Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 241 Keiko, I Have a Dream! [Basic Update: 5k words]

The night was as thick as ink.

Kiryu Yaya parked his motorcycle at the entrance to the fire lane, walked through the narrow alley, and arrived at the black wooden door of the Toto Building.

He raised his hand and pressed the door knocker.

The bronze door knocker sank slightly, making a clicking sound.

The door opened a crack, and the gatekeeper glanced at him, recognized him as a familiar face, and stepped aside to make way.

"Kiriyu, good evening."

Kiryu Yaya nodded and stepped across the threshold.

The female attendant was not present; she was probably receiving other guests at this time.

He walked along the corridor to the hidden door at the end, took out his membership card, inserted it into the card slot, and entered the code.

The green light came on, and the metal door slid open silently.

The underground venue was more lively tonight than last time.

Kiryu Yaya easily found an empty semi-circular high table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

The monochrome LCD screen embedded in the desktop is lit up with a standby screen.

A line of small print scrolls slowly at the bottom of the screen, roughly saying: Welcome to the Dongzhenghui Information Terminal. Please insert your membership card to continue.

Kiryu Yaya took the dark black card from his suit pocket and inserted it into the card slot next to the screen.

The screen lit up briefly, and then the main interface popped up.

The left-hand menu consists of six modules: "Points Inquiry", "Transaction Hall", "Information Bidding", "Asset Listing", "Member Directory" and "My Submissions".

He clicked on "My Submissions," and a line of information immediately popped up in the center of the screen—

Some Observations on the Current Economic Situation—Also Discussing Asset Price Trends After the Bubble Burst

Status: Available Initial Price: 15P

Current subscriber count: 1

Total points earned: 10.5P

Kiryu Yaya's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Surprisingly, some people have even subscribed to his papers.

This is truly something to celebrate.

He then swiped down, and a comment popped up: "Trying to attract attention, wasting points."

Kiryu Yaya smiled lightly, not paying much attention.

In a few months, when those predictions begin to come true, this comment will become a kind of reverse badge of honor.

He closed the submission interface, switched back to the main menu, and opened the "Trading Hall".

A long list of real-time transaction information immediately scrolled across the screen, each item labeled with the type of intelligence, the provider's membership number, credit rating, desired points, and status.

He quickly browsed through the entries, his gaze lingering on one that read "Information Intermediary - Targeted Inquiry Available".

That item didn't have a specific price tag, only a single line of notes:

For specific inquiry needs, please click to enter the information exchange room 2F-09 for direct communication. We are currently online.

Kiryu Yaya reached out and operated the physical button at the bottom of the screen, selected the item, and then pressed the enter button.

The screen then switched to a simple chat interface, displaying the other party's information in the upper left corner: Member ID: TKS-OS-00352

Credit Rating: B

Status: In the online chat, the other party has sent a message: "What do you need?"

Kiryu Yaya typed a reply: "In Osaka's textile industry, small and medium-sized garment factories or fabric processing plants, operating normally, with no debt, valued between 40 million and 60 million yen, preferably with existing production capacity and workers, so that operations can start immediately after taking over."

He pressed the send button.

After about ten seconds, the other party replied, "Wait a moment."

The cursor on the screen blinked twice and then stopped.

Kiryu Yaya didn't urge him, and waited quietly.

About half a minute later, the other party sent a new message: "There is a Marui Textile Industry Co., Ltd. in Higashi-Osaka, which was established in 1959. It mainly engages in garment manufacturing and fabric finishing, and has 47 employees."

"The president was hospitalized last month due to a heart attack, and his family does not want to continue operating the business. It is being put up for sale under the name of a legal entity."

"The asking price is 55 million yen, but the actual transaction price can be negotiated down to between 45 million and 50 million yen."

"The factory equipment is in good condition. The main machines were replaced in the first year of the Heisei era. On the liability side, there is only a 20 million yen equipment loan from Osaka Credit Union, which can be inherited or repaid in advance."

"Okay, please give me the details."

Kiryu Yaya said.

The other party quickly replied: "Preliminary information summary, approximately 5,000 words, including basic information, employee composition, equipment list, and a brief table of revenue and liabilities for the past two years. Twenty points."

Kiryu Yaya didn't haggle; he simply typed two words in the input box: "Deal."

