Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

Chapter 404 The Shadow of SIS

(Two chapters today~)

Early April, 1991, afternoon.

Yasuhiro Sugimoto's residence in Setagaya is not particularly large, but the living room is decorated with great care.

The beige floral wallpaper extends all the way to the dark oak wainscoting, with two brass floorboards on one side, covered by milky white lampshades. The fireplace is sealed off, but two porcelain horses bought from England are still placed on top of it.

This kind of Western-style decor was very popular ten years ago, but now it looks a bit old-fashioned, like something out of the bubble era.

Sugimoto was the only person in the room.

He sat at a low table wearing a shirt and vest, pouring boiling water into a cooling bowl. After the water cooled down, he slowly poured it into a kisu (a traditional Japanese teapot with the handle on the side) filled with tea leaves.

He didn't even look up when the door was pushed open.

Eiichi Shibata appeared alone at the door.

He is the vice president of the Tokyo Small and Medium Construction Industry Association and the president of Shibata Civil Engineering Co., Ltd.

Shibata Civil Engineering started in Koto Ward and has been engaged in road, sewer, and riverbank protection engineering for more than 30 years. Within Tokyo Central Construction, it represents a group of local companies that have long relied on contracts from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for survival.

These people and the Qinghe Society were not exactly friendly in the past.

When the central faction needs votes and donations, it always remembers that there are a number of small and medium-sized construction companies in Tokyo; but when the Ministry of Construction's large-scale projects are actually completed, the most valuable bids are often taken by large, comprehensive construction companies.

"What's wrong, Mr. Shibata? Aren't you going to sit down?"

Sugimoto remained focused on the teapot in his hand.

"This is Ippodo's Gyokuro 'Kanro', I'm sure you'll like it."

Shibata did not answer.

His gaze first swept across the living room, finally landing on the unobstructed floor-to-ceiling window.

"If someone takes a picture of me leaving Mr. Sugimoto's house, someone from the association might ask me tomorrow when I joined the Seiwakai."

His words were clearly sarcastic.

Sugimoto seemed to have finally finished brewing the tea.

He poured the last drop of tea from the teapot and looked up at Shibata.

"Does Mr. Shibata think we should move to a certain ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant) for a private meeting?"

He laughed first as he said this.

"Actually, it doesn't matter where we meet."

Shibata frowned slightly.

"What does that mean?"

Sugimoto put down the teapot.

"Mr. Shibata, do you know?"

He looked directly into the other person's eyes.

"There are SIS members everywhere in Tokyo now."

The living room became quieter.

Shibata's brow furrowed even deeper.

"SIS?"

"That IT company in Saionji?"

Sugimoto did not answer, but simply gestured for him to sit down in front of him.

Shibata stood there for more than ten seconds, staring at Sugimoto without moving.

Sugimoto wasn't in a hurry; he just stared at him.

"You'd better make your point more substantial."

Shibata finally took a breath and sat down in front of Sugimoto.

Sugimoto then pushed the freshly brewed Gyokuro over.

"What did you mean just now?"

Sugimoto reached into a drawer on the table and placed a document with the Cabinet Office letterhead in front of Shibata.

"Last September, the Cabinet Secretariat, the National Police Agency, and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry jointly issued a document."

Shibata glanced down at the cover.

Outline of Special Measures for Strengthening Crisis Management Capacity of Important Private Economic Facilities.

The title is quite ordinary, like yet another document produced by bureaucrats after a bubble bursts, just to prove they're still working.

"What does this have to do with Saionji?"

Turn to the appendix at the back.

Shibata opened the document.

Sugimoto picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip while he read.

"Private companies that can simultaneously undertake international communications, financial data processing, port logistics, security for important figures, and emergency communications for disasters can apply to become designated cooperative partners."

"Once included on the list, you will be granted access to dedicated radio frequencies, priority access to high-performance photography, communication, and anti-eavesdropping equipment, and the ability to send personnel to participate in security and counter-terrorism training organized by the National Police Agency."

After reading the conditions, Shibata looked up at him.

"Saionji Temple is not mentioned in the article."

"Of course, would they make a fuss about something like this?"

Sugimoto put down his tea cup.

"Can Mr. Shibata find another company in Tokyo that simultaneously owns international data lines, computing centers, port warehouses, financial settlement services, and its own security company, and can also apply for VIP protection assistance under the pretext of hosting foreign political and business figures?"

Shibata did not answer.

Sugimoto then pointed to the bottom of the appendix.

"In the second month after this policy was announced, SIS became one of the first designated cooperative partners."

"They obtained dedicated frequency bands, and the licensing of imported equipment was changed from item-by-item review to annual filing. When the Metropolitan Police Department held large-scale security drills, people from Saionji could even follow them into the joint command post to learn how the police deployed personnel, how to block routes, and how to identify surveillance."

"This only shows that they received preferential treatment from the government, doesn't it?"

Shibata closed the document.

