RBCT Chapter 135 Compromise
Chapter 135 Compromise
(A huge thank you to reader "Yuan Benxi's Niche" for the gift! Thank you for your support! Thank you to "Meikaiiiii" for the "Master" certification! Thank you to "Yu Yu Yu" for the 30 bubble teas! I'll be adding an extra chapter today, and there will be another one tomorrow.)
Friday, November 11, 1988.
It's late at night, 10 PM.
Minato-ku, Akasaka.
The rainy night in late autumn carried a damp chill that seeped into the bones. Rainwater dripped down the black tiles of the ryotei "Tsuruya", gathering into a thin stream of water that fell into the moss-covered stone bowl in the courtyard.
"when--"
The bamboo deer, filled with water, was struck heavily against the stone, producing a clear and lonely crisp sound.
In this secluded private room called "Pine Breeze," the air seemed to freeze.
The Vice-Minister of Posts and Telecommunications knelt on the tatami mats. The ashtray in front of him was overflowing with twisted cigarette butts, resembling a miniature mass grave. This high-ranking bureaucrat, who usually wielded immense power in Kasumigaseki, had now unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and his usually dignified face was now only ashen and weary.
Opposite him, Saionji Satsuki was lifting a cast iron teapot.
Boiling hot water was poured into the teacup, and white steam rose up, blurring her delicate little face.
"Mr. Vice Minister, the tea has gone cold."
The girl's voice was soft, and her movements were fluid and graceful, as if she were performing a sacred ritual.
The vice-official raised his eyelids and looked at the fifteen-year-old girl in front of him.
These same hands cut off a piece of foie gras at the Okura Hotel last night, and at the same time cut off all the Postal Ministry's escape routes.
She looks like a cute little girl, but anyone who has ever fought against her knows that the rumors of her being a "witch" are not unfounded.
Now, looking at that face, he felt only a sense of dread, as if he were looking at a beautifully crafted Japanese doll.
"Miss Saionji".
The vice-official's voice was hoarse, as if he had coarse sand in his throat.
"We have already made the biggest concessions. The devices seized from S-Food will be unsealed first thing tomorrow morning, and all fines will be waived. We can even allow you to continue using your current internal network, as long as you don't publicize it so much."
He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, his fingers trembling slightly as he took one out, but he hesitated to light it.
"This is the bottom line. The first category of telecommunications services, namely the right to lay fiber optic cables and own infrastructure, is the nation's nervous system and must be controlled by NTT. This is not only a legal issue, but also a matter of sovereignty. It absolutely cannot be opened to private individuals, much less allow American capital to get involved."
The vice-official stared intently at Satsuki, his eyes filled with a final, defiant look.
"This is a principle."
Satsuki put down the iron kettle.
She didn't argue, nor did she show any displeasure. She simply turned to the side and took out a neatly folded document written entirely in English from her handbag.
The paper was thin, but in the quiet room, the sound of it being unfolded was particularly jarring.
That was a copy of a draft sanctions document prepared by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
Satsuki stretched out her slender fingers, pressed down on one corner of the document, and slowly pushed it towards the vice-minister along the pattern of the tatami mat.
"Mr. Vice Minister, I also have my principles."
Satsuki smiled, her smile appearing somewhat hazy in the candlelight.
"I'm not aiming for the top category. I also have no interest in digging trenches and burying cables all over the streets; that's hard labor, not suitable for the Saionji family."
The vice minister paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the document. The words "Sanction List" on it made the muscles at the corner of his eye twitch violently.
"What do you want?"
"I want a license for 'specific Category II telecommunications businesses'."
Satsuki raised a finger and lightly touched the air with the tip of her finger.
"Category Two?" The deputy official frowned, seemingly searching his memory for legal provisions. "That only involves leasing lines for value-added services..."
"Yes, I rent fiber optic cable from NTT."
Satsuki's smile deepened, like a datura blooming in the dark night.
"However, I must decide on the equipment at both ends of the line. I must decide on the transmission protocol. NTT has no right to inquire about or interfere with the data flow, encryption method, or routing rules."
"Officially, I'm using your roads to drive my car. As for what's in the car, and where I'm going..."
She pointed to the document.
"That's my freedom."
The vice-official's fingers tightened abruptly, snapping the unlit cigarette in two.
He understood.
This isn't a rental at all; it's clearly a "shell company."
Once you have control over the equipment and protocols at both ends, an optical fiber is just a physical wire. The Saionji family, in effect, built a completely independent nervous system within NTT.
"If you agree to this plan," Satsuki picked up her teacup and gently blew away the foam, "this is 'opening up value-added services in line with international technological trends.' It preserves NTT's reputation as the infrastructure owner while also responding to market demands."
"I will explain to the US side. The list of countries subject to auto tariffs will be removed by noon tomorrow."
Satsuki raised her eyelids, her gaze clear yet cold.
"But if you disagree..."
"Tomorrow morning, this draft will become an official White House decree. At that time, I think the anger of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and Toyota will be even harder to quell than that of the Americans."
The vice-official stared intently at the document, then glanced at Satsuki's calm face.
He was weighing his options.
As long as NTT retains ownership of the network lines, things remain on the surface, and the banner of "national sovereignty" hasn't fallen. Although relinquishing control of the terminals is tantamount to carving a huge hole in NTT's monopoly wall…
But compared to the impending trade war and the political reckoning that will ensue throughout Kasumigaseki, this hole seems like a tolerable price to pay.
"Thump."
The frightened deer in the courtyard sounded its alarm again.
The vice-official closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, and seemed to age ten years in an instant.
"As long as NTT retains control of the transmission lines..."
He reopened his eyes, the last trace of resistance vanished, leaving only compromise and helplessness.
