Chapter 4 Chapter 3 Fierce Competition

The next morning, Umura and Kumiko sat opposite each other across the dining table, as if something dazzled them, he blinked and said, "Last night, I seemed to be very drunk!" "It must have been a pleasant drink!" "Did I say something drunk?" "You don't remember anything?" "I begged Futian to send me home. I know this. I won't remember anything after I can." "That's right, so everything will be fine and the world will be peaceful!" Kumiko said sarcastically. "Honey, I must have seen you, so I feel relieved."

"Hmph! No matter how nicely you say it, no one will believe it. You don't even remember when you get home. If no one sends you, then you must lie down somewhere overnight." "Since I can go back to my own home, I won't lose my mind even if I go to someone else's home." Who is Dongzi?Kumiko swallowed the words that had welled up in her throat.She felt that even if she asked him at this time, she would not tell the truth, and she would definitely evade it.Besides, cross-examining her husband's drunkenness would make him think that he had been jealous all night, which she did not want to do.

Although Kumiko didn't pursue the question further, Amamura was still worried about whether he said something that aroused his wife's suspicion.It seems that he is afraid of making a slip of the tongue after drinking, and being peeped into the secret locked deep in his heart. Is this something the taboo wife knows?If so, isn't the name of the woman named Dongzi not a drunken word, but a secret hidden in his heart?Kumiko was thinking. "What's the matter? Why did you stop talking all of a sudden?" Amamura looked at Kumiko's expression with a guilty conscience.Then pretending to be calm, he made a kind expression of caring for his wife as usual and said: "As compensation for last night, come back early tonight!"

"There's no need to force it. Aren't you very busy at work now?" "That kind of research, you can do whatever you want!" This is the same self-defeating tone as in the past.Not only did he say that, but a look of desperation and despair crossed his face for a moment. "Hey, what's the matter with you? Since last night, I don't know why you have changed!" It was the first time Kumiko met Amamura like this, her face sank, and she frowned worriedly.She hasn't asked him why he drank last night, and she hasn't heard him say that there was a banquet last night, and Yucun never went to drink alone in the past.Kumiko thought, maybe something unpleasant happened at work?

Kumiko considers herself a "happy lady" who has always been immersed in happiness.But from this moment on, she felt an ominous sign, and her happiness seemed to be about to be shattered. "It's nothing, I just feel a little tired." Umura regretted that he should not have disturbed his wife, and he immediately returned to his normal state of kindness and serenity, and kissed his wife lightly.This is the signal for tonight's carnival. Amamura used a completely unconventional method to conduct experiments on enriching uranium, and soon achieved success. From then on, the incidents of him drinking and coming home late have obviously increased.

"I don't know why, but I always feel scared!" One day, Kumiko said timidly to Umura. "Scared! Why?" "It's always like someone is staring at me." "How can there be such a thing, then, it must be secretly watched by an infatuated man who fell in love at first sight somewhere!" Yucun said with a joke, and lay down. "What kind of eyes are they! It's a cold and piercing gaze, peeking at him from somewhere, it makes people feel pain all over." "This is pure nonsense!" "You don't believe it, but I do feel it, and the strange thing is, it's more pronounced when you're at home than when I'm at home alone."

"So, who is spying on our family?" "Yes! Don't you feel it?" "I don't have a special feeling..." Just as he was about to say this, Yucun's nerves suddenly tensed up.From what his wife said, he seemed to have guessed something. "You also feel the signs of this, right?" Kumiko asked after noticing her husband's expression sensitively. "No, I don't feel anything special!" Umura said in a panic. "Liar! The color of your face has changed! You must feel something, you say, why do you have to spy on us? Tell me quickly, it's really uncomfortable to go on like this."

"I really didn't feel anything. That's your mental effect! Even if there is such a person, what's so scary if I'm with you? According to you, maybe someone is jealous of our good relationship .” Amamura hugged Kumiko, but she felt as if she was avoiding her husband. After what his wife said, Yucun understood why he had been restless for several days, as if he had been possessed by a demon, and always felt that he was in a fog for no reason.This feeling of trance and restlessness must have been caused by someone's fixed gaze.How could he have thought that others would be watching him.

