novelones Chapter 382 Goods at the Port
Chapter 382 Goods at the Port
(Thanks to "Ranxi" for the author certification! Two chapters today~)
January 18, 1991, Osaka South Port.
The sea breeze blows across the grayish-white water, carrying snow that falls to the ground and is then crushed into a thin layer of dirty mud by tires.
Rows of containers were piled up on the shore, red, blue, and gray, like giant building blocks casually stacked together.
The head of the foreign trade department at Sumitomo Chemicals stood in the wind, clutching the phone, his face even more grim than the black seawater.
The shipment in front of him had already been packed.
The customs declaration documents are also ready.
There's only one and a half days left on the ship.
However, the Ministry of Justice temporarily withheld the last document.
The reason is simple.
The Compliance Office of Sumitomo Bank Osaka Headquarters sent a risk confirmation letter.
"What else do we need to confirm?" the foreign trade section chief said in a low voice over the phone. "The goods have already arrived at the port, and the deadline for amending the client's letter of credit is tomorrow noon. Are you suggesting we confirm something now, so the containers are waiting for you at the dock for a meeting?"
The person on the other end of the phone said a few words.
The foreign trade section chief closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I know the Ministry of Justice cannot ignore bank letters."
He opened his eyes and looked at the cargo ship anchored on the shore in the distance.
"But the ship can't just wait three more days because of Sumitomo Bank's letter."
On the dock, the forklift reversing warning sounded repeatedly.
The containers were supposed to be delivered to the designated yard in the afternoon and loaded onto the ship the next day, but now they are all locked up in place.
Every hour of downtime incurs costs, including storage fees, demurrage fees, buyer reminders, and telegram communications.
That's how business works.
In the meeting room, it was a piece of paper.
At the dock, there were countless crates.
The paper can be left there, but the box cannot.
If containers are stuck in the port, the containers behind them can't get in; if a ship is missed, you have to wait for the next one; if buyers get impatient, prices will be driven down; if prices are driven down, this order that was originally profitable will turn into a huge loss.
The foreign trade section chief hung up the phone and turned to look at his subordinates behind him.
The young employee was holding a folder, his lips already white from the cold.
"Section Chief, Saionji Trading has confirmed that the letter of credit can proceed as soon as the amendments are approved."
"I know."
"Then we..."
The foreign trade section chief glanced in the direction of the office building.
"Without the Ministry of Justice's stamp, who would dare send the goods out?"
The young employee fell silent.
Seagulls took off from the crane in the distance, and their cries were somewhat annoying.
The foreign trade section chief suddenly felt like yelling.
Saionji Commercial Bank processes documents very quickly. So quickly that these people, who have been in the export business for twenty years, realized for the first time that the Bank of Transactions wasn't a deity in a shrine; goods could still be shipped out and money could still be returned even without it.
But now, a letter has dragged them back to where they started.
It was simply because someone in one of the offices wrote the words "risk confirmed" on a piece of paper.
Four words were all it took to nail a row of shipping containers to the port.
……
On the morning of the same day, Kitahama, Sumitomo Bank Osaka Head Office.
When Yasui received the feedback, the sky outside the window was not yet fully bright.
Sumitomo Chemical has postponed the next batch of orders.
Sumitomo Metal has requested additional explanations from Saionji Trading Co., Ltd.
Sumitomo Electric Industries is still taking a wait-and-see approach.
Sumitomo Light Metals' legal department suggested waiting three days before deciding whether to expand the scope of the preliminary review.
Four letters of reply were laid out on the table.
The paper is very thin.
It is quite heavy.
Mei Chang sat opposite him, his eyes slightly dark.
These key members of the White Water Society haven't had a good night's sleep in the past few days.
After the rope from Gokurakukan was swung over from Tokyo, they had been waiting to see if there was any movement from Osaka.
Now things are starting to get interesting.
The shipment has indeed stopped.
"At least two companies have slowed down," Umeba said.
Yasui did not immediately show a smile.
He refolded the reports and pressed down the edges of the paper with his palm.
"Slowing down is enough."
The Sumitomo Group's manufacturing companies won't kneel back at the bank's doorstep just because of a letter. Those company presidents have already witnessed Saionji Shoji's efficiency and tasted the benefits of bypassing the Osaka headquarters. Getting them to completely turn back now is unrealistic.
