Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 219 There is no shortage of winners in the market.

Shuichi Kuroda picked up another piece of beef tendon, chewed it twice, swallowed it, and then put down his chopsticks.

"I value money a lot, but I'm okay with people."

He raised his eyes and looked at Kiryu Yaya.

People who have experienced hunger as children tend to care more about those who have gone hungry.

Kiryu Yaya did not respond.

He turned his head following Kuroda Shuichi's gaze and saw the old man bending over, taking out several skewers of new ingredients from the refrigerator.

His movements were somewhat labored, and his knees were not bending very smoothly.

Shuichi Kuroda lowered his voice slightly: "This old man's surname is Kinoshita. When he was young, he ran a small restaurant nearby. He was very skilled at cooking. Later, his wife passed away, and he was no longer able to run such a large business on his own."

"My son also had an accident a few years ago, leaving behind a granddaughter who was still in middle school. He raised his granddaughter through high school by relying on this small stall."

He paused, then added, "That girl has excellent grades and often helps out at the stall; she's a very strong-willed child."

"She's taking the college entrance exam next year, and the old man said he wants to earn more money so she can pay for her tuition."

Kiryu Yaya remained silent.

He looked at the hunched-over old man busily working in front of the iron plate, reached into his pocket, and felt for his wallet.

But Kuroda Shuichi was a step ahead of him, having already stood up, taken a folded banknote from his pocket, and placed it on the table next to the iron plate.

"Uncle, let's settle today's bill first."

The old man turned his head, glanced at Kuroda Shuichi, and said with a smile, "I'm a regular customer, it's fine to pay after you finish eating."

Kuroda Shuichi waved his hands repeatedly: "Same, same."

The old man smiled again, put the banknotes into his apron pocket, smiled at Kiryu Yaya, and then turned back to continue his work.

After Kuroda Shuichi paid the bill, the two ate and chatted. After cleaning up the mess, they decided to walk along the Dojima River to digest their food.

A night breeze blew across the water, carrying a slightly damp coolness.

Kuroda Shuichi suddenly asked Kiryu Yaya, "Don't you think what I just said was contradictory?"

Kiryu Yaya smiled and did not deny it: "But people are inherently complex."

After hearing this, Kuroda Shuichi chuckled.

"You're right, I am indeed a complex person."

He took another step forward and stopped beside an old lamppost, his gaze fixed on the river: "In my life, I've done many things that aren't exactly respectable. Some of them, if I told you, would make people curse me for three days and three nights."

"But to say that I did all these things for myself is not entirely true."

"I've had a few people who were genuinely good to me."

"The uncle at the dock who taught me how to read accounts, the old man at the food stall in Fukuoka who brought food to my sister and me, and several other people who helped me during my most difficult times."

"These people taught me one thing: there are many bad people in this world, and there are many good people, but there are even more people who are neither bad nor good."

"What kind of person I choose to be is not determined by how many bad people I encounter, but by how many good people I remember."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and continued walking along the riverbank.

Kiryu Yaya followed behind him, watching the figure's silhouette lengthen and shorten under the streetlights, then lengthen again.

He suddenly realized that the middle-aged man sitting under the lamplight tonight, reminiscing about his childhood, wasn't as cold as he had imagined.

At that moment, a semi-transparent interface appeared in front of Kiryu Yaya.

[New life options have been triggered]

[Amidst the night breeze and the riverbank, Shuichi Kuroda reveals to you a childhood memory he rarely shares with anyone.]

You realize that this person isn't just cold-blooded and calculating.

He had just taken over Rokko Golf and was preparing to make a big splash in this land where the bubble hadn't yet burst.

You know better than anyone that seemingly magnificent real estate castle will collapse in six months.

Standing here in the night breeze of the Dojima River, you face a difficult choice:

[Fork in the road: Remain silent. The game is set, the pieces are in place, and Kuroda Shuichi's fate is of his own choosing.]

(Reward: Bank deposit increased by 20 yen)

[Fork Two: Stop here, and you've reminded him again, suggesting he shorten his holding period.]

(Reward: "Truth or Dare" card - After you use this card, the target must answer the first question you ask them truthfully.)

[Fork Three: To be frank, stop and look at him carefully. Reiterate the core logic of the paper in simpler terms, and advise him to reduce his holdings immediately.]

(Reward: Bank deposit increased by 30 yen)

Looking at the three options in front of me.

Kiryu Yaya was unusually caught in a dilemma.

He stood on the bank of the Dojima River, feeling the cool breeze blowing across the water.

Shuichi Kuroda did do many unseemly things, but he was not a completely cold-blooded person.

In the face of the impending real estate crash, will you turn a blind eye to Kuroda's predicament, or will you reach out and help him out?

This choice has nothing to do with Kiryu Metal, just as I told Kuroda before.

Since learning about the nature of the East Central Association's points trading, Kiryu Yaya already knew that Kiryu Metals' bankruptcy had little to do with the Kansai urban development.

There was only one culprit, and that was Kouyuhiko.

So putting that aside, when Kiryu Yaya looks at Kuroda Shuichi again, he finds that Kuroda does indeed have a heroic air about him.

Moreover, his connections and business experience in the Kansai financial world were exactly what he needed.

After the Miyazawa family's empty castle incident, a great historical storm is about to arrive.

I must take some action.

But one tree cannot support a forest; one also needs external help.

Keiko Miyazawa is one, and Shuichi Kuroda is another.

Rather than watching Kuroda Shuichi get caught in the vortex, it's better to lend him a hand in his time of need, so that I can establish another ally in the Kansai financial world.

If possible, it wouldn't be a bad idea to poach Shuichi Kuroda from the future.

This is a long-term project and cannot be rushed.

At least tonight, only one seed can be planted in Shuichi Kuroda's heart.

Kiryu Yaya let out a soft breath, took two steps forward, stood next to Kuroda Shuichi, and also turned his gaze to the water.

Suddenly, he spoke up: "President Kuroda."

"Um?"

"I understand what you just said."

He paused.

"So there's something I want to say to you again. Consider it a reminder between friends."

Shuichi Kuroda's eyebrows twitched slightly as he turned his head to glance at him.

Kiryu Yaya did not avoid his gaze and said sincerely, "If you only plan to hold onto that piece of land in Rokko for a short period of time, sell it as soon as possible while there is still someone willing to take it over."

Kuroda Shuichi smiled and said, "You're here again."

"I'm not arguing with you about market trends."

Kiryu interrupted him: "I just think that if we put President Kuroda's current situation in the stock market, you're the kind of person who knows there's a gray rhino coming, but still keeps adding leverage."

Shuichi Kuroda's lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something, but he realized that what Yaya Kiryu said was indeed reasonable.

In essence, stocks and real estate are the same thing.

Real estate leverage comes from bank loans, holding costs, and so on.

If land prices fall to a certain level, breaking through his forced liquidation line, which is also his net asset value line.

He would then face an extremely dangerous situation.

Just then, Kiryu Yaya turned to look at Kuroda Shuichi and said with a smile, "President Kuroda, the market isn't lacking in winners, but rather in people who can stay at the table. What do you think?"

After saying that, he didn't continue.

The sincerity has been delivered to the other party; whether or not to accept it is Kuroda Shuichi's own business.

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