sbdcsierra Chapter 17 Little Queen
Chapter 17 Little Queen
On the first day of October, Tokyo finally cleared up.
A week of continuous autumn rain washed away the dust from the air, revealing a vast, clear blue sky. The maple leaves in the courtyard began to turn red, and the rain-soaked flagstone path reflected a cool luster in the sunlight.
The main family of Xiyuanji Temple, "Tingyuxuan".
The tea room, which is usually used to receive distinguished guests, was now closed.
The old butler, Fujita, stood motionless at the end of the corridor, like a stone statue. He had dismissed all the servants, not even allowing the cleaning maid to approach the room.
Inside the tea room, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.
Xiu Yi knelt before the low sandalwood table, his posture so upright it was as if he were performing a sacred ritual.
In front of him were three thick ledgers neatly arranged, along with a stack of bank statements that had just been airlifted from Zurich, Switzerland.
Satsuki sat opposite him.
She was wearing a dark kimono today, and her hair was neatly combed. Her young body didn't make her look like a child "pretending to be an adult," and her overall demeanor made her feel perfectly at ease sitting here.
"Father, let's begin."
Satsuki's soft voice broke the stillness in the room.
Shuichi took a deep breath, stretched out his hands, and slowly opened the first ledger.
The sound of the paper turning was soft and rustling, like the rubbing of gold coins.
It's time to take stock of the spoils.
"First, there's working capital."
Shuichi's gaze fell on the numbers he had seen countless times over the past week, numbers that still made his heart race.
"Credit Suisse's offshore account has closed 60% of its short dollar positions. The current account balance is... $350 million."
He looked up at his daughter, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.
"At today's exchange rate, that's about 77 billion yen."
77 billion.
What does this mean?
In an era when starting salaries for university graduates were only a few hundred thousand yen, that amount of money was enough to buy several listed companies on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's First Section.
"As you wish, this money has not been converted into foreign currency and remains in the offshore account in US dollars," Xiu Yi added, although he didn't fully understand why he wanted to keep the US dollars, given that the dollar was still depreciating.
Satsuki nodded slightly, offering no explanation, but simply signaling her father to continue.
"Domestic side," Shuichi said, opening the second ledger, his tone slightly calmer. "In Mitsui Bank's special account, there are the profits we made by hedging in the domestic futures market during the early stages of the currency depreciation, as well as some foreign exchange settlement funds. After deducting the principal and interest of the previous mortgage loan, the handling fees paid to the bank, and... the reserve funds for acquiring that mess of Kenjiro."
He paused for a moment, then gave the number.
"Currently available cash is 8.2 billion yen."
"In addition, there are 'policy stocks' that members of the House of Peers are required to hold, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Sumitomo Bank, and Nippon Steel, with a market value of approximately 500 million yen. This part cannot be touched; to touch it would be political suicide."
Satsuki picked up the teapot and filled her father's cup seven-tenths full with hot tea.
"What about in terms of real industry?" she asked.
Shuichi closed the ledger and pointed to a stack of documents beside him. These documents bore the marks of time, some even yellowed with age; they represented the true foundation of the Saionji family.
"This is the bloodline of our Saionji family."
The old Chinese people's unique attachment to their ancestral property carried a hint of pride in his tone.
"First is Saionji Textile in Nagoya. Although the outside world says that textiles are a sunset industry, our factory is different." Shuichi pointed to one of the reports. "We don't make those cheap ready-made clothes. We have the 'Nishijin weaving' and 'Yuzen dyeing' techniques that are used by the Imperial Household. The domestic demand in this area is very stable. Those old shops in Kyoto have only recognized our fabrics for decades."
He turned the page and pointed to the data chart above.
"Moreover, the industrial filter cloth production line that was introduced a few years ago is now a core supplier for Toyota. Although the appreciation of the yen has impacted exports, Toyota has not cut orders due to high technical barriers; they have only lowered prices. As long as the factory is still operating, the cash flow is positive."
Satsuki nodded. This was the foundation of "old money"—even seemingly outdated industries harbored a moat that others couldn't see.
"Then there is Saionji Precision Machinery Works in Ota Ward, Tokyo."
Xiu Yi took out a list of technical patents, which was filled with abbreviations in English and German.
"This is the foundation left by my grandfather's generation. Although the factory is not large now, with only a little over two hundred people, we have more than seventy patents in the fields of hydraulic valves and special bearings. We supply half of the core valves used by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in shipbuilding."
At this point, Xiu Yi paused for a moment and pulled out a crumpled report from the pile of documents.
