Chapter 2 Chapter Two: The Giant Whale of the Night

"The current altitude is 1,015 meters. Next, we will switch to level flight." Announcements from the control room are broadcast within the ship.This is ten minutes after leaving the ground.The aerial view of the metropolis gradually shrouded in twilight from the afternoon unfolded under the eyes of "Asuka". The flying giant whale turned from north to northeast, and soon turned to the east, slowly changing its direction clockwise, and entered the Pacific Ocean from the sea of ​​Ibaraki Prefecture after 6:30. The party in the salon is expected to last until eight o'clock.From the right boat to the outside of the rear window, the ridgeline of Mount Fuji under the setting sun appears purple, adding a bit of poetic flavor to the vast dusk scenery.

On the wall on the other side of the salon is a 90-inch large screen, which is used to show the scene of not Tokyo but other cities.In the picture, you can see the unnaturally thick blue ocean and sky, as well as skyscrapers surrounded by green hills.This is a city full of very clean and tidy impressions.The propagandist standing by the screen began to explain. "This is our destination, Vancouver. It is an ideal city where the natural and the man-made are perfectly integrated, and it is also the place where people who have traveled around the world finally want to live..." In the process of introducing famous scenic spots such as Stanley Park, Lions Gate Bridge, University of British Columbia, etc., the faces of oriental people walking on the street are reflected in the screen from time to time.

"This is Chinatown" came out from the explanatory voice. "Vancouver seems to have a lot of Chinese in it." "It is said that nearly 10% of the population is Chinese. And the scale of the local Chinatown seems to be amazing." "It seems that there have been a lot of immigrants from Hong Kong recently." Next to these conversational passengers, photos and blueprints of Asuka are displayed on the wall, and another publicist is answering passengers' questions. "Won't it shake when it's blown by the wind?" "Yes, please don't worry. It won't shake even in a typhoon, so there will never be seasickness."

This is the testimony of a correspondent who was aboard the gigantic German flying ship Zeppelin.It is said that even if a strong wind with a speed of 40 meters per second rushes towards you, the inside of the ship will not feel shaking at all. "Look, everyone, those glasses on the table, the water in them hasn't shaken at all, right?" The plane is too small, and the sleeper car is noisy besides shaking, and even the luxury cruise ship will inevitably have a little shaking and the sound of waves.The most comfortable means of transportation in the world is the flying boat.The propagandists so vehemently advocated.

In order to make the construction cost of the airship effective, the route must be regularized to carry a large number of guests.As Japanese people's needs for overseas travel are becoming more and more diversified and advanced, as long as they continue to promote repeatedly, they can create a good image.So the responsibility of propagandists is very heavy. "It shouldn't fall." "A flying ship doesn't fall headfirst or something like that with an airplane. It just slowly lowers and makes a soft landing, so you can't die if you want to." The publicity staff's witty tone elicited sporadic laughter.This seems to displease the propagandists.Perhaps what he was expecting in his heart was an explosion of laughter.After a few fake coughs, the propagandists cheered up and continued to explain.

"The gas used in this flying ship is helium, which will not explode because it is not probable. The reason why the famous Hindenburg exploded and burned was because the United States did not sell helium to Germany, so it was used as a last resort. The result of hydrogen." "Maybe it'll be fine if you sell it." "In fact, helium is a very precious resource, although it is also used in toys at present. With the increase of flying ships in the future, it may not be able to be allocated to toys when it is used in large quantities. Then please see The next item..."

The propagandists then gave several technical explanations, but all of them were extremely basic common sense.Flying ships are divided into two types: hard type and soft type, and "Flying Bird" is a hard type flying ship.The so-called soft flying boat refers to the fact that the huge gas container part is like a balloon, but it is just a simple bag.Rigid airships have a skeleton structure covered with a skin, and then multiple gas containers are embedded in them. Generally speaking, soft airships are mostly small and medium-sized, while hard airships are large. "Needless to say, 'Asuka' is of course a rigid flying ship. Although it only has one football-shaped container from the outside, there are several gas containers inside. Even if one of them is destroyed, it will not cause any harm to 'Asuka' at all." Any impact. Some of the passengers present may be expecting a major accident, but I can guarantee that the plot of the thriller action movie will never happen..."

Like a country bumpkin, Shunsuke Wutong stopped in front of several propagandists to listen to the explanation.The niece Diary is busy eating and drinking, her mother Minako is busy socializing, and everyone is busy with their own business. When the clock on the ship pointed to seven o'clock in the afternoon, "Flying Bird" had completely entered the sea.The surface of the sea has already been completely covered by the giant palm of the night.At this time, flying east is equivalent to entering the depths of the night. The atmosphere of the party was getting more and more lively, and the female singer of the third performer was on stage singing a barrage of 1960s pop songs.Middle-aged men and women showed nostalgic expressions and started talking.

"Although it was a turbulent era at that time, it was very dynamic." "There's no student movement, no strike on the state-run railways. There's not even a demonstration." "Peace is good, that's all I can think of." "Everyone has become moderately rich, and their understanding has improved wonderfully. Well, is this what you call living in harmony?" Minako Indus is not interested in nostalgia and so on.Or, she intentionally keeps herself from being nostalgic.For her, what matters is the future, and she has no room to dwell on the past.At the same time, she doesn't want to let her competitors know that she has no spare time.

