Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

(I've written 10,000 words today too!)

The Highland continued its voyage outwards along New York Harbor.

As the densely packed skyscrapers of Manhattan gradually receded behind us, and the surrounding water became increasingly open, the atmosphere on the ship finally relaxed completely.

People who were initially chatting in small groups with wine glasses soon found something to do.

Some people simply moved chairs to the stern of the boat to sunbathe.

A makeshift putter mat had been laid out on the upper deck at some point, and several men were taking turns feeding balls into a small silver cup with their putter clubs.

The people surrounding the ball were even more serious than the actual players. Whenever someone played terribly badly, they would burst into laughter without any restraint (Old Qian laughing.jpg).

Further on, the crew of the Highland had already lowered two speedboats from the stern.

Several relatively young guests changed their clothes and enthusiastically followed the crew down the stairs.

Before long, the white speedboat swept past the side of the yacht, leaving a long trail of water, prompting many people on deck to raise their glasses and wave down.

Satsuki spent quite some time with Graham and Astor on the upper floor.

Astor actually had someone bring her a small box containing silk scarves, and asked Satsuki to help her choose one.

The three of them argued about the color for almost ten minutes.

Of course, the argument was mainly about Astor insisting that she had never chosen the wrong color in all these years, while Graham ruthlessly brought up an old incident from a dinner party a few years ago where she wore the wrong shawl.

Satsuki listened for a long time, caught in the middle, and finally picked up the dark green one from the box and held it up in front of Astor.

"I still think this one suits you better. Blue is nice too, but it's a bit too bright with today's outfit."

Astor glanced down at it, then took the scarf with satisfaction.

"That's what I was thinking too, but Kai just kept insisting on blue."

Graham immediately laughed.

"Brook, you spent at least five minutes telling me that dark blue best suits your pearls. Now that Ms. Saionji has chosen green, you're starting to change what you just said?"

"I just said blue is nice, but I didn't say you have to choose it."

As Astor retorted, he draped the green scarf over his shoulder and looked at the reflection in the glass next to him.

"And look, isn't the effect very good?"

"Hmm...the effect is indeed very good."

Graham glanced in her direction as well.

"But that's different from what you just said."

Astor turned to look at Satsuki.

"Ms. Saionji, you be the judge. Is it that as she gets older, she's increasingly fond of remembering things that are completely unimportant?"

Satsuki almost burst out laughing at her question.

She glanced at Graham, then at Astor who was waiting for her answer, and finally decided not to offend anyone.

"I think you look best in green right now."

She paused for a moment.

"As for who said what first... I think I was looking at the sea the whole time, so I can't remember."

Graham paused for a moment, then smiled and shook his head.

"Great, you've only known her for a short time and you already know how to handle her."

"This shows that Miss Saionji is very intelligent."

Astor accepted the remark without hesitation and then lowered his head to adjust the scarf on his shoulder.

"At least I'm smarter than some people who have known me for decades and still like to argue with me."

Graham, seeing her self-satisfied attitude, didn't bother to argue anymore and simply smiled as he picked up the cup beside him.

"Fine, I'll consider you the winner for today."

The young woman who was helping them carry their things couldn't help but laugh along.

By the time Satsuki returned to the lower deck, quite some time had passed.

The atmosphere at the card table was even more lively than before.

She initially thought Buffett and Greenberg were still playing the same hand of cards, but upon closer inspection, she discovered that the table had been rearranged and a small scoreboard had even been set up nearby.

Buffett was the first to notice her return.

He had just put down the cards in his hand when he saw Satsuki coming down the stairs, so he waved to her.

"Finally decided to come back? If you had been any later, I would have suspected that Catherine and the others were planning to leave you upstairs and kick the rest of us out of the party."

Satsuki walked over, her smile still lingering.

"Actually, that's about it. Ms. Astor just spent ten minutes proving to us that she has never made a mistake in choosing a scarf over the years. Ms. Graham disagrees, so I think I'd better get off before they start bringing up old grievances."

Greenberg, sitting on the other side, laughed immediately after hearing this.

"If Brooke knew that the first thing you did after going downstairs was to tell us about this, she would probably reconsider whether she should have let you go in the first place."

"Then you'd better keep this a secret."

Satsuki paused by the card table, then added as if remembering something:

"Of course, if someone accidentally lets it out, I will tell her that the news came from Mr. Buffett."

Buffett, who had been smiling, immediately looked up upon hearing this.