That was the liquidation report for Osaka Saionji Heavy Industries.
"As for Kenjiro... Smith took the penalty money, and the bank took the remaining working capital. We intervened as the 'white knight' and, just as you planned, stripped away all the debts."
"Now, that factory is just an empty shell. Apart from a few relatively advanced German production lines, all that's left is that piece of land."
Shuichi sighed, seemingly still harboring resentment towards his spendthrift younger brother.
"A 12,000-tsubo (approximately 16,667 square meters) plot of land in Osaka's Minato Ward. Nothing else."
Finally, Shuichi produced the list of real estate properties.
This was also the part that had caused him the most anxiety over the past two months. The property certificates that had once been sealed with mortgage documents were now finally back on the table, clean and tidy, and there were even a few more of them.
"The main family residence in Bunkyo Ward, 1,200 tsubo (approximately 1,600 square meters). It has been redeemed."
"Two ground-floor shops in Ginza 4-chome. These were freehold properties purchased before the war and had been rented to that long-established department store. The rent wasn't exorbitant, but it was stable. They've been redeemed."
"A red-brick office building near Shinjuku West Exit. Six stories high, a bit old, but that's Shinjuku. It's been redeemed."
"A luxury apartment building in Akasaka, Minato Ward. That low-rise building that was specifically rented to foreign embassy staff, with all rent settled in US dollars. It has been redeemed."
Shuichi's voice grew increasingly steady, as if he were recounting a cherished family heirloom.
"And the 'Tsukimatsu Villa' in Karuizawa, along with the forest behind it with the 'Dragon Eye' well, were also preserved."
"I redeemed that villa in Kamakurayama, even though I hadn't lived there for several years. It offers the best view of the Shonan coastline."
"A piece of wasteland in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture... It was left by my grandfather, and I redeemed it as well. Although there's nothing there but reeds, it's not far from the newly opened Disneyland."
"Finally, there are a few hills in Kiso and Yoshino. All the forest tenure certificates are here."
Xiu finished reciting it in one breath, and felt completely exhausted.
He leaned back in his chair, looking at the mountain of documents in front of him.
This is the current Saionji family.
With its left hand, it holds a century-old industrial base and land holdings, encompassing textiles, precision manufacturing, core commercial real estate, vacation villas, land reserves, and even forests.
He held a fortune in cash in his right hand.
There are no debts.
There was no internal strife.
This is simply a perfect start.
However, there was no smile on Shuichi's face. On the contrary, his brows furrowed more and more, and a hint of fear even appeared in his eyes.
"Satsuki".
Shuichi looked at the beam on the ceiling, his voice somewhat unsteady.
"You know what? I couldn't sleep last night."
Satsuki held her teacup and quietly looked at her father.
"I used to have insomnia because I was poor, afraid that I would lose my ancestral property, and afraid that I would let down my ancestors."
Shuichi gave a wry smile, reached for the cigarette pack, only to find it empty.
"I'm having trouble sleeping now because I have too much money."
He stood up, walked to the window of the tea room, and looked at the tall black pine tree in the courtyard.
"More than 70 billion yen... and the mountains of US dollars. They lie in the account like a sleeping behemoth. I can even hear them breathing."
"In this era of inflation, money loses value every day if it doesn't move. But... should it move?"
Xiu turned around, looked at his daughter, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Which way should we move?"
"Expand the textile factory? Exports are dead now, expanding production would be suicide. Besides, I'm too old to understand those new tricks."
"Buy stocks? The current stock price is already frighteningly high, and it could crash at any time."
"Deposit in a bank? The interest rates there don't even keep up with inflation."
Xiu Yi spread his hands, looking like a swordsman holding a precious sword but unable to find his enemy, which was both comical and tragic.
"Satsuki, your father admits it. Your father is just a ruler who maintains the status quo."
"I know how to save money, how to maintain appearances, how to deal with those old foxes in the House of Nobles, and even how to get approval from the Construction Department. But I really don't know... how to spend these billions."
"This money is too hot to handle. One wrong step and this enormous wealth could become a flood that devours the family."
This is the truth.
In that crazy era, countless people who became rich overnight did not know how to manage their wealth, and ultimately lost worse than beggars when the bubble burst.
Shuichi was self-aware. He knew his own limitations.
He can defend a city, but he can't conquer a country.
Silence fell over the tea room.
Only the deer-scare device outside the window, filled with water, struck the stone with a "thud".
Crisp and melodious.
Satsuki put down her teacup.
She stood up and walked to the low table piled high with documents.
