Chapter 34 Chapter Thirty-Two
There is a "Awata" restaurant on the high platform of Awataguchi in Kyoto.It winds along the slope of the hill, covering an area of 700 pings. It faces the hill of Yoshida-san Hun-en Garden across the street. In front of the restaurant, you can see the vermilion archway of the Heian Shrine.Higashiyama is on the right, from which you can see the large roof of Nanzenji Temple at the foot of the mountain, and the forest on the left covers Shoren-in Temple and Chion-in Temple.
One afternoon in early November, a man and a woman walked into the Japanese-style living room in the inner courtyard of "Awata".The man was a fat man with white hair and a good complexion, in his sixties.The companion woman was about forty years old, wearing a simple and light-colored suit, which clearly set off her delicate face.The double rows of pearl necklaces are in harmony with her elegant and graceful demeanor, but it can be seen that they are not a couple.
The two of them are very casual with the servants of "Awata", which means that they have not come here once.Friendly and polite in reception.It can be inferred that they are not ordinary guests, but guests of the host.
This woman is Oribe Satoko, the proprietress of the "Olibe Club" in Ginza, the old man is Ishii Kujin, the president of Dongfang Steel Pipe Company, and Oribe Satoko is his mistress.
Facing these two people, sitting in the lower seat was a short old man over seventy years old, not very fat, dressed in elegant silk clothes.He is Mochizuki Inemon, the boss of "Awata".What kind of person he is, people outside generally know very little, they only know that he is a rich boss.Some people say that he was originally the illegitimate son of a certain big chaebol before the war. He used the inherited property as capital, made a large amount of war fortune during the Korean War, and is now engaged in stock business.This "Sutta" was not originally operated by him, but was mortgaged to him by the former boss.He personally serves as the owner of "Awata" because he likes to run restaurants, and he is also a gourmet, so it is convenient to communicate with all parties.
Ishii Kozo liked to come to "Awata" when he came to Tokyo, so he met Mochizuki Inemon, and he was a close friend for fifteen or six years.The relationship between Oribe Satoko and Ishii has also been eight years.Zuo Dengzi followed Ishii to come here twice a year, staying for two or three days.
"The red leaves come late this year?" Ishii said, looking at the dense jungle in Dongshan.
"Yes, it was hit by the last typhoon, and for some reason, the weather is still so warm in October." said Mochizuki Inemon, who was sitting numbly.
The living room was quiet, and Mochizuki Inemon seemed to be muttering to himself.
"It seems that there may not be many opportunities to see red leaves this year!"
Sitting there, Inaemon lightly crossed his fingers on his knees, and looked at the Wakaji area.
Ishii Kuzo, Oribe Satoko, and Inemon, who accompanied the guests, finished their meal, and the maid brought them weak tea and retired.
"You two are going to Nara today? Where else are you going?"
Inemon held the tea bowl with both hands.He looked at Zuo Dengzi with small, round eyes, and there were dense wrinkles around the eye circles.Zuo Dengzi pursed her lips and smiled, and Ishii answered for her.
"I want to go, I haven't been to Nara for a long time."
"Now is a good time to visit the monastery."
It is said that Inemon's wife has been living in a mental hospital for a long time.
"No, Mr. Mochizuki, I just came to visit the temple by the way, mainly to discuss something with you."
"Oh, what's the matter?"
"It's hard for me to open your mouth when you ask such a serious question."
Ishii drank the weak tea in one gulp and put down the tea bowl.His face was redder than the porcelain white glaze, which may be the reason why it was difficult to speak.
"...Please just listen to what I have to say, but don't say it outside."
"Oh……"
Satoko, who was bending over to look at the teacup, looked up at Ishii from the side.
"I'll take a walk in the yard." Zuo Dengzi said as he stood up.
"No, you should stay here. It's inconvenient for outsiders to hear it, but it's not a great secret."
Ishii's words were meant for Inemon.
