"Alright, I have a general understanding now. So, what business do you have with me?"
Alistair put away his phone and looked at the fawning Takeshi Kameoka, asking expressionlessly. If there was no business, Takeshi Kameoka could have simply left. Alistair might not even visit that company for a long time, and even if he were to be his superior, that would be far in the future. But the fact that this guy was waiting outside the izakaya clearly meant he had something to ask of Alistair.
"Young Master Alistair, our company has incurred losses of several hundred million yen due to certain issues. Although we managed to salvage the situation later, the company's cash flow is tight. If another accident occurs, we might not be able to continue operations. Therefore, I hope you can persuade the Chairman to inject some more capital for relief."
Recognizing Alistair's impatience, Takeshi Kameoka didn't beat around the bush and immediately disclosed the company's situation.
"Certain issues? Caused by these two?"
Alistair turned his gaze to the couple. These two had been timid and submissive, clearly Takeshi Kameoka's subordinates. And there was no need for Takeshi Kameoka to bring subordinates who weren't involved in the incident all the way here—that would be pointless. Thus, these two were likely the ones responsible for the accident, or perhaps only one of them, but it didn't matter to Alistair.
"Yes, it is this gentleman, Kiyohito Momota. He is responsible for cargo transfer in our company. Due to problems with the shipment, we incurred losses of several hundred million yen. This lady is his wife, Hisako Momota, and she is not an employee of the company."
Seeing Alistair look at the pair, Takeshi Kameoka quickly introduced their identities.
"Then fire him. Since he caused such a massive loss, it indicates a lack of capability. Just fire him. As for the funding, I can consider speaking about it, but the occurrence of such a huge accident suggests your ability might also be questionable."
Alistair spoke mercilessly. He didn't know these two. Since the man caused a huge loss to the company, he should simply be dismissed. Moreover, for such a massive order, the fact that Takeshi Kameoka didn't have his subordinates review it multiple times suggested he might also be at fault.
"Please, you must not do that! If I lose my job, my family will lose its only income!"
Before Takeshi Kameoka could speak after Alistair's comment, Kiyohito Momota retreated a few steps, dropping to the floor in a dogeza to plead.
Alistair raised an eyebrow, puzzled. This posture was not done lightly. Unless the matter was extremely vital, or the person was utterly shameless and lacked all dignity, one would not do this.
Kiyohito Momota did not look very old, probably close to thirty. To be frank, setting aside everything else, someone this age who handles massive orders worth hundreds of millions of yen is clearly capable. Even if he left this company, many others would likely want him. As for why Alistair would fire him despite knowing he was capable, they were simply unlucky.
Alistair and Kasumi Haruno were on a date. First, Takeshi Kameoka caused a commotion during dinner, and then they were "ambushed" by these people and dragged here. Alistair was understandably irritated. If they had spoken normally, Alistair might have only suggested a demotion, but since he was in a bad mood, he decided to fire the man. After all, the company would eventually be his. Moreover, Alistair wasn't being excessive; only the capable should advance, right?
One hundred million yen translated to over five million red bills (Chinese currency, used for scale). The actual loss wasn't specified, but it was certainly in the tens of millions. Could this man generate tens of millions in wealth over a lifetime of work? He was just an employee, so it was highly unlikely. Thus, Alistair firing him wasn't excessive. As for sentiment, Alistair didn't know him and had no reason to grant him any favors. Furthermore, this was a capitalist society; capital allows one to act as one pleases. Heh.
However, Alistair didn't fully grasp the situation. In Japanese society, there is often a "lifetime employment" system. While no one cares about temporary jobs for youth, once adults enter the workforce, they typically stick with one job until retirement, unless they are exceptionally talented and poached by headhunters.
If an average person resigns or is fired, they are often placed at the bottom of the hiring pool for subsequent jobs. This is because both resignation and dismissal are viewed as signs of "disloyalty." They are only considered if there are absolutely no other candidates, but with so many university graduates every year, their turn might never come.
Therefore, if Kiyohito Momota lost this job, he would likely be relegated to odd jobs for a long time, and his wife would have to do the same. This would barely cover basic living expenses, and if they had children, it would likely be insufficient. This was why Kiyohito Momota performed the dogeza without hesitation.
