Quantum Leap Vol 8 Harris Treaty July 29, 1858

C019 I Am Going To Slap Your Face Until You Forgets Your Name...

He raised his hands and gestured everyone to calm down. After the cheers died down, he announced what I had relayed to him and speak into the crowd. Moments later, everyone was laughing hysterically and put on the smiley badges on the right side of their kimonos and attended to your businesses.

Some small children came up to me and I kneeled and they whispered something to me and I nodded and they ran off back to their mommies. One handed me a garland of flowers, while another handed me a gyoza which I ate with them and patted their heads. Yup... Their new Mayor was a commoner just like them, thinks and reacts just like them too.

Some ladies bowed to me and I bowed back to them. A practice that has long been forgotten by Mayor Asuwaipu Itsumo. The rest who followed me bowed back in respect as well. The residents of Kitakata had known for our generosity for giving alms to the monastery and had given away rice as rations for poor families 2 months in a row using his own pocket money.

The residents also knew that we pay the 4000 over employees with extra bonuses every 3 months and drop a few silvers as a 'mistake' on calculating their salaries and never take it back even when reported by the employees that we had overpaid them.

The residents knew that we had invested in making the lives of everyone better, the higher standard of living and out from poverty and those who had 2 or more family members working with Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha were as well off as a Samurai. They could even afford their own house by being with the corporation in 6 months.

The residents knew where I had come from and being an adopted son of Hiko Seiko and always with him no matter what on making big decisions. Most importantly they knew that I respect others and I earned their respect through any demands but right from their hearts.

We walked in and met the Head Treasurer and asked where the salaries of all the governmental officials come from and he blurted out that it came from our very own corporate account that was siphoned into the Castle's liquid assets.

I was surprised at his statement and the figure we had gotten from him was 3 times as much as we had paid for thousands of our employees' salaries monthly, even with their bonuses added. Each month, more than 150,000 coins were taken to pay those loathsome officials.

I rushed back to the government building and stopped everyone from working and to assemble at the front of the building according to their sector. I called for the tailor and his assistance and brought a sketchpad and they brought a table and chair for me to document somethings.

When they saw the tailor holding the measuring tape, everyone knew I was not taking things lightly and sitting on my laurels. As I called one by one to announce their name and their department and current salary, some even tried to suck in their tummies as the tailor measured the sizes around their tummies and chest.

No gender preferences as the tailor is a lady. Once they had submitted their names, department and salary, along with their waist and chest size, I closed the sketchpad and told them to invert their sizes within 30 days or stay out.

We would gladly pay 3 months of their axed salary as compensation, and if they could reduce it and maintain it for 90 days, they would regain their salary at the full rate. After everyone had gotten the message across over to their thick skulls, some packed their things and left the department before the end of the day.

30 days to trim down? Flatten those tummies? Broaden their chest? Those pigs had been squeezing the blood and sweat of Kitakata residents and yet I'd forgive them so easily? I'd let go of a murderer so easily meeehhh...? f**k THEIR SISTERS LA...!!!

It is better to see them give up the fight so easily, yellow-bellied c**k suckers...!

"Anyone want to give up? Please don't waste Yours Truly's time and His Majesty's efforts. Go... Get out and join them. For all, Yours Truly care. Do you all think Yours Truly care about your feelings...? Yours Truly is not afraid of changes for the betterment of the residents of Kitakata. Yours Truly praises to those who stay and dares to take up Yours Truly challenge... But Yours Truly praises too for those who leave without a fight... GO! GET OUT...! SCRAM...! SHOO...!"

I added insult to their injuries as they tucked their tails between their legs and leave to their department. By end of the day, half had packed their things and left town the same night to seek solace in their son's, daughter's or even their parent's hometown.

News soon reached to the General of the Imperialist and the Commander of the Militia. At first, they were angry and was filled with rage and fury and when they realised that my words stand as His Majesty words, they backed down and dared not to be accused as a revolt for the penalty for revolting, mutiny, unrest and invoking or instigation against the Mayor's words would be the same as death by hanging or by the gallows.

That's why soccer was invented in Japan where residents would kick the heads that had been decapitated all over town without knowing where to score and with many heads being kicked around, no referee, linesman, goalies were around and these heads that rolled ended up in the mass grave as it reaches its goal. Hahahahaha. What a sick mind I've got...!

=*=

We went back to the Head Treasurer to find out more about our corporate accounts and said that it's numbers that are left on the corporate account. I insisted the amount to be returned as normal or we'd pull out all our gold from the treasury and the Head of Treasurer went pale.

