great-warnovel Chapter 408 Favors in the Wine Cellar
Chapter 408 Favors in the Wine Cellar
(Thanks to "I am Mrs. Yorktown's Dog" for the author's certification! Today's chapter is a long one of 5800 words~)
April 5, 1991, 9 p.m.
Azabu Juban, The Club.
Tokyo in April is already much warmer, but it still feels a bit chilly at night.
The fireplace on the first floor of the main building was off, and a pot of white iris wood sat on the mantel. Several members sat in the lounge area near the floor-to-ceiling windows, their wine glasses long since settling down. What they were really picking up repeatedly were the few sheets of paper that had just been delivered from next to the fax machine.
"Of the eleven construction companies, seven can produce complete project confirmation documents, and three of them can complete the preliminary review tonight."
President Yoshino placed the list in the center of the table and pressed his finger on the top three names.
"A total of 2.4 billion yen in transitional financing is needed. The amount is not large, and the completed projects and the amount receivable are clear. As long as Saionji Construction is willing to confirm the subsequent subcontracting arrangements, a letter of intent can be issued tomorrow morning."
Sitting opposite him, Masatoshi Ito picked up the list and glanced at it.
"I've met the second company. They did the underground plumbing for two Ito-Yokado stores, and they were on time for the job."
"Then I'll leave it for you for now?"
"They can handle their old debts themselves." Masatoshi Ito smiled. "The six stores that were originally scheduled for renovation this year can start work ahead of schedule, with prices and payment terms following the same method as Saionji. If they do well, there will be more orders; if they don't, this phase will be over."
A business executive next to him picked up a glass of whiskey, but upon hearing this, he put the glass back down.
"Mr. Ito has now learned how to do thirty-day accounting as well."
"If someone has already laid out all the available solutions, why should I insist on waiting another sixty days?"
Masatoshi Ito handed the list back to Yoshino.
"In the past, I always thought that the longer the payment period was delayed, the more cash I would have on hand."
"But given the current situation, with companies going bankrupt every day, if we drag this out until the ninetieth day, we don't even know if the interest we save will be enough to find a new construction team."
President Yoshino nodded and wrote down the name Ito-Yokado after the second company.
The papers were passed along the table to the next person. Some were willing to offer warehouse repair projects, some could provide credit for building materials, and others had their eyes on the team on the list that had just obtained the qualification to construct sewers, and were preparing to bring them to a construction site in Jiangdong District.
The television was mounted on the wooden wall to the side of the hall, the volume turned down low. The evening news was rebroadcasting Naonori Isomura's speech at the Ueno Maritime Music Hall, the camera panning from the stage to the audience, where rows of light yellow pay bags appeared on screen.
When the news anchor mentioned that the Saionji Group publicly supported Isomura, several people in the rest area looked up at it, but quickly continued discussing the list in their hands.
The older member sitting on the far right suddenly laughed.
"Four years ago, when people met here, the first thing they asked was which piece of land Mr. Saionji had recently bought, or whether he should continue holding onto his New York stocks."
As he spoke, he looked toward the other side of the hall.
The small hall where bridge used to be played was still lit, but the card tables had long been moved into storage. Two fax machines and a long table had been added against the wall, and several club staff were sorting documents from banks, companies, and the Isomura office. Two secretaries stood by the door, waiting for a reply; neither of them had any interest in playing a single card.
"Now look what's happened, everyone's sitting here discussing which company will be able to open on Monday."
"That means the things that Mr. Saionji reminded us to sell before were indeed worth selling."
The managing director of the trading company replied with a smile.
"Only by preserving our cash can we be qualified to sit here and choose a company today."
Everyone laughed.
The words sounded somewhat cruel, but no one at the table found them strange. At the height of the bubble, a membership card at The Club meant being able to get a head start on the market; now that banks are tightening lending and land is becoming increasingly difficult to sell, it has taken on an even more direct use.
If a company is short of 2 billion yen and goes to a bank alone, it will only be required to provide additional land and residential properties as collateral.
Once inside this mansion, the bank can see its outstanding construction payments, the retail company can present its store renovation projects, and the trading company can postpone the payment deadline for steel and cement by one month.
The gap still exists, but after being dismantled by those present, it is no longer as frightening as it was initially.
The Club's core membership still only has 48 seats.
In the past year, the number of applications submitted to the board of directors has exceeded the total number submitted in the three years before the company opened. Some people were willing to increase their membership deposit to 300 million yen, while others offered the Ginza Building and Karuizawa Villa as collateral, but all of them were ultimately returned untouched.