Umura thought that women were still sensitive, but he felt that it was not Kumiko who was being watched, but himself.Kumiko said that she was watched more fiercely when she was with her, and it seemed that her feelings were completely reliable. If this is true, then who is watching us and why?Being bored in the gourd is even more unbearable. Now I don't feel the maliciousness of that gaze, which is a bit of a relief, but of course I don't see any kindness.Those eyes are as cold as the lens, without human emotion. However, it is unpredictable when that kind of gaze will show maliciousness. There is nothing more nerve-wracking than always thinking about who is watching you, but what can be done about it?To whom should I vent my complaints?Yucun gradually became restless and drank more and more frequently.Maybe it has something to do with my research?

Yucun suddenly thought of this, and then felt that this idea was too absurd, but then thought again: If the new method he invented can be applied in practice, it will be connected to the huge profits of the company anyway.It seems that someone from some company must be playing with my idea, trying to catch it.If this speculation is true, someone will come to ask for it soon.Hmph, come here and don't expect to get anything!In this way, not only Japanese companies, but foreign capital may also be coveting.However, in order to prevent inventions from being stolen by other countries, the government may have to spy on them, right?

Yucun has doubts about the scientific research he is doing, and various conjectures come one after another. The next day, the first visitor arrives at his home with luscious bait. "Will it be so beneficial to win over Amamura?" Shunsuke Matsuo asked in a doubtful tone that he didn't understand yet. "I don't think it's wrong." Yoshihara Planning Minister replied firmly.The newspaper president Honda has been silent, but he nodded after Yoshihara finished speaking, which shows his attitude. "With him alone, can he get 400 billion yuan in equipment investment?" "Don't underestimate this person. He is not ordinary. He is the chief engineer of the Central Research Institute. In the research of fuel uranium enrichment technology, almost no one can do it except him, an important person." "Even so, that's a bit exaggerated!" Matsuo said with a smile.It seems to be laughing at the president and ministers for bragging about an ordinary engineer.His smile gave a terrible cruelty to his face, with its narrow eyes and broad flat lips.His ghastly appearance seemed like someone who was sick somewhere. "Matsuo," said President Honda, who had remained silent all this time, "just follow the orders. Whether or not Amamura's estimate is exaggerated is a matter for us to judge!" Although the president's tone was kind, Matsuo seemed to have a big stone stuck in his chest. "I hope you remember this. It's not just our company that wants to get Amamura. Hishii, Chiyoda, Chuo, and other big companies are all eyeing him. Even the earthenware industry and Kyoritsu Shoji are also eager to try. .As soon as it is connected with the 400 billion yuan of patent rights, everyone will be red-eyed. This is not just a question of 400 billion yuan, it is also related to the issue of future industry leadership. "Now, Yucun himself will not change his mind, and it is up to you to do his work. It is indeed difficult to say whether it is really beneficial to bring him over alone. However, it is indeed profitable to build a factory, as long as it is possible , you should go all out to do it, this is your job." Honda laid out his pros and cons with a pleasant face, leaving Matsuo speechless. "As for the conditions for bringing Yucun over, let the Minister of Human Resources tell you later that this may require fierce competition from other companies, so you might as well follow your own judgment. Here is the general information about Yucun. When there are not enough assistants and expenses , you can talk to me anytime.” "Please wait a moment." "Anything else?" "People don't want to do it, they insist on wooing them, and they insist on asking me to do it. Why?" "That's a major matter related to the patent right to build a 400 billion yuan factory. No matter what, it must be successful, otherwise it will be difficult!" "So, it's not because of the difficulty of the problem, but because of the reliability that I was asked to do it?" "Well, that's right. Only success is not allowed to fail, because in our company, there are not many people who are really reliable in their work!" "I have done a lot of collecting all kinds of information, but it's the first time to win people over." "It's pretty much the same. Especially when competing with other companies like this time, your skill is very much needed. How about it? Don't let me down." Honda looked at him and continued in a seductive tone, "If If you can transfer Yucun from Wuyan to us, then your wish for many years will be fulfilled, and after that, I will reward you with a sum of money to open a private Xingxin office." "Really?" Matsuo, who was indifferent, suddenly had a burst of enthusiasm. "But I'm talking after it's done." Honda calmly and clearly spells