Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

Zhengyi's transparent pricing strategy is not just an empty slogan, but a meticulously planned business blitzkrieg.

The day after the announcement, all of Tokyo Hakuzen's business outlets were completely renovated.

In the most prominent spot in the lobby of each establishment, a huge electronic display screen hangs, scrolling through a list of detailed prices for all services.

Moreover, they have begun to offer a "one-stop" service from funeral to cremation.

From the most basic body transportation, refrigeration, and cremation, to the venue fee and master of ceremonies fee for the farewell ceremony, and then to funeral supplies such as urns and burial clothes, every item is clearly priced, even down to the difference between "body makeup fee (normal)" and "body makeup fee (special effects)".

To avoid overwhelming customers with a multitude of projects, Tokyo Hakuzen offers three standardized packages: Peace of Mind, Decent, and Premium.

Each package includes a full range of services from transportation to burial, with transparent pricing and no hidden costs.

Zhengyi even published a comparison picture of the meal packages in the newspaper, bluntly stating: "We reject the use of filial piety as a means of coercion, and the use of grief as a reason for exploitation."

Tokyo Hakuzen's official website also features a funeral expenses simulator.

Users only need to enter the deceased's basic information and their own needs, and the system will automatically generate a detailed expense list, accurate to the Japanese yen.

This move completely breaks down information barriers in the industry, allowing clients to be well-informed before arranging a funeral.

This series of actions was like a heavy hammer blow, slamming into the stagnant pool of the funeral industry.

Those in the same industry who were used to profiting from information asymmetry panicked instantly.

Their price list remained unclear, and the so-called "packages" contained countless "value-added services" that required additional payment.

Once the customer compares the two, the difference is immediately apparent.

Other funeral companies were also terrified when they saw that Zheng Yi was serious.

Are you really here for a normal business battle?
But after they saw Zheng Yi's transparent pricing, they immediately calmed down.

"Baka! The transparent price he mentioned is even more expensive than all those hidden charges before!"

Now, the panicked ones are the potential customers of those funeral companies.

When they heard Zheng Yi say that he would be transparent about pricing, they were initially pleased, thinking that Zheng Yi was finally getting down to business.

But they still overestimated Zhengyi.

Zhengyi's transparency reforms had just begun, and before people could even applaud this business leader who dared to challenge the industry's unspoken rules, the reality of the bills extinguished that enthusiasm like cold water.

Previously, under the protection of the ward-based funeral system, residents of Tokyo's 23 wards could have a dignified cremation for less than 6 yen.

Now, Tokyo's Hakuzen has announced its withdrawal from the ward's private funeral system, and the new basic cremation fee has soared to 87,000 yen, an increase of nearly 50%.

This is just the beginning.

Those costs that were once hidden in the package deals are now laid out one by one: body transport fees, refrigeration fees, farewell hall usage fees, master of ceremonies fees...

Each item has a clearly marked price, but when added together, it far exceeds the affordability of an average family.

An office worker who had just held her mother's funeral posted her bill on social media, which totaled 120 million yen, almost twice the amount of similar services in the past.

"Is this what they call 'transparency'? This is clearly 'outright robbery'!" This post quickly garnered tens of thousands of likes and shares.

Anger spread like a plague.

People began to realize that Zhengyi's transparency was merely a way to legitimize price increases.

The front page of the Justice Daily was once again dominated by Zheng Yi, but this time, the headline was no longer about reshaping the industry's light, but about funeral price hikes, with Zheng Yi accused of profiting from the dead.

This report was like a bombshell, completely igniting public anger.

Protesters began to gather outside the Tokyo Hakuzen store.

Holding signs that read "Zhengyi, get out of the funeral industry" and "Refuse to profit from the dead," they chanted slogans and demanded an explanation from Zhengyi.

"Everything he said before was a lie! All that talk about transparency and high standards was just an excuse to cover up his price increase!"

“I’ve said it before, no capitalist is any good! He acquired Tokyo Hirozen just to monopolize the market and then raise prices at will!”

"Zhengyi, you owe us an apology! You must lower the price back!"

The waves of anger surged higher and higher.

In a private room at a high-end club in Tokyo, the business tycoons who had once been repeatedly defeated by Zheng Yi were now raising their glasses in celebration.

