National Tide 1980.

In the conference room of Kumagai Gumi's China branch, warm yellow light bathed the wood grain of the mahogany table, and the air was filled with the aroma of fine wine and food, further highlighting the overwhelming ecstasy in the room.

Because a memorandum of understanding was just signed with the Chong Wen District Government yesterday, an internal celebration buffet is being held here.

Sugimoto and Sato, representing both Japan and China, were already standing quietly to one side of the crowd as special guests, holding their wine glasses.

On the long table beside them was a beautifully packaged, unopened bottle of Yamazaki whisky.

One side of the long table was filled with exquisite sushi and fried food, as well as several opened bottles of sake and red wine.

The hundreds of employees of the Kumagai Group were all carrying wine glasses and walking around, their faces beaming with undisguised smiles.

The Japanese general manager, Ikei, whose face was usually as stern as an iron plate, now had two deep nasolabial folds showing through his smile.

He imitated the Westerners, tapping his glass lightly with his fork before speaking, his Japanese voice trembling slightly with excitement, "Gentlemen! Please be quiet!"

The noisy conference room fell silent instantly, and all eyes were focused on Ikeibo.

He raised his glass high, his voice growing louder, "I have some exciting news to share! The approval from the Chongwen District government is just around the corner, and we are about to officially acquire the shares of the Beijing Amusement Park owned by Japan-China General Corporation. This adds another important piece to our business in China!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room erupted in thunderous cheers, with the clinking of glasses echoing throughout.

Sugimoto and Sato also raised their glasses, their faces beaming with just the right amount of smiles, their eyes following Ikeibo with a hint of respect.

Ikeibo raised his hand and pressed it down, his eyes gleaming with a determined light.

"Gentlemen, have you ever considered this? With Kowloon Amusement Park already under our control, what does it mean to acquire Beijing Amusement Park? It means that Kumagai Group will completely move beyond the simple construction field in China and officially enter the mass entertainment industry! This is a brand new track, a crucial step for the head office in expanding its overseas footprint!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each excited face, his tone earnest yet powerful, "I've seen everyone's hard work over the past year. It's because of our united efforts that we've achieved today's breakthrough. In the new year, I hope everyone will continue to fight side by side, starting with the Beijing Amusement Park and Kowloon Amusement Park, to carve out a niche for ourselves in the entertainment industry! I believe that with your support, the future of the Kumagai Group will be even brighter, and each of us can realize our own value in this endeavor! Come, let's raise a glass together, to the upcoming victory, to the bright future of the Kumagai Group, cheers!"

"cheers!"

The entire room responded in unison, the sound almost lifting the roof off the conference room.

All the employees of Kumagai Gumi Huaxia En Company present, whether they were Japanese, from Hong Kong, or from the local capital, or Sugimoto and Sato who were special guests, raised their glasses, either clinking glasses with their colleagues or tilting their heads back to drink their drinks.

The sounds of conversation and laughter filled the space once again.

Among the crowd, Huang He, the deputy general manager from Gangcheng and Ikei's deputy, was the quickest to act.

Almost the instant Ikei finished speaking, he quickly squeezed to Ikei's side.

His face was plastered with a fawning smile, his eyes almost slits. He bowed slightly, placing his glass much lower than Ikei's, and said in a deliberately ingratiating tone, "General Manager Ikei! Let me toast you. This is a historic breakthrough! If it weren't for your visionary leadership and precise planning, how could we have successfully acquired the shares of the Beijing Amusement Park and opened up such a vast new market! This achievement is outstanding among all the overseas branches of the Kumagai Group. Who can compare to you? Headquarters will definitely reward you."

A few words of flattery made Ikei feel very comfortable, and he laughed and accepted the toast.

After they drank together, he raised his hand and patted Huang He on the shoulder, showing a rare expression of approval.

"Your Majesty, you are quick-witted and have worked hard with me in this impoverished country all these years. I will never forget your contributions once this project is completed."

Huang He immediately bent down even lower, his smile growing even brighter.

"It is my honor to have the opportunity to serve you!"

After Huang He stepped down, Sugimoto immediately tugged at Sato beside him. The two exchanged a glance and quickly stepped forward, bowing deeply to Ikeibo.

Their backs were bent almost parallel to the ground, and their faces were covered with sincere and respectful smiles.

Sugimoto was the first to straighten up, holding the unopened bottle of Yamazaki whisky on the table in both hands and handing it to Ikei, his tone full of sincere gratitude.

