Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

Chapter 10 An Encounter in Karuizawa

Tokyo in August is like a boiling iron pot; the asphalt roads reek of a suffocating tar smell, and even the cicadas' chirping sounds weak and feeble.

But in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, time seems to have been slowed down.

As the limited express train "Asama" passed through the last tunnel, the view outside the window instantly changed from reinforced concrete to lush larch forests. The unique, cool scent of moss and pine resin in the air seeped in through the cracks in the windows.

The Saionji family's black sedan was already waiting at the station.

The car drove away from the bustling station square and headed along the tree-lined road into the depths of old Karuizawa.

The road here is not wide, and both sides are lined with towering dawn redwoods. Through the gaps in the leaves, you can vaguely see those Western-style villas that are decades or even hundreds of years old. Most of them were built during the Meiji and Taisho periods by foreign missionaries and Japanese nobility. The wooden walls have been eroded into a dark brown by the years, and the roofs are covered with thick moss.

This is "Old Money's" territory. Silence, gloom, and an aloofness that keeps strangers at bay.

"It's so comfortable here."

Shuichi Saionji rolled down the car window and took a deep breath of cool air. He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and a hint of ease finally appeared on his face, which had been tense throughout his time in Tokyo.

Satsuki sat beside her, holding a white, round straw hat in her hand.

"Father, the air here is so sweet," she said softly, watching the greenery rushing past the window.

"Really? I'm glad you like it." Seeing his daughter sitting properly to the side, Shuichi couldn't help but pat her head.

The weather in Tokyo has been unbearably hot lately, so Shuichi took some time out to bring his daughter to Karuizawa to escape the heat.

As the car rounded a bend, a two-story wooden villa came into view.

This is the Saionji family's villa, "Tōshō Sanso". Built in the early Showa era, although it is not as modern as a luxury hotel today, the service provided by the dozen or so servants throughout the villa is by no means inferior to the experience of modern facilities. Moreover, the villa is hidden in the mountains and forests, and its tranquil and secluded atmosphere is something that the steel jungle of Tokyo can not match.

However, this tranquility was soon shattered.

"Boom!"

A muffled mechanical roar came from the hillside not far away, startling a flock of birds in the forest.

Xiu Yi frowned: "Where is the construction going? I remember this area is a restricted construction zone, where high-rise buildings are not allowed."

The butler, Fujita, turned around, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Sir, it's the Seibu Group. They bought that hill behind the hotel, saying they're going to expand the Prince Hotel's ski resort and vacation area. That project has been going on for half a year now, with earthmoving happening every night."

"Seibu..."

As Shuichi murmured the name, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi.

In 1985 Japan, this name represented absolute wealth and power. As the head of the Seibu Group, he owned one-sixth of all the land in Japan and was even named the "world's richest man" by Forbes magazine.

If the Saionji family represents the decaying old aristocracy, then Yoshiaki Tsutsumi is the new emperor wielding money and determined to flatten the old world.

Satsuki got off the carriage and stood on the gravel path.

She looked up into the distance. Through the treetops, she could vaguely see the huge tower crane and the "PRINCE HOTEL" sign gleaming in the sunlight.

That blinding white was like a giant patch forcibly pasted onto this ancient forest.

"How greedy!"

Satsuki lowered the brim of her hat, a barely perceptible sneer curling at the corner of her lips.

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi is still frantically hoarding land. He believes that land prices will always rise, and that as long as he buys up all the mountains in Japan, he can build an eternal empire.

Soon, he will find out. In five years, these lands he is so proud of will become the noose that strangles him.

……

3 PM.

As is customary, Shuichi goes to the nearby tennis courts to stretch his muscles.

Karuizawa's tennis courts hold special significance. It was here that Crown Prince Akihito met Princess Michiko, creating a Cinderella-like fairytale. Since then, it has become a central stage for high society social events.

Satsuki changed into a white tennis dress, her hair tied in a high ponytail, looking youthful and vibrant. She didn't intend to play; she simply sat under a parasol by the court, drinking lemonade and watching her father and a few old friends swing their rackets.

"That must be Mr. Saionji, right? I heard he's been making a big splash in Osaka lately?" "Oh, no, that's his brother's doing. I heard the Saionji family is all bark and no bite these days..."

The gossip from the next table drifted over on the wind.

The two men speaking were middle-aged and dressed in flashy polo shirts, their gold watches gleaming in the sunlight. They were terrible at golf, but loud, and their conversation revolved around "land prices" and "financing."

