Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 127 Section Chief Miki!! [Six chapters, please vote!]

The air in the conference room seemed to freeze slightly.

Shinji Miki's wording was very mild.

It was just a small suggestion, sounding like an elder showing concern for a younger person, without any threat.

In such situations, a small label can be enough to influence other leaders' opinions of Kiryu Yaya.

Their intentions were undeniably sinister.

Compared to Shinji Miki, Tsuyoshi Iwakura's aggressive behavior just now seemed quite upright and honest.

Kiryu Yaya looked at him without interrupting, simply waiting quietly for the attack to begin.

Shinji Miki adjusted his glasses and said slowly, "I think Kiryu-kun should slow down his pace in the future."

As he spoke, he looked at the other leaders and gave them a kind smile: "This kind of mentality is very common among young people. We can understand it. We were like that back then too."

He then changed the subject, his tone still gentle: "However, a bank is not a one-man show. A bank relies on processes, on review, and on everyone doing their job well in their respective positions."

"Kiryu-kun's attitude of always rushing to the front may solve some problems in the short term, but in the long run, it is harmful to the operation of the entire organization."

He turned to Masakazu Yamada, his tone filled with heartfelt concern: "Section Chief Yamada, I'm not criticizing your subordinate, but I'm a little worried. If we let Kiryu-kun continue like this, it might not be good for managing the bank's future new employees."

The impact of this statement on a newcomer is no less than that of a nuclear bomb.

Because it subtly transformed Kiryu Yaya from a successful newcomer into a rule-breaking troublemaker.

Once this label is attached, not only will Kiryu Yaya's evaluation in the personnel department be affected, but even Yamada Masakazu's management ability as the section chief will be questioned.

Masakazu Yamada frowned.

He certainly realized the trap in Shinji Miki's words, but for a moment he couldn't find a suitable angle to refute them.

Because every single word Shinji Miki said, taken individually, is flawless.

But when put together, they point to a complete rejection of Kiryu Yaya.

Chihaya Yuri also realized the difficulty of the problem.

Iwakura Tsuyoshi asked about specific actions, while Kiryu Yaya could refute him with specific facts.

However, Shinji Miki was talking about "attitude" and "style." If Kiryu Yaya were to answer these questions himself, it would be seen as a newcomer talking back to his superior's concern, which is extremely immature.

However, if Masakazu Yamada speaks up for him, it is easily interpreted as the section chief protecting his own.

Therefore, Shinji Miki's choice to speak at this time and in this setting almost puts Yaya Kiryu in an awkward position where he "cannot defend himself and others cannot say more."

But Chihaya Yuri didn't have that concern.

She put down her pen, her presence in the quiet conference room like a pebble dropped into water.

"Section Chief Miki."

Shinji Miki turned his head to look at her, his face still bearing that gentle smile.

"Does Section Chief Chihaya have anything to add?"

Chihaya Yuri nodded: "Of course."

"Section Chief Miki just said that Kiryu-kun's attitude was problematic, that he didn't follow the rules. I'd like to know, based on your statement, in which specific case or action did you reach this conclusion?"

Shinji Miki's eyelid twitched.

"Chihaya, what I just said was only an overall impression." "Overall impression?"

Chihaya Yuri interrupted him before he could finish speaking.

"Section Chief Miki, the Financing Review Division is a department that is accountable for facts and figures. Our judgment on a loan is based on financial statements, collateral assessments, cash flow analysis, and interview records."

"Similarly, as a banker, if you are going to criticize an employee's business conduct, I hope you will base it on specific facts rather than overall impressions."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

Shinji Miki's smile finally crumbled; his lips drooped, and his voice deepened.

"Chihaya, was there anything wrong with what I just said? Kiryu-kun has only been with the company for less than two months, yet he's handling one case after another, always at the forefront. Isn't there something wrong with this kind of work ethic?"

The air in the conference room suddenly froze.

All eyes were on Chihaya Yuri.

She sat by the window, her face expressionless, but a rare surge of anger welled up in her eyes.

Seeing that she remained silent, Shinji Miki assumed he had the upper hand and added, "Chihaya, I understand your position as an instructor, but the personnel department is considering the entire bank."

"Section Chief Miki!!"

With a slam of her hand on the table, Chihaya Yuri jumped to her feet, slammed the documents in her hand onto the table, and said angrily, "You just said that it's problematic to always be at the forefront."

"Then I'd like to ask you, if Higashi-Osaka Seiko can't recover that 800 million yen hole, are you aware of what the Osaka branch's performance evaluation results will be this year?"

Shinji Miki's eyelid twitched.

Kiryu Yaya stared blankly at Chihaya Yuri.

Slamming the table at a mid-level management meeting? Is she really that fierce?

