National Tide 1980.

The economic disaster in Japan caused astonishing damage in a short period of time, and the trauma inflicted on Japanese society continues to expand.

However, the Japanese government, perhaps due to certain political considerations, seemed quite hesitant and apprehensive.

Perhaps because they were truly at their wits' end and had limited options, unable to effectively contain the situation, the Ministry of Finance and many bank officials resorted to an ostrich-like approach of avoiding facing reality.

They blamed the bubble economy on securities firms and "bubble gentlemen".

Besides continuing to falsely promote the so-called "resilience of the Japanese economy" in an attempt to brainwash the public, all they want to do is shirk responsibility and protect themselves.

Whether ordinary citizens, high-ranking officials, or wealthy tycoons, everyone at this time not only deeply felt the intense pain of this so-called "shock therapy," but also became increasingly pessimistic about the question of "when will Japan's economy bottom out."

However, in any disaster, there will always be survivors.

Some people are even able to profit from disasters, taking advantage of the situation to rise against the tide and become new rich.

As the saying goes, "Heroes emerge in times of chaos."

Even with Japan's current dire economic situation, it's not a case of "when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken."

For a very small number of individuals, this era in Japan presented them with a long-awaited opportunity to rise to prominence, a rare chance to quickly seize resources and dominate the industry.

Ning Weimin is like someone with a cheat code, always one step ahead in investment and never making a mistake in business operations.

He was like gold in the rubble, swept up by the tide of the times, growing stronger and more prominent.

In today's Japanese business world, where cries of despair are everywhere, it is difficult for him and his company to hide their outdated and unconventional money-making advantages, making them a shocking target of attention.

…………

On November 28, 1990, at Narita Airport, the early winter wind carried a light drizzle across the tarmac.

This was a day with weather comparable to the current economic downturn in Japan.

While it won't ground planes completely, it has significantly reduced the number of international flights, making the international arrivals area seem rather deserted.

Kobayashi, a staff member at the edge of the tarmac, was pulling his faded uniform jacket tighter to ward off the cold.

However, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the distance—next to the gangway of a Boeing 757 bearing the Japan Airlines logo, there were more than twenty people gathered, a rare sight.

Three black limousines were lined up in a row, the first one being the Toyota Century, a favorite of the Japanese Imperial Family. The golden phoenix emblem on the hood, symbolizing auspiciousness and nobility, gleamed coldly under the dark clouds.

The background shows an empty tarmac and a lone cargo plane in the distance.

"This commotion... has someone gone mad?"

Kobayashi couldn't help but lean closer to his colleague Sato, his voice filled with disbelief, "Where did this chartered plane come from? Last week, the vice president of Marubeni Corporation came back from England, and I remember it was only business class, and they only sent two regular cars to pick him up. These days, which company isn't tightening its belt? I heard that most companies have even cut their budgets in half for entertaining clients. How can there be such an extravagant scene?"

"I'm not sure either, but the information shows... this plane took off from Hainan Island in the Republic. Maybe some political figure was visiting?"

Sato is the team leader, and the form in his hand shows the origin of this aircraft.

But Kobayashi disagreed, saying, "Absolutely not. Those cars and people didn't look like they belonged to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and no one gave us any prior notice. It looked like a business charter flight, definitely not a visit by political figures."

The logic behind this statement was impeccable, and Sato found his analysis quite reasonable, which aroused his intense curiosity.

"That makes sense. So who are the people on that plane? Could they be heads of major Japanese corporations on official business in the Republic?"

But to my surprise, Kobayashi still shook his head.

"No, if that's the case, there should at least be a banner that says 'Welcome Home'."

This made Sato frown, feeling extremely puzzled.

Indeed, the welcoming party included not only executives in suits, but also entourage members and drivers with umbrellas.

This event was even more extravagant than the peak of the bubble economy, but conspicuously lacked the banners that would normally be displayed to welcome big business leaders.

what on earth is this kind of happenings?
Surely the person who chartered this plane isn't actually a Chinese from the People's Republic of China?

