Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 1063: Vested Beneficiaries

On the rooftop of the Mitsui Shokai headquarters, Xiong Chang and Mitsui Hisashi stood side by side.

There were explosions in the distance, and the whole of Kyoto was shrouded in chaos. The flames lit up half the sky, and thick smoke rose from every corner of the city. The roar of Katyusha rockets could be heard clearly, indicating that this ancient capital was about to usher in a huge change.

"Listening to the noise," Mitsui Shou looked towards the direction of the Imperial Palace, "China is serious about this."

Xiong Chang nodded: "The Chinese rocket launcher is not a vegetarian."

"I'm afraid Changwujiang and the others have come to their senses," Mitsui Shou sighed, "This so-called popular uprising was pushed by China from the beginning to the end. They are just being used by others."

Xiong Chang turned to look at Mitsui Shou: "How do you think they will react after knowing the truth?"

"What can they do even if they know?" Mitsui Shou smiled bitterly. "Things have developed to this point. Even if they know they are being used, they can only continue to move forward."

There was another violent explosion in the distance.

"Look," Mitsui pointed at the flames in various parts of the city, "the workers' marches, the students' protests, the Chamber of Commerce's resistance, on the surface they are spontaneous actions of the people, but in fact every step is part of China's plan."

"They are inciting public discontent, organizing demonstrations and creating social unrest," Mitsui continued, "in order to create conditions for military action. Even if Changwujiang understands this now, it is impossible for them to say in front of tens of thousands of angry workers, 'I'm sorry, we were deceived, let's go.'"

Xiong Chang thought thoughtfully: "This is the most brilliant part. He uses the real demands of the people to coerce them into becoming his pawns. By the time they wake up, they are no longer in control of themselves."

"That's right," Mitsui lit a cigarette, "this game of chess is really brilliant. But..."

He took a deep puff of cigarette, his eyes became deep: "This is good. Kyoto really needs a thorough change."

Xiong Chang looked at the fire in the distance and said softly, "It has always been like this. There are always people who act as pawns and people who act as executioners. History doesn't care about the process, it only looks at the results."

Mitsui Shou smiled and said, "That's right. Whether you are being used or deceived, change will eventually come. The old order of this city should end."

The two stood on the rooftop in silence, watching the dramatic changes in this ancient city. There were constant explosions in their ears and flames in front of them.

At this moment, they all knew that Kyoto was about to usher in a new era. As for who was the chess player and who was the chess piece in this process, it might not be so important anymore.

"Come to think of it," Mitsui Shou suddenly laughed, "those who organized the march probably hate me as the 'mastermind' now."

Xiong Chang shook his head: "Aren't they also blinded by profit? The world is bustling with people because of profit. The world is bustling with people because of profit."

"Oh?" Mitsui Shou became interested. "You mean they have their own plans?"

"Of course," Xiong Chang exhaled a puff of smoke, "On the surface, they didn't seem to gain any benefits from organizing riots and demonstrations. But in fact, these actions made their prestige in their respective classes soar."

Mitsui Shou thought thoughtfully: "Indeed, Chang Wujiang is now like a spiritual leader among the workers."

"It's not just him," Xiong Chang continued, "those student leaders, the heads of the Chamber of Commerce, everyone has gained a huge voice in this turmoil. Once they really succeed in forcing the royal family to make Pu Yu make concessions..."

"These powers will be transformed into real benefits," Mitsui Shou took over the conversation, "status, money, power, everything."

"That's right," Xiong Chang's voice suddenly became low, "the truly pitiful ones are just the ordinary people who are being used. They think they are fighting for their ideals, but they don't know that they are just pawns of others."

Another explosion was heard in the distance, and the firelight illuminated the two men's faces red.

"So," Mitsui Shou sighed, "there has never been a simple change in this world. Everyone is thinking about their own interests, but the means are different."

"We use them, and they use the people," Xiong Chang sneered, "One layer after another, in the end, those who don't know the truth are always the ones who suffer."

The two of them looked at the fire in the distance in silence. In this magnificent turmoil, everyone is playing their own chess and pursuing their own interests. And those ordinary people who truly have ideals and beliefs are destined to become stepping stones for others.

This is the truth of change, and this is a reflection of human nature.

"This is a big chess game," Xiong Chang said, looking at the fire in the distance, "from the appearance of the secret report from Kyoto to Fujita Ying being mistakenly believed to be the mastermind, one thing after another, and now it is finally coming to an end."

Mitsui Shou nodded: "Every step is calculated just right."

"You said," Xiong Chang's voice was full of expectation, "Maybe after tonight, the flag of our Chinese country will fly over the Imperial Palace in Kyoto."

He took a deep breath. "This war has lasted too long! It's time to end it."

Mitsui Shou was silent for a moment, and suddenly said seriously: "The Mitsui family is very clear about its position. We will not ask for any benefits, nor will we be proud of our achievements. We will only be honest and serve as China's vanguard."

Xiong Chang nodded secretly when he heard this. The Mitsui family was indeed a smart family who knew how to judge the situation. They knew that in this great change, being able to preserve their family interests was already the greatest victory.

The explosions continued in the distance, but both knew that this was only the final act of the drama. The fate of Kyoto was about to take a turn.

The path chosen by the Mitsui family may be the wisest choice. In this turbulent change, those who understand their position can often go further.

Xiong Chang put out the cigarette in his hand, and the cigarette butt flickered with the last bit of fire in the night wind.

"Let's go," he turned to Mitsui Shou, "we still have a lot of things to deal with next."

Mitsui nodded, and took one last look at the sky in the distance illuminated by the fire. The two turned and left the rooftop, their leather shoes making a steady sound as they stepped on the ground.

The elevator door slowly closed, blocking out the sound of explosions and the smell of gunpowder outside. They knew that on this historic night, there were still many things they needed to deal with.

Behind them, the sky of Kyoto was still illuminated red by the flames, foreshadowing the great changes that were about to come to this ancient capital.