While she was talking with a young architect, a young woman who looked like a schoolgirl handed out a handkerchief hesitantly. "You are Minako Indus. Uh, I am a fan of your book, please sign it for me." "Troublesome, now is my private time... Sigh, forget it. I used to ask for autographs when I was your age." Minako shook her pen to sign.The female student who took the handkerchief further asked for a handshake before leaving happily.The architect shakes his whiskey glass to make the ice squeak. "It's great to be able to win the hearts of young people."

"It's also a popularity business, so it's wrong not to treat customers well." The camera crew of the TV program on the flying boat moved the camera lens over the faces of Minako and others, and then fixed in front of a man. High-profile TV creators known as "pop creators" are putting a lot of emphasis on it.What he said was "flying ships will be the wave of the future!"That voice also reached Shunsuke's ears. For a while, whenever he heard the word "trend", Shunjie felt very bored. People who love to chase trends can go chasing them as much as they want.No matter what leisure activities or clothing will be popular next year, the only thing Shunsuke is interested in is earthenware and pottery from 2,500 years ago. In short, people have their own ambitions, and it has absolutely nothing to do with which one is better than the other.Shunjie doesn't think he has the right to intervene in the trendy lifestyle or ideas, so he also hopes that his own affairs will not be interfered.However, in this world, it seems that there are people who lead the way of life or thinking of others, and there are people who are led by the nose and are completely unable to make decisions about their own way of life or thinking. Often walking on the cutting edge of the times—that’s what I said, but I don’t know who should be judging whether it is really cutting edge, but it must not be easy to accuse others of their outdated lifestyles, Shunsuke thought. In the academic world, whether it is an academic faction or a network faction, there are too many annoying things, but Shunsuke has been isolated from those things from the beginning.If you don't think about how to make a fortune, you can focus on the research you like, so you are happy and relaxed. The camera lens continued to move, and on the opposite side, a business critic wearing shiny silver-rimmed glasses was talking loudly in a circle surrounded by the crowd. "No matter how much money you save, there are some things you just can't buy. Those things are character, style, blood. So-called high society is that kind of stuff." The person who made such an assertion did not know whether he thought he was a member of the upper class, and he proudly puffed out his chest in a purple suit, black shirt, and yellow tie. "A person like Youben, no matter how hard he strives, he will never become a first-class person. Only after three generations and ribbons can the blood become noble. In my opinion, in the case of Youben, you have to work hard until at least twenty It's the second half of the first century." The loud voice subsided unknowingly, the man's expression changed, and he began to talk with the approaching Arimoto Taizo with a smile on his face.Because the changes were so drastic, people around couldn't help but be dumbfounded, but the person involved remained calm.In his eyes, perhaps only the lower classes would mind such a sudden change. All kinds of people, all kinds of ideas, and all kinds of conversations make the interior of the salon lively and colorful.Outside the walls and windows is the night sea full of silence. Glancing sideways at this contrasting picture, a man muttered miserably to himself. A group of sofas for rest are placed beside the dark wall leading from the salon to the corridor.The man was sitting slumped on one of the sofas, muttering something incessantly. The man's face was distorted by the painful fluctuations, and even a little convulsive.Sticky sweat slid down the neck from the forehead, soaking the neckline completely.The thin strands of saliva hanging from the corners of the mouth dripped onto the stomach. "Damn, what's going on here. It shouldn't be like this. There should be plenty of time..." A voice full of anger and doubt could barely reach his own ears. Until nearly eleven o'clock in the evening, Shunsuke was reading a book while listening to the radio in the room.The title of the book is "Basic Research on Stone Tool Culture Around the Sea of ​​Japan", and it is a hard book. The publicists were right in telling passengers that, of all forms of transportation, airships are indeed the quietest.To be precise, it should be the quietest one except for vehicles without power propulsion systems such as