"make a deal."
……
The next day, at 10:00 AM.
Kasumigaseki, the Ministry of Posts building.
What should have been a quiet weekend was instead packed with reporters from major newspapers and television stations. Flashbulbs were blaring, illuminating the podium in a blinding white light.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications stood in front of the microphone. He was wearing a dark blue uniform, and although his face was somewhat stiff, he still tried his best to maintain bureaucratic arrogance and decorum.
He held a notice that had just been stamped with a bright red official seal in his hand and cleared his throat.
"...In order to adapt to the global information wave and promote the diversified development of telecommunications value-added services, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, after careful consideration, decided to approve the establishment of a new 'Specified Category II Telecommunications Business' classification in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Telecommunications Business Law."
The sound of camera shutters clicking in the audience was continuous, like a sudden downpour.
Regarding the previous controversy surrounding S-Food network access...
The spokesperson paused, adjusted his glasses, and avoided looking at the sharp cameras in the audience.
"After a review overnight by a team of technical experts, the company's actions were determined to be 'pioneering exploration in the field of technological innovation by a private enterprise.' Although there were some procedural flaws, the technology fully complies with international standards in terms of safety."
"Therefore, the provincial department decided to waive the relevant penalties and... reissue the license plate."
They did not "give up".
Through carefully crafted rhetoric such as "pioneering exploration" and "procedural flaws," bureaucrats used the most respectable language to cover up a complete and utter defeat.
at the same time.
Otemachi, NTT Headquarters Building, 33rd floor.
The blinds in the vice president's office were tightly closed, blocking out the bright sunlight.
The room was dimly lit by only one table lamp, creating a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere.
The NTT vice president sat behind a large desk, with the press conference being broadcast live on television.
"Explore ahead..."
The vice president looked at the opening and closing mouth of the provincial postal spokesperson on the screen and let out a cold laugh.
"Snapped!"
His Montblanc pen was smashed to pieces, black ink splattering out and staining the cuffs of his expensive shirt. But he was completely oblivious.
He turned his head and looked at the Bloomberg terminal in the corner.
On the screen, NTT's stock price was plummeting. The green downward curve was as steep as a cliff, and the red sell order numbers were flashing wildly, as if mocking this giant of the old era for having its spine removed overnight.
The office door was pushed open a crack, and the secretary peeked in, looking flustered.
"The vice president, representatives from Nomura Securities and Sumitomo Bank are downstairs... they're demanding an explanation..."
"roll!"
The vice president grabbed an ashtray from the table and smashed it over the shoulder.
"Get them out!"
The secretary shrank back in fright, and the door slammed shut.
The vice president slumped in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
He knew that although the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications had saved NTT's face with wordplay, the capital market knew best what this meant.
The wall collapsed.
That once impenetrable monopoly wall, which kept all competitors out, was forcibly torn open by that little girl named Saionji.
From now on, countless greedy sharks will flood into this opening.
……
3 PM.
Saionji Industrial Headquarters.
The post-rain sunshine pierced through the clouds, turning the entire city into a magnificent gold.
The president's office was filled with a faint aroma of coffee.
Fujita Tsuyoshi held a thin piece of paper in both hands, walked respectfully to the desk, and bowed deeply.
"Young Miss, this was just picked up from the post office."
That was a business license—a "Specific Category II Telecommunications Business License".
Number: No. 001.
This piece of paper is very light, but in Japan in 1988, it weighed a thousand times more than an equivalent volume of gold.
This means that the Saionji family has gained the legal right to inject their own blood into the veins laid out by NTT.
Satsuki sat in the high-backed chair and did not immediately reach out to take it.
She put down the book in her hand and her gaze fell on the paper.
It bore the bright red seal of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, every word signifying the breaking of the monopoly.
She reached out and took the license.
My fingertips glide across the paper, feeling a slight coolness.
Satsuki's face remained perfectly calm. She merely glanced at the number on it before casually tossing it onto the mountain of documents piled up on the corner of the table.
"Young Miss".
Fujita asked in a low voice, his tone tinged with barely suppressed excitement.
Cisco has sent over the latest quote. How many devices do we want to order?
Satsuki did not answer immediately.
She stood up, walked around the large mahogany desk, and went to the wall.
There hung a huge map of Tokyo's telecommunications network. The dense black lines resembled a giant spider web, covering every corner of the city.
That's the nervous system that NTT has built up over the past few decades.
Satsuki pulled a red, thick-tipped marker from the pen holder and popped the cap off.
A strong smell of alcohol filled the air.
"How many?"
Satsuki looked at the map, a cold smile curving her lips.
"all."
She raised her hand and pressed the pen tip heavily onto the map.
Starting from the "Pink Building" in Akasaka, draw a thick red line that cuts straight into the "Crystal Palace" in Ginza.
Then Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro...
Red lines crisscross the map, connecting every S-Food outlet, every SA Group building, and the Odaiba New District, which is still just a blueprint.
The pen tip scraped across the paper, making a teeth-grinding scraping sound.
The red ink seeped into the paper, spreading slightly, like fresh, bleeding wounds cut into the fabric of the city.
That was a new lifeline for the Saionji family.
"Notify Cisco to clear out all their inventory in their Asian warehouses and ship it to Tokyo. If that's not enough, have their current production lines run 24/7."
Satsuki put down her pen, looked at the map covered by red lines, and her eyes gleamed with undisguised ambition.
"We must change the blood of this country..."
She turned around, her back to the blinding sunlight streaming through the window, her whole body bathed in a golden halo.
"There are quite a few 'pipes' needed."
Outside the window, a rainbow arches across the moat of the Imperial Palace.
That was an illusion after the rain.
Beneath the illusion, a new order is emerging.