Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 140 The Former Nobility of Kyoto [First Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets]

The moment that name was mentioned, the smile on Kazutaka Mitsuaki's face seemed to be paused.

Something in the air has changed.

"Kaji——hara?"

He Guangzhenglong's voice sounded weak.

"President Kajiwara of Higashi-Osaka Seiko. You should be quite familiar with him."

Kiryu Yaya's tone remained calm: "After all, your asset concealment schemes all use the same set of logic."

As soon as he finished speaking, He Guangzhenglong's pupils suddenly contracted.

His fingers began to tighten unconsciously, as if trying to grasp something, but he grasped nothing.

Masataka Kazumitsu instinctively denied it: "I don't understand what you're talking about."

"President Kajiwara and I are just ordinary colleagues."

Kiryu Yaya chuckled softly, crossed his legs slightly to find a more comfortable position, and said in a measured tone, "You're all members of the East Association, right?"

The moment the word "Eastern Assembly" was uttered.

Masataka Kazumitsu immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

"East—Eastern Central Committee?"

He tried to keep his voice steady, but when those three words came out of his mouth, the tone changed noticeably.

"I don't know what you're talking about. What is this 'organization'? I've never even heard of it."

Kiryu Yaya looked at him, leaning back slightly to create some distance between himself and Mitsutaka. But it was this seemingly relaxed movement that made the man opposite him even more nervous.

Because they were too relaxed.

Kiryu Yaya seemed to see right through him, and was watching a poor performance in which he was involved.

"Tokyo Asset Consolidation Research Association (abbreviated as Tōshō-kai)."

Kiryu Yaya's tone was unhurried, as if he were reading out public information.

"Membership system, by invitation only. The entry threshold is an individual net worth of over 200 million yen or a company annual revenue of over 1 billion yen. Members conduct transactions through an internal points system, without involving cash or transfers, and without leaving bank statements."

He looked into Masataka Kazumitsu's eyes, and the corners of his mouth even curved slightly.

The smile was faint, so faint that it was almost imperceptible, but it was precisely this faint smile that sent a chill down Masataka Kazumitsu's spine.

"President Kazumitsu, would you like me to read out your membership number?"

Masataka Kazumitsu stopped breathing.

Kiryu Yaya certainly didn't know Kazumitsu Masataka's membership number in the East Association, but that didn't stop him from using his information advantage to intimidate him.

Sure enough, seeing that Masataka Kazumitsu was already on the verge of losing his composure, Yaya Kiryu added fuel to the fire.

His voice deepened: "Wako Masataka, through the channels of the East Council, you spent points to purchase an asset concealment plan and loan approval services from Ogaki Kiyomasa."

"It's nothing more than trying to launder the company's money out of the country, turning it into your overseas assets, and then taking it back under the guise of 'presidential loan,' creating the illusion of healthy cash flow. At the same time, they'll have Ogaki pave the way for you within the bank, getting that 200 million yen equipment loan approved."

He looked into Masataka Kazumitsu's eyes, and the faint smile on his lips vanished completely.

"President Kazumitsu, you don't actually think your little trick is foolproof, do you?"

When he said those words, Masataka Kazumitsu's face was completely expressionless.

His eyes were fixed on Kiryu Yaya, but it was as if he wasn't looking at anyone else; his pupils were dilated, and it was unclear where his focus was.

This is a self-protective mechanism that the body activates after a person experiences extreme fear.

Kiryu Yaya scoffed again, his words cold and almost judgmental: "You think that by transferring money to Switzerland, to the Cayman Islands, and using several shell companies to pass it around, the banks won't be able to find out?"

"Do you think that by breaking down losses into prepayments and investment losses, and leaving them on the books for three years without writing them off, the auditors won't notice the problem?"

"Do you think that transactions made through the Dongzheng Association's points system are without evidence because there are no transaction records?"

Kiryu Yaya's voice grew louder and louder, until it was almost a question.

Masataka Kazumitsu's lips were trembling; he wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

He just sat there, hands on his knees, like a terracotta warrior crumbling.

"Do all you company presidents think the people at the bank are idiots?"

Kiryu Yaya suddenly stopped talking and leaned back in his chair.

"Kajiwara Masazo thought so too. He figured that if he hid his money in Switzerland, his gold in a vault, and registered the house in a woman's name, the banks wouldn't be able to do anything about it."

He looked into Masataka Kazumitsu's eyes.

"And what happened? He's now sitting in the detention room, waiting for the IRS and the bank to skin him alive, bit by bit."

"Do you think you're any better than him?"

Masataka Wake's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, producing a dry sound, as if sandpaper was rubbing against his throat.

"You're not the only one on this line. Kajiwara, you, and several other presidents of the Toseikai who took out loans and hid the money are all on Hanayama-in Taki's list. The Osaka National Tax Bureau has been watching you for a long time."

Kiryu Yaya paused here, a meaningful smile appearing on his face, and asked Kazumitsu Masataka, "You know Hanayama-in Taki, right? The investigator at the Osaka National Tax Bureau."

"He personally handled the Kajiwara case. He has a copy of all your accounts, your overseas accounts, and your points transactions with the East Alliance."

Masataka Kazumitsu's breathing became rapid, and his body began to tremble, first his fingers, then his wrists, and then his entire arm.

"Huashanyuan----"

He repeated the name, his voice so low it was as if he were talking to himself.

Kiryu Yaya gave him no time to catch his breath.

"Hanayama-in Taki is just the first step. Above him is the patriarch of the Hanayama-in family. President Kazuhiko surely knows what the Hanayama-in surname signifies, doesn't he?"

Masataka Kazumitsu's pupils suddenly contracted.

It was a completely different kind of fear, almost awe.

Huashan Courtyard.

Former noble families of Kyoto.

Among the noble families of Japan, the "Five Regent Families" and the "Seika Family" held the most prominent positions.

The Five Regent Families consist of five families: Konoe, Kujo, Takatsukasa, Nijo, and Ichijo. They have monopolized the positions of regent and regent for generations, and are the pinnacle of the court nobles.

The Qinghua family is next in rank, with a total of nine families: Kuga, Sanjo, Saionji, Tokudaiji, Kazan-in, Ooi-mikado, Imadegawa, Hirohata, and Daigo. Their members can rise to the rank of Grand Minister of State, but they are not eligible to become regents.

Although the post-war Chinese system has long been abolished, the networks of relationships, social status, and political resources accumulated behind certain surnames will not disappear because of a new system.

The surname "Kasan-in" instantly shattered Masataka Kazumitsu's psychological defenses.

He flailed forward, and his knees involuntarily slipped down.

Masataka Kazumitsu knelt there, his hands supporting his body on either side, his forehead slowly lowering until it touched the cold tiles.

His entire body was broken in two, his back trembling slightly with fear and humiliation.

Doge seat!

This was the first time Kiryu Yaya had ever seen such a perfect dogeza (prostration).

Masataka Kazumitsu's forehead was pressed against the ground, and his shoulders began to shake violently.

"Kiryu-san————"

"I'm sorry—I'm so sorry—I didn't mean to cheat the bank, please forgive me—"

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