National Tide 1980.

Mary's seemingly audacious prophecy was not wrong.

Starting in the third quarter of 1990, many Japanese people felt like the sky was falling.

Because the average unemployment rate in Japanese society has suddenly soared to 3.4%.

Some people might think that this unemployment rate is not high, so what's the big deal?

People who think this way simply don't understand the unique aspects of Japanese society.

It's important to understand that at that time, Japanese society as a whole was accustomed to a lifetime employment system.

At that time, the vast majority of Japanese company employees could obtain a promise from their company that they would not be easily dismissed, allowing them to work for the same company with peace of mind until retirement.

It can be said that while Japanese people receive high salaries, they also enjoy a kind of "iron rice bowl" treatment similar to that of socialist countries, which is quite fortunate.

Unfortunately, with the bursting of the economic bubble, this foundation of social stability was also shaken.

As a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises went bankrupt first, the unemployment rate rose rapidly, and the number of bankruptcies also increased exponentially.

The employment crisis suddenly arrived like a raging flood.

A large number of Japanese people lost their jobs without any warning, and the suicide rate also soared.

To put it bluntly, losing a job is something that clashes with the values ​​of their society.

The better protected they were in the past, the greater the psychological blow they will suffer now.

Therefore, given the fragile psyches of the Japanese, many people cannot accept this, and many believe to the extreme that without a job, they have nothing.

How do I pay my mortgage? What about my car loan? How do I pay for my child's tutoring?
Not to mention life in my old age...

Although from a rational perspective, the actual situation may not be so bleak.

But just like a pampered young master who has lived a life of luxury since childhood, suddenly discovering that his parents have died, the family business has gone bankrupt, and he will have to work to survive in the future.

Just thinking about a future life without support and facing all sorts of unknowns is enough to scare a person half to death.

Therefore, if there is anything good about the current economic crisis facing Japan, it is that this economic disaster has inadvertently and quietly changed the situation of Japan's labor shortage.

Tokyo's job market quickly felt an unprecedented heat.

Whether they were people who had suffered setbacks in speculation or lost their jobs due to the bankruptcy of their original businesses, they were now like headless flies, desperately seeking new jobs to ensure their livelihood.

As a result, many jobs that no one wanted to do in the past have now become highly sought-after.

For example, Saizeriya, a chain restaurant in Tokyo known for its high labor intensity and low wages, once had hundreds of job vacancies last year, which led them to continuously reduce their stores and operating area.

As a result, the company quickly filled its staff, and customers lined up for meals every day, giving Saizeriya the best opportunity for expansion and development.

There's also Sushiro, a chain of conveyor belt sushi restaurants. In the past, they had to hire a large number of part-time students to maintain the brand's operation. But now the social environment is different, and they can replace the original unstable temporary workers with full-time employees who are willing to get stable jobs.

Nippon Yusen Kaisha, one of Japan's three major shipping companies, is also pleased to see many sailors returning to their jobs.

Several captains even lost their life savings in the speculative market and had to return to the company to seek employment.

The same thing happened in Ginza, of course.

Chie-mi soon discovered that, despite it being the busiest time of year and the most stressful period for hiring, more and more people were coming to Ginza looking for job opportunities.

Security guards, waiters, and female escorts—they have it all.

Not only are there more options available, but the salary requirements for these positions have also begun to decrease due to fierce job competition, which to some extent saves labor costs for these Ginza madams.

With Christmas and New Year's Day just around the corner, the consumer market is likely to rebound.

If there are enough customers, it can indeed be a great opportunity to make a fortune.

Even when Chie was about to take Maria's advice and start looking for a real ace, a former ace came to her door without her having to search at all.

It was 11 p.m. on November 24, 1990.

As dusk settled, Chiemi, who had just finished her makeup and hair at the beauty salon, walked into her shop. Before she could even take off her cashmere shawl, her bartender came to inform her.

"Madam, someone wants to have an interview."

"Oh, who is it?"

The bartender gestured with his eyes to a table in the corner.

A rather beautiful woman then stood up and bowed respectfully to Chiemi.

