Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 135 Ogaki Kiyomasa's Overt Scheme [Sixth Update, Seeking Monthly Tickets]

After returning to the Financing Review Division from the minister's office, Masakazu Yamada did not immediately go to see Yaya Kiryu.

He sat in his office for a while first.

Each sentence of Minister Ogaki's words was flawless on its own, but when put together, Masakazu Yamada felt that something was off.

He worked at the bank for almost fifteen years, and had seen all sorts of leaders and all kinds of people.

Some people speak in order to get things done.

Some people speak in order to mold others into something else.

Which of the following statements by Kiyomasa Ogaki today was correct?

Masakazu Yamada leaned back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping twice on the table.

Developing new talent, retiring gracefully, and giving opportunities to young people —

These words, spoken by Minister Ogaki, sounded reasonable, even carrying a touch of melancholy unique to an elderly person nearing retirement.

But if Minister Ogaki really wanted to groom Kiryu Yaya, why did he have to choose this time?

The case involving Higashi-Osaka Seiko has just been concluded, and Kiryu Yaya's name has just been thrust into the spotlight.

At the mid-level meeting, Tsuyoshi Iwakura and Shinji Miki had just publicly challenged him. Now, they were assigning him a 200 million yen case. Was this a promotion or putting him in a very difficult position?

Masakazu Yamada frowned.

Heguang Electronics Industry.

He reached into the drawer and took out the folder that Kiyomasa Ogaki had given him, then opened to the first page.

Company Name: Wako Electronics Co., Ltd.

Location: Sakai City.

Business scope: Precision machining of electronic components.

Requested amount: 200 million yen.

Purpose: Equipment upgrade.

There is nothing wrong with this information itself.

Masakazu Yamada turned to the second page, where the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement were all complete.

The numbers look good: revenue is stable, gross profit margin is above the industry average, debt ratio is not high, and cash flow coverage ratio meets the standard.

The collateral consists of factory land and buildings, valued at 320 million yen, with a coverage ratio of 160%.

On paper, this is a case without any problems.

It was precisely because there were no problems that Masakazu Yamada felt uneasy.

Having worked in financing reviews for so many years, he has seen far too many cases that are "perfect on paper."

Those cases often have two outcomes:

One possibility is that the company is genuinely doing well and is successfully repaying its loans.

Another type involves a large hole hidden beneath the surface, which is too late by the time the bank discovers it.

Higashi-Osaka Seiko is one such example.

If Kiryu Yaya hadn't found clues about Kajiwara Masazō's hidden assets, that 800 million yen hole would still be weighing on the financing review department.

Masakazu Yamada closed the folder, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh.

Although he had suspicions, he had no evidence.

Ogaki Kiyomasa was his direct superior, and without evidence, he could not refuse Ogaki Kiyomasa's request.

We can only take it one step at a time.

Masakazu Yamada remained silent for a moment, then finally stood up, picked up the folder, and walked out of the office.

In the office area, Kiryu Yaya was sitting at his workstation flipping through documents.

Chihaya Yuri was also there. She was quieter than usual today, even making very soft noises when flipping through documents.

"Kiryu-kun, come here for a second."

Masakazu Yamada stood at the office door and waved to him.

Kiryu Yaya looked up, put down the documents in his hand, and got up to walk over.

Chihaya Yuri's gaze followed his retreating figure, only slowly returning to him after the door to the section chief's office closed.

The office door closed, and Masakazu Yamada placed the folder on the table, gesturing for Yaya Kiryu to sit down.

"Section Chief, what is it?"

Masakazu Yamada did not answer immediately, but sat down opposite him, placed his hands on the table, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he spoke.

"Kiryu-kun, there's a case that Chief Ogaki would like to assign to you."

Kiryu Yaya's gaze fell on that folder.

"Minister Ogaki? What case?"

Wako Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.

Masakazu Yamada pushed the folder in front of him: "A company in Sakai City, which does precision machining of electronic components, has applied for a 200 million yen loan for equipment upgrades."

Kiryu Yaya reached for the folder, opened the first page, and quickly scanned it.

The company profile, financial statements, guarantee documents, and application forms were all complete and neatly organized.

There's nothing wrong with it on the surface.

"This case was originally supposed to be handled by a senior staff member in the department. But Director Ogaki approached me today and said he wants you to take charge independently."