She stretched out her fair fingers and traced them across the land deeds and deposit slips.
The movements were gentle, yet carried an air of authority akin to inspecting an army.
"Father," Satsuki began, "what do you think these are?"
Xiu paused for a moment, then asked, "Is it...assets?"
"No."
Satsuki shook her head.
She picked up the land deed for the Osaka factory, which was considered "garbage" by everyone.
"This is not an asset."
"This is 'ammunition'."
She picked up the Credit Suisse statement again.
"This isn't money."
"This is 'fuel'."
Satsuki turned away, her back to the sunlight streaming through the window. Her shadow cast a long shadow on the tatami mat, enveloping Shuichi within it.
"Father, the reason you are afraid is because you only have bricks, but no blueprints."
"You're looking at this pile of bricks, unsure whether to build a chicken coop or a temple. So you're afraid the bricks will fall and hurt you."
Shuichi looked at his daughter.
At this moment, Satsuki exuded an aura that felt unfamiliar to him.
Its sharp edge was fully revealed.
"Do you have the blueprints?" Xiu asked subconsciously.
"I have."
Satsuki answered decisively.
She walked to the wall, where a huge map of Japan was hanging.
She stretched out her hand, not pointing at the bustling commercial districts, but like an ambitious invader, drawing a circle in the air.
"Father, do you think Tokyo is crowded these days?"
"Of course it's crowded," Shuichi said. "There are people and cars everywhere."
"So, do you think Tokyo is expensive right now?"
"Outrageously expensive."
"wrong."
Satsuki turned around, her eyes flashing with a mad light.
"In Tokyo these days, things are as cheap as rotten cabbage on the street."
Shuichi's eyes widened, thinking he had misheard.
"Cheap?"
"Yes, it's cheap."
Satsuki walked back to the table, placed her hands on the surface, leaned forward, and stared intently into her father's eyes.
"Because in the next five years, this country will experience the most extravagant feast in human history."
"Everyone will think they're a god. Everyone will be waving money around, wanting to buy the whole world. Land prices will rise tenfold, and stock prices will rise fivefold. Even stray dogs on the street will be wearing gold necklaces."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a kind of bewitching, seductive quality.
"In this grand event, traditional 'industries' won't make money. Textiles? Machinery? Those are too slow. What we need to do is build the stage."
"Stage?" Shuichi muttered.
"Yes, the stage."
Satsuki extended one finger.
"First, we need to use this money to buy the most prime land in Tokyo. Not to build houses to sell to the poor, but to build 'palaces' for the rich."
"We want to build the tallest office building, the most luxurious hotel, and the most expensive nightclub in all of Japan. We want to make those who have hot money in their hands but don't know where to spend it obediently send their money into our pockets."
She then extended a second finger.
"Secondly, we're going to America. While the yen is still strong, we'll buy up all the seeds that haven't even sprouted yet. Hollywood movies, Silicon Valley technology, even Manhattan buildings."
"We want to use the money we make from the bubble to exchange for 'perpetual assets' that won't disappear even if the bubble bursts."
She held up her third finger.
"Finally, we'll prey on the poor. While everyone's eyeing luxury goods, we'll manufacture the cheapest clothes and open the cheapest shops. Because the feast will always end, and when it does, everyone will be poor again. Then, only we will be able to provide them with clothes and food."
Satsuki finished speaking in one breath, her emotions growing increasingly intense.
With a massive amount of ammunition at his disposal, that Wall Street soul began to stir.
Her chest rose and fell slightly, and her cheeks flushed with excitement.
Xiu was stunned.
Although it was only a few words, he seemed to see a magnificent and awe-inspiring painting.
It was a vast empire spanning real estate, finance, entertainment, and retail.
At the pinnacle of this empire sits not Mitsubishi, not Sumitomo, but Saionji.
"This...this is too enormous." Shuichi's voice trembled slightly. "Satsuki, I...I'm afraid..."
He wanted to say that he couldn't do it.
A scheme of this scale requires a ruthless leader like Yoshiaki Tsutsumi or a politician like Kakuei Tanaka. What merit does a former nobleman who can't even manage his own brother possess?
Satsuki looked at her father's hesitant eyes.
She didn't step forward to comfort her like an ordinary daughter, nor did she continue to persuade her like an advisor.
She simply walked quietly around the low table piled with land deeds and stood in front of Shuichi.
She reached out and cupped her father's face, which looked slightly haggard from overwork. Her hands were small and cold, but Shuichi felt an irresistible force flowing through them.
"Father."
