Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

The 47th floor is much quieter than the floors below.

The heavy carpet absorbed most of the footsteps, and on both sides of the dark wood wall panels were individual offices, with employees occasionally hurrying past from the other end of the corridor carrying documents.

Gutfred led Satsuki further inside, finally stopping in front of a small private conference room.

"Please come in."

Satsuki went inside.

The meeting room was small, with a long table and five or six chairs on each side. An aerial photograph of New York Harbor hung on the wall, and the Hudson River and the New Jersey skyline could be seen from the window.

Several people were already seated on the Solomon side—Satsuki recognized two of them: the CFO and the Senior Vice President in charge of fixed income. They were all core members of Solomon's top management.

In addition to Satsuki and Frank, Saionji also had two legal and risk management personnel temporarily transferred from the New York office.

Satsuki sat down on one side of the long table.

Gutfred sat down opposite him.

The meeting room door was closed from the outside.

Gutfred placed his hands on the table and looked at Satsuki.

"So, Ms. Saionji—may we begin?"

Satsuki nodded.

"Please speak."

Gutfred paused for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.

Then he spoke, his voice much calmer than when he was in the lobby.

"First, I want to clarify one thing."

"The problems the Solomon brothers are facing now are indeed serious."

"Customers are leaving, counterparties are tightening margin requirements, the rate of commercial paper renewals continues to decline, and banks are reducing credit lines."

His tone was calm, neither trying to conceal anything nor exaggerating.

"But the root of these problems is not that Solomon's business capabilities are flawed, nor that our assets have suddenly become worthless."

"What truly collapsed was trust."

Satsuki didn't interrupt him, but listened quietly.

"The position that Solomon has built in the fixed income and Treasury markets over the past thirty years has never been achieved by luck."

Gutfred continued.

"What Solomon currently possesses has not suddenly vanished because of a scandal."

"We still have one of the strongest fixed income teams in the world, remain the most important primary dealer in the U.S. Treasury market, and still have a vast network of institutional clients and a global clearing and sales system."

"In the Asian market, Salomon Brothers remains one of the few companies that can truly bridge the gap between Eastern and Western capital."

He paused.

"They're all still here."

"It's just that nobody wants to believe they can still be of value."

Satsuki picked up the water glass on the table and took a small sip.

"So what do you want Saionji to do?"

"I hope that Saionji can become the partner that helps the market rebuild trust."

Gutfred's tone became more serious.

"As long as a partner with sufficient capital, market credibility, and willingness to cooperate long-term steps forward, many deteriorating factors can be quickly stopped."

Specifically—

He gestured to his assistant to distribute a document to everyone.

"First, we will continue to fulfill our existing three-year cooperation agreement. We will not withdraw our existing business and assets."

"Secondly, I hope that both sides can further expand long-term cooperation. Whether in the US market or the Asian market, Solomon is willing to provide Saionji with more in-depth services."

"third--"

He paused for a moment.

"I hope that Saionji can provide Solomon with long-term capital, and arrange standby credit support if necessary."

"The specific form can be discussed; it could be direct investment or other more flexible arrangements."

Satsuki raised an eyebrow: "Anything else?"

Gutfred smiled.

"I hope this rescue plan can maintain continuity in operation and management."

"Solomon needs adjustments and improvements, but it doesn't need to completely overhaul its existing management system because of a crisis."

After hearing this, Satsuki did not immediately express her opinion.

Hmm, it seems this last point is the most important...

She picked up the water glass on the table and took a sip.

"Well then, Mr. Goodfred—"

She put down the cup.

What will Saionji gain?

Gutfred's eyes lit up.

This is the question he has been waiting for.

"First, you will be entering an investment bank that still has world-class business capabilities at crisis prices."

"Solomon's current valuation is far below its true value, which is caused by market panic. Once the crisis is over, this value will quickly return to its original level."

"Secondly, Saionji will have a truly long-term and deeply integrated financial partner in the US capital market."

"This is no longer a regular customer relationship; Saionji will be entering into a strategic partnership with Salomon Brothers."

Gutfred's tone became more persuasive.

"Third, through this collaboration, Saionji can further expand its trading network between Asia and the United States, and even participate in some projects that were previously only accessible to the core circle of Wall Street."

"at last--"

He paused for a moment.

"Through a successful crisis rescue, Saionji will establish a level of credibility and relationships in the US capital market that no other investment can buy."

"You just demonstrated Saionji's attitude to everyone downstairs."

"If this collaboration is ultimately successful, then the next time an American company needs capital or a reliable partner—"

Gutfred looked at Satsuki.

"They will think of Saionji first."

The meeting room fell silent again.

Satsuki, who had been leaning back in her chair, sat up a little straighter.

have to say.

This guy is certainly good at talking.

If the person sitting here were an ordinary investor who was already interested in Salomon Brothers and had a lot of cash on hand, after hearing this whole set of logic, they would probably start seriously calculating how much money they should put out.

First, explain that Solomon's truly valuable assets have not disappeared; then, explain the crisis as a reversible credit problem; next, tell investors that now is the best opportunity to enter this asset at a low price; finally, repackage an ordinary capital rescue as a ticket to enter the core network of American capital.

There wasn't a single "Please save me" uttered from beginning to end.

Even by the end, it might make you feel like Solomon gave you a rare opportunity.

Satsuki looked down at the preliminary data that had just been delivered to the table.

The above is a summary of Salomon's liquidity situation, client changes, counterparty margin adjustments, and records of dealings with regulators in recent weeks.

She flipped through a few pages.

