Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

Chapter 383 The Key to the Warehouse

January 18th, evening, Osaka.

It was already dark when the Saionji family's convoy arrived at the Sumitomo family's old residence.

The old house is situated by the water, and the stone path in front of the door is kept very clean. The porch lamp sways slightly in the cold wind, and its yellow light falls on the door studs, revealing a layer of old bronze luster.

Satsuki got out of the car.

She was wearing a dark gray cashmere coat today, her hair was tied low, and a small pearl brooch was pinned to the neckline. Chizuru stood half a step behind her, carrying a black file box.

Shuichi got off the bus from the other side.

He glanced at his daughter and asked in a low voice, "Do you really want me to go in myself?"

"Um."

Satsuki looked up at the door of the Sumitomo house.

"They're using a Sumitomo address, so the Sumitomo main family should be allowed to open the door themselves."

Shuichi didn't say anything more.

Fujita stepped forward and handed over the assassination.

A moment later, Sumitomo Takamichi came out to greet him personally.

He was wearing a dark gray kimono with a haori draped over it. Upon seeing Shuichi, he first bowed respectfully, then turned his gaze to Satsuki.

"Lord Saionji, Miss Satsuki. Father is already waiting inside."

It's warm inside the old house.

The heating wasn't turned up too high, and there was a faint smell of charcoal and tatami mats in the air. At the end of the corridor sat a vase of wintersweet, its branches slender, yet its fragrance delicate.

Yoshio Sumitomo sat in the seat of honor.

Tea was already laid out in front of him, and next to the teacup was an unopened folder.

He showed no surprise when he saw Satsuki enter.

"It is Sumitomo's fault for inviting Lord Saionji and Miss Satsuki over so late."

Xiu Yi smiled slightly.

"Mr. Yoshio, you're too kind. We are the ones who should apologize. This matter involves your manufacturing company, and we can't just let the letter travel back and forth."

The small talk was brief.

After Satsuki knelt down, Chizuru placed the black file box on her right side.

Satsuki opened the box and took out two documents.

Both documents were very thin, almost flimsy.

She first pushed the first copy in front of Sumitomo Yoshio.

"This is the second letter issued by the Osaka Main Store's Compliance Office."

Yoshio Sumitomo did not pick it up.

He looked at the document, and his brow twitched slightly.

Satsuki then placed the second portion aside.

"This is an excerpt from the reply from the First Industrial Bank."

Two pieces of paper were placed side by side on the coffee table.

A photo from Sumitomo.

A photo from First Industrial Promotion Bureau.

When placed together, they resemble two thin blades flying from different directions.

Satsuki didn't beat around the bush.

"The first piece of paper has successfully stopped Sumitomo Chemical's goods at Osaka South Port."

Her voice was flat.

"The second sheet of paper is a document detailing the winter costs of Gokurakukan, which was reviewed by both the First Industrial Bank and the Seibu acquisition advisory group back then."

Sumitomo Takamichi's gaze fell on the second sheet of paper.

Satsuki continued, "These two things were originally unrelated. Now that the Osaka headquarters has tied them together, the result is that Sumitomo's own goods can't be shipped."

The room fell silent.

The charcoal fire crackled softly in the stove.

Sumitomo Yoshio finally picked up the first letter.

He's quick to read.

His finger stopped when he saw the line "Temporarily suspend the expansion of the scope of authorization".

Shuichi then spoke up.

"Mr. Yoshio, Saionji Trading can continue or it can stop. We're not afraid to wait. But the goods at the docks won't wait, and neither will our overseas customers."

That's a mild way of putting it.

But the meaning is very profound.

Saionji Trading Company suffered losses as a result of its shutdown.

However, Saionji is not afraid of this loss. As a group with the strongest cash flow in Japan, even if all these orders are lost and there are no customers, it will only return Saionji Shoji to the state before its promotion.

However, companies like Sumitomo Chemical, Sumitomo Metal, and Sumitomo Electric Industries suffered even more direct losses, and they couldn't afford to lose money.

In the context of the economic crisis, if they lose these orders, they might go bankrupt from all the losses.

The bank can wait.

Our family can wait.

Satsuki can wait.

Goods are available and cannot wait.

Sumitomo Yoshio put down the first letter and then picked up the reply from the First Kangyo Bank to make an excerpt.