"I was entrusted by someone else to convey this matter to Mr. Mochizuki. He knew that Mr. Mochizuki and I had a good relationship, so he asked me to ask Mr. Mochizuki's opinion. Although I agreed, I hesitated later, so I never took care of this matter. But the one who went abroad is about to come back, and he will definitely ask me about the result of the talk when he comes back, so I have to come to see you."
"Oh!..." A smile appeared on Inaeemon's bent face.
"You're talking about Mr. Teranishi, right?" The voice seemed to be talking to himself.
"Yes." Ishii nodded. "How do you know it's Mr. Teranishi?" Ishii asked Inemon with some surprise.
"That's easy. It was reported in the newspaper that Mr. Teranishi went abroad, and Mr. Ishii and Mr. Teranishi are also close. I could guess it was him right away."
The other party's response is fast, and it is not difficult to speak.Ishii smiled.
"As you know, the constitutional party's presidential election will be held in early December." Ishii began to talk.
"Has that event been postponed? I heard it was in the middle of this month."
"It seems to be postponed due to reasons within the party. I don't know why."
"Oh."
"However, Mr. Teranishi will definitely be elected president, because there is indeed an agreement between him and Premier Gui."
"It's the 'Zen Yi' mentioned in the newspaper."
"This abdication will not change."
"Oh, it is said to be a 'resignation' to the outside world. You can't just accept the president's throne and the prime minister's seat for nothing, right? Let me ask you frankly, how much did Mr. Teraishi pay Prime Minister Gui?"
"Yeah, I don't know about this matter either. I think it's about five or six billion yuan. Although I have a close relationship with Mr. Teranishi, I don't know the exact situation."
"Maybe." Inemon rubbed his hands.
The living room is far away from the dining room, so it feels quiet, but because it is close to the kitchen, you can hear the soft footsteps of the maids serving meals.Zuo Dengzi sometimes lowered his head, and sometimes looked at the dense forest of Higashiyama, which was beginning to look dim.
"Five or six billion?..." Inemon said to himself. "Is a small amount enough? The amount that Sixi agreed with Prime Minister Gui must be larger than this."
Ishii knew he was right, but he didn't dare to say the exact number.
"Mr. Teranishi still needs to pay some anti-mainstream and centrist congressmen! This will cost nearly 20 billion yuan." Inemoni smiled and said in a low voice. "Mr. Ishii is working hard too."
Mochizuki said that Ishii worked hard, implying that Ishii was in charge of campaigning for Masaki Teranishi.Part of the money required by the President.
Outsiders could not hear the secret conversations in the room, and sometimes the voices of the senior waitresses shouting and instructing the new ones could be faintly heard.Satoko recalled a similar scene he had encountered before.
——"Aqiu! Aqiu!" Terai Wenzi called the voice of the old maid. "Is it packed?"
It was in the small room next to the kitchen of Teranishi's house, when Satoko left with the 20 million yuan bill Mrs. Fumiko gave her in Osterridge's large handbag.In the courtyard of Sixi family in the early morning, I saw the white flowers of clematis and the yellow flowers of palms hanging down.It was glimpsed under the light of the flashlight, and the person holding the flashlight was the tall Secretary Wai Pu.He led Zuo Dengzi through a narrow path.This was the time when Ishii sent Zuo Dengzi to the Sixi family to collect 20 million yuan.At that time, Ben said to Zuo Dengzi:
"I have already made an agreement with Mr. Teranishi. He will give you money when you go there. I receive money from politicians. It seems to be putting the cart before the horse, but it is a common practice in society to charge fees. I am a channel for enterprises and politicians. , so this money is a reward for me. After getting back the 20 million yuan, I will give you half of it."
"How much does Teranishi-san want me to pay?" Oribe Satoko, who was immersed in the memories of the past incident, was awakened by Mochizuki Inemon's voice.
"It's easy for me to answer you so straightforwardly." Ishii said, "...it's two billion yuan."
"Two billion?"
Inaemon lowered his head, stroking the ribbon of his kimono with his hands.
"Is this urgent?"
"Mr. Teranishi sent a telegram from abroad yesterday, requesting that this matter be completed as soon as possible. Because it is difficult to open my mouth, I have been procrastinating until now, so I have to come here to discuss with you."
