Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

Chapter 302 Each Displays Their Unique Abilities

Fuji Bank Headquarters, Conference Room.

An air humidifier emitted a fine mist from a corner, but it couldn't alleviate the extremely oppressive atmosphere in the room. A dozen or so board members in suits sat upright on either side of a long table, their gazes fixed on Vice President Kagawa's face. (This is reminiscent of Hanzawa Naoki being questioned www)

"Kagawa."

The bank manager's face was very unpleasant as he pointed to the headline of the Yomiuri Shimbun in front of Kagawa.

"What the hell went wrong at the banquet last night? A joint donation of 7.5 billion yen! Who gave you the authority to agree to such an absurd proposal from the Seibu Group in front of the Prime Minister and the flashing lights of the entire Japanese media?!"

Kagawa sat near the door, his face slightly pale, his hands resting flat on his knees.

The executive director sitting diagonally opposite him immediately followed up, speaking very quickly.

"The special inspectors dispatched by the Ministry of Finance were already seated in the audit office on the first floor at eight o'clock this morning. They specifically requested to review the approval documents for this 7.5 billion yen cash outflow!"

The managing director slammed his fingers on the table.

"The head office's accounts are already stretched thin by those bad debts. You're trying to show off by withdrawing 7.5 billion in real money from the treasury! If this outflow causes our core capital adequacy ratio to fall below the Basel Accord's red line, the Ministry of Finance could use that as grounds to revoke our overseas business license tomorrow!"

The managing director stared intently at Kagawa.

"Vice President Kagawa, if this money goes through the head office's account, it will bring a compliance audit disaster to the bank. You will personally bear full responsibility for this breach of trust charge."

Accusations poured in from all directions within the conference room, weaving together a dense, impenetrable net. Everyone was eager to firmly pin the blame, a burden that could land them in jail, on Kagawa's head.

Kagawa listened quietly to the surrounding attacks.

He glanced at the newspaper on the table, then raised his hand and unbuttoned the middle button of his suit jacket.

He reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, pulled out a piece of paper, and pushed it across the newspaper in front of him to the center of the conference table.

"President, fellow board members."

Kagawa's voice was calm, without a trace of panic.

"Last night, His Excellency the Prime Minister personally oversaw the event from the main stage, and the cameras of hundreds of media outlets from all over Japan were focused on the front row." Kagawa's gaze swept over the managing director who had just raised the issue. "Chairman Tsutsumi of Seibu High School publicly announced, in full view of everyone, his intention to establish a joint reconstruction fund with us. Managing Director, under those spotlights, what would have been the consequences if I had refused his proposal on the spot, citing the need to consult the board of directors?"

The managing director frowned, speechless at the rhetorical question.

"The consequence is that Fuji Bank will be immediately labeled with the political tag of 'openly resisting the national bailout plan.' This morning, the special prosecutors from the Ministry of Finance did not just sit on the first floor to check the accounts; they went directly with an executive order from the Cabinet to suspend our credit approval authority."

Kagawa looked at the silent executives and raised his voice.

"You all keep saying you're afraid of falling below the capital red line. But if saving this money leads to the bank losing credibility in front of the Prime Minister and the people, and even incurring the hostility of the entire Ministry of Finance, who among you will bear this political cost? Executive Director, are you willing to sign an apology statement at tomorrow's press conference?"

An awkward silence fell over the meeting room. The directors, who had been so assertive just moments before, all avoided Kagawa's gaze.

Kagawa looked at his colleagues who were shirking responsibility, reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, and pinched a thin piece of paper between his fingers.

He pulled the piece of paper out, pushed it over the newspaper in front of him, and slid it to the center of the conference table.

"Moreover, I had already made preparations for this."

He pointed to the piece of paper in the center of the table and looked directly into the bank manager's eyes.

"This is an anonymous loan I urgently obtained by contacting overseas trust clients after the banquet last night."

"A face value of 7.5 billion yen. A bearer cash check from Citibank."