"In that case, Your Excellency...."

"STOP...! Didn't you hear WHAT I should be called? It is YOURS TRULY...don't f**k around with OUR employees HARD EARNED MONEY...! Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha is NOT built by me, OR by my Sensei OR by any of MY Execom members alone...! Without OUR employees, do YOU think YOU can see THOSE 16 million gold coins in YOUR treasury?!

One more thing I hated most is corruption within the Government itself. If the head is corrupt, the body would soon be corrupt as well... It just takes a matter of time.

"If I return the coins, more than half would be gone from the Castles funds."

"YOU THINK I CARE...?! Do that and freeze the castles assets. More than half of the government employees had left. The rest have their salaries axed to more than 50% off. If they can't put up with my challenge, another half would be gone. Before the end of the 30 days grace period, more people will leave. And soon there won't be anyone left in the Government Sector."

"Once that, the Castles fund would remain as it is and funds would not be siphoned anywhere without my f*****g approval... IS THAT UNDERSTOOD...?"

"Yes, Yours Truly... But..."

"I know what you want to say next, Head Treasurer... But let me tell you this... A friend is a friend... Business is business... Family is family. These will never be mixed. Even if you're my father, I would still f**k you up. When you return home, I'd still respect you as my father. UNDERSTAND...? "

"I understand, Yours Truly. Your words are final and I will transfer the funds back... The balance in the Castle's liquid assets is now left 180,240 gold coins."

"Good freeze it, and our total for the corporate account right now is..?"

"18,369,024 gold coins. Sensei, please produce the corporate account book to be updated accordingly. No... Close this book, open a new one on this date onwards."

The Head Treasurer complied and calculated the interest and it shot up to 18,378, 049. "We would like to make a withdrawal, please... 378,049 gold coins, please. Thank you." The Head Treasurer was shocked at my change of attitude and became like a normal customer in a treasury. He made a few people count the money and then places them into 4 wooden chests. Each chest containing 100,000 gold coins while the balance 78,049 in the other chest.

The Execom members helped to carry the cashback and our corporate savings stand at 18,000,000 round figure. If we never acted this way, even the bank would overrule us.

Before we left, the Head called out... "How about the development of the town? They supposed to get it from the treasury."

"Let them come and get me. I'm the new Treasurer." the moment the Head Treasurer herd this, he knew his head had long rolled and kicked around like a soccer ball and he was just a puppet at this moment.

"Sensei... Kayu-San is a man who is not after money but more on womanising...could we trust him to find out who had left and who had stayed based on this list? For those who stayed, we still have to pay half of their salary. For those who had left without notice and succumb to their fear and failures, we need not pay a single bronze copper even. Their loss is Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha's gain.

We walked back and Hiko-sama pondered a while on this and he agreed on one condition, which is Hiko-sama would be double-checking on it to ensure every person on roll call would be the same as in that list, every time he passes the government building. I gave him two thumbs up just like Steve-O usually did after each dumb jackass stunt this he had since performed and I said "yeeeeaaahhhhhhh"

We all went to the corporation grounds and saw that the construction for the community, business conference and the Dojo had all been completed and the furnishings had all been neatly laid out inside. The outside grounds had been left as it is since I had a job that needs to be done before that.

We walked inside and found that it was all to our standards that had been required and called kayu-San for lunch and dismissed everyone. Zannera and Zikyl had taken off somewhere to bring their dragons for fishing or to do something else.

Ex-Mayor was silent since, at this moment, he acted as an observer and found that I was more ruthless than the most ruthless Hitokiri that had ever lived. He found that I was slashing at my enemies without talking much and actions do speak louder than words.

"You got balls, kid... I admire you to be able to tackle these things right from its root. You put the interest of the residents and the people of Kitakata before you. They made up of the main backbone of the company and you take care of them well."

Hiko-sama said to me as a matter of fact because he knew whatever best I think for the corporation would also be best for the future of Kitakata. Nearly 75% of the residents knew that I could speak to the dragons and make them bow before me as if I am God to them. That earned their sincerest respect as only a Hero or a Great Man.

I raised my hands at the 'aunties' and they served lunch to us. It was a simple garlic fried rice with a sunny side up egg, grilled fish and mixed vegetables soup and something else. They made steamed corn pudding as a dessert and I complimented the cooks for their effort in bringing us meals at a wave of a hand.

Even if the meal was very simple, the ex-Mayor could help himself and shamelessly asked for seconds. We laughed at him because it seems he's getting used to being a commoner for a week before being His Majesty's aide after that.