booktalesy Chapter 375 Escape Route
Chapter 375 Escape Route
Outside the window of the first conference room at Saionji Construction Site, the Tokyo sky remained a hazy gray.
A small crack was left in the window, through which the cold air of mid-December squeezed in, just enough to keep the person sitting by the window from getting sleepy.
The conference room was well-heated, and several newly copied documents were placed in the center of the long table. When the secretary brought in the coffee, everyone was already seated.
Tokuhiro Eguchi sat in the first seat.
In front of him were only a pen, a black folder, and a collaboration notice forwarded from the group headquarters.
Gondo sat in the third position from the left.
His name tag read "Managing Director, Deputy Head of Engineering and Technical Department, Special Facilities Project Manager." This set of titles looked respectable and granted him considerable authority, allowing him access to all the technical data of Niseko, Odaiba, Chiba bonded warehouses, and several large commercial facilities.
But Gondo himself knew very well that the longer the title, the narrower the room for maneuver he would have left.
In the past, he only needed to nod in his own company, and a material substitution specification could go from the purchasing department to the finance department, and then the construction site would complete the signature; now all processes must enter the unified system of Saionji Construction, and every payment, every acceptance, and every data retrieval will leave a time and number in the headquarters server.
Jiang Kou cleared his throat once everyone was present.
"Gentlemen, time is short, so I'll get straight to the point." He opened the documents in front of him. "The group has already identified the first batch of collaborative projects with Leningrad as cryogenic storage, medical consumables turnover, insulation renovation of old port warehouses, and temporary generator rooms."
"Saionji Corporation is responsible for documents, letters of credit, customs clearance and transportation interfaces, SA Logistics is responsible for equipment allocation, and our construction team is responsible for parameter sheets and preliminary construction plans."
As he said this, he looked around.
"The commercial department has just been upgraded and is still expanding its staff. They can handle external document processing, but we can't let them assemble engineering models on the spot."
"Although the Leningrad project is currently under the guise of humanitarian cooperation, the impression left on the Soviet side by the first batch of data is very important for whether it can continue to move forward."
Several department heads nodded in agreement.
There's not much to argue about in these words. The situation in the Soviet Union is too far removed from Tokyo; at least in most people's eyes, it's just a pilot project in the group's overseas expansion. Cold chain logistics, warehousing, medical supplies, and temporary generator rooms all sound ordinary enough to be included in any technical cooperation memorandum.
Jiangkou pushed the second document to the center of the table.
"In addition, there is another special topic."
"Recently, at the request of the Special Command Office, all parameters related to cold regions and low-temperature storage need to be verified before being used by external parties."
"The Engineering and Technology Department should submit the data catalog to me by this afternoon. The Cost Management Department should coordinate with the suppliers and payment records, and the Project Archives Center should open the corresponding number."
"Manager Gondo, you will be in charge of compiling similar data on the Niseko, Odaiba, and Chiba cold storage facilities."
Gondo's fingers, resting on his knees, tightened slightly.
No one in the meeting room stared at him for long. Jiang Gu's arrangement was standard in terms of process: the Engineering Technology Headquarters was responsible for the parameters, the Project Archives Center was responsible for the original data, and the Cost Management Headquarters was responsible for supplier quotations, payment vouchers, and material substitution approvals.
Gondo is now in charge of cost management, and these documents all require his approval. Even though he never personally designed the glass dome in Niseko, it doesn't stop the names written in the purchase orders and payment records from ending up on his desk.
Gondo looked down at the document.
Notification regarding the retrieval of data for reviewing cold region storage modules and cryogenic engineering parameters before their use.
The first paragraph describes the Leningrad cooperation project.
The second paragraph discusses the applicability of the parameters.
The third paragraph describes measures to prevent material compatibility errors, energy consumption model deviations, and misjudgments of maintenance costs in cross-regional projects.
Gondo continued looking down, his gaze slowly settling on the list of documents.
Purchase record of composite thermal insulation material for the dome of Niseko Gokurakukan.
Winter energy consumption model of the underground constant temperature system at Niseko Gokurakukan.
Construction parameters for caissons and foundations in the coastal construction area of Taichang.
