Chapter 155: In the Future, We Are the Conglomerate!

Changxin Bank was indeed not a good choice. After all, once the bubble era passed, a mountain of bad loans and non-performing debts would accumulate, and it would quickly enter bankruptcy.

However, hearing Takanori Chime say this, Maehara Kumina only thought he was saying it to lure her into joining his company. Still, the behavior of the executives had truly chilled her heart.

Maehara Kumina couldn't help asking, "Takanori-kun... actually, I am just an ordinary bank employee. Why do you think I am qualified for the job at your side?"

"Your basic accounting skills are solid, and you are diligent and responsible in your work. More importantly, we are building a core team now, and I hope to bring in people whom I know fairly well." Takanori looked at her and smiled. "You wouldn't think I have any ulterior motives, would you?"

Zhao Yuanxi, sitting in the front seat, laughed upon hearing this.

You certainly put things bluntly.

Maehara Kumina felt a bit embarrassed. "You misunderstood..."

If he really did have some other intentions, Maehara Kumina might actually have understood them and felt a little secretly pleased. But she just couldn't figure it out—given his current strength and standing, wouldn't it be easy for him to find people with much more experience and talent?

Was it really just because he knew her relatively well?

"Besides, having a beautiful financial secretary is always more pleasing to the eye than looking at a bald middle-aged man," Takanori laughed heartily. "Kumina, you've considered this for so many days; today should be the time to make a decision. Come work for me, it will be much happier than staying at the bank."

Maehara Kumina stared at him blankly.

Which part of his words was the main point he wanted to express? Was it about beauty and being pleasing to the eye, or about working for him being happy? Why was choosing a future core subordinate treated with such casualness!

Thinking of her rigid, stereotyped life at the bank, and how the three executives had so easily pushed her before him, hoping she would play some "special role" to get Takanori to consider cooperating with Changxin Bank, Maehara Kumina felt a mixture of bitter emotions in her heart.

Encouraged by the lingering effects of the alcohol, she desperately wanted to ask earnestly why he wanted to invite her. If it were purely out of work necessity, Maehara Kumina felt she was definitely not the best choice.

If he had other intentions towards her...

Maehara Kumina's mind was in total chaos.

The car continued forward and soon arrived at the destination.

"Have you made a decision?" Takanori looked at her, his gaze unwavering.

Zhao Yuanxi had already gotten out of the car and beckoned to Irie Yuta. Irie Yuta understood and got out first, leaving Takanori in the car to continue chatting with the woman, while he led Zhao Yuanxi into the izakaya ahead of them.

"Takanori-kun..." Maehara Kumina bit her lip inside the car. "Are you all going to discuss future work together? I'd like to listen first before making a decision, is that alright?"

Takanori, however, shook his head. "I said before, if you decide to stay at the bank, I will have someone drive you home."

Maehara Kumina looked straight at him. With only the two of them left in the car, her courage grew a bit.

Takanori's expression remained completely unchanged, his gaze calm, without revealing the slightest hint of any other meaning.

This was too agonizing.

Maehara Kumina was extremely distressed. She only knew that Takanori was a very wealthy and capable young man, as well as a handsome man who had once made her heart flutter slightly. It was only later, upon discovering that his relationship with Madame Runa seemed complicated, that she had decided to treat him purely as an important client.

And then he had invited her to leave the bank and work for him. At the moment, what they were discussing still seemed to be purely about work.

Maehara Kumina gazed at him and asked earnestly, "Takanori-kun told General Manager Takamoto that he still plans to open the new company's accounts at Changxin Bank. Yet just now you told me that you won't leave your main funds at Changxin Bank. You know what impact this will have on me, right?"

Takanori smiled. "Rest assured. If you choose to stay at the bank, I will still support you in the near period."

Maehara Kumina looked at him with a slightly aggrieved expression. What was this supposed to mean?

"We can't keep them waiting too long," Takanori shook his head. "I've noticed that while you can complete assigned tasks very well when they are clear, you are not good at making decisions."

Maehara Kumina couldn't help muttering softly, "This is such an important matter after all..."

"I've already said, Changxin Bank is not a good place," Takanori raised an eyebrow. "Since you are so hesitant, forget it. Wait in the car for a moment, and I'll go call Yuta to drive you back."

Seeing him actually step out of the car, Maehara Kumina suddenly felt a sense of loss.

If she stayed at the bank, he would still support her... Maehara Kumina suddenly felt a strong urge to find out what kind of relationship he really had with Madame Runa.

"Takanori-kun!" she called out.

Takanori lowered his head from outside the car door. "Changed your mind?"

"Yes." She gritted her teeth, opened the car door, and stepped out. "If I can gain your trust, can I really hold the position of Chief Financial Officer in the future?"

Takanori nodded at her across the car. "As long as you have the ability, I love to see you have that kind of ambition."

Maehara Kumina bowed her head. "Then I look forward to your guidance from now on!"

Her ambition didn't lie in that direction anyway. No matter what, his special regard for her was ultimately an opportunity.

Having spent this period of time at the bank, Maehara Kumina understood very clearly: as a woman in the bank, it was impossible for her to be promoted to a better position in the future. Sooner or later, she would likely just find someone to marry and become a full-time housewife.

Since she was bound to get married anyway, perhaps his special regard for her really did carry other intentions?

Seeing Maehara Kumina follow Takanori into the private room of the izakaya, Onodera Runa looked at her in mild surprise.

"I just decided to leave the bank." Having made up her mind, Maehara Kumina bowed respectfully. "My name is Maehara Kumina. Please take care of me from now on."