out the price.It is said that he is the overlord behind the letter and monopoly consortium, and it is said that he used to be a spy of the military department, so when talking with him, people often feel nervous. "It's different from stealing something. The other party is a real person. What's more, other companies are also working hard. Maybe they have already reached an agreement. You mean, no matter how hard you try, if you fail, you will eventually lose money." Just blowing away all the rewards?" Matsuo, who has always been cunning, did not easily follow the command of the cunning Honda.As a well-known go-getter in the company, he felt that it was quite tricky to think of such painstaking efforts to win over a person. "In that case..." Honda stared into Matsuo's eyes.Honda's eyes, which are always inattentive at ordinary times, suddenly shot a compelling light, "In that case, at least I hope he won't join other companies in the same industry. In the end, I have to decide whether to change the workplace. Maybe I can give him something. The conditions are also unwilling to move. If he is not willing to come to us, he must not be allowed to go to other companies in the same industry. As long as you see that Yucun intends to transfer to other companies, you must do your best to stop it. " "If you only prevent him from transferring to other companies, will you also be paid?" "The specific amount will be determined after discussing with Yoshihara. I think I can at least come up with a figure that is close to what you want. How about this mission is more important than any work you have done in the past, and it is related to the life and death of our atomic energy enterprise group. , I hope you are doing well!" "Understood. It's just that I didn't know what to do when I suddenly proposed this task today. I'll get in touch as soon as possible after I study the other party's situation." "The government's plan to let private new business groups to enrich nuclear fuel is now clear. I am afraid that other companies will also start, so we must start as soon as possible." Yoshida was afraid that other companies would preempt him, and told him while handing him the information. "Can he do well?" Yoshida asked Honda after Matsuo left. "I think he will try his best." Honda replied impatiently. "Is it appropriate to let him do it alone?" Yoshida was still a little worried.Although he admits that Matsuo is capable, he cannot be completely trusted. "Of course we have to use other methods. But if Matsuo can't do it well, maybe other methods may not work. This person is a bit strange. Even though he is an employee of the company, he has no loyalty to the company." "That's right, that's exactly what I'm worried about. Is it appropriate for a person with no loyalty to engage in business work that involves such a big interest?" "That's why I let him do it! You don't know what he has achieved so far. Our company's recent rapid business development is largely due to his special ability. As an employee of the company, although he has The salary of the company is only to achieve your own goals. You might as well publicly say that it is the behavior of a lunatic to work for the company all your life. On the contrary, if you do things to enrich your own pockets, you will lose all your energy. Do it, that's the nature of salarymen today! He's far more reliable than those employees who just sing and love the company's high-profile but actually make a living." "Is his purpose to start a company by himself?" "He came to our company to do intelligence gathering as a step towards that end." "Do the company's hopes often coincide with his ends?" "That's not the case. We try to make it consistent. It's not good to prevent this kind of person from striving for his own goals. So, why not reverse the criteria for the selection of people to accomplish this great event, and simply let him achieve the long-awaited goal. Purpose. Then that guy will risk his life to do it." "So this man can be used to great advantage?" "It's a rare talent!" In a secluded inner room of the Heping Political and Economic News Agency in Hirakawa Street, Chiyoda Ward, the two of them continued to talk quietly. After the war, various commercial companies in Japan competed fiercely under the banner of enlargement and integration.They seek to expand the scope of commerce to include everything from "noodles to nuclear power".At the same time, with the transformation of the industrial structure to heavy industry and chemical industry, the main commodities operated have also shifted from fiber to heavy industry and chemical industry products.With the development of new products and technological innovation, the company's commodity range has been expanding. However, the development of the company cannot rely solely on grasping new products.It is also necessary to diversify the business products and give full play to the functions of a comprehensive large company.This function has far exceeded the intermediary role of the circulation organization.As a trade window of a large enterprise group, a commercial company already has the function of adjusting the organization of the group. In the book "General