Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 134 The Real Trap [Fifth Update, Seeking Monthly Tickets]

On the surface, this appears to be a rare instance of a minister mentoring a newcomer.

Being able to independently handle a 200 million yen case, with the review report going directly to the department head—this kind of treatment is something even veteran employees in the financing review department might not receive.

Moreover, Kiryu Yaya has only been with the company for less than two months.

But Masakazu Yamada felt that something was not quite right.

"Section Chief Yamada, I know what you're thinking."

Kiyomasa Ogaki seemed to sense his hesitation and gave a wry smile: "I admit, the Higashi-Osaka Seiko case has put me in a very passive position. Who doesn't want to retire gracefully? If I can personally train a newcomer who can handle cases independently, it would be something I can leave for the bank."

These words were spoken with heartfelt sincerity, even carrying a touch of the melancholy unique to an elderly person about to retire.

The doubts that Yamada Masakazu had in mind seemed somewhat superfluous in the face of these words.

Even if the minister has ulterior motives, he wouldn't joke about a 200 million yen case, would he?

"Then I'll tell Kiryu-kun and ask him to take a look at the information first."

Masakazu Yamada finally relented.

Kiyomasa Ogaki nodded, a relieved smile on his face: "Good. I believe he will do a good job."

After Yamada Masakazu left the office, Ogaki Kiyomasa sat in his chair with his hands folded on the desk.

His gaze fell on the closed door, and the expression on his face slowly transitioned from gentle to an almost blank calm.

The office was quiet.

It was so quiet you could hear the clock on the wall ticking.

Click, click, click.

One beat at a time, like some kind of countdown.

Kiyoshi Ogaki maintained this posture for a full three minutes.

Then, he slowly leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and slightly curved the corners of his mouth.

The smile was faint.

So faint that it's almost invisible.

But if someone were sitting across from him at that moment, they would definitely sense the deeper meaning behind that smile.

This is the feeling of relief a hunter has after seeing their prey enter the ambush zone, finally able to relax and wait patiently to reel in the prey.

Heguang Electronics Industry.

This is a gift that Kiyomasa Ogaki carefully prepared for Yaya Kiryu.

Two weeks ago, the actual controller of Heguang Electronics Industry and Guangzhenglong found him through an intermediary from Dongzheng Association.

On the surface, Heguang Electronics Industry appears to be operating normally, with stable orders and good cash flow, but these are just appearances.

Three years ago, Wakwang Masataka lost nearly 100 million yen in a real estate speculation. This loss was not reflected in the financial statements, but was instead split into three parts and recorded in "Long-term Prepaid Accounts", "Investment Loss Reserves" and an off-balance-sheet related company.

Kiyoshi Ogaki opened his eyes, reached for the teacup on the table, and took a sip of the now-cold sencha.

The bitter taste spread on his tongue, but his expression remained unchanged.

He did three things for Masataka Wako.

First, "clean up" that hidden loss from the financial statements.

They are dismantled, reorganized, and hidden in different accounts and off-balance-sheet entities.

He has used this technique for over a decade and has never failed.

Secondly, they appointed an appraisal agency they were familiar with and increased the valuation of the factory land of Heguang Electronics Industry in Jieshi by 20%.

Although the bubble has burst, the 20% premium can be fully explained as long as the reasons are professional enough.

Third, within the bank's internal approval process, keep the case in your own hands and wait for the right opportunity to hand it over to the right person.

Now, the time has come.

And the right person is already in place.

Kiyomasa Ogaki put down his teacup, took out a document from the drawer, and slowly turned to the third page.

That's the optimized version of the balance sheet of Wakwang Electronics Industry.

He stared at the numbers for a few seconds, then nodded slightly.

perfect.

The debt-to-equity ratio is within a reasonable range, the cash flow coverage ratio for interest coverage meets the standard, and the collateral valuation is sufficient.

Every red line is within the safety line, and every piece of data can withstand routine verification.

However, if Kiryu Yaya were to check raw material purchases, inventory turnover, and accounts receivable aging item by item, just like he did with Fuji Metals, he might also discover something amiss.

But doubts are not the same as evidence.

Obtaining evidence takes time.

The problem is, he won't give Kiryu Yaya that much time.

Kiyoshi Ogaki closed the file, leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on a spot on the ceiling, and a faint smile finally appeared on his lips.

A seasoned reviewer might spot problems during the review process, request additional information, extend the review period, or even reject the application outright.

In that case, Kiyomasa Ogaki certainly has a backup plan. He could use his ministerial authority to forcefully push things through, but that would leave traces and wouldn't be clean enough.

But what if the reviewer is a newcomer, a highly capable but inexperienced newcomer, a young person who has neither enough time nor enough manpower to delve deeper?

That would be completely different.

Kiyoshi Ogaki closed his eyes and mentally went through the chain again.

The first step was to hand the case over to Kiryu Yaya, allowing him to take charge independently, with the review report going directly to the department head.

This is an unprecedented act of bold trust, and it's also a gesture he's making to outsiders: "Da Yuanqing is cultivating new talent."

The second step was to have Masakazu Yamada step down to a supporting role and Yuri Chihaya step down to a technical guidance role.

In this way, the people in the financing review department would not dare to interfere easily.

What they need to do is trust the newcomers.

The third step is to ensure that all surface materials are prepared flawlessly through the use of Kwang Seong Long.

Order contracts, tax payment certificates, customer confirmation letters, and equipment quotations are all available.

If Kiryu Yaya were to follow the normal review process, nothing would be found.

The fourth and most important step is to make use of the time window.

For a case involving 200 million yen, the normal review period is about one month.

However, if the reviewer discovers any suspicious points, the time required for investigation will increase exponentially.

Meanwhile, Kiyomasa Ogaki, through Masataka Wakatsuki, continuously pressured banks to "release loans as soon as possible."

Because of his position as a mentor, Masakazu Yamada was reluctant to directly intervene, while Yuri Chihaya, due to her role as a technical advisor, was not in a position to make decisions for Yaya Kiryu.

At that point, Kiryu Yaya would only have two choices—

We either have to withstand the pressure and continue to investigate, but there's not enough time; or we have to release the loan under pressure and issue a problematic loan.

No matter which one he chooses, there will only be one outcome.

If the loan is approved and becomes a bad debt, the responsibility lies with him.

If they persist, Wakako Masataka will complain to the branch manager on the grounds that "the bank is deliberately delaying."

At that time, Shinji Miki and Tsuyoshi Iwakura can simultaneously exert their efforts on both the personnel and debt management fronts, labeling him as "inflexible," "too dogmatic," and "lacking in banking mindset."

Both outcomes result in defeat.

Kiyoshi Ogaki opened his eyes, reached for the teacup on the table, and drank the last sip of the cooled sencha.

The bitterness melted on his tongue, but his expression remained calm.

He put the teacup back on the table, slowly stood up, and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the Midosuji bustled with traffic, and the afternoon sun shone on the ginkgo trees, making the verdant leaves almost transparent.

Kiyoshi Ogaki stood by the window, his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on some uncertain place in the distance.

He wanted to see how long that young man could struggle in the mire.

Yesterday's mid-level meeting was just a rehearsal.

And this was the real trap he set for Kiryu Yaya.

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