"Two billion will be taken out soon, this amount is too big." Inaeemon said slowly.
"...The reason for postponing the date of the president's election seems to be due to financial reasons. I think Mr. Teranishi's money is still not enough."
"That is to say, is Premier Gui asking such a high price?"
"It's not necessarily Premier Gui himself, but someone from his faction. It's true that some people claim to ask for more money because they just handed over the power to Mr. Terashi."
"..."
"There are also anti-mainstream and centrists who seem to be coaxing money."
"It may be rude of me to say this in front of you, but politicians do dirty things."
"It's really not clean, those of us who donated money know this best." Ishii took a breath and continued.
"Although I know these things, I can understand the situation and mood of Mr. Teranishi who is about to take power. I am a supporter of Mr. Teranishi. When things are at this stage, I can only do everything possible to help Mr. "
"..."
"The money should come from us, but you also know that our steel pipe industry is currently in a recession, and we don't know if we can get dividends immediately. Mechanical steel pipes, general steel pipes, construction steel pipes, civil steel pipes, etc. The trading of steel pipes and other products has come to a standstill, and prices have not been able to go up. Some people estimate that the current market is the lowest and will gradually rise in the future. However, the situation will last for a while, and the decline in profits is getting bigger and bigger..."
Ishii also told Inemon about his difficulties in running the industry, and then said slowly:
"However, this time the company we run still tried its best to provide donations to Mr. Teranishi, but there is really no way to donate another two billion, so Mr. Teranishi asked me to ask Mr. Mochizuki for help."
Seeing that Inemon remained silent, Ishii added with a smile.
"Mr. Mochizuki, this is just to listen to your opinion. If you don't want to, you can refuse in person. I just convey Mr. Teranishi's meaning by the way, and report the result to Mr. Teranishi truthfully. Mr. Teranishi will definitely not care about this matter. Funds can be raised elsewhere. In any case, he is the next Prime Minister, and someone must be willing to help."
"..."
"So, please talk about it casually. If you are in the way of my face, please don't worry too much. It is easy to talk between Mr. Teranishi and me. If it is not possible, just pretend that I have not had this conversation with you."
"Mr. Ishii," said Inemon, touching the ribbon of his jacket.
"After the establishment of the Sixi regime, you can get tangible and intangible rebates. I don't know that your company has provided hundreds of millions of donations, but the money will be returned to you with interest."
"It is said that the interest will not be paid like the bank. Instead, the Terasei cabinet proposed special legislation, approved licenses, and granted certain enterprises the right to operate the business! Isn't that right?"
"Oh, we dare not have too many extravagant hopes..."
"You talk about extravagant expectations, which is too modest."
"..."
"But we're not in this business. We can't expect special measures from the government."
Ishii thought that Inemon wanted to refuse.However, when things turned around, the short old man in silk clothes said:
"Don't say these harsh words. Alright, I'll raise two billion yuan for Mr. Sixi as soon as possible!"
Although his voice was low, his tone was firm and confident.Ishii thought for a moment that he had heard wrong, so he leaned out unintentionally.
"Hey, can you lend me two billion yuan?"
Mochizuki said in a loud voice:
"Yes, let's do that." There was a smile on his lips.
"Now raise funds for Mr. Teranishi, and I will receive various benefits when he becomes prime minister. Hahaha! This is a joke."
Inemon opened his mouth to laugh, but there was no smile in his piercing little eyes.
"Thank you very much!" Ishii got down from the cushion and saluted Inemon.
"Your kindness is engraved in my heart. I will never forget it. Mr. Teranishi must be the same as me."
Oribe Satoko also followed Ishii's example, got down from the seat cushion, put his hands on the mat and saluted, and said to Inemon:
"Thank you very much."
"Well, well, please put your hands up and sit on the cushions. I can't go on!"
"yes."
Seeing Ishii and Satoko sitting on the cushions, Inemon said:
"However, Mr. Ishii, this money can't be taken out immediately. I don't have two billion on hand, and I don't have that much cash that I don't need."
"..."
