Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk.

There was a clear hint of surprise in her eyes as she looked at Kiryu Yaya.

This guy even understands risk assessment for cold chain equipment?

Kiryu Yaya shrugged. In his previous life, during his more than ten years in the banking industry, he had dealt with every kind of company.

He has a wealth of professional experience.

After touring the cold storage, the group went to the conference room on the second floor.

Ayako Shiraishi was also there.

She poured tea for the two of them, her movements somewhat nervous.

Kiryu also asked:

"Miyazawa-san didn't come today?"

Ayako Shiraishi shook her head.

"Keiko said today is the formal review, and it's inconvenient for her to come. She asked me to tell Kiryu-san not to force her because of her relationship with her."

Kiryu Yaya nodded.

Keiko Miyazawa is quite tactful in this regard.

Chapter 23 Kansai Urban Development

After exchanging pleasantries.

Seiji Shiraishi did not immediately discuss financing terms.

He remained silent for a few seconds, as if sorting out a family scandal that was difficult to talk about, before slowly speaking:

"Before we proceed with the formal review, I must explain something to both of you."

Chihaya Yuri put down her teacup.

Kiryu Yaya also raised his head.

Seiji Shiraishi glanced at Ayako Shiraishi sitting next to him, his voice lowering slightly:

"About my younger brother, Takao Shiraishi."

Ayako Shiraishi's fingers tightened slightly.

“Longfu is my younger brother and one of the shareholders of Shiraishi Refrigeration. He holds the 28% stake that our father allocated to him back then.”

As Shiraishi Seiji spoke, a hint of weariness appeared on his face.

"At the height of the bubble, he became obsessed with stock investing. At first, he only bought stocks of some big companies, then he started doing credit lending, and later... real estate stocks, financial stocks, golf memberships, he dabbled in everything."

“After the Nikkei average began to decline last year, his losses from margin trading grew larger and larger. Daiwa Securities kept sending him margin calls. In order to replenish the margin, he first sold what he could sell, and then borrowed a short-term loan from a financing company affiliated with Daiwa Securities.”

Seiji Shiraishi's voice grew even deeper.

"The collateral for that short-term funding was his 28% stake in Whitestone Refrigeration."

The meeting room fell silent.

Chihaya Yuri's gaze sharpened slightly.

Kiryu Yaya nodded slightly in his heart.

This aligns with the information he previously gleaned from the perspective of "the operator's obsession."

Seiji Shiraishi took a folder from the cabinet and placed it on the desktop.

"These are the relevant documents regarding Takao Shiraishi's shareholding pledge."

Kiryu Yaya's gaze fell on the folder.

The real core has arrived.

Seiji Shiraishi opened the folder.

The first page contains a margin call notice issued by Daiwa Securities.

The second page contains a photocopy of a short-term financing contract from a financing company affiliated with Daiwa Securities.

The third page contains the pledge agreement for 28% of White Stone Refrigeration's shares, as well as a notice of the proposed disposal of the security.

Chihaya Yuri's gaze lingered on the last line.

Deadline: May 2nd, 3rd year of Heisei (1964), Thursday, 3 PM.

Kiryu Yaya glanced at the calendar on the wall.

Today is Monday, April 22nd.

There are ten days left until the deadline.

However, if you deduct the weekend in between and Green Day on April 29th, the actual working days that banks, securities companies, financing companies, judicial scriveners, and the legal affairs bureau can utilize are pitifully few.

To make matters worse, the Golden Week holiday starts on May 3rd.

Unlike in China, Japan's May long holiday consists of three holidays: Constitution Memorial Day, National Holiday, and Children's Day, plus a compensatory day off on Sunday, making it a total of four days.

Therefore, if the transfer of funds, repayment of debts of the financing company, release of pledges, recognition of share transfer, change of name on the owner's register, and application for guarantee registration cannot be completed before 3 pm on May 2, the matter will be delayed until after Golden Week.

However, Shiraishi Takao's 28% stake wouldn't last until then.

May 2nd.

Chihaya Yuri repeated it softly.

Seiji Shiraishi lowered his head, his voice somewhat heavy:

"Yes. The deadline for additional margin from Daiwa Securities and the deadline for disposing of guarantees from Daiwa Securities-affiliated financing companies are both set before 3 p.m. on May 2nd."

“If Takao cannot make up the margin or repay the short-term financing, the financing company will initiate the guarantee disposal procedure.”

"I personally have no way to raise more than 300 million in cash within ten days."

“If it were just a loan for equipment from Shiraishi Refrigeration, I shouldn’t have involved the family’s shareholding. But once Dojima Cold Storage is controlled by Kuroda, the company itself will lose its foundation for operation.”

"Therefore, I hope your bank can review both the corporate financing of Baishi Refrigeration and the bridge loan I personally obtained from Longfu Shares."

Ayako Shiraishi sat beside her, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt.

She clearly already knew that her uncle had gotten into trouble.

But it wasn't until this moment that she truly realized it wasn't just a regular investment loss.

This is a crisis powerful enough to shake Whitestone Refrigeration's control.

Kiryu Yaya asked:

"Has Kansai Urban Development officially made an acquisition offer?"

Seiji Shiraishi's face darkened.

"Yes. They contacted Lonf through an intermediary and were willing to acquire his 28% stake for 340 million euros."

"cash?"

"cash."

"Payment terms?"

"They said the money would arrive by next Wednesday at the latest."

Kiryu Yaya narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Then the real deadline is not May 2nd."

Seiji Shiraishi paused for a moment.

"what?"

Kiryu Yaya looked at the documents on the table and said calmly:

"May 2nd is the contract pressure point set by Daiwa Securities and its affiliated financing companies."

"But the real deadline for Kansai urban development is next Wednesday."

"If they had put the money in front of Mr. Shiraishi Takao a day earlier than Mitsubishi Bank, Mr. Shiraishi Takao would have been completely overthrown."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

Chihaya Yuri's gaze sharpened slightly.

She also thought of this direction.

Seiji Shiraishi's expression darkened further.

“Indeed… Ryūfu has been quite wavering lately.”

Kiryu Yaya continued to ask:

"Just wavering?"

Seiji Shiraishi remained silent for a few seconds.

"Strictly speaking, it's not just a matter of wavering."

He raised his head, as if he had finally made up his mind, and said: