Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

(Thanks to the amazing user "11065770" for the verification! Two chapters today!)

April 18, 1991, 9:20 PM.

Port area, ten-day feast.

When the black sedan drove into the backyard of Xunxiang, there were no other vehicles under the porch.

After getting off the vehicle, Gorbachev stood still for a moment.

The night breeze in Tokyo in April wasn't particularly cold, but as it passed through the courtyard, it still carried away the warmth that lingered on him.

His schedule was packed from morning onwards. He attended a welcoming ceremony, a meeting with the royal family, and a formal luncheon. In the afternoon, he held several rounds of talks with the Japanese Prime Minister.

Territory, peace treaty, and economic cooperation were several issues that the two sides discussed back and forth for a long time, but in the end, very little of it was actually put on paper.

It wasn't until he left the officially arranged evening event that the formal smile he always wore faded from his face.

The banquet did not display the national flags of either country, nor was a red carpet laid out for welcoming guests.

Shuichi waited for them personally in the inner courtyard corridor. He shook hands with Gorbachev, said a simple welcome, and then led them inside.

Both sides' guards and entourages stopped in the outer room. After passing through the last sliding door, only the soft sound of footsteps on the wooden floor could be heard in the corridor.

Charcoal fires had already been lit inside the private room.

The first dish on the table had just been set. Thinly sliced ​​spring bamboo shoots were placed in a small white porcelain bowl, soaking in a light-colored broth, with only a small handful of wood buds beside them. The heat was not obvious, but a faint bamboo fragrance could be smelled when you got close.

The private room retained the original layout of the Japanese-style room, but the seating had clearly been rearranged.

The table was much taller than a regular low table, and there were no cushions on the tatami mat, but instead several chairs with wide backs.

Gorbachev walked to his seat, glanced down at the back of the chair, and then reached out and pressed the armrest.

After everyone was seated, he looked at Xiu Yi across from him.

"Today I visited two royal facilities, attended a welcome luncheon, and spoke with the Japanese Prime Minister for several hours."

The translator relays the words from the past.

Gorbachev leaned back, finally relaxing his shoulders a little.

"This is the first chair that I've actually found comfortable today."

Shuichi laughed when he heard this.

"To receive such praise, it seems that Xunxiang's most successful arrangements for tonight have been completed."

"The chef is probably going to be disappointed."

Gorbachev picked up his chopsticks and tried to pick up a bamboo shoot from the small bowl.

His movements weren't exactly skillful; the bamboo shoot slipped on the tip of his chopsticks, but thankfully he managed to get it steadily into his mouth.

The broth was rather bland, but the bamboo shoots had a subtle sweetness when bitten into. Gorbachev swallowed slowly, glancing down at the two remaining slices in his bowl.

"It's even more tender than the dish we had at lunch today."

"So it seems the chef didn't completely lose to the chair after all."

Xiu said with a smile.

Gorbachev laughed too.

"Is this from the area near Tokyo?"

"No, these are early-harvested bamboo shoots sent from Kyushu."

Satsuki sat to Shuichi's right and picked up her chopsticks to scoop the buds into the broth.

"The bamboo shoots are delivered to Tokyo on the same day they are harvested, and only the ones with suitable size and fiber are kept for the seasonal feast. After a while, the bamboo shoots on the menu will be changed to those from more northerly regions."

Gorbachev glanced at her.

"Does the restaurant's name also mean that?"

"Yes, the main ingredients are adjusted every ten days."

Satsuki picked up a slice of bamboo shoot, dipped it lightly in the broth, and put it in her mouth. Only after the delicate sweetness had fully dissipated did she look back at Gorbachev.

"As the seasons move north, so does the menu. Once spring truly arrives in Hokkaido, most of the vegetables here will be supplied by the group's own farms."

Shunkyo does not force all ingredients to be transported from Hokkaido in order to use products under Saionji.

Bamboo shoots, wild vegetables, and fish are sourced seasonally according to their place of origin, while the Hokkaido Biotechnology Center is responsible for beef, dairy products, and vegetables that can be supplied stably. Before being sent to the kitchen, all ingredients undergo standardized grading and inspection.

This was a rule that Satsuki personally set when the restaurant first opened.

Shunkyo serves a small number of guests, but just because the dishes on a single table are expensive doesn't justify establishing a separate transportation system for a limited number of people. What truly sustains this restaurant in the long run is the farms, warehouses, ships, and central kitchen that Saionji has already established.

