Chapter 62: I Want to Open a Ballroom

The planning meeting at Mogami Holdings lasted an entire day. Hiroshi Omiya’s concerns were not unfounded.

Of course, Mogami Holdings hoped to bring Tomokazu Trading in as a partner—or, for that matter, any similar company would suffice. The only reason they approached Tomokazu was due to Tao Zhiming’s recommendation.

However, when it came to the commercial real estate segment, Kinoshita Hidekaze couldn’t quite see the necessity of letting Tomokazu hold the controlling stake. The deeper the discussion went, the less he understood why this was essential.

All other details were essentially settled, except for this one point. Kinoshita Hidekaze merely remarked, “This is a major partnership. I trust Tomokazu will also need to discuss it at length on their end.”

With that, he bid Hiroshi Omiya farewell.

Before leaving, Tao Zhiming simply told Hiroshi Omiya, “Please rest assured, President. I will do my best to persuade President Kinoshita.” But he said nothing more.

This left Hiroshi Omiya full of suspicion. Tao Zhiming’s manner was so confident that Omiya couldn’t tell whether this was his usual demeanor, or whether he truly had the means to persuade Kinoshita Hidekaze.

If he did, why hadn’t he said so directly just now?

Or perhaps... whether the issue of control itself hid risks that Omiya hadn’t yet considered—even within Mogami Holdings. The industries were different, and Omiya couldn’t grasp all the details.

With these doubts, Hiroshi Omiya had no choice but to leave for now.

At the moment, reporting back to the Chairman took precedence.

Ironically, Omiya found himself hoping the Chairman and his group had made a killing on today’s interest rate cut news. In that case, with their spirits high and sizable financial gains, hearing about the preliminary framework for cooperation with Mogami Holdings might encourage them to invest heavily in the project.

Perhaps the question of who held the controlling stake would be something the experienced Chairman could see through at a glance.

Though he was frustrated by the continual reallocation of funds, there was no denying that the Chairman had made a fortune last year.

Omiya hoped Mogami Holdings was truly reliable. If this cooperation went through, his own position would surely rise.

Returning to his office, Omiya first scheduled an appointment with the Chairman, then thought for a moment and called Ichiro Byodoji.

“The plan we discussed earlier... put it on hold for now. But don’t drop it completely. I still need more, much more, information on Tao Dailang...”

...

At this time, Kinoshita Hidekaze remained in private discussion with Tao Zhiming. Only Yosuke Ueno was present; no other representatives from Mogami Holdings were there.

Yosuke Ueno hadn’t spoken a word all day except for a greeting. Tao Zhiming had told him to observe and learn, but now his mind felt utterly numb.

“Is it really necessary to let Tomokazu hold the controlling stake?” Kinoshita Hidekaze’s sole concern now was this point.

“The new model I’ve proposed, while promising, is still untested,” Tao Zhiming replied, clearly prepared. “President, there are several benefits to letting Tomokazu control.”

“First, they are replaceable, while Mogami Holdings is not—at least, not to Tomokazu at this time. On the surface, it would seem Mogami should hold control, but this is actually our chance to leverage greater resources at a lower cost, reducing Mogami’s investment and risk.”

“Second, if Tomokazu is in control, they’ll be far more motivated to drive the project forward, seeking new paths amid export headwinds caused by exchange rates. The hassle of relocating existing residents in the commercial district—wouldn’t it be more convenient to let them handle such matters?”

“Third, President, believe me: the prospects for the culture and entertainment sector are even greater than for commercial real estate alone. A partner like Tomokazu can always be replaced in the future. But the cultural and entertainment strength that Mogami cultivates for itself will be the foundation for attracting people to every future project.”

Yosuke Ueno glanced at Tao Zhiming, confirming his suspicion.

This was a trap for Hiroshi Omiya, though Ueno couldn’t quite see where the snare lay.

But it wasn’t his fault—Tao Zhiming was speaking only on the surface.

Still, the trap was there, and it would not be revealed to anyone. It was hidden within the tides of the era, and those caught up in it could never see clearly.

Hiroshi Omiya only wanted to advance this model, to find a way out for Tomokazu Trading—which, due to the yen’s appreciation, found it ever harder to earn financial profits and to get support from the major zaibatsu.

It was just that his chosen method was somewhat unsavory.