At first glance, the woman appeared to be in her early thirties and was wearing a brown kimono.

Chiemi thought the woman in front of her had a good sense of style; the wide obi belt she wore with her kimono was very tasteful, giving off a low-key yet dignified feeling.

Although her kimono wasn't particularly high-end, the overall look was stylish and elegant, and her bows were graceful and poised.

Her face, lightly made up, looked beautiful without being gaudy, which was very endearing, and her figure was also very elegant.

The woman approached Chiemi and asked her softly, "May I ask if your shop can hire me?"

As he spoke, he glanced somewhat embarrassedly at the bartender beside him and the several girls who had already arrived for work.
Do you want to apply?

Since Chiemi had a very good impression of her, she smiled and looked at the other person and asked.

"Yes. I'm so sorry to have come here to apply without any introduction! But I would like to ask you if I could work here as a hostess?"

The woman appeared somewhat anxious, and a hint of servility could be discerned in her demeanor.

"Okay, please sit down first."

To be honest, if it were up to Chie-mi, she would very much like to find a woman in her mid-twenties, just like her own age now.

It's not because we're close in age and get along well, but because from a business owner's perspective, women of this age are the best choice.

First, she no longer has the unrealistic fantasies of her pre-twenty years, but possesses the most captivating beauty of a woman at her peak, while also retaining a lively and mature charm.

They are more experienced in dealing with people and their understanding of society is also more mature.

The more you experience, the sharper your mind becomes, and the easier it is to create a harmonious atmosphere when chatting with bosses.

At the same time, women of this age also have a strong sense of crisis about their age, and are only one step away from declining.

Then both the motivation to make money and the attitude towards work are at their peak.

As for the woman in front of us, because she wore light makeup, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes seemed particularly obvious and could be seen at a glance.

To be honest, I'm actually a bit too old; I'm at least thirty-one or thirty-two.

If she also has a quiet and reserved personality, it's not easy to please guests.

However, the way she looked in the kimono was so elegant, and her outstanding appearance and attire were a bonus.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Chie Mi still developed a certain interest in her.

They do not rule out the possibility of still hiring such an impressive woman as her.

In short, Chiemi wanted to sit down first and find out about this woman's background before making any decisions.

"Excuse me, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Mochizuki Yoko."

The woman who applied for the job placed her hands flat in front of her knees and bowed again as she spoke.

Her posture was completely unpretentious, and Chie-mei noticed every detail of her actions, so she knew that she was probably not a novice in this line of work.

So, in addition to giving her name, Chiemi also asked politely, "Miss Yoko, judging from your appearance, this shouldn't be your first time applying for a job like this, right? Did you work as a hostess before?"

"Yes. You're right, I did do that kind of work. And it was always in Ginza."

As expected, Yoko Mochizuki gave Chiemi the answer she had anticipated, proving that she hadn't misjudged her.

Struggling to suppress a slight sense of smugness, Chiemi continued to ask with a carefully crafted demeanor, "So, can you tell me about your relevant work experience? Which store in Ginza did you work at before, and why did you choose to leave?"

This is actually a fairly standard question. Any boss hiring someone would probably inquire about the candidate's resume in detail.

But for some reason, Yoko Mochizuki seemed a little uneasy about this question, and even her answer was a beat slow.

“I…I used to work at a nightclub called ‘Flower Sea’. The reason I left…actually…was because the club was sold.”

"Huh? Flower Sea Nightclub? You mean the one in the northeast corner of the 4-chome intersection?"

"Yes, judging from your expression, you seem to remember that shop?"

Yoko Mochizuki gave a polite, forced smile.

However, Chiemi couldn't help but sigh with a touch of melancholy. "Of course I remember. That's the shop at the 4-chome intersection. At least half of Ginza's best and most exclusive clubs are located there. I bet every madam in Ginza would take a second look whenever she passed by..."

This is not an exaggeration. If there is a holy place for clubs in Ginza, then the intersection of 4-chome should be it.

The shops there have the highest rents in the entire Ginza area, at least 30% more expensive than shops in other parts of Ginza.