His eyes darkened slightly when he read the line about "Seibu's acquisition advisory group".

"I've also seen Seibu."

"Yes," Satsuki said.

"About the Paradise Pavilion..."

"It could be a matter of loan extension between Seibu and Dai-ichi Kangyo, or it could be a matter of internal review of Seibu's acquisition decision," Satsuki said, looking at Sumitomo Yoshio. "But it shouldn't be a reason for Sumitomo Chemical's containers to remain in port."

Yoshio Sumitomo remained silent.

Satsuki did not urge them.

She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and found it was her favorite black tea.

"I'm here today to confirm one thing."

Sumitomo Yoshio looked up.

"Is the key to Sumitomo Group's export business still in the hands of the main company, or has it been handed over to the Osaka headquarters' compliance office?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Sumitomo Takamichi's expression changed.

He didn't feel angry, just extremely... embarrassed.

Because this sentence tore away the outermost layer of paper.

Bai Shuihui sent a letter, mentioning the risks.

The Osaka headquarters sent a letter stating that it was in compliance with regulations.

The legal department of the manufacturing industry suspending orders is talking about responsibility.

But when all these things are piled up together, there's only one real problem.

Does the authorization from the Sumitomo Corporation actually count?

If the authorization from the main store in Osaka is suppressed by a letter, then the main store will just be an old photograph of the family sitting in the seat of honor.

If the parent company still has the final say, then it must come up with something that will allow the manufacturing company to move forward.

Verbal reassurances were not enough to calm the Osaka main store.

Even polite replies couldn't move the containers at the dock.

What the Sumitomo family needs to produce now is a key that can open the door.

Sumitomo Yoshio looked down at the two pieces of paper.

After a long time, he sighed softly.

Since we've already chosen Saionji as an ally, we still have to do our part.

Besides, since Miss Satsuki personally exerted pressure, he could tell which was more important.

He looked at Longdao.

"How many empty warehouses are there in Nangang right now?"

Longdao had clearly thought about this question long ago, and answered quickly.

"There's still a section of old warehouse space in Sumitomo Warehousing Co., Ltd.'s No. 3 bonded warehouse that isn't fully occupied. It was originally reserved for Sumitomo Chemical's exports for the next quarter. A low-temperature warehouse can also be set aside at the Rokko Island cold storage warehouse, but the shift work, insurance, and inbound/outbound registration will need to be rearranged."

Yoshio Sumitomo nodded.

"Then let's use these two places first."

He glanced at his father, then got up and walked to the side room.

Shuichi didn't say anything.

Satsuki didn't move either.

Soon, Sumitomo Takamichi returned with a dark gray folder in his hand.

Sumitomo Yoshio took the folder and pulled out the two warehouse floor plans on the top.

The first picture shows the Osaka Nanko No. 3 bonded warehouse.

The second picture shows a cold storage warehouse on Rokko Island in Kobe.

Both maps circled a warehouse area in red pencil, with the area, entrances/exits, location of the duty room, and current cargo flow marked next to it.

"There's still a section of old warehouse space in Nangang Warehouse No. 3 that we can designate first," said Yoshio Sumitomo. "It was originally reserved for Sumitomo Chemical's exports for the next quarter. Now it's being converted into a temporary warehouse area for the joint storage center."

He pushed the first floor plan in front of Shuichi.

Then the second one was pushed over.

"We can allocate a low-temperature warehouse over at the Rokko Island cold storage facility. The original storage company will still be responsible for duty shifts, insurance, and entry/exit registration. Saionji Trading will send personnel to be stationed on-site to participate in document verification, entry confirmation, and liaison with the customs window."

Sumitomo Takamichi then took out a thin memo.

The title is:

Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Sumitomo Corporation's Overseas Settlement Joint Custody Center.

Beneath the memo were two metal number plates.

A coin engraved with "Nangang No. 3".

The other one is engraved with "Rokuko Cold Storage".

That's not the key to the warehouse door.

The real key is still in the key cabinet in the duty room, and the entry and exit of goods still have to go through the registration book, the duty officer, the customs declaration window and the warehousing company.

These two numbered plates represent something else entirely.