Kiryu Yaya paused slightly as he flipped through the documents, then looked up at Yamada Masakazu.

"Independently responsible?"

"right."

Yamada Masakazu nodded and relayed exactly what Ogaki Kiyomasa had said in the minister's office that day.

After listening, Kiryu Yaya remained silent for a few seconds and immediately realized that this was Oogaki Kiyomasa's second move.

This is clearly a landmine for the optoelectronics industry.

So he countered, "What does the section chief think?"

Masakazu Yamada did not answer immediately.

He leaned back in his chair, tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, and then slowly said, "On the surface, this is a rare act of mentorship from a department head to a newcomer. Being independently in charge of a 200 million yen case, with the review report going directly to the department head—even the veteran staff in the department might not receive this kind of treatment."

He paused.

"But I always felt that something was not quite right."

Kiryu Yaya didn't reply, but just waited quietly.

Masakazu Yamada continued, "Minister Ogaki is in a very passive position in the Higashi-Osaka Seiko case. He approved that 1 billion yen loan back then, and there are many cases related to him in the collateral disposal records."

"Although Kajiwara Masazo did not implicate him, given his sensitivity, it's impossible that he didn't feel someone was watching him."

"At this time, he should keep a low profile and be cautious, and should not actively get involved in any cases that might cause problems."

"But at this very moment, he assigned you a case worth two hundred million yen."

Masakazu Yamada looked up, frowning at Yasuya Kiryu: "Kiryu-kun, don't you find this strange?"

Kiryu Yaya did not answer immediately.

He lowered his eyes, looking at the folder in his hand, and gently stroked the cover with his fingers.

"Does the section chief mean that there might be a problem with the case itself?"

"I have no evidence."

Masakazu Yamada spoke frankly: "I just feel that Department Head Ogaki isn't the kind of person who would proactively mentor new people."

"He's worked at the bank for almost forty years and has never taken the initiative to promote anyone. Now that he's about to retire, it doesn't make sense for him to suddenly say he wants to mentor you."

Kiryu Yaya nodded.

"And one"

Masakazu Yamada lowered his voice: "Even if there really is something wrong with this case, and you find out, the credit goes to Minister Ogaki. He has a keen eye and handed the case over to a capable newcomer."

"If you can't find the problem and something goes wrong, the responsibility is yours. You're a newcomer with insufficient experience and made a mistake in judgment."

"No matter how you look at it, he's not at a loss."

These words hit the nail on the head.

Kiryu Yaya leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and went through the information from the past few days in his mind again.

Kiyoshi Ogaki did not express his opinion at the mid-level meeting, allowing Tsuyoshi Iwakura and Shinji Miki to launch their attack.

If Kiryu Yaya is suppressed, Oogaki Kiyomasa will be happy to see it happen.

If Kiryu Yaya withstands the pressure, then Oogaki Kiyomasa will take a different approach, handing over a potentially problematic case to him under the guise of "training new talent."

Regardless of the outcome, Kiyomasa Ogaki will not lose out.

This is an open conspiracy.

Kiryu Yaya was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "But Section Chief, I can't refuse this case."

Masakazu Yamada was silent for a few seconds, then sighed softly.

He had thought of that too.

Although Kiyomasa Ogaki's words today were addressed to Masakazu Yamada, the entire financing review department would find out sooner or later—

The minister wanted to groom Kiryu Yaya, so he independently assigned him the 200 million yen case.

If Kiryu Yaya refuses, the story will get out and the version will be that the department head is giving him a chance, but the newcomer is too afraid to take it, and Kiryu Yaya will only follow others in investigating cases and won't be able to do things independently.

Shinji Miki's remarks about a newcomer not knowing the rules will become evidence of the newcomer's lack of ability.

By then, Kiryu Yaya's reputation at the bank will be truly ruined.

"So, you're planning to accept?"

"Yamada Masakazu asked."

Kiryu Yaya nodded.

"catch."

He did not hesitate.

Hesitation is pointless.

Kiyomasa Ōgaki had already set up the chessboard and placed the pieces, waiting for him to sit down.

If he doesn't sit, Kiyomasa Ogaki has plenty of ways to keep the game going.

Rather than passively taking a beating, it's better to take the initiative.

With the eyes of a banker and the obsession of a business operator at his fingertips, no company's debts can escape his notice.