June tenth. Under the iron bridge in the center of Tokyo, there is a narrow strip of land that twists and turns like a maze, and there are many dead ends.Geographically, this area is located between Yurakucho and Otemachi.In the depths of the maze, there are sushi restaurants and bars, and there is a small coffee shop in the middle.On the heavy red and black imitation oak door, there is a gilded lion head carving with white embossed words-"DATE". Just looking at the name of the store, you might think it means "dating", but what makes people confused is the disproportionate golden lion head.No wonder, "DATE" here is not "dating", but "date palm".The shop owner probably thought of the "Merlion" from the tropical style of swaying coconut trees.But why did you name the shop "Date Palm"?Could it be that the shopkeeper compared the slender labyrinth under the iron bridge to a trail in a tropical rainforest?

Mottled dark clouds hung low under the sky during the rainy season.The light rain stopped and stopped from time to time, it was very hot, and the road was particularly dark.This road seems to never get out of the dusk, it is very gloomy. The winding paths in the "Jujube Palm" shop lead to secluded places.The original style is maintained here, echoing the triangular and irregular rectangular buildings.The fluorescent tubes on both sides of the ceiling are partially blocked, and the light becomes soft.Such indirect lighting makes the store look very dark. However, such a dim light cannot completely conceal the dilapidated store equipment.Unexplainable wallpapers, a few No. 4 oil paintings of poor quality, a table covered with cigarette burns, tablecloths that are not new, and chairs that have been repainted several times...It is not an exaggeration to describe it as shabby.

But the three gentlemen sitting in the coffee shop were out of tune with the surrounding environment.All three of them were wearing high-quality British-made suits, and their sitting postures were graceful.How fitting it would be to pin a rose or a councilor's badge to their necklines. The three gentlemen didn't seem to feel that they had come to the wrong place, but they had the tone of regular customers and their expressions were very relaxed.The coffee cup was empty long ago, and there was only some brown juice left at the bottom of the cup.But they didn't intend to leave, and they seemed to be reluctant to part with this comfortable treasure.

The oldest of the three middle-aged men was about fifty-two-three, with red cheeks, broad shoulders, a clear beer belly, and a cute baby-like double chin.The one in the middle was forty-seven or eight-foot tall, with a rather sharp chin.The youngest one was also about forty-four or five years old, with a soft duck-egg face, but his thick eyebrows and big nose left an energetic impression. Although they were sitting close together at the same table, they didn't talk or laugh loudly, but just sat quietly.If you observe carefully, you will find that they are just pretending to be calm, and they are constantly suppressing their inner impulses based on reason.

Obviously, the three were waiting for something. From time to time, they rolled up their sleeves and looked at their watches.Finally, the forty-seven-year-old long-faced man stood up with an expression that the hour had come.He walked to the peach-colored payphone next to the cash register at the entrance, picked up the receiver, and carefully put in a ten-yen coin, as if the conversation had started from the act of tossing the coin. There was no one else near the cash register, but the man still covered the receiver with his long fingers.He arched his back and whispered in a low voice, afraid that the content of the conversation would be overheard.He moved his mouth two or three times, and after hearing the other party's answer, he looked at his watch and immediately hung up the phone.If someone is sitting near the cash register at this moment, they may still be able to hear the female voice coming from the receiver.

The tall man smiled contentedly.He walked back to the table, bringing back the answer the other two had been waiting for. "The other party said that the teacher will arrive at 3:10, and there are still 30 minutes. He said that he just came out of Xiaguan." The other two also looked at their watches, showing relieved expressions.The obese fifty-year-old man trembled slightly, and the youngest man also shook his feet. The other party always asked them to wait for news in this coffee shop. The three gentlemen had been waiting for two full hours.During the period, the tall man walked towards the dirty peachy phone three times, including the one just now, it was already four times.

"Miss Zetian loves us so much. Usually her voice is business-like, but today she said that the teacher is really busy with business. Please forgive me." " said the man on the phone. "Oh, isn't it because she likes you, Mr. Naruse? She wouldn't tell us that." The fat man pouted his mouth and teased the tall man. "Where is that?" Naruse took out a silver cigar box from his pocket, took out a cigar with his slender fingers, and showed a nervous smile, "We all know that she is not a fair lady." "That's right." The forty-year-old man with a big nose also leaned forward, agreeing.

"She has to face all kinds of old worlds on the phone every day. Can she be serious. She has been with the teacher for six years, and she should work out no matter what." The "she" in the man's mouth is exactly the "Zawatian" who appeared on the other end of the phone just now.When the three men started discussing women, they naturally got excited, and it was only natural that they talked more. Although these three people showed full interest on their faces, they didn't talk a lot.In other words, they deliberately kept themselves from talking too much.The three people present were secretly fighting psychological warfare, lest they slipped up and leaked the secret.Although the three gentlemen are friends, they are out-and-out competitors in their careers, and it is not an exaggeration to say that they are enemies.