"Everyone in Tokyo knows about Saionji's relationship with the Kaifu Cabinet."

Sugimoto looked at Shibata, then at the untouched tea in front of him, and smiled.

"Then let's take a look at this one."

Sugimoto then took out a stack of papers from the file bag.

This time there was no formal heading; it was simply a list of personnel compiled using a typewriter. Following each name were the former department, date of resignation, and currently confirmed whereabouts.

Shibata only read the first few lines before his gaze stopped.

Public Security Investigation Agency, Tokyo Public Security Investigation Bureau, Metropolitan Police Department Public Security Department, Tokyo Customs Investigation Department, Immigration Control Authority Review Department.

They are all public security organs.

"In the past ten months, the whereabouts of 27 people have been confirmed."

Sugimoto said.

"Eleven of them joined Saionji Security, eight went to a technology company under SIS, and seven others first joined several inconspicuous crisis management consulting firms, which were subsequently acquired by Saionji."

Shibata turned to the second page.

Most of the people on the list did not hold positions such as president, advisor, or other respectable titles suitable for printing on business cards. Some were just ordinary section chiefs, while others did not even disclose their specific positions.

"It is not uncommon for people from public security organs to enter private companies after retiring."

"If it's just one person, then of course it's not uncommon."

Sugimoto smiled.

"But it's hard to explain this as a coincidence that a total of 27 people flowed into the same corporate system in less than a year, including several field managers who were responsible for tracking, informant management, and counter-espionage investigations for a long time."

"According to regulations, the re-employment of these people should have been subject to review."

"But their procedures were processed very quickly, so quickly that it didn't seem like Tokyo bureaucrats were handling the review process for them."

"Several people had participated in security drills for important facilities organized by Saionji even before they officially retired."

Shibata's hand stopped at the edge of the list.

"Where did these things come from?"

"The Qinghe Society isn't so poor that it can't even find a few old friends in the Public Security Investigation Department."

Sugimoto took the list back from his hand and neatly arranged it on the table.

"The problem is that even those old friends are now unsure whether the person sitting next to them has accepted Saionji's invitation."

"Or perhaps those old friends were already invited, and even the information we see now is what Saionji wants us to see."

He spoke in a relaxed tone, but Shibata felt a chill run down his spine.

Are there really companies in Japan that can achieve this level of success...?

"Over the past year, the Seiwakai has had people investigate several companies that were later acquired by Saionji."

"The situation is very similar in every case."

Shibata didn't urge him, waiting for him to continue.

"When will the bank withdraw the loan? Who in the management is secretly contacting the buyer? Which subcontractor is keeping the books for the president? And who in the union can really motivate the workers?"

"By the time the people from Saionji sit down at the negotiating table, these matters have often already been documented."

Shibata raised his eyes.

"There are always people in the company willing to sell information."

"So they investigated."

Sugimoto added more tea to his cup.

"The president changed his secretary, the office was thoroughly inspected, and the phone and vehicles were handed over to an external company. Everyone who had access to core documents was interviewed, and their accounts, debts, and family information were all thoroughly reviewed."

As he said this, he picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"But the only thing that could be confirmed in the end was that the message had indeed reached Saionji's hands."

"As for which door they exited through, nobody knows for sure."

Shibata looked at the two documents on the table.

"So you believe they've been spying on the management of those companies?"

"What they're doing is far more complex than surveillance."

Sugimoto picked up the teapot again and added some hot water to Shibata's tea, which had cooled down a bit.

"When a regular investigation agency receives a commission, at most it will send a few people to keep an eye on the target, take a few photos, and try to get some information out of them."

"But SIS is different. They have regular field personnel trained by the Public Security Bureau, their own communication and data systems, and they can also access Saionji's companies and facilities throughout Tokyo."

"Official personnel are only responsible for finding targets, assessing intelligence, and organizing operations."

"When it really comes time to fill the gap, the person delivering materials to the construction site, the person transporting documents for the bank, or an employee of a company who has just received help from Saionji, might be able to offer a word of advice."

"Among these people, some know they are working for SIS, while others only feel that they are reporting business to the Saionji Group."

Shibata's brow remained furrowed.

"You say they're everywhere, and that's your basis for saying so?"

"Isn't this enough?"

Sugimoto glanced out the window.

There was no one in the courtyard, and the road leading to the street was very quiet. Occasionally, a vehicle would drive by, quickly disappearing beyond the wall.

"That's the problem. They never left any trace that could be followed up."

"The employee who delivered this policy document to my office today was probably from SIS. The public security officer who told me about the whereabouts of those 27 people may have also accepted Saionji's job."

"The directors in your association, my secretary, and the people who come here to collect the garbage every day may occasionally say a word or two on their behalf."

At this point, Sugimoto suddenly smiled, raised his hand, and pointed to himself.

"Of course, I could also be a member of Saionji."

"Today, I deliberately invited Mr. Shibata to my home, and after you left, I wrote down your reaction in detail in a report and sent it to Ms. Satsuki."