The Trap
Yujin was carried off like so much luggage. To prevent any noise, a ball gag had been stuffed in her mouth, a blindfold covered her eyes, and her arms and legs were bound tight before she was stuffed into a sack. It was a sack big enough for one person, yet Tojima's hulking secretary slung it effortlessly over one shoulder without breaking a sweat. Of course, the sudden sensation of floating in midair made Yujin thrash and twist like a fish on a line—but the secretary's brute strength subdued her in an instant.
"Stay still. We'll toss you in the trunk soon enough."
The secretary popped open the trunk of the luxury sedan Tojima favored and dumped the sack containing Yujin inside. Clunk. The trunk slammed shut, and the sedan carrying Yujin rumbled off for a long drive.
Meanwhile, Tojima—who had come to collect Yujin—confirmed that his secretary had taken her away before vanishing down a different path. His destination was Kantei in Tokyo, the so-called Prime Minister's Residence.
"Whew, what a nerve-wracking ordeal."
For a corporate titan who had clawed his way through society's underbelly, the reason he trembled now was the meeting scheduled with the Prime Minister any moment. Five years ago, after the last emperor died without an heir and Japan's Peace Constitution was amended, the Prime Minister had transcended his role as mere head of government. He had become an absolute ruler wielding unchecked power. Political opposition had been fierce, of course, but with Shimada Kenchi at the forefront of the resistance, the dissenters were systematically purged one by one. The constitution passed, and just recently, the last holdout—Kenchi himself—had been "cleansed."
The public story was that Kenchi, having overextended himself in reckless ventures, went bankrupt and took his own life. But the truth was rather different. It was payback for crossing paths with a political heavyweight and choosing the wrong side. By "suiciding" a figure like Kenchi, the Prime Minister had boldly proclaimed his power more vast and unassailable than ever.
And it was because of a bill this Prime Minister was pushing that even Tojima—a chairman of one of Japan's top ten conglomerates—had to show up in person. He had no intention of defying such a man.
"What business brings you here?"
The woman at the reception desk blocking his path appeared to be a Residence staffer.
"I have an appointment with His Excellency the Prime Minister. The name is Tojima."
She handed back his reservation slip, her expression shifting instantly as she guided him inside.
"This way, please. His Excellency is waiting."
Tojima hurried after her until they reached a heavy door, firmly shut. It swung open to reveal Prime Minister Ryosuke seated at an antique table on a sofa.
"You've arrived, Chairman Tojima."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
He looked far younger than Tojima, but knowing the mask he hid behind, Tojima maintained a deferential demeanor.
"So, I hear you have a good solution to the matter we discussed before?"
"Yes, that's correct."
What they were discussing now concerned the bill Ryosuke had rammed through. In 20XX, having eliminated all rivals like a dictator, Ryosuke had tweaked Chapter 3 of the constitution during the amendment process—the section on social basic rights and duties.
All citizens shall have the right to live a healthy and cultured minimum standard of living. The state shall exert efforts to improve and promote social welfare, social security, and public health across all areas of life. And in that process, basic rights may be infringed upon.
At the time, it had seemed like a measure to stabilize the chaotic political landscape. But that wasn't Ryosuke's true intent. After the constitutional revision, his party proposed a bill: the Livestock Law.
Introduced as a measure to fix the country's imbalanced gender ratio and boost the economy, it passed almost immediately upon proposal. Rumor had it that more than half the assembly abstained, allowing it through. The bill spanned hundreds of pages in intricate detail, but in simple terms: to ensure the nation's survival, certain individuals' human rights would be stripped, demoting them to livestock.
Needless to say, the treatment of these rightless livestock would be abysmal. Human rights activists protested vehemently for its repeal, but most vanished without a trace, quelling the movement.
Even after passage, though, the law languished without effect. There was a need for facilities to house the livestock, but more critically, they hadn't settled on the first targets. Designating ordinary citizens would undermine the bill's purpose and make enforcement difficult—the impact would be too negligible.
Thus, the inaugural subjects—"Livestock Number One"—had to be someone whose fall every citizen could accept. Yet no one of such stature would volunteer, and forcing them risked backlash from their allies. If they fled abroad, the law would crumble from the roots.
As the bill stalled, Tojima—chairman of a top-ten firm—approached Ryosuke with a brilliant scheme.
"So, let's hear this scheme of yours."
Ryosuke's kindly smile sharpened at the edges. Tojima knew this was his true face and stayed calm.
"Yes, Your Excellency. As you know, 'Livestock Number One' must wield enough influence to make the public swallow the system. That means someone from the elite—or at least a chaebol heir."
"Do you think I don't know that? That's precisely why we're stuck without a way forward. Surely you didn't come just to state the obvious? Or did you bring your family to offer up? That, I could accept."
Tojima's eyes twitched at Ryosuke's oily grin.
"Do you remember Kenchi?"
"Kenchi? ...Oh, yeah—the old geezer who opposed the constitutional amendment to the bitter end. Ended up dead, didn't he?"
Ryosuke rolled his eyes before flashing a smile, well aware he'd ordered the hit.
"Kenchi has a wife and daughter."
"Does he now?"
"Yes. The daughter's studying in the US and hasn't heard of his death yet, but the wife is already in custody—secured by Chairman Yamato Guruchi and myself."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. We'll send the daughter notice of Kenchi's funeral; she'll fly back to Japan. That's when we grab her. The wife's already undergoing training to break her into livestock."
"Music to my ears. But there must be a catch to you telling me this?"
Ryosuke smirked slyly, expecting as much. Time to play his hand.
"Yes. We'll fully degrade Kenchi's wife and daughter into livestock, making them Livestock Number One. In exchange, the state leads an M&A takeover."
"You're talking mergers and acquisitions?"
"Precisely. And exempt my family and Yamato's from the Livestock Law permanently—that's my condition."
"Excellent. How soon can you deliver?"
The moment Ryosuke accepted was Tojima's cue. He seized it.
"Within the week."
"Perfect. Make it so."
Ryosuke bellowed a satisfied laugh.
"Kenchi's wife, you said? What was her name?"
"Yujin."
"Livestock Number One: Yujin. Number Two: her daughter... Not a bad picture at all."
Setting the precedent with a high-ranking politician's wife and daughter would foster the image of a fair selection process.
"Chairman Tojima, keep your promise."
"Naturally, Your Excellency."
Leaving the Residence, Tojima called his secretary without delay.
"Hey, Kenchi's daughter studying in the US—Mitsuki, right? Get her back home ASAP."
"...Pardon?"
"Use any means necessary. Lure her back, then kidnap her. Training starts immediately."
"...Understood."
Tojima's priority now shifted from Yujin to hauling in the studying Mitsuki and breaking her into livestock.
"As I recall... Mitsuki's real mother is long dead, and Yujin's only five years older?"
Yujin was Kenchi's second wife, so the age gap with his daughter Mitsuki was small. If memory served, Mitsuki was twenty-two, Yujin twenty-seven.
"Prime specimens, both. Thanks, Kenchi. Even in death, you're this useful to me."
For the first time, he felt genuine gratitude toward Kenchi, who had died leaving these two women behind.
"So I'll make them happy livestock—for your sake, and mine."
As Livestock Number One, they'd receive better treatment than most. They were propaganda tools, after all. They'd surely be content, well-cared-for livestock. And Kenchi—a top politician—would be remembered as a noble official who supported the Livestock Law and offered his family to it.