But isn't that country a poor Third World country?
How could there possibly be such a wealthy person...?

"Look, Sato, that beautiful woman over there looks like a big movie star!"

To Sato's surprise, an even more unbelievable scene unfolded after Kobayashi's exclamation.

At this moment, not only did the aircraft cabin door open, but a Japan Airlines flight attendant, holding an umbrella, stood outside the door, waiting for the distinguished guests from the charter flight to appear.

A woman wearing a beige wool coat stepped out of the lead car, a Toyota Century, which was waiting to pick someone up.

Her long black hair was styled into an elegant updo, and a matching silk scarf was wrapped around her neck. Her profile was so delicate that it was exactly the same as the image in the movie poster for "Li Xianglan" released two years ago.

Not only is she a big star, but she's also the national goddess Keiko Matsumoto!
Sato involuntarily widened his eyes immediately and echoed in a voice filled with undisguised surprise.

"It really is her! That's Keiko Matsumoto. She used to be the most beautiful actress at Shochiku and Daiei. Now she's the president of a film company. Why would she be picking someone up at the airport?"

Their eyes instinctively followed the plane's gangway upwards—at the cabin door, a tall figure appeared, slowly descending the gangway accompanied by a flight attendant holding an umbrella.

He was a young man in a dark gray custom-made suit, the mother-of-pearl cufflinks on his sleeves gleaming faintly in the overcast sky.

He carried a stylish dark brown travel bag covered in LV's signature pattern in one hand, and lightly held onto the gangway handrail with the other, his steps steady.

His hair was neatly combed, and his brows showed the spirit that hadn't diminished from the long flight.

That dashing, confident, and relaxed demeanor contrasted sharply with the anxiety and dejection that those stranded at the airport after learning of flight delays could not hide.

His gaze swept across the welcoming crowd and landed precisely on Keiko Matsumoto, his originally composed eyes softening instantly.

Keiko Matsumoto immediately stepped forward and walked through the welcoming crowd to greet them.

Her face not only wore a polite yet undeniably gentle smile, but the quality of her custom-made high-end cashmere coat also stood out in today's climate of widespread cost-cutting.

What is particularly surprising is that she braved the wind and rain, disregarded the fact that her expensive coat would get wet, and ignored the attendants holding umbrellas for her behind her, walking directly out of the umbrellas and onto the gangway.

And so, the two met halfway up the gangway.

Keiko Matsumoto naturally reached out and smoothed the slightly messy wrinkles on his suit collar, her gesture intimate and natural.

Then they hugged each other.

As for Kobayashi and Sato, who were watching the commotion from afar, they were suddenly shocked to realize that the young man who had received such a high-profile welcome was actually in such an intimate relationship with Matsumoto Keiko.

An indescribable shock and jealousy welled up in their hearts, and the two exchanged a look full of confusion and envy.

By this time, they had fully realized who the young man was.

"Hey, isn't that man Keiko Matsumoto's husband?"

"That's probably right, otherwise it would be impossible to do such a thing in such a situation."

"Oh, she looks so happy. What a lucky girl. Oh, I suddenly remembered, the media did report that Matsumoto Keiko's husband is a young Chinese man, and he really does look quite handsome."

"Yeah, I remember now. It's really enviable. It seems the magazine reports were true; that guy made a fortune in Japan by opening a restaurant. He even managed to come back on a chartered plane..."

The two Japanese losers got more and more excited as they talked, but no one in the welcoming crowd paid any attention to them.

As applause rang out, a driver in uniform stepped forward and took the bag from Ning Weimin's hand.

The cleanliness of those white gloves represents the level of service enjoyed only by the elites of Japan's high society.

Keiko Matsumoto took Ning Weimin's arm and walked down the gangway with him under the umbrella held by the flight attendants behind them.

Soon, countless umbrellas from the welcoming crowd reached out to them.

The umbrellas vied with each other to shield them from the wind and rain, like flowers blooming in the rain.

