Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

Chapter 201 Dream Weaving

(Thanks to "Sigrynn" for the "Master" certification! Thanks to "Foodie Songstress" for the "Master" certification! Extra chapter today~ However, since these two chapters were written until the early hours of the morning, there may be some errors. If there are any, please point them out in the text, and I will correct them in time.)

The fear of a collapsing faith spread rapidly through the air.

The expressions of the people in the hall could no longer be described as ugly; they could even be called "ferocious."

Someone picked up a pen and quickly wrote various derivations on the paper, trying to find loopholes in the rebuttal. Soon, the charts filled all the blank spaces in the document. Then, the person dejectedly put down the pen.

Someone kept searching through various documents, and then suddenly revealed a smile that was more like a grimace, and dejectedly closed the document.

Satsuki didn't rush them. She leisurely picked up her teacup and sipped her tea, giving them time to accept reality.

After a long while, the head of the real estate department was the first to put down the documents in his hand and let out a long sigh. If he weren't still in front of the head of the family, he would have definitely collapsed onto the cushion.

He glanced around and noticed that most of the executives had already put down their documents. Their eyes darted around, and only a few managed to maintain a semblance of decorum.

Only now has the perfect opportunity to reveal the Ministry of Finance's most lethal trump card.

"Even so..." someone murmured softly, "Even if the population declines in five years, at least the game can continue for now... Japan, it can still..."

Satsuki slowly opened the black leather handbag she carried with her. The brass clasp made a crisp "click".

Long, slender fingers reached inside and pulled out a gray photocopy without any header.

She pinched the edge of the paper and gently pushed it forward along the smooth rosewood tabletop.

The gray paper slid across the table and came to a steady stop where the eyes of Kenjiro's father and the head of the real estate department met.

"Take a look at this."

The head of the real estate department lowered his head, his gaze sweeping over the gray photocopy.

"This document originated from communications interception by the Saionji Intelligence System (SIS)."

Satsuki's voice spread gently throughout the hall.

"The Banking Bureau of the Ministry of Finance is secretly drafting a guidance document entitled 'Administrative Guidance on Controlling the Total Amount of Real Estate Financing'."

The head of the real estate department fixed his gaze on the core clauses of the draft, his pupils suddenly contracting.

"If this document is passed, the Ministry of Finance will directly cut off all financial institutions' financing to the real estate industry. It will also stipulate that the growth rate of any bank's loans to real estate must not exceed the growth rate of its total loan balance."

Satsuki watched as her supervisor's face gradually lost its color.

"The state apparatus can no longer tolerate this frenzy draining the lifeblood from the real economy. The moment this order is issued, the liquidity in the market will be completely drained."

"There's no need to wait until the population declines in five years. The moment the Ministry of Finance cuts off credit, this game of musical chairs will come to an abrupt end."

"The bursting of an economic bubble will result in a long and continuous process of financial loss. After the Ministry of Finance's policies are implemented, Tokyo's land prices may be able to maintain an inflated level on paper for a period of time."

"Sir, you were just hoping that overseas capital and local companies would continue to take over. But once the Ministry of Finance closes its gates, there simply won't be any buyers in the market ready to take over the land we hold."

Satsuki's words struck like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's nerves with each blow.

"Without the massive credit leverage provided by banks, there simply aren't any high-end buyers on the market capable of taking over land parcels worth tens or hundreds of billions of yuan in cash. At that point, no matter how high the valuation of the land you hold, it will just be a pile of unrealized cement. Even if the price drops by 50%, you won't find a single entity with sufficient cash on hand."

The hall fell into dead silence.

Kenjiro's hands trembled slightly as he looked at the draft deduction. Faced with the overwhelming force of irrefutable logical deduction and the administrative directive from the Ministry of Finance, even a century of accumulated knowledge could not withstand the strangulation of national will and economic laws.

Cold sweat trickled down the temples of the real estate department head.

"Clatter".

Sweat dripped onto the rush-woven tatami mat. The supervisor's arms were bent, his hands lying limply on the ground. He bowed his head deeply, his once straight back now completely hunched over.

The elders and executives, who had just been heartbroken, were stunned. They quickly processed the Ministry of Finance's actions and Satsuki's conclusion in their minds. The heartache of losing land vanished without a trace, replaced by a deep shudder at the terrifying truth of this precipice.

The head of the real estate department spoke first. His voice was hoarse, filled with deep awe and admiration.