"This joint donation did not use a single penny of the head office's working capital. If the prosecutor from the Ministry of Finance were to inquire, this money could be recorded as overseas humanitarian aid and has absolutely nothing to do with our domestic real estate credit lines."

The commotion in the meeting room abruptly ceased.

The managing director's anger froze, his gaze irresistibly drawn to the promissory note bearing the Citibank logo.

The bank manager sat up straight and glanced at the finance specialist behind him.

The finance officer quickly stepped forward, put on white gloves, and picked up the promissory note. He took a small ultraviolet counterfeit money detector from his briefcase and pressed the switch.

A pale purple beam of light swept across the surface of the stamp. The hidden security watermark and special fluorescent fibers became clearly visible under the beam.

The finance specialist repeatedly checked the issuing agency's seal and magnetic ink serial number. Then, he turned off the counterfeit money detector and nodded deeply to the bank manager.

"Confirmed valid. You can deposit your funds into the Metropolitan Clearing System for redemption at any time."

The tense atmosphere in the meeting room visibly eased the moment the finance specialist nodded.

The directors, who had just been so stern, exchanged a few cryptic glances.

As long as the bank's funds are not damaged and it doesn't have to take the blame, the nature of this matter changes completely.

The bank manager clenched his fist and coughed lightly. His previous sternness softened, and the muscles in his face relaxed.

"Since the funds didn't go through the head office's accounts," the president pushed the promissory note to the finance specialist, indicating that she should take it and deposit it into the account, "the board can barely accept Vice President Kagawa's explanation of 'crisis management.' After all, under such extreme political pressure, maintaining the bank's reputation is indeed the top priority."

The bank manager looked at Kagawa, his tone even carrying a hint of reassurance.

"Kagawa-kun, thank you for your hard work. This inflow of overseas funds will be just right to deal with the questioning from the Ministry of Finance prosecutor downstairs."

Kagawa remained seated, listening to the bank manager's statement, and suddenly felt that betraying them wasn't such an unacceptable thing after all.

But he knew that now was not the time to relax.

"Take the head."

Kagawa stood up and bowed deeply to the directors on either side of the long table.

"Heads and directors, last night's unauthorized actions, while preserving the bank's reputation with overseas funds, did indeed make the head office too conspicuous in front of the media, prematurely attracting the special inspector from the Ministry of Finance. I sincerely apologize for the trouble caused."

Kagawa straightened up, placed his hands on the table, and threw out his real chips.

"In order to make amends, I propose that I personally deal with the Ministry of Finance prosecutor downstairs."

Several directors frowned slightly.

"Public opinion is now closely watching the infrastructure holes of major conglomerates. Fuji Bank, as the core of the Fuyong Group, has a huge financial backing for the group's five key infrastructure companies." Kagawa's gaze swept over his colleagues. "Now that the prosecutors have taken over, they will inevitably follow the trail and request access to the underlying loans of these companies."

Kagawa looked at the head and took it.

"If the inspectors are allowed to access the original files without any hindrance, the head office will have no room for negotiation. We need to establish an internal 'compliance barrier' before the regulators intervene."

"As compensation for my mistake last night, I implore you to lead the establishment of a temporary 'internal risk assessment team.'" Kagawa emphasized, "I need the highest level of access to the files to extract all the credit records of these five related companies, re-examine them, and create a set of secure accounts that can withstand the Ministry of Finance's review."

The directors in the meeting room exchanged glances, their tense shoulders visibly relaxing.

At this critical juncture, maneuvering against the Ministry of Finance's auditors and falsifying compliance documents is a minefield that could trigger criminal charges at any moment. Whoever takes on this task risks becoming a scapegoat in the future.

Now that Kagawa has taken on this mess under the guise of "making amends," he can be considered "loyal and dutiful." Since someone is willing to step forward and clear the landmines, they are naturally happy to see it happen.

The bank manager glanced at Kagawa and nodded. He then pulled over the authorization signature book on the table.

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Kagawa-kun, the board has seen your intentions. This matter is now under your full responsibility." Torito quickly signed his name on the authorization letter and stamped it with his personal red seal. "From this moment on, you are granted full access to the internal archives. You must lead the investigation team to ensure the accounts are clean."

