Chapter 19: The Fox Borrows the Fence's Authority - 6

To get straight to the point, we couldn't settle things yesterday.
It was my fault, and I also figured the kids needed time to collect their thoughts.

Right now, I'm inside a limousine. It might seem luxurious, but not when you consider my fellow passenger.

"How much longer will this take?"

"We still have a way to go."

"I don't remember the Kaiser PMC DU branch being this far."

The culprit who caused this whole mess by suddenly visiting the farm yesterday and revealing the contract. The PMC Director.
He summoned me here with some nonsense about a contract adjustment.

Normally, I would have dismissed it as bullshit, but the employees already know about the contract.
It was awkward staying at the farm, and not going would look like I was hiding something, so I ended up following him.

"That's because our destination isn't the DU branch."

"Then where is it?"

"The Trinity branch. The contract is stored there."

"You certainly keep it far away."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Trinity, huh. I've only heard about it from the employees; this is my first time going.
To think my first time is with the PMC Director... that phrasing sounds pretty dirty.

Our farm is located in DU, but it's close to Millennium.
Trinity isn't that far from Millennium, so it should be fine.

"We'll be there soon. Just be patient."

After another two hours of travel from that point, I finally arrived at the Trinity branch.

 

* * *

 

"Excuse me, but could you please store your electronic devices here?"

"Pardon?"

"The room you are about to enter requires confidentiality. We ask for your cooperation."

As I was about to enter the room the director led me to, an employee suddenly blocked my path.
Confidentiality, huh? This looks a lot like they're just taking away my means of communication.

Having come all this way, I couldn't just turn back, so I handed it over and followed him in.

"Sit here."

The interior of the room was surprisingly pristine.

Soundproof walls on all four sides, a white marble desk, two chairs.
Other than that, there were no other features or decorations to be seen.

"How's the business doing these days?"

"Enough to take care of the employees."

"That's good to hear. I hope you'll create a business that will satisfy me."

What a load of crap.
When all he's thinking about is swallowing the business whole.

"Let's cut the ice-breaking. Is there anything in our contract that needs adjusting?"

"That sounds just like something a Trinity student would say. Don't be like that. There's a reason for everything."

I'm saying this because your reasons are of no help to me, you tin can bastard.

"Alright. I'll tell you an old story."

"Were we on such terms?"

"I guarantee you'll understand everything once you've heard the story. Just listen."

The director, looking ever so pleased, began his story with theatrical gestures.

"In a certain rural area over by Shanhaijing, there lives a peculiar bird. This bird was quite clever and ate most of the insects in its vicinity."

"No matter how clever, isn't it still just a bird?"

"Just listen. Then one day, this bird faced a problem. The insects, unlike before, began to dig deep burrows. What do you think happened?"

"It would have become harder to catch them, wouldn't it?"

"Correct. With the insects deep inside, it would have been hard to eat them. But this bird did something strange. It went to a place far from the insects' burrows and cried out loudly."

Somehow, this doesn't feel like just an old story.

"Naturally, the mother insect, wondering if a bird had appeared and where it was, went out to check. The babies, left without their mother, trembled in anxiety and came out near the entrance of the burrow."

"And the bird devoured the confused baby insects. Am I wrong?"

As if I was correct, the director didn't deny it, but simply straightened his posture and sat up again, looking pleased.

The old story the director just told isn't really an old story.
It's a victory announcement, delivered mockingly with the conviction of his own triumph.

What a disgusting hobby to have.

"A fool who can't even remember his own name or academy. For that fool to have grown this much in just a month is worthy of praise. But..."

"For an insect, I dug too deep a burrow. Is that it?"

"Ha, that's right."

Here's the truth of the story the director told.

I'm the mother worm, Kaiser is the clever bird.
The farm is the worm's burrow, and the employees are the baby worms.

In other words, since I was doing too well, his plan was to separate me from them and target the farm in the meantime.

"Even for Kaiser, attacking a farm in broad daylight would cause a controversy."

"A little controversy like that is hardly a problem for Kaiser, but this time, there won't even be a controversy."

"That's impossible."

"No, it's possible. For two reasons. The ones carrying out this job aren't us, but a hired Helmet Gang, and the location isn't your factory, but on the way to the retail store."

His face was made of metal, so it showed no expression, but I'm sure the Kaiser Director's face was wearing a clear smile.
A selfish and annoying smile that made me want to punch him.

"What do you think, can you stop them if you go now? I'm afraid the Helmet Gang's base is in Gehenna. Even if you leave by car now, it'll take about three hours."

"You can't bring down the farm by kidnapping one or two people."

"We'll see about that. Using hostages is their specialty, after all."

"Do you think they can't do it just because I'm not there?"

"You are, so to speak, a fence. A fence that comes to a place called a farm to stop other animals from harming the crops. But, what do you think happens to a farm that has lost its fence?"

It was all over.
At least, that's what the director's words seemed to say.

 

* * *

 

Turning back time a bit, to ten minutes before Kosei and the director arrived. At the farm.

"So what are we going to do!"

"Of all times, when the President isn't even here...!"

"Executive Directors! You need to decide quickly!"

The place was already in an uproar.

The reason was a single phone call that had just come from a restricted number.
An unfamiliar voice had come from that one call.

[You're the farm, right? Not sure if you're taking good care of our boss~]

Of Wakamo's subordinates, the thirty-one members of the Helmet Gang who chose to be transferred to Valkyrie instead of staying at the farm.
They'd heard the news that they had escaped prison again, but getting a call from them was another story entirely.

