NOVEL WEB Chapter 22: As the Tires Grind on the Asphalt
Perhaps, because the company has begun to grow and gain exposure in the media, there has been an increase in business partnerships and investment proposals.
As Hiroki is the owner and President of the company, holding all of the company’s shares, Ishida reported this to him.
[What do you do in business partnerships?]
[Well…… It’s usually a comprehensive contract policy where companies with specific strengths complement each other to expand their business. For example, a car company that specializes in large SUVs may form a business alliance with a car company that specializes in standard passenger cars to unify their service locations and logistics networks……]
[I see. What kind of companies are suggesting partnerships in our case?]
[Let’s see. Many of them are chemical plant companies and trading companies. The plant companies working with us depend on the downstream process, or in other words, the design of the liquid waste treatment process. Since we are a business that makes money after less than a decade of operation, they want to make sure they can handle us well so that they won’t be betrayed or cut off in the middle of the contract. They are also willing to provide us with capital.]
[Ahh, I see…… because if they can treat their liquid waste at a low cost, the plant itself can be made cheaply and operated cheaply huh. I understand that. However, why the trading company?]
[It’s probably because of companies that have connections with those trading companies. They probably want to do business by taking on waste disposal and liquid waste treatment contracts from overseas as well. Incidentally, we have also received acquisition offers. They sure offered quite a lot of money.]
[There’s no way I’ll accept acquisition…… but just out of curiosity, how much money are they offering?]
[Enough to buy an entire league of baseball teams.]
Hiroki could see it in Ishida’s eyes. He wasn’t lying at all.
[……Seriously.]
[Seriously. The price includes the technology though. If they work with us, any company can achieve zero waste and zero emissions. Potentially, all chemical and heavy industrial companies in the world could become our customers. Theoretically, that is.]
[That would definitely be a dream come true.]
[It’s quite difficult when our company is located inland though. We can’t use tanker trucks after all.]
[I wonder if we could install a pipeline going straight towards the ocean?]
[The local residents would oppose it, so I don’t think it would be possible. Long pipelines are built in deserts like Siberia after all. In our case, a pipeline heading towards Tokyo Bay would run through Tokyo.]
[That seems impossible.]
I thought it was a good idea though.
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MCTBH is located in a remote area, with only one direct road leading directly to the site, a private road that branches off from the national highway. As might be expected, having just a single parking lot alone would cause heavy traffic congestion on the road during peak commuting and delivery times, so the surrounding land has been acquired and several temporary parking lots have been set up.
In that temporary parking lot, we received a complaint about a car painted black and tinted windows, which was obviously not a car by anyone related to the company.
[Have the security do something about it.]
[……They apparently won’t listen, saying to have the President come out. When it comes to brute strength, many of our security guards were rehires, so they can’t overdo things.]
[Have you tried calling the police?]
[I heard that even when they called the police, they would be gone by the time they arrived, and then come right back. They seem to have strong connections with the local police.]
[So that’s how it is…… Well, fine. I’ll talk to them directly.]
Hiroki came to the parking lot alone for a short after-meal stroll, and found a black Mercedes Benz there, blocking the cars from entering and exiting the parking lot.
It was especially repulsive how they left enough space for someone to get through if they tried to.
If someone does try to slip through, Hiroki guesses that these people will probably claim that their car has been scratched or something.
Hiroki only sighed, thinking that their modus operandi haven’t improved at all.
Knocking on the window of the car, which Hiroki couldn’t see inside, the automatic window rolled down to reveal a man in a double-breasted suit and black sunglasses.
It was as Hiroki expected. It was indeed the yakuza from that time.
[Excuse me, this is private property. Can you please move your car out of the way?]
[Ahh? I’m a well-meaning citizen who is concerned about environmental issues. I’m monitoring polluting companies!]
[Heehhh…… I thought you were a company employee?]
"
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[I’m no longer a company employee. It doesn’t earn me much money.]
He did hear how their profits have decreased since that tortoiseshell glasses disappeared.
[However, keeping tabs on us won’t make you money.]
[Really? I heard you’re a very wealthy man.]
[My allowance did increase. Thanks to that, I was able to install a draft beer server at home. A guy from a beer company even comes to maintain it.]
Hiroki couldn’t think of any particular use for his money, so he renovated part of his house and built a bar where drinks could be served and some snacks as a benefit for his night shift employees.
Hiroki thinks it wasn’t a bad investment, as it was well-received by young male employees and more and more volunteered to work the night shift.
[So, what is this uninfluential environmentalist doing here?]
He asked him what he had come to such a remote area for.
Well, he already knows what a money-hungry yakuza would come here for.
[The f*ck you said!!!?]
There was a loud thump inside the car.
It seems that the yakuza kicked the door of the Mercedes and tried to open it.
However, Hiroki was standing in front of the door and lightly holding it so that it wouldn’t open, so the yakuza just ended up hurting himself.
There were a few more thumping noises after that, but he seemed to have given up his futile attempts to kick the door after seeing Hiroki standing there, calmly looking at him.
[……There’s someone who wants to buy stocks from your company.]
Lightly sighing, the yakuza said what he was here for.
It really was as Hiroki expected.
[Try bringing the money through the front channels. I might just listen to what you have to say then.]
[I tried, but we got rejected.]
This too, is something Hiroki expected. He could already guess that the company they would use to buy their shares was just a front. Ishida seems to be doing his job well.
[It’s impossible then. Go home and tell them you were turned down.]
[……Even if you will regret this?]
[I won’t.]
Behind his sunglasses, Hougi seems to be glaring at him with a dreadful expression on his face, but for some reason, Hiroki doesn’t fear him at all.
On the contrary, when he was glaring at him, it was the yakuza who looked away, seemingly frightened.
[D*mn it! You can’t continue like this!!! It’s too late to regret it after you got sunk in Tokyo Bay in a pile of concrete!!!]
Leaving a few words, the black Mercedez drove off, grinding its tires on the asphalt with a screeching sound.
As he watched the yakuza depart, Hiroki thought that rather than worrying about other people……
He should be more worried about being stuffed into a drum.