However, one of the gentlemen found an opportunity to speak afterwards.The heavy oak door with a lion's head was slowly pushed open, and a man in his sixties with white hair and bulging cheeks timidly poked his head out. The newcomer was also wearing a tailor-made haute couture suit.The fat man glanced at the door, then put his hands on the armrests of the chair, and forcefully propped himself up. "I'll go away," the fat gentleman nodded to the other two. "It's only five or six minutes. I'll definitely be back before departure." "Mr. Mioka, we are going to leave in ten minutes." Although the sharp-faced gentleman's words were tactful, he reminded the fat gentleman with sharp eyes.

"I know, I'm also in a hurry." The fat man named Wei Gang nodded his semicircular chin, and followed the white-haired man out. "Mr. Nakahara, do you know that person?" Naruse asked the gentleman next to him. The duck-faced Nakahara twitched his big nose slightly: "That's the president of Koto Construction, Sueyoshi Yusuke. I seem to have seen him at a party." Naruse nodded lightly: "He seems to really want to join the Nanyuanhui. He has been pestering Mr. Mioka for half a year, and he insists on asking him to help introduce him. But... I guess it won't work, right?"

"Definitely not," Zhongyuan agreed. "In the Kanto industry, the momentum of Jiadong Construction is indeed good, but it is still far from big companies like ours. I understand his eagerness to join the Nanyuan Club, but he doesn't seem to be interested. Understand how strict the eligibility process is." "However, how did he know that Nanyuan would suddenly summon us today?" "It must have been told to him by Ajika's manager. They are old acquaintances." No need to ask, Naruse also knew the answer, he just wanted to make sure. "That's why he was entangled by Sueyoshi..." Naruse looked at his watch and began to worry about when Mioka would come back. "I'll mention it again today." Ajika looked down at the white-haired Suekichi who was five centimeters shorter than him and thinner by more than ten kilograms, with his huge body shy. The two of them stayed on the road between the ramen shop and the tonkatsu shop without leaving the area under the iron bridge. "Should I ask the teacher directly about joining the club?" Sueyoshi saw that Ajika's huge body did not intend to move, so he had to stand by the chimney by the kitchen window.Careful of his new suit, he glanced at Mioka. "Let's see when the time comes. If the teacher is in a bad mood, it will be a bad thing if I mention this. Today, the teacher called us out temporarily, and we don't know what he is going to say. But we are used to it." "Does the teacher's secretary, Ms. Sawada, have any reaction? I mean I joined the club. Manager, didn't you say that you mentioned it to Ms. Sawada half a year ago?" "Miss Sawada is not actually a secretary. She is just an employee of Dongming Institute of Economics and does not have the title of secretary." Mioka corrected the other party's mistake before answering. "Ignore the title, anyway, she is definitely not an ordinary female employee, she is a secretary to put it bluntly, right? She knows everything about the Dongming Institute of Economics, and she has been with the teacher for six years, hasn't she?" "Dongming Institute of Economics is the only one staying behind, and she only has one phone. She is a contact person. When the teacher is away, she is responsible for recording various calls and summarizing them on a note for the teacher to see. The note may write Some simple points, but the teacher must have asked her not to say important things." "The female employee who is on the phone is the secretary. The teacher must know it well. By the way, how old is Miss Sawada? Oh... I secretly asked if her age is inappropriate..." "Her, thirty-two three." "I have been working for six years, almost at this age. I heard that she is not married yet? Is she beautiful?" "You have asked this question three times... She is not considered a great beauty, she is just average, with a bit of beauty. But this is just my personal opinion." "Does she have a boyfriend? Does she live with someone?" "How do I know? If you want to know, just ask yourself!" "I also want to ask, so please take me to Dongming Institute of Economics as soon as possible!" "... I fell for your big trick again. No, no. Anyway, I will ask Miss Sawada today to see what the teacher means. She should have conveyed your matter to the teacher... Ah, time will pass Yes. Those two people must be waiting impatiently, I have to go back first." "Professor, I'll leave everything to you." The white-haired old man with a sharp face and a thin body bowed deeply to Mioka's fat body. Three minutes later, the three gentlemen left the coffee shop in a hurry, went to a nearby parking lot, and got into their own special cars respectively.Those are all exquisite imported cars.The three cars headed south.The dark clouds were overwhelming, and there was a drizzle of rain in