great-warnovel Chapter 398 Entrance Gift
Chapter 398 Entrance Gift
Early April 1991.
"Father, is there no work at the company today?"
Satsuki stood at the bottom of the entrance steps, holding a leather handbag that matched her clothes perfectly, and looked somewhat helplessly at Shuichi, who was still adjusting his tie in front of the mirror.
Today is the enrollment day for Gakushuin University.
Satsuki wore a simple, elegant spring dress with a short jacket over it, and no conspicuous jewelry on her chest. Chizuru had originally prepared a more formal outfit, but she changed it off, saying she "didn't want to feel like she was attending a business banquet on her first day."
In contrast, Shuichi appeared quite serious.
He adjusted his tie in front of the mirror, then looked down to check his cuffs again, making sure there were no problems before turning around.
"The work at the company is never-ending, but my daughter only gets one chance to enter university, doesn't she?"
"If you continue like this, I'll record it as absenteeism and deduct it from your wages."
Satsuki shook her head and turned to walk out the door.
Although she said that, she didn't actually let Xiu Yi stay.
Xiuyi followed behind with a smile.
"How can that be considered absenteeism? I just dropped you off at the school gate; I'm only a little late at most."
"The fact that the group's chairman is the first to be late has a very negative impact."
"Then please deduct one hour from my salary, Master."
"I will seriously consider the request."
The two walked out of the main house one after the other.
The car parked at the bottom of the steps had already opened its doors. Chizuru stood beside it, waiting for Satsuki and Shuichi to get in before getting into the front passenger seat.
The vehicle drove out along the road in Bunkyo Ward.
Tokyo was already much warmer in early April, and the cherry blossoms along the streets were gradually entering their peak bloom. The light pink petals were blown across the road by the wind and occasionally landed on vehicles waiting at traffic lights.
Young people who had just graduated from high school began heading to their new schools, and college freshmen in new suits were a common sight, accompanied by their parents. As the car passed near the station, Satsuki even saw several young people standing by the roadside checking each other's ties; clearly, none of them had much experience wearing formal suits.
She looked away and glanced down at the enrollment materials placed beside her lap.
The carriage was quiet for a while.
As the car drove past Mejiro Station, Shuichi suddenly picked up an envelope from beside him and handed it to Satsuki.
"A gift for your enrollment."
Satsuki glanced down.
The envelope used the style commonly seen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and there was a stamp on the seal. It had nothing to do with university admissions.
"I'd be furious if it wasn't a check for a hundred million dollars inside."
As she spoke, she had already opened the envelope.
"In a sense, this letter is worth more than one hundred million dollars."
Shuichi didn't explain further, but simply gestured for her to look first.
Looking at her father's slightly smug expression, Gaoyue had already guessed most of what was going on.
Putting aside the memories she left behind from her previous life, SIS has long since established stable channels for intelligence gathering on the Soviet Union and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The letter sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Saionji family in April was not difficult to guess in terms of its contents.
However, she didn't reveal it beforehand.
Satsuki unfolded the document inside, carefully read a few lines, and then revealed a perfectly timed surprise when she saw the date.
Shuichi had been watching her reaction closely, and only when he saw it did he turn his head with satisfaction and look out the car window.
"Gorbachev will stay in Tokyo until the 19th."
"The Soviet Embassy in Japan requested that a separate meeting with the Saionji family be arranged during the official visit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also inquired whether we would be willing to cooperate."
The first official visit by the top Soviet leader to Japan.
This will also be the last time.
Satsuki's gaze continued to move downwards along the paper.
She had only been gone from the Soviet Union for a few months, but the situation there had already deteriorated far more than it had been the previous winter.
The Pavlov monetary reforms in January abolished large-denomination ruble banknotes but stipulated that people must exchange them within a very short period of time. As a result, it neither truly cracked down on black market funds nor controlled inflation. Instead, it made many ordinary people start to doubt whether the rubles in their hands would become worthless at any time.