A confirmation dialog box pops up on the screen:

Confirm transfer of 20 points to member TKS-0S-00352?

He pressed confirm, and the points balance on the screen jumped from 1000 to 980.

Then, a compressed text file appeared in his terminal interface, with the title "Marui Fiber Industries, Ltd. - Sales Information Summary".

He didn't open it right away; instead, he sent a message: "If I decide to buy it, what's the next step?"

The other party replied quickly: "I can introduce you to a middleman. The family wants to complete the transaction as soon as possible and doesn't want to delay beyond this month. If you're sure, leave a message on the terminal anytime, and I'll arrange a meeting."

"it is good."

Close the chat window.

Kiryu Yaya began to make plans.

What he said to Shinya Watanabe today actually inspired him.

Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) is clearly an industry that will be at the forefront of the times.

Rather than wasting this opportunity of our time, we should go in and get a piece of the pie ourselves.

Kiryu Yaya thought about his conversation with Watanabe Shinya this evening.

Judging from Watanabe Fiber's reaction, he is most likely unable to accept the risks of transformation.

Transformation is easier said than done.

But how enormous are the risks?

Putting aside other issues, Watanabe Fibers lacks funds even for its daily operations and needs to obtain loans for financing.

The transformation would require even more funds, so how could he possibly come up with that?

So after talking with Watanabe Shinya, Kiryu Yaya immediately changed his approach.

It is clearly impossible to make Watanabe Fibers the main force in this transformation.

Watanabe Fibers at most acts as a production distributor, undertaking the subsequent large-scale production.

He himself had to take the lead in completing this fiber industry layout task.

Fortunately, although Kiryu Yaya is a bit poor now, he has no shortage of connections and resources.

So he came over tonight to look for information and see if there are any fiber factories that are suitable to take over as an incubator for new brands.

Kiryu Yaya opened his eyes and glanced at the Marui Fibers summary on the screen.

A garment factory with 47 employees, relatively new equipment, and no debts, is being offered for 55 million yen by a hospitalized president whose family is not in the mood to run the business.

This size isn't particularly large, but it's not small either.

Large enterprises look down on factories of this size, while small workshops cannot handle the scale of equipment and personnel required.

Especially in the current market, it's actually quite difficult to make a move.

Therefore, the price can be pushed down further.

However, at this point in time, there are still certain risks involved in buying a factory.

The most important factor is the impending collapse in land prices.

However, he could choose to buy the equipment and the business, but not the land, and only rent the factory buildings.

This avoids the risk of a sharp drop in land prices and can further reduce prices.

After all, he doesn't have enough funds on hand right now.

I have 1,000 points in the East Central Association, 5 million gold, and some savings.

At most, it's only twenty million.

There is also a "Merger and Acquisition Reimbursement Card" that can reimburse ten million for merger and acquisition costs.

That adds up to 30 million.

If we don't want the land, it might be barely acceptable.

But if you include the land, it's far from enough.

After all, buying the factory is only an initial expense; the real bulk of the cost is yet to come.

Forget it, if all else fails, I'll call Huizi and borrow a few small sums from her.

With that in mind, Kiryu Yaya no longer hesitated.

He left the underground venue and found a phone booth outside.

Then he dialed Keiko Miyazawa's number.

As he waited for the call to connect, Kiryu Yaya thought to himself that he really should get a cell phone when he had the money.

This makes you appear to be a high-end person.

The phone was answered quickly: "Feeding?"

Her voice had a slightly languid tone at the end, as if she had just taken a shower and was resting at home.

"Keiko, it's me."

"Kiryu-kun!"

The voice brightened considerably, even carrying a hint of coquettishness: "Calling so late, are you working overtime again?"

Kiryu Yaya nodded and said, "Just finished. Because of the Kouyuhiko incident, everyone at the bank has been working overtime these past few days."

"I just came out of the bank, and that's why I called you as soon as I got out."

"It's so late, why don't you go home and call?"

Kiryu Yaya held the receiver, a slight smile playing on his lips: "I called ahead because I was afraid you'd be getting impatient."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone, then Miyazawa Keiko's voice lowered: "Kiryu-kun—saying that makes me miss you even more."

