Somewhere in the Western Pacific, on an island surrounded by dozens of aircraft carriers and missile cruisers, stood IW's headquarters—a training base for their operations personnel.
At the island's center was a massive round building. Inside one dim room, a meeting was underway.
At the head of the table sat a scar-faced middle-aged man. Around the table sat a dozen stern-looking figures. The room was filled with an oppressive atmosphere.
"Why are we holding a meeting now? The global situation hasn't changed enough for the Elders to get involved."
"Sagara, are you playing dumb?"
"As the current head of the organization, you're awfully slow to react."
"Still can't believe the Boss picked you as his successor."
"..."
The man at the head was Sagara Sosuke, current leader of IW, managing operations and decisions.
The so-called "Elders" were fifteen founding members from IW's early days, each with influence over major decisions.
Sagara felt helpless. Ever since becoming leader, he had constantly faced their harsh criticism.
"So what's the issue this time?"
"Isn't it obvious?" an elderly Western man spoke. "The Boss's son got bullied in Japan."
"..."
"Anything to say, Sagara?"
"...That's it?"
Bang!
The man slammed the table. "What do you mean 'that's it'? This is serious!"
"...Is it really that serious?"
"Extremely! The Boss has only one son. He was bullied and expelled from that damn school. If I weren't tied up, I'd go deal with it myself!"
"Calm down."
A white-haired elder with piercing eyes spoke. Everyone immediately quieted—even Sagara felt tense.
This was George Shechik, IW's former leader and one of the current Elders.
"Look, Sagara. IW isn't a nation or a race. It's because of the Boss's charisma that elites from all over the world joined. When he made you, a rookie, his successor, we supported it."
"I'm truly grateful," Sagara said.
"But you've been far too timid in handling Takamine Rinji," George narrowed his eyes. "Four years ago, a mere Japanese zaibatsu tried to shoot him. You backed off just to protect IW's business in Japan?"
"Let me clarify—Takamine made the first move. We weren't in the right. And the Shinomiya Zaibatsu holds Japan's economic lifeline. If we escalated, we'd lose all operations in Japan."
"I understand. That's why we gave them a light punishment via our Southeast Asia branch," George said. "But it wasn't enough. They needed more than just financial damage."
Another Elder spoke up. "We originally planned to cut off all Shinomiya shipping and even use force if needed—but you stopped us."
"Right. Japan has four big zaibatsus. Without Shinomiya, there are three left. Even if no one takes over, we can install a puppet. Why did you stop us?"
"What were you thinking? Do you not care about IW's interests?"
"Do you even want the job anymore?"
Sagara Sosuke: "..."
Aside from facing the harsh criticism from the "Elder Council," he also had to endure baseless accusations.
"I always thought this guy was unreliable. Look at the mess he's made now."
"Don't forget, this organization was forged by us and the boss through blood and sweat, not peace and diplomacy."
"Sagara, are you an idiot?"
"Seriously, I have no idea why Little Rinji ever liked someone like you."
Sagara Sosuke: "..."
On top of the accusations, there were personal attacks.
"Alright, enough bickering. We're here today to discuss the matter of Takamine Rinji's school suspension."
George Shechik pulled out a file and said, "According to my investigation, he was suspended for getting into a fight at school. The person he fought with is a guy named Ogino, who has a messy personal life and has even used underhanded tactics to threaten female students…"
Listening to George's report, Sagara felt a little speechless.
IW was an organization that operated across multiple global sectors—an immense power whose every action had deep global ramifications. Many so-called major international problems were nothing in their eyes.
And now, a group of elders, along with him, the CEO, the highest decision-makers in the organization, were all sitting around to discuss a high school fight in Japan?
Truly… nothing better to do.
"One more thing," one of them said, "Ogino's parents had originally planned to sue Takamine Rinji, so we had them transferred to Africa preemptively. If they still plan to cause trouble, we'll take care of them quietly."
"To be honest, I don't feel comfortable leaving the boss's son in Japan alone."
"Then here's what we'll do."
George set down the file in his hands and looked up at the others.
"Since I'm retired and in the 'Elder Council' now, and aside from dealing with a few world leaders, I don't have much else to do. To ensure the young master's safety, I'll head to Japan myself. If the fools there don't suffer a little, the world might think IW has gone quiet."