Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 233 Golden Legend, System Upgrade Card!? [Basic update 5k]

As night deepened, the sea breeze grew even cooler.

The two people stood on the embankment for a while longer, neither of them in a hurry to leave.

Keiko Miyazawa leaned against Yaya Kiryu's chest, listening to the steady heartbeat in his chest, and felt the whole world quiet down.

"We should go back."

Her voice trembled with a hint of reluctance, but she still spoke: "You have to go to work tomorrow, and I also have a lot of things to take care of."

Kiryu Yaya glanced down at her, a smile playing on his lips. "Shall President Miyazawa drive me home?"

"certainly."

She straightened up from his embrace and straightened his shirt collar, which had been ruffled by the sea breeze: "Otherwise, I won't feel at ease if you go back alone."

The two returned to the car.

On the way back, the atmosphere inside the car was quieter than on the way there, but it didn't feel dull.

Keiko Miyazawa focused on driving, occasionally glancing at him from the side; when he noticed, she would quickly turn back like a caught thief.

"Focus on driving."

While waiting at a red light, Miyazawa Keiko secretly reached out and touched his fingers.

Kiryu Yaya grasped her fingertips with his own hand and reminded her with a smile.

"It's a red light—"

Keiko Miyazawa offered a weak defense.

She reluctantly withdrew her hand when the green light came on.

It was past 10 p.m. when the car finally came to a stop in front of the apartment building in Eban.

Kiryu Yaya unbuckled his seatbelt, turned around to look at her, and said, "We're home."

"Um.

"6

Keiko Miyazawa gripped the steering wheel, as if preparing something: "Um—"

'

"See you tomorrow.

"6

Before opening the car door, Kiryu Yaya looked back at her and casually replied to what she said.

Keiko Miyazawa's eyes crinkled into a smile. After thinking for a moment, she added, "We might not have a chance to meet tomorrow, but don't forget to call me."

"Don't worry, I won't forget."

He closed the car door and waved to her.

The man in the black crown paused for a few seconds before turning and walking into the building.

Back in Room 2 and 3.

Kiryu Yaya turned on the light, tossed the key into the tray in the entryway, and then threw himself onto the sofa.

He thought about the pinky promise he had made with Keiko Miyazawa earlier, and shook his head with a smile.

It does have a touch of childlike innocence.

Kiryu Yaya rested for a while.

Then he sat up and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

The warm water flowed down my back, washing away the sweat and fatigue of the day.

Back in bed, Kiryu Yaya's gaze finally fell on the system panel.

[Main Storyline "The Avengers | Act IV "The Ambush at the Auction" | Completed]

[Task Completion: Perfect]

[Hidden Judgment: Kouyuu Hiko, as a key target, was successfully taken down without implicating the host's identity. The plot progression is logical, and he has gained the trust of Takatsukasa Seiichi, a core member of the Toeikai.]

[Additional comment: Exceeded expectations.]

[Special rewards are being distributed —]

[Obtained rare item: System Upgrade Card (1/1)]

[Item Description: Using this card will upgrade the overall system architecture, including but not limited to expanding the option reward pool and increasing the probability of triggering hidden rewards.]

Kiryu Yaya's gaze narrowed slightly.

Good grief, a system upgrade card.

Did I get a legendary gold item?

No wonder he sometimes felt that the system's reward levels were a bit lacking; it turns out the system can be upgraded.

Then it's alright.

Otherwise, with each option costing tens of thousands of yen, the thousand points that Seiichi Takatsukasa casually tossed to him would be enough for hundreds of rewards.

Kiryuu Yaya was overjoyed and took a deep breath: "System upgrade card, use!"

The text on the system panel gradually faded, replaced by a golden halo:

[System upgrade in progress —]

Estimated time: 8 hours

During the upgrade, options cannot be triggered, but all skills and items are still available.

Please arrange your rest time appropriately.

Kiryu Yaya's gaze lingered on the last line of text for a moment, then he chuckled softly.

This system is quite thoughtful; it knows it's late at night and lets him sleep peacefully.

Goodnight, Makka Pakka.

He woke up at seven in the morning, before the alarm clock even went off.

To be precise, I was woken up by a system upgrade notification.

System upgrade complete.