"Wait, what does this have to do with me? I haven't even gone upstairs the whole time."

"That's precisely why it's most suitable."

Satsuki nodded earnestly.

"Even if Ms. Astor asks, you can still insist that you know nothing."

Greenberg was already laughing so hard he leaned back in his chair.

"Warren, I think she's only been in New York for two days, but she's already starting to figure out how to use you."

Buffett glanced at Greenberg, then at the innocent-looking Satsuki, and could only shake his head in the end.

"I'm starting to wonder if I didn't think things through enough when I invited you aboard yesterday."

"It's too late to regret it now."

Satsuki smiled and pulled out the chair next to her.

"And you yourself said yesterday that you were just going out to meet a few friends."

Upon hearing this, Greenberg laughed again.

This time, Buffett simply stopped arguing and pushed a deck of cards on the table toward Satsuki.

"Since you're already down here, don't just stand and watch. Do you know how to play bridge?"

Satsuki glanced down at the table, thought for a moment, and then answered:

"I know the rules, and I've played before, but I haven't seriously played it in a long time."

"If you're looking for an opponent who can make the game more challenging, you've probably come to the wrong person."

"That's perfect."

Buffett said with a smile:

"Today is just for fun, not a bridge tournament. If everyone has to sit down and calculate like they're making investment decisions, we might as well go back to the office and look at reports."

Upon hearing this, Greenberg, who was sitting on the other side, immediately looked up.

"Miss Saionji, I suggest you remember what he just said."

"Warren always likes to say 'just playing around' before each game, but when he actually loses a hand, he will spend ten minutes explaining to everyone why someone else actually played the wrong hand."

Buffett turned to look at him helplessly.

"Ellen, you should at least wait until she sits down before telling her these things."

"What's the difference?"

Greenberg leaned back in his chair, laughing without any restraint.

"Anyway, she'll find out herself in half an hour at most."

Satsuki laughed after hearing this and casually pulled out a chair from the table.

"Then I should participate even more. At least if we lose later, I can prepare a convincing reason in advance."

"very good."

Greenberg nodded immediately.

"You've learned the most important part."

Buffett could only shake his head as he watched the two of them working together.

It was only when Satsuki sat down that she noticed an elderly man she had never seen before sitting on the other side of the card table.

His gray hair was thinning, he wore glasses, and he wasn't particularly tall; in fact, he appeared slightly overweight due to his age.

He had been sitting on the other side listening to a few people talking and laughing, and only when he saw Satsuki looking over did he put down the cards in his hand.

Buffett then proceeded to introduce:

Henry Kissinger.

Satsuki's eyes flickered slightly.

Former National Security Advisor and former Secretary of State.

As one of the most important architects of U.S. foreign policy over the past decade.

Even though he has been away from the core of power in Washington for many years, he remains a highly influential figure in American diplomacy and politics.

More importantly, what he has cultivated over the years is far more than just a resume showing that he once served as Secretary of State.

Satsuki didn't stay seated any longer; she stood up and shook hands with him.

"Dr. Kissinger, it's an honor to meet you."

"It might be more appropriate for me to say that now."

Kissinger also stood up and shook her hand, his smile gentle.

"Over the past two years, I've probably heard the name 'Saionji' more often in New York and Washington than I've heard the names of many American companies. Today I finally met him in person."

Satsuki laughed when she heard this.

"It doesn't necessarily sound like a good thing."

"The repeated mention of a name itself is neither good nor bad."

Kissinger released his grip and sat back down in his seat.

"What's really interesting is who brings it up, why they bring it up, and what tone each person uses when they mention you."

Hmm? There was a hidden meaning in his words.

Satsuki sat down without making a sound and casually straightened her skirt.

"Should I ask what tone of voice those people used?"

"I suggest you wait until we've known each other longer before asking."

Kissinger smiled and adjusted his glasses.

"Asking about the source of information on the first meeting usually makes someone with a background in diplomacy wary."

"Then forget it."

Satsuki smiled too.

"I'm just out having fun today, I won't be asking about state secrets for now."

"That's right."

Kissinger gestured towards the cards on the table.

"Let's at least finish this game first. As for whether Warren secretly told me anything, we'll have plenty of opportunities to find out later."

Hearing this, Buffett, who had been waiting for the meeting to begin, finally looked up.

Why do I suddenly feel like you two have started bringing me up in conversation?

