Chapter 119: Matters of Concern to the Great and Powerful (Seeking First Subscriptions)

Takashi Takeda was resolute: even if it meant selling his house, he would hold his ground!

Those who used every conceivable method to make things difficult for him would eventually be forced to shed their masks in the face of his persistence and reveal their true intentions. If their goal was to see Takeda Manufacturing perish, he would fight to the very end. If they were after his land, they would have to pay a much higher price for everything they had put him through.

However, his burning rage was far from the focus of the big shots in Tokyo at this moment.

Akito Yamamoto, having just arrived at his office, was still consumed by frustration.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

He threw his briefcase onto the sofa and yanked at his necktie.

Lin Qiyu, holding the data she and Tao Zhiming had just finished compiling the night before, looked at Yamamoto in surprise.

"Forgive my outburst. Is there new data?" Yamamoto composed himself and said to Lin, "The information we discussed last time is not easy to track down."

Lin handed over the documents. "You are right, it wasn't easy. It required aggregating data from a significant number of annual financial reports and shareholder registers of public companies."

Yamamoto hurriedly opened them, then pushed his glasses up in surprise. "Have these been cross-checked?"

"Yes."

Yamamoto sat down and began to study them intently.

"As I thought..." he muttered, picking up a pen to make marks. "That is why I say those idiots at the Ministry of Finance, those absolute idiots..."

Recalling Tao Zhiming's warning, Lin bowed and said, "Professor, I should head to class now."

"Oh! My apologies. I need to analyze this thoroughly. Go ahead. It’s a psychology lecture today, right? I insisted you study psychology because it is essential for your future economic research; you must study it diligently. Furthermore, continue with the plan we established. Please ask Tao Zhiming to help collect evidence for the next argument. The situation is critical now. I am counting on you!"

"I will. I won't disturb you any further."

Lin left his office immediately. After burying himself in the data for a while, Yamamoto picked up the phone on his desk.

"It is me, Akito Yamamoto," he said directly. "I know you cannot refute those people, but my research requires time! Since you asked for my opinion, I must say: you are still their superiors, is there no way to restrain them? Simply lowering interest rates will not solve the fundamental problem. From the perspective of protecting manufacturing, you should find a way to suppress the current trends! I have already given you my advice. Since you agree that manufacturing is the foundation and the sector that needs help, take effective, tangible measures to restrict the flow of capital into the financial and real estate markets!"

"Professor Yamamoto..."

"In short, if you do not believe me, then let them proceed! If you do not believe me, wait until I complete the full data analysis, and I will show you what a cruel reality looks like! Oh, perhaps you won't even need to wait for me to finish before you realize it yourselves." After venting his rage, Yamamoto sighed helplessly. "Reform, reform—how can reform be handled so crudely! That is all!"

"Professor Yamamoto..."

"Enough! After all, I am only a mere university professor!" Yamamoto hung up the phone in a fury. He knew that seeing the new data had reignited his anger, leading him to make a futile call.

But how could they simply surrender to those who obeyed the United States so blindly? With such blind obedience, how long would the Japanese Yen continue to appreciate?

For the manufacturing industry, this was not just a disaster; it was an absolute catastrophe.

...

Tao Zhiming was puzzled.

It was almost the end of April, and the expected interest rate cut announcement had not yet been released. Could it be that his arrival, and the small market surge he had instigated, had truly triggered a butterfly effect?

That shouldn't be possible this quickly, should it?

After his class ended, he stayed in the research room, watching the market while listening to the news on the television. Thinking it over, he picked up the phone.

"Tao-kun, are there new instructions?" Kudo Tsuneo asked directly.

"Wait a moment. Is Kawasaki-kun still at the firm? Please ask him to find a quiet place and call me back."

"Understood... I will go tell the senior right away!"

Tao Zhiming waited.

As a major brokerage firm, Nomura Securities held vast amounts of capital influenced by such information; they should have some internal whispers. Tao Zhiming could not easily ask people like Hidetaka Kinoshita or Akito Yamamoto, but Ichiro Kawasaki—though he had acted dishonorably toward him—still owed him a massive favor.

The phone rang shortly after. Ichiro Kawasaki said, "Tao-kun, you finally agreed to take my call. I am truly sorry for what happened before. Please, tell me when you are available so I can apologize to you in person."

Tao Zhiming chuckled. "Client strategies and information should be strictly confidential. The first time you followed my strategy and failed, and then stopped the loss after continuing to do so, that was an internal matter for you. But to privately boast about my brilliant track record to your clients, claiming it as your own achievement to convince them to entrust their capital to you—you are gambling with your career. Even if you used the excuse that 'the same strategy was used for this client, but he was willing to provide sufficient margin' to avoid revealing my true identity, your actions were already reprehensible!"

"I know I was wrong, and I am truly sorry!" Kawasaki felt bitter. "If I hadn't done that, I couldn't have made up for the losses already incurred, and my career would have been over regardless."

