Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 148 Kiryu's Orders [Fourth Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Kiryu Yaya stood up, pulled the chair back to its original position, and sat down again.

However, instead of returning to his guest seat, he sat at the minister's desk.

Kiyomasa Ogaki was still kneeling on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold tiles, his shoulders trembling slightly.

He dared not get up because he had not been given permission.

Kiryu Yaya looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke.

"Ogaki, get up."

Kiyomasa Ogaki stiffened for a moment, then slowly raised his head.

His eyes were red and swollen, his forehead was covered in ash, and his gray hair hung messily in front of his forehead. There was no trace of the prestige of a finance minister.

"Thank you—thank you."

He braced himself against the ground and slowly stood up. His legs were a little weak, and he stumbled before regaining his balance.

Kiryu Yaya didn't help him up; he just watched quietly.

Kiyoshi Ogaki sat with his head bowed, leaning on the corner of the table, like a prisoner awaiting sentencing.

"

Kiryu Yaya pointed to the guest seats opposite him.

Kiyoshi Ogaki slowly sat down, placing his hands on his knees, his posture as stiff as a new employee on his first day at work.

Kiryu Yaya leaned back in his chair, his hands folded on the table, looking at him calmly.

"Ogaki, let's get down to business."

Kiyomasa Ogaki's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Please speak."

"The first thing."

Kiryu Yaya extended his first finger.

"The approval process for the 200 million yen loan to Wako Electronics Co., Ltd. is immediately suspended."

Kiyomasa Ogaki nodded, almost without hesitation.

"Understood. I will inform Section Chief Yamada that this case will be temporarily put on hold."

Kiryu Yaya corrected him.

"It's a permanent suspension. I'll handle Wako Electric Industries. You just need to make sure that from today onwards, Mitsubishi Bank will not approve another single penny for Wako Electric Industries."

Kiyoshi Ogaki lowered his head.

"I see."

"The second thing."

Kiryu Yaya extended his second finger.

"From today onwards, restrain those in your faction. Iwakura Tsuyoshi, Miki Shinji, and everyone else you can influence, cease all attacks against me in any form."

He paused, but his tone remained calm.

"I don't want to see that kind of thing happen again at the mid-level management meeting."

Kiyomasa Ogaki's fingers tightened slightly.

"I will greet Section Chief Iwakura and Section Chief Miki."

Kiryu Yaya looked at him.

"I need you to make sure they don't pull any tricks behind my back. If anything like this happens again, I won't contact you; I'll just hand over what I have."

Kiyomasa Ogaki's face paled slightly.

"I understand. I will handle it."

"The third thing."

Kiryu Yaya extended his third finger, his tone more serious than the previous two.

"Regarding the East Central Committee meeting."

Kiyomasa Ogaki's eyelid twitched.

"Eastern Association—What would you like to know?"

"I want to know everything."

Kiryu Yaya lowered his voice slightly.

"The true identity of the East China Solidarity Association Secretariat, and one..."

"Besides you, how many other bank employees are inside?"

Kiyomasa Ogaki remained silent.

This one is more difficult than the previous two.

Because the first two points are his personal matters.

He can do it if he nods.

But this third point involves too many things he doesn't want to touch or dare to touch.

Kiryu Yaya didn't urge him, but just waited quietly.

The office was silent for about ten seconds.

Then, Kiyomasa Ogaki spoke, his voice very low.

"I don't know much about the Eastern Committee's affairs either."

Kiryu Yaya's brow twitched slightly.

Noticing his expression, Kiyomasa Ōgaki quickly said, "I'm not making excuses."

"Kiryu-kun, I'm telling the truth. I've been with the Eastern Strategy Association for six years, and I've only ever met two members of the secretariat."

One is already dead, the other—"

He paused, his voice lowering even further.

"The other one, I can't say."

"Can't you say, or are you afraid to say?"

"Yes, we have them all."

Kiyomasa Ogaki gave a wry smile.