And at the same time, from behind the caller, came a familiar groan.
It was the employees who had been moving inventory to the retail store this morning.

[Ugh-eup— Eub-eub—!]

[Agh, so noisy... Hey! Rough those bastards up a bit more!]

The employees had been kidnapped. They had no choice but to think so.
All the employees were in a state of panic, but one of them maintained her composure and attempted to negotiate.

"What do you want?"

[Ah~ you're that Sarin?]

"This is Arin."

[My bad, my bad, I don't bother memorizing names if they're not on my level. You're pretty calm, aren't you? Even though your employees could die here.]

"That's probably not a joke," said the employee who used to be one of Wakamo's subordinates.
They were the Helmet Gang members who caused dozens of casualties every time they appeared. Now, without Wakamo to mediate, there was no telling what they would do.

"You called because there's room for negotiation, isn't that right?"

[You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, huh? Alright. We have two demands!]

What they said next was filled with a malice that went beyond a simple Helmet Gang.

To pull out the main components of the weapon production facilities and bring the blueprints.
In other words, they intended to neutralize the farm itself.

"Who put you up to this?"

[Huh? This is all us, what are you talking about~]

"Is it Kaiser? They're the only ones who would profit from our ruin."

[Oh my, you're sharp. But, is it okay for you to just stand there? If you don't hurry. You might never see your employees again, you know?]

"We will be there... shortly."

[Alright. Bye-bye~]

Of all times, the President was absent, and a threat that put the farm's fate on the line had just come in.

To borrow someone's expression, it was a situation where the baby worms were trembling in anxiety.

"Try calling the President!"

"He's not picking up! What on earth is he doing!"

"Valkyrie, what about Valkyrie?"

"I've been calling them constantly since earlier, but they're not picking up at all, sir!"

Kosei had submitted his smartphone due to the director's scheme, and because the Director of the Defense Office, a figure high above Valkyrie's command, was involved in this plan, they couldn't get help from Valkyrie either.
Of course, for the employees who didn't know this, it was a maddening situation.

 

* * *

 

"Yes. It's obvious that's what will happen. How do you feel?"

"How do I feel about what?"

"About hearing that your employees are about to ruin your company."

...Ha.

It's a well-made plan.
Tie me up and rush the employees. A plan to ultimately devour the farm's technology and throw the rest away.

It was so thorough it was disgusting.

But.

"Your question was flawed from the start. What do you mean, the employees will ruin the company?"

"Didn't I just explain it to you? Where does that baseless confidence come from?"

I've been on the receiving end until now, so it's time to give it back.
The polite language, even if just for show, ends here, you tin can.

"PMC Director."

"So you knew I wasn't Mincheol?"

"Yeah, Mincheol. Let me tell you an old story."

"Are you in a position to be doing that?"

"Just hear me out. I guarantee you'll understand everything."

"...Don't make me laugh."

"You too. Now, Hogahowi. Ever heard of it?"

Hogahowi狐假虎威.
The fox borrows the tiger's might.

It's a Shanhaijing idiom meaning that when the existing power holder disappears, a weaker one takes on the role of the powerful.

"What does that have to do with the current situation?"

"Think about it. Why a fox, of all things?"

The perception that foxes are clever plays a part, but I believe the fundamental reason an idiom like this was created is because foxes are omnivores.

"Imagine if it was a chicken or a sheep that borrowed the tiger's might. They'd be a meal in an instant. It's because the fox is clever and also eats meat that it can pretend to be the king. Who knows? Maybe the tiger even asked the fox for help beforehand to avoid any confusion."

"What nonsense are you spouting now..."

"Even if the power holder, me, disappears, there are clever and strong foxes to take my place. Three of them, in fact."

And one of them is an actual fox.

"Hah! Don't be ridiculous. The ones who probably think of you as a traitor, they're going to take your place?"

Thinking his plan couldn't possibly go wrong, the director slammed the desk and stood up in anger.
That thing must be running hot.

The conclusion I came to was this.

"You don't have friends or family, do you?"

 "What?"

"Ah, don't misunderstand. I'm not insulting your family. I'm sorry, but if our relationship was fragile enough to break over a single mistake like that, we wouldn't have come this far."

Of course, there would still be some lingering resentment about the contract.
But that's not a reason for them to abandon me and the farm.

"No one in this world kills their family and burns down their house just because a side dish tastes bad."

"Shut up!"

"You should have pushed your luck and called Arin or Sarin instead. Without them, it would have been difficult for me to make rational judgments."

Matching the director who remained standing, I also rose to my feet.
The director was much larger than me, but right now, in this moment, he looked smaller than anyone.

"Thinking our company was as dysfunctional as yours was your mistake."

There was only one thing the director said today that I liked.

"You are, so to speak, a fence. A fence that comes to a place called a farm to stop other animals from harming the crops."

Borrowing the director's own words, the current situation is Hogahobeon狐假虎藩.

It has become a situation where the fox borrows the fence's authority.

 

 

"This is absurd...!"

"D-Director!"

Right on cue, the Kaiser employee who took my smartphone earlier rushed in.

"Looks like you got a call from Wakamo's subordinates?"

"Your words are smooth, I'll give you that, but reality is a cold thing."

"It's still winter, you idiot."

"We'll know when we see the results."

Whether he thought my words were no longer worth listening to, or he was just plain pissed off.
The director answered the smartphone call.

And the voice that came from that phone was—