Chapter 149: An Invitation from Masahiro Ueda (3/4)

After a busy stretch, Tao Zhiming finally had some time to spare and check the markets. The first thing he did was call Kudo Tsunera.

It was enough. Any longer, and the yen would start appreciating again.

“Tsunera, close out the rest of the position.”

After the interest-rate cut at the end of April, the yen had depreciated for a while amid the struggle between various forces.

Now that the Takeda Manufacturing affair was settled, Mitsubishi no longer needed to keep the other conglomerates in check. On the contrary, it would need to free up even more capital for the fierce battle over the privatization of the national railways.

Having taken part in the affair, Tao Zhiming felt this might be the signal that the yen was about to start appreciating again.

He watched the figures on the monitor, in high spirits.

Kinoshita Hidekaze had been astonished that he could come up with so much money on his own. What he didn’t know was that Tao had already earned back most of the four billion yen by riding this wave of depreciation.

But it was time to stop. He had closed out part of his position the day before, leaving him with plenty of margin, and had then transferred the rest of the money straight to Takeda Takanao so the property transfer could get underway.

Kudo Tsunera was at his most excited whenever Tao made a big move. “So what next?” he asked over the phone.

“Close it out first. That’s all for now.”

Tao hung up and took stock of his assets.

He no longer had to repay Kinoshita Hidekaze’s 1.5 billion yen; it had been converted into a share of the future proceeds from the sale of the Takeda Manufacturing site. His actual debts now amounted to only 500 million yen owed to Suzuki Daiki and 300 million to Inoue Ryu, plus the remaining mortgage on his house.

He had spent 4.15 billion yen on Takeda Takanao’s land and house. There would also be a considerable amount of tax to pay to complete the paperwork. Kinoshita Hidekaze had already volunteered to take care of that for him, as part of his effort to ingratiate himself.

The main remaining expense was the money he had set aside to register his company.

After this wave of depreciation, Tao still had nearly nine billion yen in hand, along with a house and a valuable plot of land.

At last, he truly controlled assets worth more than a hundred million US dollars.

He was considering how to proceed when a knock sounded at the door.

“Tao Taro, are you there?” Ueda Kana called.

“Come in.”

Tao changed what was on the screen and turned to see Ueda Kana pushing open the door.

To his surprise, she didn’t look especially haughty today. If anything, she seemed a little ill at ease.

“What is it? Has that Morijiro done something again?” Tao sighed. “Don’t worry about him. I’m working on it. I’ve just been rather busy lately…”

“Professor Yamamoto spoke up for President Takeda. You introduced them, didn’t you?”

Tao stared at her, taken aback.

Ueda Kana drew a deep breath, took out an invitation, and held it out with both hands, bowing her head with unusual formality. “My father invites you and Professor Yamamoto to dinner at our home tonight.”

Tao’s eyes widened. “What?”

Kana pressed her lips together and said nothing, simply keeping the invitation extended.

Puzzled, Tao took it and looked it over. It really did bear her father Ueda Masahiro’s signature and seal.

The invitation was handwritten and worded very politely. The address “Mr. Tao Taro” stood out plainly.

“What’s going on?” Remembering what she’d said first, Tao frowned at her. “Is your father inviting me because of the Takeda Manufacturing site?”

Ueda Kana bit her lip and replied stubbornly, “I don’t know. I’m only delivering the invitation. You’re busy, aren’t you?”

Tao couldn’t help laughing. Wasn’t the proper thing for someone delivering an invitation to ask whether he was free?

He shook his head. “No, I’m free tonight.”

Kana shot him an annoyed look. “Then I’ll see you tonight.”

“Why are you leaving? When do you finish class? We can go together in my car.”

“No need!”

Tao had no idea what she was so annoyed about.

Looking at the invitation in his hand, he found himself intrigued.

Ueda Masahiro was so close to the Mori family, and the Mori family was a major force recently backed by Mitsubishi. Could Ueda Masahiro be planning to speak on Mitsubishi’s behalf at dinner?

It seemed the matter wasn’t over just because the land was now his.

…

Ueda Kana didn’t ride with him, but Professor Yamamoto did.

As they sat in the Mercedes, Yamamoto Akihito eyed Tao with curiosity. “Taro, why did Ueda invite you along?”

Keeping his eyes on the road, Tao replied, “I’ve never met Kana’s father. At first I thought Lord Ueda might want to meet the young man who’s been spending a little too much time with his daughter lately. Maybe he’d even give me a good thrashing with a bamboo sword. I was rather nervous. When I heard you’d be coming too, I felt much better.”

Yamamoto couldn’t be bothered to respond to his teasing. He remained curious. “About Takeda Takanao, you said you’d learned from the materials I was looking for that I was studying the problems in Japan’s economic structure after financial liberalization. You told me about what had happened to him, and it made me indignant. Was that really all there was to it?”

Tao was silent for a moment, then grinned. “As far as your research topic goes, yes.”

Yamamoto gave him a long look. “I can tell that Ueda’s main reason for inviting us today is to meet you. After the interview with the reporters, I saw the follow-up news. Taro, isn’t there something you want to tell me?”

Tao nodded slightly. “I’m sorry, Professor. The Takeda Manufacturing case does represent an extreme example of what’s happening in manufacturing today. I don’t feel guilty about that. But I did take part in this affair.”