Business Company" written by Uchida Katsutoshi, he once said: "When industries that cannot be independently managed by any enterprise appear one after another, enterprises will automatically move toward collectivization. For example, like petrochemical companies and atomic energy groups. In the process of strengthening integration, in order for commercial companies to function, they must engage in business planning within the group and play a role as the organizer of the enterprise. Therefore, it is said that the commercial company is the core of the enterprise group.” Large commercial companies must have a high degree of adaptability to adapt to fierce competition.Sometimes it enriches sectors with weak capital, and sometimes it acts as a pioneer to develop valuable future industries.In order to enable the companies in the group to be internationally competitive, large commercial companies often draw up plans.For example: the combination of various enterprises, the introduction of foreign capital and foreign technology, intelligence collection, overseas investment, adjustment of internal relations within the group, etc., must have various functions.Especially when developing into future production fields such as the nuclear energy industry, joint enterprises, and information services, the role of large commercial companies is incomparable. If large commercial companies lack dynamic adaptability, the development momentum of the entire group into new fields will be greatly weakened. In March 1960, the Physical Chemistry Research Corporation first succeeded in carrying out enrichment uranium refining experiments in Japan. Enriched uranium fuel is essential for atomic power generation as a new-age energy source.Uranium in its natural state is a mixture of uranium 235 and uranium 238.The fission of uranium 235 will produce huge energy, uranium 235 only contains 0.7% in natural uranium.It is called enriched uranium to increase the content of uranium 235 by more than 0.7%.However, the technology to enrich uranium and produce nuclear weapons is only a few steps away.The United States has the ability to supply enriched uranium to other countries. They are produced as commodities, and the production technology is strictly confidential. Up to now, the enriched uranium needed by Japan has been completely dependent on the supply of the United States.After entering the 1970s, atomic power stations were built one after another, and the demand for enriched uranium fuel rose sharply. Moreover, due to the emergence of worldwide nuclear power generation, even the production capacity of the United States may be in short supply. Even if the United States could supply it, it would be extremely inconvenient and disturbing for a country to depend on foreign countries for its vital energy sources.Once the supply is unilaterally cut off for some reason, the nuclear power generation that is planned to supply a quarter of the electricity required in the mid-1980s will be cut off.A power station that costs a lot of money to build will suddenly become a huge waste. When people were longing for the localization of enriched uranium, good news came that the test was successful. This is certainly good news for the government concerned, but the academic circles have shown strong uneasiness and vigilance.They worried that this success would prompt the militarization of Japan.The technology to enrich uranium and then use it to make nuclear weapons is not too difficult.The rapid fusion of nuclear explosions is not needed now, so there is no special research on it. If you want to do it, you can do it with the equipment of Wuyan.Then, relying on the current level of Japan's chemical industry and electronics industry technology, it can also be put into mass production. The basic experiment of enriching uranium was successful, and the government was very satisfied, and then put forward the idea of ​​building a uranium enrichment plant in the late 1970s. This is a grand plan. It will cost 400 billion yuan to build the plant, and the annual output will be set at 5,000 tons. If all production is put into operation, most of the enriched uranium Japan needs every year will be self-sufficient. Regarding this matter, someone inside Wuyan said: "The uranium enrichment plant will become the center for manufacturing nuclear weapons in the future." The voice of opposition is very strong.No matter how the cadres deny it, there is only a layer of paper between them and the manufacture of nuclear warheads. This fact cannot be deceived. In fact, arsenals are producing rockets to deliver nuclear warheads.Besides, as long as a space rocket is equipped with a nuclear warhead, it becomes a medium-range ballistic nuclear missile. The fire of public opinion has ignited in Wuyan and has spread to the government.So someone inside the government said: "At this time, rather than convincing the opponents of Wuyan, it is better to ask private manufacturers with good production equipment and high technical level to do it." If it is entrusted to a private company, that company will naturally become the Japan Atomic Energy Research Center. Under such circumstances, the heavy industry and chemical