"Young Miss, we understand what you mean... The current economic situation is indeed very pessimistic, on the verge of collapse. As professionals, we were blinded by fervor and completely failed to notice this..."

He bent down deeply, pressing his forehead against the back of his hand.

"We would appreciate it if you could personally demonstrate and explain this to us. I am deeply sorry for my earlier questioning; please forgive my rudeness..."

With him taking the lead, the executives on the right all bowed down.

"I'm so sorry, Miss!"

Satsuki turned her gaze to the left side of the clan elders' camp.

"Furthermore, the Saionji family will never do business at a loss."

"Take advantage of the current market valuation frenzy to cash out 'Crystal Palace,' 'Pink Mansion,' and all those high-premium commercial assets and peripheral plots at exorbitant prices. Once the Ministry of Finance's policies burst the bubble, a long ice age will descend. Buyers who take over at this time will naturally go bankrupt amidst high interest rates and depreciating assets."

"We can naturally use funds that are safed overseas to repurchase these buildings at an extremely low discount."

"So, in the end, this is nothing more than an asset deposit scheme with high interest rates attached."

"We can avoid the risks and profit from the opportunity, so why not?"

Preserving the existing foundation is merely a defensive measure.

Satsuki picked up the bone china teacup placed on the sandalwood tray, her gaze sweeping quietly over the people on both sides of the long table through the rising steam.

"Since the state apparatus has decided to burst this bubble itself, and since this avalanche is inevitable, we can certainly spread a larger net at the bottom of the cliff."

"Those dollar reserves that Executive Director Endo previously planned to transfer to the Cayman Islands absolutely cannot just lie in the vault as dead money for safe haven."

She gently blew away the floating tea leaves on the surface of the tea.

"Once the Ministry of Finance officially issues its guidance, a collapse in the Japanese stock market and real estate market will be inevitable. At that time, we will need to use maximum leverage in the offshore market to buy large amounts of put options on the Nikkei index and short the yen in the currency market."

"While Japanese companies across the country are lamenting their shrinking assets, and conglomerates that blindly leveraged their assets are lining up to jump off rooftops, our overseas short-selling accounts are seeing massive amounts of US dollar profits pouring in every second."

The breathing sounds in the large room gradually became heavier.

The eyes of all the executives and family members lit up. They were used to making hard-earned money from real industries and land, but now they were stunned by this financial nuclear-level harvesting plan.

"When the bubble bursts completely, a long ice age will descend. The streets of Tokyo will be filled with excellent companies that have gone bankrupt due to broken cash flow."

Satsuki put down her teacup. The porcelain bottom touched the wooden tray, making a very slight crisp sound.

"Those century-old shops that are usually out of reach, manufacturing plants that possess core technologies, and even large commercial banks that have been completely dragged down by bad debts."

"They will all be priced like dirt and thrown into the courtroom auction house like garbage."

Satsuki's gaze fell on the faces of the executives, her voice steady yet possessing a bewitching charm.

"At that time, we returned to Tokyo with tens of billions, even hundreds of billions, of dollars in cash that we had earned on Wall Street."

"We can acquire those bankrupt, high-quality assets as easily as picking out discounted vegetables in a supermarket. If we can seize the opportunity to buy a large commercial bank with a nationwide branch network, the Saionji family can completely fill the last gap in their financial empire."

"By then, the Saionji family will no longer be an old aristocratic family struggling to survive on land and industry."

"We will leap to become a completely new conglomerate that transcends the old order and truly possesses a complete financial system."

These words were spoken.

The elders and executives, who had just been heartbroken over the loss of the land, were completely stunned.

They rapidly visualized this vast and terrifying map in their minds. The fear of losing land and the uncertainty about the economic future vanished without a trace, replaced by an extreme fervor for this century-long plunder of Japan's wealth.

Kenjiro's hand, gripping the bamboo folding fan, trembled violently. The old man's face was flushed red, and his cloudy eyes were filled with bloodshot veins of excitement.

"Acquire banks...become a true chaebol..."

"I am talking to myself," muttered Tokuhiro Eguchi, the head of the Saionji Construction Company. His thick arms were resting on his knees, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the rosewood tabletop, his breathing becoming rapid and intense. He felt an unprecedented fighting spirit.

"Moreover, we have the perfect excuse for an asset swap."

Satsuki pointed to the "Report on Energy Consumption and Infrastructure Expenditure of Heavy Assets" on the table.