Nowadays, the most useful information on an application to get in here has changed: how many orders you can generate, how many jobs you can keep, and how many people in banks, government agencies, and local organizations are willing to answer your call.
Looking at the list on the table, a long-time member suddenly asked:
"Someone just said that The Club is becoming more and more like a bank without a sign."
After President Yoshino finished writing the last number on the document, he looked up at him.
"People who say things like that have probably never been to a real bank."
"The bank won't let Mr. Ito sit at the loan review table and casually arrange six branches for the client."
Masatoshi Ito leaned back on the sofa, smiling as he raised his glass.
I agree with that.
Light laughter filled the hall again.
Just then, a very light footstep sound came from the direction of the lobby.
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi walked in.
He only brought Shimada with him today. Shimada exchanged a few words with Fujita at the door and then stayed in the outer hall to wait, while Tsutsumi Yoshiaki walked through the hall alone.
Several members nodded to him in greeting. President Yoshino then held up the list in his hand and asked him with a smile if Seibu had any unused maintenance projects that could be used for rescue.
"Seibu already has enough people who need saving."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi casually replied, but paused for a moment by the table.
He glanced down at the newly added bank, store, and warehouse projects on the list, then looked at Naotoku Isomura on TV.
"They acted very quickly."
"If we are a step behind today, we may have another bankrupt company on the list tomorrow."
President Yoshino turned the paper to the next page.
"If Chairman Tsutsumi changes his mind, there's still time to put the Seibu project on the list."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi chuckled, did not answer, and turned to continue walking towards the stairs.
He came here tonight specifically to go upstairs to find Xiu Yi.
But as soon as he reached the stairs, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi found that Shuichi was already standing at the corner of the second-floor corridor, one hand on the dark wooden railing, quietly watching the list being passed around downstairs.
It looks like he's been waiting there for a while.
"Shuichi-kun."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi stopped and looked up at him.
"You knew I would come?"
"Chairman Tsutsumi has no appointment tonight."
Xiu said with a smile.
"I was just thinking that around this time today, someone might want to have a drink."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi looked at him for two seconds and then chuckled.
People from Saionji always like to describe things they already know as if they just guessed correctly.
Tea has been prepared on the second floor.
Shuichi walked down the corridor and stopped on the last step.
"However, given what Chairman Tsutsumi brought today, it's probably not appropriate to let the tea get cold."
He raised the key in his hand.
"We just finished sorting through a batch of older wines in the cellar. Want to come with me to pick out a bottle?"
"Are you treating?"
"When was Chairman Tsutsumi ever asked to pay for this?"
Xiu turned to the side and walked towards the corridor leading underground.
"Hmm, I remember the membership fee back then was exactly one yen less."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi followed, laughing and scolding.
"You know, that's the rule."
……
The staircase leading to the underground wine cellar is hidden at the back of the main building, with the entrance being a thick wooden door edged in copper. As soon as the waiter opened the door, a cool breeze carrying the dampness of cork and stone walls rushed up from below.
The wine cellar is maintained at 12 degrees Celsius year-round. As I descended the last step, the last vestiges of warmth in the Tokyo spring night vanished completely.
Wooden wine racks on both sides extend along the walls into the depths, the bottles covered with a thin layer of dust. The earliest Bordeaux wines collected here were purchased by Satsuki before the Japanese began large-scale acquisitions of French wineries.
Back then, Shuichi felt that filling a wine cellar capable of storing 20,000 bottles of wine ahead of time was somewhat wasteful.
The price of many of these wines has now increased more than tenfold.
The Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé estates occupy the innermost rows, while Burgundy and Champagne are arranged on either side. Near the entrance, there is a members' cloakroom area, with a small tag outside each wooden compartment displaying the member's name and the date of cloaking.
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi walked slowly forward along the wine rack, his eyes sweeping over the rows of bottles.
"Back when you were buying wine, people in Tokyo were complaining that French wineries weren't giving them enough quotas."
"Now many people are even preparing to sell the houses where they store alcohol."
Shuichi picked up a bottle of 1982 Latour, looked at the label, and put it back in its place.
"So in the last six months, we've been receiving more and more wine for storage. Several members have already put their Tokyo homes up for sale, and when they're cleaning their cellars, they send their wine here first. Ownership and insurance are registered accurately, and storage fees are still charged."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi smiled upon hearing this.
"You can even make a profit by storing a few cases of liquor for someone else."
"The liquor shelf is just sitting empty anyway."
"That's very much like your... no, I mean, like your young lady's style."
Shuichi also smiled and glanced at him.
