Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

Chapter 409 The Weight of a Name

April 7, 1991, 8:17 PM.

Marunouchi, headquarters of the Saionji Group.

Standing outside the main entrance of the building, Takahashi took the business card out of his pocket for the third time.

When Takahashi received the business card at school a few days ago, he didn't think it was anything special. At that time, Satsuki, who was sitting in front of him, was wearing a freshman uniform from Gakushuin University. She would politely call him "senpai" and would ask if she could borrow the blackboard before refuting his report.

In just a few days, the name had completely changed in his eyes.

To complete the task assigned by Satsuki, Takahashi reviewed publicly available information about the Saionji Group from the past few years. His investigation initially focused on the Seibu collaboration, but he subsequently encountered unavoidable timelines, companies, and individuals. As he continued to follow these clues, previously unrelated decisions gradually became interconnected.

He finally understood who he was debating with in the lecture hall.

The corner of the business card lingered between his fingers for a moment before Takahashi looked up.

The Saionji Group headquarters is not the tallest building in Marunouchi, nor is its exterior clad in the gold-colored glass that was popular at the time. Dark gray stone extends from the ground to the middle of the building, with narrow, tall floor-to-ceiling windows near the entrance. Only a barely noticeable Saionji family crest hangs above the main entrance.

The office area was quieter than usual on Sunday, but people kept passing by behind the glass doors carrying documents. Takahashi watched for a while and noticed that they all walked quickly and rarely stopped to talk. Several black sedans pulled up one after another at the bottom of the steps, and as soon as the doors opened, people carrying briefcases walked directly into the lobby.

Today is the vote counting day for the Tokyo gubernatorial election, and as is well known, Saionji publicly expressed his support for Isomura a few days ago.

Takahashi had assumed that Saionji's core personnel were probably all concentrated in Isomura's campaign office at this time. However, the fact that this building was still operating at such a high level was somewhat beyond his expectations.

It's also possible that I was wrong from the start.

For Isomura's camp, tonight is a decisive election; for Saionji, it may just be one of many tasks that must be handled tonight.

This thought made Takahashi tighten his grip on the file folder.

He put the business card back in his pocket, straightened his coat, and stepped onto the stairs.

As the automatic door opened, two security guards in dark uniforms looked over simultaneously. One of them stepped forward and politely inquired about his name and purpose of visit.

"Takahashi, Faculty of Economics, Gakushuin University"

Takahashi took out his business card and handed it to the other person.

"I've come to see Ms. Saionji Satsuki."

The security guard took the business card, his gaze lingering on the name for a moment.

"Please wait a moment."

He placed the business card on the black sensor panel on the side of the counter. A few seconds later, the indicator light came on. The security guard next to him then picked up the internal phone and whispered Takahashi's name.

The call was answered quickly.

After listening to the other party's brief reply, the security guard put down the receiver and returned the business card to Takahashi with both hands.

"Mr. Takahashi, Ms. Saionji requests that you go directly to see her."

As they spoke, the two took a half step back and guided Takahashi toward a small, private passage next to the access control.

There, a young employee had already come to greet them.

"Mr. Takahashi, please come with me."

Takahashi took the business card and followed him through the lobby.

The building's exterior gave it a very solid and stable feel, but the interior was newer than he had imagined. The floor was made of dark-colored stone, which cast only blurry reflections when the light fell on it. Several rows of fine wooden latticework separated the reception desk from the walls; the wood was not varnished, and its natural grain was still visible.

In the very center of the hall is a dark wall that stretches horizontally.

A row of bronze nameplates is embedded in the wall, bearing the names of the main companies under the Saionji Group.

Saionji Construction, Saionji Trading, SIS, SA Investment, S-Food, S-Farm, SA Entertainment, UNIQLO...

Takahashi slowed his pace slightly.

He had seen these names repeatedly in newspapers, company registers, and industry documents. They were scattered across completely different fields such as construction, finance, communications, food, agriculture, retail, and entertainment, and rarely appeared together in the same report.

Now, they are quietly arranged on the same wall.

At the bottom of the list, there were several blank copper slots, the same size as the nameplates above. Takahashi couldn't tell if they were reserved spaces or if a company had just been moved.

As he passed the side of the lobby, he saw a semi-open duty office.

