Traveling through the Tokyo bubble era

Chapter 957 Managing Director Kishida's Sudden Request for Help

After entering August, Tokyo's dreary rainy season came to an end.

In late summer and early autumn, a cool breeze blows gently.

In the courtyard of Ono Ryotei in Chiyoda Ward, Hideki Hanyu leaned lazily against the soft couch under the eaves.

Back in Tokyo, Hideki Hanyu spent three days working tirelessly to wrap up the advertising war, finally having some free time to relax.

At that moment, Hideki Hanyu was holding a weekly manga magazine from Elf Publishing, reading it with great interest.

Elf Publishing, established for many years, has benefited from the "copying" assistance of Hideki Hanyu when he started out, the joint marketing with Cloud Entertainment and its parent company Elf Entertainment, and the manga talents gathered by continuously holding the "Neon Youth Manga Award" competition.

Today, in terms of both its own strength and scale, as well as its market share, it has long surpassed established manga publishers such as Shueisha and Kodansha.

Elf Publishing now publishes more than ten different types of magazines, but the most well-known, best-selling, and most popular one is...

Among them are the earliest established and lighthearted "Elf Cute", the female-oriented "Elf Cupid", and the hot-blooded, action-adventure "Elf BOOM".

Among them, "Cute Elf" was the earliest to be published and was once the best-selling weekly comic book magazine. However, after it gradually established its own genre, it became limited by its style, and its sales were overtaken by "BOOM Elf".

Not to mention that the latter's style of intense battles already has the largest audience, just look at the several wildly popular manga serialized in "Elf BOOM," each of which is worthy of being recorded in the history of Japanese manga.

Although Dragon Ball has been serialized for many years, it still helps Spirit BOOM stand out from the crowd.

The serialization of "Slam Dunk" and "Yu Yu Hakusho" this year has made "Spirit BOOM" incredibly popular.

The authors of the two manga, Takehiko Inoue and Yoshihiro Togashi, also became the manga "twin stars" of Elf Entertainment, complementing each other, competing yet respecting each other, thanks to the promotion and hype from Elf Publishing.

However, the manga magazine Hideki Hanyu was looking at today was not "Elf BOOM", but "Elf Cute", which is more slice-of-life.

Actually, Hideki Hanyu had liked Chibi Maruko-chan, which was serialized in "Cute Elf" before.

However, this year, another comic he likes was serialized in "Cute Elf".

That is "Crayon Shin-chan".

Yoshito Usui, who joined Elf Publishing in 1985, finally released this work that made him famous this year.

Looking back, Hideki Hanyu recalled the excitement he felt when he saw Yoshito Usui on the list of signed authors from Elf Publishing.

Before I knew it, so much time had passed.

Both Elf Entertainment and Elf Publishing House have undergone tremendous changes.

The serialization of "Crayon Shin-chan" made this world even more familiar to Hideki Hanyu.

"Ha ha……"

When Hideki Hanyu saw Shin-chan "mocking" his mother for wearing a bra when she wasn't being mean, he couldn't help but laugh.

This laugh immediately startled the person who was also lazily leaning against Hideki Hanyu.

"Hideki-kun, is the manga really that good?"

The person looked up, and it was none other than Yasuko Sawaguchi.

When Hideki Hanyu returned, he learned that Yasuko Sawaguchi had somehow become acquainted with Chiharu Ono.

According to Yasuko Sawaguchi, it's because her friend Sachiko Kamachi joined the band formed by MF Records and is now busy preparing for the band's debut album.

After finishing her own filming, she had no friends to keep her company and didn't want to take on other work, so she chatted with Chiharu Ono, who lived not far from her home.

According to Yasuko Sawaguchi, Chiharu Ono is understanding, a gentle and caring senior, and it is very comfortable to be around her.

When she has free time, she will also invite Chiharu Ono, who spends all day in the shop, to go out and have fun.

In short, the two gradually became familiar with each other.

The relationship between the subject, Hideki Hanyu, and the two women is something this scumbag never hides. He even brought Yasuko Sawaguchi to dine here, so it's not a secret at all.

Hideki Hanyu, on the other hand, cares even less these days.

Therefore, he came to Ono Chiharu's place to relax without any fear of Sawaguchi Yasuko finding out. In fact, he even called Sawaguchi Yasuko over last night because he was sexually frustrated.

"A very interesting comic."

After finishing his evaluation, Hideki Hanyu casually put down the manga magazine, stretched, and got up from the tatami.

Chiharu Ono, who was pouring tea for Hideki Hanyu inside the house, saw this and quickly asked, "Is there anything you need, Hanyu-san?"

Hideki Hanyu said, "I have no instructions. I've rested all morning, so it's time to get back to work."

Although the advertising war has come to an end, there are still many things waiting for him to deal with in Tokyo.

He'll always have plenty of work to do if he wants to.

