Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

Chapter 122 The Web of the Void

October 16, 1988.

Tokyo, Akasaka.

As night falls, Akasaka becomes a labyrinth built of desire and power. Black luxury cars, like fish in the deep sea, silently glide into the depths of those ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurants) with lanterns hanging without any words.

Ryotei "Tsuraya".

In the innermost private room, "The Pine Room," the air is dry and warm, filled with the aroma of burning pine and the rich flavor of aged whisky.

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi sat cross-legged in the main seat. This man, known as "Emperor Seibu," did not have his usual arrogant and domineering air at this moment. Instead, he was wearing a loose kimono and playing with an Edo-style sake cup in his hand.

Opposite him sat a burly old man with sharp, eagle-like eyes.

Internal strength.

The founder of Daiei Group, a "price killer" in the Japanese retail industry, and the behind-the-scenes helmsman of Lawson convenience stores.

If you disregard his impeccably tailored suit and focus solely on his weathered, ruthless face, it would be difficult to associate him with those elegant tycoons. He appears more like a veteran who has just crawled back from the battlefield, ready to bite the enemy's throat at any moment.

"Tisang, your little guest is quite the big shot."

Zhong Neigong picked up the glass of liquor in front of him and drank it all in one gulp. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, and he exhaled a breath of stale air tinged with the smell of alcohol.

"Making two old men, whose combined age is over a hundred, wait here—is this the kind of upbringing the Saionji family has?"

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi smiled and poured himself a glass of wine, seemingly unconcerned.

"Nakauchi-san, be patient. Young people these days have far more leverage than we did back then."

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi glanced at the clock on the wall.

"And she brings you what you want most."

"What I want?"

Zhong Neigong sneered and slammed his fingers heavily on the table.

"All I want now is the South Sea Hawks (the predecessor of the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks). Unfortunately, those old railroad geeks just won't budge."

As a survivor who ate human flesh during World War II in the Philippines, Zhong Neigong possessed an almost pathological desire for expansion. He frantically bought land, hotels, department stores, and even wanted to own a professional baseball team to showcase the success of the Da Rong Group.

But behind this frenzied expansion lies an extremely strained financial chain.

"Splash—"

The sound of the paper door being pulled open interrupted Zhong Neigong's complaints.

A gust of wind carrying the chill of late autumn blew in.

Satsuki stood at the door.

She wasn't wearing her school uniform today; instead, she wore a dark gray Chanel suit, her long black hair styled in a bun that revealed her slender neck. She wasn't carrying a bag, only a thin file folder.

Fujita stood guard outside the door like an iron tower, silently closing the sliding door for her.

"Sorry to have kept you both waiting."

Satsuki entered the room with light steps and her signature smile on her face.

"On my way here, I dealt with a small misunderstanding with Sumitomo Bank, which took a few minutes."

She walked up to Zhong Neigong and bowed slightly.

"Nice to meet you, President Nakauchi. I am Satsuki Saionji."

Zhong Neigong narrowed his eyes, sizing up the legendary "witch".

too young.

His youth seemed almost absurd to him. But the composure and nobility emanating from his very being forced him to set aside his contempt. In particular, the nonchalant tone with which he mentioned "Sumitomo Bank" sent a shiver down his spine, a pain that was already churning out debt collectors.

"Please sit down."

Zhong Neigong pointed to the mat opposite him.

"Tsutsumi-san said you came to deliver a gift. But I'm a rough man and don't like beating around the bush. What is it about that I have that the young lady of the Saionji family has taken a fancy to?"

Satsuki slowly knelt down, her posture elegant.

She didn't rush to answer, but instead took out a report from the file bag and gently pushed it in front of Zhong Neigong.

"President Nakauchi, the recent expansion of the Daiei Group is truly astonishing."

Satsuki's voice was soft.

"Acquiring Holiday Inn, bidding for the Nankai Eagles team, and opening Daiei supermarkets all over the country. Your ambition is truly unparalleled in Japan."

Zhong Neigong snorted, a hint of smugness on his face, but he was quickly frozen by Gaoyue's next words.

"However, courage can't put food on the table, nor can it pay bank interest."

Satsuki stretched out her slender fingers and tapped on a line of numbers on the report.

"The Daiei Group's current interest-bearing debt has exceeded one trillion yen. Although cash flow is still circulating, that's based on the premise of 'high turnover.' Once any link in the chain gets stuck..."

She raised her head, her clear black and white eyes staring directly at the internal energy in the middle.

"For example, if Lawson convenience stores can't keep up with the pace of expansion, or if profits decline due to high supply chain costs, do you think Sumitomo Bank will still sign the agreement for you?"

"Bang!"

Zhong Neigong slammed his fist on the table, causing the wine in his glass to spill out.

"Little girl, are you threatening me?"

The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly. Yoshiaki Tsutsumi continued to sip his drink leisurely, as if everything happening before him had nothing to do with him, but his peripheral vision remained fixed on Satsuki.

Internal energy cultivation... After all these years, my qi cultivation skills are still not up to par.

Faced with the rage of this man known as the "dominant force in the distribution industry," Satsuki didn't even flinch.

"How could that be? I'm discussing business with you."

Satsuki said calmly.

"Lawson is now the number two in the industry. It's being pressured by 7-Eleven above and chased by FamilyMart below. Things aren't easy for you."

"Mr. Toshifumi Suzuki's product management is indeed impressive, but he is too arrogant. He insists on building his own factories and maintaining high-cost operations. This is his moat, but also his burden."

"And you..."

Satsuki's lips curled into a playful smile.

"You're a price-cutting manipulator. What you hate most is those middlemen making a profit, and what you hate most is ineffective costs. On this point, we're on the same page."