The subsequent gunfire in Vilnius transformed the Baltic Sea issue from a political dispute into a matter of ethnic hatred. The Soviet central government attempted to use the military to demonstrate its continued control, but ultimately, it made it clear to all the republics that Moscow could no longer easily reverse the situation.
The worst part isn't even that; now even Russia itself is starting to vie for power with the Union Central Committee.
Even with the Baltic states gone, the Soviet Union could still barely maintain a large shell. But if Russia were to take its finances, businesses, and resources away from the Union's central authority, the remaining Moscow institutions would quickly lose their footing.
Gorbachev is still making a final effort.
The March referendum received majority support for "preserving the Union," and he is also pushing for a new Union Treaty in hopes of reuniting the loosening constituent republics.
However, the alliance that people voted to support was far removed from the Soviet Union of the past.
Now that things have come to this point, even if L Ning were to actually rise from the crystal coffin in Red Square, it would be very difficult to piece everything back to its original state.
After reading the document, Satsuki gently lowered the letter.
"The official visit hasn't even started yet, and you're already preparing to meet with a Japanese zaibatsu privately. Is that really okay?"
Xiu smiled.
"It seems you made a very deep impression on them in the Soviet Union last year."
"Not entirely."
Satsuki shook her head.
"They're just about to die of poverty."
She spoke very directly.
The Soviet Union needs far too much right now.
Food, medicine, daily necessities, transportation channels, and hard currency that enables cross-border settlements—any one of these would be enough to make Moscow officials set aside their past airs.
Saionji Temple happens to be able to provide most of these.
What was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' response?
Shuichi paused for a moment, his smile becoming slightly more pronounced.
"They seem somewhat worried."
"What are you worried about?"
"I'm worried that after you receive the Soviet delegation, you'll only let Gorbachev go back alone."
"Perhaps even Gorbachev himself will have to sign a few treaties before he can leave."
Satsuki nodded gently, but her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was genuinely dissatisfied with the assessment.
"Oh?"
She turned to look at Shuichi.
"Father, what kind of image do I have in the eyes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"
Shuichi's expression turned serious.
"Someone who would take advantage of someone's bankruptcy and pack up their assets, equipment, and personnel to take with them."
He thought for a moment and then added a sentence.
"Simply put, they like to take advantage of people's misfortunes."
Seeing his serious expression, Satsuki couldn't help but smile.
"Well, that sounds fairly accurate."
She lowered her head, rearranged the documents, and then asked a question as if it were just a casual remark.
"Who said that?"
Xiu glanced at his daughter.
The moment their eyes met, he casually turned to look out the window.
"It's better if you don't know this."
"Are they from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"
"We're almost at school."
"Father, you have no talent for changing the subject."
Xiu sat upright, showing no intention of answering.
Satsuki stared at him for a while, then finally let out a soft breath.
"Okay, stop fooling around."
She folded the letter again and put it back in the envelope.
"Which day would the Soviet side prefer?"
Shuichi also put away his teasing thoughts.
"The 17th or 18th. The official schedule is being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They prefer to hold the private meeting in the evening to avoid public events during the day."
"Then the 18th."
Xiu turned his head.
"Don't you want to check the university's arrangements first?"
"unnecessary."
Satsuki glanced down at the enrollment materials beside her legs, and a smile returned to her face.
"I think they need to see my schedule."
Shuichi laughed after hearing this.
"That's true. The only way to stop you would be if Gakushuin University were planning to go to war with the Soviet Union."
The car had already left the vicinity of Mejiro Station and was slowly driving towards the main gate of Gakushuin University.
Many new students and their parents gathered outside the campus, and there were signs indicating the entrance ceremony near the entrance.
Reiko and Ayako had arrived earlier and were standing in a less crowded spot, making them easily visible.
Shuichi noticed them too.
"It seems your friend is already waiting."
He turned around and looked at Satsuki gently.
"Alright, now it's your time, young people's turn."
The vehicle slowly came to a stop near the school gate.
The driver got out of the car and opened the door. Satsuki picked up her bag and was about to get out when Shuichi called her back.