"I immediately borrowed 2 billion from the bank, but the amount is large, and collateral may be required. I am going to pledge all the 1,000 ping of land in Akasaka Hikawadai, Tokyo. Here, it is the cedar forest next to Hikawa Shrine. "
Ishii knew this place, and he nodded repeatedly.
"That piece of land was bought ten years ago, and I wanted to open the 'Awata' Tokyo branch there."
Inaemon crossed his fingers on his knees again and said in a low voice.
"But our business is also in a downturn. It takes courage to open a store in Tokyo, so I put it aside for the time being. I don't plan to build a house in the near future. Let's mortgage the 1,000-ping land to the bank. According to the current market price, every A ping is worth about 3.5 million yuan, and a thousand pings is 7.5 billion yuan, so if you use it as collateral for a loan, there will be no problem."
"Thank you." Ishii lowered his head, with a meaningful smile on his lips.
"Mr. Mochizuki, to be honest, Mr. Teranishi and I have noticed the land of Glacier Terrace a long time ago, so we came to ask you for help."
"Ah, have you noticed that piece of land?" Inemon said in surprise.
Akasaka 6-chome Hikawa Terrace is on the high ground near the Hikawa Shrine. The land of 1,000 ping to the west of the shrine wall is a fir forest and miscellaneous wood forest.Masaoshi Teranishi, who often goes to Akasaka Restaurant, heard from his secretary that this is the land of Mochizuki Inemon in Kyoto.When Teranishi asked Ishii Kozao of Tokyo Steel Pipe to inquire about a loan of 2 billion yuan from Inemon, he thought of this land as a mortgage for the bank at that time.Ishii once learned from a real estate businessman that the higher the terrain in the area around Glacier Terrace, the higher the land price.
"I didn't pay special attention to it, but I always thought it was a good place when passing by." Ishii said calmly.
Inemon nodded and said:
"I also think that it would be a good place to open a store in Tokyo, so I have kept it in my hand. However, as I said just now, the market is currently in a downturn, so I don't plan to open a store for the time being. I don't know when the market will improve, so I mortgage it. To the bank, lend two billion to Mr. Teranishi. After hearing what Mr. Ishii said, I have already made up my mind."
"Thank you!" Ishii saluted Inemon again.
"One more thing, when will Mr. Teraishi pay me back?"
"Mr. Teranishi will take office as president and prime minister of the Constitutional Party at the beginning of next month. There is no doubt about it. I can pay back the money at the end of February next year, is that all right?"
"Okay...but can you raise so much money right away as Prime Minister?"
"I can't explain these subtleties." Ishii replied with a smile.
Ishii's "investigation" has achieved satisfactory results.
"In the future, Mr. Teranishi will ask you for help in person."
"Oh, I see."
"Thanks to your permission, I have also completed the important task entrusted by Mr. Teranishi."
"Thanks for your hard work."
Seeing Inemon's smile, Ishii, who was saluting him, suddenly showed an expression of discomfort, and stood up grinning.Seeing this, Inaeemon clapped his hands and called the servant.
"No, I'll do it myself." Oribe Satoko stood up and opened the partition.
"Go to the toilet?" The maid knelt by the door and looked up at Ishii.
"I'm sorry." Satoko asked the maid to take Ishii to the toilet.
"Come here, please."
The light coming in from outside the corridor shone on the back of Ishii's white hair as he was led by the maid.
Inemon, who was sitting upright, said to Satoko who had just returned to his seat:
"How old is Mr. Ishii this year?" He smiled.
"Sixty-five."
"Is that so? You're still young. Haven't you had any illnesses?"
"Nothing special..." Zuo Dengzi didn't say the words "after combining with himself".
"Energetic and in good health. But you should always remind him to pay attention to his health."
"Yes, I will definitely do it." Zuo Dengzi lowered his head, indicating that this is the responsibility of his "wife".
"Mr. Ishii's soil work should not be too tense, and attention should be paid to rest and entertainment. When you are old, too much stress is not good for your health. It is better to live a leisurely life."
"yes."
"Are you going to Nara tomorrow?"
"Scheduled to leave tonight."