Satsuki's voice was as soft as humming a lullaby, but every word was like a brand burning red.
"You feel fear because you are trying to understand this crazy era with normal human reason."
"But I'm not afraid."
Her thumb gently caressed the corner of Shuichi's eye. In those obsidian-like pupils, Shuichi's image was not reflected, but rather the imminent, magnificent bubble empire.
Xiu stared blankly at his daughter, unable to muster the strength to resist.
"Because I saw it. I saw how the golden Tower of Babel was built, and I saw how it collapsed."
Satsuki leaned down slightly, and their breaths mingled together.
"Father, since you cannot wield this sword, then give it to me."
The corners of her mouth slowly turned up, revealing an extremely sweet yet domineering smile.
"But in exchange, I want you to promise me one thing."
Shuichi's Adam's apple bobbed, and he subconsciously asked, "What is it?"
"From this moment on, in this home, in this vast business empire..."
Satsuki's voice was low, carrying a bewitching magic:
You must listen to me.
"This is not a discussion, not a suggestion. It is... absolute obedience."
"No matter how crazy my instructions may sound, no matter how illogical my decisions may seem, you must carry them out without hesitation. You must be my hand, my shield, my mask in the sunlight."
She stared into her father's eyes and asked, word by word:
"Would you be willing to give your soul to your daughter?"
A deathly silence fell over the study.
The startled deer outside the window made a loud "thump," startling the sparrows in the courtyard.
Xiu Yi was stunned.
He looked at his daughter, who was so close to him.
In that instant, his heart began to pound violently, and his blood surged through his veins with a roaring sound.
He felt an unprecedented, complex emotion wash over him like a tsunami.
It was excitement. Every cell in his body trembled with the impending conquest. He knew that as long as he followed that gaze, the Saionji family would reach heights that none of their ancestors had ever attained.
That was excitement. In this body of only 12 years old, he saw the true qualities of a "king." It was an aura of dominance that transcended gender, age, and even blood ties.
But beneath this fervent atmosphere lies a touch of indescribable bitterness and sorrow.
The little girl who always hid behind him, tugging at his clothes and crying, the canary he had to shield from the wind and rain with all his might... had completely disappeared.
She grew up too fast. So fast that it caught him, her father, off guard, and so fast that it made him feel a sense of loss called "being surpassed".
She no longer needed his protection.
On the contrary, from now on, he will need to depend on her for survival.
This role reversal made Shuichi feel dizzy. But when he examined his own heart, he was surprised to find that among all those emotions, there was no "unwillingness".
There was even a hint of... liberation.
Finally, I no longer have to live in fear alone in the dark.
Finally, a more powerful being took over this crumbling family.
Shuichi's eyes reddened slightly. He looked at his daughter, the continuation of his life, and now his master.
He slowly reached out and grasped Satsuki's small hand, which was still cradling his cheek.
Then, he did something that would absolutely shock the old butler, Fujita, if he saw it.
The man, who held the title of Duke and was a member of the House of Nobles, slowly lowered his noble head.
He gently pressed the back of Satsuki's hand to his lips.
That was a knight's pledge of allegiance to the queen.
Devout, solemn, and willing.
"what……"
Shuichi let out a satisfied sigh, as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
He raised his eyes and looked down at the girl who was gazing down at him, her eyes filled with the fervent worship of a believer and the deepest doting affection a father has for his daughter.
"Since you've already seen through everything, what harm is there in closing my cloudy old eyes?"
Shuichi's voice trembled slightly, but every word was crystal clear.
He kissed his daughter's slightly cool fingertips and whispered:
"As you wish, my little queen."
Satsuki smiled.
This time, her smile lacked both feigned naivety and calculated coldness.
It was the pure joy of a child who had received their beloved toy.
"very good."
She withdrew her hand and patted her father's head—just like he used to comfort her.
The transfer of power is complete.
Satsuki turned around and walked back to the table, picking up the rolled-up map again.
"Now that the contract has been concluded, then, Father..."
She unfolded the "battle map" again, her tone becoming light and efficient, as if the moment before had never happened.
"Please sit down. We're about to begin class."
"Regarding how to spend these 70 billion, and... how to turn Tokyo into our backyard."
Xiu stood up and straightened his clothes.
He looked at the small figure standing in the sunlight, seemingly condescending, and a relieved smile appeared on his lips.
He walked to the table and sat up straight like the most obedient student.
"I'm all ears."
Outside the window, the autumn sun shines brightly.
In the tea room of the Saionji family, a monstrous zaibatsu destined to rule the Heisei era was officially born.