the dark sky. The creamy white building looks a bit dirty, and the details are filled with various outdated carving designs.The seven-storey building is located in the heart of central Tokyo.It is surrounded by modern high-rise buildings that advocate simplicity and beauty.The building looks more outdated and outdated in it. There are fine antique sculptures on the protruding eaves of the porch.Three cars coming from the iron bridge were stopping at the door.The reason why the three did not choose the most economical carpooling was because the three of them belonged to different companies. After the three got out of the car, they sent the car away one after another, because they didn't want the three cars at the door to attract people's attention.This building is seven stories high, and the words "Shenbang Building" are inlaid on the roof of the entrance. The lighting on the first floor is very blinding.Because the location of the building is very good, the shops on the first floor are all the best.There are entrances and exits on both sides of the building, and people are crowded under the crystal chandelier.The second floor and above are all office buildings. Without such good lighting, there are very few people. As far as the eye can see, there are only cold doors. The three of them took the old elevator to the fourth floor.The fat Mioka got off the elevator first. There are few windows in the corridor, which makes it very dark.Besides, it's raining outside.The narrow corridors are particularly stuffy.The three of them walked through three doors with the company's metal nameplates on them, and finally stopped.They looked up at their watches. It was a very inconspicuous door.Hanging on the wall by the door is a thick gray board with "Dongming Institute of Economics" written on it in ink. Mioka rang the doorbell and straightened his tie with his hands.So did the other two. The door opened from the inside, and a woman with a round face and long neck leaned out half of her body.She was wearing a red top, which looked particularly dazzling in this gray place.The woman smiled, did not bow, but nodded slightly. After Ajika, Naruse, and Nakahara entered the door one by one, the woman closed the door with a heavy sound. The room has three functions: reception, office, and visitor waiting room.Against the wall is a desk with a telephone on it.On the table was a slender blue glass vessel with a red flower in it.Next to the phone is the adapter.There are five or six bulging folders on the bookshelf, but there is not a word written on the label.There is a lamp beside it.There was only one chair in front of the table, but there were three more modest chairs against the wall, apparently for guests.The rooms are old but the space is well utilized.There were two other doors in the room. The three did not sit down.Mioka greeted softly: "Miss Sawada, I'm really sorry to trouble you all the time." After finishing speaking, he bowed his head in thanks.The other two also owed their bodies. The reason why he spoke so lightly was that he was afraid of being heard by the people inside. "Sorry, we're late." Naruse took half a step and said with a smile on his face. "No, we have kept you waiting for a long time." The woman said loudly without any scruples.She strode towards the door in the middle, turned the handle of the door and said to the people inside: "They are here." The people in the room went "oh".Zetian turned sideways and held the door for the three guests. There are about five stacks in the inside, which is spacious enough.Although it is not luxurious, there is a large desk by the window and a large bookcase behind it.Under the sunlight outside the window, the texture of the desk can be clearly seen.There was nothing on the table except a phone and a button.There are no frescoes on the walls. Next to the desk is a large oval table with a vase of flowers on it.There are chairs for the guests around the table, and there is a settee in the room with cushions on it.The bench is not made of leather, it is ordinary furniture that can be bought in department stores.The furnishings in the room are simple and practical, but the Persian rug on the floor is particularly eye-catching.The color, pattern, softness, and thickness are all perfect. At first glance, it looks like an authentic carpet from Isfahan, Iran. At first, you may feel that this rug is out of place with the practical furniture around it, but once you get used to it, you will find that it is the rug that adjusts the atmosphere of the room.And this also shows the taste of the owner of the room. The director of Dongming Economic Research Institute is sixty-five years old, short in stature, with short white hair.The eyebrows are quite thick, but the ends are mixed with some long white hairs.His eye sockets were sunken and his eyes were extraordinarily large.Definitely very likable when young.The cheeks are also narrow, and the drooping eyelids are hidden by two shadows.There is almost no fat around