[Rebooting and initializing —]

[Current Host: Kiryu Yaya]

[Binding Status: Normal]

[Upgrade Log: The option reward pool has been expanded; the trigger probability of hidden rewards has been increased; the new feature module "Long-Term Quests: The Tide of Time | Now Available"]

Kiryu Yaya sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on the semi-transparent interface in his field of vision.

[The Tide of the Times]

[Note: The host is situated at a critical juncture during the collapse of Japan's bubble economy in 1991. Every key decision will impact the host.]

The final position of the Lord in the torrent of history.

[Current Stage: Beginner Observer]

[Next stage unlock conditions: Net assets exceed one billion yen / Complete three events that influence the economic trajectory of the Kansai region]

[Hidden Reward for Each Stage: Unknown]

Kiryu Yaya felt a headache coming on as he looked at the newly added long-term missions.

The requirement of a net worth of one billion was not a difficult thing for him.

The transaction for the Lingkongcheng plot is imminent.

Once the deal is finalized, he, as the behind-the-scenes coordinator, will naturally reap the rewards.

Moreover, the rewards for the options will also be improved after the system upgrade.

But the difficult part is the second one.

Are you kidding me? Three events that will impact the economic trajectory of the Kansai region.

He's just a newbie at the bank!

What makes him so capable of influencing the economic trajectory of the Kansai region?

If he were alive today, could he control the K-line with just a word?

However, we still need to think of a way to hide the reward.

Kiryu Yaya was somewhat helpless, but he still stretched his shoulders and stood up from the bed.

I need to pick up Chihaya Yuri from work later.

Kiryu Yaya rode his motorcycle and stopped right on time downstairs at Rinchuan Residence.

He glanced at his little motorcycle and thought it was time to get a driver's license.

The Mercedes S-Class is still waiting for him to favor it.

There's no time like the present, I'll go ask after work today.

He took off his helmet and hung it on the handlebars, took out his keys, opened the apartment door, and went up to the fourth floor.

Before he could even open the front door, Chihaya Yuri had already opened it.

She was wearing a dark gray suit skirt and light makeup. If it weren't for the medical cane under her left arm, she would look almost exactly the same as usual.

They looked ready to go.

It's fine when she's not at work, but once she starts working, she reverts to her aloof and sophisticated self.

"senior."

Kiryu Yaya stood in the doorway, his gaze shifting from her cane to her face: "You really are—energetic—today."

Chihaya Yuri looked up: "We can't go to the bank in our pajamas, can we? Let's go, let's drive, we don't want to be late."

She left without hesitation.

But it still felt a bit unnatural at the start.

Kiryu Yaya followed beside her and pressed the button only after she entered the elevator.

"Senior, do you really not need to rest for another day?"

"I've had enough rest."

Chihaya Yuri looked straight ahead and said calmly, "After the incident with Minister Kouyuta, the Financing Review Division will definitely have a lot of things to finish. If I take leave again, Section Chief Yamada will be under even more pressure."

Kiryu Yaya didn't try to persuade her anymore.

He knew that Chihaya Yuri was that kind of person; she wouldn't say it, but she was always thinking about everything.

The elevator arrived at the first floor, and the two walked through the lobby to the parking lot.

Chihaya Yuri pulled her car keys out of her pocket: "Luckily, it was only my left foot that was injured, otherwise I wouldn't be able to drive."

Chihaya Yuri, leaning on her cane, walked to the driver's side and, with Kiryu Yaya's help, got in.

Then Kiryu Yaya, holding his cane, sat in the passenger seat.

Although Japanese cars have right-hand drive, the brake and accelerator pedals are still on the right.

After all, using your left foot to brake is somewhat inhuman.

Furthermore, in Japan in 1991, the number of automatic transmission cars had already far surpassed that of manual transmission cars, becoming the mainstream in the market.

After all, city roads are really congested, and even if you love manual transmissions, you can't escape the daily traffic jams.

This is why Chihaya Yuri was able to drive even after spraining her left ankle.

If it's a manual transmission, you'll also need to use your left foot to depress the clutch.

But with an automatic transmission, it's completely unnecessary.

The car drove out of the parking lot and merged into the morning traffic of Midosuji.

Chihaya Yuri gripped the steering wheel, her gaze fixed intently on the road ahead.

She drives quietly, unlike some people who like to talk while driving, only occasionally glancing at him when she stops at a red light.