hot air balloons and gliders.Because the distance between the engine and the guest room is quite far, and the engine itself is quite quiet. Close the book, turn off the inboard radio, and the room is immediately filled with almost complete silence.A drunken voice sounded outside the door, but it quickly went away, and Shunsuke was once again surrounded by silent walls.Taking out the Vancouver sightseeing guidebook from his bag, Shunsuke sat on the bed and flipped through the pages.Although I am not interested in the listed sightseeing spots, I would like to see the famous Anthropology Museum.Will the diary be happy if I take it with me?The possibility of boredom should be relatively high.It's better to choose a playground, anyway, the mother of the diary will definitely act separately from the child. At this time, there were several timid knocks on the door. Under Junsuke's questioning, the other party replied: "Big brother, are you asleep?" The owner of the voice knows it without asking.As soon as the door was opened, Diary, who hadn't changed into pajamas, stood outside the door, with a guilty and lonely expression on his expression. "Big brother, I'm sorry to disturb you so late. Can I stay with you?" "I don't care, but what about your mother?" "My mother isn't here. She's gone to another man's room." Junjie was speechless for a moment, he didn't know what to say.In any case, the diary cannot be left alone, so Shunsuke hastily made a decision. "Go to the bar. Diary can eat whatever he wants, big brother treats." "is it okay?" "Of course. We haven't seen each other for two years, and we didn't even give you a red envelope, so let's take it as compensation." At this time, the bar where the two came together, candles were lit on every table, and the atmosphere of "adult time" began to be emphasized.Though not embarrassed, the two chose a table by the starboard window. Shunsuke ordered coffee, and Diary ordered a cup of cocoa.It was dark outside the window, and there was no sound of the engine, and it was completely silent.The guests at each table also lowered their chatting and laughing volume, making Diary dare not speak loudly. "It's so quiet. Is it really flying in the air? It doesn't shake at all." "Yeah. Even if it lands somewhere secretly, we won't notice it at all." This was just Junsuke's unintentional words, but it sounded a little unlucky.It was not the flying boat that shook but the flame of the candle, because it was caused by the human breath. The diary expressed some of the thoughts in my heart abruptly. "It's none of my business what my mom is going to do. I just want to get out of school and be independent and get out of that house." The home mentioned in the diary refers to a high-end mansion in Takanawa, Tokyo.Minako and her son moved into that house two years ago, and since then, they have cut off contact with Shunsuke.With exclusive security personnel, fully electrified, heating and cooling air conditioning and hot water are controlled by the central system.Although there are only three bedrooms and one living room, the living room and dining room have an area of ​​15 square meters, which can often hold family parties. On the other hand, Shunsuke is currently living in an apartment in Niiza City, Saitama Prefecture.Two bedrooms and one living room, with a complete bathroom, and the name is also called a mansion.It takes only ten minutes to walk to the private railway station, and it takes only twenty minutes to take the express train to Ikebukuro.There are 24-hour convenience stores and self-service laundromats within a three-minute walk, which is quite convenient for the daily life of singles. It's quiet during the day and even quieter at night, so it's perfect for reading and writing papers.It is also very convenient to go to the municipal library, and it takes five minutes to ride a bicycle.Although it is a little troublesome to go to the Library of Congress or Jinboke's second-hand bookstore, Shunsuke is quite satisfied with his current residence. Shunsuke doesn't think it's tacky for his older sister Minako to move to Takanawa.From Minako's point of view, after publishing a book and increasing her popularity, it is necessary to pay more attention to her image. They used to live along the private railway line in Nerima District, and it took only one train to Shunsuke's apartment. However, after moving, they were completely estranged, and only exchanged New Year's cards.It's not like seeing each other almost every week in the past. In fact, Shunsuke does have some deep doubts about his sister, that is, whether Minako gave birth to the diary in order to obtain the proof of "unmarried mother".However, once this doubt is uttered, it will definitely hurt all the related people, and the damage