the nose, and it looks high and pointed.The mouth is large and the lips are thin.Blood vessels can be clearly seen on the slender neck.He looked youthful in a navy blue double-breasted suit and a summery white tie. Three gentlemen sat down at an oval table.They are all high-level leaders of large construction companies, two executives and one executive.But in front of the director of the Economic Research Institute, they were respectful, put their hands on their knees, put their legs together and bowed their heads in silence.The director was leaning on the bench opposite, with his hands and feet sunk in the cushion. "I didn't expect to spend so long in Xiaguan, and I missed the meeting with everyone. You are all busy people, I'm really sorry." The director smiled, showing his snow-white buck teeth.None of these are false teeth, they are all real teeth that the director is proud of. Although he was smiling, his eyes did not narrow.However, his Kansai accent softened his tone a lot. "Where there is, we are busy with some business matters, which is nothing at all. Teacher, you have always given us special care in your busy schedule, and we have to thank you, teacher, on behalf of the president and the president." The oldest Specialist Mioka tightened his round jaw and expressed his gratitude on behalf of the other two.Because the heart of expressing respect is too eager, but let the language become a mere formality.Of course, Manager Naruse and Executive Manager Zhongyuan also bowed their heads deeply. Sensei—that's what Mioka called the director.When discussing in the coffee shop, they also use the title "teacher". In hotels or office buildings in Marunouchi, Ginza, and Akasaka, you can often find rooms with the signboard of "XX Institute of Political Economy".It is not uncommon for the directors of these institutes to be called "teachers".Because most of these directors are politicians or political commentators.In fact, these places basically do not study the politics and economy of Japan or the world.In most cases, it is just a signboard of a research institute, which is actually a liaison office for politicians. However, this "Dongming Economic Research Institute" has lost the old-fashioned word "politics".This is not a liaison office for congressmen and political commentators, and the white-haired old man is not the "director". Could it be that this "Economic Research Institute" is the liaison office of Souiya?No.Looking at the old man's appearance, he doesn't look like a person on the road. A woman in a red blouse brought a few cups of black tea, then left again.She is Miyoko Sawada, thirty-one years old.Double eyelids, small nose, baby face, likes to bite lips.With a surgical scar on his forehead, he looks a little nervous. In the cafe "DATE" under the iron bridge, the three of them were discussing about Sawada. The phone in the next room rang from time to time, and every time Miyoko Sawada would answer in a slightly hoarse voice. She had never entered the room to ask the "teacher" for advice, and the answers on the phone were very short.The people in the room couldn't hear the content of the phone, but it's not hard to imagine that Zetian handled things very quickly. The reason why she didn't transfer the call into the room was also because she didn't want the three guests to hear the caller's name. "I'm going to see the mountain." The old man with big eyes said. The three of them didn't answer immediately, they looked at each other hesitantly. "But it was only ten minutes. There are too many people who want to see him, and it makes me restless. I don't like going to that kind of place." "You're right," Mioka said with his head bowed, "the director's office is amazing. I've only been in the Ministry of Construction's office, and I went there with seven or eight other people to make a statement. Director of the Ministry of Finance There must be more people waiting in line outside the door." "The mountain is for my face. He liked to move around when he was young, and he still does it now." The old man continued to talk to himself. "Teacher, is the director your good friend?" Naruse asked. "It doesn't count, it's just a little different from others, after all, we are old acquaintances." "You said so." "During the ten minutes we met, we spent five minutes talking about the past. Shanshang happened to go on a business trip to Singapore and Jamaica a month ago. When he returned to the hill park he had been to that year, he did not expect the tea shop owner to talk to him in Japanese. He said hello, he still remembers Shanshang. Shanshang was also taken aback, after all, more than thirty years have passed. However, Shanshang’s appearance is indeed not much different from when he was young.” "I met the director once from a distance, and he is indeed very young." Zhong Yuan said. "No matter how young you are, you are fifty-two years old. But a person with such characteristics as him does not look old. You can see that the local people