But people slow down as soon as they start to hesitate.
The Ministry of Justice has a question; the Ministry of Finance should wait a moment, and the executive meeting will discuss it further.
When the goods are piled up at the dock and customers are calling so much they're practically burning up, everyone will remember the existence of the main bank.
Yasui took out another drafted letter from the drawer.
This time, the attention is no longer limited to manufacturing companies.
A new line of text appeared in the copy section.
Sumitomo Corporation Legal Department.
Mei Chang paused slightly when he saw that line of text.
"Should we send it to Mr. Yoshio?"
"deliver."
"Isn't it a bit too early?"
Yasui raised her eyes.
"Saionji has already pushed us this far, can it still be considered early?"
Silence fell over the plum orchard.
Yasui pushed the letter in front of him.
The main text is still very short.
"The group to which the external pre-audit agency belongs is involved in the review of cost models for large-scale facility projects. Until the relevant risks are clarified, it is recommended that each company postpone expanding the scope of authorization."
After reading it, Umeba said in a low voice, "Once this is sent to the main family, Mr. Yoshio will have to give his opinion."
"Yes," Yasui said.
"What if he's on Saionji's side?"
Yasui looked at him but did not answer immediately.
After a while, he said, "Then he will have to explain to all Sumitomo-affiliated companies why the parent company continues to expand its authorization when there are disputes with external groups."
Mei Chang understood.
This is what Bai Shui Hui wants.
They don't need Fangfu to immediately turn to the bank.
If the main company hesitates even slightly, the four manufacturing industries will slow down even further.
Slow, that's the bank's time.
If time drags on, the shiny exterior of Saionji Trading Company will be worn away.
It's important to know that Saionji Trading Co., Ltd. does not actually have any real banking qualifications.
Once those club presidents rediscover that bypassing the main banks isn't as simple as they imagined, the White Water Club will still have a chance to rein in their influence.
Yasui picked up his pen and signed his name in the approval column of the letter.
When the pen tip touches the paper, it makes a slight rustling sound.
The rope was pulled a little tighter.
……
Seibu Realty External Consultants, Minato Ward, Tokyo.
After Shimada read the reply from the First Kangyo Bank, his office remained quiet for a long time.
Outside the window is Tokyo in the afternoon; the sunlight is pale and lacks warmth, reflecting a cold light on the glass of the high-rise buildings.
The reply was only two pages long.
Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank avoided discussing the losses incurred by Gokurakukan and made no comment on the construction of Saionji Temple. It only confirmed that its loan management department had begun retrieving the original review documents.
The problem lies in the table of contents excerpt.
"Niseko Gokurakukan Winter Stress Test Form".
Explanation of Energy Consumption Forecast for Glass Domes
"Maintenance Cost Model During Severe Cold Season".
When Shimada saw these three lines, he stopped writing with his pen.
What's even more troublesome is the small print in the next line.
Relevant information will be received by: Loan Management Department of Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank and Seibu's acquisition advisory group.
The office was well heated.
Shimada felt a chill on his fingertips.
Of course he knew what that meant.
Seibu now wants to ask Saionji whether the costs and risks of winter were clearly explained back then.
However, the reply from Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank told him that those documents had not only been in the bank's archives but also in the folders of the Seibu acquisition advisory group.
To put it more bluntly—
You have seen those materials, but you yourselves haven't paid any attention to them.
Shimada flipped to the first page of the reply and read it again.
The bank is smart.
It didn't rule out any possibility of definitive conclusions.
It simply copied out the catalog, leaving it to everyone who saw it to understand. During the bubble era, everyone loved pretty models—banks loved them, sellers loved them, and buyers loved them.
When the Paradise Pavilion shimmered on the snowfield, no one wanted to spend too much time thinking about whether the heavy oil bills would float up like burning paper money.
Now that the snow has stopped and the account books are wet, everyone is thinking about finding medicine.
But they got this illness together back then.
Shimada closed the reply and put it in the bottom drawer.
He did not send it to Yoshiaki Tsutsumi immediately.
It can't be delivered right now, at least not at the moment.
What Tsutsumi Yoshiaki wanted was a sword that could be used to cut down Saionji.
This piece of paper, however, tells Shimada that Seibu's own fingerprints are on the hilt of the sword.