"General Manager Ikei, congratulations! Thanks to the Kumagai Group's strong support, we were able to regain our face in front of those Chinese people. We also want to thank you for giving us such a generous offer, which allowed us to successfully obtain permission from headquarters to return to Tokyo and reunite with our families. This bottle of whisky is a small token of our appreciation, please accept it! Otherwise, we don't know how long we would have had to stay here before we could see our wives and children again."

Sato stood beside Sugimoto, nodding slightly in agreement, his eyes full of admiration, and added, "Yes, General Manager, you not only helped us solve our problems, but you also took care of us colleagues in every way. You are so generous and kind! We are honored to be your guest at today's grand event!"

Upon hearing this, Ikei waved his hand, a magnanimous expression on his face.

"Sugimoto-kun, Sato-kun, don't be so polite. We're all Japanese, and it's only natural to help each other out when we're working hard in this place. It's thanks to you that our Kumagai Group was able to acquire such a high-quality asset this time, completely solidifying our voice in the Kyoto mass entertainment market. I will remember your kindness. The economic situation in Japan is unpredictable right now. If you encounter any difficulties at work after you return to Tokyo, just give me a call. I'm willing to offer some advice if I can."

Upon hearing this, Sugimoto and Sato's eyes lit up instantly, their slightly tense shoulders unconsciously relaxed, and their respectful smiles were now tinged with genuine surprise.

Sato even subconsciously took half a step forward, then quickly regained his balance and straightened his back to maintain a respectful posture.

Recently, there have been widespread rumors that the Japan-China Joint Venture Corporation is facing financial difficulties and needs to extend its debt.

Otherwise, the board members wouldn't have been so immediately interested when they heard that Kumagai Gumi had offered 2.2 billion yen.

Therefore, both of them couldn't help but be a little worried about the situation at the head office.

But Ikei's words now undoubtedly reassured them.

Secretly pleased, they felt that even if the head office really laid off employees, they could still find a way out in Kumagai Gumi.

The two bowed deeply again, Sugimoto's voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of excitement.

"Thank you for your kind words! Rest assured, we will do our utmost to help you in the future, whenever you need our assistance!"

Sato quickly echoed, nodding vigorously, his tone extremely earnest.

"That's right! We will remember your kindness, General Manager, and we are ready to serve you at any time!"

Seeing the two men's tearful gratitude and increasingly respectful demeanor, Ikei felt quite pleased with himself.

For him, it was a win-win situation: he didn't have to pay anything, just a few kind words were enough to find two inside agents in Japan and China.

So he couldn't help but pick up the wine glass on the table again, raise it high, and express his inner joy.

"Come on, everyone, let's toast to our success! Once the formal agreement is signed, we will hold a real banquet at Changfu Palace and treat everyone to Japanese cuisine!" Everyone naturally raised their glasses in response.

Almost instantly, cheers and clinking glasses mingled together, and the lively atmosphere of the buffet reached its peak.

At this point, the other Japanese staff members could no longer contain themselves and gathered in twos and threes to whisper among themselves, their words filled with anticipation for the future and contempt for the district government.

"Honestly, this cooperation with the Chinese has gone too smoothly. Our general manager has the situation completely under our control. The Chinese district government is even easier to fool. With a little pressure from the municipal government and some small benefits, they're all bowing and scraping, completely at our mercy. I heard they had originally chosen a local to replace the Japanese-Chinese coordinator, but they compromised so easily. That person is really pitiful."

A young employee wearing glasses, holding a glass of red wine, spoke with disdain, "The biggest problem with Chinese people is that their code of conduct is too rigid. They only know how to be obedient to their superiors, even if it's wrong, they will still do it. As long as we fully understand their way of thinking and make good use of it, this vast Chinese market is simply a playground for us Japanese. We can play however we want."

The middle-aged employee next to him nodded in deep agreement, took a sip of sake, and added, "Exactly! What great Eastern country? I think it's just a backward and ignorant place. Look at the people on the street, they dress plainly and eat simple food. They can't compare to Japan at all. If it weren't for the technology and capital that we Japanese companies brought them, they probably wouldn't even be able to build a decent modern commercial building, let alone an amusement park."

"That's right. Although our domestic economy has been having some problems lately, what's there to be afraid of? There are plenty of places overseas where we can leech off them."

Another employee, clutching a wine glass, gleamed with greed in his eyes. "China is such a vast country, with so many people. Everyone here loves our Japanese products: steel, chemicals, televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, tape recorders, game consoles, cars, food, beverages, instant noodles… Whatever we make, they want it. This place is our Japanese economic colony! If we take the resources and money from here back with us, our own country's predicament will soon be alleviated. This amusement park project is just the beginning; there's much more money waiting for us to make in the future!"