"I will truthfully convey Chairman Tsutsumi's praise to my daughter."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's face stiffened, and he coughed lightly twice.
"That won't be necessary."
The two walked to the long table in the center of the wine cellar. On the table were several empty wine baskets, a small copper hammer for opening boxes, and a thick inventory book.
Shuichi took a small lamp from the wall and slowly walked forward along the wine rack.
"How about the 1982 Mouton Rothschild?"
"Too young."
"Is the 1982 vintage still young?"
Good things should be kept for a few more years.
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi followed behind him, reached into another row and took a bottle of wine, glancing at the label.
"Latour in 1974".
Shuichi took it and checked the bottle opening.
"Are you in such a bad mood today?"
"I thought Saionji would like sake from bad vintages."
Why?
"It was cheap."
Xiu smiled.
"It's already quite expensive even now."
In the end, neither of them chose the bottle of Latour.
Shuichi took a few more steps forward and pulled a bottle of 1978 Margaux from the center of the wine rack. Yoshiaki Tsutsumi glanced at the vintage and didn't pursue the matter further.
Deep inside the wine cellar was a small wooden table.
Shuichi placed the bottle on the table, removed the wax seal from the neck, and slowly pulled out the cork with a corkscrew. Yoshiaki Tsutsumi stood by and watched until the wine was poured into the decanter, then placed the black folder he had been holding onto the table.
"Suzuki will hold a press conference at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building at 10:00 AM tomorrow."
Shuichi did not stop what he was doing.
"Um."
"He is preparing to announce a set of emergency support measures for small and medium-sized construction companies in Tokyo."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi opened the folder and took out a draft document with an internal number printed on it.
"Complete the settlement of project funds within 30 days, provide working capital financing with the confirmed accounts receivable, re-register unemployed construction workers, and coordinate the suspension of projects through industry associations."
As he said this, he glanced at the red wine in the decanter.
"Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"
"really."
He repaired a used cork and set it aside, then picked up the draft and flipped through a few pages.
The wording in the document has been bureaucratically polished, and it is much longer than Isomura's speech today, but the actual content is almost identical.
Tokyo will "study" shortening the settlement period.
The Credit Guarantee Association will "discuss" providing special guarantees.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is preparing to establish a consultation window with industry groups.
Suzuki's biggest advantage is that he is still the current governor.
If he simply stands before the Metropolitan Government emblem and states these words, voters will easily perceive that the current government has already begun to act. The advantage that Isomura has just established today will be significantly diminished.
"This was delivered to my office at 7 p.m. tonight."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi turned to the last page with his finger.
The name of Seibu Group is already printed on the list of supporting companies, with only a space for confirmation stamps next to it.
"They want me to stand next to Suzuki tomorrow morning."
"Did you agree?"
"If I had agreed, I should be preparing my press conference statement right now."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi pulled out a chair next to the wooden table and sat down.
"The Tokyo local organizations felt that Seibu had just handed over part of its management rights to Saionji and needed to prove that it still had an independent stance. They were very considerate of me."
"That's really thoughtful."
Repair the file and put it back on the table.
"Even Seibu has considered what you need."
"Stop making sarcastic remarks."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi looked up at him.
"I came here as soon as I received the news."
"I know."
Shuichi picked up a clean wine glass, poured a small amount of red wine over the glass, and then poured the wine out.
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's brows gradually furrowed.
"Do you know what Suzuki is going to do tomorrow?"
"Saionji had already received the first draft before the second draft was sent to Suzuki's office."
"When?"
"This afternoon."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi looked at Xiu for a moment.
"SIS again?"
Shuichi didn't answer, but simply picked up another glass.
The only sound in the wine cellar was the sound of red wine falling into a glass.
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi leaned back in his chair and suddenly felt that the document he had brought was somewhat superfluous.
"Honestly, sometimes I feel like your SIS is like the FBI. How does it know everything? When exactly did it start building this intelligence system?"
Shuichi ignored the somewhat agitated Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, shook the red wine in his hand, and observed its color.
"That's a trade secret, and I'm afraid I can't tell you."
Upon hearing this, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
He rushed all the way to Azabu-Juban, hoping to see how Saionji would react to the news. It turned out the other party had probably already made arrangements for how to handle the situation the next day.
"So I made a wasted trip?"
"That's not entirely true."
Shuichi pushed one of the glasses of wine toward him.
"Chairman Tsutsumi at least let us know that Seibu did not stamp that document."
"Hmph, verbal statements are worthless."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi did not touch his wine glass.
"I'd like to join your operation tomorrow."
