Hirayama Tokumoto, his face also grim, sat opposite him. After hesitating for a long while, he said in a deep voice, "President Shirakawa, isn't it a bit too domineering for Fujiwara to open a branch in Suzhou? We should all do our own business. Fujiwara is so wealthy and powerful, can't you leave Miyata Trading Company some breathing room?"
Miyata Yasutoshi, who was standing nearby, quickly chimed in, "President Shirakawa, we can promise that our prices will be exactly as your Fujiwara Company demands. We will not compete with you and we can all make money together!"
Shirakawa Eiji's face darkened. If this was handled in this way, how could the other merchants who had already agreed to deliver the goods be convinced? Once there was a first, there would be a second, making them all harbor wishful thinking, which would only make things more complicated. This kind of thing had to be dealt with swiftly and decisively, using force to intimidate people and make everyone afraid to have any illusions.
Hideo Shirakawa was among the first employees of Fujiwara Corporation when it was founded. Because of his hard work and positive attitude, he was appreciated by General Manager Daichi Hirao. When the Suzhou branch manager was being selected, Hideo Shirakawa was recommended.
Now that he has finally made it through the tough times and has been transferred to Suzhou to start a new chapter, Shirakawa Eiji is full of ambition and wants to make a name for himself in Suzhou. However, he has just encountered these two clueless characters.
He could have reported it to the Shanghai headquarters and handed it over to Chairman Fujiwara. With just a word from the chairman, this lowly army lieutenant colonel would have been fired and sent to the Changsha front to fight against the Nationalist army. As for whether he would come back alive, that would have depended on his luck.
However, Shirakawa Eiji did not want to do that. If he handed over every problem to the chairman, he would not have any ability to solve problems. Wouldn't that make him look incompetent? How could he stand up to the chairman in the future? He still wanted to do his best to solve the problem independently.
“Hirayama-kun, if our Fujiwara Company handles the sales of your goods, you'll have less profit, but you'll also have less risk. Everyone can make money. But you know what the consequences will be if you refuse to cooperate! I'm reminding you not to be blinded by short-term gains. Besides, the purchase price I'm offering you is 20% higher than other merchants' companies. This is already my biggest concession,” Shirakawa Hideyoshi advised again.
However, Hirayama Tokumoto was not swayed by Shirakawa Eiei's words. He bit his lip and finally said, "President Shirakawa, I am the garrison commander of Suzhou City. Here, can't I even make decisions for my own chamber of commerce? Please stop being so aggressive. I'll say it again: it's impossible for me to hand over the goods!"
Hirayama Tokumoto's statement enraged Shirakawa Hidee, who laughed in exasperation. He hadn't expected Hirayama Tokumoto to be so blinded by money and so overconfident.
Hirayama Tokumoto was taking a gamble. He was betting that the Fujiwara Company wouldn't go to great lengths for his trading company. Besides, if they really wanted to take him down, it wouldn't be such a simple matter.
He had some connections in the military, a good relationship with his superiors, and the troops he commanded were enough to protect him. Unless the Fujiwara Company went to great lengths to transfer its troops away from Suzhou, but such a large-scale operation would come at a price for the Fujiwara Company, he didn't believe they would actually do that, and he still harbored a sliver of hope.
Shirakawa Hideaki slammed his wine glass heavily on the table and said coldly, "Since we can't see eye to eye, I won't keep you two any longer. But I'll warn you again: don't overestimate your abilities, and don't underestimate my determination. This matter must be resolved!"
Upon hearing this, Hirayama Tokumoto's face darkened, and he abruptly stood up, strode out of the room without a word, and Miyata Yasuhisa quickly got up and followed him out.
"Baka!" Watching the two figures leave, Shirakawa Eiji slammed his hand on the table and cursed under his breath.
At that moment, his assistant, Yoshiaki Miura, stepped in and asked, "President, how did the talks go? Did Lieutenant Colonel Hirayama agree to our terms?"
Shirakawa Eiji snorted coldly and blurted out, "This bastard has no sense of propriety at all. He's so stubborn that he'd risk his life for money!"
Upon hearing this, Miura Yoshiaki quickly said, "Then let's report it to the chairman! Let's teach him a lesson."
Shirakawa Hidee waved his hand and looked at Miura Yoshiaki, saying softly, "Don't alarm the chairman about this, Miura-kun. We have the chairman's high regard for us. Entrusting us with the task of establishing the Suzhou branch is a rare opportunity. If we can't demonstrate our abilities and only know how to ask for help, what value do we have in the chairman's eyes? This time, we will solve it ourselves!"
Miura Yoshihisa nodded in agreement. They were just ordinary people trying to make a living in Shanghai. Later, they were hired as employees of the Fujiwara Company and watched as the Fujiwara Company rapidly developed into a giant that dominated the Shanghai business world. The chairman, Fujiwara Tomohito, also became a direct descendant of the Fujiwara family and a member of the top elite in Shanghai.
His own status and position changed accordingly. Knowing that he was an employee of Fujiwara Company, the people around him looked up to him.
The high salary also provided the family with a stable and comfortable life. Neighbors and friends were all envious and said they had a great opportunity to join the Fujiwara family's direct descendants at an early age. If they worked hard, they might even have the chance to become a retainer of the Fujiwara family like General Manager Hirao.
Everyone was eager to perform well after being sent to Suzhou by headquarters. Now that we've encountered difficulties, we should work hard to overcome them – that's the right thing to do.
Miura Yoshiaki asked, "President, the Military Police and the Special Higher Police are unwilling to confront the garrison head-on. What are your plans?"
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