Traveling through the Tokyo bubble era

Chapter 1084 Food must be eaten one bite at a time, and meat must be cut one slice at a time.

Yorozuya, as Hideki Hanyu's residence, with its distinctive name, is a well-known luxury mansion even throughout Japan.

Normally, this mansion, which is often surrounded by book fans and media reporters, is usually deserted except for the occasional gathering of friends.

After all, the mansion had been expanded several times, and it had become an outrageously large mansion, but only Hideki Hanyu lived there.

But today, the Yorozuya (Odd Jobs Shop) was unusually lively.

First of all, quite a few people came.

Honda Takeshi, who came with Hideki Hanyu, brought with him subordinates from Hanyu Investment and Hanyu Real Estate.

Also present was Chiharu Ono, who was specially summoned from Chiyoda Ward by Hideki Hanyu to entertain the guests, along with all the chefs and female staff.

Of course, Hideki Hanyu's entourage was also indispensable, including various assistants, bodyguards, and so on.

With such solemn preparations, Hideki Hanyu's guests finally arrived as the evening glow appeared.

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi.

Originally, this was not the best time to make a visit.

According to Japanese social customs, this was somewhat impolite.

But Yoshiaki Tsutsumi is too preoccupied with these matters right now.

A week ago, after meeting Hideki Hanyu at a golf course in Saitama Prefecture, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi originally wanted to think it over carefully in the face of Hanyu's outrageous demands.

Or they could continue to drag it out and give Hideki Hanyu a reply at the end of the month as agreed.

Or perhaps we'll see when Forbes magazine releases its list of the world's richest people next month, and he returns to the top spot, and then see if he can leverage that to turn his fortunes around.

But who could have imagined that the Japanese real estate market would collapse so suddenly?

It's not that Yoshiaki Tsutsumi didn't foresee this; in his mind, even if the Japanese real estate market collapsed, it would start in the local areas first.

However, in the current situation, the fastest collapse and the most severe drop are actually in Tokyo, which is considered the best place to preserve value.

In this situation, the banks reacted most quickly, cutting off any risky businesses, which immediately plunged the Seibu Group, which was barely holding on, into an unsustainable crisis.

So when Yoshiaki Tsutsumi learned that Hideki Hanyu had returned from overseas, he could no longer sit still. He could no longer maintain his composure and disregarded all etiquette, and immediately wanted to meet with Hideki Hanyu.

The outdoor parking lot in the backyard of the Yorozuya after its expansion.

Wearing casual home clothes and holding his kitten Nakoruru, Hideki Hanyu watched as a black Toyota Century came to a smooth stop, and Yoshiaki Tsutsumi got out of the car.

He immediately put on a polite smile and stepped forward to welcome them.

"Tisang, I didn't expect we'd meet so soon."

"Yeah, I didn't expect that either."

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's words were a double entendre, referring both to his meeting with Hideki Hanyu and alluding to the collapse of the Japanese real estate market.

However, it was easy to tell from his slightly tired voice that the former richest man in Japan was not in a good mood.

"Tisang, please come inside and we can talk more."

Although Tokyo was starting to warm up at the end of February, the evenings at the end of winter were still a bit chilly, making it unsuitable for entertaining guests outdoors.

"I apologize for disturbing President Yuzuru."

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi bowed slightly and followed Hideki Hanyu into the house.

Hideki Hanyu chose to entertain Yoshiaki Tsutsumi in a small tea room on the second floor.

The female chef from Ono Cuisine was the first to step forward and serve the two of them.

However, at this moment, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi was no longer concerned with such details.

After the female general poured him hot tea, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly to Hideki Hanyu.

"President Yuzuru, I have thought about what we discussed last time."

Hideki Hanyu gently stroked Nakoruru and said slowly, "Tsutsumi-san, please speak."

"I agree to sell all 276 convenience stores under the Seibu Group in Japan to Chairman Hanyu."

After Yoshiaki Tsutsumi finished speaking, he slightly opened his eyes and stared at Hideki Hanyu's changing expression, as if wanting to see how Hideki Hanyu would react.

But under Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's gaze, Hideki Hanyu maintained the same formulaic smile and showed no reaction to what Yoshiaki Tsutsumi said.

