Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk.

Head of a financing company affiliated with Daiwa Securities.

The role of Osaka Shinkin Bank.

White Stone Refrigeration's Judicial Scribe.

Mitsubishi Bank appointed legal scrivener.

Masakazu Yamada, Yuri Chihaya, and Kiryu are the same.

Each person had a thick stack of documents in front of them.

Seals, seal certificates, register transcripts, repayment confirmations, pledge release documents, mortgage cancellation documents, mortgage creation documents, board resolutions, and applications for changes to the company owner register.

Kiryu Yaya looked at the documents on the desktop and suddenly had the illusion of a project's loan disbursement date from a past life.

These days are always like fighting a war.

9:15.

Osaka Credit Union confirmed the repayment amount of 90 million yen and the data on the erasure of the mortgage.

9:40.

Daiwa Securities, a financing company, confirmed the amount of short-term financing to be repaid for Takao Shiraishi and issued a commitment to release the share pledge.

Ten past ten.

The board of directors of Shiraishi Refrigeration approved the share transfer.

Ten thirty-five.

Seiji Shiraishi and Takao Shiraishi reaffirmed the share transfer agreement.

It's exactly 11 o'clock.

The Kansai urban development team has arrived.

It was Shuichi Kuroda himself who arrived.

He was wearing a dark gray suit, and his face still wore that businesslike smile.

But that smile was much colder than the one I saw in the conference room at the Dojima Cold Storage last time.

Shuichi Kuroda walked into the conference room, saw the table full of documents, and chuckled.

"It seems Mitsubishi Bank is very well prepared."

No one responded to his greeting.

Chihaya Yuri pushed the photocopy of the Kuroda contract to the center of the table.

"Mr. Kuroda, according to Article 7 of the money consumption loan agreement signed between your company and Mr. Shiraishi Takao, Mr. Shiraishi Takao has the right to repay the loan in advance before April 26, Heisei 3."

"The amount repaid this time includes the principal of 30 million euros and interest up to today."

"The funds will be transferred after confirmation in your designated account."

Shuichi Kuroda looked at her, his smile unchanged.

"Chihaya, is Mr. Shiraishi Takao really volunteering?"

Shuichi Kuroda turned to look at him, his voice as gentle as an old friend's:

“Mr. Longfu, it’s not too late to back out now. The condition of 340 million is still valid.”

Takao Shiraishi's fingers trembled slightly.

Seiji Shiraishi looked at him but didn't say anything.

This is a choice that Takao Shiraishi must make himself.

Kiryu Yaya also looked at Shiraishi Takao.

All eyes in the conference room were on this man.

Takao Shiraishi lowered his head and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, he raised his head, first looking at Kiryu Yaya, and then at Kuroda Shuichi.

"Mr. Kuroda."

"Ok?"

"Thank you for lending me 30 million before."

Takao Shiraishi's voice was hoarse, but much more stable than before.

"But I can't sell you the Whitestone Refrigeration unit."

The smile on Kuroda Shuichi's face finally faded a little.

"you sure?"

"determine."

Takao Shiraishi said:

"I've already lost once, and I don't want to lose a second time."

Shuichi Kuroda stared at him for a few seconds, then looked at Yaya Kiryu, seemingly realizing that he was the key person in the case.

Kiryu Yaya calmly met his gaze.

Then Kuroda Shuichi chuckled softly.

"A newcomer to Mitsubishi? Interesting, I'll remember you."

Kiryu Yaya did not respond to his provocation, but simply said:

"Mr. Kuroda, please take a look at the settlement confirmation."

Shuichi Kuroda glanced down at the settlement confirmation form.

Mitsubishi Bank has prepared all of its legal opinions, judicial scrivener opinions, excerpts from Article 7 of the contract, and details of the fund transfer process.

He could, of course, refuse to sign.

But the cost of doing so is that it pushes the matter from commercial negotiations into a legal dispute.

The person sitting opposite him was not Seiji Shiraishi, the president of a small or medium-sized enterprise.

It's Mitsubishi Bank.

Shuichi Kuroda picked up his pen.

signature.

stamp.

Then he pushed the payment confirmation back, stood up, and his gaze fell on Kiryu Yaya again, a smile appearing on his face:

"Kiryu-kun, we'll meet again."

Kiryu Yaya bowed slightly.

"Thank you for your kindness."

Shuichi Kuroda turned and left.

The moment the conference room door closed, Ayako Shiraishi finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

But Chihaya Yuri did not slack off.

"continue."

11:45.

Mitsubishi Bank fund transfer.

The Osaka Credit Union has completed the repayment of 90 million yen.

The debt settlement of the financing companies affiliated with Daiwa Securities has been completed.

The principal and related expenses of the 30 million euro Kansai Urban Development Project have been fully repaid.

Ten past twelve.

Daiwa Securities, a financing company, issued a letter of release of pledge.

12:30.

The change of owner's name in the Baishi Refrigeration Plant register has been completed.

Seiji Shiraishi's shareholding ratio increased from 38% to 66%.

Takao Shiraishi has been removed from the list of shareholders.

1:40 PM.

The judicial scrivener went to the Legal Affairs Bureau to submit an application for the cancellation of the original right of registration and the establishment of a new registration.

3:20 PM.

The call was made back to the Osaka branch of Mitsubishi Bank.

"The registration application has been accepted."

Chihaya Yuri hung up the phone.