Kiryu Yaya paused for a moment, then said, "So—shall we go for a walk?"

"Where are you now?"

Keiko Miyazawa's voice came through the receiver, tinged with excitement: "I'll come pick you up!"

Kiryu Yaya said with a smile, "Let's go for a stroll in Umeda. You don't need to pick me up; I'll ride my motorcycle there."

Keiko Miyazawa nodded: "Okay then, I'll change my clothes and come over in about ten minutes."

Kiryu Yaya said, "Okay, I should be about the same."

After agreeing on a meeting place, the two hung up the phone.

Kiryu Yaya looked at Umeda, who was so close by, slung his motorcycle over his shoulder, and slowly rode over.

Umeda is only a few hundred meters away from Kitashinchi.

Kiryu Yaya waited for about ten minutes before finally seeing a black Toyota Crown slowly glide from the street corner and stop in front of him.

The car window rolled down, and Keiko Miyazawa leaned out, smiling sweetly as she said, "Kiryu-kun!"

Kiryu Yaya smiled and said, "It's a bit faster than I expected."

Keiko Miyazawa smiled, revealing her small dimples: "Of course, I drove straight here just to see Kiryu-kun."

Kiryu Yaya slowly rode the motorcycle to the driver's side, then reached out a hand and gently tapped Miyazawa Keiko on the forehead, much to her anticipation.

Keiko Miyazawa let out a soft "Oh!" and looked up with a pitiful expression: "Kiryu-kun, why did you knock on me?"

Kiryu Yaya deliberately put on a stern face, but his gentleness was still evident: "You can't drive that fast. If Keiko drives recklessly just to see me sooner, I won't come out next time."

.

Upon hearing this, Miyazawa Keiko paused for a moment, then a faint blush rose to her cheeks, and she pleaded with Kiryu Yaya, "Alright, alright, I know I was wrong—"

Kiryu Yaya's expression softened slightly, then he touched the spot on Miyazawa Keiko's head where she had been tapped and gently rubbed it: "Does it hurt?"

Keiko Miyazawa quickly shook her head: "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt—"

Not only was she not in any pain, but her face was also beaming with happiness.

It feels so wonderful to be cared for by Kiryu-kun.

The two then drove to a nearby parking lot and got out of the car together.

Keiko Miyazawa wore a light beige knitted cardigan with a white round-neck top underneath, and a dark gray knee-length skirt.

She stood by the car, the night breeze gently lifting her long hair, like a heroine who had just stepped out of a heartwarming scene.

"Let's go."

She naturally reached out and took Kiryu Yaya's hand, then turned her head to look at him: "For me, shopping with Kiryu-kun is a very happy thing."

Kiryu Yaya took her hand in his, then intertwined their fingers, and said softly, "Your hands are so cold, are you not dressed warmly enough?"

Japan has a temperate monsoon climate and a subtropical monsoon climate, and the end of May is still the peak season for May storms.

Low-pressure systems can form rapidly near the Sea of ​​Japan, bringing widespread severe weather and strong winds, leading to a sharp drop in temperature.

Keiko Miyazawa paused for a moment, then laughed, "No, it's just that my hands were cold from the air conditioning in the car. Kiryu-kun's hands are so warm, just warm them for a while."

Kiryu Yaya didn't reply, but simply tightened his grip on her fingers slightly: "Let's go then, let's look around first."

The two walked along the streets of Umeda.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street anymore; occasionally, a young girl carrying shopping bags would pass by, leaving behind a crisp laugh.

"Kiryu-kun rarely goes shopping, right?"

Keiko Miyazawa turned her head to look at him.

"That's not a lot."

He admitted it quite frankly: "When I lived alone before, I always bought things quickly."

"Then you'll have to accompany me shopping today."

Her voice carried a hint of coquetry as she gently traced her fingers across his palm: "It's a rare opportunity to pull Kiryu-kun away from work."

Kiryu Yaya smiled and walked side by side with her through the main entrance of Hankyu Department Store.

It was much warmer inside the mall than on the street.

The first floor houses cosmetics and jewelry counters.

Miyazawa Keiko did not linger on the first floor, but led him straight up to the second floor.

The second floor is the women's clothing section.

But she didn't stop, seemingly heading straight for the men's clothing section on the third floor.