to the diary will definitely be more serious than anyone else.Thinking of this, he couldn't help feeling disgusted with himself. "...Sorry, I wonder if it's convenient for Fang to sit at the same table with you?" Those who greeted him were an elderly gentleman who looked dignified and elegant, and a woman in her early twenties who seemed to be his daughter.Junjie came back to his senses and looked around, only to find that every table was full of people. "welcome." "Then bother you." After ordering two cups of royal coffee to the waiter, the gentleman introduced himself.They are father and daughter. The father's name is Ryuichiro Izumita, and the daughter's name is Hongzi. Now that the other party has spoken, Shunsuke has no choice but to respond appropriately.After Shunsuke reported his name, the gentleman turned his head slightly in thought, and showed an expression as if confirming his memory. "Indus, this surname is very rare. Excuse me, but you belong to Minako Indus..." "Unworthy brother." Shunsuke answered with a smile without any intention of self-deprecation.For he was not envious of his sister's social success, one of the reasons being that the paths the two had chosen were too different to be compared.But if my sister becomes a well-known archaeologist, he might feel very uncomfortable. The coffee and cocoa were brought up, followed by the royal coffee, and the smells of multiple types mixed and coexisted on the table. At the same time, the conversation continued, and Shunsuke learned that Ryuichiro Izumita was a director of a bank with whom he had contacts, and that Hongzi had just graduated from university this year and was currently his father's secretary. "May I ask Mr. Wutong's occupation?" "I'm doing archaeological research." Since he does not rely on knowledge alone to support his life, Shunsuke is really embarrassed to call himself an archaeologist.But having said that, it is also a strange thing to correct the "oh, so it is an archaeologist" reaction one by one.I can be regarded as a half tune, just when I thought so, Hongzi suddenly smiled and said to him: "I thought you were a mountaineer when you were so tanned. I'm sorry, but you really don't look like a scholar." "Because archeology is actually a kind of physical labor." After a wry smile, Shunsuke began to sip his coffee.Her mid-length hair swayed slightly, and Hongzi turned her big eyes with distinctive double eyelids to the diary. "Excuse me, is this your child?" "It's my niece, I'm still single." Shunsuke emphasized so nonchalantly, Diary smiled suspiciously.The light of interest shone in Izumi's deep eyes. "Then, is this Miss Minako's daughter?" "That's right. But it's still too early to enter the entertainment industry." "It's a pity. But if it's another four or five years, those greedy show producers will definitely not let her go." "The diary doesn't want to be an entertainer, but the diary wants to be an archaeologist." This categorical oath made the adults present smile at each other. "Oh, is it because of uncle's influence?" "I don't really agree with it. Because this is a business that has nothing to do with money. At most, it can only dig out stone coins." The harmonious laughter was interrupted because a woman's cursing sounded beside them. A woman who looked about thirty years old got up from her seat and walked over, cursing unilaterally.With a tall body and distinct facial features, although she can be called a beauty, she has a square chin. "I've been paying attention to you since just now. This is not a place for children to come in, let alone a time when children should be present. I absolutely cannot allow someone to brazenly bring children into a place for adults. Please get out immediately .” A table of people stared dumbfounded at the excited picket. "I understand what you mean, but we didn't stay in the guest room because of something. I promise we will never talk loudly or make noise. Can you let us stay?" Since he didn't want to quarrel in front of the diary, Shunsuke responded with a solemn attitude.The square-jawed woman looked down at everyone in disgust.Although Junjie didn't know her, this woman seemed to be a well-known person. "What's your business?" "I don't think it's necessary for me to report to you, because it's a private matter." Shunsuke replied mercilessly.The square-jawed woman raised her eyebrows, Shunsuke's unyielding attitude seemed to displease her. "The reason why children without common sense are domineering is because they are spoiled by adults without common sense. Why do children get on this flying ship? What about the school? It's fine if you don't admit your mistakes, but even Not even a single word of apology, and everything turned against me, it's really amazing!" "Sorry, I think