just wanted to say "deserved it".Behind Arimoto who left proudly, those whispers sounded again. "There are Ben Tai who created this person, but he actually has many enemies." "I've never heard of a successful entrepreneur without enemies." "Having said that, it's rare to get almost no support from the big bosses in the financial world." Arrogant and rude, calling the elders of the financial circles old and foolish without changing their faces, and breaking the tacit agreement and agreement of the industry at every turn; for various reasons, in the process of promoting the commercialization of flying ships, no one in the financial circles has expressed their gratitude to them. He provided kind assistance, and although there was no intentional hindrance, almost everyone was waiting to see his failure with a sneer. When the matter was finally officially approved, an agreement was reached with the Canadian government, and everything was arranged before the day of departure, the faction of the anti-party had to be amazed. In the venue of the party, there were also several faces of people from the financial world.An old gentleman in his eighties, wearing a well-fitting heavy British-made suit, was looking at Arimoto's back with malicious eyes. "Hmph, you, Ben, an upstart, thinks he's great!" Words full of contempt and jealousy spit out from the purplish red lips of the old rich man.Beside him, a younger financial man in his seventies also expressed disapproval. "As the saying goes, when the worst is the worst, even the sky can overcome it, that's what it looks like. With Ben's current state of mind, it's probably like Mr. Fujiwara looking up at the full moon." He was a powerful minister who gained power by marrying his three daughters to the three emperors. When he was at the peak of his power, he wrote a waka "This world is my world, as if the moon is full and perfect" to describe himself state of mind.) "Unfortunately it won't last long." "Of course. Right now he's like tap-dancing in high heels, and he'll be off stage soon with a broken bone." However, when Urimoto approached to greet these two vicious and mean people, they had no choice but to put on a smiling face and talk to each other.This is what is at stake in the real world, and that is why the rage and loathing of the elders are all the more stricken. "Actually, all of this is thanks to everyone's support and help, so I can get to where I am today. There are many villains in this world, especially those who are jealous of other people's success or talent, but are big people different? I have suffered a little, please continue to take care of me in the future.” Youben is not easy to bully.Clearly seeing through the other person's heart, but proudly pretending not to know.The smiles of the big bosses froze. If Ben withdraws all the money in the account or withdraws the funds, their careers