"Satsuki".
"Um?"
"Have a pleasant time enrolling in school."
Satsuki turned to look at her father for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"Thank you, Father."
The door closed, but Xiu didn't get out of the car.
He sat in the car, watching his daughter walk through the crowd on the roadside toward two girls waiting by the school gate.
The car only started moving again after the three people met up and headed towards Marunouchi.
……
Greetings, Saionji-kun.
Seeing Satsuki walking towards her, Ayako immediately straightened up and exaggeratedly performed a traditional greeting.
She even deliberately adjusted her pronunciation, making it sound like she was imitating an old-fashioned accent she had learned from some period drama.
She was wearing a brightly colored dress today, and her hair was carefully styled, but paired with that overly formal movement, it looked particularly comical.
Satsuki covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"Oh dear, I thought some girl had gotten lost and ended up all the way to Mejiro."
She walked up to Ayako and tilted her head slightly.
"Oh, it's Ayako-san."
Ayako couldn't understand this Kyoto-accented way of speaking.
She stood there, stunned, forgetting to retract her movements, remaining in the same posture.
Satsuki looked her up and down.
"With Ayako looking like this today, and carrying a cypress fan, I'd really have to ask which family's young master has gone missing."
Reiko, standing to the side, watched Ayako's farce with a helpless expression before nodding slightly to Satsuki.
Good morning, Saionji-kun.
"Good morning."
Satsuki stopped teasing Ayako and nodded in response to Reiko.
Reiko's attire today was as conservative as ever, a light-colored coat paired with a dark long skirt, and she was carrying a file folder containing law school materials. Standing next to the excited Ayako, the difference in their personalities was almost immediately apparent.
"Why?"
Ayako finally stood up straight.
"Saionji-kun, what did you mean just now? And who is 'Waka-kun'?"
Satsuki looked at her.
"I'd like to ask you, what brings you to such a refined mood today?"
"Oh, wasn't Gakushuin a Chinese school before?"
Ayako didn't think there was anything wrong with her behavior at all.
"I was thinking, doesn't 'Honorable Sir/Madam' have that kind of feel to it?"
Reiko said from the side, "We used to talk about things like that often back in St. Hua Academy."
"That's different."
Ayako quickly waved her hand.
"This feels more like a prestigious school, doesn't it?"
The three of them talked as they walked through the school gate.
Mejiro campus was much busier than usual on the day of enrollment. New students who had just received their materials were looking for their respective department's assembly point, while most parents were parked near the entrance ceremony venue.
Several senior students stood on both sides of the road handing out club flyers, while a crowd gathered in front of a bulletin board a little further away.
The school retains many old buildings that were built many years ago, with trees and grass separating the different school buildings. Mejiro Station and the street outside are right behind you, but after entering the school gate, the surrounding noise quickly becomes quiet.
Ayako looked around, clearly finding everything in front of her fascinating.
Looking at her, Satsuki suddenly asked, "Ayako, do you really think that Gakushuin University is full of upper-class kids?"
"No, not at all."
Ayako touched her head.
"People like Saionji-kun are obviously not everywhere. Most people are probably just ordinary people like me and Reiko."
"turn down."
Reiko raised her hand and tapped her on the head.
"You nouveau riche, don't categorize me with you so easily."
"Waaah, Reiko saying that makes me sad."
Ayako quickly covered her head to prevent Reiko from continuing her attack, and put on a pitiful look.
"sad?"
Reiko looked at her.
"Then you should apologize to ordinary people first. If you consider yourself an ordinary person, then what are others?"
Satsuki watched the two playfully bickering from the side with a smile.
"Yes, Reiko is right."
"Hey—Saionji-kun."
"Playing the victim won't work."
Reiko found another gap between Ayako's arms that were protecting her head and tapped her with her hand.
"it hurts!"
"I didn't use any force at all."
My heart aches so much.
Reiko simply ignored her.
After Satsuki and the other person quieted down a bit, she continued, "Most students at Gakushuin University come from ordinary families. Of course, I'm talking about truly ordinary people."