you're talking too loudly, and you're getting in the way of other people." "That's right." Just after Shunsuke retorted coldly, the steady Izumita also expressed his agreement.This made the square-jawed woman even more furious, on the verge of eruption. "Big brother, let's go. Anyway, I've finished my cocoa, so forget it." Diary stood up, while holding Shunsuke's arm, it seems that children know what it means to act according to the situation. After Toshisuke greeted Izumita and his daughter, he went straight to the cashier without even looking at the square-jawed woman, and left the bar after signing. After walking about ten steps silently in the dimly lit corridor, Diary looked up at his tall uncle. "Big brother, thank you." "What's the matter, why thank me?" "Because you protested about my affairs. I'm glad, but I'm really sorry. You must hate arguing with women." Diary is very sweet.Although this thoughtfulness is a bit weird, it is also quite cute. "It's a matter of course for adults to protect children. Besides, there's nothing to make a fuss about, so don't take it to heart." Shunsuke smiled and stroked Diary's head.The position of this head is much higher than it was two years ago.Children will grow up, this ordinary truth makes him feel quite fresh. The diary's father can't watch his children grow up, become adults, fall in love, get married, give birth to children and become mothers, and go through all the processes.Even though Shunsuke doesn't even know who he is, he can't help but feel sad for him. "At that time just now, if Mr. Quantian was regarded as the father of the diary, it would be a good show." This ridiculous idea suddenly flashed through my mind.Shunsuke is not proud of playing the role of father, but this reunion made him seriously decide that he must try his best to take care of his niece in the future. Junsuke at this time should be stepping away from trouble, but in fact it is completely the opposite.The diary fell forward at the corner of the dark corridor, and Junjie quickly hugged his niece.It turned out that the man sitting on the corner sofa suddenly stuck his foot out and tripped over the diary's foot.Shunsuke, who scolded "Don't you know this is dangerous", glared at the man angrily. The man didn't seem to want to trip the kid on purpose, but he accidentally stretched out his foot while twisting his body in a big movement.But even that would be too careless. The man who was scolded by Shunsuke stared back with yellow eyes. "You should also be careful yourself, you brat..." The extremely excited man suddenly waved his arm at the diary that couldn't understand the situation for a moment.Just as Shunsuke reflexively stepped forward to protect his niece, the man's arm suddenly lost strength and dropped down.In Shunsuke's eyes, this man seemed to be a patient. The man seemed to be slightly older than Shunsuke, with clay-colored skin and sweat profusely on his forehead and neck.The man who moaned in pain and put his hands on his stomach seemed to have completely forgotten about the diary. The diary finally escaped the adult's violence temporarily.For Junjie, there was no need for them to continue entangled with this man.After nodding to the diary looking up at him with a confused face, Shunsuke immediately put his arm around the diary's shoulders and walked towards the corridor again. Be it this man or the square-jawed woman just now, it seems that there are quite a few adults on this flying ship who are easily excitable and hate children.Although the airship itself is a quiet and leisurely means of transportation, not all the passengers on it are like that. The diary whispered to Shunsuke: "That uncle seems very unwell. Shouldn't we call a doctor for him?" "He's such an adult, he should be able to do such trivial things as calling a doctor." If you just ignore it, and the man really died suddenly, Junjie will definitely feel very uncomfortable in the future. At this time, he happened to meet a young man in an orange uniform with a guest room staff name tag pinned to his chest, so Junjie Stop him and explain the matter to him. The room staff seemed quite confused, but still left a sentence of "It's too much trouble for you", and then trotted away.Things should be dealt with immediately.In short, it is right to leave the future affairs to the personnel of the flying ship. When Junjie sent the diary back to the room, he found a figure waiting at the door.It seemed that Minako, who had finished her work, found her daughter was not there when she returned to her room; the reason why she was waiting outside the door should be due to her mother's concern for her daughter. "Sister, I'm sorry to keep the diary until so late." "I know, the diary must have forced you to say that. Diary, you