Suddenly, Kiryu Yaya spoke up: "Senpai."

"Um?"

"Do you think I should get a driver's license?"

Kiryu Yaya was laying the groundwork for his frequent absences later on.

Chihaya Yuri nodded: "Of course, being able to drive is a basic skill in the workplace. It would be surprising if you couldn't drive."

"Besides, you should have taken the exam a long time ago. What do you do on rainy days and in winter when you commute by motorcycle every day?"

Winter is still a long way off.

"What do you mean far? It's already the end of May."

Chihaya Yuri glanced at him during a brief moment when she turned her head at a red light: "It would be good if you could get your driver's license before November. Go register after get off work tonight, and you can take the written test this weekend."

Kiryu Yaya nodded and agreed.

In Japan, there are generally two ways to get a driver's license: commuting to school or staying at a dormitory.

Commuting to driving school means taking time out of your schedule each day or week to attend driving lessons, similar to what you would do in China.

The advantage is that the time is relatively flexible, allowing you to study while working.

However, the process is lengthy, taking anywhere from three to four months to half a year.

The cost is also high, totaling around 300,000 yen.

As for group accommodation, it means living at the driving school for intensive training.

Usually, you go to a driving school in the countryside, where food and accommodation are provided, and you practice driving from morning till night. You can graduate in as little as two weeks.

The cost of boarding school is cheaper than commuting school, around 200,000 to 250,000 yen.

Because the driving school is located in the countryside, land prices are cheap and costs are low.

This model is very popular among college students, and many people go there during the summer vacation.

However, Kiryu Yaya is no longer a student.

As a pure cow or horse, he had no chance to enjoy the speed training of the training camp and could only silently endure the torment of commuting.

Fortunately, he knew how to drive in his previous life.

Under these circumstances, you should be able to get your driver's license in one or two months.

The car entered the bank's underground parking lot at exactly 7:45.

Chihaya Yuri turned off the engine, but when she bent down to unbuckle her seatbelt, Kiryu Yaya reached out and stopped her.

"Please sit down, senior. I'll do it."

He pushed open the car door, quickly walked around to the other side, opened the driver's side door, and handed her the medical cane that was leaning against the seat.

"Thank you for your help."

Chihaya Yuri looked up at him, then slowly stood up using the car frame for support, and then leaned on her crutches.

The two walked toward the staff entrance.

This time of day coincides with the morning rush hour.

Many employees were waiting at the elevator entrance.

As soon as Chihaya Yuri's figure, leaning on crutches, came into view, several pairs of eyes almost simultaneously converged on her.

The first to react was a young female employee in the sales department.

"Chihaya-sama? What is this—"

"It twisted a little, it's nothing."

Chihaya Yuri smiled faintly, indicating that she was fine.

The female employee opened her mouth, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Chihaya Yuri and Kiryu Yaya for a moment, before finally nodding and stepping aside to make way.

We arrived at the financing review class.

As soon as Chihaya Yuri appeared, leaning on crutches, she attracted the attention of almost everyone.

The first to get up was Nakamura Yuka.

She almost reflexively stood up from her chair: "Chihaya-class leader? What brings you here?"

With Wakako's help, Chihaya Yuri slowly walked to her workstation, placed her crutches against the table leg, and then sat down, supporting herself on the table: "It's nothing serious, just a twist. I rested all day yesterday and I'm almost better."

Misaki Yamaguchi chimed in, "Department Head, your leg will need some rest, right? What did the doctor say?"

"A sprained ligament, just a few days of rest will do the trick."

Masakazu Yamada happened to be walking out of the section chief's office when he saw Yuri Chihaya already sitting at her desk. He paused for a moment, then said, "Chihaya—aren't you going to take a few more days off?"

"Section Chief, I'm fine."

Chihaya Yuri spoke up: "I heard about what happened yesterday. The branch must have a lot of finishing work, and the financing review department also needs to be staffed."

Masakazu Yamada looked at her for two seconds and sighed, "Indeed, but if you're not feeling well, go back. Don't push yourself."

"clear."

Chihaya Yuri responded, her gaze already fixed on the open documents.

A day in the financing review class began in this atmosphere.

Today is the second day since Kouda Hiko was taken away.

Just after 10 a.m., the phone in the financing review department rang twice as many times as usual.