will definitely come to a standstill, if not to the point of collapse. Soon after, the party officially kicked off, and celebrities began giving congratulatory speeches at the microphones. "...Mr. Arimoto Taizo is a modern figure, just like Oda Nobunaga. His strength and drive not only changed Japan, but also changed the root of the world. Even I should learn from him." The older man who stood on the stage and delivered a speech loudly was a stalwart member of the ruling party, named Hamura Moyuki.He and Arimoto are partners who depend on each other. It is said that Yumoto is the patron of the bar opened by Hamura's mistress in Roppongi. Not hiding anything about that kind of thing, even facing it calmly, this may be the characteristic of Youben.As he puts it, "I'm a beloved villain," and that's what he is. "There's no romance in that jet thing, it's just a blob of metal purely for efficiency. A man or a business or even a government has to have romance." Looking at the senators who gave enthusiastic speeches, a group of men who seemed to be related to the newspaper industry also held wine glasses and chatted in a low voice. "I heard that Senator Hamura spent a lot of money on the flying boat?" "It should be. Because he has nothing to do with the rights and interests of the aviation industry. If he became the Minister of Transportation last year, he might have gained a lot of sweetness, but he failed in the fight for the official position." "That's why he is eager to seize the new rights to the flying ship. Because the opportunity is not lost." "Whether there will be beneficial rights is still a question." Eyes full of sarcasm met each other. "Youben seems to want to use this flying ship to make a movie, no wonder the relevant people in that area have also entertained a lot." "I'm afraid it won't work. It's a pity that there is no precedent for movies with flying ships as the theme in Japan." "That's what I said, but what's the reason? Don't the Japanese like flying boats?" "That's not necessarily the case. Just look at today's scene. Maybe it's just the incompetence of the film company in the past. If it was done by Ben Taizao, it might be successful." "It's true, he is indeed a master of publicity." A well-known male singer on the stage is singing his personal best-selling suite.Regardless of whether the tune of the singing style matches the airship or not, it contributed a lot to the atmosphere of the scene. The break between singing and music was thirty seconds before six o'clock.It's finally time for the flying boat to take off.Through a loudspeaker in the venue, a young woman's voice began to count down the seconds.Some people rushed to pour beer into glasses to celebrate, but more people gathered by the window, hoping to witness the moment the takeoff took off the ground. Shunsuke wanted to do that too if possible, but unfortunately he was