remember him. But the owner of the shop seems to have a very good memory. He even asked the mountain about me. Well, how about Jushi? "..." "Jushi Tangming" is the name of the director of "Dongming Economic Research Institute". The three of them listened respectfully to the old man's words.The old man's short white hair shook slowly.If there is bright sunshine outside the window, the white hair will shine even brighter. The meeting time with the Minister of Finance was only ten minutes, and half of it was talking about the trip to Singapore.Miyoko Sawada had previously told them that the meeting was only for twenty minutes.And the old man's gossip has been going on for more than fifteen minutes. The phone in the next room rang from time to time, and it seemed that Miyoko Sawada had rejected many requests for meetings. The three of them gradually turned pale.They have been waiting in the coffee shop for two full hours, and they have to listen to this nonsense once they come here.Of course, it is not useless to know the relationship between Jushi and the Minister of Finance, but the director will definitely not let them tell others about these things.The high-level executives of three large construction companies were called out by an old man, definitely not to listen to this pile of inexplicable nonsense. But the most important topic finally appeared in the last five minutes. "The Ministry of Finance has decided to pay for the cross-county sightseeing road mentioned earlier. This is inferred from the tone of the mountain..." After saying this, the meeting between Jushi Tangming and the three guests came to an end.A short knock on the door signaled the end.Miyoko Sawada handed over a paper folded in half and placed it in front of Jushi. In order to save time for the old man wearing presbyopic glasses, write a few words in black and large pencil on the piece of paper: Ms. Miyamura called for the third time. Jushi's fingers were a little stiff, and he accidentally dropped the opened piece of paper on the table.The three glanced secretly, Jushi immediately picked it up and stuffed it into his pocket, and nodded to Miyoko Sawada who was standing there. Because of the location, only Mioka saw the pencil writing on the photo. Of course, he still put his hands on his knees and remained motionless.He was already fat, and this sitting position made him look duller. Naruse looked at his watch cleverly, and winked at Ajika and Nakahara on both sides.So the three stood up.Ajika was the last to stand up. "Then we'll take our leave." Wei Gang said on behalf of the three.They both bowed their heads in thanks. "Really, I'm sorry to delay you for so long." There were wrinkles between Jushi's two big eyes. "Where is that, we also want to thank you, Teacher, for taking the time to meet us." Naruse lowered his head deeply. "Thank you so much." Nakahara continued. "Today I just wanted to tell you how the director reacted. I will definitely find another opportunity to communicate with you soon." Ju Shi also stood up, he was thin and short. "Okay, thank you very much." "By the way, old rules, don't tell anyone what happened today, it's limited to Rixing Construction, Dadong Group Construction and Gongrong Construction, understand?" "Yes, we know." The three of them bent down in unison.Miyoko Sawada went around Jushi, and used a soft brush to dust off the collar of Jushi.The huge white head only reached her throat. "Ah, and, how about we go play golf together after a while?" Jushi asked Zetian to brush his collar. "Okay, that's what we wish for..." Naruse's face was full of smiles, and his eyes sparkled. "Days..." "yes." "I will contact you again. There is also a location... It depends on whether you are free." "That's what you said. We are waiting for your call at any time. We are free anytime..." Zhong Yuan said. "How can it be possible to be free all the time? You are all senior cadres, and your schedule must be full. In addition to business trips, I will definitely notify you one week in advance." "That's really troublesome for you." Mioka thanked again and again. "That's how it is." Jushi waved his hand and walked ahead of the three of them. "Please go away." "Thank you very much." The three kept bowing until Miyoko Sawada, who was behind Jushi, walked past them. They didn't send them to the corridor, but stood at the door, waiting for Zetian to send Jushi into the elevator before returning.Jushi doesn't like being sent off.At first, the three of them didn't know about it, but they made an unnecessary move and were scolded by the director.He didn't seem to want anyone to know who he was seeing. The noise of the old elevator is very loud, and the sound of opening and closing the door can be heard from a distance.The three of them stood silently, looking around.This is slightly different from the atmosphere in the cafe.The "cross-county sightseeing road" mentioned by the director is a watershed when the atmosphere changes. The sound of approaching footsteps told