The numbers aren't great, but they're not so bad as to be beyond repair.

The rate of commercial paper renewals is declining, but cash reserves can still hold for some time.

Customers are being lost, but the core business team has not yet experienced a large-scale exodus.

The regulatory pressure is immense, but the Treasury and the Federal Reserve have not yet indicated any intention to directly revoke Solomon Islands' primary dealer status.

in other words--

This company is indeed dangerous, but it's not dead yet.

As long as the collapse of credit can be stopped, management and regulatory issues can be resolved, and sufficient capital buffers can be provided—

It can still be saved.

Satsuki raised her head.

"Mr. Goodfred."

"yes?"

"If what you say is true, then this is indeed a very interesting deal."

Gutfred smiled.

"But--"

Satsuki's tone changed.

"If you want me to go from being an ordinary customer to a strategic partner who is truly involved in the rescue, then Saionji must also have the right to know that matches this status."

Gutfred's smile faded slightly.

"I cannot bet billions of dollars based solely on publicly available reports and your one-sided account."

Satsuki smiled again.

"Therefore, I request that a full crisis due diligence be conducted on Salomon Brothers as a 'potential strategic investor' and 'crisis relief partner'."

"I need to see the inside information that truly determined Solomon's life or death under strict confidentiality arrangements."

"The true state of financing and liquidity, changes in major counterparties, all records of dealings with regulatory authorities, the full progress of internal investigations, and the potential risks of further exposure of government bond violations—"

She looked at Gutfred.

"And any other important information that could influence my judgment."

There was a few seconds of silence in the conference room.

Gutfred did not answer immediately.

He leaned back in his chair and tapped the armrest lightly with his fingers.

Gaoyue didn't urge him.

Satsuki had already helped him when they first met, and her current request is a reasonable one based on his logic.

If they are unwilling to cooperate in this way, then Saionji will have to doubt their sincerity.

After a long pause, Gutfred finally spoke: "Ms. Saionji, you should understand—a considerable portion of these materials involve Solomon's most sensitive information."

"Of course I understand." Satsuki nodded. "That's why I just mentioned 'strict confidentiality arrangements'."

"Specific confidentiality agreements, information isolation, and access permissions are all negotiable."

"But the premise is—"

Her tone became more resolute.

"I need to see the truth."

Gutfred remained silent for an even longer time.

Finally, he slowly nodded.

"it is good."

"I agree to release the necessary information and allow Saionji's professional team to conduct a more in-depth investigation."

"The specific scope and confidentiality arrangements will be coordinated by the legal teams of both parties."

Satsuki smiled with satisfaction.

"That's settled then."

Gutfred pressed the intercom button on the table.

"Send in the first batch of core documents."

In fact, Solomon had clearly prepared for possible capital negotiations long ago.

In less than twenty minutes, the first batch of materials was delivered to the conference room.

The number is not particularly large.

Several thick folders, plus the latest summary compiled by the internal finance department.

A truly complete due diligence investigation could not be completed today, but for Satsuki, she just wanted to confirm the most crucial thing first.

Is there any hope for Solomon?

The meeting room gradually quieted down.

Goodfred did not continue his sales pitch.

Satsuki was looking down at the documents, while Frank sat next to her, occasionally pulling out a few pages to look at separately.

Time passed little by little.

Satsuki's expression gradually changed.

At first, I was somewhat cautious.

After seeing the rest, I gradually relaxed.

There are many problems.

In some places, things are even more difficult to handle than the publicly available information suggests.

but--

It's not rotten yet.

Satsuki flipped back to the first page of one of the internal summaries.

The real danger for Solomon now lies in the chain reaction that follows the collapse of his trust.

It is losing blood every day.

But the body is still alive, and the most important organs are still there.

If someone can stop the bleeding first and then deal with the source that keeps causing the wound to reopen, the company has a real chance to survive.

It's far from being so bad that it can only be dismantled and sold for parts.

Satsuki's last remaining doubts gradually disappeared.

Historically, Buffett did indeed pull Solomon out of this crisis.

She has already messed up the timeline to a mess, so the past results can no longer be used as answers.

That's why she had to confirm it herself.

Now it seems—

At least that hasn't changed.

It can be saved.

And it's worth saving.

As for how to save him...

That's another matter.

Satsuki closed the last document.

She looked up at Gutfred.

"Mr. Goodfred."

"yes?"

"Saionji has confirmed that it will officially intervene in this crisis."

Gutfred's expression visibly relaxed.

"From now on, I will send my finance, legal, risk, and investment teams to Salomon Brothers to conduct further investigations."

"They need more complete information and will work with your people to reassess the solution."

"Based on this, we will propose a concrete solution as soon as possible."

This time, Gutfred hesitated almost without hesitation.

"no problem."

He stood up and reached out his hand to Satsuki again.

"Well then—it's a pleasure to work with you, Ms. Saionji."

Satsuki also stood up, looked up at Gutfred, and took his hand.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

This handshake was completely different from the one downstairs.

And this time—

That's when the real cooperation begins.

Gutfred's smile had returned to its original composure.

He finally found a way out for Solomon.

At that very moment, the sunlight outside the window was blocked for a split second by something.

The light on the conference table dimmed.

A huge shadow slowly swept across the window, over the table, and covered the two people's clasped hands.

Satsuki glanced out the window subconsciously.

Not far away, two silver-gray towers still stand side by side in Lower Manhattan, their glass curtain walls reflecting the afternoon sun of September.

The Twin Towers.

They've been standing there for many years.

It looks sturdy and massive, as if it will stand there forever.