"Chizuru."
Chizuru, who had been standing behind her all along, stepped forward and placed the black file case she brought onto the table.
Only then did the people in the banquet hall realise that there was more than one document inside the file case.
Chizuru removed the upper partition, revealing nine identically coloured file folders neatly arranged below. In the upper right corner of each folder was a white label with a family name written on it, corresponding one-to-one with the nine names on the letter of intent.
A few sounds of chair legs scraping against the floor came from near the main table.
Those who had just thought Satsuki was merely counterattacking using on-site information now realised that Saionji had probably calculated in advance even which table each of them would sit at.
The Head of Kazanin swept his gaze across those labels one by one, finally stopping at the very bottom file folder that had not yet been taken out.
He did not need to see the handwriting clearly to know whose folder that was.
The smile on his face vanished.
"This is..."
"The answer prepared by Saionji for everyone."
Satsuki took out the first file folder from the top.
The label bore the name of that former marquis family.
The man's body instantly tensed up.
"Your family's primary bank has already placed your loans under priority management. Originally, Saionji Finance was indeed prepared to provide a bridge loan before the bank initiated disposal proceedings."
Satsuki looked at him.
"A 2.8 billion deposit, a rescheduling of the remaining loans, and no disposal of the ancestral home and woodlands for now. As long as you are willing to accept financial supervision, the matter is not difficult to resolve."
A glimmer of hope reappeared in the eyes of the former marquis family head.
"However."
Satsuki placed the file folder in front of him without opening it.
"That was the proposal from five days ago."
The expression on the man's face froze.
"Tomorrow morning, Saionji Finance will formally submit an offer to the bank to acquire all of your family's matured claims."
"Once the transfer of claims is completed, Saionji will not provide a new extension, nor will it make up the deposit. The disposal procedures originally prepared by the bank will continue according to the contract."
The former marquis family head abruptly stood up.
"You clearly said just now that you could make the moving company stop!"
"I said I could."
Satsuki looked up at him.
"I did not say I would."
The man stood in place, his complexion completely drained of colour.
Five days ago, out of fear that Saionji would take over his family, he refused to even listen to the terms.
Five days later, he finally learned what Saionji had originally been willing to offer, but he had already lost the qualification to accept it.
Satsuki did not look at him again and took out the second file folder.
"The Kuga Family."
The representative of the Kuga Family subconsciously straightened up.
"Next month, the constant-temperature warehouses of the Saionji Cultural Foundation will receive two batches of documents and paintings purchased from overseas. The remaining space would originally have been enough for the Kuga Family to use."
Satsuki placed the file folder in front of him.
"After tonight, the Kuga Family's documents will not be accepted."
The representative of the Kuga Family opened his mouth.
"Just not accepted?"
"Of course."
Satsuki acted as if she found this question a bit strange.
"Those documents belong to the Kuga Family, and Saionji certainly will not touch them."
"We are not going to do anything illegal or disorderly."
She placed the file folder in front of the other person, but her fingers did not immediately withdraw.
"We are simply no longer providing warehouses, restoration personnel, transport vehicles, and insurance guarantees."
The expression of the Kuga Family's representative softened slightly.
As long as the three cultural foundations contacted by the mutual aid association were still willing to accept them, Saionji's refusal to help would not leave that batch of documents with nowhere to go.
Seeing his expression, Satsuki suddenly seemed to remember something.
"Right, you probably are not too clear about the situation of those three cultural foundations, are you?"
The representative of the Kuga Family raised his head.
"Two of them use the transport channels of the Saionji Cultural Foundation for their overseas exhibitions. As for the remaining one, its restoration budget is still waiting for a guarantee from an insurance company under Saionji."
She said this very calmly, kindly supplementing a few details that were easily overlooked for him.
"Since everyone believes that Saionji should not intervene in the cultural assets of the old families, we will naturally respect this opinion."
"After tonight, Saionji will also re-examine its cooperation with these three foundations, lest our personnel, funds, and insurance ultimately circle around and end up being used on things accepted by the mutual aid association."
The hand of the Kuga Family's representative holding the file folder slowly tightened.
The three cultural foundations might not receive a letter asking them to reject the Kuga Family.
Saionji did not need to leave behind such a thing at all.
As long as the transport contracts, restoration personnel, and insurance guarantees were re-examined, the heads of those three organisations would judge for themselves whether it was worth losing Saionji's existing cooperation just to accept the Kuga Family's documents.
Satsuki gave him a polite smile.
"You can certainly continue waiting for their reply."
"It is just that this year's plum rain season probably will not end any later just because you are still discussing."
As Satsuki's voice fell, that batch of old documents still suffering from moisture was effectively left in place, doomed to wait and rot page by page.
The third file folder was taken out.
This was an old Tokyo daimyo family whose income relied on woodlands and former territories.
"Your family still has timber revenue from your woodlands every year, making your financial situation relatively good among the nine families."
When Satsuki said this, the other party's face did not show much relief.
Because that timber needed to be exported through a Sumitomo-affiliated trading company, and the goods were stored in warehouses on Rokko Island and Kobe.
"Starting next month, Saionji Trading will no longer provide credit confirmation for your family's export contracts, and the joint custody centre will no longer accept goods without fully adequate insurance."
That family head could not help asking:
"Since when did Sumitomo's warehouses become the Saionji Family's?"
"Hmm?"
Satsuki seemed somewhat puzzled, and everyone present looked at that family head with a strange expression.
Aren't you part of this circle? How could you not even know about this? Did you really need someone to spell it out for you?