"That's good. Now is the best season in Nara. It's just that those traveling students and tourist groups are annoying. There's nothing I can do about it."
"Go to a quiet place where they don't go as much as possible. Go to places like Joruriji Temple or Sabo Road..."
"I heard that there are more people going to Joruriji Temple. Except for very remote corners, Nara is not quiet anymore."
Ishii has not returned yet.
"It doesn't matter." Inaeemon said, staring at Satoko.
"Let's change the subject. How's the club business in Ginza?"
"not so good."
"Everyone here says it's not very good. Is your shop okay?"
"It's also starting to be depressed and light."
"Because the female boss is attractive, let's prosper as usual!"
"Oh, there's no such thing." Zuo Dengzi raised his smiling eyes. "When you come to Tokyo, please come to it. The name is 'Olibe Club'."
"When I go to Tokyo, I will definitely come to you." Inaemon took Satoko's words and said.He was still standing upright with his hands folded on his knees.
"...I just told Mr. Ishii that I have a land of 1,000 tsubo in Hikawadai in Akasaka. I wanted to open a shop in Tokyo and buy it, but the current economy is depressed, and the shop may close down soon after opening. But put the land there. No, it’s a pity, so I go to Tokyo every three months to understand the market and prepare to open a store when the situation improves.”
"When you come to Tokyo, please come to our store, although it is a small club." Satoko invited.
"Okay, thanks, I'll go."
"must!"
"Among the 1,000 ping of land in Glacier Terrace, I want to keep about 600 ping of fir forest and miscellaneous woods, use 100 ping of it to build a restaurant, and use the other 300 ping as a garden."
"Ah, that's so beautiful." Zuo Dengzi cried out in a low voice as if seeing the blueprint.
"I haven't seen Hikawa Terrace yet, but just listening to what you said, I seem to see a Kyoto-style restaurant 'Awata' in a natural forest, and my heart beats with excitement. A bird's-eye view of the streets of Akasaka from a high place..."
"It's hard to predict when it will be done. I still have extra land. How about 'Olibe Club' opening a cafe there in the future?"
"Ah, is it really possible to do this?" Zuo Dengzi's eyes lit up.
"As long as you want, I can provide the venue, of course, with Mr. Ishii's consent."
When Ishii's name was mentioned, Satoko looked at his watch quietly.He has been in the toilet for more than twenty minutes.
"Why is Mr. Ishii so slow?" Inemon frowned. "Ask someone to take a look."
"No, I'll go..." Zuo Dengzi got off the cushion and stood up.
"Ask the maid to take you there." Inaeemon clapped his hands and called the maid.
The maid opened the partition and looked into the room.
"Sorry!" Zuo Tengzi whispered to the maid.
The maid who led the way in front of Zuo Dengzi turned a corner at the end of the corridor.To the right is the atrium, where there are waves of white sand on which three black rocks are arranged.A small lawn was paved in one corner, and three or four maple trees were planted in it, and the leaves were half red.Next to it is the toilet.
The maid stopped in front of the cedar sliding door with clear patterns, gave Satoko a slight glance, and left.Zuo Dengzi knocked on the door twice, but there was no answer.She opened the door and saw two white urinals lined up coldly.Suo Dengzi suddenly had an ominous premonition in his heart.Zuo Dengzi knocked on the toilet door again, but there was no answer.The second time I knocked hard on the door with my fist, there was still no answer.She knocked on the door and shouted loudly, but there was still no sound from inside.Zuo Dengzi shivered and went to call the maid.
The maid brought the workers.He knocked on the door hard, but when he couldn't hear the sound from inside, he began to drill holes in the latch door with the electric drill.At this time, Inemon and his maid also came here, standing behind and staring at the operation of the electric drill.There was a small square hole in the door. The worker reached out from here and pulled the latch inside with his fingers to open the door.Ishii Kozo had fallen off the Western-style toilet and was lying face down on the tiled floor.Zuo Dengzi rushed in and shook Ishii's body.
"President! President!"