(The employment system mentioned above may only be partially accurate, as I've only heard snippets; some parts are fictionalized for the story's amusement. If anyone knowledgeable wishes to provide clarification, feel free, but I will not revise this part, as it serves as a secondary setting for the story.)
"Young Master Alistair, Mr. Momota can still be cultivated. Firing him outright would be a waste; his potential is still very good."
Takeshi Kameoka also pleaded for Kiyohito Momota, offering a few words of persuasion to Alistair.
Alistair squinted at Takeshi Kameoka and noticed his gaze was actually fixed on the wife, Hisako Momota. This is Kiyohito Momota's wife, and you're still eyeing her?
Noticing Alistair looking at him, Takeshi Kameoka hastily lowered his head, fearing Alistair might fire him too. He was getting old and relied on this position for his retirement. If he were fired, he wouldn't find another job.
Alistair then turned to the restless Hisako Momota and assessed her. She had flaxen long hair tied back in a ponytail, with bangs covering her forehead. Her eyes were large, and her pupils were also flaxen. Her smooth, fair nose occasionally wrinkled with her breathing, and her pale pink lips were tightly pressed together. Her face was slightly oval-shaped. Overall, she wasn't stunning but was very pleasing to the eye and possessed an enduring beauty.
Looking at her for a while created a subtle, alluring feeling. It wasn't the foxy seductiveness of Natsuha Shinomiy, but a different kind of gentle, virtuous appeal that brought delight.
Looking down, her two substantial assets on her chest were quite eye-catching, about the same size as Kasumi Haruno's, but still impressive enough to stand out among women. Too large wasn't always better; the important thing was body synergy. For example, Mina Morita and her mother, Yumiko Morita, were quite large but surprisingly didn't look strange.
Overall, she was indeed very attractive, and her exceptional feature was the type that became more interesting the longer one looked—at least within a group of attractive women. Compared to the general population, she was stunning. This explained why Takeshi Kameoka harbored the intentions of the Wei Wu (Cao Cao).
"So, what do you propose? Speak up."
Alistair looked at Takeshi Kameoka with interest, curious to see what scheme the man had in mind.
"How about this? We can have his wife become my secretary. She will still be paid a salary, but seventy percent of it will be used to offset the company's loss."
Takeshi Kameoka proposed, figuring that while Alistair had a formidable background, he probably wasn't interested in interfering too much with company matters. Students his age were likely more concerned with pretty girls, money, or grades. He would probably heed the "professional" advice, as most people, unless mentally or temperamentally flawed, listen to experts on things they don't understand.
"Become your secretary?"
Alistair showed a knowing smile. Takeshi Kameoka's intention was obvious—Sima Zhao's heart is known to all—but unfortunately, Alistair had no intention of letting him have his way. The excellent tradition of the Legacy of Wei Wu was inherited by more than just him; I inherited it too.
The title "Cao Thief" was a historical figure a thousand years ago, but a spirit in the present day, and his successors were countless (manual emoji).
"Since she's going to be a secretary anyway, she can be my secretary. As for President Takeshi, you were doing fine before, weren't you? Having this secretary or not makes no difference. I happen to need someone I can order around. So, President Takeshi, your suggestion is good, and I'm adopting it."
Alistair deliberately adopted an air of supreme intelligence, looking very natural and giving no one room to object.
"Uh, this, Young Master Alistair..."
Takeshi Kameoka's expression instantly froze. He stood there, speechless for a moment.
Actually, he had partially instigated this whole affair. As the President, if the Chairman didn't interfere, wasn't it normal to skim a little off the top? So, in a way, he had engineered this situation and pocketed a lot of "dirty money." Otherwise, how could the company's losses have coincidentally resulted in a fund level that just barely allowed basic operations? It was all calculated.
Furthermore, this was his pretext to bring Kiyohito Momota's wife into the company as his secretary. For Takeshi Kameoka, this was a great win-win situation. He just hadn't expected to encounter the successor of the upper management while trying to trick them into injecting funds, only to have the Young Master poach the woman he was interested in. And he couldn't object. If he spoke too much, the Young Master, being young and easily angered, might lash out. Takeshi Kameoka, with his humble background, couldn't afford to clash with Alistair's powerful family. In the end, he would only fail.
"I have no objection..."
Takeshi Kameoka bowed his head, submitting to Alistair's decision.