Given this performance, how could Yoshiaki Tsutsumi not understand that his conditions were clearly not enough to impress Hideki Hanyu?

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi had no choice but to increase his offer: "I agree to sell the Seibu Department Store in Shibuya to Chairman Hanyu."

After saying this, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi continued to observe Hideki Hanyu.

This time, Hideki Hanyu broke his silence and finally responded, "For Tsutsumi and me, this is a wise choice and a win-win choice."

However, when Hideki Hanyu spoke, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi frowned even more deeply.

Because Yoshiaki Tsutsumi understood the unspoken meaning in Hideki Habu's words.

The Seibu Group's agreement to sell the Seibu Department Store in Shibuya to Hideki Hanyu was not seen by Hanyu as a condition for opening up cooperation, but rather as a deal to save himself from a crisis.

The usually assertive Yoshiaki Tsutsumi couldn't help but ask, "Isn't President Hanyu satisfied yet?"

Upon hearing this, Hideki Hanyu gave a puzzled look.

"What do you mean by saying this, Mr. Tsitsun? The Seibu Group is selling its assets to solve its financial difficulties, and I'm taking over out of consideration for our past relationship. It's a mutually agreeable deal. Whether the negotiations are satisfactory or not is up to you."

Of course, Tissan has only agreed to sell for now; we still need to discuss the specific price in detail. If the offer is not satisfactory to Tissan, he is free to find another buyer.

After Hideki Hanyu said this, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi was so angry that he almost fainted.

What were clearly agreed-upon terms became a normal transaction in Hideki Hanyu's mouth.

Moreover, given the current situation, where is he supposed to find a buyer on short notice?

The stock market plummeted, the real estate market collapsed suddenly, banks raised interest rates and tightened their operations, and any company or individual with money would only try their best to protect themselves.

Even if you want to invest, the negotiation process will definitely be a long one.

Unfortunately, what the Seibu Group needs most right now is time.

People have to bow their heads under the roof.

In such a critical moment, the only person Yoshiaki Tsutsumi could think of to help was Hideki Habu.

Therefore, he could only lower his stance and say, "President Yuzuru, I am here with sincerity to cooperate with you. If you have any conditions, please feel free to state them directly."

"As my partner, I cannot turn a blind eye to the difficulties that Tissan's Seibu Group is facing."

However, as the president of the Seibu Group, Mr. Tsutsumi should understand my difficulties. Some things cannot be decided by me alone; I also need to consider the opinions of the company's senior management and other partners.

When Hideki Hanyu got to this point, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi almost couldn't help but retort on the spot.

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi was the "emperor" of the Seibu Group, wielding unchecked power and treating his subordinates like slaves, acting with absolute impunity.

But how much worse are you, Hideki Hanyu, than him?

Aside from Cloud Entertainment, Hideki Hanyu's power in other affiliated companies is no less than that of Yoshiaki Tsutsumi.

But here they come up with this excuse about considering the opinions of company executives and partners—such a casual excuse is laughable.

The problem is that even though Yoshimi Tsutsumi knows it's an excuse, he has no choice but to accept it under the circumstances.

It's because he needed someone's help, and because the Seibu Group was almost out of money.

Thinking about this, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi suddenly felt a pang of regret. He regretted listening to Hideki Hanyu and using the name of the world's richest man to raise funds frantically to help the Seibu Group expand.

If things had progressed according to the original plan, even if the Seibu Group had encountered a crisis, it wouldn't have ended up in such a dangerous situation.

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi suddenly opened his eyes and stared intently at Hideki Hanyu.

An unbelievable thought suddenly arose in Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's mind: was Hideki Habu's advice premeditated, just to put him and the Seibu Group into the predicament they are in today?

But then, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi immediately dismissed the guess in his mind.

Because Hideki Hanyu gave him advice five years ago.

How could Hideki Hanyu have predicted the development of Japan's economy five years from now?

How could they possibly have guessed the current predicament of the Seibu Group?

This fact is so outrageous that no one would believe it, let alone Yoshiaki Tsutsumi himself, even if he told it out loud.

"What's wrong with Tisang?"

Hideki Hanyu, who was speaking, suddenly noticed Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's change and asked him a question, somewhat puzzled.