Data on the renovation of the Chiba bonded warehouse cold storage.
Approval records of construction subsidies in cold regions over the past three years.
Quotations, acceptance forms, payment vouchers, and descriptions of alternative materials from suppliers of similar materials.
SIS Field Photo Number Correspondence Table.
The heating in the conference room suddenly felt a bit stuffy.
As Gondo looked at the names of those documents, his heart sank deeper and deeper.
Individually, none of these things seem like anything dangerous.
In large-scale projects, there are always seemingly reasonable explanations for things like replacing a batch of materials when they arrive late, choosing a more stable range for test reports, suppliers readjusting their quotes due to delivery time and exchange rates, and on-site workers cramming certain expenses into construction subsidies to speed up the work.
As long as there are no safety accidents in the building and the project can be delivered on schedule, these kinds of things used to be just a gray area in cost management.
The special task force doesn't need just one particular invoice.
It needs to consider the materials, payments, energy consumption, acceptance records, and the final model delivered to the external recipient all together.
Gondo's first reaction was that the General Affairs Department had already set its sights on him.
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he forced himself to suppress it.
If Maki Saionji already knew something, she shouldn't have started with such a document retrieval notice, let alone spread the scope so broadly.
But he dared not completely rule out this possibility; who knew what the SIS guys might find out?
Gondo knew he couldn't move.
He also knew that he couldn't remain completely still.
Once these things are actually linked together, the problem takes on a different form.
The fact that Gokurakukan is causing Seibu to bleed money is originally explained by rising oil prices, insufficient customer traffic, and operational pressure after the bubble bursts; however, if someone proves that the insulation materials used were below the reported specifications and that winter energy consumption had long exceeded the model's upper limit, then Seibu's losses would no longer be just a business failure.
It will turn out that there are problems with the engineering data provided by the construction company of Saionji Temple.
At that point, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi would have a reason to renegotiate, the bank would have a new explanation, and those outside waiting to see Saionji Group make a mistake would see this as a loophole to attack Saionji Construction's credibility.
Gondo had previously thought he was simply leaving a little more leeway in the cost breakdown, but that leeway would now become evidence. The evidence might not be enough to overwhelm the Saionji family, but it would be enough to give Satsuki-san's previously clean situation another handle that could be seized upon.
And that hand most likely came from Seibu.
Jiang Kou closed the document.
"This review is not about holding anyone accountable for a specific project, at least not at the moment. What the group needs are parameters that can be used by Leningrad. We can't let the lack of review of old data affect the progress of overseas collaborative projects. Managing Director Gondo, give me the first batch of catalogs within thirty-six hours."
"Understood." Gondo raised his head, trying to make his voice sound normal. "I will have the Engineering and Technology Headquarters organize the available data first. The cold storage models from Niseko and Chiba will be in the first batch."
Jiang Kou glanced at him.
"Don't filter the data too finely at first. The Special Missions Office needs to see the original chain of events; the cleaner the catalog, the more troublesome it will be later."
The words were spoken very simply, but everyone around the conference table understood their meaning.
Gondo nodded.
"I know."
After the meeting, everyone left one after another.
The corridor was carpeted with thick carpet, so footsteps were absorbed very lightly.
Gondo walked towards his office with the retrieval notice in his hand. As he passed the project archives center, the staff inside were moving several file boxes onto a long table. The boxes were labeled with uniform numbers, neatly marked in black lettering as "Special Facility Project - Niseko", "Seaside Infrastructure Project - Odaiba", and "Cryogenic Storage Renovation - Chiba".
Those numbers looked very clean.
It was so clean that it seemed as if simply putting the documents in the right cabinet would organize all the outdated things from the past into the group's processes.
Gondo didn't stop for long.
I am not the technical lead for the Niseko project, nor do I know how a glass dome can withstand wind pressure on a snowfield.
The projects in Hokkaido were only truly launched after the construction and integration of Saionji Temple, and he didn't even have a say in many details of the construction sites.
But this did not put his mind at ease. Technical data belonged to the Engineering Technology Department, and on-site records belonged to the Project Archives Center. When it came to turning those things into a set of numerical statements that could be shown to banks, the acquiring party, and the group's board of directors, the Cost Management Department could not do without his approval.
