Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 216 The moment has come when both bulls and bears call each other idiots.

The man smiled politely and said, "Take care, sir."

Kiryu Yaya walked back to the semi-circular high table and sat down in the chair.

Shuichi Kuroda was still looking down at the screen when he caught a glimpse of him returning and casually asked, "Finished?"

Kiryu Yaya smiled and said, "I wrote a paper, but no one has read it yet."

Kuroda Shuichi was taken aback for a moment, then looked up at him: "You're trying to submit your work so soon? But given your credibility rating, it's normal that no one reads it."

"Don't even mention D-level, even C-level members aren't well-regarded. Only long-time members with a credit rating of B or higher will get people to click in and take a look. Newcomers, on the other hand, need to slowly build up their credit."

Kiryu Yaya nodded: "Thank you for the reminder, President Kuroda."

Shuichi Kuroda suddenly asked, "But speaking of which, what topic did you write about?"

Kiryu Yaya placed the two pieces of paper on the table and tapped them lightly with his fingertips: "It's about land price trends, but please allow me to keep you in suspense for now. I'll tell President Kuroda later."

Kiryu Yaya was actually somewhat hesitant about whether to show this paper to Kuroda Shuichi.

It wasn't that they were afraid of reminding Kuroda Shuichi and giving him an opportunity to sell the land.

I'm simply worried about his reaction after reading it, and whether it will affect our future cooperation.

However, after thinking about it, Kiryu Yaya decided to show him the paper.

Whether he accepts it or not depends on Kuroda Shuichi's own fate.

The two sat for a while longer.

Kuroda Shuichi suddenly received a phone call. After replying to a few words, he looked at Kiryu Yaya and said with a smile, "Mr. Takatsukasa has arrived and is in the information exchange room. Let's go over there."

Kiryu Yaya nodded.

The two left the high table and turned to walk down an inconspicuous corridor deep in the hall.

On both sides of the corridor, there are several closed metal doors, each labeled with a door number.

It seems this is where members of the Dongzheng Association meet to discuss deals.

After all, if people enter from different entrances and arrive at the underground venue, everyone will be wearing masks, and if they are not particularly familiar with each other, no one will be able to recognize anyone else.

Therefore, in this situation, having a clearly defined transaction location is essential.

The corridor was much darker than the lobby.

Shuichi Kuroda walked ahead and stopped in front of a metal door numbered "2F-07".

He raised his hand and knocked three times on the side of the door.

Two short and one long.

There was a two-second silence inside the door, followed by a soft "hmm".

Shuichi Kuroda grasped the doorknob, pushed the door open, stepped aside to make room for Kiryu Yaya, and slightly raised his chin: "Please."

The room was small, with a dark-colored long table placed in the center.

A person was sitting across the long table.

The man was wearing a dark navy blue suit, a crisp white shirt collar, and a dark red tie tied in a neat Windsor knot.

The black half-face mask on his face covered everything above his nose, only revealing his chin and lips.

Kiryuya is very familiar with this lower jaw.

Very sharp lines.

Seiichi Takatsukasa.

Shuichi Kuroda stepped inside and nodded to the masked man opposite him: "Mr. Takatsukasa, the person has been brought."

Seiichi Takatsukasa didn't speak, his gaze slowly shifting from Shuichi Kuroda's face to Yaya Kiryu standing behind him.

"Please sit down."

"Kiryu-kun, we meet again."

Kiryu Yaya bowed slightly, a slight smile playing on his lips: "It is my honor to meet Mr. Takazukasa."

Seiichi Takatsukasa gestured for him to sit down, his gaze lingering on him for a moment, as if examining a new chess piece on a chessboard through a mask: "When we were chatting the other day, I felt that you were an extraordinary young man, but I didn't expect you to be even more remarkable than I imagined."

Kiryu Yaya sat down: "Sir, you flatter me. I just happen to be acquainted with the eldest daughter of the Miyazawa family."

Seiichi Takatsukasa shook his head: "Putting everything else aside, persuading that old man Kamiya is no easy task."

"But now that you've convinced Yutaro Kamiya, the matter of Rinku Castle is a done deal."

At this point, Kiryu Yaya suddenly smiled and said, "Mr. Takatsukasa, please wait a moment."

A hint of confusion flickered in Takatsukasa Seiichi's eyes: "Kiryu-kun, what's wrong?"

Kiryu Yaya took the paper out of his briefcase and pushed it in front of Takatsukasa Seiichi and Kuroda Shuichi: "Actually, before helping Mr. Takatsukasa take over Rinko Castle, I would like to persuade you to give up Rinko Castle."

Seiichi Takatsukasa responded with an "Oh," then exchanged a glance with Shuu Kuroda, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "Why?"

Shuichi Kuroda glanced at Yaya Kiryu, looking somewhat nervous, as if to say, "Dude, what are you up to?"

Kiryu Yaya sat leisurely in his seat, a faint smile on his lips.

Seeing his expression, Seiichi Takatsukasa became even more interested, then picked up the paper and glanced at the title:

Some observations on the current economic situation—and a discussion on asset price trends after the bursting of the bubble.

"This is?"

"I previously submitted a paper to the secretariat about land price trends. I hope Mr. Takashi can read this paper before deciding whether to purchase Rinko City."

Seiichi Takatsukasa's eyebrows twitched slightly. He reached out and picked up the two pieces of paper, his gaze falling on the first line of text, and began to read from the beginning.

The room fell silent.

About five minutes later, Takatsukasa Makoto put the two papers back on the table, then leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on Kiryu Yaya's face.

"Kiryu-kun."

"Your opinion is quite bold."

He spoke, his tone devoid of emotion: "You mean, industrial land prices in Osaka will drop by more than 40% in the next one to two years?"

"A conservative estimate."

"What about the Tokyo metropolitan area?"

"It will only get worse."

Seiichi Takatsukasa was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly and shook his head: "Your judgment is a bit too pessimistic."

He didn't say "you're wrong" directly, but his indifference was quite obvious.

Kiryu Yaya was not surprised at all.

After all, by May 1991, almost everyone in Japan felt that the bursting of the bubble would have a limited impact and that the economy would recover after a short period of adjustment.

That's why Seiichi Takatsukasa and Shuichi Kuroda were so bold; one wanted the land of Rinkū Castle, and the other went even further and took Rokkaku.

At this moment, Kuroda Shuichi, who had also finished reading the paper, thought that he was just trying to make a joke and lighten the mood, and said to Kiryu Yaya with a smile: "Kiryu-kun, I know that you only see risks in the bank, but you can't just look at the bad side of the market."

"Although the Nikkei index has fallen quite a bit, that's because it rose too ridiculously during the bubble period. The same goes for land prices; a correction is normal."

"But as long as Japan's economy continues to grow, once this adjustment period is over, there will be new growth in the future."