Nothing happens.Inemon pushed Satoko away and squatted in front of Ishii.The hem of his jacket dragged the tiled floor.Inemon lifted Ishii's shoulders and gently raised his white-haired head.Ishii Kuzo opened his eyes, but his pupils remained motionless.Inemon put a hand in front of it and shook it, but Ishii's pupils were still unresponsive, and his face was blood red.Inemon quietly lowered Ishii's head.
"Call the doctor immediately!" Inaeemon turned back and ordered the maid, and said to Satoko who was standing there at a loss:
"Ms. Satoko, Mr. Ishii seems to have a cerebral hemorrhage!"
At two o'clock in the afternoon, Oribe Satoko was sitting alone in the green box of the Shinkansen "Hikari" train from Kyoto to Tokyo.The train passed the Sudo Road, passed Otsu, Lake Biwa flashed past, and Mount Hiei was getting farther and farther away.
Ishii Kuzao is dead.His embarrassing expression in the living room before he went to the toilet might be due to his discomfort from a cerebral hemorrhage, but he didn't want to tell Mochizuki Inemon, so he went to the toilet.Zuo Dengzi who was next to him didn't realize this situation either.
Satoko entrusted the funeral to Inemon, and left "Awata" secretly.Inaemon readily agreed to all the funeral affairs of Ishii.For example, the family of Ishii in Tokyo was notified that Ishii came here alone.At the same time, the remains were placed in another separate room.Inemon imposed a strict ban on all "Awata" employees who knew the situation, and they were not allowed to speak out.
Satoko recalled the eight years of living together with Ishii, and felt infinitely emotional when it ended so suddenly.When the train arrived at the small hill in Azuchi, she couldn't help but burst into tears, lying on the seat and covering her face with a handkerchief, sobbing non-stop.Two conductors came to check the tickets. Seeing this scene, they walked past without making a sound, and other passengers also looked towards her.There are not many passengers.Satoko stood up and went to the washstand, spending some time putting on makeup.Then returned to the seat.She tried her best to control her emotions and think about the future of her "career".
Ishii died after completing the loan task of two billion yuan entrusted to him by Masaki Teranishi.Satoko still clearly remembered what Inemon had said to her: "Mr. Ishii is dead, and only you can pass on my answer to Mr. Teranishi. You tell the sir that Mochizuki has agreed to what Mr. Ishii entrusted."
Ishii Kozao merely conveyed Teranishi's intentions to Inemoni, and the actual negotiation will be conducted directly between Teranishi and Inemoni.Ishii Xiang was a loyal envoy of the Warring States Period who died after completing his important mission. Teranishi Masaki should cry in front of Ishii's spirit.
The train began to slow down and was approaching Nagoya. Passengers stood up and took their travel bags from the luggage rack.At this time, Zuo Dengzi found a group of men on the platform, about thirty people formed a circle, and they seemed to come to see him off.There were three people who were sent off, and they all wore shiny gold badges on their chests.One is white-haired, the other is bald, and the third has thick black hair.
Seeing the black-haired profile, Satoko recognized him as Masaaki Kawamura.Zuo Dengzi shrank back from the car window subconsciously.The departure bell rang, and the three of them boarded the No. 12 car. Kawamura stepped into the car and glanced here by chance, and Zuo Dengzi felt that he had seen him.It is estimated that they participated in the lecture hosted by the Nagoya branch of the Constitutional Party just held.Zuo Dengzi saw in the newspaper that Masaaki Kawamura had switched from the "Renovation Club" to the Gui faction a month ago.She remembered the scene when Kawamura took the gift Osterridge bag to Aobadai.At that time, he suddenly moved his hands and feet, and was almost hugged and kissed by him.He said "I love you, it doesn't matter if you have an old man...you will love me too", this annoying voice still lingers in my ears.When she was in the hospital, she heard from Bozi that Kawamura's secretary had been to the hospital.When she arrived in Hawaii, Zuo Dengzi never interacted with Kawamura again, and she didn't want to meet him.
Satoko always felt that Kawamura would come here from the 12th car to complain to her, so she was always nervous about it.But this train drove to Tokyo Kawamura and never showed up.
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