That's the most troublesome part.
Gondo returned to his office and closed the door.
Two internally transferred auxiliary documents were already on the table, one from the Engineering Technology Department and the other from the Cost Management Department.
The Engineering and Technology Headquarters only listed a parameter catalog; the Cost Management Headquarters' document was even thinner, containing several sets of maintenance cost estimates, material expenditure summaries, and cost standards used in external presentations that year.
Gondo first turned to the second document.
His finger stopped on the line "Estimated Winter Maintenance Costs for Niseko Gokurakukan".
At that time, Seibu had already begun to engage with the Niseko project, and Odaiba was also consuming more and more funds.
Elysium must be packaged as an expensive yet still imaginative asset, not as a monster that will devour cash flow as soon as it is handed over.
The Engineering and Technology Department provided a set of raw energy consumption data, which showed some unfavorable months; the Project Operations Department also warned that heavy fuel consumption during the snowy season would drive up maintenance costs significantly.
The last version sent to the transfer package was a revised version.
What that set of data actually did was simply to include the worst-performing winter section in the trial operation, explain the replacement of some materials as on-site optimization, and write the maintenance costs as "higher in the initial debugging stage, and lower after stable operation".
These terms were acceptable at the time; the bank could accept them, and the acquiring party also had reason to accept them.
Before the bubble has completely cooled down, no one is willing to give up a vacation property that has been touted by the media as a snowfield wonder just because of a few unsightly energy consumption figures.
But things are different now.
Oil prices have risen, customer traffic has declined, banks have begun to cut back on lending, and Seibu has been increasingly burdened by Odaiba and Niseko.
If Gokurakukan were merely expensive, heavy, and fuel-intensive, it could be explained as operational pressure due to cyclical changes. No matter how unwilling Yoshiaki Tsutsumi was, he could only swallow this burden on his own cash flow statement.
However, if the Special Missions Office puts together the original energy consumption of the Engineering and Technology Headquarters, the maintenance estimates of the Cost Management Headquarters, and the transfer data package submitted to Seibu, things will turn out differently.
That would prove that the maintenance costs of the Elysium were already underestimated before it was handed over.
The losses incurred after Seibu's takeover can no longer be attributed solely to a failure of market judgment.
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi could argue that the information he initially received was incomplete; the bank could argue that Seibu's credit assessment of the project was based on a flawed engineering cost model; and those outside waiting to see the Saionji Group make a mistake would see this as a loophole to attack Saionji Construction's credibility.
What Gondo truly feared was this step.
He used to think he was just making the numbers look better, making an asset more acceptable to the market.
However, in the eyes of the Special Missions Command, those embellished numbers do not remain at the level of being "pretty".
They will be disassembled and compared with materials, payments, energy consumption, and on-site records, and then become an even more glaring problem.
Who allowed the group to take this model out?
Gondo picked up the retrieval notice, turned to the last page, and saw Maki Saionji's signature printed at the bottom of the paper.
Gondo had seen her once, only from outside the glass door at the end of the corridor.
It's cold.
Gondo only had this one feeling for her.
Maki Saionji, who was privately known within the group as "Miss Satsuki's mad dog," was famous for showing no mercy.
The "Saionji" in her name, and the fact that she is backed by Satsuki, both grant her the power to disregard any sentimentality.
Gondo had no idea whether she had already set her sights on him.
If she already knows something, the notification is too calm; if she knows nothing, the scope of the retrieval is too precise.
Niseko, Odaiba, and Chiba cold storage facilities can all be interpreted as old samples needed for Soviet cold chain projects. However, when these projects are put together, they can perfectly connect the engineering parameters, maintenance costs, asset transfers, and external disclosures.
Thinking of this, Gondo's palms began to sweat.
Just then, there was a knock on the office door.
Gondo was taken aback, then straightened his posture.
"Please come in."
Secretary Aizawa pushed open the door and came in, holding an internal notice in his hand.
"The managing director, the Fujita inspector's office just confirmed that two data preservation personnel and one SIS system personnel will arrive at the project archives center at 2 PM this afternoon."
Fujita's men have all arrived.