Satsuki casually stirred the ice cubes in her glass.

Since the incident involving Masami Okura, she has become immune to this kind of nouveau riche vibe.

Just then, a man in a dark blue suit carrying a briefcase walked straight into the tennis court.

His outfit looked out of place in a setting where everyone was dressed in sportswear. But he seemed unconcerned, his gaze sweeping across the court before finally settling on Xiu Yi, who had just finished his break.

"Mr. Shuichi Saionji?"

The man walked over, did not bow, but simply nodded slightly, and took out a business card from his pocket and handed it over.

"I am Kenta, the Deputy Director of the Development Department at Seibu Land Development Co., Ltd."

Shuichi was wiping his sweat when he heard the name "Seibu" and paused. He took the business card, glanced at it, and asked in a nonchalant tone, "What brings you here?"

Quan Tian wore a professional smile, a smile that exuded the arrogance unique to large conglomerates.

"That's right, Mr. Saionji. Our president is very interested in your 'Tingsong Villa'."

Quan Tian pointed to the hilltop not far away, "We plan to develop this villa area into a brand new, world-class hot spring resort. Your villa is located right in the central landscape area of ​​our plan."

Xiu Yi was stunned.

He came to escape the summer heat, not to discuss business. Besides, it was ancestral property.

"I'm not selling." Shuichi casually placed the business card on the table, picked up his water bottle and took a sip. "That's the house my grandfather left behind. The Saionji family isn't so poor that they have to sell their ancestral home."

Quan Tian seemed to have anticipated this reaction. He wasn't angry; instead, he took a checkbook from his briefcase.

"Mr. Saionji, please don't refuse so easily." Gonda opened his pen cap, his tone enticing. "We've done our research; the current market value of that villa is around 80 million yen. However, President Tsutsumi said that because of its prime location, we're willing to offer double that. 160 million yen."

Several other golfers who were resting nearby gasped in surprise.

160 million yen. In 1985, this was an enormous sum of money. It would have been more than enough to buy a luxury house in Tokyo.

Quan Tian's smugness grew even stronger as he observed the reactions of those around him. In his view, there was nothing that money couldn't buy, especially for a declining old aristocratic family like his.

"How about it? This price is very reasonable, isn't it?" Quan Tian waved the pen in his hand. "As long as you nod your head, I can write the check right now."

Shuichi tightened his grip on the water bottle, his knuckles turning slightly white.

This isn't just about money. It's an insult. The other party didn't respect him at all, treating him like a beggar.

"Mr. Gonda," Shuichi said in a low voice, suppressing his anger, "I've said it before, I'm not selling. Please leave."

"Two hundred million."

Gonda interrupted Shuichi by announcing a new number.

"Mr. Saionji, you need to be pragmatic. The development plan for this area has already been approved. When it's all construction sites, your villa will be sandwiched in the middle; you probably won't be in the mood for a vacation, will you?"

This is a blatant threat.

Shuichi suddenly stood up, the chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.

Just when the situation was about to reach a stalemate.

"Two hundred million yen?"

A crisp voice interrupted.

Satsuki walked over with light steps, holding the half-finished glass of lemonade. She stood beside her father, looked up at the burly-faced Gonda.

"Uncle, your math skills don't seem to be very good."

Quan Tian frowned, looking at the little girl who had suddenly appeared: "Who are you?"

"I'm the 'caretaker' here," Satsuki said with a smile, pointing to her nose. "I'm responsible for taking care of every tree and every stone in that villa."

She walked up to Quan Tian, ​​stretched out her finger, and pointed to the forest behind him.

"Uncle, do you know why my grandfather built the villa there?"

Gonda asked instinctively, "Why?"

"Because there's a well there." Satsuki's voice became somewhat mysterious. "Grandfather said it's a 'dragon eye.' The Saionji family's fortune depends entirely on that well. If you fill it in and build a hotel..."

She paused, a sly glint in her eyes.

"If this energy has nowhere to go, it will turn into 'evil energy.' I've heard that the Seibu Group has been encountering strange things at its projects in other locations lately... If something else goes wrong here, President Tsutsumi will probably be very unhappy, right?"

Quan Tian was stunned.

Businessmen, especially those in real estate, are very superstitious about feng shui. Although he thought the girl was talking nonsense, looking into Satsuki's clear black and white eyes, for some reason, he felt a little uneasy.

