Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 145 Ōgaki Kiyomasa's Panic [First Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Kiryu Yaya looked at Ogaki Kiyomasa and chuckled.

The smile was faint, yet it sent a chill down Kiyomasa Ogaki's spine.

"Minister Ogaki is right."

Kiryu Yaya flipped through the documents on the table page by page, speaking slowly and deliberately: "These documents, taken individually, can only prove that you approved those cases, that your wife's company holds shares in Eight Assets, and that Eight Assets took over the collateral you approved at a low price."

He closed the file and looked up.

"But what if we look at all these things together?"

Kiyomasa Ogaki's fingers tightened slightly, and his composure finally crumbled.

Kiryu Yaya continued, "You approve the loan first, then the loan becomes non-performing, the bank disposes of the collateral, Eight Assets takes it over at a low price, and the profits go into your family's hands."

After he finished speaking, he placed his hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and stared directly into Kiyomasa Ogaki's eyes.

"Minister Ogaki, this is a complete chain of interests. From lending to bad debts, from taking over at low prices to profit repatriation, your name is involved in every link."

"Isn't that enough to explain the problem?"

The office was silent for a few seconds.

Kiyomasa Ogaki suddenly smiled.

He leaned back in his chair, placed his hands clasped on the table, and his expression gradually relaxed.

"Kiryu-kun, what you're saying is quite frightening. But have you ever thought about this?"

He paused, a hint of mockery in his voice: "These things you've produced only prove that I might have a problem, not that I actually do."

"And one"

Kiyomasa Ogaki laughed: "Kiryu-kun, what are you going to do with these things? Take them to the branch manager? Or send them directly to the main store's inspection department?"

He looked up, a faint smile even appearing on his lips.

"I admit, you are bolder and more capable than I imagined. But there's one thing you might not have thought through yet."

His finger pointed at the documents: "These things do prove that I may not have been rigorous enough in the approval process."

"But do these things prove I accepted bribes?"

He shook his head.

"No. What you have is legally called circumstantial evidence. Put together, it does look like a story."

"But if we really take it to court, or to the bank's internal review committee," he paused, a hint of mockery in his voice.

"I only need to say one thing: I have never interfered with my wife's company. The takeover and disposal of assets by the Eighth Asset Management Division was a standard procedure at the time, and I did not intervene."

"As for the approval of Higashi-Osaka Seiko, I admit there was negligence, but that is not a crime."

"So, Kiryu-kun."

Kiyomasa Ogaki pushed the documents back to the center of the table, his tone even carrying a hint of elder's regret: "What might be the result if you hand these things in now?"

"This store may launch an internal investigation, and the conclusion against me will most likely be oversight and violation of internal procedures."

"In this situation, I can only retire early at most, and a portion of my pension may be deducted."

His gaze fell on Kiryu Yaya.

"But what about you?"

"As a newcomer who has been with the company for less than two months, you are reporting a higher-level department head without consulting your superiors. In a bank, this is called disrupting organizational order."

"Even if everything you say is true, and the investigation concludes that some of your allegations are supported, the result will be the same."

"You will have this record in your file: coordination needs improvement, behavior is too aggressive, not suitable for teamwork —"

His voice was lowered, carrying a sense of indifference from someone who had been through it all.

"Then you'll be transferred to the most remote branch."

"Hokkaido, Okinawa, or Mitsubishi's subsidiaries in the Philippines and Brazil. Nominally it's support, but in reality it's exile."

"They might be gone for three, five, or even longer."

"When you come back, your peers will have been promoted to department heads and department heads, while you will still be stuck in the same place."

At this point, Kiyomasa Ōgaki chuckled softly.

There was no joy in that laughter, only a kind of indifference that comes from being used to the cruelty of the workplace.

"Kiryu-kun, I've worked in banking for forty years. I've seen too many smart people ruin their careers because of a moment of impulsiveness."

"You are the most talented newcomer I have seen in recent years. If you are willing, in twenty years, you can at least be in my current position."

"But if you hand in these things today, 4"

He stood up, buttoned up his suit jacket, and straightened his cuffs.

"So you're trading your future for my retirement six months early."

"Do you think this is a good deal?"

The office was silent for a few seconds.

Kiryu Yaya's gaze fell on the stack of documents, then on Ogaki Kiyomasa's face, which had regained its composure.

He knew that everything Kiyomasa Ogaki said was true.

This is a bank.

Here, justice and truth are never more important than rules and order.

When a newcomer reports a minister, regardless of whether the report is true or not, the newcomer himself is already a problem in the eyes of the higher-ups.

Because if he can report Kiyomasa Ogaki today, he can report someone else tomorrow.

Such people are not well-liked.

Kiyomasa Ogaki sat down again.

This time, he didn't lean back in his chair, but instead leaned forward slightly, clasped his hands together on the table, and looked more serious than before.

"Kiryu-kun."

His voice was no longer mocking, but rather carried an almost egalitarian tone: "Let's make some terms."

Kiryu Yaya raised his eyes: "Conditions?"

"right."

Kiyomasa Ogaki's voice carried a hint of seduction: "Give me all the evidence you have, nothing left. From now on, don't investigate me anymore. We'll pretend that everything that happened in the minister's office today never happened."

He tapped his finger on the table and continued, "In exchange—"

'

"From today onwards, I will no longer target you. I will speak to both Iwakura Tsuyoshi and Miki Shinji."

"Furthermore, before I retire, I will do everything I can to help you establish yourself in the financing review department, help you get promoted to supervisor, and help you gain the attention of branch managers and the head office."

"You're a smart person, you should know what this means."

97

The office fell silent for a moment.

Kiryu Yaya didn't speak, but just quietly looked at Ogaki Kiyomasa.

Kiyoshi Ogaki said sincerely, "Kiryu-kun, your desire to bring me down is simply to remove an obstacle in your way and, incidentally, establish your authority within the bank."

"But as you can see, you don't have enough. If you act now, you'll gain nothing and only jeopardize your future."

"But if you agree to my conditions..."

"You'll not only keep everything you have now, but you'll also get my support. I've worked in banking for forty years, and although I'm nearing retirement, my words still carry weight in this Osaka branch."

"With me pushing you from behind, your promotion to department head will be at least twice as fast as normal. Once you're a department head or section chief, look back at this move today."

"You'll feel like this is the best deal you've ever made in your life."

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