a step too late, so he couldn't get close to the window at all, and the countdown also ended unconsciously. The distance on the ground was getting farther and farther, and the gentlemen and ladies in the salon looked at each other in blank dismay.In the glass on the healing table, the whiskey did not ripple at all. "It seems to have taken off." "Yeah, it's really quiet." While admiring, I can't help but feel a little unfulfilled.Compared with the feeling of being bound by a seat belt in a narrow seat when the plane takes off, it is indeed completely different. Not only does it not shake, but it also does not feel the change of gravity that makes the internal organs churn. In an unimaginably peaceful state, the 500-meter-long artificial giant whale was freed from the shackles of the land and floated in the sea of ​​air. After take-off, the flying ship "Asuka" will go north, pass over the metropolis Tokyo, and enter the Pacific Ocean from Kashima Beach in Ibaraki Prefecture.After that, it will generally take the large circle route, pass through the coast of Honshu and Hokkaido, from the Kuril Islands and the southern sea of ​​the Kamchatka Peninsula, and arrive in Vancouver via southern Alaska. Between Tokyo and Vancouver, there is no set stopover, but at Anchorage International Airport in Alaska, there is still a technical team belonging to the flying ship construction company on standby.Although it was a preparation for the eventuality, nothing should happen now. In order to establish the era of airships, ensuring safety is the first requirement.Arimoto who agrees with this point does not dare to slack off at all, because he knows that no matter how minor an accident is, it may become a fatal injury to the era of airships.So he's been pretty thorough in terms of safety checks. "Asuka" must have arrived in Vancouver safely when nothing happened. That should be the case. In the southwestern part of Tokyo, if you look south from the north towards the Tamagawa River, you can see an area where research facilities of private companies are concentrated.Research institutes occupy a vast base, full of greenery, forming an important pillar of the so-called Tama Hills Cultural City.As far as categories are concerned, it is centered on the electronics industry, electromechanical industry, and biochemical industry. Among them, the Central Research Institute of the comprehensive chemical company "Istancia" is the largest, and the entire hill with a total area of ​​200,000 square meters is its base. 伊斯坦西亚的前身，是第二次世界大战保法前不久所设立的一家名叫“大东亚人造纤维工业”的公司，事业内容恰如其名，专门生产供陆、海军使用的化学纤维，直到战后才转型。目前纤维及树脂的生产比例仅占极小部份，而以药品、化妆品、营养食品、环境保全系统以及陶瓷等等为主力。 资本额计一千四百亿元，年营业额的规模则有资本额的十倍之多。 中央研究所的所长是一个名叫针生政道的四十多岁男人，拥有工学博士学位，他同时还兼任了总公司的常务董事职位。这位人物曾经受到某知名国立大学副教授以三顾之礼加以聘任，给人的印象是庄重之中带着精明敏锐。 在所长室里和这位针生面对面的人物，就是研究所的警备主任山西。蜷缩着摔角手级巨躯的山西，正面临到针生的质问。 “有入侵者？到底是怎么回事？” 这并非单纯的质问，当中还包含了谴责的意味。针生有个坏毛病，就是对于他人的失败或者处理事情的瑕疵绝不宽贷。