“Honestly, you’re still a student. Why get involved in something like this?” Yamamoto sounded mildly reproachful. “You’re in your fourth year and should be preparing for work, but you haven’t even graduated yet. Have you decided which company you’ll join? How could you let them use your relationship with me to manipulate me?”

Yamamoto’s analysis went no further. Tao could only ask, “Is there some price you want me to pay, Professor?”

That was one way of looking at it.

“You really are something,” Yamamoto said, shaking his head. “Just see my research through to the end. Still, I can’t deny that I feel a little put out.”

“Because you spoke up, President Takeda got a relatively good outcome,” Tao said, as if trying to comfort him. “I sympathize with him too. That’s why I was willing to do it.”

“Whether those people will actually follow through on what they said in the news remains to be seen,” Yamamoto muttered. “It’s only a plot of land a little over three thousand square meters. To push its value so high is simply outrageous!”

“Professor, that’s reality,” Tao said, unable to offer anything else.

Yamamoto let out a long sigh. “You’re right. Of course I understand. It just saddens me.”

He gazed at the bustling streets outside the window and fell silent.

Tao didn’t feel like discussing the matter further with him. Yamamoto’s concern was the development of the country as a whole. Tao had no desire to expound on his own grand theories, much less use Yamamoto’s influence to fan the flames of the expanding bubble economy.

As far as Tao was concerned, the best thing was for the world to carry on just as it was.

They chatted idly as they drove up to the Ueda family home.

Tao took a small gift from the trunk, and he and Yamamoto rang the doorbell together.

A moment later, a square-faced man in a traditional kimono opened the door and came out to greet them at the entrance to the courtyard. “Yamamoto, Tao, welcome!”

Tao returned his bow. “It’s an honor to be invited, Lord Ueda. This is our first meeting.”

When he looked up, he found Ueda Masahiro studying him with a calm, reserved gaze.

“Please, come in,” Ueda Masahiro said with an easy smile, ushering them inside.

In the house, Ueda Kana and another woman bowed to welcome them. Both wore kimonos and carried themselves with impeccable decorum.

It was the first time Tao had seen this side of Ueda Kana, and he found it quite amusing.

Yamamoto had brought a gift. Tao presented his as well to the lady of the house. “My father is a potter. This is one of his handmade pieces. It’s nothing much, but I hope you’ll accept it.”

“Thank you very much…”

Ueda Haruko gave Kana’s classmate a quick once-over, then turned to Ueda Kana. “Kana, prepare tea and sweets for our guests.”

“…Yes.”

Kana felt stifled. Why had he said he was free tonight? Had he come on purpose to see whether she behaved as properly at home as she did in the kendo club?

Tao and Yamamoto followed Ueda Masahiro to the sitting room, which looked out over the back garden. The Ueda home had a pond garden, with a small waterfall arranged among the rocks above the fishpond. On one side, a bamboo water fountain filled with water, then tipped forward with a hollow clack against a stone beside the pond.

This family of kendo practitioners had a distinctly refined, artistic streak.

Ueda Kana came in carrying a tray of tea and sweets.

“…Excuse me.”

Tao watched as she lowered her head, knelt on the floor, and only then lifted the items from the tray with both hands and set them before the two men.

“Please.”

That was all Kana said before walking away with measured steps.

Tao found it fascinating. Was this really the same haughty young lady?

“Tao?” Ueda Masahiro spoke.

Tao came back to himself and turned his gaze from her. “My apologies. It’s just that she seems a little different from the Kana I know…”

Yamamoto chuckled. “She’s only ever this well-behaved around you.”

Ueda Masahiro smiled faintly. “You’re too kind. Yamamoto, I was deeply moved by what you said to the reporters last time.”

Yamamoto waved a hand. “We’re old friends. No need for polite talk about that. I know you admire practical men like Morita Taikichiro more.”

Ueda Masahiro looked a little embarrassed. “Not at all. I have great respect for you as well.”

“Anyway, I know I’m here for dinner. It’s been a long time since I had Mrs. Ueda’s fried fish, though. Ha ha!”

“Some things never change,” Ueda Masahiro said with a smile, then turned his gaze to Tao again. “Tao, it’s already May. Have you decided which company you’ll join after graduation?”

Tao had anticipated the question and answered with impeccable courtesy. “I have. In fact, I’ve already started registering a company of my own.”

“Oh?” Ueda Masahiro sounded surprised. “Your own company? What field are you planning to go into?”

Yamamoto, hearing this for the first time, looked at him in astonishment.

Tao smiled. “A classmate and I are planning to open a bookstore.”

“A bookstore?” Yamamoto spoke first. “Aren’t you making money in the financial markets? Why open a bookstore?”

Ueda Masahiro hadn’t expected that either, and he looked at Tao along with Yamamoto.

Tao’s smile never wavered. “That’s right. I just feel that as people grow wealthier, they’ll spend more and more on their inner lives. So I thought I’d start here and use it to develop my abilities.”

Ueda Masahiro studied him closely. “Does someone as capable as you really need to hone his skills by opening a bookstore?”

Tao met his gaze and nodded firmly. “Making money quickly like that leaves me feeling unsteady. I think opening a bookstore would help keep me grounded.”