Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk.

“Lonf doesn’t quite trust me anymore.”

No one responded in the meeting room.

Another twenty minutes passed.

Five fifty-nine.

A series of slightly disordered footsteps echoed down the corridor.

The conference room door was pushed open.

Takao Shiraishi walked in.

He is a few years younger than Seiji Shiraishi, and they have similar facial features, but their temperaments are completely different.

Seiji Shiraishi carries the heavy burden of responsibility that a business owner has long been burdened with, while Takao Shiraishi retains the last vestiges of the bubble economy's extravagance and disarray.

He was wearing an expensive gray suit, but the cuffs were a bit wrinkled, his tie was loose, and his eyes were bloodshot.

It felt like I hadn't slept well for several nights in a row.

As soon as he entered, his gaze swept over Shiraishi Seiji, then landed on Chihaya Yuri and Kiryu Yaya.

"So, is Mitsubishi Bank going to put me on trial now?"

Chapter 28 Takao Shiraishi's Repentance

Seiji Shiraishi's face darkened.

"Takao."

Did I say something wrong?

Takao Shiraishi sneered.

"You called the bank people over, didn't you? You just want me to sell you the stocks at a low price?"

The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became tense.

Kiryu Yaya looked at Shiraishi Takao.

The man in front of me is a typical example of the type of person who emerged after the bursting of the economic bubble.

They believed that assets would always rise, credit would always expand, and tomorrow would always be better than today.

But as the bubble bursts and everything becomes an illusion, they remain immersed in the past, unwilling to wake up.

Takao Shiraishi pulled out a chair and sat down.

"I heard that Mitsubishi is willing to offer 320 million?"

Masakazu Yamada couldn't help but correct him:

“It was not Mitsubishi Bank that made the offer; the bank was not the buyer of the shares.”

Takao Shiraishi waved his hand impatiently.

"It's all the same. The money comes from your bank anyway."

He leaned back, his tone clearly defensive.

"Mr. Kuroda gave me 340 million. You have 20 million less than him, and you still want my cooperation on things like releasing the pledge, changing the name, and getting board approval... Why should I choose you?"

Three hundred and forty million and three hundred and forty million.

There's a difference of 20 million euros.

In the height of the bubble economy, many people might not have taken 20 million seriously.

But for Takao Shiraishi, it might have been the last piece of driftwood he could grasp after struggling to escape credit dredging, margin calls, the collapse of golf memberships, and debt collection by securities financing companies.

Seiji Shiraishi whispered his advice:

"Takao, this isn't about money. Kuroda wants the Dojima Cold Storage; that's the foundation of Shiraishi Refrigeration!"

"So what?!"

Takao Shiraishi suddenly raised his head.

"The Dojima Cold Storage is a company asset, and the company belongs to the shareholders. What's wrong with the shareholders selling assets to make money?"

Seiji Shiraishi's brows furrowed sharply:

Do you know what you're saying?

"Of course I know."

Takao Shiraishi's voice rose a few decibels.

"If I can't repay the money by May 2nd, Daiwa will take action against my guarantee, and then I'll have nothing!"

He pointed at Seiji Shiraishi and said fiercely:

“Brother, you’ve been groomed to inherit the company since you were little. Father took you to the cold storage, introduced you to clients, taught you accounting, and trained you to be his successor. But what about me?”

"These are all the stocks I have."

"So what's wrong with me selling the stocks now?"

Seiji Shiraishi opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a moment.

The meeting room was eerily quiet.

Just then, semi-transparent text appeared before Kiryu Yaya's eyes.

[New life options have been triggered]

[Takao Shiraishi has been pushed to the brink by debt, additional margin calls, and Shuichi Kuroda.]

Your response at this moment will determine the outcome of this equity negotiation.

Option 1: Remain silent and let Shiraishi Seiji continue to persuade his younger brother.

[Reward: Deposit increased by €5, negotiations are highly likely to fail]

[Option 2: Directly intervene, pointing out that Kuroda Shuichi's offer was not a lifeline, but rather bait to allow Shiraishi Takao to escalate the failure to the entire Shiraishi family.]

[Reward: Savings increased by €10; Ayako Shiraishi's favorability increased]

[Option 3: In front of Seiji Shiraishi, verbally abuse Takao Shiraishi, exposing his gambler's mentality, self-deception, and the fact that he continues to drag the Shiraishi family down.]

[Reward: Savings increased by €20; Ayako Shiraishi's favorability decreased]

Kiryu Yaya looked at Shiraishi Takao and suddenly said:

"Mr. Takao Shiraishi, please calm down."

Takao Shiraishi turned to look at him.

"you are?"

"The Financing Review Division, Kiryu, is truly exceptional."

"Oh."

Takao Shiraishi sneered.

"A newbie who hasn't even grown up yet dares to interrupt? Mitsubishi Bank is getting worse every day."

Kiryu Yaya ignored his tone and said directly:

“Mr. Takao Shiraishi, why do you think Shuichi Kuroda was willing to pay an extra 20 million? It’s because he’s not just buying your 28% stake, but also the future of Shiraishi Refrigeration.”

"In this future, there will be no jobs for Whitestone Refrigeration employees, nor will there be a place for you as a member of the Whitestone family."

There is only one thing...

"That means you have to hand over the company your father left behind to an outsider."

Takao Shiraishi's expression gradually turned ugly.

He suddenly stood up.

"What do you know, you newbie at the bank!"

The chair slid backward with a jarring sound after being hit.

"Do you know how it felt when Daiwa Securities was chasing me for margin calls? Do you know how it felt when people from financing companies called my home? Do you know how people who used to play golf with me now treat me like I'm a plague?"

His voice grew louder and louder.

"Of course you can say nice things!"

“Mitsubishi Bank is sitting here, my brother is sitting here, and you both say you want to protect the company!”

"what about me?"

"I lost money, I'm being chased by debt collectors, I can't sleep at night, every time I close my eyes I see margin call notices!"

"Kuroda, at least give me cash!"

What will you give me?

No one spoke in the meeting room.

Ayako Shiraishi's eyes were already red.