For example, with the Japanese stock market's rebound ending and it resuming its downward spiral, how can overseas funds take advantage of this opportunity to profit from bottom-fishing?

For example, at the beginning of the year, in order to curb the real estate frenzy, the Ministry of Finance issued a notice to "restrict land financing," which explicitly required financial institutions to limit the proportion of real estate loans.

In the second quarter alone, loans to the Japanese real estate industry decreased by 7800 billion yen.

However, while the Ministry of Finance can control banks, non-bank financial institutions have slipped through the net, such as residential finance companies that banks refer their clients to.

These companies, which the authorities are powerless to regulate and who act recklessly in pursuit of performance, have fueled the final frenzy of the Japanese real estate industry before its collapse, leading to a new round of soaring housing prices in Japan.

The bubble that was ultimately built up in the real estate industry foreshadowed the industry's collapse a year later and the collective collapse of 'residential finance companies' a few years later.

But for Hideki Hanyu, this is very good news.

Since they knew there would be problems, it was impossible not to take the opportunity to benefit themselves.

Hideki Hanyu had already laid the groundwork, using Cornerstone Bank and other banks and financial institutions he controlled in Japan to begin digging pits for certain companies that held high-quality real estate resources.

As for the purpose, it was naturally to make it easier for him to buy at rock-bottom prices after the real estate bubble burst.

High-quality real estate resources are also of great help to the future development of his companies.

From the initial bubble phase where money flowed in first and then out, to the current pattern of money flowing out first and then in, Hideki Hanyu has profited handsomely from the Japanese real estate industry several times over.

Of course, besides this benefit, the recent abnormal frenzy in the Japanese real estate industry has also brought him other problems.

For example, the Hong Kong tycoons who previously helped him take over his assets have recently started speaking well of him again.

Even though, as before, Mr. Yuzuru, after receiving these calls, "kindly" advised them that real estate investment is risky and that they should be cautious and take profits when they can.

But these guys, who never learn from their mistakes, have fallen into the same insatiable greed again.

That richest man, Li, even started large-scale real estate investments in Hokkaido.

Hideki Hanyu can only say that good advice is useless to those who deserve to die, and compassion is useless to those who have committed suicide.

So much time has passed, and they've settled all their accounts. If anything happens again, it's not his fault. Hideki Yuzuru is too lazy to care about these guys anymore.

However, besides these wealthy individuals who have partnered with him for investment, there is another person who has been frequently contacting him because of the Japanese real estate industry.

That was Luo Zhaohui of Shengshi Real Estate.

After Shengshi Real Estate went public in Hong Kong and its development in China went smoothly, Luo Zhaohui became a genuine billionaire and went completely overboard. In addition, he started hanging out with Liu Luanxiong, Zhao San Gongzi and others, and it was as if he had become a different person. He spent money like water, indulged in a life of pleasure and debauchery, and became wildly arrogant.

Recently, his subordinates reported that while this guy was talking to his future wife, Zheng Daifen, he was also spending money on this year's Miss Hong Kong contestant, surnamed Yuan, and was also having an ambiguous relationship with the newly crowned Miss Asia third runner-up in early August.

In fact, Hideki Hanyu didn't care about sensual pleasures at all; he was a scumbag himself anyway.

The problem is that after this guy got cocky, he started to lose his sense of proportion and couldn't even tell the difference between the two kings.

Seeing the dying glimmer of hope in the Japanese real estate market, this guy contacted Hideki Hanyu with a hint of complaint in his tone.

It's obvious that they resent Hideki Hanyu for not taking care of Shengshi Real Estate in the Japanese real estate market, not letting Shengshi Real Estate make money, and instead selling land to "outsiders" in Hong Kong.

To this, Hideki Hanyu simply replied with a curt remark.

"Are you drunk? If so, wait until you're sober before you talk to me."

Then he hung up the phone.

The phone call happened two days ago. Luo Zhaohui hadn't contacted Yuzuru Hideki for the past two days, and it was unclear whether he was feeling anxious or thinking about something else.

Hideki Hanyu didn't have high expectations for such a guy who became arrogant and overconfident after achieving success.

After all, if the other party truly had self-awareness, they wouldn't have ended up in such a state in another timeline.

……

Hideki Hanyu was about to go to work, and Yasuko Sawaguchi, who had nothing to do, immediately asked with great interest, "Can I come with Hideki-kun?"

As she spoke, she grabbed Ono Chiharu's hand and said, "Ono-senpai, come along too."

Hideki Hanyu said, "I didn't agree to that."

Upon hearing this, Yasuko Sawaguchi immediately grabbed Hideki Hanyu's hand and acted coquettishly, agreeing to a series of conditions that would win over the scumbag.

