I am a literary giant in Japan

Chapter 304 No matter how much it costs, buy all of Hechu Study for me!

The July 1997 issue of "Bungei" set a new record for the first-day sales of Japanese pure literature magazines - 7 copies!!!

17.4 copies were sold through online channels (because the pre-sale was for the magazine "Wenyi", it could only be sold through the shabby main website of Hechu Shufang. That website was poorly managed due to infighting in the company's board of directors, and its traffic was basically zero on normal days);

The Tokyo metropolitan area sold a total of 39.9 copies;

The two metropolitan areas of Osaka and Nagoya sold a total of 24.8 copies;

A total of 15.1 copies were sold in other parts of Japan.

If the online sales channels hadn’t failed this time, this issue of “Wenyi” would have definitely broken the historical mark of selling 100 million copies on the first day of printing!
The April issue of "Wenyi" just set a historical record of 4 million copies in monthly sales. It seems that this record is about to be broken again, which is really shocking.

However, at this time, Shizuko Kawaide felt no sense of surprise at all, but was full of sorrow and worry.

After hanging up the phone, Yamatoda Xiao's last few words kept echoing in her mind.

Not only their Industrial Central Bank, but also well-known large banks such as Tokyo Dai-ichi Bank, Mitsui Bank, and Sumitomo Bank are unlikely to lend her money.

This shows that the recent Asian financial crisis has actually damaged the foundations of Japan's six major financial groups!

Moreover, this damage is not simply a loss of money, but it forces the consortium to tighten bank loans to save funds.

Why did the financial conglomerates suffer and Japanese banks become like this?
Because Japan is different from other countries, companies follow the main banking system.

What is the principal banking system?
Simply put, all Japanese companies will be burdened with excessive low-interest bank loans.

The reason why those banks are willing to give them so many excess low-interest loans is that while making the grants, the banks will invest in these companies and make them part of themselves.

Therefore, in Japan's business system, almost all well-known companies are heavily controlled by banks. It is no exaggeration to say that they are completely controlled by banks.

This is why there are classic "expatriate" plots in many Japanese workplace dramas.

For example, in "Hanzawa Naoki", the protagonist Hanzawa's friend Kondo was transferred from the bank due to health and performance reasons and became the Deputy Minister of Finance of the related company Tamiya Electric. His whole life fell into darkness.

A bank can easily insert an employee into a company as a manager because it holds a large stake in the company.

Japan's banks are not state-owned - there is only one state-owned bank, the Bank of Japan, which formulates the monetary and financial system and controls the national treasury. The others are all profit-making companies controlled by chaebols.

Therefore, Japan's business world is dominated by zaibatsu.

For example, Kawaide Shobo's major shareholders are Kawaide Shizuko and the Kawaide family. Later, a large number of shares were actually held by the Mitsui Group, so a large number of Kawaide Shobo's loans also came from Mitsui Bank.

If the Mitsui Group is hit by financial shocks, its subsidiary Mitsui Bank will tighten its funds, which will affect a large number of companies that depend on it, such as Kawaide Shobo.

Unable to obtain sufficient working capital from Mitsui Bank, Kawaide Shobo had to borrow "bridge funds" from other banks. However, if other banks also closed their funding channels, the cash-strapped company would face the risk of bankruptcy!
This is what Japanese businessmen fear the most, the "Japanese-style business crisis" that affects the entire body!
After sitting quietly in the office for dozens of minutes, Shizuko Kawaide still couldn't get over the incident.

Even though she was always cold and icy, she couldn't imagine why the company would face the crisis of bankruptcy at its most glorious moment!

This is too unbelievable and ironic!

"No, I have to find a way to turn the funds around!"

Shizuko Kawaide took a deep breath, pulled herself together, and then made calls for help one after another.
"As long as we can hold out until the revenue from One Hundred Years of Solitude arrives in three months, the company's hole will be filled!"

"Moshimoshi. I'm Shizuko Kawaide. Is President Oda home?"

"Mieko, this is Shizuko. Yes, we haven't been in touch for a long time. It seems that we haven't talked much since you married Prince Kuroki."

"Grandma, it's me. How much money can the family take out now? 10 billion yen. If I ask grandpa to lend me a little more, is it possible to get 20 billion?"

"Please transfer me to the Minister of Finance. I need to know the company's exact financial status immediately! Also, after get off work tonight, I need to convene an impromptu meeting of the company's board of directors!"

Half an hour later.

Exhausted, Shizuko Kawaide slumped over her desk, the heavy fruit on her chest drooping on the table, her face almost buried in it.

Fortunately, I have built up a lot of personal connections over the years, and "Wen Yi" has increased in value with the help of Mr. Kitagawa. After scraping together some money, I managed to get 100 billion yen in cash.

According to her estimation, it would be best if she had 200 billion yen in hand to get through this difficult time.

"Boom boom boom——"

There was a sudden knock on the door.

She stood up suddenly, adjusted her hair and clothes, and regained her boss's demeanor.

"Please come in."

"President, this is the financial report sent by the Ministry of Finance." The person who delivered the report was Riko Kawada, the deputy director of the Public Relations Department.