Kobayashi and Sato stood there, their eyes fixed on Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko as they got into the limousine and slowly drove away. It wasn't until the exhaust fumes left a thin trail of white smoke in the rain and mist that they snapped out of their daze.

The cold wind seemed to grow stronger, whipping raindrops onto their faces and seeping into their worn rain boots.

Strangely enough, the excitement that had just been heightened by shock vanished in an instant, leaving only a sense of dejection and an indescribable awkwardness. They simply couldn't explain how they felt after witnessing all of this.

This is not surprising. Just think about Tokyo, Japan in 1990, during an economic winter when companies were laying off employees and everyone was feeling insecure.

They witnessed firsthand how a young man from China could receive such a lavish welcome on Japanese soil.

The Chinese man exuded such a spirited and confident air that he seemed to be returning to his own territory, as if he were the master of Japan.

Even a national goddess like Keiko Matsumoto personally waited for her, willingly serving as her wife.

Such a situation would be impossible for any Japanese man to accept calmly or naturally.

Therefore, their reaction is actually normal.

"This is high society, huh? It seems we're not even as good as ordinary Chinese people. Believe it or not, if I told anyone this, no one would believe me. They'd probably just laugh at me for being crazy..."

With a heavy heart, Kobayashi was the first to break the silence.

Sato remained silent, only gazing at the direction where the convoy disappeared at the end of the tarmac. The envy in his heart was like sugar being added to warm water, slowly dissolving, yet carrying a bitter taste that was hard to describe.

He just wants to forget everything he saw today, to forget it completely and never think about it again.

………………

On November 28, 1990, it started raining in Kyoto around noon.

Rain streaked across the lattice windows of the Tangong Restaurant, darkening the wooden signboard outside that read "Chinese Imperial Cuisine," but also highlighting the eerily quiet atmosphere inside the restaurant, which was severely lacking in customers.

Indeed, it was already lunchtime, but Chef Zhou of Tangong Restaurant could only sigh at the ginseng on the cutting board.

This is the "standard configuration of imperial cuisine" required by the Guo Group.

Each Korean ginseng costs 30,000 yen to purchase, and after soaking, it needs to be simmered over low heat for eight hours before it can be used in cooking.

But now, as he ladled the stewed ginseng and black chicken soup into a bright yellow soup pot, there were only two tables of guests in the restaurant.

He knew without even thinking that with this level of customer traffic, it would be a miracle if this dish could be sold today.

There was nothing I could do; all the work I'd been doing since dawn had been for nothing.

And in the refrigerator, there's the prepared Japanese Yoshihama abalone, which has been refrigerated for three days.

If we can't sell them all today, that huge bowl will just have to be chopped up and used to make fried rice for the kitchen to use as staff meals.

"Master Zhou..."

Before Lao Zhou could recover from his frustration, Xiao Dong, a waitress in a cheongsam, walked into the kitchen with an empty tray, bringing him yet another piece of bad news.

Xiao Dong's voice was very low, "The guests who booked a private room for tonight yesterday canceled, saying that the guests their company was hosting had changed their plans for today. So we have to reschedule for another day."

Old Zhou's ladle immediately splashed soup onto the clean white tablecloth, creating a small oil stain.

That wasn't all. In front of Xiao Dong, Lao Zhou not only cursed him as unlucky, but also flung his hand and threw the large ladle in his hand away with a "bang".

This guy scared Xiao Dong so much that his face turned pale, and he immediately ran away as if his life depended on it.

Even the other chefs working in the kitchen held their breath, stopped chatting, and didn't dare to breathe loudly.

Nobody's stupid; everyone can see that Master Zhou has reached his lowest point. Now, anyone who touches him will get angry, and nobody wants to be the unlucky scapegoat.

However, on the other hand, Chef Zhou is a master chef after all, and he can't stand wasting ingredients.

Because of the reservations for tonight, he got up early this morning to bring in a lot of good stuff, and it's all packed up.

But the guest suddenly changed their mind. Who can accept that?