The finance specialist handed the authorization letter to Kagawa.

Kagawa accepted the authorization letter with both hands and bowed deeply.

"Thank you for your trust."

……

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Chairman's Office.

Behind a dark mahogany desk, Hiroya Iwasaki, the top advisor of the Mitsubishi Group, sat in a large leather chair. His hands were folded, and he leaned on a rosewood cane with a sterling silver handle.

Standing in front of the table is the head of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

"Chairman," the department head glanced at the fax with the cross marked on it and reported in a low voice, "the Saionji family sent an official letter five minutes ago. As per the agreement, they will be sending an advance team consisting of five senior financial supervisors."

"The fax stated that these five supervisors would arrive at our Marunouchi headquarters at 9:00 AM tomorrow. They requested to meet with the finance and human resources departments in person, review relevant records, and establish a joint account for the financial supervision of the 5,000 newly recruited workers."

Hiroya Iwasaki stared calmly at the fax for two seconds.

The Saionji family's behavior this time was rather unseemly.

Taking advantage of the "openness and transparency" principle established by the Prime Minister, they directly inserted auditors into the heart of Mitsubishi.

But Mitsubishi's ability to survive for hundreds of years has never relied on empty talk or verbal sparring.

"Since they want to meet in person..." Iwasaki Hiroya's voice was low, and the sterling silver base of his cane tapped lightly on the carpet.

"Notify the General Affairs Department. Immediately activate the archives of that abandoned old shipyard in Kawasaki City. Have someone rush there overnight, clear out an office, and hang a brass plaque on the door that reads 'Joint Special Relocation Office.'"

The department head was taken aback for a moment, then understood Iwasaki's intention.

"President, you mean...?"

"Using the pretext of 'secrecy regarding core military and heavy machinery technologies,'" Hiroya Iwasaki said to the head of the department, "transfer the advance team from the Saionji family directly to Kawasaki City by special vehicle. Tell them that the Marunouchi headquarters involves state secrets and outsiders are strictly prohibited from setting foot there. All arrangements regarding the placement of workers will be carried out at the joint office in Kawasaki."

The department head quickly jotted down the instruction in his notebook.

"But Chairman," the department head paused, "if they come to Kawasaki and demand that we provide financial statements and personnel lists for auditing, how should we respond? If we refuse to provide the data, they will certainly publicize to the media and the cabinet that we are resisting regulation."

A barely perceptible sneer curled at the corner of Hiroya Iwasaki's lips.

"Provide it. Why don't you provide it?"

Iwasaki loosened his cane and leaned back in the leather chair.

"If they want to see the original records, show them the most original and detailed original records."

"Go and immediately mobilize ten heavy-duty trucks," Iwasaki further instructed. "Go to the logistics warehouse and retrieve all paper personnel files of Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries employees who have left, retired, or completed short-term contract work over the past ten years. Also, retrieve all tax-compliant logistics purchase invoices and canteen expense receipts from the past ten years."

"Pack everything up and transport it to the archives in Kawasaki City overnight."

The minister gasped. That would be hundreds of thousands of yellowed papers.

"Pile those moldy paper documents all the way to the ceiling around their desks." Hiroya Iwasaki looked out at the gloomy sky. "Have someone unplug all the telephone lines in that archive. Cut off all electronic data interfaces that could connect to Marunouchi headquarters. Don't even leave them a spare fax machine."

"Tell them that the Mitsubishi Group is fully cooperating with the Saionji family's audit. To ensure the accuracy of the information, we have provided the most original paper documents. Please ask these five senior supervisors to use their hands and eyes to slowly check the whereabouts of those five thousand people from that pile of ten-year-old waste paper."

The department head closed his notebook and bowed deeply.

"I'll take care of it right away."

Iwasaki picked up the bone china teacup on the table and looked out at the towering buildings.

Neither refuse nor resist.

Malicious cooperation.

So, what's your next move, Saionji Satsuki...?