"Well done! Zheng Yi, that kid, ruined his own life!" An elderly man with gray hair laughed so hard that the wrinkles on his face were all squeezed together.

"He thinks he can win people's hearts by being 'transparent'? Humph, he forgot that what the people want isn't transparency, but cheap deals! Now he's put himself in the eye of the storm, and we can use this opportunity to retaliate!"

“That’s right,” another middle-aged businessman chimed in, his eyes gleaming with smugness. “We’ve already spread the word that his transparency is just an excuse to raise prices. Now that public anger has been ignited, all we have to do is fan the flames and we can completely ruin his reputation!”

But when it comes to the phrase "utterly disgraced," it feels somewhat inappropriate.

Given Zheng Yi's current situation, reputation is no longer of any concern.

Zhengyi's reforms have affected the interests of too many people.

Those competitors whose business had been taken away united again. Through industry associations, they pressured the government, accusing Zheng Yi of disrupting market order and even spreading rumors that Tokyo Hakuzen's low-priced meals were made with substandard ingredients.

But soon, people from those companies came out to deny the rumors, saying that Mr. Zhengyi is an outstanding entrepreneur and a respectable business leader.

Tokyo Hakuzen has always been an industry benchmark and a role model for all funeral companies. The so-called accusations are completely unfounded.

The public began to take concrete actions to boycott Tokyo Hakuzen.

But if boycotts are effective, then what's the point of monopolies?
If you go to other crematoriums, you'll just have to wait for the body to rot and stink before you even get a turn in the queue!

When they went to other funeral companies, they were surprised to find that they had all raised their prices, just by different amounts.

Seeing the crowd's outrage, Zheng frowned and said, "These unruly people, how can they not see my good intentions?"

Ai looked at Shoichi, her eyelids twitching. "Actually, I can't see what your good intentions are in doing this."

"You can't even see the significance of transparent pricing?" Zheng Yi said strangely. "Now that it's transparent, it's also reduced the number of 'funeral assassins'."

Ai nodded.

Yes, yes, the assassination by assassins is gone; they've replaced it with direct killing.

She looked at the newspaper and said, "Are you really going to make money off the dead? You have no morals at all."

“Business is business, you can’t be ethical,” Zheng Yi said in a low voice. “Besides, when I acquired Tokyo Bozen, I promised to raise the salaries of all its employees.”

"If we don't increase company profits, where will the money come from to raise their salaries?"

And since he mentioned all the members, his salary as the boss should also increase.

Zheng Yi looked at Xiao Ai and said, "I remember when we talked about raising salaries, you said I had a change of heart."

"Hmph!" Zheng Yi snorted coldly. "Women are so fickle, and they always have to be wise after the event."

Zheng Yi wasn't actually very happy either.

The fact that Zheng Yi's reputation was so bad the first time he used normal business tactics was very frustrating.

Am I only capable of fighting and killing?
He also wanted to be a civilized person. Ai took a deep breath and refrained from acknowledging Masakazu.

She was afraid that if she talked to Zhengyi, he would blame her for everything.

"And there's a reason why I raised prices," Zheng Yi said. "The raw materials for coffins in China are heavily reliant on imports, and now that the price of raw materials has gone up, there's nothing I can do about it."

"How much did it go up?" Ai asked curiously.

"Anyway, it's gone up," Zheng Yi said.

Ai nodded again.

I understand, it definitely won't rise as much as yours.

Zheng Yi said helplessly, "Moreover, it's not just the raw materials; the labor cost of manufacturing coffins is also very high."

"It seems like other services besides coffins have also gone up in price a lot," Ai said.

“Yes, there are reasons for all of that,” Zheng Yi said. “And I’ve also heard that other funeral companies besides ours have raised their prices, and they did so secretly.”

The sudden price increase caught some customers off guard and made it difficult for them to afford it. However, the company used this as an excuse to brazenly withhold the ashes of the deceased.

Their actions were so heinous and their intentions so malicious that they were utterly outrageous and heinous!

But thankfully, we're here.

Zheng Yi said, "Now that I offer transparent pricing, no matter how much other funeral companies raise their prices, they won't dare to go higher than us. This can be considered setting an industry standard."

Is this considered an advantage?

Ai said speechlessly, "I've discovered that you're actually quite amazing; you can even find this kind of advantage."

"I call it having an eye for beauty," Zheng Yi said with a smile.