Tao Zhiming could have retaliated in kind, but that wasn’t his style.

The first time he was looked down upon, he played Omiya brilliantly and made a good sum. Now, he intended to let Omiya build his high tower, profit handsomely from the process, and finally watch him fall.

On the other hand, Tao Zhiming wanted to build goodwill with Kinoshita Hidekaze of Mogami Holdings.

In Tao Zhiming’s view, Kinoshita Hidekaze’s rise was much like Inoue Ryu’s. The reason he was so invested in Mogami Holdings was that, in 1986, it ranked third among all Japanese corporations in profit, right behind Toyota and Sony.

This was a newly risen magnate, not one of the century-old conglomerates.

He truly had skill and had come to know many powerful figures.

Back in 1982, exploiting an information gap, he bet on the relocation of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and through various plots in Nishi-Shinjuku and elsewhere, netted over 150 billion yen in a single year, instantly becoming the new king of real estate.

His usual method, much like a certain Lee from Hong Kong, was to hoard but not build. Most of the time, he made money by driving up land prices and then selling.

Now, the “Mogami Gokurakucho” concept Tao Zhiming had provided was undoubtedly a great pretext to inflate land values. But judging by Kinoshita Hidekaze’s past, there must be other reasons he acquired the Minato Ward plots—just as he once made six times his investment overnight with the Nishi-Shinjuku 6-chome land.

As for those details, Tao Zhiming didn’t really know. So, his plan to acquire real estate with leverage could well be aligned with Kinoshita’s layout. For now, Kinoshita Hidekaze was his invaluable ally.

But because real estate was so lucrative, Kinoshita Hidekaze would also be blind to the larger tides, and ultimately, his fate would not be so favorable.

At this moment, Kinoshita Hidekaze regarded Tao Zhiming as a talent; but in time, the tide would surely turn.

After talking with Tao Zhiming for a while, Kinoshita Hidekaze, who had already been weighing his options, gained a new perspective on the issue of control.

To him, if he invested the land as equity and leveraged the Tomokazu group’s strength to develop the commercial portion first, it would certainly raise the value of the entire plot. As for Tomokazu’s temporary control... once everything was set, Kinoshita’s hidden influence would give him all the options he needed.

With these thoughts, Kinoshita Hidekaze found himself reassessing Tao Zhiming.

“...It seems you’re not aiming to join any particular company. Even though you have such faith in the future of culture and entertainment, you don’t intend to enter the field yourself? I suppose with your abilities, it’s only natural to have ambitions of your own... But tell me, what exactly is it that you want to do?” he asked, a hint of regret in his voice.

Tao Zhiming had anticipated this and acted slightly embarrassed. “You saw through me, President. This year, I hope to open a disco club in Minato Ward, just outside the Mogami Gokurakucho project. I’m also thinking of opening several bookstores. These two ideas are what I want to pursue.”

“A disco club... Bookstores? Did I hear that right?”

Kinoshita Hidekaze was utterly unprepared for this answer. Compared to all the grand plans discussed throughout the day, a disco or bookstore seemed shockingly... lowbrow.

Yosuke Ueno was stupefied as well.

Bookstores aside—maybe that was the start of the media network Tao had talked about? But managing beautiful young women—did that mean running a disco club?

A Tokyo University prodigy, managing beautiful young women in a disco club—what—what—

But... it actually sounded rather interesting...

Ignoring Ueno’s wandering gaze, Tao Zhiming continued earnestly, “I’m serious. In fact, the reason I put so much effort into the Mogami Gokurakucho plan was to win your approval. Would you consider, like you did with President Inoue, giving me a loan to support my attempt?”

“A loan?” Kinoshita Hidekaze felt a toothache coming on. “I thought you were talking about an investment.”

“Having the pressure to repay is what will push me to my limits. Besides, if I really mess up, I’ll be more willing to join a bigger platform and put my talents to use. When that time comes, as my creditor, you can squeeze me all you want.”

Kinoshita Hidekaze looked at him askance.

He had a point, but did he really have to try entrepreneurship first?

If he owed a debt, then exerting pressure on him... Kinoshita found himself rather looking forward to it.

It didn’t seem entirely unacceptable.

After all, this young man, whatever possessed him to open bookstores and a disco club, clearly had a sharp mind.

If he put the screws to him, the rewards would surely be bountiful.