industry groups within the large enterprise groups began fierce competition for the initiative to develop atomic energy. It is the nature of the company to take advantage of the advantages.This is amply proved by the fact that large companies also operate hotels where mistresses can be accommodated. The Heping Political and Economic News Agency was established by Shinwa Commercial Corporation, one of the four largest companies in the country, as a major shareholder.It is a comprehensive investigation organization serving the entire Sino Enterprise Group, and it is the "eyes and ears" of the group. The competition for survival among large companies is extremely fierce, and they often have to fight to the death.In order to win in this competition, they sometimes have to use illegal means to gather intelligence or deviate from the normal track to engage in business speculation.It is more convenient for the intelligence agency and the head office to be separated.This is the case with the Heping Political and Economic News Agency. Except for the head of the company and a few senior staff, no one else knows that the Heping Political and Economic News Agency is funded by Xinhe Company.News agencies have their own personnel rights. Shunsuke Matsuo was originally an employee of Shinwa Company, and he voluntarily transferred to work in the news agency, which is quite rare. Honda Yoshikazu has been the president of the news agency since its inception, and used to be a secret agent of the old army.During the war, many unscrupulous deeds were done in mainland China.It is said that the evil spirits and spies from other countries who were secretly rampant in China at that time were also very afraid of Honda. After the war, Honda used his old connections in the military to join the National Defense Agency.He established a relationship with Shinwa Corporation in the National Defense Agency, and joined the company after resigning from the National Defense Agency.Under his proposal, Sino Group established the Peace Political and Economic News Agency, a secret investigation organization in the name of a newspaper. Since then, he has been very active, sparing no effort to take advantage of his bad relationship in the army, and the bureaucrats of the current regime.He believes that no major event can be accomplished without getting in touch with the officials. Honda used treats, money, and personnel ties to cling to key departments, securing information and secrets that the company couldn't get through normal activities.Whether it is negotiating with the government, contacting foreign capital, or colluding with and competing with other companies, none of these aspects can be separated from the secret intervention of the Heping Political and Economic News Agency represented by Honda. Honda not only has espionage capabilities, but also seems to have management skills.At first, he was just the eyes and ears of Xinhe Company.Since becoming the head of the Peace Political and Economic News Agency, although the news agency is a disguise, it has also fully played the role of public opinion propaganda. Relying on Honda, this news agency has gained considerable status in the public opinion circles, and has been able to obtain confidential information relatively easily through formal interview activities, and can use his reputation and power of public opinion to show its power and intimidate the other party.But in the middle, Honda took the risk several times and was summoned by the police several times. As a secret agent, he cannot reveal the name of his employer, and even if he is cornered, he must never reveal the name of Xinhe Company.This is a shady and adventurous occupation, but Honda regards this kind of errand as a bounden duty.The prosperity of Xinhe Company today is inseparable from Honda's secret activities. Honda is currently working with the utmost enthusiasm in order to support the new department of the Shinwa Group - the nuclear energy business. The Sino Group is a chaebol group with Sino Bank as its core. It was dismembered after the war. After the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty between Japan and the United States in 1951, the decree on disbanding the chaebol was gradually unfrozen, and then slowly reunited. . Shinwa seized the opportunity of the Korean War to make a comeback, regained its vitality and achieved rapid development. When the boom turned to depression after the boom, it also survived the difficulties very skillfully. One of the big companies. Recently, the headache that Honda has repeatedly felt is that the various large chaebol groups before the war are rapidly regrouping. During the period of intense changes in Japan's industrial structure, which is accelerating the transformation of the heavy industry and the chemical industry, they are concentrating their efforts one by one on new industrial fields. Investment and Development.But at this critical moment, Sino Group's internal pace is uneven, and it is one step behind.Especially at that time, the leaders of the Sino Group always did not trust Honda and refused to adopt his suggestions. When the Heping Political and Economic News Agency was officially