She has been busy suppressing her former "mentor" Arima Yoshiyoshi recently, and at the same time helping to promote Kitagawa Hide's various physical books. Previously, Kawaide Shizuko waved her hand and gave the public relations department and departments related to overseas planning almost unlimited budgets.

Therefore, when the company's finances suddenly became tight, Riko Kawata was the first person to keenly notice this.

Just by accidentally glancing at a few bloody numbers on the report, she felt terrible.

How come a company that was apparently thriving, expanding and acquiring all kinds of businesses suddenly had such a huge deficit?!
"Yeah." Shizuko Kawaide took the report, opened it and almost fainted!

Previously it was said that the funding gap was 100 billion yen, but in just a short time, it suddenly became 300 billion yen!

"President, when I came here, I met Director Kobayashi of the Overseas Business Department. He said that the overseas expansion plan you proposed was too expensive. Due to the recent financial crisis, many of the company's overseas businesses and investments have suffered heavy losses, so..."

Kawata Riko didn't dare to continue.

As the company gets bigger, many things become opaque. When profits are good and performance is booming, no one notices it.

But once such a natural disaster occurs, many internal problems will be exposed.

And some problems, like those messy relatives of the Kawaide family who are sucking blood from Kawaide Shizuko, may give her a fatal blow in times of crisis!
She had managed to scrape together 100 billion yen, and all the money in her family and in her hands was used to support this overseas expansion plan.

It was obvious that if they could just survive these two months, if they could get through 1997, Kawaide Shobo would become the first Japanese pure literature publishing house to go abroad and become world-famous!
Still need 200 billion yen
"Yeah." Shizuko Kawaide responded weakly again.

It was also the first time that Kawata Riko saw the boss, who was always very calm, show this expression.

If the company is completely unable to make ends meet, will it have to apply to the bank for bankruptcy reorganization?

This is too outrageous.

The popularity of One Hundred Years of Solitude has just started, and the July issue of Literature and Art has broken many records. It seems that the dominant position of the pure literature market will never be shaken.
Just when she was about to speak to comfort the big boss, there was another knock on the door.

The person who walked in this time was Rena Saito.

As a confidant of Shizuko Kawaide, the nominal deputy director of the editorial department and the actual head of the editorial department, Rena Saito naturally has many channels to understand the current situation of the company.

After being promoted, Rena Saito still holds a very small amount of company shares, so she has a better understanding of the company's financial situation.

She felt that Shizuko Kawaide would definitely be able to fill the 100 billion yen funding gap.

This hole was caused by someone from the Kawaide family, and it involved the infighting within the chaebol family. Saito Rena certainly didn't want to get involved in this mess without thinking.

I didn't expect that after waiting for a while, the 100 billion yen hole turned into 300 billion yen!

Although she didn't understand finance, she felt the horror of the Asian financial crisis from many small details.

How come Beichuan has such a keen sense for these dangerous things?
"Sister Shizuko" Saito Rena and Kawata Riko looked at each other. The latter knew that she could not continue to listen to the following words, so she immediately closed the door and left.

For the first time, Shizuko Kawaide smiled bitterly at her, then slowly lowered her head.

"Sister Shizuko, I still have some shares and savings. If I ask Higashino-san and the others to lend me some, I should be able to get around 5 million yen."

Seeing her depressed and desperate look, Saito Reina quickly walked over and said.

"Thank you, Reina-chan. But the funding gap is 300 billion. I only have 100 billion in my hand now." Shizuko Kawaide was very grateful for the help from Reina Saito and others.

But the little money they have is now like a moth to a flame and is completely useless.

"Kitagawa. Kitagawa should have a lot of money." Saito Reina looked at her. "No. If such a big gap can't be filled, all the money that comes in will be wasted. I can't drag Teacher Kitagawa down with me!"

Shizuko Kawaide shook her head decisively and rejected the proposal.

If she wanted to do this, she would have called Kitagawa Hide first.

She felt that she could handle the previous 100 billion and didn't want to trouble him.

She has always admired and respected Kitagawa Hide, and was afraid that one day Kitagawa would get tired of her and run away. After all, the two of them signed a freelance writer cooperation agreement, so if Kitagawa Hide just walked away, she would have to accept it.

Now that it has become 300 billion, we can’t look for him anymore.

No matter how rich he is, can he still earn more than 100 billion in these years?

Even if there is, 100 billion is just a drop in the bucket, at least half of the hole cannot be filled.

"I will list the shares I own for sale." Kawade Shizuko gritted her teeth and suddenly said, "Even if I am kicked out of this position in the future, I cannot let the company go bankrupt and reorganize!"

In Japan, once a company is declared bankrupt, a large number of shareholders will be implicated and the company will basically be gone.

The credibility of a company is more important than anything else.

This is also the reason why the presidents of many well-known Japanese companies would rather be sidelined, kicked out, or expelled than not save their companies.

Just like many chaebol families are willing to accept adopted sons-in-law and let men who do not have the same surname as their own take control of the family business.

As long as the company and the family can be preserved and there is hope of continuing the legacy, they are willing to sacrifice.