Xiu Yi raised his eyes.
"Seibu?"
"Two station renovation projects at Seibu Railway have been suspended, and three equipment upgrades at the Prince Hotel can be started ahead of schedule."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi pulled out another list from the bottom of the folder.
"There are still seven subcontractors' project payments that the finance department originally planned to make next month. If the procedures are adjusted tonight, the checks can be sent out tomorrow morning."
Xiuyi took the list.
The total amount is not particularly large.
The companies involved are located in Nerima, Toshima, Tokorozawa, and Shinjuku, covering several key constituencies along the Seibu Railway line. If these companies announce receipt of funds by tomorrow morning and bring workers back to the construction site, Suzuki's proposal announced at 10:00 AM will become extremely awkward.
Suzuki is preparing to tell voters that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will study how to resume work.
But some people on Isomura's side had already received the checks.
What do you want?
Shuichi asked.
"Seibu will be included in tomorrow's announcement list."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi answered very directly.
"Both the station construction and hotel projects can be announced by the Isomura Office; Seibu will not hold separate press conferences."
"Anything else?"
"Seibu needs to have a place in the next round of project coordination for small and medium-sized construction companies."
Xiu looked down at the list and did not immediately agree.
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi did not urge him.
The red wine had been in the decanter for a while, but the aroma hadn't fully dissipated. Yoshiaki Tsutsumi picked up the glass, smelled it, and then put it back on the table.
"What was Saionji originally planning to do?"
"At 8 a.m. tomorrow, the first batch of approved companies will receive financing commitments, payment arrangements, or new contracts."
Shuichi put the list aside.
"Four of the construction sites will reopen before 9 a.m. The Independent Workers Mutual Aid Association has prepared personnel, and the material trucks from Saionji Construction will also arrive at the same time."
At 9:30 a.m., Isomura held a press conference to announce the checks, contracts, and the list of workers returning to work.
After listening, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi nodded slightly.
Saionji Temple had indeed made preparations in advance.
When Suzuki announced the policy at 10 a.m., Isomura was already able to allow reporters to film the trucks entering the construction site.
The election isn't over yet, and no one can force voters to believe a promise. But checks already issued, construction site gates reopened, and workers in overalls entering the site are more believable than a research proposal stamped with the Metropolitan Government's seal.
"With the addition of Seibu, the scale will be even larger."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi said.
"It will also make it difficult for them to accuse Saionji of having a monopoly."
"The addition of Seibu has definitely brought benefits."
Shuichi picked up the list and checked it again.
"However, all projects must be announced in the same order as Saionji. The project funds will be reviewed tonight, and the Isomura office will arrange for reporters to be interviewed tomorrow morning. Seibu cannot add any conditions at the last minute, nor can it release any information before 9:30 a.m."
"Can."
"The costs incurred in financing and resuming operations will be borne by Seibu itself."
"certainly."
"The list cannot be changed after it is given to Fujita."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi looked at him.
"Shuichi-kun, when did you learn to add conditions one by one?"
"Well, I have a very good teacher in my family."
Xiu smiled and folded the list neatly.
"In short, Seibu can join."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi relaxed and reached for his wine glass.
Shuichi did not immediately clink glasses with him.
"However, this means that Chairman Tsutsumi owes Saionji a favor."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's hand holding the wine glass froze in mid-air.
"Your 'teacher' just took away from me fifteen years of commercial operation rights for the train station, ten years of hotel procurement rights, and five years of business around Seibu Stadium."
"Those were all written in the contract."
Shuichi spoke very naturally.
"Favors will be considered separately."
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi looked at him and remained silent for a long time.
A few seconds later, he chuckled softly.
"How come I never realized before that you were even more greedy than your daughter?"
"Because Chairman Tsutsumi rarely owed me favors in the past."
When do you plan to collect it?
"I haven't decided yet."
Shuichi finally picked up his wine glass.
"I'll owe you for now."
The two wine glasses gently clinked together.
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi took a sip and quickly frowned.
"Still not awake."
"It is indeed a bit early."
Shuichi also took a sip, then put the glass back on the table.
He got up and walked to the cellar door, pressing the call bell on the wall. Fujita quickly appeared outside and took the Seibu project list from Shuichi.
"Send it to Endo."
Xiuyi explained the way.
"The review will be completed tonight, and the list will be included in the first batch tomorrow morning."
Fujita glanced down at the Seibu Group seal at the top, his expression unchanged.
"Yes."
The cellar door closed again.
The decanter on the table remained quietly there, the deep red wine shimmering slightly under the light.
This bottle of wine still needs time.