Foreign Minister Besmertnekh, who was sitting next to Gorbachev, also picked up his chopsticks upon hearing this.

He first adjusted the position of his fingers, then tried to pinch it a couple more times. But the bamboo shoot only circled halfway around the edge of the porcelain bowl before falling back into the soup.

Besmertnech paused for a moment, then finally placed the chopsticks back flat on the cutlery rack and picked up the silver fork that the waiter had prepared in advance.

Satsuki happened to look up and see this scene, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

Besmertnech noticed.

"Miss Saionji seems to be laughing at me."

"no."

Satsuki answered quite naturally.

She glanced at the silver fork in Besmertnech's hand.

"I was just thinking that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been preparing for so long, but it seems they forgot to include chopstick practice in the agenda of the official visit."

The translator paused for a moment after listening.

Seeing that Besmertnech was still waiting, he finally had no choice but to translate the sentence in its entirety.

The foreign minister glanced down at his silver fork, as if seriously considering which department should be responsible for this mistake.

"It seems that after returning to China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will need to establish a special committee to investigate responsibility."

"How long does it typically take to establish a committee in the Soviet Union?"

Satsuki asked the question as she saw fit.

Besmertnech looked up.

Their eyes met briefly across the table.

This time, he laughed quickly.

"Miss Saionji, we've only just begun our meal."

Satsuki blinked innocently.

"So I was just asking casually."

Shuichi sat to the side, picked up his wine glass, and used the rim of the glass to cover the smile that he couldn't quite suppress.

The waiter then re-entered the private room.

The first dish was removed, and several covered lacquer bowls were placed in front of everyone.

After the lid was lifted, the steam from the kelp broth slowly rose, revealing two nearly translucent lily bulbs inside, with a sail-shaped dish lightly seared over charcoal in the center.

Gorbachev had already gotten used to using chopsticks. He picked up a lily root, put it in his mouth, and paused briefly.

"Was this also sent from Kyushu?"

"Magari Village, Hokkaido".

Satsuki used chopsticks to pry open a lily petal, and the soft white petals split in two along the veins.

She took a small bite, and waited until Gorbachev also put the lily root in his mouth before continuing:

"The lily roots are stored in a low-temperature warehouse for a winter, and the starch inside slowly turns into sugar, so they taste sweeter than when they are freshly harvested."

Gorbachev took another bite.

"And what about the one in the middle?"

"The sails of Flaming Bay"

"Is it also a property of Saionji Temple?"

Satsuki thought about it seriously.

"The sea is not yet."

After the translator translated the sentence, Gorbachev paused for a moment, then laughed.

"Ms. Saionji seems to really like the word 'temporary'."

"It mainly depends on the price."

"Sugatsuki said."

Shuichi put down his wine glass and added a sentence on behalf of his daughter:

"The lily bulbs, the beef and dairy products used later are all supplied by the Biotechnology Center in Hokkaido. The seafood is initially processed by the cooperative fish farms before entering the group's cold storage warehouses."

Besmertnech used a silver fork to separate the sails.

"Was it specially transported from Hokkaido to Tokyo just for this restaurant?"

"The amount used for the Xunxiang feast is very small, and it is not worth arranging separate transportation."

Satsuki answered.

"They will first be stored in cold storage along with the ingredients needed by other restaurants in the group, and then transported to Chiba by roll-on/roll-off ship. Only after arriving at the central kitchen will the Shunkyo portion be separated out."

Besmertnech glanced at the meticulously prepared sail in the bowl.

"So, the ingredients here are sourced from the same suppliers as those in your regular restaurants?"

"Although the prices are different, the temperature of the cold storage will not change because of this."

"Sugatsuki said."

"It's not difficult to establish a stable route for transporting ten tons of ingredients, and incidentally deliver the dozens of kilograms needed for the seasonal feast."

Gorbachev did not respond immediately.

He looked down at the lily roots and sails in the bowl.

The dishes in this restaurant look exquisite, but what truly supports them is not a few expensive ingredients that a famous chef found on the spot.

Farms in Hokkaido, cooperative fishing grounds, low-temperature warehouses, fixed shipping routes, a central kitchen in Chiba, and catering outlets scattered throughout Tokyo all work together to maintain this unassuming lacquer bowl on the table.