Thinking that the big boss sitting here in the future might no longer be Kawaide Shizuko for a long time, Saito Rena felt a little uncomfortable and helpless.

Indeed, even Kitagawa Hide cannot fill the funding gap of 300 billion yen.

"Moshimoshi! Teacher Kitagawa! It's me! I'm Chihara! Can you hear me?"

"Yes, yes, but the sound is a little low."

"Okay! Please wait a moment, I will find a quiet place right away!"

The sound of the wind on the other end of the phone was so loud that Kitagawa Hide almost thought that Senhara Masato was standing on the edge of a cliff.

There was no sound from Senhara Masato for a while, and the sound of fine rain began to ring in his ears.

Kitagawa Hide glanced at the drizzle outside the window. Everything about Hamburg, Germany is good except that it rains all the time in the middle of summer, which is very frustrating.

After listening to the concert of the New Beatles, Kitagawa Hidekazu and Yumeko went on a tour of Hamburg under the guidance of Yoko Ono. They were originally planning to go directly to Berlin, but unfortunately the weather was not good and the trip was delayed for a week.

But this week is a good time to take some time to think about how to write "Norwegian Wood", and the sequels of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and "Remembrance of Things Past" also need to be repaired.

Wasn’t yesterday the first publication day for the latest issue of “Wenyi”?

According to past practice, Rena Saito should have called him to talk about the data.

Could it be that the swollen-faced monster finally came to his senses and decided to shift some of his time from his career to his personal life?

This is a good thing.

Reina Saito is two years older than him and is twenty-seven years old this year.

In Japan, a society that advocates early marriage and early pregnancy and is facing a declining birthrate and an aging population, women who are still unmarried at this age will be criticized if they return to their hometown.

Even if we're not in a relationship, it would be fine to shift the focus to my two younger sisters.

As for money, there is always a way to make it.

Since getting married, Kitagawa Hide's ideas have changed a little.

In the past, he was oblivious to the world outside and only wanted to make a lot of money. Even Jesus could not stop him from plagiarizing to make money.

Now, he cares more about the lives of his wife, family and people around him. He writes books more to bring some works that do not exist in this world back to the readers' attention and to improve his own literary literacy.

Compared to his previous focus on making money, he feels that his current writing career is closer to the so-called "pure literary career."

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Hide glanced at his watch. Wow, how come it took him ten minutes to find a quiet place?

Chihara-san!
This is an international long-distance call!

Do you know how expensive phone bills are?

Just when Kitagawa Hide was feeling the pain of the phone bill, the voice of Senhara Masato finally came intermittently from the other end.

"S-Sorry! Something happened to Teacher Kitagawa."

"Ah? You are in the Philippines, right? You won't be safe, will you? If not, I will contact the local embassy for you immediately." Kitagawa Hide was shocked.

"No, no! Teacher Kitagawa, I'm fine here." Masato Senhara took a breath. At this moment, he was sitting in the VIP room of the Manila Stock Exchange, feeling very comfortable. The reason that had delayed him for so long was a strange piece of news from the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

"Mr. Kitagawa, following your instructions, I also attacked other countries' currencies. Now the 100 billion yen we have has become about 500 billion yen, and it seems that if we continue like this, 1000 billion yen is not impossible."

Masato Senhara looked at the numbers and never thought that making money would be so easy.

That’s nearly 5 million US dollars!

In the first half of the year, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, a member of the royal family of the Sultan of Brunei, was named the world's richest man by the US magazine Fortune with assets of nearly 400 billion US dollars, surpassing Bill Gates' 380 billion US dollars.

Now, he and Mr. Kitagawa together can barely make it into the world's richest list!

"Isn't this good?" asked Kitagawa Hide.

"Yes, just now, a piece of news came from the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which should be accurate."

Senhara Masato glanced at the report in his hand, paused, and said solemnly,

"President Kawade seems to have sold all of her Kawade Shobo shares."

If a major shareholder sells a large amount of company stock, he or she needs to report it to the stock exchange and explain the reason for the sale, which will only be approved if it is reasonable and legitimate.

Otherwise, this behavior, just like Soros and others' attack on the Thai baht, will cause the company's stock to plummet and cause widespread panic among investors.

"What's the reason?" Kitagawa Hideya was stunned.

“Preventing companies from going bankrupt and restructuring.”

Kitagawa Hide was stunned again.

He even wondered if he hadn't woken up yet.

"One Hundred Years of Solitude", which became a hit all over the world yesterday, has definitely brought Kawade Shobo to a higher level.

Moreover, not long ago, Shizuko Kawaide also launched an overseas expansion plan with great fanfare, spending a huge sum of 50 billion yen to buy the copyright of "One Hundred Years of Solitude".

Why are we going bankrupt today?
At this moment, he truly felt the devastating impact of the 97 Asian financial crisis on large companies in Asia.

This is no longer the strange stories that we used to see on Baidu Encyclopedia and various strange websites.

But it is a story that really happened around you!

"Qianyuan, how much liquid funds did you say we had?"

"About 500 billion yen."

"No matter how much it costs, buy all of Hechu's study for me!"

(End of this chapter)