"Because you're sitting closest."

Satsuki answered quite naturally.

Kissinger laughed along with him.

Once everyone had refocused their attention on the card table, Greenberg began to explain the extra prize that had been added that day.

The cards are still regular bridge.

The only difference is that the losing party has to donate a sum of money to a charity designated by the winner.

The amount wasn't particularly outrageous.

At least not for the people at this table.

Satsuki glanced at the scoreboard next to her.

"One hundred thousand dollars?"

Greenberg looked up at her.

"You think that's too little?"

He thought about it and agreed that it made sense; what difference did losing $100,000 make compared to not losing at all?

"No need for that."

Satsuki shook her head and glanced at the number again.

"I'm just wondering if I should claim this money as entertainment expenses or charitable expenses when I get back to Tokyo if we lose badly later."

Kissinger was arranging his cards when he heard this and casually remarked:

"Report it to a charity, and it's best to do it here in the US..." He glanced at his card and raised an eyebrow, unsure whether it was a good or bad idea. "Donating it will at least offset some of the taxes."

Satsuki thought about it seriously.

"That makes sense, then let's do charity."

Greenberg couldn't help but smile as he listened to the two men seriously discussing the expense report.

"Very good, it seems that the game hasn't even started yet, but the decision on how to spend the money has already been made."

"It's never a bad thing to prepare in advance."

Satsuki turned her gaze back to the card table.

When it came to the final group assignments, Satsuki and Kissinger sat on one side, while Buffett and Greenberg were paired up.

After the first hand of cards began, Satsuki played very seriously.

She really hadn't played bridge in a long time.

I remember the rules, but once I'm actually at the card table, I have to judge the hand types, remember the cards that have been played, and then deduce the distribution of cards in the hands of other people in a short period of time. This is not the same as simply knowing the rules.

In the first few rounds, she was noticeably more cautious.

Until one hand, Satsuki missed a chance to win because of an overly conservative judgment.

When the cards were put back, Buffett glanced at the few cards she had just left behind.

"Miss Saionji, you weren't this conservative in Solomon yesterday."

Satsuki was rearranging the cards when she heard this and looked up.

"Yesterday was a little easier."

"easy?"

"At least yesterday I knew what I had and what the other party wanted."

She glanced at the desktop.

"Nobody here is willing to reveal their hand to me beforehand."

Upon hearing this, Greenberg gestured with his chin toward Buffett.

"Warren, it seems she's starting to shift the blame to her opponents."

"This is also a kind of progress."

Buffett chuckled and took the next deck of cards.

"At least it's easier than admitting you made a mistake."

Satsuki glanced at him, then stopped arguing and simply lowered her head to rearrange the cards in her hand.

However, she clearly remembered those words.

In the following rounds, Buffett correctly predicted the direction of the game several times in a row, and his performance became increasingly smooth.

Satsuki gradually adapted to the rhythm.

In the next hand, she didn't get a particularly good hand, but she still gambled on it, following the habit Buffett had developed in the previous rounds.

After the last card was dealt, Buffett stared at the table for a few seconds, as if trying to confirm which step had gone wrong.

Satsuki had slowly gathered her cards together and glanced at Buffett with a smile in her eyes.

"It seems that your comment earlier about 'not being very good at math' wasn't entirely a joke."

Buffett raised his hands in surrender.

"I'm starting to regret saying so much today."

"At the poker table, it's best to leave your opponents with as little to remember as possible."

Kissinger casually remarked as he collected the cards.

Greenberg nodded immediately.

"You really should have told Warren that sooner."

Buffett glanced at his partner, then at the two people opposite him.

"I suddenly feel that there might be something wrong with how this table is grouped."

Satsuki lowered her head to inspect the next deck of cards, a slight smile curving her lips.

"It's too late to change it now."

As she played, she gradually stopped caring so much about how many cards she had missed counting.

Buffett and Greenberg are clearly very familiar with each other's habits, and they will occasionally bring up old grievances from a gathering several years ago over a single hand of cards.

Kissinger occasionally participated, but most of the time he just sat there and listened with a smile.

Satsuki gradually realized that the people at the card table were very different from the people she usually saw in newspapers, financial magazines, or on television.

No one here will mention titles like chairman or secretary of state.

Even if you play a bad hand of cards, you'll still get laughed at by a few other people for half a day.

Buffett made two more wrong judgments later on.

As soon as the second card was played, Greenberg put his own cards on the table and stared at him for a long time.