The Xunxiang feast is just the last table at the very end of the entire system.

The waiter refilled everyone's drinks once and then quietly left the private room. The conversation at the table did not immediately turn to business.

Gorbachev talked about the cherry blossoms in Kyoto, while Shuichi asked about his impressions of Tokyo. When discussing the negotiations with the Japanese government during the day, Gorbachev unusually showed a hint of helplessness.

"No matter how we start the discussion, whether it's about the economy, culture, or future relations, Japan always ends up talking about those few islands."

"The Japanese have always been very attached to their land."

"Sugatsuki said."

Gorbachev glanced at her.

"It seems quite convincing when Ms. Saionji says this."

Satsuki did not deny it.

"The land will not leave on its own."

"But people and governments will."

After Gorbachev finished speaking, he picked up his glass and took a sip.

After those words were spoken, there was a moment of silence at the table.

Besmertnekh looked at him, but Gorbachev seemed oblivious, simply looking down at the sake in his glass.

Every day in the Soviet Union, new agencies are declaring that they possess new powers.

The constituent republics demanded control over taxation, the Russian republic began vying for businesses and resources, and local governments repeatedly searched for truly effective orders between Moscow and their local parliaments.

Before he came to Japan, he was still pushing for a new alliance treaty.

Everyone at the table knew this.

Therefore, no one continued the conversation.

When the next dish was brought in, Besmertnech finally had the documents prepared by his secretary appear on the table.

"Ms. Saionji, the working group established in Leningrad last year has completed the first phase of the investigation."

He said.

"This is the list of projects submitted by the city of Leningrad. It includes two hospitals, a port cold storage facility, three food processing companies, and some research institutions that hope to carry out civilian cooperation."

Chizuru stepped forward, took the document, and placed it next to Satsuki.

The table of contents is very thick.

Each project is followed by the equipment shortage, estimated cost, and responsible authority. Some pages have been revised multiple times; the original organization names have been crossed out, and new competent authorities have been added next to them.

Satsuki turned a few pages.

"Much more than last year."

"There are also many more problems to solve than last year."

"Besmertnech said."

"The Soviet side hopes that Saionji can expand the originally planned pilot cooperation. Pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, food processing equipment, and cold storage parts can be arranged in advance. As for payment, we can provide rubles, or we can arrange deferred settlement through the Foreign Economic Bank."

Satsuki's gaze remained fixed on the table of contents.

"Last December, Saionji provided Leningrad Port with a spare compressor for cold storage through a working group."

"Yes."

"It sat in the port for twelve days."

Besmertnech did not answer immediately.

Satsuki turned to one of the pages.

"The municipal government has issued a certificate of acceptance, and the port authority has also agreed to the installation. However, the customs believes that the equipment is a commercial import, while the foreign trade department believes that it is a humanitarian cooperation. In the end, no one is willing to take responsibility for duty-free release."

"Twelve days later, Moscow issued a provisional approval, and the equipment was finally allowed to leave the dock."

She looked up.

Who is currently paying the storage fees?

Besmertnekh looked at Gorbachev beside him.

"These are just isolated issues in the early stages of coordination."

"certainly."

Satsuki nodded.

"So I want to confirm first who will handle the departure of the next batch of medicines once it arrives at the port."

"This meeting will be coordinated by the central foreign trade authorities."

"What about before the hospital admits them?"

"Leningrad City Health Department"

Who signs off on customs clearance, settlement, and transportation respectively?

Besmertnech then named several organizations in succession.

Each time a name was translated, Chizuru would write a line down on the paper.

After he finished speaking, Satsuki lowered her head and counted them once.

"Five agencies."

She pushed the notes back to the center of the table.

"If any one of them does not sign, the goods will remain in port."

"Ms. Saionji, the Soviet government can guarantee the cooperation of these departments."

"The Soviet government made the same assurance last December."

Besmertnech frowned.

Gorbachev remained silent throughout.

He placed his chopsticks on the edge of the plate and shifted his gaze from the project catalog to Satsuki.

"So, how would you like to resolve this?"

Satsuki closed the project directory.

A thick volume of documents slid forward along the table and stopped between Gorbachev and Besmertnekh.

"Saionji can provide an initial revolving credit of US$100 million."

The translator relayed this sentence.

Besmertnech's prepared answer froze. He glanced down at the project catalog, then looked up again.

"One hundred million dollars?"