A dozen or so staff members sat on either side of a long table, on which lay a telephone, a fax machine, and stacks of documents marked with different colored strips of paper. A television in front of them was broadcasting a special program on the gubernatorial election, the volume low, with voter turnout and preliminary vote count data scrolling across the bottom of the screen.

The staff would occasionally glance up, but quickly return to processing the documents in their hands.

A middle-aged man in a suit stepped out of the elevator and handed several freshly printed sheets of paper to the person in charge on duty.

"The second batch of data for Nerima Ward. Also, Seibu Railway has confirmed that the renovation work at the two stations will proceed as scheduled tomorrow."

"What about the project payment?"

"The first batch of seven companies has completed the transfer, and the remaining four need to be confirmed by the bank tomorrow morning."

The person in charge took the document, pulled out one of the pages, and handed it to the fax machine next to him.

The staff leading Takahashi did not stop.

Takahashi couldn't help but turn around and take a look.

The people were talking about exactly what he had been calculating repeatedly in his report just a few days earlier.

In his table, the project cost is the cost, the resumed project is the future revenue, and Seibu's participation is a variable that affects the bargaining power of both parties.

Here, whether a project can resume means whether anyone will return to the construction site the next day; whether a payment can be allocated determines whether the companies on the list can survive until next week.

For the first time, he clearly felt that his previous so-called "analysis" was actually quite far removed from reality.

When Satsuki was revising his model in front of the blackboard, he was probably considering more than just the numbers on the table.

Takahashi looked away and continued walking forward with the young employee.

His nervousness did not lessen; in fact, it became even more pronounced than when he was standing outside the door.

The debate at school allowed him to make mistakes.

However, if the judgment here is wrong, the decimal point on the paper may become a door that a company cannot open tomorrow.

The employee stopped in front of a separate elevator and placed their ID card in the sensor area.

The elevator doors opened.

There wasn't a row of floor buttons like in a regular elevator; only one spot on the metal panel was lit up.

After Takahashi went inside, no staff member followed.

"Ms. Saionji's secretary will be waiting for you upstairs."

After he finished speaking, he stepped outside the door and bowed slightly.

The elevator doors slowly closed.

Takahashi looked down at the two file folders in his hands.

One of them was very thin and contained his revised analysis of the Seibu collaboration.

The other one was noticeably thicker.

Over the past few days, Takahashi has barely slept. During the day, he goes to the university library and the National Diet Library to look up old newspapers, and at night he returns to his dormitory to organize materials. The next day, he takes the newly discovered names to company registrations and overseas financial documents.

He originally only wanted to redo the problems left by Satsuki.

But things quickly escalated beyond their initial scope—he discovered many exciting things.

The elevator ascended rapidly, the numbers constantly changing, yet Takahashi felt almost no noticeable vibration. Upon reaching the top floor, the doors slid open, revealing a young woman in a dark suit already waiting outside.

Takahashi had seen her in news photos.

Matsumuro Chizuru.

She rarely appears alone in reports; most of the time she stands behind Satsuki or Shuichi, holding documents or listening to someone's explanation.

"Mr. Takahashi."

Chizuru bowed slightly to him.

"Young Miss is dealing with something; please come with me."

"Sorry to bother you."

Takahashi followed her deeper into the corridor.

This floor is much quieter than the floors below.

The floor had been replaced with darker-colored wooden planks, making only a soft sound when you stepped on them. The few doors on either side were spaced far apart. Occasionally, someone would come out of a room and stop to let Chizuru pass.

Takahashi recognized one of them, and he was the only one who Chizuru stopped on her own initiative when she saw him.

Executive Director Endo.

He looked thinner in person than in the newspaper, and appeared visibly tired as he walked while reading documents in his hands. Two employees behind him kept reporting figures, and he only paused to confirm the details, signed the documents, and handed them back.

As Endo passed by Takahashi, he looked up at him.

His gaze first fell on Chizuru, then shifted to the file folder in Takahashi's hand.

Chizuru bowed slightly.

"The executive director is the young lady's guest."

Endo nodded and did not ask any further questions.

After the two passed each other, Takahashi heard the person behind him begin reporting again.

"Mr. Isomura's advantage in Taito Ward is greater than the agency anticipated, and the third batch of ballot boxes in Toshima Ward hasn't been counted yet..."

The sound gradually faded away with distance.

Takahashi subconsciously slowed his pace a little.

My deduction based on the information was correct; Satsuki does indeed wield immense authority within the group.