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi quickly looked away. "I just suddenly remembered something. President Hanyu, please continue."

"Ok."

Hideki Hanyu gave Yoshiaki Tsutsumi a deep look, and vaguely guessed what was going on in his mind.

But at this moment, it doesn't matter anymore.

Japan's economic downturn is irreversible, and the Seibu Group's predicament is a fait accompli. No matter what Yoshiaki Tsutsumi thinks or does, he cannot change the status quo.

He then continued, "In addition to the cooperation I just mentioned, I hope that Tissa can show sufficient sincerity."

Upon hearing this, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi had a bad feeling, but he could only ask, "What exactly is the sincerity that President Hanyu is talking about?" At this point, Hideki Hanyu no longer needed to be coy and simply dropped the pretense to state his conditions directly.

"I want the Zao Onsen Ski Resort in Miyagi Prefecture."

"This……"

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi looked troubled, but finally gritted his teeth and said, "I agree to the sale."

However, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi knew very well that Hideki Habu could not possibly offer only this one condition in the predicament he faced today.

Moreover, he had already guessed what Hideki Hanyu was going to say next.

Even Yoshiaki Tsutsumi knew that all of Hideki Hanyu's previous conditions were merely a prelude to the final one.

Sure enough, the next moment, Hideki Yuzuru's voice came.

"I want all the shares of Elf Paradise."

Even though he had anticipated it, when Hideki Hanyu actually said it, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi still couldn't hold back. His eyes were filled with anger as he gritted his teeth and questioned him.

"Does this mean that Chairman Yuzuru has no plans to cooperate with the Seibu Group in the future?"

Facing the already furious Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, Hideki Hanyu met his gaze without fear and gave a calm and collected reply.

Whether or not we cooperate does not depend on me, but on Tsitsun and the Seibu Group.

As things have developed to this point, the Seibu Group is now like a fish on a chopping board, a grasshopper in autumn. Even if it can still enjoy some glory, it will only be a fleeting moment of brilliance.

Even if Hideki Hanyu were to cooperate with the Seibu Group, it would only be to continue planting landmines and squeeze out the last bit of value.

He didn't consider or care about future cooperation at all.

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi couldn't see the future, but he could.

Otherwise, how could Yoshiaki Tsutsumi and the Seibu Group have fallen to a worse state than in another timeline with just a little guidance?

After all, in another timeline, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi did not use his status as the world's richest man to raise funds for expansion, and the Seibu Group did not invest heavily in developing large-scale amusement park projects.

It can be said that Hideki Hanyu played a significant role in the Seibu Group's current predicament.

"I……"

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi seemed to want to get angry, but his indignant tone only got a little started before he began to lose his temper.

Ultimately, it came down to, "I agree to Chairman Yuzuru's conditions."

"Pleasant to work with."

As Hideki Hanyu spoke, Yoshiaki Okitsutsuki reached out his hand.

However, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi did not shake hands, but stared at Hideki Hanyu and asked, "I have stated my conditions, but Hanyu-san has not yet made a promise."

"Hehe, no rush."

Hideki Yuzuru smiled and withdrew his hand.

Then, seeing Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's anxious expression, he called Takeshi Honda up.

"President Honda, show our offer to Mr. Tsutsumi."

Upon hearing the order, Honda Takeshi immediately placed a folder in front of Tsutsumi Yoshiaki.

He then explained, "President Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, this is a detailed breakdown of the offers we made to Seibu Group's convenience stores, Seibu Department Store Shibuya, Zao Onsen Ski Resort, and the equity stake in Fairyland, based on our comprehensive evaluation and calculations."

Upon hearing Honda Takeshi's words, Tsutsumi Yoshiaki did not immediately open the document, but instead gave Hanyu Hideki a deep look first.

This document was clearly not something that could be prepared on short notice.

So it's clear that before he even arrived at Yorozuya, Hideki Hanyu had already prepared his offers and was quite certain that he would accept these deals.

The man in front of him, Hideki Yuzuru, was young, even younger than his son.

But all his actions fell into Hideki Hanyu's calculations.

In an instant, the unbelievable guess from before resurfaced in Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's mind.