Ai pouted, "Actually, I wasn't praising you."

"The only thing you can appreciate about beauty is probably the long string of zeros in your bank account," Ai rolled her eyes, mercilessly exposing his self-indulgence.

Zheng Yi shrugged, clearly immune to this level of criticism.

He picked up the remote and turned up the TV volume.

On the screen, the funeral company owner who withheld the ashes was surrounded by angry family members at the store entrance, with the microphone almost shoved into his face.

"That idiot," Zheng Yi sneered, "His behavior was disgusting. Using such despicable methods as kidnapping ashes, he's a disgrace to his profession. But..."

He then changed the subject: "It's also thanks to him that the public's hatred level has been maximized. Now everyone feels that although Tokyo Hirozen is a bit expensive, at least we uphold martial ethics and did not confiscate the ashes. This is what you call 'being made better by the contrast with our peers'."

Looking at his self-righteous face, Ai suddenly felt powerless.

This man is like a sponge that has absorbed a lot of water. No matter how much you squeeze, he can always turn water into gold with a strange logic.

Zheng Yi's mood suddenly improved a little.

Although its reputation is still very bad, it can't be said that it has no effect.

This kind of overt price increase is much more pleasing than the kind of covert price increase.

Those potential clients of funeral companies, while disgusted by Zheng Yi, are clearly even more disgusted by other funeral companies.

A few days later, Zheng Yi looked at the report sent from below and found that business had actually been even more booming than before.

According to those people's deductions, the company's market share is increasing, but the specific figure will have to wait for the investigation results.

The fact that they achieved such results in their first normal business battle filled Zheng Yi with confidence.

"I really am a business genius," Zheng Yi said proudly.

"No!" Ai shook her head and said, "You're just not as bad as others."

"You have a really harsh way of speaking."

But Masakazuki is still very good to the Japanese people.

The price increase is to support the employees, not to force them to work.

So he partnered with Sumitomo Bank to launch a special "funeral loan".

This loan aims to help families pay for various funeral expenses, including cremation, coffins, and ceremony venues.

Down payment only 30%!!!
However, this measure, intended to benefit the country and its people, did not win praise; instead, it was met with a barrage of criticism.

Zheng Yi was very dissatisfied.

"These troublemakers! Didn't you see that the family whose ashes were held captive used the loan I offered to redeem them?"

Ai chimed in, "Yes, yes, as for why that funeral company raised its prices, let's not worry about that for now."

"How can we manage that?" Zheng Yi said in a low voice, "We can't interfere with the specific affairs of other companies."

"Yes, yes, yes."

……

In Osaka, the office of the president of a mid-sized funeral company called "Gokurakusho" is filled with smoke.

President Tanaka Ichiro was trembling as he looked at the letter of intent for acquisition from the Justice Group.

He was a fat man, and the sweat pouring down his face made his oily face look even more comical and terrifying.

"Is this...is this an ultimatum?"

Tanaka Ichiro's hand trembled as he pointed to the terms on the letter of intent and looked at the young woman sitting on the opposite sofa.

The representative was wearing a sharp suit and had a standard professional smile on his face.

“Um… Mr. Representative of the Justice Group,” Tanaka swallowed hard, his voice trembling with emotion.

“I know that we at ‘Paradise Delivery’ have made a little money over the years, but we really haven’t offended Mr. Sumitomo Shoichi! Besides, we’re just a small company. If you’re interested, I recommend that you acquire our competitor, ‘Coffin Association’,”

In his mind, the name Sumitomo Shoichi was synonymous with "violence," "forced demolition," and "family destruction and death."

“Ah, President Tanaka, you’ve misunderstood,” Akemi Miyano said. “We are making a normal acquisition, only buying 10%, and at the normal price.”

"Huh? Really?" Tanaka looked at Miyano Akemi in disbelief.

Akemi Miyano nodded, a genuine smile on her face.

Akemi Miyano was in a good mood as she conducted her first normal business negotiation.

Tanaka Ichiro was completely confused.

This doesn't fit the script!
Shoichi Sumitomo, the legendary figure known for his motto "Those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish," has actually started engaging in normal business investments.

And the terms offered are so generous, it looks like... doing charity?

That's right, if Zheng Yi were to act normally, it would be like doing charity work. (End of Chapter)