Ueno Yosuke's eyes widened. How did another beauty end up here?

Takanori smiled cheerfully, sat down beside Onodera Runa, and said, "In that case, we have someone for the finance side as well. Kumina, take a seat."

Aside from Zhao Yuanxi and Irie Yuta, Onodera Runa and Ueno Yosuke were still watching her. Maehara Kumina nodded to them one by one and said, "Excuse my intrusion."

Sitting next to a newly acquainted beauty, Ueno Yosuke tried his best to maintain a serious demeanor.

Takanori, however, teased first, "Old Zhao, next, we still need to find a way to poach that guy Nick Sata."

"..." Zhao Yuanxi nodded. "I'll try my best."

Poaching someone wasn't that simple. The man was running a branch office quite comfortably. Did you think everyone was like this young lady, coming here chasing the chance of becoming your wife?

Being as astute as a fox, Zhao Yuanxi had long since figured out Takanori's tactics and the girl's hidden thoughts.

"Alright." Takanori drew everyone's attention and said with a serious expression, "The matters of the past period are settled. Next, the plans I've laid out will officially unfold. The three companies: Wander Dance Entertainment Co., Ltd. will be primarily managed by President Zhao and Yuta. Onodera Wealth will have Runa as its president, with specific financial operations temporarily handled by me. As for the bookstore, Kumina will handle the preliminary preparations for now. Yosuke, once you graduate, you will serve as the president of this Meta Culture."

Ueno Yosuke's heart leaped with joy. Didn't this mean he would be partnering with Sister Kumina in the future? This was simply wonderful!

Listening to all this, Maehara Kumina finally began to understand what projects Takanori was planning.

Wander Dance's primary direction was operating disco clubs. So Madame Runa was responsible for absorbing household funds from housewives, while Takanori handled the financial investments. And his classmate from Tokyo University would be in charge of the chain bookstores later on.

Yet she still couldn't figure out how these seemingly disparate things were connected.

Surely Takanori wasn't just planning these ventures haphazardly, was he?

This was the first time his gathered core team was holding a meeting together; how could Takanori not paint a picture of the future?

"Right now, these three things are just the beginning," Takanori scanned the room. "Both the dance clubs and the bookstores can generate cash flow while acquiring real estate. Their common trait, and the direction of their future development, is culture and entertainment. President Kinoshita Shufu of Mogami Properties has also established Mogami Entertainment. My core objective is to first use bookstores and dance clubs to accumulate influence and industry resources in the culture and entertainment sectors."

"When people have money, culture and entertainment are industries that will definitely consume a large amount of money to satisfy spiritual needs. When people have no money, they can also be used to comfort one's inner self. Books, music, videotapes, games, stars... Once we have accumulated enough resources in these areas, I will mobilize my capital and begin connecting them through the publishing industry. Why do I want to do this? Because of something none of you understand yet."

Takanori paused for a moment before saying softly, "Computers. Over in America, personal computers have already appeared. I am thoroughly convinced of this thing's future. Everything I am planning is in preparation for the era when everyone owns their own computer. When that day arrives, we will become the kings of the new industry!"

Seeing their blank expressions, Takanori gave an example: "For instance, the machine I used to make my financial investments. Why was I able to make so much money so quickly? Because it accomplished something that couldn't be done before. Information related to finance was gathered together using that machine. It is a form of computer. Once computers exist, the future financial industry will be transformed because of it. The advent of computers will change many industries; this is a revolution concerning information."

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand it now, just remember one thing: everything I am doing right now has a purpose. Since I was able to make tens of billions of yen in two or three months, you just need to faithfully execute my orders. As long as you can accomplish what I've said, in the future, we can become people with enormous influence across the entire world."

Takanori looked at them calmly and said, "In the era of that information revolution, we will control the most crucial resource: information. Utilizing information related to culture and entertainment, I will pioneer an unprecedented media empire in the age when everyone has a computer. In the future, we ourselves will be a financial clique—a financial clique with a scale reaching hundreds of billions or even trillions of US dollars!"

Clearly, they still couldn't fully comprehend what he was describing, but his expression exuded absolute confidence. The fortune-making ability he had demonstrated over the past two or three months gave that confidence absolute persuasiveness.

Maehara Kumina suddenly recalled that day when he and President Takeda had also discussed personal computers. That company called SoftBank was also related to computers.

So all the things Takanori had planned were connected to this.

It was just that before the era he spoke of arrived, he would use real estate and the financial market to earn as much money as possible.

Would all this vast wealth eventually be poured into that field?

A trillion-dollar financial clique?

Zhao Yuanxi stared blankly at him, recalling what he had said by the sea that day.

Could such a thing really be achieved?

Yet, knowing the inside story of the Takeda Manufacturing incident, he also felt a surging sense of anticipation. He always felt that if it were him, he might truly be able to see through the stances of various parties and the direction of the future.

Zhao Yuanxi was the most perceptive and visionary among them, second only to Takanori. As for the others, they were simply awed by the achievements he had already created, carrying a blind, inexplicable belief.

Irie Yuta, the top loyal henchman, was the first to speak with towering ambition: "President! Rest assured, I will definitely do my best to learn these things!"

Takanori smiled cheerfully and raised his cup of sake. "The day I spoke of will definitely arrive. Let's all toast together; starting from tomorrow, we march toward the future!"

He had absolute confidence in the path he had chosen. After all, the grand tides of history could not be altered. Those who rode the current and prepared early would step to the exact rhythm and ride the wave to the very peak.

Harvesting the dividends of Japan's economic bubble was merely the initial accumulation.

Takanori wasn't in a hurry at all—he was only twenty-one!