"However, Gakushuin is a private university in Tokyo after all, and the tuition and daily expenses are not low. Most students come from middle-class families who can afford these expenses."
She reached out and took a club flyer from a student on the roadside, glanced at it casually, and then handed it to Ayako.
"Moving up a bit further up, we have company managers, doctors, lawyers, civil servants, and families of small and medium-sized enterprise owners. This group is already much smaller."
Ayako took the flyer and asked curiously, "About how many?"
"The situation varies from department to department."
Satsuki thought for a moment.
"If we include all those who can truly be called wealthy families, they probably wouldn't exceed 10% of the total population."
"As for the descendants of the old Chinese, prominent political families, and families that own large corporations, their numbers are naturally even smaller."
Ayako nodded thoughtfully.
Reiko, however, already understood what Satsuki was about to say and looked at her friend beside her.
Sure enough, Satsuki quickly turned her gaze back to the two of them.
"Above that, you are."
"us?"
Ayako pointed to herself, looking somewhat puzzled.
"My father just works for the bank, so how did I end up being assigned to that position?"
"The past is the past."
"Is Yoshinoya's position within Mitsui Bank the same as it was when you first met me?"
"That's true..."
Ayako nodded.
Thanks to Satsuki's influence, her father had long been a very influential figure within the Mitsui Bank system.
Needless to say, Reiko's situation was even worse.
Although the Isogawa family cannot compare with the top-tier financial groups, they still wield considerable influence in the political arena and within old family networks.
Now the Isogawa family stands by Saionji's side, and Reiko herself has become one of Satsuki's closest people.
The resources, information, and connections they have access to far exceed those of the vast majority of students on campus.
"You've followed me for so long. If you're still considered ordinary people, then my reputation is practically ruined."
Satsuki spoke as if it were perfectly reasonable.
As Ayako listened to her eloquent speech, her eyes gradually brightened, and she even lowered the hand that was protecting her head.
"What about Saionji-kun?"
She quickly pressed for more information.
Who do you think you are?
"Me?"
Satsuki looked thoughtful.
She closed her eyes, tilting her head slightly upward, as if she really needed to seriously consider this issue.
"Well……"
Reiko looked at her, waiting to see what answer Satsuki would give in the end.
The next moment, Satsuki suddenly turned around and quickly took two steps to stand in front of the two of them.
She continued forward with her hands behind her back, a drawn-out voice coming from ahead.
"I am your Queen!"
Ayako paused for a moment.
Then, her eyes lit up again.
"Your Majesty—"
She immediately caught up with him, and even placed one hand on her chest as if preparing to swear allegiance to a real ruler.
"May I ask your loyal subject, should we first accompany you on an inspection tour of the territory, or should we first collect the enrollment materials?"
Reiko smiled and followed.
"We just said that Gakushuin is no longer a noble school, but less than five minutes after we entered, even the Queen showed up."
Satsuki glanced back at her, the smile still lingering on her face.
"Doesn't Reiko want to?"
"I was just thinking."
Reiko slowed her pace and walked alongside her.
"Since Her Majesty possesses such a vast territory, surely she doesn't need our help in finding a meeting place for the Department of Economics?"
Satsuki paused for a moment.
Ayako also looked at her.
"Saionji-kun, do you know which way to go?"
"..."
Satsuki turned around as if nothing had happened.
"My duty is to guide the Queen."
Ayako finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.
She opened her handbag and took out a map.
"Let me make it clear first, I'm from the law school."
She raised her hand and pointed to the direction marked on the map.
"Once I send you to the Department of Economics, I will no longer be responsible for you."
"Lady Reiko is so heartless."
Ayako immediately protested.
Reiko looked at her.
"Just a moment ago I was a subject, how come I'm now an adult?"
"Because Reiko has a map."
Ayako answered very decisively.
Satsuki chuckled softly from the front.
The three of them chatted and laughed as they walked along the school road, quickly blending into the group of freshmen heading to their respective departments.