established, some leaders deliberately "expelled" the annoying Honda from Xinhe. Honda thought: If he adopted his own opinions as the company's policy at that time, the Shinwa Group would be able to compete strongly in advanced industrial sectors such as steel, machinery, and atomic energy.Whenever he thinks of this incident, he feels extremely indignant.The desire he had burned as early as in the atomic energy department was extremely strong and stubborn. Japan began research and utilization of atomic energy in 1955.Since then, the enterprises of the old chaebol system have formed many atomic energy development groups, and each group has established a research institute of this system. However, in the subsequent introduction of nuclear reactor technology, a large gap emerged between the groups that participated in the introduction and those that did not.The group that lost the opportunity to participate had to be a contractor of components, which lowered its status. There are also important interrelated sectors of the atomic energy industry, namely the nuclear fuel cycle service industry.Including starting from mining natural uranium ore, converting it to fluoride through refining, producing enriched uranium, converting it into oxides, processing it into fuel bodies, cooling burnt components for chemical treatment, recovering residual uranium 235 and plutonium for use as fuel, etc. And so on, the whole process is called the nuclear fuel use cycle.Every link that constitutes this cycle is a sector of the atomic energy industry.Countries are working to establish a commercially based system for the nuclear fuel cycle, a move to increase the independence of the atomic energy industry. However, since the production of enriched uranium is closely related to military use, this circulation system has always been monopolized by the state in various countries. Japan has revealed that it wants to entrust such important production links to private enterprises. No wonder the atomic energy enterprise groups of various consortiums are jealous. With its extraordinary sense of smell, Honda started activities before the government expressed its intention. Although this kind of large-scale production is entrusted to private enterprises, it is difficult for a private enterprise to undertake independently.In fact, a half-official and half-civilian approach will be adopted. Under government intervention, it will be jointly organized by public and private companies, but one of them will be the main one.This is not only a big deal with 400 billion yuan in patent rights, but it will also give people the impression that they will dominate the country's energy industry in the 21st century and become the leader of the entire financial world. Honda vowed: "In any case, we must obtain this initiative." According to Honda's plan, Shinwa Motor Company merged Dongnichi Motor Company, which was squeezed out in the competition in the domestic auto industry two years ago, and changed its name to Shinwa Motor Co., Ltd. East Engine Co. Dongil was originally a well-known aircraft manufacturing company during the Pacific War, and now it still completely retains its excellent aviation production technology, never forgetting to fly to space, and is steadily developing rockets.Honda's eyes have been fixed on it for a long time.Under his firm suggestion, the leaders of Xinhe Company decided to annex the debt-laden Dongichi Company. Shinto Motor Corporation is currently developing rockets for the National Defense Agency and rockets for space observation.In addition to rockets, this factory can be converted to weapons production at any time. Putting the nuclear fuel factory and the rocket factory under one consortium means ignoring the Japanese people's criticism of militarization.Given that the government and the Self-Defense Forces will introduce small nuclear weapons sooner or later, having the ability to produce them independently will be able to absorb a large amount of honey juice from the constantly upgraded new defense equipment plan. However, this honey juice is limited after all, which of the competitors does not want to share a piece of it?In this desperate struggle, it is natural to strike first, and to do this, all possible means must be adopted. Soon after the basic experiment of enriching uranium was successful, Yucun, a young engineer in the company's first research laboratory, succeeded in refining enriched uranium with a new method that was much simpler than before.Although the content of his experiment has not been made public, it is said that it can make a leap forward in the production of enriched uranium. Honda thought: Of course, Yucun alone cannot decide the ownership of the right to build the uranium enrichment plant, but it is worthwhile to get his new technology materials.Based on this idea, Honda asked Shunsuke Matsuo to win over Amamura.In a short time, Matsuo secretly learned everything about Umura personally.From his history, personality, hobbies, family relationship, friendship, etc., to the subtle private life, he even cast his investigative gaze into the dormitory of Yucun and his wife.

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