Starting tomorrow, Saionji Trading Co., Ltd. will be authorized to send personnel into these two warehouse areas, to leave confirmation signatures next to the warehouse entry and exit records, and to process warehouse receipts, customs declarations, and letter of credit amendments on the same table.

Yoshio Sumitomo placed the two numbered tags on the coffee table.

"However, ownership cannot be changed yet," he said. "The warehouse remains Sumitomo's warehouse, and the personnel are still managed by the original storage company."

Trim a little bit.

This is only natural.

If ownership were to be transferred directly, it would cause an uproar within Sumitomo, and outsiders would think that Sumitomo's main family had been forced to make a painful sacrifice by Saionji.

That would be too inappropriate. Even if it's actually pretty much like that, we should at least save face for Sumitomo.

Sumitomo Yoshio placed his hand on the metal plate and gently stroked it.

"However, the Nangang No. 3 Warehouse and the Liujia Cold Storage Warehouse can be put under a ten-year management trusteeship, nominally as the Sumitomo Corporation Overseas Settlement Joint Custody Center."

"Saionji Trading Co., Ltd. is jointly managed with the Sumitomo Group. Currently, all export goods from Sumitomo-affiliated manufacturing companies are first stored in the joint storage center."

He paused for a moment.

"Relevant customs declaration service windows can also be set up inside the warehouse."

Takamichi Sumitomo took a memo out of the folder and placed it next to the two metal plaques.

Satsuki glanced at the title.

Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Sumitomo Corporation's Overseas Settlement Joint Custody Center.

She didn't reach out immediately, as if she was waiting for something.

Sumitomo Yoshio glanced at Satsuki again, his fingers tightening slightly.

"In addition, if warehouse assets need to be disposed of during the bubble adjustment period in the future, Saionji Corporation has the right of first refusal under the same conditions."

Shuichi's eyebrows twitched slightly.

They have a ten-year management trusteeship, a customs declaration window, and even a right of first refusal.

Osaka South Port, Kobe Rokko Island.

One bonded warehouse and one cold storage warehouse.

The former is stuck in a malfunction.

The latter is stuck in the cold chain.

This is tantamount to the Sumitomo family acknowledging that Saionji Trading Co. is no longer just an external pre-screening agency sitting in an office looking at documents.

The goods need to be stored in the warehouse it manages.

The documents need to be checked in the window that manages them.

Inspection records, packing records, customs declaration records, and outbound records will all leave traces in the same place.

If Bai Shuihui wants to use a letter to block business again, she will have to explain why Sumitomo's own goods cannot enter Sumitomo's authorized warehouse.

Shuichi turned his head and glanced at Satsuki.

Just by sitting here, can you force the other person to vomit so much?

As expected of my daughter... Maybe I should bring Satsuki with me to all negotiations from now on.

Satsuki seemed finally satisfied and reached out to pick up one of the metal plaques.

"Mr. Sumitomo, I truly admire your decision."

"With warehouses, there's a place to settle accounts."

Satsuki looked up at Sumitomo Yoshio.

"With only the documents, the Osaka headquarters can still say that we are just an external pre-screener. Once the goods are in the joint storage center, the documents, goods, and inspection records are all in the same place. In the future, anyone who wants to obstruct the process will have to explain why Sumitomo's own goods are parked outside Sumitomo's authorized warehouse."

Sumitomo Yoshio looked at her for a while.

"Is this what Ms. Satsuki wanted from the very beginning?"

Satsuki smiled softly.

"Before today, I just wanted the documents to be processed faster."

She glanced at the first risk confirmation letter on the table.

"Now the Osaka main store has reminded me that receipts alone are not enough. The goods also need a place to be stored."

Takamichi Sumitomo lowered his eyes, concealing the complex expression within them.

Bai Shuihui originally just wanted to make it impossible for chopsticks to pick up the food.

But now Satsuki has taken all the plates of food away.

Xiuyi picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.

The tea is very bitter.

But he was in a good mood.

"Mr. Yoshifu," he said, "now that the joint storage center has been established, can the first batch of goods tomorrow morning be delivered to Nangang Warehouse No. 3 first?"

Sumitomo Yoshio nodded.

"I will have Longdao inform Sumitomo Chemical and Storage Company tonight."

He paused for a moment, then added another sentence.