"Warren, I'm a little worried about Berkshire Hathaway now."

Buffett was still looking down at the cards he had just played.

What's wrong with Berkshire Hathaway?

"I'm planning to call your board tomorrow and suggest they reassess whether someone who can't even remember what cards their partner has in their hand is suitable to continue managing the company."

This statement finally made Buffett raise his head.

He looked at Greenberg for a few seconds, and his expression was actually quite serious.

"Yes, then I will also suggest that the board of directors add a new risk control measure."

"What measures?"

"Alan Greenberg is now banned from entering Omaha."

Greenberg leaned back in his chair, showing no signs of being threatened.

"Then you'd better buy Omaha Airport first, otherwise I can still get in."

The people nearby reacted differently upon hearing this.

Some people lowered their heads to drink, while others simply moved their chairs a little closer, clearly finding this card game more interesting than what they had just been playing.

Satsuki has completely relaxed.

She even felt that if Greenberg said a few more words, Buffett would probably start seriously considering how to keep him out of Nebraska.

By the time the final round ended, it was considerably darker than before.

The boat bobbed gently on the water, and the score sheets on the table were blown up by the wind.

Greenberg wrote down the last note, checked it again, and then put down his pen.

"Alright."

He turned the scoreboard toward the center of the table.

"You lost this round."

Satsuki glanced down.

We did lose.

Fortunately, the loss wasn't too bad.

She lost a lot of points due to several misjudgments in the early stages, and although she recovered some of them later, she was still far behind in the end.

Kissinger also glanced at the results.

"I think this result at least proves that we haven't been sitting here for so long in vain."

"Shouldn't this be interpreted as a form of comfort?"

Satsuki asked.

"Of course not."

Kissinger tidied up the cards in his hand and put them back on the table.

"I'm just used to looking for an easier-to-accept explanation when the outcome can't be changed."

"That does sound like a diplomat."

Satsuki pushed the scoreboard back in.

Since we've lost, we should naturally honor the prize we agreed on.

Greenberg asked casually:

"Do you choose the charities yourselves, or let the winner decide?"

"Wasn't it supposed to be a predetermined winner?"

Satsuki looked at him.

"Then don't give us any special treatment right now."

"very good."

Greenberg picked up the pen on the table and wrote his name in the blank space on the score sheet.

"Mine is for the children's hospital in New York. Warren, what about you?"

Buffett thought for a while.

"There's a foundation in Nebraska that's currently working on a children's education project, so let's give it to them."

Satsuki took the paper from Greenberg, glanced at the two names on it, and then handed it to the entourage standing not far behind.

"Write it down. Give it to Frank when we get back to the hotel and let him make the arrangements."

"Yes."

Kissinger also gestured in the direction of his secretary.

That concludes the matter.

Whether it's $100,000 or $200,000, it's just adding a little something to the game on this table.

What people really remember is who misjudged a hand, and who seized the opportunity to talk about it over and over again.

The people around the card table gradually began to get up.

Some people went up to the upper deck, while others stood by the ship's railing watching the speedboats that had just returned. The few guests who had been gathered around also gradually dispersed, leaving only Greenberg sitting there, putting the cards back together.

"Warren, another round?"

Buffett, who was about to get up, stopped when he heard this.

"Weren't you just about to call the Berkshire Hathaway board?"

"That's for tomorrow."

Greenberg began to reshuffle the deck.

"Let's finish this round first."

Buffett glanced at the time, but ultimately sat back down.

Satsuki, however, had already had her fill of fun.

She stretched lightly, stood up, and picked up the thin coat that had been draped over the back of the chair.

Just as I was about to walk toward the ship's side, I heard Kissinger's voice behind me.

"Miss Saionji".

Satsuki turned around.

Kissinger had also left the card table and was taking off his glasses to wipe them.

"If you're not planning on playing another round for the time being, I'd like to take up a little of your time."

Satsuki glanced at Buffett and Greenberg, who were still dealing the cards again, then turned her gaze back.

"certainly."

Kissinger put his glasses back on and gestured toward the relatively quieter direction at the stern.

"The wind is a bit calmer over there. I also have something I'd like to hear your opinion on."

Satsuki glanced in the direction he was looking.

The other side of the deck was still bustling, but only a few people were left leaning against the railing at the stern, watching the sea.

"it is good."

She draped her coat back over her arm and followed Kissinger in that direction.