Even a group executive like Endo, upon hearing "the young lady's guest," did not request to know the other party's identity.

Although Takahashi already knew from the information that Satsuki held a special position in the Saionji Group, there was still a significant difference between the "actual participation in decision-making" described in the information and what was actually happening before his eyes.

Within the Saionji Group, he's probably only inferior to Mr. Shuichi, the head of the Saionji family.

Soon, they arrived at the end of the corridor.

There was no name on the door at the end; only a black card reader and a silver family crest that almost blended into the wall were embedded beside it.

She knocked lightly on the door twice, waited a moment, and then pushed the door open to one side.

"Young Miss, Mr. Takahashi has arrived."

There was no reply from inside.

Chizuru had already turned her body to the side and gestured for Takahashi to proceed.

Takahashi entered the room.

The first thing that catches the eye is the television screen that takes up most of the wall at the far end of the office.

NHK is currently broadcasting the Tokyo gubernatorial election results live. The screen is divided into several sections, with the central display showing the vote changes between Naonori Isomura and Shunichi Suzuki, and the sides showing maps of Tokyo's wards and live feeds from reporters.

Satsuki sat in a low-backed chair near the television.

Today she was wearing a soft white shirt with the cuffs rolled up above her wrists, and her coat casually draped over the back of the chair next to her. Her long hair was tied back with a black hair clip, and she was holding a billing form that had just been delivered to her.

When Takahashi walked in, she only glanced at him once.

"Takahashi-senpai, please have a seat."

After saying that, she turned her attention back to the television.

"Yes, my apologies..."

Takahashi unconsciously started using polite language and walked inside somewhat awkwardly.

The office was larger than he had expected, but the view did not immediately feel empty.

Near the entrance, there was a long black stone table with several off monitors embedded in its surface. On the other side, there was a small patch of grayish-white gravel, with only a piece of treated deadwood and two dark rocks on the surface.

The walls are made of unpolished wood and gray stone slabs, and hidden between several seemingly ordinary paper partitions are constantly flashing terminal indicator lights.

Several fax machines were placed next to the wooden wall below the television.

After the paper is ejected from the machine, the duty secretary will organize the contents and place it next to Satsuki. The room is almost silent except for the sound of the machine running, the voice of the TV anchor, and the occasional soft rustling of the paper turning.

Modern equipment is cleverly concealed among traditional Japanese materials, yet the result is remarkably harmonious.

What design language is this? Neo-Japanese style?

Takahashi sat down on the sofa, his body somewhat stiff.

Takahashi's family wasn't exactly poor, but they still felt that every single decoration here looked expensive. If he broke a few, his father would probably disown him.

Speaking of which, haven't I seen that black Raku tea bowl by the wall in the National Museum...? Could this be the real one?

Takahashi put aside the thought that it might damage Saionji's relationship with the Tokyo National Museum and sat up straight.

Chizuru then brought over the tea, but she didn't seem to intend to remind Takahashi that Satsuki's guests had arrived. She simply placed the tea down and then retreated to the other side of the office.

The television screen in front of Satsuki switched to the Isomura office.

The staff stood in the lobby, and red paper flowers were already prepared on the table. Isomura himself remained seated near the front, conversing quietly with several campaign staff. The screen at the bottom showed the current vote count was 37%.

Suzuki is currently leading by more than 40,000 votes.

Takahashi had originally planned to wait for Satsuki to speak.

He soon realized that he should watch TV too.

Since Satsuki is waiting for the election results, he should know what she's looking at.

This is part of the second test, or at least it could become part of the test at any time. Satsuki has no obligation to suspend an ongoing election and to listen to him slowly explain the homework he left a few days ago.

Takahashi placed the teacup back on the table and began to observe the numbers on the screen.

Suzuki maintains its advantage in the Tama area and some traditionally strong local organizations, while Isomura is closing in on the Taito, Koto, and Toshima wards. Nerima's vote counting is slower, and NHK analysts believe that it will ultimately be a crucial area determining the gap.

The program then aired a news recap of the day before the election.

In the footage, the presidents of several small and medium-sized construction companies stand in front of a bank, showing reporters the letters of intent for financing they have just received. Another shot shows the construction site gates, which have been reopened, with several trucks bearing the Saionji Construction logo slowly driving in, and workers in overalls receiving new access passes at the gate.