Finally, when Hideki Hanyu's Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit drove out of Chiyoda Ward and headed to Hanyu Investment's headquarters, Yasuko Sawaguchi and Chiharu Ono were indeed sitting in the car.

Interestingly, the two women sitting next to Hideki Hanyu were dressed in contrasting styles: one in the latest luxury haute couture gown, the other in a traditional neon kimono; one youthful and radiant, the other gentle and mature. Each possessed a unique beauty, providing the scumbag with a striking contrast.

Before long, the vehicle arrived at the Hanyu Investment Headquarters in the port area.

After entering his office, Hideki Hanyu let the two beauties wander around the Hanyu Investment Center while he focused on his work.

Not long after they finished their work, Honda Takeshi rushed over.

"Are you in such a hurry? What happened?" Hideki Yuzuru asked.

Honda Takeshi replied, "Chairman, we have just received news that the Bank of Japan will soon announce another increase in the benchmark interest rate."

Hideki Hanyu had already heard rumors that the Bank of Japan would raise its benchmark interest rate again, but he was unsure when the announcement would be made.

Now that he had received the exact time, he immediately turned on the television in his office.

Sure enough, not long after, he saw on the news broadcasts of several TV stations that Yasushi Mieno officially announced that the benchmark interest rate of the Bank of Japan would be raised to 6%.

Looking at the news, Hideki Hanyu knew very well that, if history didn't go wrong, this would be the last time the Japanese central bank raised its benchmark interest rate as the Japanese economic bubble burst.

With the financial and real estate sectors suffering a double blow and policies imposing comprehensive restrictions, Japan's booming economy has finally come to an end after the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Japan reached an agreement.

Of course, for a while, the Japanese will be so basking in the afterglow of their glory that they won't want to wake up.

Optimistic views on the economy will persist for a long time, from official circles to the general public.

Juliana's Tokyo, a disco nightclub opening in Tokyo next year, has become an entertainment mecca for young people to enjoy life and keep up with the latest trends.

The famous Ai Iijima and J-League's first star, Osamu Takeda, were both regulars at this disco nightclub.

Many say this nightclub witnessed the glory days of Japan's neon economy in the 1990s, and the "Juliana girls" in miniskirts and waving feather fans became a symbol of the era.

(Juliana Girl - Photo)

Looking back in time, Juliana's Tokyo, which closed down after only three years of operation, was just like Neon House, which refused to face its decline. It was nothing more than the afterglow of its glory, a place for ostriches to bury their heads in the sand and escape reality.

Putting aside all the random thoughts in his mind, Hideki Hanyu began to focus on the present moment and the changes that this news might bring.

Next, Hideki Hanyu and Takeshi Honda began discussing this matter.

It wasn't until two hours later that Takeshi Honda left to begin preparing countermeasures as instructed by Hideki Hanyu.

After Honda Takeshi left, Sawaguchi Yasuko and Ono Chiharu happened to return from their stroll. Hideki Hanyu, who had been busy all along, had just pulled the two beauties to help him relax when he received an unexpected phone call.

Managing Director Kishida of Mitsui Financial Group.

As soon as the call connected, the guy spoke to Hideki Hanyu in a dejected tone.

"President Yuzuru, please help me!"

"Please wait a moment, Managing Director Kishida."

After Hideki Hanyu finished speaking, he reached out and covered the microphone.

Then, looking at Yasuko Sawaguchi and Chiharu Ono kneeling in front of her, she said, "You two stop."

Chiharu Ono was obedient, but Yasuko Sawaguchi was still being mischievous until the scumbag glared at her fiercely, which finally stopped her from acting recklessly.

Hideki Hanyu put the microphone down again and asked.

"Managing Director Kishida, can you tell me what happened?"

Although Managing Director Kishida had helped him a lot all along, this help was always reciprocal and based on mutual benefit, with neither party owing the other anything.

For someone of Kishida's stature to come to him for help, the matter must be quite complicated.

Most importantly, although the other party's strength was far inferior to his, he still belonged to the upper circle and was surrounded by influential figures. Moreover, his relationship with the other party was by no means the best.

The fact that the other party chose to ask him for help instead of anyone else suggests there's definitely something wrong with that.

Therefore, even if the two parties have a good relationship, he would not rashly agree to the other party's request for help without first clarifying the matter.

Managing Director Kishida immediately responded on the other end of the phone.

"It's inconvenient to talk on the phone, how about we arrange to meet somewhere?"

Hideki Hanyu pondered for a moment and replied, "How about Ono Ryotei in Chiyoda Ward, where we met last time?"

"can."

After Managing Director Kishida confirmed the details and agreed on a time, the call ended.

Hideki Hanyu hung up the phone and immediately picked up Chiharu Ono.

"We need to hurry and visit your guests next."

Seeing that Hideki Hanyu was only holding Chiharu Ono, Yasuko Sawaguchi immediately pouted and clung to her.

(End of this chapter)