First, the General Affairs Department called on the internal line, instructing each department to compile an index of credit files involving Kouyuhiko's signature from the past ten years.

All reports should be submitted to the conference room on the fifth floor before 3 PM.

Immediately afterwards, the debt management department made another call, saying they needed to retrieve the guarantee assessment documents for the 8 billion yen credit line for the Miyazawa tourism development project.

-

The fax machine kept spitting out paper, and letters printed with the words "Our Investigation - Urgent" were piled into the inbox page by page.

Kenta Sasaki was temporarily pulled away to help move files. As he passed Yaya Kiryu's workstation, he didn't stop, but just whispered, "Did you hear? Head office is sending someone, supposedly a managing director."

Kiryu Yaya, head down, flipped through a post-loan tracking form without looking up: "Do you know which managing director this is?"

"Who knows? It was kept secret until now, probably to deal with Minister Kouyu's matter."

The people from head office arrived faster than expected.

10:40 a.m.

Matsumoto Takahiro called from the fifth floor, saying only two sentences: "The people from head office have arrived. All middle and senior managers in the Financing Review Department, please come to the large conference room on the fifth floor in ten minutes."

He paused, then added, "Kiryu Yaya, come up here."

Upon hearing the instructions, Masakazu Yamada immediately went to the office area and conveyed the branch manager's notification.

There was a half-second of silence in the office, and then everyone moved almost simultaneously.

Chihaya Yuri stood up, leaning on her cane. Her movements were slower than usual, but she did not hesitate at all.

Kiryu Yaya walked over to her and asked in a low voice, "Senpai, your foot—"

"I am the head of the Financing Review Department."

Chihaya Yuri glanced at him: "I have to be there at a time like this."

Five minutes later.

The large conference room on the fifth floor was already full of people.

More than the emergency meeting yesterday afternoon.

Not only were all the middle-level managers in the financing department present, but the same was true for the general affairs department and the sales department.

Matsumoto Takahiro was already seated to the left of the head of the table, while the seat to his right was empty, reserved for people from the head office.

Kiyoshi Ogaki sat to his left, his posture more upright than in yesterday's meeting, as if he had made some preparations in advance.

Takafumi Todo and Shigeru Nonaka stood on either side, both with restrained expressions.

Kiryu Yaya sat down in the audience section near the door, with Chihaya Yuri sitting next to him, her cane resting against the table leg.

There were nearly fifty people sitting in the conference room.

Then, footsteps echoed down the corridor.

No rush, no slow pace.

The door was pushed open.

The first to enter was Matsumoto Takahiro's secretary, who stood sideways by the door, bowing slightly.

Then there are the people from the general affairs department.

Then, a figure finally appeared at the doorway.

He was around sixty years old, thin, and wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit.

Her hair was already gray, but it was neatly combed, revealing a face with well-defined features.

His features are not particularly outstanding, but when combined, they create a calm and composed demeanor that is hard to ignore.

Upon seeing him, Masakazu Yamada exclaimed in surprise, "Managing Director Nakajima?"

The surname Nakajima made Kiryu Yaya pause for a moment, then he remembered the owner of the fountain pen that Nishida Ritsu had given him—Nakajima Konosuke.

Managing Director of Mitsubishi Bank.

When Konosuke Nakajima entered the conference room, he did not look around or make eye contact with anyone.

He simply walked naturally to the empty chair to the right of the head of the table, pulled out the backrest, and sat down.

Then he spoke.

"Thank you all for your hard work."

"I'm sure you all already know about Minister Furuta's situation. I came all the way from Tokyo today specifically for this..."

C

"I have a clear understanding of the specific situation, and the purpose of this meeting today is very simple."

"To make a long story short, there are only three things."

He held up three fingers: "First, regarding the scope of the self-inspection, Minister Ogaki has already proposed preliminary directions, and I agree."

"The 8 billion yen loan case for Miyazawa tourism development, all small and medium-sized enterprise loans handled by Kouda during his tenure as head of the financing department from 1950 to 1963, and records of business dealings between Kouda and the Osaka branch after Kouda was transferred to Tokyo."

"These three lines of work are being carried out in parallel. The financing department is responsible for sorting out the information, the general affairs department is responsible for retrieving the relevant documents, and the sales department is responsible for confirming customer information."

"Today is Thursday, and I need to see a preliminary list by next Monday."