go to the room first." The diary seemed to want to say something, but he could only salute quickly, say "good night, big brother", and obey his mother's order. "Well, our archaeologist seems to have something to say." "Can I say it?" "It's all right to hear it. As long as you don't expect me to accept it." "Then, I'll say it. I just hope that you don't ask your child for anything you can't do yourself. As far as I can remember, when my sister was eleven years old, she didn't cooperate with Dad like the current diary Damn request." "It is the right of parents to ask their children to do things they cannot do." My sister replied calmly. What a waste of effort, Shunsuke thought.If you really want to quarrel with a woman, it is better to quarrel with your lover for the sake of jealousy.Arguing with my sister about my niece's education would really detract from the charm of a single young man. However, he could not remain silent.As far as children of this age are concerned, Diary is definitely a good child who can understand the position of his parents. However, it is true that he is subjected to unreasonable demands just because he is a good child.It would be too pitiful if no one stood up for her, this was Shunsuke's idea. Junjie's relatives are quite weak, he doesn't even have any relatives like relatives, and he doesn't know whether he will get married, and now, apart from his diary, he has no one to give out red envelopes at all. Having said that, tonight is really a night of bickering.Thinking of this, Shunsuke suddenly felt a burst of untimely absurdity.One after another, the objects of the quarrel floated before his eyes like a merry-go-round, and all of them were related to the diary.If I really wanted to do my best for my niece, it would probably be these things.Since I don't have the financial ability, I have to rely on my mouth and body. "Don't let your kids fall victim to your parents' lifestyle, that's all I have to say. Diary is so happy to be able to travel on a flying boat with mother. Even if it's just for one night, please stay in your room with diary sleep." "I have my own business to do. It is a condition we agreed not to interfere with your work, and the diary has an obligation to abide by it." Does she think of the parent-child relationship as a contract?Shunsuke feels repulsed again. "Is sleeping with men part of your career?" As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Shunsuke immediately regretted it.He really didn't want to touch the subject.Minako, however, did not waver at all. "Yes, but half of it is out of interest." Minako and Shunsuke are not actors.Things have come to this point, both of them can't help but feel defeated and frustrated.Speaking of which, she still let her daughter go with her during the school period. If she was really that cruel, she would definitely leave her daughter at home alone. "I'm sorry, I said too much." "...Forget it. Leave me alone, what about yourself? Just make friends with the daughter of a powerful director or professor, and keep your job at the university. Besides, this is not something shameful. Establish nepotism It can be regarded as a kind of ambition of a man." "I thought what my sister hated the most was the way of the feudal era." "Like or dislike is a matter of emotion, but necessity or unnecessary is a matter of factual cognition." "Then, we have different perceptions. My sister and I are different. I don't think it is so important to be successful in society. That's it." "Yeah, that's it." The siblings fell silent at the same time.Minako shook her head lightly and corrected her tone slightly. "By the way, you will continue to take care of the diary in the future. I should be able to look forward to this." "I might treat her like a stone tool." "I'm relieved. Because you will cherish her very much. Well, that's all for tonight. I should rest too." With a smile on her face, Minako raised her head and stretched out her hand towards the doorknob. I always feel like I was cheated, but I don’t seem to be. In short, the dialogue with my sister is definitely established. After a wry smile, Shunsuke also started to walk to his room. The time on board is zero o'clock. "Okay, okay, now I can finally feel a little more at ease." "Asuka" captain Masukura breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time beat and kneaded his stiff shoulder with his right hand. "It has been several years since the Soviet Union became Russia, but when flying through this airspace, I still feel nervous." "If the peace can be maintained forever, it will be of great help to the flight." The young technician Noguchi imitated the captain's movements and said such a reasonable feeling.The tragic event of the downing of a passenger plane violating Soviet