Could it be that everything he and the Seibu Group are experiencing now was actually foreseen by Hideki Hanyu five years ago, and that he even exerted influence on it?

But this guess was so absurd that Yoshiaki Tsutsumi couldn't help but shake his head, feeling that it was the crisis of the Seibu Group that had caused him to lose his composure.

Just then, Hideki Hanyu's voice rang out.

"Tisang, let's take a look at my offer first. After all, we can only discuss the next step of cooperation if you agree."

Upon hearing this, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi had no choice but to open the document and read it.

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi originally thought that Hideki Hanyu would take the opportunity to kick him while he was down and offer him an insulting price.

To Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's surprise, although the price was not high, it was still within a reasonable range.

Considering Japan's current economic situation, this offer can even be described as "sincere".

This was completely unexpected by Yoshiaki Tsutsumi.

Seemingly sensing Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's emotions, Hideki Habu spoke with a smile.

"Tisang, can you feel my sincerity?"

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi answered truthfully, "President Hanyu's sincerity was indeed beyond my expectations."

Hideki Hanyu sighed, "Alas, I never expected that Tsutsumi would doubt me. Our cooperation over the years has always been very pleasant."

"Feel sorry."

Despite being taken advantage of by Hideki Hanyu, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi felt a pang of guilt.

However, as a seasoned businessman, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi immediately composed himself and continued, "President Hanyu, regarding the new investment?"

Hideki Hanyu raised his hand and said, "Before we talk about new investments, we must first settle our previous cooperation."

Since the last investment was terminated early, my funds, profits, and interest will be used to offset the acquisition price stated in the documents held by Tisang. Tisang has no objections, right?

"I'm OK."

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi was more than happy to end the previous collaboration ahead of schedule.

After all, in the last collaboration, he had agreed to many conditions that would require compensation if he failed to fulfill them.

Given the current situation of the Seibu Group, fulfilling its contractual obligations will obviously be extremely difficult.

Although he had a way to prevent the Seibu Group from defaulting on its contract.

But it's better to avoid trouble than to cause more, so Yoshiaki Tsutsumi naturally preferred the option with less trouble.

“Since Tisang has agreed, let’s talk about new investments, I think…”

Next, Hideki Hanyu began "discussions" with Yoshiaki Tsutsumi regarding the new investment.

To be precise, it was Yoshiaki Tsutsumi who wanted the money, and Hideki Hanyu who bargained.

Let's also confirm some other performance-based clauses similar to those in the last investment.

About two hours later, after finishing his negotiations and having dinner at Yorozuya, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi bid farewell to Hideki Hanyu with mixed feelings.

The investment that Hideki Hanyu agreed to could help the Seibu Group solve its immediate problems.

Furthermore, announcing the news can restore public confidence in the Seibu Group.

But he also made many sacrifices and commitments.

In his second investment, Hideki Hanyu was noticeably more cautious, leaving him with almost no room for maneuver.

In other words, if this cooperation fails, he may actually have to compensate Hideki Hanyu with the mortgaged property as promised in the contract.

Inside the parking lot, after seeing Yoshiaki Tsutsumi off in his Toyota Century, Hideki Hanyu heard Takeshi Honda's voice.

"Boss, why don't we get to negotiate lower prices when we make acquisitions?"

Hideki Hanyu gently stroked Nakoruru in his arms and slowly replied, "Because I don't want to scare the fish away."

Honda Takeshi then asked, "What about the land in Odaiba? If we bring it up, Tsutsumi Yoshiaki will definitely agree."

"You have to eat your rice one bite at a time, and cut your meat one slice at a time. The Seibu Group is not yet at its wit's end."

After saying this, Hideki Yuzuru picked up Nakoruru and walked into the house.

But after taking only a few steps, he stopped, as if he had remembered something, and turned back to ask Honda Takeshi.

"What's the progress of those land parcels in Nagano that I mentioned before?"

Honda Takeshi replied, "We've already taken more than half."

"Speed ​​up, the more the better."

After speaking, Hideki Hanyu seemed to look through the wall at Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's departing car.

He smiled slightly and murmured softly.

"A new surprise, I wonder if Yoshiaki Tsutsumi will be satisfied?"

(End of this chapter)