This wouldn't have been a problem in the past when business was booming. There were many customers coming to eat, and the food was easily consumed.

But business is slow now, with only five or six tables of customers a day, which is bound to cause losses in kitchen costs.

This is really bad luck. It seems like this month is destined to be a situation where we can't make ends meet, and there's nothing anyone can do to change it.

These customers clearly didn't want to come. What excuses are they making? Hypocritical!
Master Zhou has indeed given up hope.

His heart felt like it had been doused with ice water, chilling him to the bone.

However, he wasn't just giving up on the kitchen's inventory costs for the month, he was also giving up on the restaurant's future.

He finally understood that the decline of Tan Gong Restaurant was entirely due to what happened after the Guo Group took over.

These bastards are nowhere near as good as Manager Ning; they're completely clueless and a bunch of idiots.

He still remembers the scene when the Tan Gong Restaurant was handed over a year ago.

At the time, Wu Yunjie, the restaurant manager appointed by the Guo Group, patted his chest and guaranteed that he would make Tangong Restaurant a hit in Japan.

They even said, "Besides brand and taste, the restaurant industry also needs excellent management. The Guo Group has the most advanced management concepts and international experience in operating hotels and restaurants. So as long as the brand is there and the chefs are skilled, if everyone can work together, Tangong Restaurant will always be the number one Chinese restaurant in Japan, and its turnover and profits will even see another level of improvement."

He actually believed it at the time, thinking that this Singaporean manager, Mr. Wu, had studied abroad and might really have some skills. He was also respectful and unpretentious, so he was determined to stay and sell his skills as a servant.

But in the end, the restaurant got colder and colder every day, and the treatment got worse and worse. It turned out that it was all just talk.

Over time, he realized that the key issue was that Wu Yunjie didn't know much about Shandong cuisine, and his management style was almost entirely based on Southeast Asians' limited understanding of Chaoshan and Cantonese cuisine, simply applying Western restaurant management models.

No matter how enthusiastic he is, it cannot make up for his lack of expertise in Chinese restaurant management.

He even gradually abandoned the original concept of Tangong Restaurant, which insisted on serving only pure Chinese food, and asked the chefs to modify the flavors of the dishes according to the tastes of the Japanese.

While this caters to the tastes of some customers accustomed to Japanese-style Chinese food and does satisfy the demands of some, it also loses its true unique characteristics, drives away customers who understand Chinese cuisine, and lowers the standards for controlling the flavor of the dishes.

At the beginning, the Japanese economy was doing well, the Japanese had money, and the restaurant's operational problems were not yet noticeable.

But once the economy changes, customer loyalty disappears immediately, and the restaurant's weakness can no longer be concealed.

To put it bluntly, this Singaporean who learned hotel management from foreigners, while not a bad person, was a complete idiot when it came to giving orders. In terms of running a Chinese restaurant, he was no match for a true expert like Ning Weimin.

In particular, the Guo Group seems generous, raising everyone's salaries, but in reality, they charge employees for food and lodging, and they like to use economic penalties to make employees abide by work discipline.

As a result, these workers are actually earning much less money than before.

Looking back now, I must have been out of my mind to get on this pirate ship.

This restaurant not only lost its unique selling points and the trust of its employees, but also caught the wave of Japan's economic downturn.

If this place were still packed with customers, that would be truly unbelievable.

Unfortunately, now I can't even jump ship. My passport and documents are all in the hands of the restaurant, and my personnel file is in the hands of the service bureau.

He could have left back then but he didn't. Now he wants to leave, but it's too late to change ships.

Not to mention that the Tangong Restaurant and the service bureau would not agree, even he himself wouldn't have the nerve to ask Manager Ning to take him in.

Whose fault is it?

Sigh, it's all his fault for misjudging people; he's blind...

Faced with his current situation, Lao Zhou had only one thought: just endure it.

Once the restaurant closes down, I'll pack my bags and go home. I don't want to embarrass myself in Japan anymore. (End of Chapter)