the three that Miyoko Sawada had returned to the corridor.You can tell by the voice how correct her gait is. "I've been waiting for a long time." Sure enough, as soon as the door opened, he saw Zetian with his head upright.She calculated that Jushi had already reached the first floor, so she returned to the office to see off the guests. The three senior cadres of the construction company couldn't help thanking them.Zetian stood in a corner of the room with a smile on his face. Masahiro Mioka's car was almost at Tokyo Station, and the Yaesu entrance was in front of him, but he suddenly ordered the driver to turn back to the Shenbang Building, saying that he forgot to take something. The Daito-gumi construction car that Naruse was riding in was still ahead, but now it has disappeared into the rolling traffic.The Zhongyuan car of Gongrong Construction was driving in the opposite direction at the beginning. It was sultry and light rain outside, and the window glass was covered with a layer of white mist.The windshield wiper in front of him kept swinging, forming semicircles. Ms. Miyamura called for the third time. Only Mioka saw the note from Miyoko Sawada. Ajika knew who "Miyamura" was.Like Sawada Miyoko, she is an employee of another office of Kosedoaki, doing a similar job as a secretary.That office also had one person, one telephone, a simply furnished room and a small office, exactly the same as the room of Miyoko Sawada I saw just now.They are usually responsible for answering the phone, and they also receive guests when they come to visit. Ajika first heard the name "Miyamura" from a real estate professional.Cadres of large real estate companies often come and go to Jushi's office.They are said to be a federation called the Dragon Water Society.But the person who told him this information was not a member of the Longshui Society, so he only knew the name. The association that Mioka and others participated in was called the Nanyuanhui, centered on Giosedo Akira.Composed of seventeen construction companies.The Longshui Club is mainly based on real estate companies. As for how many companies there are, he doesn't know. The person in the real estate industry also said that many of his peers wanted to join Longshuihui, and they all went directly to the person in charge of the firm—a woman named "Miyamura".So when Mioka saw the piece of paper, he immediately reacted. It is impossible for the Longshuihui to hang up a signboard in a grand manner. It is very likely that, like the Nanyuanhui, in a dilapidated office building, there is a dusty "×× Economic Research Institute" doorplate.From the nature of Jushi Tangming's work, the distance between Longshui Club and Nanyuan Club should not be very far, and it must be very close to government agencies and business districts. It was raining heavily, and the bean-sized raindrops hit the car windows.Ajika actually imagined "Miyamura" whom he had never met before.Who does Jushi Tangming use more?Mioka's interest in Miyoko Sawada gradually created a phantom of "Miyamura". People who often come and go to the "Dongming Economic Research Institute" are secretly guessing the relationship between Jushi Doaki and Sawada Miyoko.Everyone knows it, but they just don't say it out loud.When there are no clients, there are only the two of them in the office, and all the clients have appointments.What a condition! Mioka thought of this because he was about to meet Sawada.Of course, his purpose is not to investigate the relationship between the two, but the nature of work: Yusuke Sueyoshi of Koto Construction has been pestering Mioka to introduce him to the club, hoping that Mioka can help him ask Sawada.There were Naruse and Nakahara present just now, so it was hard for him to speak. Through the rain curtain on the car window, Ajika could vaguely see the quaint Shenbang Building.The obese Mioka's heart beat a little faster. The shopping street on the first floor of the Shenbang Building was crowded with customers who came to shop.The elevator is about 30 meters away from the east and west entrances and exits.Ajika entered from the west entrance and stopped after walking seven meters.He found a familiar figure from the back - that was Keiichi Naruse, tall and tall with sloping shoulders.The light brown suit on his body was the same as before. Ajika hurriedly hid in a nearby seaweed shop, lest Naruse would turn around and see him.He pretended to pick out the seaweed gift box on the shelf, squinting at the movement of the light brown suit.He was not in a good position, but after a short wait, Naruse disappeared at the elevator entrance. Twenty minutes after leaving the building, Naruse, who had thrown off the other two, also turned the car back. Why did Naruse come back?Mioka moved to the Western Hotel next to the seaweed shop, and looked at the black wine bottles and labels in the window.The plump body is very commensurate with the posture of carefully watching the exquisite window. While reading the words on the