Back then, for Chie-mi, who had just entered the industry, those shops were the places she longed to work in and the direction she had been striving for for a long time.

As for the Crimson Cloud Club, which she later joined, it rose to fame under Maria's management.

In terms of both clientele and industry reputation, it is now on par with the clubs at the 4-chome intersection.

However, in terms of opening time, Akagashi opened later than the other shops in 4-chome. If we really talk about seniority, Akagashi can only be considered a junior in the industry.

Therefore, it can be concluded that if Mochizuki is not lying and she really did work at such a top-tier club, then her qualities in all aspects must be outstanding.

This is equivalent to the Flower Sea Club having already screened for Chiemei.

After all, mediocre people, or even those who are not outstanding enough, would never be chosen by a well-known store like Flower Sea.

To be honest, at this moment, Chiemi already felt that she had struck gold today.

She thought to herself, no wonder this Yoko Mochizuki was so professional in both how she wore her kimono and how she handled herself; she must have come from a renowned department store in Ginza. She truly lived up to her reputation.

However, she immediately sensed something amiss in the other person's words and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Huh? But... I remember the Flower Sea Club was sold at least a year and a half ago. What have you been doing all this time? Didn't you work at another store after that?"

This question made the other person even more flustered.

After stammering awkwardly for a while, Mochizuki Yoko finally confessed the truth, "I... I really didn't work at another shop, firstly because I was already preparing to get married at that time, and secondly... because that nightclub was actually owned by me, and I personally sold Huahai..."

Now it was finally Chiemi's turn to be stunned.

How should one react to this situation?!
It's like a small theater troupe wanting to expand its business and recruit a few extras, only to discover that among the applicants is a retired superstar.

To be honest, Chie was a little incredulous and somewhat amused by this amazing person who had come to her doorstep.

However, after getting to know her better, she was not surprised to find that Yoko Mochizuki was telling the truth.

Especially since they were both women, she found it hard not to sympathize with what the other had gone through.

It turns out that just a year and a half ago, Yoko Mochizuki was living an extremely comfortable life, showing the world her glamorous side.

Because she could speak five foreign languages ​​and had a master's degree, she became a top hostess in Ginza at the age of 23, and opened the Flower Sea Nightclub at the age of 27, where she had an enviable and stable clientele.

On her birthday in 1987, Yoko Mochizuki received more than 300 flower baskets from guests, worth 10 million yen.

The most astonishing thing was that there was an extremely generous guest who presented a champagne tower made up of 150 bottles of high-end champagne.

Worth 100 million yen!
This record for gift-giving remains unbroken to this day.

This shows that a few years ago in Ginza, Yoko Mochizuki was a rather remarkable and legendary figure in this circle.

However, women are ultimately the most concerned about their age, and Japan is a society that values ​​women based on their contributions to the family.

When it comes to marriage and relationships, Yoko Mochizuki is not immune to the common pitfalls.

Deep down, she's a rather traditional type of woman who longs to be a good wife and mother.

So in 1988, when she was over thirty, she began to consider marriage.

During her ten years working in Ginza, she naturally dated many men from prestigious families, but when it came to marriage, everyone wanted her to close the club and focus on her family.

In addition, the Japanese stock and real estate markets were booming at the time, making it seem like you could make money no matter where you invested.

Compared to other options, the effort and resources required to run a nightclub are actually not worthwhile.

In this line of work, one has to put in their whole heart to please the customers, which makes it very hard work.

Given this situation, Yoko Mochizuki decided to sell the shop and, with a dowry of 600 million yen, marry the president of a trust company.

However, her newlywed life had only been going on for a year, and before she even had a child, her husband, the company president, had an illegitimate child with a foreign model.

That wasn't all. Just as she and her husband were arguing every day about how to handle the matter, and even went to court over how to divide their assets in the divorce, the Japanese stock market and real estate market both collapsed one after the other.

The end result was that she was in a very miserable situation, empty-handed and had gained nothing.

Not only did the marriage cease to exist and the family disappear, but the 600 million yen brought before the marriage and all the joint property under the couple's names were also evaporated by the market.