"Kiryu-kun, the evidence you have could put me in jail. But what if I reveal the name I suspect—"

He paused, then looked up at Kiryu Yaya.

"I might not even have the chance to go to jail."

The office fell silent for a moment.

Kiryu Yaya looked into Ogaki Kiyomasa's eyes, trying to read something from them.

The fear is real.

But besides fear, there was something else.

A deeper, almost bone-deep fear.

Kiryu Yaya did not ask any further questions.

He knew that what Kiyomasa Ogaki was saying now might not be entirely true, but the words "cannot be said" were most likely true.

Because someone who can keep a retiring finance minister from speaking out even when someone has leverage over him is no ordinary person.

"it is good."

Kiryu Yaya nodded and didn't press him any further.

"You don't have to reveal this person's identity. But what about the rest?"

Kiyomasa Ogaki visibly relaxed, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"The others—okay."

Kiryu Yaya took out a notebook and a pen from his briefcase and pushed them to the center of the table.

"Then write it."

Kiyoshi Ogaki stared at the pen and the blank page, his fingers trembling slightly.

He picked up the pen, hesitated for a few seconds, and then began to write.

The handwriting is a little shaky, but still legible.

Kiryu Yaya watched quietly, without urging him.

Kiyomasa Ogaki first wrote down a string of numbers.

"This is the contact information for the East China Association Secretariat."

His voice was low: "It's not a phone number, it's a pager number. Leave a message and the office will reply within 24 hours."

Who replied?

"I don't know. The voices are different every time. There are both men and women, and the accents are not consistent. I suspect that the secretariat has a dedicated team of liaison officers who take turns on duty."

Kiryu Yaya nodded and wrote down the number.

Kiyomasa Ōgaki continued writing.

This time, he wrote three names.

"This is someone I know who is also a member of the Toseikai within the Mitsubishi Bank system."

Kiryu Yaya's gaze fell on those three names.

The first name is Kiyomasa Ogaki himself.

The second one is Hidetoshi Ogaki—

His younger brother is the head of the personnel department at the head office.

Kiryu Yaya's brow twitched slightly, but he didn't interrupt.

The third name: Kouyu Hiko.

Kiryu Yaya's pupils contracted slightly.

Ko Utahiko.

"Is Minister Furuta also a member of the East Repair Association?"

Kiryu Yaya quickly asked.

Kiyomasa Ogaki nodded.

"He was one of the earliest members. He was already there when I joined. His seniority in the East China Association far surpasses mine."

What is his membership number?

"I don't know. The membership numbers of the Dongzheng Association are strictly confidential; only the secretariat and the members themselves know them."

"I know my membership number because I received a notification when I joined. I have no way of knowing other people's numbers unless they are specifically asked to do so."

Kiryu Yaya noted this information down in his mind without asking any further questions.

Then he took the notebook back, closed it, and put it in his briefcase.

That's all for today.

Kiyomasa Ogaki visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Those things..."

"If you cooperate well, these things won't appear where they shouldn't."

Kiryu Yaya stood up and put the pen back into its inner pocket.

"But there's one thing, Ogaki Hajime."

His gaze fell on Kiyomasa Ogaki's face, his tone calm yet unquestionable.

"If you lie to me, or hide anything important, you know the consequences."

Kiyomasa Ogaki's Adam's apple bobbed.

"I see."

"Furthermore, from today onwards, I will be watching your every move. Any contact with the Eastern Committee must be reported to me. If the Secretariat contacts you, inform me immediately. If someone tries to do a deal with you, inform me immediately as well."

Kiyomasa Ogaki's face paled even more.

"this----"

"Can't do it?"

Kiyoshi looked into his eyes, remained silent for a few seconds, and then lowered his head.

"It's possible."

"very good."

Kiryu Yaya picked up his briefcase, turned around, and walked towards the door.

This time, he didn't look back.

The moment the door closed behind him, he heard a very soft sigh coming from the office, as if all his strength had been exhausted.