The captions indicate that the first batch of eleven companies have received bridging financing and subcontracting arrangements, and four stalled projects will resume this week.

The camera angles changed quickly.

Outside a construction site on the Ikebukuro Line, Seibu Railway workers were dismantling the barriers that had been erected to prevent the construction from proceeding. Prince Hotel also announced three early-implemented equipment upgrade plans, and payments to seven subcontractors were completed before the election.

The reporter said off-screen:

Both Saionji Group and Seibu Group stated that these projects will continue after the election and are unrelated to the final result.

Takahashi glanced at Satsuki.

She was reading the ticketing form for Nerima Ward, her face expressionless.

The commentator on TV mentioned another change.

The Tokyo Small and Medium-Sized Construction Companies Association ultimately did not endorse any candidate on behalf of the association. When questioned by reporters, Eiichi Shibata only stated that each member company had the right to choose its partners based on its own business situation.

A few days ago, Yasuhiro Sugimoto attempted to oppose Saionji through local organizations organized by the Tokyo Central Construction Group, but only received this ambiguous response in return.

Takahashi had never met Gondo, nor did he know what he and Shibata had discussed.

Judging from the results, Du Zhongjian did not side with Suzuki.

Once the invoice issuance rate exceeded 50%, the gap between the two sides began to narrow.

Isomura's votes in Toshima Ward significantly exceeded expectations, and the first batch of votes in Nerima Ward gradually reflected this in the total. Suzuki's lead narrowed from over 40,000 votes to less than 20,000, and was further reduced when a new batch of ballots was counted in Koto Ward.

The office remained quiet.

Occasionally, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the door, but those who entered would immediately slow their movements.

A secretary placed the new fax next to Satsuki.

After reading it, Satsuki simply drew a circle next to one of the lines with a pencil.

"For Endo."

"Yes."

The secretary took the documents and left.

Takahashi saw that the top of the paper read "Third batch of Nerima Ward".

When the vote-settlement rate reached 68%, Isomura overtook the leader for the first time.

Leading by more than 2,700 votes.

NHK did not announce the election results, but simply placed the two candidates' portraits on either side of the screen, with the numbers changing every few tens of seconds.

Takahashi noticed that his palms were slightly sweaty.

He was only there to submit an assignment, but he was forced to sit in the top-level office of the Saionji Group and watch an election that could change Tokyo for years to come.

What bothered him even more was that Satsuki remained calm.

This was the first time Takahashi had seen Satsuki working.

She didn't smile at the comeback, nor did she urge anyone to inquire at the Isomura office. She simply continued looking at the data from each district, occasionally picking up newly delivered documents, placing a few on the left and others on the right.

Takahashi gradually came to understand that classification.

The area on the left has completed most of the invoicing.

The area on the right is still subject to considerable uncertainty.

When the second batch of data from Nerima Ward came out, Isomura's lead widened to more than 12,000 votes.

The NHK feed suddenly switched back to the studio.

The host turned to the side, listened to the sound in the earphone for a few seconds, and then looked down to check the documents on the table.

"Based on the current ticket issuance situation in various regions, and the distribution of tickets not yet included in the ticket boxes..."

A blank red horizontal bar first appeared at the bottom of the screen.

Then, white text slowly appeared.

Naonori Isomura has been confirmed as the winner.

Cheers erupted almost immediately in the lobby of Isomura's office.

Staff members hugged each other, some raised their hands, and others presented prepared red flowers to Isomura. Flashbulbs went off continuously as reporters pushed forward, and the entire scene was quickly filled with the crowd.

A low cheer came from outside the office.

Someone seemed unable to resist clapping, but quickly quieted down after being reminded by others. On the television screen, Naonori Isomura had already stood up, and campaign staff surrounded him as he walked toward the red flower that had been prepared for so long.

Satsuki watched TV, and only then did a slight smile appear on her lips.

Takahashi hesitated for a moment, then stood up from the sofa.

"Congratulations, Ms. Saionji."

Satsuki gazed at the screen, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Thanks."

Her gaze lingered on Isomura for a moment, then she picked up the remote and turned down the TV volume.

The cheers, reporters' questions, and flashing lights in the lobby suddenly receded to the other end of the room.

Satsuki turned around and looked at Takahashi.

The faint smile on her face remained the same as before.

"Mr. Isomura's results are in."

She reached out her hand to Takahashi.

"Now, let's see what results Takahashi-senpai brings."