"Besides," Satsuki changed the subject, pointing to the checkbook in Gonda's hand, a naive yet cruel look of disdain on her face, "two hundred million yen? That kind of money covered in cement dust, if our family accepted it, Grandpa would probably be so angry he'd climb out of that well."

"Pfft."

Finally, someone nearby couldn't help but laugh.

Quan Tian's face instantly turned a deep shade of liver. He hadn't expected to be rebuffed by a young girl with such nonsensical remarks.

"Fine...fine!" Gonda gritted his teeth, putting away his checkbook. "Since the Saionji family is so 'nostalgic,' we'll see! When we're surrounded by skyscrapers, let's see how you'll 'maintain your composure' then!"

After saying that, he turned and left in a huff, forgetting to even fasten the buttons on his briefcase.

Shuichi watched Gonda's disheveled figure and let out a long sigh of relief.

He looked down at his daughter. Satsuki was nonchalantly sipping her lemonade through the straw, as if nothing had happened.

"Satsuki," Shuichi chuckled helplessly, "what dragon's eye, evil aura... Where did you get all this nonsense from?"

"This is called 'magic defeating magic'." Satsuki blinked. "It's useless to talk about ideals with people who only have money on their minds, but if you talk to them about 'bad luck,' they believe it more than anyone else."

Xiu Yi shook his head, and the gloom in his eyes dissipated somewhat.

"But, two hundred million..." Shuichi sighed. "If it were a few years ago, I might have actually been tempted."

"What's two hundred million?"

Satsuki put down her cup, looked at the huge tower crane in the distance, and her eyes turned cold.

"Father, we will buy that land back in the future."

"Not two hundred million."

"Twenty million is enough."

……

Night falls.

The nights in Karuizawa are cool as water.

On the second-floor terrace of Tingsong Villa, Xiuyi and Satsuki were relaxing in rattan chairs.

The surrounding forest was filled with the chirping of insects. If you didn't look into the distance, it truly seemed like a paradise on earth.

However, just by looking up slightly, one could see the searchlights that burned all night long at the Prince Hotel expansion construction site, several kilometers away. The intense white light pierced the night sky, turning half of it a bleak gray-white.

"Yoshiaki Tsutsumi is a madman."

Shuichi fanned himself with a palm leaf fan, gazing at the lights. "I heard he's going to buy land around Tokyo Tower, and also buy in Hawaii and Paris. It seems like he has endless money."

"That's the bank's money, not his money."

Satsuki lay on the chair, her hands behind her head, looking at the starry sky above her, which was somewhat dimmed by the lights.

"Father, do you think land prices are high these days?"

"Of course it's expensive," Shuichi said. "Land prices in Tokyo have already skyrocketed, and even here they've doubled."

"No, it's not expensive enough."

Satsuki's voice was soft, yet it carried a chilling certainty.

"The current price increase is just the appetizer. Once that 'agreement' is signed, the yen will appreciate, exports will die, and the government will print money like crazy to save the day, lowering interest rates to zero."

She reached out her hand and made a grasping motion in the air.

"At that time, money will flood in like a torrent. Everyone will have money in their hands, but they won't dare to invest in real businesses; they'll only be able to buy land and stocks. That will be the real crazy surge."

Xiu Yi's heart skipped a beat: "Then...should we buy some land too?"

"Not now."

Satsuki turned her head to look at her father.

"We're waiting. Waiting for the flood to drown everyone, waiting for land prices to skyrocket, and then crashing down hard."

She pointed to the brightly lit construction site in the distance.

"Like that construction site. The brighter it is now, the darker it will be later."

"What we need to do is use the dollars we made from shorting to pick up those blood-stained chips from those ruins."

Shuichi remained silent for a long time.

He looked at the lighthouse in the distance, a symbol of the power of the "world's richest man," and then at his 12-year-old daughter beside him.

For some reason, he felt that the lighthouse's glow didn't last as long as the light in his daughter's eyes.

"Saionji Corporation..." Shuichi suddenly uttered the name, "Will we build a hotel this big when that day comes?"

"No."

Satsuki closed her eyes, enjoying the evening breeze.

"We don't need to build a hotel. Soon, people will be begging us to buy it at rock-bottom prices."

"Let others sweat and take risks. We can just sit there and listen to the sound of gold coins falling into our pockets."

The wind rustled through the treetops, making a sound like countless gold coins flowing.