"That is no excuse. In short, you must take responsibility for this," Tao Zhiming continued to pressure him.

Kawasaki’s voice sounded extremely anxious. "...Has someone approached you, causing you trouble?"

"What do you think?" Tao Zhiming found it amusing. "Kawasaki-kun, it turns out your clients have been housewives all along?"

"...To be honest, the small clients who are enthusiastic about investing are mostly housewives. Why?"

Tao Zhiming laughed. If Runa Onodera hadn't just called him to say that housewives were excitedly chatting about someone at Nomura Securities who had helped people make a lot of money in a very short time—and gossiping to ask if he was "her guy"—Tao Zhiming would never have known that Kawasaki was becoming increasingly reckless.

Seizing this point, he decided to squeeze something out of him.

"Kawasaki-kun, I will ask you one question. If you tell me the truth, I will let this matter drop."

"...It won't be a question that puts me in a difficult position, will it?" Kawasaki lamented.

Tao Zhiming carefully phrased his question: "Tsuneo told me that you are now working in 24/7 rotational shifts. What kind of information have you received? Is there a major movement coming to the market?"

Kawasaki replied immediately, "I don't know either! These are the department manager's orders!"

"You really don't know? You are a section chief. If you truly don't know, I will report you to the firm."

"Please, don't!" Kawasaki lowered his voice, sounding like he was on the verge of tears. "I truly do not know."

"Your word is not credible," Tao Zhiming feigned. "Let me read you the formal letter I have already drafted. I’ll get straight to the point: 'Because Section Chief Ichiro Kawasaki of the Second Retail Department at your firm disclosed my account transaction profits and other details to other clients without authorization, it has caused serious disruption to my life. Therefore...'"

"Please, stop reading. I know, I know, it's all my fault..."

"So, you really don't know?"

"I really don't know!" Kawasaki was utterly helpless, then hesitated. "But if there really is a major movement... the manager would likely give us instructions on how to respond, such as requiring all staff to stay alert at their posts for the next several days, or beginning to reduce trading risk to cope with potential market volatility..."

Tao Zhiming clicked his tongue. A true corporate slave.

It was true, however; confidential internal information would not necessarily be broadcast to every single employee.

He thought for a moment and said, "Fine. In that case, if such arrangements appear, as an important client under your charge, you have an obligation to warn me, right? And you must do it immediately!"

"Of course, of course..." Kawasaki replied helplessly. "You won't use this as leverage too, will you? You are not a client who has fully entrusted your capital to us; according to the rules..."

"Rules, my foot! Where were the rules when you were using me as a case study to attract new clients?" Tao Zhiming retorted. "That’s it! If my expectations aren't met this time, the complaint letter will be sent to Nomura Securities, and all my capital will be withdrawn!"

The call ended abruptly. Kawasaki, on the other end, was in tears.

He regretted his actions deeply. Having stumbled once, he had to pay an even higher price to make up for it. To fill the hole from last time as quickly as possible, he had been forced to take risks.

In the end, Tao Zhiming's method required a constant stream of new capital. He had been greedy and ignored the risks, always thinking that the leverage he added was much lower than Tao Zhiming's and that there wouldn't be a problem.

He had messed up and gambled away his future.

Now, he only hoped to fill the hole and keep his salary. As for Tao Zhiming's request... he could only hope that he would fulfill his promise and stop pursuing the matter once the request was met.

An important client already valued by the department manager, with billions of yen invested at Nomura Securities—the monthly revenue generated for the firm was quite substantial. If he withdrew it all... Kawasaki shuddered. His career would truly be over.

After terrifying Kawasaki, Tao Zhiming turned his attention back to the news and market trends.

Suddenly, he heard the words "Takeda Manufacturing President" on the television and shifted his focus to the screen.

On the screen, police were leading a suspect away.

"...Following an investigation, it was found that Han-Yu Real Estate, in order to acquire the land of Takeda Manufacturing, used the yakuza organization 'Koryo-gumi' as a weapon. This act of trespassing on private property is egregious. 'Oh, it was truly terrifying. Garbage that gave off a foul stench was piled that high! There were horrible words written on the walls, and Mrs. Takeda was crying in fear. I heard they are preparing to sell the house; we neighbors are very worried...'"

On screen, a neighbor described the situation vividly.

Tao Zhiming’s eyes gleamed.

Well, well. According to Hidetaka Kinoshita, wasn't it the case that the vast majority of these real estate companies, whose sole purpose was to acquire land, were completely unaware of such things?

The incident happened this morning, and the suspects were caught already? Since when had Japanese efficiency become this high?

Tao Zhiming caught a whiff of something unusual.

Takashi Takeda was preparing to sell his house?

Tao Zhiming thought for a moment, then picked up the phone and dialed.

It was an international call. After a long wait, he spoke in English: "Hello, I have a friend currently staying at your hotel. The room number is..."