airspace is still fresh in the memory.Therefore, the flight route of "Flying Bird" was carefully set, and it took the sky over the North Pacific Ocean about 100 kilometers away from Russian airspace. The current situation is not at all off course.It has been six hours since I set off from Tokyo, and the flight distance has reached 1,000 kilometers. The current location of "Asuka" is about 500 kilometers south of Iturup Island. The door to the control room was opened, and the waiter who brought the crew coffee produced a folded slip of paper. "Captain, this thing is stuffed under the control room door." This sentence is like a witch's broom, sweeping the peaceful atmosphere floating in the "Asuka" ship to the North Pacific Ocean. The owner of the ship, Yamoto Taizo, occupied one of the suites by himself.The answering sound of the phone in the ship seemed very unpleasant, but after understanding the situation, he immediately called the captain and chief purser to his room. A suite consists of a living room, bedroom and bathroom.The bed in the owner's private bedroom is King Size, and there should be a woman on it.That is the female artist who serves as the president of Urimoto's support club, and will be Urimoto's night companion until she arrives in Vancouver. However, Captain Masukura and Chief of Staff Kuwahara, who were called into the living room, were not interested in what happened on the other side of the closed door.Because they have more important things to do. "What a silly joke! Want to threaten me? Something!" After listening to the report, Arimoto tried to laugh it off but failed completely, half of his face twisted strangely.Because on the piece of paper presented by the captain, there was a string of ominous characters dancing. It should have been written with a ruler.It was a line of characters made up of weird straight strokes, making it impossible to distinguish the handwriting. "Turn back to Tokyo immediately or detonate the bomb and shoot down Asuka." Looking at the stiff expressions of the two captains, Yumoto exhaled heavily from his nostrils. "Where did the guy come from, dare to make such a joke." As mentioned earlier, Arimoto Taizo is not a man of mainstream status in the financial world.Even among the operators who appeared after the Second World War, they still belong to the new generation.Although he is over 60 years old, since most of the bosses in the financial industry are in their 80s, no matter how long it has passed, Youben will always be an extreme yellow-haired boy. The starting point of the business is a taxi company and a real estate company. After a quarter of a century of expansion, the business system has not only developed into truck transportation, business supermarkets, restaurants, golf courses and other industries, but also has more than 100 subsidiaries. .In particular, the warehouse land in the Tokyo Bay Area held under his name has become a huge asset due to the skyrocketing land price, which has continuously expanded his financial resources. The captain cleared his throat and began to speak. "Boss, this matter may be related to an international terrorist group." "Stop talking nonsense. What's the point of blowing up a flying ship for radical terrorists? There's no atomic power on board, and I don't see any reason to be hostile because I'm a human being. It's always been fair." There is a speech made by a gentleman, which makes the subordinates quite distressed when choosing expressions. "If anyone is really hostile to me, it's probably only the high-ranking mainstream of the financial world. Those guys think that they can control the world by drinking with politicians in high-end restaurant booths. Hmph, one day I will definitely give them all Get rid of it, let them know the fear. Incompetent thing!" "So, it could be that... the mainstream of the financial world sent the terrorists in..." "I know their methods very well." If the mainstream of the financial world intends to obstruct the worthy flying ship business, as long as it colludes with the political or official circles, it doesn't matter how many legal means it needs.In fact, the reason why the maiden voyage of "Asuka" was two years later than originally planned was because officials from the Ministry of Communications secretly sabotaged it.Youben is convinced of this. The purser spoke timidly. "Could it be a plot by Canadians, or similar radicals, targeting Japanese companies for wanton intrusions?" There used to be such a thing.由于暑假期间的饭店旅馆几乎全被日本的观光客所占领，因而导致加拿大洛矶山脉的中心都市制定了一条限制日本旅客住宿率之条例。无论是多么慷慨大方的客人，一旦超过限度的话还是会招人厌恶。而有本就是那种做什么事情都容易过度的男人。 “我在卑诗省各地建设饭店、高尔夫球场、滑雪场，还以千人为单位雇用劳工，我是在创造他们的就业机会呀。他们没道理不感谢我，反而还憎恨我吧。” 赤裸裸地展现出以主观的善意为基础之自信，有本大放厥词。在日本，有本同样拥有在人口过疏的村庄建设滑雪场或高尔夫球场而获得当地人感谢之实绩。 滑雪场在建设之际所造成的森林破坏、以及高尔夫球场的农业公害，近来正逐渐形成严重的社会问题，但是有本根本不把那些当成一回事。