label, Mioka thought: Why did Naruse come back?Could it be a matter of work?Naruse clearly knew that Jushi was not in the office - the three of them saw Jushi get on the elevator with their own eyes. Now that Jushi is gone, there are only two reasons for Naruse to return to the office: either he left something behind and forgot to take it, or he was entrusted by others to ask Zetian for help.It is impossible that he came here for the "cross-county sightseeing road" that Jushi said, because Jushi has just been approved by the director of the Ministry of Finance, and the specific matters will not be known until some time later.Judging from past experience, Jushi will always distribute opportunities equally to each company.Naruse also knew that he couldn't be "one step ahead". So the only possibility is that although he came to "do work", the person he was looking for was Zetian.It seems that Naruse has seen that Zetian's words are very important in front of the huge momentum.It can be seen how Naruse views the relationship between Zetian and Jushi. However, the possibility that Naruse made a special trip to meet Miyoko Sawada cannot be ruled out.The forty-seven-year-old Naruse is tall and thin, with sharp features and angular features. Everyone in the industry knows his romantic affairs. When Mioka thought that Naruse had already rang the doorbell on the fourth floor, his fat-covered heart felt uncomfortable. He stood in the foreign hotel for a full thirty minutes before leaving. Besides Mioka, there were four other people waiting for the elevator.Ajika leaned against the wall desperately.Naruse didn't take the elevator just now, which means that he was probably on the elevator that came down.The reason why he leaned against the wall was also to avoid letting Naruse see him, but his plump body seemed a little powerless at this moment. The elevator door opened, and five men and women came out.There was no Naruse inside, so Ajika breathed a sigh of relief.The five people who came out were all office workers above the second floor.The other four people who entered the elevator also appeared to be white-collar workers.Two people pressed "3" and the man with his coat off pressed "4".Ajika pressed "7", which was the top floor.Another female employee in her mid-twenties stood there without pressing a button. The reason Ajika didn't press "4" was because he was worried that he would bump into Naruse who was about to go downstairs.If the two ran into each other, not only would Naruse, who had secretly returned to the office, be embarrassed, but he would also lose face.So he decided to go to the seventh floor first, and then take the elevator to the fourth floor.Although this will take more time, it also increases the possibility of avoiding Naruse. Either Naruse was still talking to Miyoko Sawada in the office, or he had already left.Although Mioka has been monitoring the elevator entrance, there were two times when there were so many people getting off the elevator, and the guests coming and going at the entrance of the foreign hotel would block the view, so he was not completely sure.If Naruse had already left, wouldn't he have waited for so long for nothing?Judging from common sense, talking for thirty minutes is about the same. The two got off the elevator on the third floor.After the door is closed, the elevator continues to go up.After all, it is an old elevator, and the speed is very slow. The elevator stopped on the fourth floor.Mioka quickly stuck his fat body to the side.The door opened and the hot, sweaty young man stepped out, leaving the female employee in the elevator. At this time, the female employee suddenly said to the people outside: "This is going up." "Ah, it's going up, sorry." Thanks to the female employee for the reminder. The female employee and Mioka got off the elevator on the seventh floor.She walked down the corridor to the right.Watching this not-so-beautiful female employee leave, Ajika really wanted to say "thank you" to her. The person who wanted to get on the elevator on the fourth floor was undoubtedly Keiichi Naruse.If the female employee hadn't reminded him, Naruse might have rushed into the elevator and bumped into him. Mioka looked up at the pointer on the elevator dashboard, and sure enough it stopped at "4".After a few seconds, it moved again, "3-2-1", turned to the end.Naruse must have gotten off the elevator and was walking in the shopping street. Naruse actually talked with Sawada Miyoko for 30 minutes in Jushi's office. What did they say?Ajika stood in front of the window at the end of the corridor, thinking carefully. All the way to the window are the rooms of various offices.The door of the room was closed tightly, and the windows in the corridor were also tightly closed, and it was surprisingly quiet.A dim electric light was installed on the roof of the corridor because of the lack of sunlight.Rather than saying "quiet", it is better to say "dead silence". Through the window at the end, you can see the