Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk.

The exam room is one of the few that is open even on weekends.

Kiryu Yaya stood in the queue, holding his resident certificate, photo, stamp, and application form.

It is not difficult to waive the original payment.

Aptitude test, written test, and original lectures.

You can get your certificate on the same day you pass.

But when he paid the fee, he still felt a pang of heartache.

Ten thousand euros.

That's enough for him to eat more than sixty meals at the bank's cafeteria.

But thinking of the Honda Super Cub in the system space, he still handed over the money.

The effectiveness of the "Road Traffic Law Shorthand" was immediately apparent once the written exam began.

The original legal maximum speed was 30 kilometers per hour.

Two-stage right turn at multi-lane intersections.

Two people are not allowed to ride in the vehicle.

A safety helmet must be worn.

You must stop immediately at a railway crossing.

The results were announced half an hour later.

Passed.

3 PM.

Original payment and free license received.

As Kiryu Yaya stepped out of the test site, a system notification popped up.

[The host has been detected to have obtained the original payment exemption license]

The Honda Super Cub 50 moped has been legally registered.

The vehicle keys, proof of liability insurance, and related documents have been sent to the host's home email address.

When he returned to the Eban apartment that evening, he indeed found a brown paper bag in his mailbox.

Then he found a deserted alley and took the motorcycle out of the system space.

Next to the parking space downstairs, a brand-new Honda Super Cub 50 was parked quietly.

Black body, round headlights.

Kiryu Yaya stood in front of the car and solemnly patted the seat.

"I'll be relying on you for my commute from now on."

He got into the car, inserted the key, and stepped on the start lever.

The engine made a sputtering sound.

……

Monday morning.

A dark blue Toyota drove into the Dojima area.

Dojima is close to Nakanoshima, Kitashinchi, and Umeda, making it one of the few locations in Osaka that combines both commercial and logistical value.

Shiraishi Refrigeration's Dojima Cold Storage is located at the end of a somewhat narrow road.

The three-story old-style cold storage building had some graying exterior walls, but it was well-maintained.

Several refrigerated trucks were parked at the entrance, and workers were loading boxes of frozen food onto them.

Seiji Shiraishi was already waiting at the door.

He was wearing a dark work uniform today, with the words "Baishi Refrigeration" embroidered on his chest.

"Chihaya-sama, Kiryu-san, thank you for coming all this way."

Chihaya Yuri gets straight to the point:

"President Shiraishi, today I will be inspecting the site, ledgers, equipment, and customer delivery records."

"Of course, this way please."

Upon entering the cold storage, a wave of cold air hits you.

Kiryu Yaya couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

The frozen section, refrigerated section, temporary storage section, and sorting section are clearly separated.

The floor is clean, the shelves are neatly numbered, and the goods are arranged in an orderly manner.

Unlike the rusty and weary atmosphere of Fuji Metal, Shiraishi Refrigeration gives the first impression of stability, busyness, and clear discipline.

Chihaya Yuri walked and asked questions along the way:

What is the average daily outbound volume?

"Normally, we have 300 to 400 boxes. In the summer, this number can increase to over 500 boxes."

"Delivery radius?"

"Mainly Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto, with some trips to Nara."

Is it necessary to upgrade cold storage equipment?

Seiji Shiraishi stopped in front of a set of compressors.

The machine emitted a low hum.

"This equipment has been in use for thirteen years. It can still operate, but it consumes a lot of electricity, and the frequency of maintenance has increased. It broke down twice last summer, but fortunately it did not cause any damage to the customer's goods."

Chihaya Yuri squatted down to look at the nameplate.

Kiryu Yaya did not speak immediately.

He walked to the wall of the equipment room and glanced at the monthly inspection report posted there.

Then Kiryu Yaya looked at the electricity usage record next to him, his brows furrowing slightly.

"President Shiraishi."

"Ok?"

"Over the past six months, there hasn't been a significant increase in outbound shipments, right?"

"Yes."

"Then why is the power consumption nearly 15% higher than the same period last year?"

Seiji Shiraishi paused for a moment.

Chihaya Yuri also raised her head.

Kiryu Yaya pointed to the electricity records on the wall.

"If the outflow is stable and the storage capacity utilization rate has not improved significantly, there are usually only a few reasons for the increase in power consumption."

"Decreased insulation performance, abnormal door opening frequency, or significant decline in compressor unit efficiency."

He then looked through the inspection checklist.

“But your door opening records are still normal, and the warehouse door sealing strip was just replaced last year.”

His pen tip landed on the column for Unit 2.

"So the problem most likely lies here."

The maintenance team leader stood to the side, his expression changing slightly.

Seiji Shiraishi immediately looked at him.

"Sato?"

The maintenance team leader hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and said:

"Unit 2 has indeed occasionally issued overload alarms recently, but they have all recovered automatically, so they have not been reported separately."

Chihaya Yuri's gaze instantly turned cold.

Seiji Shiraishi's face also darkened.

"Wasn't it reported separately?"

Kiryu Yaya said calmly:

"President Shiraishi, this is no small matter."

“The risks associated with cold storage equipment are different from those of ordinary manufacturing equipment. When ordinary equipment stops, production decreases. But when cold storage equipment malfunctions, it results in a direct loss of the customer’s goods.”

He looked at Chihaya Yuri.

"Section Chief, the necessity of upgrading the equipment is self-evident to the customer."

Chihaya Yuri nodded.