Population Control – Chapter 19 (Part 1)
This is a translation of a Japanese novel. You can read the Raw here.
This is a work of fiction, with depictions of violence such as death of many people at a time. It is not suitable for readers under 15.
Hey everyone, I hope you’re doing okay!
I’ve put a small message note at the end of this chapter, please check it out.
Anyway, here’s the chapter, I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Chapter 19: Copy and Paste
I did not visit the united states just to eat curry, mind you. I had actual, proper business to do there.
After separating from Lucas and Charlotte, who said they wanted to go to a certain theme park. the kind where you could find a black rodent and a big duck dancing around, Ichikawa and I decided to proceed with our next plans of action.
These were not quite the kind of actions we would be able to write down on our business trip reports…
The first thing we had to do was to get a large sum through lottery tickets to raise my capital.
Sad to say, but the lottery is still my main source of income.
The US lottery is different from the Japanese lottery, so I wasn’t sure I could win, but my power worked without any problem.
Looks like the ability to select the winner at will is deeply ingrained in the concept of lottery. The shadiness goes deep.
Through the use of Regedit, we won 450 million dollars. There is a 39.6% tax on large lottery winnings in the US, so our net gain was of 288 million dollars.
It seems the last winner before me had put an end to a long period of losses, so the news of my win this time wasn’t that interesting.
Still, the media did not hold back on trying to put a festive spotlight on the lucky tourist who won the jackpot.
“I don’t want to antagonize the media, but I can’t befriend them one by one either.”
After receiving our check and winning certificate, we managed to shake off the media and hid in a hotel.
Damn. Getting chased around like that really isn’t fun.
“Wow, that was something. When Charlotte and Lucas hear about this, they’re going to ask for a raise.”
Ichikawa spoke with shock still written on her face.
“I’ve already mailed them about it. When you win that much money, it’s normal to end up in the news.
I’ve also gotten the media to stop taking photos and sharing my identity, as that would put me at risk of getting kidnapped and whatnot once I go back to Lagos.”
Right now, in Lagos, there was no mercy for lucky people.
Knowing that, I hired a lawyer named Olaf as my agent, and had him politely explain my circumstances in regards to Nigeria to the people wanting to cover my story.
Of course, that polite explanation was shouldered by lingering threats of legal measures. After all, my life was hanging on this.
Hiring a lawyer who’s experienced with the media in a hurry was a bit pricey, but not pricey enough to be worth putting my life on the line.
As it turns out, it was well worth it.
“So, what do we do with the money?”
“Let me see… If we move the money overseas, a good part of it will be taken away as taxes and commissions… I’m not very well informed on the subject, but I’d say it’s better to leave American money in America, don’t you think? Plus it’s not the safest idea to go to the bank every time to convert the money from dollars to nairas. Let’s just make ourselves credit cards here.”
It’s not easy for a foreigner to open a bank account in the US.
So I asked Tyler, a business partner of Olaf’s law firm, to somehow take care of it.
The story we went with was that Kageyama and Co had decided to set up an office in the US, and that Ichikawa and I were chosen to be stationed there.
This made it possible for us to set up a union bank account vis an MUFG bank.
“Phew, there sure are many ways to go about a problem…”
“It’s true what they say. You can do anything you want in this country as long as you have enough money. I read on the internet that this is almost impossible to do, and yet here we are.”
Our remaining time in Los Angeles could be summarized by us going back and forth between our semi-suite at the Mariott hotel, and the reception room at Tyler and Olaf’s office with its mahogany door and black leather sofa.
“–Speaking of which, after this, both of you should go to Silicon Valley.”
Tyler gave his two cents while drinking some plain-looking coffee at a corner of the reception room.
He did not like the idea of lying to the establishment about the reason we opened our account.
According to him, it was better to actually open an office in the US, even if just for appearances’ sake.
When a corporation wants to open an office in America, the best way to go is either Silicon Valley or New York.
Tyler was of the opinion that ‘You might as well go to Silicon Valley since it’s close to LA’.
That makes sense.
“Which place would you like? Do you have a preference?”
Tyler had carefully prepared a list of properties that we could move into right away. The list was completed with photos, information about the neighborhoods, and even safety maps.
I probably wouldn’t be able to get this kind of service in Japan.
This law firm has already handled every single thing for me, from dealing with the media, to opening a bank account, and even making a list of places where I could potentially open an office.
I couldn’t help but honor the VIP treatment I was getting.
Ichikawa and I decided to choose a place with many Japanese people, where the residents liked those of Japanese descent.
However, since we had no knowledge about the local demographics and the general feelings of the citizens, we had no choice but to leave it to Tyler.
So, in the end, following Tyler’s advice, we decided to set up Kageyama and CO’s office in Foster city, California.
Foster city was a 50 minute car drive away from the south of San Francisco.
The place was safe and there were other Japanese people living there.
There was even a Japanese-style supermarket in San Mateo, a neighboring city.
It’s close to both Silicon valley and the airport, and seems to be a good place to live in overall, save for the seaward side becoming a bit muddy when it rained.
Once we made our choice, we quickly moved onto the next step. Ichikawa and I decided to go to Foster city to personally rent the office.
The weather is a bit unpredictable in early July on the west coast. It tends to be cloudy at times, yet the sky had been clear there for the last 20 days without a break.
Having heard that the bay area was sunny, Ichikawa and I figured it would be fun to drive there, so we rented a car in Los Angels and drove north while taking turns at the wheel.
“Woooh! It’s like a movie!”
“Kageyama, would you please look ahead when you drive?”
Going north on US 101, just around the time my backside started to feel sore from driving the rental car, we’d reached San Benito.
This rural spot was really something to behold. It overlooked San Jose, a city right in the south of Silicon Valley.
Beyond the dry mountains, you could see some green pasture and cattle. In contrast to the bustling Silicon Valley, this was the best pick for a road trip.
I decided this would be the place I’d try the thing I’ve been wanting to do.
Use Regedit’s very own copy-and-paste.
Translator’s note: Sorry if it’s a bit short, I didn’t know where else to put the cut-away. I’ll dedicate the rest of this week to re-editing the first chapters, as I intended to before. I’ll also be working on the website, so if you have any suggestions for the website (or if something doesn’t work/is bothering you), please tell me in the comments, feedback is really important.
decaf
Alright, now up next that desperately needs to be covered, is someone to cover his digital trace. All this money moving around might be jury rigged to seem legitimate by Ichikawa, but Kageyama desperately needs a world class hacker or group of hackers who can cast off suspicions on him.
Information is power.
Nameless
Can you add list of contents at right side of site when we are reading? It should toggle off and off like spoiler button.
defiring
Alright, should be easy for the PC version, I’ll have to figure out a way for the mobile version.
helpful cv
I wonder, how could I miss this chapter? I am so glad now, that I decided to read older posts. I would never know about the translation of Japanese novel, if I didn’t turn back. Though, I can check more on *redacted*
defiring
Holy hell that’s some elaborate spam, so elaborate that I won’t even delete it. I’ll leave you here for everyone to behold. (except the link, of course)