因为他认为自己是胜利者，所以做的都是正确的事。 “我讨厌打仗，可是我更讨厌一面倒的败仗。” 有本扮出一个连牙龈都露出来的笑容。与其称之为豪迈倒不如说是野蛮的笑容。不过，或许有人能够感受到吃人老虎的笑容之魅力也说不定。 在有本的人生当中并不是没有败仗的存在，只是战胜有本的对手也没有一个能够毫发无伤。还是有一些公司在蒙受到比有本更大的伤害之下，由于组织本身更为庞大之故，才好不容易免于败北。 总之只要有“别靠近有本”的耳语传出来的话，他就算是获胜了。 “如果有人以为这种程度的威胁就能让我有本泰造感到害怕的话，那就大错特错了。但若是那些嫉妒我的窝囊废就另当别论。” 接着，他继续将累积的情绪之一部分盛在舌尖、吐出体外。 “哼，旧财阀派系就那么了不起吗？还不是只会坐享先人辛苦建立起来的成果？靠自己根本什么都做不了，只会在安乐椅上摆架子说别人的坏话，这就是那些家伙的本性！” 有本在空的咖啡杯里稀里哗啦地注入威士忌，并以视线封住了有话想说的船长之口。财界主流的一群人憎恶着有本，而有本则以更加激烈的态度憎恶、蔑视着财界主流。 这个时候回东京的话，高兴的会是谁？乘客的半数以上是知名人士，其中还有好不容易推掉档期出席的歌手和艺人，就算下次也为必能让这些人齐聚一堂。更重要的是，他的潜在敌人一定会吐着舌头骂他一声“活该”吧。 该折回去吗？有本是有这样的想法，只是他的决心在不到三十分钟内，就得被迫更改了。 被召唤到“伊斯坦西亚”中央研究所的男子，正是自称“麻烦顾问”的冠木伸吾。在一般社会当中虽然默默无名，不过平凡善良的老百姓根本没有知道这个名字的必要。他的客户仅限于极其少数的个人以及团体。 企业或政治家为了保卫自己的利益，往往会雇用他人来从事肮脏工作。极端的例子像是某大型不动产公司为了取得土地，而委托暴力集团进行所谓的“炒地皮”。游走于法律边缘、垄断地收购股票、破坏工会组织、粉碎工厂或核能电厂建设之反对运动，凡有是肮脏事业存在的地方就是他们的活跃空间。 形同产业间谍的工作也做，所谓的职业股东也做，有时还会扮演类似海外生意人的保镖角色，甚至远赴东南亚，为日本企业的工厂废水排放问题，让当地居民“保持沉默”。冠木就是处理这种肮脏事的专家。 冠木因办事确实、严守秘密而赢得信用。年龄在三十岁后半，身材厚实，脸部拥有宛如以小刀削过坚硬木材的轮廓，以及一对过度浓密的眉毛。 在所长室迎接他的针生，以极其傲慢的态度说明了事情概要。 “……总之，事情就是这样。志水把我开发出来的药品装入胶囊，吞进胃里藏了起来，企图带到国外。” 针生的语气饱含着冰冷的嘲讽。被丢在桌上的志水照片，仿佛充满憎恶地回瞪针生。冠木摆出一本正经的表情，专心聆听了不起的所长大人说话。 “虽说那个胶囊可以在体内维持六十小时形状不变，只可惜，那个数字目前仍然只是个目标值罢了。志水那个低能儿，想必把它当成是实际数值了呢。” 针生薄薄的嘴唇向上翘起，无声的冷嘲在空气中波动着。 “无论结果如何，都是那家伙自作自受。但是，那家伙的身体若有任何异变产生的话，就会伤害到我们伊斯坦西亚的名声。” 针生沉默了下来，这动作代表着一个无声的请求，意思是，向我请教。领悟到这点，冠木郑重地询问。 “那么究竟会有什么样的异变呢？能否请您指教一下？” “情况会依个人的体质而有所不同。基本上，胶囊会在三到四小时后开始溶解，然后被人体吸收。最慢的话，也会在吞下胶囊的十二小时后出现症状。” “症状啊。” 冠木以缓密思量的目光望着所长，手掌贴住了坚毅的下巴。 “为了双方的利益着想，我想还是别问症状的内容比较好呢。只是有一点必须向您确认。应该没有传染之虞吧？” "No." 这是个过度明快的回答。 “那就没问题了。不过，这实在是件麻烦的案子呢。” “你的意思是办不到？” 原本就冷冰冰的针生的语调在更加低温化之后，随侍于所长身旁的警备主任山西，仿佛感觉到寒冷似的，缩起了粗壮的脖子。 “你该不会是良心作祟，所以故意发那样的牢骚吧？” “我所针对的纯粹是技术上的问题呀，所长。道德上的问题我是不可能提的。” 冠木以浅浅的一笑，拂开了针生带刺的嘲讽。 “该如何让一艘搭载着将近九百人的飞行船，而且还是头长达五百米的飞天巨鲸消失掉，如果你把它想得太过容易，那可就伤脑筋了呀。” 针生与冠木的视线正面交锋，两人都对彼此抱持着生理上的厌恶感。发出一个喉咙卡住的声音，警备主任山西懦弱地提出抗议。 “这、这么说的话，莫非要把将近九百人所搭乘的飞行船给……” “如果放着不管的话，别说是九百人，搞不好会有一万倍的人丧命啊。你减减看，这等于是拯救了八百九十九万九千一百人的性命不是吗？” “话虽如此，难道不能想办法找到解药吗？” “解药就在志水的胃里面呀！” 针生哼道。对于背叛者的愤怒与憎恨，此刻就像是滚沸的蒸汽般向上冲。这当中有矛盾呢，冠木心想。如果没有传染性的话，那几百万人会因而死亡的说法就不可能成立了。 这似乎是件攸关性命的工作呢，冠木想到。他所思考的并不是恐惧，而是如何要求到一笔莫大的酬劳。 “像有本泰造那样的暴发户——” 针生冷不防地提起飞行船主人的名字。 “——就只会在政界与官界毫无区别地大撒贿赂，损害国民对政治的信赖。前几年也出现过一个因为这么做而让体制陷入危机的低能儿。” 这家伙在胡说八道些什么呀。冠木虽然皱起了眉头，却立刻看出对方的意图。 针生所说的，其实就是极其老旧的马基维利主义。这是一种为了维护体制而不得不做出牺牲之思想。换句话说，为了保护伊斯坦西亚的秘密以及针生的利益，不单是志水、就算有本死了也是无可奈何的事情。 必要的事情除非在最低限度、甚至是更严格范围之内绝口不提，但是为利己主义正当化的演说却漫长地持续了很久。只有低能儿才会相信针生这种人。冠木下了这么一个结论，不过嘴里说出来的却是另一番话。 “为了慎重起见，我会先行派遣人员到温哥华去，不知您意下如何？搭乘直飞班机的话，应该可以超越飞行船才对。” “当然。那就快去办吧。” 针生漫不经心地说道。 针生的这个姓氏和他还真是速配呀，冠木心想。无论是说话的言词、眼神，都像是刺着对手神经的针一样。这个人想必因为才能所能获取的东西而失去美德了吧，他有这种感觉。 当然，冠木并没有把这样的感想说出来。他没兴趣知道针生是如何成功、或者如何失败。身为生意人的第一项基本条件就是不触怒客户。话说回来，不惜牺牲飞行船一艘以及九百条人命，针生所要保护的胶囊的内容究竟是什么呢。 冠木费力地不让好奇心展露出来。 “这也是为了慎重起见才询问的。请问无人死亡的话是否会比较好呢？” “一定要以保守秘密为第一优先。” 这就是针生的残酷答案。 “别扯那么远了。虽然你一副慎重其事的样子，但其实处理飞行船这种事情应该很容易吧。因为船上载满了瓦斯呢。” “很不凑巧，'飞鸟'所装载的气体是氦气呢。这种东西不具燃性，所以绝对不会爆炸。” 小心翼翼地避免流露出责怪对手无知的口吻，冠木如此回答。尽管如此，这个回答似乎已经足够对针生身为高级知识分子的自尊造成伤害，额角的血管如青筋般浮现出来。 “那就想想更好的办法吧，而且必须在飞行船横越过太平洋之前。这也是我为什么找你、不，是找你们来处理这件事情的原因。” “那确实是我们的工作。那么，我就先告辞了。不过酬劳部分恐怕会非常的高，这点必须先向您报告。” “在合理的范围之内我一定支付。” 冠木使劲地翘起嘴角，做出一个嘲笑般的嘴型。这就叫做交涉技巧。 “真希望您的回答是会按照必要的情况支付呢。这世界上最富裕的日本企业，应该不至于因为吝啬而故意装穷吧。” “这不是吝啬，而是缩减不必要的经费。” “策划费、执行费、还有机密保护费。我们向来都只收取在工作的质与量上看得到的东西。所以还是请您暂且松开束紧荷包的带子吧。” 冠木缓缓地站立起来。 “就是因为重视专业，日本才会有今日的繁荣景象呀，所长。我有些技术面的事情必须讨论一下，所以得向您借个房间使用。” 就这样，第四会议室被出借给冠木和他的属下进行讨论。 半地下的房间约有五坪大小，设置于高处的窗户外面，有狗儿四处徘徊。由于已经进入深夜，因此十头的看守犬都被放到研究所的基地内。冠木和六名属下并未获得咖啡招待，但是他们一点都不在意。因为这次的工作估计可收到以亿元为单位的酬劳。 他们的表情就像是在处理一件极其平常的工作一样。因为他们是一群早已犯下无数文明社会之禁忌、对于流血事件完全不需要复杂的心理操作就可以获得自我正当化的男人。 在进行讨论的过程当中，一人说道： “这么一来，才觉得苏联这个军事国家的消灭真是可惜呢。否则只要一进入苏联领空，根本用不着弄脏我们的手，那边就会自动把他们给收拾掉了。” “如果时间能够停留在二十年前多好啊，只可惜今非昔比了呀。莫斯科从世界共产主义的大本营，沦落到仅仅是一个贫穷国家的首都，还得如今的欧美间谍小说家们都为了反派角色的设定而伤透脑筋呢。” 冠木叼起一根香烟。这个人在抽烟方面毫无节操可言，曾经抽过的香烟品牌国内外加起来一共超过二百种。 另一位属下发表了不同的意见。 “在飞行船的货舱安置炸弹，那是传统的做法吧。” “不然要装在哪里呢？” “飞鸟”从东京到温哥华为止并无中途停靠之预定。对于巡航速度每小时一百六十公里、巡航高度一千公尺的这条飞天巨鲸，该如何把爆裂物安置上去呢？而且是分量极多的爆裂物。 讨论后的结果只有一个。 “飞鸟”在安克拉治机场配备有紧急状况的处理人员。 “惟一的办法就只有伪装成技术人员，在安克拉治机场下手。至于该如何让它在那里着陆……” "This is easy." 一名年轻属下，自信满满地倾身向前提出建议。 “只要放出货舱被安置炸弹的消息，让他们在安克拉治降落就行了。纵使有本再怎么傲慢，也不可能置之不理吧。” “这个办法倒还不错。” 这种小伎俩，冠木老早就想到了。只是在属下尚未想到之前，他故意不说出口罢了。因为冠木认为，工作上最重要的就是自主性的创意与提案。 无论面对什么样的工作都一样。 ※※※ 在北太平洋上空向东行进的“飞鸟”船上，一名急症病患在自己客房的床上痛苦呻吟。 旁边有位医师。身为乘客之一的这名中年医师，脸上的表情正逐渐被疑云所笼罩。 硬推给他的这个病人，根据乘客资料应该只有三十三岁，可是外表看起来却怎么都像是个五十多岁的人。发热与衰弱的症状持续不退，对于医师的询问一概顽固地闭口不答。束手无策的医师只好委婉地宣告，事态似乎并非他一己之力所能胜任。和船长等人一齐在旁边观看的有本央求道： “不能再稍微想想其他的办法吗？你是个医生啊。” “我的专长是眼科呀。就是因为不想说出不负责任的话，所以我才会这么含糊其辞。如果你们希望听到明确的意见，我倒是可以直说……” "Please say." “你们应该和东京或温哥华方面联络，让专门的医师来进行诊断。我实在无能为力，身为一个有良心的医师，我不得不清清楚楚地表明我的立场。” 医师越说越激动，不只面红耳赤，连言辞都变得粗鲁起来。 “本来嘛，飞行船上居然没有医师随行，这不是很奇怪的事情吗？你们硬把自己的责任推给我，实在很伤脑筋哪。再怎么说我也是客人！三更半夜把我叫起来，这可是天大的困扰啊！” 眼科医师愤愤不平地离开房间之后，船长一脸畏缩的表情。 “老板，看样子只好在安克拉治降落了。万一真的有人死亡的话，飞行船的评价恐怕会越来越差呢。” “是啊，我也这么认为。因为病人的出现而降落的话，这不只符合人道精神，其他乘客也会理解的。” 事务长也鼓起勇气附和船长的意见。船东并未立即回答。 “……好吧，就在安克拉治降落。你们去安排吧。” 刚愎的有本，终于不得不做出这样的指示。 巨大飞行船“飞鸟”，仍然继续在空与海所包覆的深奥黑夜之中悠然翱翔。