Chihaya Yuri did not wait for Miki Shinji's reply, nor did she give him any chance to speak.

She placed her hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and continued, "The 500 million yen financing for Shiraishi Refrigeration, the 8 billion yen debt of the Miyazawa Group, and the 800 million yen shortfall for Higashi-Osaka Seiko."

"Each of these three cases involves the security of debts amounting to hundreds of millions or even billions of yen. If any one of them is handled improperly, it will directly affect the Osaka branch's annual performance evaluation and bonus coefficient."

Section Chief Miki

Chihaya Yuri raised her eyes and looked directly at the head of the personnel department.

"What facts led you to your overall impression? Did Kiryu-kun do something wrong, or did he say something wrong?"

"To criticize an employee who made key contributions to three major cases based solely on overall impressions without concrete factual basis"

She paused.

"As the head of the Financing Review Department and Kiryu-kun's advisor, I'm afraid I can't accept this."

After he finished speaking, the entire conference room fell silent.

They were all stunned by Chihaya Yuri's burst of energy.

Shinji Miki's face alternated between pale and flushed, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, but ultimately remained silent.

After Chihaya Yuri's outburst, his "overall impression" statement does indeed seem somewhat untenable.

However, at this moment, Takafumi Todo, who had been watching the commotion for a while, stepped in to smooth things over: "Chihaya, no one denies Kiryu-kun's achievements."

"What Section Chief Miki just said wasn't directed at Kiryu personally. He was just pointing out a direction worth considering from a personnel management perspective."

Takafumi Todo picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, took a sip, and put it down.

"Banks certainly need capable people, but they also need people who follow the rules. These two are not contradictory."

He paused here, then looked at Kiryu Yaya, a gentle smile on his face like that of an elder: "Kiryu-kun is still young, and his future is limitless. It is precisely because we, as his seniors, value him that we offer him more guidance on his path of growth."

"Chihaya, there's no need to get so worked up."

These words were spoken flawlessly.

Kiryu Yaya sat in his seat, listening quietly.

His gaze swept lightly between Takafumi Todo and Shinji Miki, and a slight thought flickered in his mind.

The two people in front of me are the head of the General Affairs Department and the head of the Personnel Department. What is their stance? Is it a spur-of-the-moment agreement, or an organized attack?

Kiryu Yaya lowered his eyes and activated his skill without making a sound.

"Political intuition"

The semi-transparent information panel unfolds silently in view.

[Target: Takafumi Todo]

[Position: General Affairs Manager, Mitsubishi Bank Osaka Branch]

[Faction Affiliation: Neutral]

Kiryu Yaya's gaze paused slightly.

Neutral faction?

Kiryu Yaya shifted his gaze to Miki Shinji and activated his skill again.

[Target: Shinji Miki]

[Position: Head of Human Resources Department, Mitsubishi Bank Osaka Branch]

[Faction Affiliation: Takafumi Todo's faction]

Kiryu Yaya's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

Both of them were neutral, so why did Iwakura Tsuyoshi immediately launch an attack against him?

Is the neutral faction preparing to defect?

Or is there some other exchange of benefits?

Seeing the dispute resolved, Masakazu Yamada breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped forward to say, "Minister Todo is right. Banks need capable people, but they also need people who follow the rules."

"Since joining the company, Kiryu has indeed handled several major cases. There are aspects of the handling process of these cases that are worth reviewing and summarizing."

"As the section chief, I will continue to strengthen the management and guidance of new employees in my future work."

He paused, then softened his tone: "Thank you also for the reminder from Section Chief Miki and Department Head Toudou."

These words, while a step back, did not diminish their own face.

Masakazu Yamada neither defended Kiryu Yaya nor admitted that he had any problems, thus giving Takafumi Todo face while also protecting Kiryu Yaya's reputation.

Shinji Miki adjusted his glasses and said nothing more.

Takafumi Todo simply nodded slightly, as if acknowledging Masakazu Yamada's statement.

The atmosphere in the meeting room finally began to relax.

Takahiro Matsumoto has remained silent.

He simply sat in the main seat, quietly watching everything unfold.

Only after Yamada Masakazu finished speaking did he slowly ask, "Does anyone else want to speak?"

No one responded.

Takahiro Matsumoto nodded and opened the folder in front of him: "Then let's move on to the next topic."

The meeting continued.

The sales department reported on the credit plan for the second half of the year, the planning department informed the store of the latest adjustment to the review criteria, and the general affairs department talked about some trivial matters related to seal management and file organization.

Soon, the invisible smoke of battle slowly dissipated.

But everyone knows that the turmoil at this regular meeting between China and Ya was just the prelude to this war.

Kiryu Yaya stared straight at Ogaki Kiyomasa in front of him, his lips slightly pursed.

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