Clearly, Keiko Miyazawa wanted to pick out some clothes for Yaya Kiryu.

However, when they reached the second floor, Kiryu Yaya stopped and looked at her with a smile: "Why don't you look around here for a bit?"

Keiko Miyazawa paused slightly, following his gaze to the women's clothing section on the second floor. She then smiled, a hint of teasing in her eyes, and asked, "Kiryu-kun, are you trying to pick out clothes for me?"

"Um."

Kiryu Yaya chuckled softly and pinched Miyazawa Keiko's cheek: "Because I realized that I haven't really bought anything decent for my Keiko yet."

Keiko Miyazawa's face flushed red, even her ears turned a light pink.

She lowered her head shyly: "What do you mean, 'your Huizi'? It's like I'm yours."

"Isn't that right?"

Kiryu Yaya shook the hand he was holding and teased, "If you don't think so, I'll let go of your hand now."

Upon hearing this, Miyazawa Keiko immediately gripped his fingers tightly, as if afraid he would actually let go: "Yes, yes, yes! It's yours, it's yours! Okay?"

After she finished speaking, she felt embarrassed and turned her head to look at the clothes rack next to her, pretending to look at the clothes.

Kiryu Yaya glanced at her flushed ears, but didn't call her out. He simply smiled and followed her gaze to the clothes rack beside him: "What colors do you like? Light or dark?"

"Hmm—light color, I guess."

Keiko Miyazawa finally turned her gaze back to the clothes rack, and her voice returned to normal: "Dark colors are too formal to wear."

The two browsed the women's clothing section for about ten minutes.

Keiko Miyazawa's gaze lingered on each garment, occasionally reaching out to touch the fabric, but she never made up her mind to try any on.

She strolled around casually.

It wasn't so much that I was looking at clothes, but rather that I was enjoying the feeling of holding his hand and walking side by side in the mall.

But Kiryu is different.

He walked beside Keiko Miyazawa, but his gaze was much more focused than hers.

His gaze swept across a row of clothes racks and suddenly stopped on a light beige knitted cardigan.

He raised his hand, took the garment off the hanger, unfolded it, and glanced at it under the light.

Then he turned to her and said, "Huizi, try this on."

Keiko Miyazawa paused slightly, then looked down at the cardigan in his hand.

The style is simple; it's a basic crew neck, front-opening knit sweater in a very light beige color, a warm tone between cream and linen.

Compared to the dresses they had just seen, which were decorated with lace, embroidery, and sequins, this one was quite plain.

"This one?"

She was a little surprised.

"It looks quite ordinary."

"Yes, but it suits you perfectly."

Kiryu Yaya unfolded his cardigan and held it up in front of her.

"Look, this color complements your skin tone, and the clean and neat design won't overshadow your natural charm."

"Most importantly, it's made of this material."

He gently rubbed the edge of the cuff with his fingers: "Look at the weave of this fabric. It's a fine wool blend with a high warp and weft density, so even though it's thin, it's not easily deformed."

He flipped through the label on the inside again: "Contains 10% cashmere, and the overall feel is much softer than pure wool. With this blend ratio, the warmth and comfort of cashmere are not compromised due to the low content."

"In addition, this material is not easy to pill, and it is easy to care for for everyday wear."

Keiko Miyazawa watched him look down at the labels, her mouth slowly opening wide as if she had discovered a new Kiryu-kun: "Kiryu-kun is amazing—"

"You know so much about clothes?"

Upon hearing this, Kiryu Yaya paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Actually, my childhood dream was to become a fashion designer."

Keiko Miyazawa was slightly taken aback, her gaze falling on his face: "Ah? You—wanted to be a fashion designer?"

"Um.

Kiryu Yaya seemed to recall a distant memory: "When I was little, I actually liked these things. I would secretly flip through my mother's magazines and look at the fashion illustrations and fabric descriptions."

"I remember there was a designer named Issey Miyake who was just becoming famous internationally. The media was reporting on him, saying that he used traditional Japanese fabrics to make things that Westerners had never seen before."

"When I read those reports, I thought—this is really cool."

"Later, I started drawing my own designs, using a pencil on the back of my notebooks. I filled several notebooks with them."

"Back then, I thought, it would be great if I could create my own brand."

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