tall buildings nearby.Those tall buildings have glass exterior walls, just like mirrors, very modern.The reflection of this outdated building is reflected on the mirror. Mioka looked at the building in the mirror and thought to himself: During these thirty minutes, Naruse must have talked with Sawada about the sightseeing road.It is a north-south road that runs through the central mountainous area. The money provided by the county government alone is not enough. At least 30% of the country needs to be paid. The major construction companies have already known the planned construction route, and have already begun to calculate the project cost. They have to formulate various construction plans according to the materials and construction methods, and carry out careful calculations.The construction masters are the road communes of the two counties.Construction provinces and local governments are well aware of this.It's just that whether it can be built or not depends on whether the country is willing to pay.This is the purview of the Ministry of Finance.石油危机之后，大藏省的收入急剧减少，于是开始大幅度控制支出，尤其减少了对地方上的观光道路的补助。当地政府说得总是很好听：观光道路建成之后，当地的商业会变得十分发达，经济会十分兴隆，百姓会受益无穷。可大藏省依旧不为所动。 不过这一次，巨势特地叫来了日星建设、大东组建设、共荣建设这三家在东京的公司的负责人，通知他们说大藏省同意出钱了。 换作别人，这三位高层干部肯定不会相信。可那是从巨势堂明嘴里说出来的…… 没人知道巨势以前是干什么的，只知道他对大藏省的局长和主管层有着巨大的影响力。不仅是大藏省，其他省厅的中层干部也都买他面子。 有传言说巨势堂明战前做过内务省的官僚，这个传言的可信度很高，但他之后的经历无从得知，只知道六七年前，神邦大楼里突然冒出了一个“东明经济研究所”。中间的经历一片空白。 不过他曾向三位建筑公司高层干部透露过有关新加坡的事情。巨势说，大藏省的山上局长以前是“主计少尉”。这当然是战争期间的事情了。谁也不知道巨势为什么会被派驻新加坡。 总之，巨势告诉他们，大藏省的山上局长很有可能会同意出资。现在的确是各省与大藏省协调预算的时候，各省都会派人来刺探大藏省的意图，再制定一个粗略的预算计划。巨势堂明的信息可信度很高，年末开始制订的新年度（次年四月之后）预算，很有可能得到批准。 各大公司也会制订出相应的施工计划，计算施工费用。当然，项目可能会通过竞标会竞标，但是这么大的工程，极有可能采取各大公司分包施工的形式。尤其是这种跨县的道路，两边都要分别成立道路公社，分包的可能性就更大了。 大东组建设的成濑敬一避开另外两位领导，冒雨折回事务所，肯定是拜托泽田美代子为他在巨势面前美言几句，以此牟利。 味冈一直盯着对面大楼玻璃反射的风景看。渐渐地，他的思绪集中到成濑与泽田美代子进行交涉的画面。一缩小，那影像便立刻浓厚起来了。 成濑那端正的容貌，颇有一些男人魅力。况且他经常寻花问柳，肯定很擅长讨女人的欢心。 虽说是私下交涉，可毕竟牵扯到生意上的事情，这一点不容忽视。 “不容忽视……”味冈不由把心里想的事情说了出来。 不容忽视的究竟是生意场上的对手，还是泽田美代子？在味冈的意识中，其中的界限变得模糊起来。 他沿着寂寥的七楼走廊，来到了楼梯口，一步一步走下楼梯。 好不容易才走到四楼。这边的走廊也很安静。楼梯口就在电梯口旁边。这儿没有别人。他抬头看了看电梯的指针，发现指针停在“1”上。看来没有人想上楼。 东明经济研究所处在电梯口向右的第五间房。味冈来到门口，整了整领带，顺便从口袋里掏出龟甲做的梳子，梳了梳头。 他轻轻敲了敲门。没人回答，只听见房里的电话铃声。味冈走到门口之前，电话好像就在响了，可就是没有人接。铃声响了半天，对方终于放弃了。在此期间，味冈一直站在门口。不用敲门也知道，里头没有人。 他尝试着转动把手。轻微的响声传来，门开了，原来没有上锁。 拉开门一看，泽田美代子果然不在屋里。桌上的蓝色玻璃器皿里，一朵大扶郎花静静地绽放。 “打扰了。”味冈开口说道。可是却没有人回答。 他走进房里。泽田美代子好像出门去了。通往里间的门是关着的。旁边还有一扇小门，通往休息室，那是专门让泽田美代子换衣服的地方。 味冈原地站着，没有坐在墙边的椅子上。大门没有上锁。泽田美代子是不是去一楼的商店买东西了？味冈以前曾在这里撞见过一位五十多岁的清洁工大妈，可今天连那位大妈也不见踪影。 桌上放着一本笔记本。写过字的纸都被撕掉了，本子上剩下的都是白纸，大概还有半本那么多。圆珠笔、红铅笔、橡皮、小刀、剪刀都好端端地放在桌上。 味冈的视线向书桌下方转移。桌子底下放着一个印有商店标志的购物袋。那可是一流女装店的袋子。 由于味冈是俯视的，所以他能看见袋子里的东西。那是一个四角形的小包裹。纸袋很是华贵，包装纸也是高级货，还别具匠心地混有银线，显得非常奢侈。看起来像是专门拿来包装高价商品的包装纸。 味冈心想，这肯定是成濑送给泽田美代子的礼物，这就是他折回来的原因。他早就把礼物准备好了，一直放在车上。 味冈不禁把自己折回来的理由和成濑的礼品进行了对比。他是受甲东建设的末吉祐介之托，为他加入南苑会铺路，让泽田美代子帮忙问问巨势的意向。至少，表面上是这样的。味冈折回来的理由实在太愚蠢了。成濑的礼物，肯定会让他“抢先一步”。 正当味冈沉浸在高级女装店购物袋的打击中时，眼前的电话响了。味冈的心脏涌过一阵微弱的电流。电话铃声有时候听上去就像是高亢的警铃声。尤其味冈是趁泽田不在，偷偷溜进事务所里，这让他感到更心虚了。他不由得抖了抖身子。 电话铃声有规律性地响起，和警铃声无异。 味冈呆呆地望着电话。主人不在，来客也不能随便接电话。味冈心想，他不接，对方总会挂的。然而电话铃声却没有停止。不知不觉中，味冈的手就伸了过去。那铃声仿佛是在催促他赶紧接电话。就代替泽田美代子接一下好了，这样就说明自己不是闯进来的，而是在等她回来。况且要是电话铃响个不停，说不定还会招来闲人。 他提起听筒，举在耳边。这时他却迷茫了。要是对方问他是谁，他该怎么回答呢？要是这是家普通的事务所，他当然会如实回答，可这并不是个能见光的事务所。巨势堂明的性子使然。一切复杂的联络事项，都是通过这部电话进行。他可不能随便说自己是趁秘书不在闯进来的。 味冈没有说话，奇妙的是，电话那头的男人在自说自话，不过声音不是很清楚。他好像很着急，可是内容却听不真切。 味冈举着听筒，一言不发。看来对方见事务所没人接听电话，等得不耐烦了，自顾自地跟旁人聊了起来。 和旁人说话的时候，举着听筒的手，总会不知不觉地放下。 味冈的耳朵紧贴听筒，希望能听到对方在说什么。可对方的嘴巴并没有对准听筒。 然而电话那头的声音，并不是巨势堂明的，是个更年轻的男人的声音。巨势堂明年纪一把了，声音也有点嘶哑，很有特征，味冈也接过好几通巨势打来的电话，绝对听得出来。味冈判断，电话那头的人应该在四十岁左右，且声音很有张力。 味冈没有出声，抓着听筒仔细听了一分多钟。好奇心告诉他，说不定能从电话那头听出什么情报来。对方还没有发现味冈已经接了电话。 “……那可不行啊，不行啊！……哎？……嗯嗯……可这样就太迟了……太迟了……” 味冈心想，他究竟在说什么？他完全听不见另外一个人的声音。连对方是男是女都不知道。 味冈继续听着，视线自然而然地从桌上的花瓶，转移到了桌子底下的漂亮购物袋。 他盯着购物袋，竖起耳朵。对方好像在一个很安静的地方打电话，没有任何杂音。 “……那要立刻动手才行……没时间磨蹭了……”男人的声音还是不清不楚的，不过能听出他越来越着急了。 忽然，他的语调发生了变化：“怎么还不接啊，究竟在……” 他恐怕是想说“究竟在干吗”，但他终于发现，电话那头的“嘟嘟”声已经停止了。 然而对方也没有立刻说话，而是沉默了一会儿。他没有听见泽田美代子的声音，也起了戒心。 “……喂喂……”声音清楚了不少。虽然清楚了，可还是能听出他压低了嗓门，好像在打探这边的动向一般。 味冈的心中激起一阵波澜。不过他还是轻声回答道：“喂喂，您好，这边的人不在。” 味冈还以为对方会提问，可电话却挂断了，只剩耳边低沉的忙音。 他都没有问味冈是谁就挂断了电话，不愧为与这家隐蔽的事务所会有瓜葛之人的作风。 味冈后悔了，早知如此就不该贸然出声，早知道就不去接电话了。即使接了起来，也应该不说话才是。不对，那样反而更糟，在事务所接电话的人要是一句话都不说，对方肯定会起疑。要是被泽田美代子和巨势堂明知道自己进来过，可就麻烦了。总归要回答一句的。 刚才那通电话是不是和巨势堂明有关系的人打来的，味冈并不清楚。如果只是一通普通的电话，对方也不至于听到男人的声音就挂断电话。他肯定是发现接电话的人不是泽田美代子，才会这么做的。 也罢，没把自己的名字说出来就行。想到这儿，他便放松了不少，视线也再次转移到了桌下的购物袋上。那可是大东组建设的成濑敬一“抢先一步”的证据。 泽田美代子还是没有回来。既然没有锁门，那就说明她应该没有走远。不是在这栋楼里，就是在大楼附近，只是因为某些原因耽搁了而已。这栋旧大楼的房门都不是自动上锁的，每次出门都需要锁门。要是去去就回，自然不想浪费时间。 味冈原本认为泽田美代子是见过成濑，收下礼物之后再出去的，可他现在又觉得，她可能在那之前就出门去了。如果他没有猜错的话，那购物袋里应该有成濑留下的卡片才对。要是发现泽田美代子不在，成濑肯定会用桌上的笔在自己的名片上写些话，再塞进纸袋里。 味冈走近纸袋，朝里看了看。他发现包裹的包装纸上，还斜绑着一条金色的丝带，打了一个花朵一样的结。从包裹的大小来看，里头装的可能是一件上衣。那家女装店里卖的都是高级货，衣服都是法国进口的，说不定还缝着著名设计师的签名呢。 纸袋很深，而且还装着一个包裹，让味冈无法看到袋底的内容。名片一般都是夹在丝带上的，要是丝带上没有，那就有可能是掉到袋底了。有必要把手伸进袋子里摸一摸。 可是，道德与担忧让味冈犹豫了。万一自己动手的时候，泽田美代子正好回来了呢？ 但最终还是好奇心略胜一筹。他将自己肥硕的身躯挤进椅子后的狭窄空间里，逐步逼近高级女装饰品店的纸袋。要是看不到卡片，不就不知道是谁送的了吗？味冈虽然觉得是大东组建设的成濑专务送的，可毕竟没有十足的把握。 他刚碰到纸袋，电话铃又响了。 味冈的心脏好像被石头击中一般，整个人都蹦了起来。他赶忙放开纸袋，一不小心，他的身躯就撞到了桌角，差点就把蓝色的花瓶给碰倒了。他伸出大手扶住了花瓶，可还是抖落了两三片花瓣。他立刻捡起花瓣，扔进桌下的垃圾桶里。可是他没有发现，还有一片花瓣黏在他的手肘上，之后又掉在了他的裤脚管上。 电话铃声有规律地响着。味冈在这“警铃”的催促下仓皇逃去走廊。