She pulled a second document from the file bag.

That was a "Supply Chain Custody Agreement".

"S-Food can take over Lawson's entire fresh food supply in the Kanto region. Our central kitchen is 30% more efficient than your current contract manufacturers, with a loss rate as low as 0.6%."

Zhong Neigong glanced at the document and sneered.

"Cost? I can reduce costs by building my own factory. Why should I be at your mercy?"

"Because you don't have the money to build a factory."

Satsuki saw right through him.

"Da Rong's funds are all tied up in real estate and mergers and acquisitions. You can't come up with a huge sum of money right now to upgrade Lawson's back-end system and cold chain logistics. And SA Group..."

She turned her head slightly and glanced at the bustling night view of Akasaka outside the window.

"We're so poor we only have money left."

Satsuki pushed the third document—the most crucial one—towards her.

"This is S-Food's way of showing sincerity."

Zhong Neigong lowered his head.

The moment he read the terms and conditions, this seasoned business tycoon's pupils contracted sharply.

S-Food will provide Lawson with a three-month payment extension. This means Lawson can defer payment for all fresh food products for 90 days.

This is blatant financial aid.

For the retail industry, cash flow is lifeblood. Deferring payment by three months means Lawson can use this huge cash flow for various purposes, such as opening new stores or even filling the financial gaps in other areas of the Darong Group.

This is a multi-billion dollar interest-free loan!

"Furthermore," Satsuki's voice continued, "SA Logistics will take over Lawson's logistics and distribution. We've calculated that by optimizing routes and using mixed-load delivery, your transportation costs can be reduced by 15%."

"A three-month payment period and a 15% reduction in logistics costs."

Satsuki closed the file bag and placed her hands, folded, on her knees.

"President Nakauchi, you are a man of action. You should know what this money means."

Zhong Neigong fell silent.

His hand, holding the cigarette, froze in mid-air, ash falling onto his expensive suit trousers, but he was completely unaware.

He was doing the accounting.

Having started his business by trading goods on the black market, he has an almost animalistic intuition for numbers.

This deal could instantly double Rosen's net profit. It would allow him to stand tall in front of banks. It might even give him the confidence to renegotiate the acquisition price with that damned team owner.

But what is the price?

The price is that Rosen's lifeline—the supply chain—will be in the hands of this little girl. Rosen may very well cease to belong to him from this point onward.

"What if I refuse?" Zhong Neigong asked in a hoarse voice.

"Then I'll have no choice but to lend this money to Mr. Tsutsumi."

Satsuki smiled and glanced at Tsutsumi Yoshiaki, who was watching the show from the side.

"Although FamilyMart is currently third in the market, with this funding and S-Food's technology... I think it won't be long before it surpasses Lawson."

"Furthermore, I heard that Mr. Suzuki of 7-Eleven has also been worried about logistics costs recently."

This is a trap.

With 7-Eleven dominating in terms of quality and FamilyMart catching up in terms of funding, Lawson will be caught in a pincer movement and starve if it doesn't take the bait.

Zhong Neigong raised his head and gave Tsutsumi Yoshiaki a deep look.

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi shrugged and raised his glass. "Don't look at me. I work in the railway and restaurant business, I don't know anything about your rice ball business. But... if it were me, I wouldn't refuse money delivered to my door."

Old fox.

Zhong Neigong cursed inwardly.

He knew that the tide had turned. Or rather, the tide had turned.

In this era where capital reigns supreme, whoever has cash is God. And the Saionji family is now that God, waving their checkbook.

Zhong Neigong understood that this was poisoned bait. But Zhong Neigong still believed that he could just swallow the money and leave Rosen in that little girl's hands for a while.

"it is good."

Zhong Neigong forcefully shoved the cigarette butt into the ashtray, as if trying to extinguish all his resentment.

"I'll sign."

He was a pragmatist. What was face worth? What did control matter? As long as he could survive, as long as he could expand, he would do anything, even make a deal with the devil, let alone a century-old aristocratic family like the Saionji family.

These Chinese people value dignity and reputation, don't they?

Moreover, as long as I get that money and my cash flow improves, everything will be fine.

"However, I have one condition."

Zhong Neigong stared at Gaoyue.

"I want S-Food to guarantee that Lawson's purchase price must be lower than FamilyMart's."

"certainly."

Satsuki answered without hesitation.

"You are our strategic partner. FamilyMart's work is about 'poverty alleviation,' while yours is about 'a powerful alliance.'"

She took a Montblanc pen out of her handbag, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to Zhong Neigong.

"The pen and ink are ready, Mr. Nakauchi, please."

Zhong Neigong took the pen.

He signed his name on the contract, his handwriting messy and unrestrained, the force penetrating the paper.

"Smack."

The seal fell.

With that crisp sound, two-thirds of Tokyo's convenience store empire had fallen into the hands of the Saionji family.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

Satsuki put away the contract without lingering any longer.

She stood up and gave a slight bow to the two bigwigs.

When he raised his head, he still had that faint smile on his face.

"Well then, I won't disturb your reminiscing any longer. SA's truck is already waiting at the entrance of Rosen's warehouse."

After saying that, she turned and left.

Just as she came, she was light and graceful, leaving without a trace, only taking half of Rosen's life.

As he watched the paper door close again, Zhong Neigong let out a long breath and collapsed onto the mat.

"Tisang".

He poured himself a glass of wine, feeling a slight numbness in his hands.

"Where did this girl... this monster come from?"

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi swirled his wine glass, gazing at the glistening liquid within.

"I want to know too."

He said softly.

"Perhaps it was born of this crazy era itself."