Gondo tried his best to suppress his trembling hands.
"What did President Eguchi say?"
"The president's office requested that all headquarters cooperate according to procedures. The general affairs department asked if we needed to arrange a small meeting room."
"Arrange it," Gondo said. "They mainly look at data access permissions and retrieval records; we don't need to allow too much time."
Aizawa bowed his head and wrote it down.
Gondo added, "Tell Tsukamoto that the Engineering and Technology Headquarters should only issue catalogs based on the existing numbering system, and not make any temporary adjustments to the classifications."
"The same goes for the cost management headquarters. All data is exported from the system, and supplier data will be confirmed after the president's office issues a unified notification."
Aizawa hesitated for a moment.
"What if the supplier asks about it?"
"Just say that the group is currently reviewing documents for overseas projects and doesn't need any external supplementary documents at the moment." Gondo looked up at her. "Don't explain or comment on anything else, and don't let them think we're waiting for them to provide something."
Aizawa nodded.
"I see."
She turned to leave, but Gondo called her back.
"Aizawa".
"Yes."
"From now on, all outbound calls to my office will be registered according to the normal procedures of the Executive Office. The same applies to visitor appointments; do not skip any steps."
Aizawa looked up at him, seemingly understanding something, but didn't ask any further questions.
"I'll handle it."
After the door closed again, Gondo sat in the same spot for a long time before opening the drawer on his right.
Inside were an old address book, a wallet, several business cards that hadn't been thrown away, and a stack of notices from industry associations.
The top business card belonged to a senior executive in an engineering management department of the Seibu Group. It was left over from the early coordination of the Odaiba project. The paper was stiff, and the silver foil lettering had darkened somewhat.
Should we make contact with Seibu...?
The moment that business card is picked up, it becomes a gesture.
Actions leave traces, and those traces are recorded in the table.
Whether or not he was being watched, the fact that he did this was enough to show that he was looking for an external escape route.
We absolutely must not touch this line today.
The Special Missions Office just received the retrieval notice, and Fujita's people will enter the project archives center that afternoon. SIS system personnel will lock data access permissions and access records.
If anyone tries to deviate from the normal process, it will immediately attract the attention of the entire system.
Kondo pressed the wallet back into the depths of the drawer, his fingers lingering on the edge for a moment, the wood grain digging into his fingertips and causing a slight pain.
My chest feels extremely tight.
For a moment, he even suspected that Maki was waiting for him to make a mistake.
The Leningrad project requires parameters for low-temperature storage and maintenance costs, so the Saionji Construction project will naturally need to review old data, and the Niseko, Odaiba, and Chiba cold storage facilities will also be included in the sample scope.
All the steps were in accordance with the procedure, but things that are in accordance with the procedure are also the hardest to resist.
Perhaps he hasn't been identified yet.
Perhaps it's just casting a wide net.
This feeling of uncertainty made him feel even more uncomfortable.
Gondo's gaze fell on another notice.
Japan Building Materials Association Winter Technical Exchange Meeting.
The event will be held next Thursday, and the topic will be energy-efficient materials for large commercial facilities, composite insulation sandwich panels, and maintenance cost management.
The list of attendees included several insulation material suppliers, glass interlayer import agents, resort facility maintenance companies, and railway hotel procurement agents.
Gondo scanned the names and quickly spotted a familiar company.
Hamano Materials Industry.
The name made his gaze stop.
Keizo Hamano has done material maintenance for several resort facilities and also maintains contact with the purchasing agents of Seibu Group hotels.
This person doesn't belong to Saionji or Seibu; he only belongs to those material suppliers who need to maintain relationships with various parties in the industry.
Perhaps, I can use him to get in touch with Seibu?
Gondo gently pulled the association's notice from the pile of documents and tucked it into his notebook.
The sky outside the window was a bit darker than in the morning, and the glass of the tall buildings in the distance reflected the gray-white clouds.
The sound of an elevator door opening came from the direction of the project archives center, followed by a few people talking in hushed tones. The people from Fujita's inspectorate should have arrived by now.
Gondo got up and walked to the window, but did not fully open the curtains.
We can't tell Seibu yet.
But he needs to find a way out for himself.