In addition, she also needs to share the debt of more than 50 million yen incurred by the couple's joint investments during the marriage.

This is more dramatic than any movie plot; she herself didn't want to believe it, but it was all true.

So she's really at her wit's end now.

Almost overnight, she went from a high-ranking noblewoman to a beggar living hand to mouth.

To make a living, she had no other choice but to return to Ginza and resume her old profession.

"Oh, I see. You've really had a tough time. It's been one misfortune after another..."

Having fully understood Yoko Mochizuki's predicament, Chiemi couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

“That’s true. I’ve been hit by every kind of misfortune imaginable. I guess I didn’t know how to cherish my good fortune before, and that’s why I’m being punished like this.” Yoko Mochizuki responded with a wry smile.

"Don't say that. Someone like you is already excellent enough. You will definitely have a chance to start over."

Chiemi's kindness prompted her to continue offering kind words of comfort, but it was clear that the other party needed something more practical.

"But it's not easy for an older woman like me to find a job, which is why I volunteered to apply for a position at your esteemed establishment today. I wonder if the madam would be willing to hire me?"

Having said that, it's clear that it's time to make a decision.

However, because there were still some issues she couldn't figure out, Chie was still finding it difficult to decide whether to keep the other person.

"Madam, am I not suitable?"

After waiting a moment, seeing Chiemi's troubled expression, Mochizuki Yoko thought that Chiemi was disgusted with her.

He couldn't help but show a worried expression, his face full of sorrow.

It's not that it's unsuitable.

"Then you are..."

"As you can see, my shop is just an ordinary one in Ginza, not as good as the shops you used to run. Besides, you're a senior in the industry. I don't understand why you insist on coming here. With your resume and qualifications, wouldn't it be better to go to those famous shops?"

"No, that's not the case."

Yoko Mochizuki urgently stated, "To be honest, I've been to several shops in 4-chome, but due to some past business conflicts, I haven't been hired by any of them. Instead, I've received a lot of ridicule and mockery. So, I've come to realize that rather than forcing myself to join those famous shops where acquaintances are, I'm afraid I'll find it difficult to get along with others. It's better to come to a shop like yours, where I can truly demonstrate my value."

After saying this, she waited for a moment, and seeing that Chie Mi seemed unmoved, she simply lowered herself to the bottom and revealed all her cards.

"Don't worry, you definitely won't lose out by hiring me. Although I've been retired for so long, I've maintained contact with some customers over the years because of business dealings with my ex-husband. I can guarantee that I'll bring in at least ten million yen in business every month. If I don't reach that amount, I won't ask for any commission on drinks. As for the daily wage, I won't ask for too much. Sixty thousand yen a day... no, fifty thousand yen will do. Do you agree?"

This is really a great offer. You know, the top courtesans at Chixia earn at least 100,000 yen a day.

Chiemi received the same treatment.

Especially when she managed Akakasa for Maria and acted as a substitute madam, her daily salary was as high as 150,000 yen.

In her view, apart from being slightly older, which was a disadvantage for Mochizuki Yoko, the other party was better than her in almost every other aspect, and even had something about her that was very similar to Maria.

Chiemi could no longer remain indifferent.

She immediately retracted her "Let me think about it" line and instead said, "I agree to your terms. But do you have anything else to do today? If not, could you come to my office and help me look at the accounts from the last few days? Or give me some business advice? I can pay you today..."

This statement immediately cheered Yoko Mochizuki up.

Although it was unconventional and a bit illogical, it was the life-changing opportunity she truly desired.

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony. I look forward to your guidance in the future." She stood up respectfully.

"Don't be so polite, I'd also like to ask for your help," Chiemi replied happily.

Looking at this talented individual whom she had acquired unexpectedly at a very low cost, she now had only one thing on her mind.

How can you retain this talent for the long term?

If I tell Maria about this right away, will my people be taken away?
But Maria was so caring towards me, it wouldn't be right not to say anything...

Hmm... what should I do? (End of Chapter)