"By leveraging the unprecedented, asset-heavy wonders of Gokurakukan and Odaiba Saionji Pagoda, we can send a signal to the outside world that we are optimizing our asset structure. The market will never doubt that a company building a tower on reclaimed land lacks funds; they will only think that we are concentrating our efforts on major projects."

Her lips curled up slightly, revealing a deceptively charming smile.

"Go be that shrewd but reluctant seller, arguing heatedly with them at the negotiating table over the price of every 10 square meters. Personally stuff these sugar-coated tulips into the mouths of the Seibu Group and the Daiei Group."

"Everyone, did you understand?"

Seeing that everyone was in the zone, morale was high.

"Executive Director Endo."

Satsuki issued the instructions for the allocation of power in an orderly manner.

"Yes." Endo immediately straightened his back.

"All cashed-out Japanese yen must be physically shredded within 48 hours of the funds arriving in the account. This is achieved through multi-layered segregation using umbrella trust accounts set up by SA Investment in the Cayman Islands and Liechtenstein."

"Convert all of this yen into U.S. Treasury bills, Swiss francs, and London standard delivery gold bars. The withdrawal of funds must be absolutely secretive, and must not arouse the suspicion of the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Japan's foreign exchange monitoring."

"Understood." Endo nodded heavily.

Satsuki's gaze shifted to the right.

"Real estate manager, President Eguchi."

"Yes!" the two answered in unison.

"The sell-off plan must be meticulously structured. Throwing all our heavy assets into the market at once would trigger an immeasurable chain of panic, thereby depressing our own asset valuations."

Satsuki raised one long, slender finger.

"The first priority is to clear out those high-premium marginal plots, dead ends, and oddly shaped plots acquired in the past two years. Small and medium-sized developers are extremely hungry right now, so throw these scraps of land that could depreciate at any time to them immediately."

She held up her second finger.

"The second tier includes the 'Crystal Palace' in Ginza and the 'Pink Building' in Akasaka. These core, heavy assets need to be targeted and sold at the headquarters of major conglomerates."

Satsuki looked at the public relations executive at the end of the long table.

"In coordination with the asset department's actions, the public relations department immediately released information to major financial media outlets. They 'inadvertently' leaked the daily deep-sea caisson bills for the Odaiba 'Saionji Tower' and the terrifying energy consumption data of Gokurakukan."

"We need to create a plausible narrative for the market—that the Saionji family has become mired in heavy assets because they have taken too big a step, and their cash flow is already stretched to the brink of collapse."

Satsuki's lips curled into a deceptively charming smile.

"President Eguchi, at the negotiating table, you must show extreme 'reluctance.' You are loyal retainers who are forced to part with their flesh and blood in order to preserve the last core of the family business. You must argue with buyers like Sumitomo and Daiei until you are red in the face over the price of every tsubo (a unit of area in Taiwan)."

Tokuhiro Eguchi's eyes lit up.

"Understood! We'll put on a convincing show, making those zaibatsu think they've snagged a bloodstained bargain from the Saionji family!"

"As for the third tier."

Satsuki lowered her hand, her gaze becoming deep and dangerous.

"The 'Gokurakukan' in Hokkaido is currently off-limits to touching."

"Continue to maintain its most luxurious operating state, constantly showcasing its miraculous money-making ability to the outside world. This poisoned apple requires patience. When Chairman Tsutsumi of the Seibu Group is completely exhausted of patience and rationality by the Odaiba project, he will naturally open his mouth and swallow it whole, skin and core."

After speaking, Satsuki did not retreat back into the shadows behind Shu. She turned around, her white cotton socks stepping lightly on the rush-woven tatami mats, and walked straight towards the exit of the main hall.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on it.

She stopped in front of the heavy washi paper sliding door.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over her shoulder one last time across both sides of the long rosewood table. Dozens of family elders and executives who controlled vast wealth remained kneeling in place, their rapid breathing mingling together, the air thick with an intense, suppressed excitement.

They looked up at that slender figure.

"Gentlemen, let's take action."

"I am very much looking forward to seeing your results."

As soon as she finished speaking, Satsuki walked out the door, and the sliding door slowly closed, leaving only a blue figure behind.

On this late autumn night, Satsuki personally shattered the illusion of Japan's perpetually prosperous bubble economy.

Then, they created an even grander dream for them.

A century-long dream.