"If the Osaka main store has any objections, tell them to come to me."

……

January 19th, 9:40 AM.

Outside the No. 3 bonded warehouse in Osaka's South Port, trailers lined up behind the white line, their engines humming softly.

The warehouse is not empty.

At the loading dock on the east side, a batch of Sumitomo Metal containers were already undergoing outbound processing. The warehouse manager stood behind the registration desk, his phone ringing almost constantly.

Nagata stood in front of loading and unloading port number three on the west side.

This area was originally reserved for Sumitomo Chemical's exports for the next quarter, but it was temporarily removed from the existing schedule last night. The yellow zoning lines on the ground haven't been repainted yet, so the workers could only use a few red and white traffic cones to create a new passage.

He was holding a new warehouse entry registration book in his hand.

Behind him were two employees from Saionji Trading's Osaka office.

Next up is the foreign trade section chief at Sumitomo Chemical.

The containers that were parked at the dock yesterday afternoon have now been moved to the warehouse entrance by truck.

The warehouse manager walked over, glanced at the documents in Nagata's hand, and then at the authorization notice sent by Sumitomo Corporation in the early hours of the morning.

"Is it confirmed that Saionji Trading Co., Ltd. has an on-site presence?"

Nagata nodded.

"This batch will be shipped out first today. We will send someone to confirm the document verification, warehousing record, and communication with the customs window."

The warehouse manager didn't ask any further questions. He clipped the authorization notice into the filing board, turned around, and waved to the duty room.

"Exit 3 on the west side, proceed with permission."

The forklift arrived quickly.

As the first container was hauled into the designated storage area, the warehouse lights cast shadows on the side of the container, revealing a layer of salty residue dried by the sea breeze. On the east side of the loading dock, business continued as usual; employees of Sumitomo Storage Company checked outbound slips as normal, and customs brokers hurried through the passageway carrying documents.

The only difference is that there is a temporary wooden table next to the registration desk on the west side.

A freshly carved rubber stamp sits on the table.

Nagata picked up the stamp and glanced at it.

Saionji-Sumitomo Joint Storage Center.

The characters were newly carved, with some rough edges that hadn't been smoothed out.

He pressed the seal into the red inkpad.

"Smack."

On the first page of the warehouse entry record, there was an extra bright red stamp.

The head of the foreign trade department at Sumitomo Chemicals finally breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the stamp.

"Is this considered a recovery?"

The young employee next to me asked in a low voice.

Nagata closed the register.

"It's not just about recovery."

He looked at the containers that were being loaded into the warehouse.

"We used to only look at the documents, but now the goods also have to go through here."

The young employee didn't fully understand.

But the foreign trade section chief understood.

He turned to look into the depths of the warehouse.

The goods that were stuck at the dock just hours ago due to a letter are now in a warehouse authorized by Sumitomo Corporation and confirmed by Saionji Trading Co., Ltd. The Ministry of Justice can continue to be cautious, the banks can continue to send letters, and the Hakusuikai can continue discussing risks in the Kitahama meeting room.

But the goods have already arrived.

From this moment on, if the Osaka main store wants to stop it, it can no longer simply write "risk confirmed" on a piece of paper.

……

Sumitomo Bank Osaka Main Store.

Yasui stared at the newly delivered notice and remained silent for a full half minute.

The notice was very short.

Sumitomo Corporation has decided to establish the Sumitomo Corporation Overseas Settlement Joint Custody Center. The Osaka Nanko No. 3 Bonded Warehouse and the Kobe Rokko Island Cold Storage Warehouse will be jointly managed by Saionji Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation, effective immediately.

For goods exported within the authorized scope of existing Sumitomo-affiliated manufacturing operations, orders may not be suspended without authorization based on a risk confirmation letter from the Osaka headquarters. If the Osaka headquarters believes there is a specific risk, it should submit the corresponding transaction number, risk clauses, and factual evidence to Sumitomo's legal department.

Mei Chang stood in front of the table, his face gradually turning pale.

"They've taken the warehouse."

Yasui remained silent.

He stared at the words "joint trusteeship".

It took him a long time to put the notice on the table.

The rope was indeed tightened.

However, the person standing at the other end was not pulled to the table.

She followed the rope and found the warehouse door.

Then, they took the key.