正因为他的这份严格加上努力工作，他才能平安无事的登上今天的地位。然而他所带给部下的精神压力也极其巨大，所以因为神经衰弱而转调单位的人员有二十六名，离职者有九名，入院治疗的就有六名，自杀者有一名，这就是他在人事管理上的辉煌战果。 就总公司的立场而言，这些在善加培育之后应该能够成为未来企业栋梁的人才，居然一个个在树苗的阶段就枯萎了。“当真严格的话倒还无话可说。但是针生的做法简直是矫枉过正，一定要收回他的人事权！”如此主张的人虽然存在，可是在针生的权势之下，却没有一个人胆敢面对加以反抗。 穿着卡其制服的山西一副惊恐的模样，擦拭着额头上的汗水。因为在这个研究所中被列为机密，代号“Ⅵ084”的药品样本，被某人给偷出去了。 就算布下了多么严密的警戒网，如果使用内部人员的识别卡，要拿到什么到外面去并非不可能。这项不变的模式如今被执行了。 “直到谁是犯人了吗？” “已经查出来了。” 警备主任山西加强语气。假使被针生当成无能者的话，那么山西等于是没有明天了。对于山西而言，刺激他劳动意愿的，毋宁是恐惧感而非忠诚心。 识别卡的持有人是谁，这点很快就查出来了。那个人正是研究所的副所长，拥有医学博士学位的志水秀治。拥有副所长头衔的另有事务主任、基础研究主任等一共四人，而志水担任的是应用研究主任，才三十三岁。 志水才刚和总公司副董事长的女儿结婚，从各方面来看都称得上是精英中的精英。这样的志水为什么会做出这种偏离飞黄腾达之路的行径呢？也有可能是志水的识别卡被伪造了吧，不过针生的这个猜测，立刻被山西谨慎地否定。 “虽然仍在调查之中，不过识别卡似乎是真的。” “是志水……” 喃喃自语的针生，双眼之中闪烁着泛白的恶毒光芒。如果针生有警戒对象的话，那么这个人一定是年轻有为的志水，而且他所拥有的坚强裙带势力也不容忽视。志水自己放弃了荣华富贵的道路，这对针生而言倒不是个坏消息。 “他应该做过员工思想调查不是吗？” “思想方面应该没有问题。因为在他的近亲或者交友关系当中并未发现有反国家思想的人。” “哼，难道是为了钱吗？” “是的，多半是这个缘故……” 调查的结果，志水的一个银行户头曾经汇入了一笔以亿为单位的款项，从汇款帐户早已解约的情况看来，所有的一切似乎都在计划安排当中。 “还有一点，是女人的问题。” 志水有个情妇。和副董事长千金共组的家庭生活似乎相当落寞，这两年左右，他一直和一个在伊斯坦西亚的某个子公司上半的女性职员维持着关系。然后，似乎是某件事情促使他下定决心，令他舍弃了目前的人生，而那名女性职员也在三天前就没来上班，从此消失无踪。 “调查得挺仔细的嘛。” "Where, where." “但是，无论调查得多么详尽，一旦错失时机的话，就连一毛钱的价值都没有！必要的时候得不到必要的情报、竟然还敢摆出居功自傲的表情，没用的东西！” 针生的怒骂如冰雹般倾盆而降，山西吓得缩成一团。自尊受损是毫无疑问之事，然而畏惧之情却凌驾于反弹心之上。 “非常抱歉……以后我一定会好好改进，不会再这么粗心大意了。” “还有以后！” 在针生的刻薄咒骂之下，山西感觉到背后流出了大量的汗水。收到先在成田国际机场做好部署，提防志水潜逃国外的命令之后，山西立刻仓惶地退出所长室。 就在山西离开的同时，桌上视讯电话的灯号也开始闪烁。针生的手一拿起话筒，小小的屏幕上随即显现出一个灰发、身材瘦长的年长男人。这位就是伊斯坦西亚的董事长富冈弘雄。 董事长以急切的语调开口说话。 “事情似乎非常严重啊，针生。” 富冈董事长的发言虽然缺乏个性，却是算计与警戒的结果。如果能让事情责任停留在针生的阶段的话，对富冈来说便可“转祸为福”，将来也有铲除针生的借口。对于董事长的想法，针生完全看得一清二楚。 “唉，事态并不乐观确实是事实，但是还无须劳烦您来操心，我会立刻将事情处理好，绝不会为他日留下祸根。” “那么，你可知道被盗走的药品具有什么效力吗？” 董事长提高了声调。他是经营管理以及劳务方面的专家，而不是技术人员。由技术派及管理派交互出任董事长之事，在这样的企业当中很常见。因此，针生把富冈当成一个与尖端技术无缘的单纯事务人员，相当轻视他，甚至毫不隐瞒这份轻视。 如果富冈是个像有本那样的独裁经营者，肯定早把针生给赶出公司了，然而他只不过是个上班族的董事长而已，他不能忽视给予针生高度评价的大股东们的想法。 “是基因的……” 正要回答之际，针生突然闭上了口。再次张口的时候，表情已经换成了无懈可击的冷静。 “目前还无法做出明确的回答，改天我一定会呈上一份正式报告。” 接着就单方面挂上了视讯电话。 “不能让他知道。这个人绝对守不住秘密。一个不小心的话，不单是自家公司，说不定连国家也会遭到颠覆。” 针生如此自言自语，不过脸上的表情却不如言语那般深刻，对于上司董事长的无礼行为也丝毫不放在心上。命女秘书端来咖啡之后，仿佛很难喝似的啜饮着。由于他不抽烟，如果不这么做的话实在不知如何填补时间的空档。 让所长等待了将近两小时之后，警备主任山西终于回来了。一脸郁闷的表情站在所长面前。 “怎么？没在成田抓到志水那个叛徒吗？” “您猜测得没错。志水似乎避开了成田，企图从其他管道逃到国外。” “难不成是关西机场吗？” "It's not..." 山西似乎有点支支吾吾，不过这只是单纯的停顿而已。 “今天，世界最大的飞行船将从东京湾飞往加拿大，这则消息您应该知道吧？” “哦，就是在电视上炒得很热的那件事情吗？好像是个叫做有本还是什么的暴发户……” 针生突然停止说话，皱着眉头看着山西。 “不会吧，是那艘飞行船？” "yes……" “没办法阻止吗？” “来不及了。飞行船'飞鸟'已经按照预定计划，准时于六点整从东京湾东品川的海埔新生地起飞了。” 针生发出强劲的咋舌声。就这么轻而易举地逃走了吗？山西战战兢兢地继续报告。因为护照的关系，所以知道志水是以本名搭乘的。他似乎是利用重金买了下某个抽奖取得飞行船搭乘的资格。总而言之，无论是情妇、或是志水本身的行动，都可看出是经过计划下的行动。 针生露出不悦的表情陷入深思，待视线一回到山西的脸上，立刻简短地下令。 “叫冠木过来，把事情交给那家伙去处理。” 山西的脸上闪烁着惊惶不安的神情。针生冷冷地笑道： “怎么，还不快去叫人？” “是。不过所长……” “或者你想亲自处理吧？你有弄脏双手的觉悟吗？” 遭到指责之际，仅存的反抗之意也同时粉碎，因此山西只能无力地回答一句“我明白了，所长”而已。 高傲的点着头的针生按下电视遥控器。转了两次频道之后，画面上出现了在东京上空升起的巨大飞行船之影像。针生像是故作平静似的盘腿而坐，并对着正准备离开所长室的山西丢出这么一段话。 “飞行船实在是一种悲剧的交通工具呀，就好比在纽约爆炸的兴登堡号一样，你不这么认为吗？” "I……" 对于结结巴巴的部下，针生仅仅瞥了一眼，便再次全神贯注地盯着飞行船的影像。虽然表情没有什么特别的变化，但却仿佛有道恶毒阴影在那脸上蔓延扩大。 “可惜呀，这艘名为'飞鸟'的飞行船，恐怕也逃脱不了悲剧的命运呢。”