The conversation was quite loud, and many employees around heard it. Two completely different ripples instantly appeared in the corner of the conference room.

Most of the employees from the port city hunched their shoulders, wore agreeable smiles on their faces, and never straightened their backs.

Some people moved closer to the Japanese staff and deliberately spoke to them in Japanese with a Hong Kong accent, their tone even more contemptuous than that of the Japanese themselves.

"You're all absolutely right! Japan's technology and management are indeed advanced, and we have a future if we follow their lead. Mainland China is indeed lagging behind; how can it compare to Japan and Hong Kong? It's their good fortune to have the opportunity to work with the Kumagai Gumi!"

Some even went so far as to praise, "That's absolutely right. If you ask me, Japanese companies are a blessing to Asia these days. Only where Japanese companies are willing to invest can we see hope. It's entirely the land's good fortune that our Kumagai Gumi was able to come here to develop the market! The officials and people here should be grateful to us! How could they possibly refuse our investment? I think our company should raise the requirements a bit, otherwise the Chinese won't appreciate our goodwill."

These deliberate flattery hit the Japanese staff's vanity perfectly, making them laugh and pat the port staff on the shoulder, praising them for being "sensible".

As for the local employees from Beijing, they all looked embarrassed, as if their feet were rooted to the spot, stuck in a dilemma.

To avoid making things too awkward for myself.

They all lowered their eyes, avoiding the gaze of those around them, pretending not to hear those harsh words.

They would either hold their wine glasses and pretend to savor the wine, or turn their heads and whisper some trivial gossip to their fellow villagers.

I desperately want to be an ostrich, burying my head in the sand.
This is the downside of being a white-collar worker in a foreign company these days.

Hearing discriminatory remarks from foreign colleagues, it's impossible to get them to agree, but they also dare not refute them.

Even if you're not a traitor, if you want to make money from others, you still have to put up with the Imperial Army and the puppet army.

However, there are always unexpected situations in this world.

For example, at that moment, suddenly, a very soft voice came from the back of the crowd, "Damn it, son of a bitch..."

These words came as abruptly astounding.

As a result, everyone in the capital became extremely nervous, instinctively looking in the direction of the sound, trying to see which "great master" had uttered the curse.

Unfortunately, the person who spoke knew better than anyone the saying that words can bring disaster.

After his resentment and dissatisfaction slipped out unintentionally, he immediately shut up.

In the end, they managed to slip through the cracks without leaving a trace, leaving all the investigating eyes empty-handed.

However, some things, once started, are hard to stop.

Just as everyone tacitly resumed their nonchalant demeanor, as if nothing had happened, another unexpected event followed.

Suddenly, Ikei's secretary pushed open the door and came in, looking somewhat reserved.

"General Manager, Mr. Yoshida, the head of Dentsu Corporation in China, said he has important business to discuss and is already waiting in the meeting room."

"Dentsu Corporation?"

Ikei's smile faltered, and his brows furrowed slightly. "We don't have much interaction with Dentsu's business in China, and I'm not familiar with this Mr. Yoshida. What is he doing here?"

Huang He was also stunned, his fawning smile frozen on his face, and his hand holding the wine glass stopped in mid-air.

"Could it be that they've smelled the sweetness of success and want a piece of the pie? The promotional work for Kowloon Amusement Park was all handled by Dentsu's personnel in China."

“Yes,” Sugimoto of the Japan-China General Chamber of Commerce chimed in. “Before the opening of the Keijo Amusement Park, Dentsu also contacted us and offered us advertising packages. But because our company’s resources were limited, we couldn’t reach an agreement. Kumagai Gumi is different, of course. I think they must have valued your company’s strength to take the initiative to approach you for business.”

Ikei pondered for a moment, but did not believe their claims.

Although Dentsu relies on advertising, the company practically monopolizes advertising resources for all television and radio stations in Japan, and its overseas branches are almost all over the world, making it a true media giant.

Especially due to the nature of the advertising industry, interpersonal communication is one of their tasks.

Therefore, the head of their China branch must be a person of considerable stature, having more connections with high-ranking officials and dignitaries in Beijing than any other Japanese company.

The advertising business for this amusement park in Beijing is only a few dollars, not even a million RMB, so why would they make a special trip for it?

That's impossible.

So he suppressed his suspicions, straightened the hem of his suit jacket, and solemnly instructed his secretary.

"Please invite Mr. Yoshida from Dentsu Company here. Be polite and tell him I'd like to invite him for a drink."

He then glanced around, deliberately appearing nonchalant, and said, "Everyone, please continue, don't be shy." (End of Chapter)