That family head clearly realised what he had said in a moment of anxiety and froze in place.
However, Satsuki still kindly smoothed things over for him.
"That is right, they certainly are not the Saionji Family's."
"But Sumitomo needs Saionji's US dollar channels, document review, and overseas credit. You can let Sumitomo choose between your family's timber and Saionji."
She pushed the file folder across.
"I am also very curious to see who they will choose."
The family head's complexion instantly turned ugly.
The fourth file folder taken out by Chizuru belonged to an old daimyo family that ran a construction company in Tokyo.
That company's scale was not very large, and over the past two years, it had mainly undertaken the renovation of local assembly halls, old neighbourhoods, and public facilities. On the surface, they still had three projects in hand, and their book orders were sufficient to sustain them until next year.
However, two of those projects came from Saionji Construction, and the contractor for the final project was a local company that received long-term financing from Saionji Finance.
Satsuki opened the document and first looked at the family head opposite her.
"All three contracts of your company have been officially signed. As long as there is no breach of contract, Saionji will not unilaterally terminate them."
The man's tensed shoulders relaxed slightly.
The Head of Kazanin also glanced at Satsuki, seemingly having finally grasped something that could be used to prove she was not completely reckless.
"However, as for everything outside the contracts, let it end tonight."
The man's newly relaxed brow furrowed again.
"What do you mean by outside the contracts?"
"Additional engineering, material prepayments, temporary turnover, deadline extensions, and next year's renewals."
Satsuki listed them one by one.
"Over the past two years, every time your company needed to purchase stone and timber in advance, Saionji Construction would pay a portion of the material costs first. When engineering changes occurred, you were rarely asked to resubmit guarantees."
She pulled an engineering settlement statement out of the file folder.
"None of these are obligations stipulated by the contract; they are simply conveniences between cooperative partners."
The family head's complexion gradually changed.
"But the project is already halfway done. If you suddenly stop prepayments now, it is simply impossible for us to complete it according to the original schedule."
"Then borrow from the bank."
Satsuki replied very naturally.
"The partner banks will receive a risk statement submitted by Saionji Finance tomorrow. Since your company's three main sources of revenue all come from families preparing to confront Saionji, it is entirely normal for the banks to re-evaluate short-term credit."
"Are you trying to force the bank to withdraw our working capital?"
"I am simply telling them the risks Saionji is bearing."
Satsuki smiled at him.
"How the bank ultimately decides is, of course, up to the bank itself."
The man obviously did not believe this statement.
Yet he could not demand that Saionji continue to conceal the risks, nor could he force the bank to disburse loans under the original conditions.
Satsuki put the settlement statement back into the file folder.
"Existing contracts remain valid. Saionji will not pay a day less in wages, nor will it undercount a single completed and inspected project."
Saying this, she paused slightly.
"It is just that starting tomorrow, every delay will be fined according to the contract, every additional project will be re-tendered, and every material payment must be advanced by your company itself."
That family head could finally no longer sit still.
"If we do this, all three projects will operate at a loss!"
"That will depend on your company's capabilities."
Satsuki did not show a mocking expression.
"Were not you all just emphasising earlier that Saionji should not intervene in the management of other families?"
"In that case, I surely cannot accept such accusations on one hand while continuing to shoulder the financial and schedule risks that your company ought to bear on the other, right?"
The man opened his mouth, but ultimately found no words to refute her.
Without waiting for the other party to continue arguing, Chizuru had already placed the fifth file folder onto the table.
This family had no urgent debts, nor was any ancestral home being disposed of by a bank.
What the family head truly took pride in was that two young members of the family had respectively entered a Saionji-affiliated financial company and a Sumitomo-affiliated manufacturing company.
One of them had already been listed for consideration as a candidate for the next round of board directors, while the other was going to study at a U.S. factory in the autumn and participate in the preparation of a new production line upon returning.
Seeing the family name on the file folder, the old man's expression was actually calmer than those of the previous few people.
"Miss Satsuki surely would not disregard the normal personnel system within the company just because of a dispute between families, would she?"
He did not say that the two young men had nothing to do with the family.
After all, being able to enter those positions was inherently the result of the family's years of cultivating connections. Yet they had not violated company regulations; if Satsuki were to directly drive them out, Saionji would likewise need a reason that could convince the public internally.
Several people at the table also turned to look at Satsuki.
"The company's personnel system naturally will not change."
Satsuki answered very quickly.
"They have not violated employment regulations, and Saionji will not terminate their contracts without cause."
The old man nodded slightly.
"In that case..."
"However, what I said just now was nine families."
Satsuki raised her head, interrupting what he was going to say next.
"Not the nine family heads sitting here tonight."
The expression on the old man's face instantly paused.
"Your family's industries, political connections, and younger generations are inherently a part of this family. You would not think that simply by letting the young men stay in the company, you can confront Saionji on one hand while continuing to infiltrate the interiors of Saionji and Sumitomo through them, would you?"
"They are merely company employees."
"Ordinary employees can, of course, continue to work."
Satsuki gave a brief gesture toward Chizuru.
A copy of a recommendation letter was placed on top of the file folder, alongside an unpublished evaluation form for board candidates.
Seeing the name on it clearly, the old man's complexion finally changed.
"After your family's eldest grandson entered the financial company, he was transferred between posts three times in succession."
Satsuki turned those pages of material open one by one.
"The first time was recommended by Father, and the second time was arranged by the human resources office of Saionji Finance. Entering the list of board candidates last year was personally signed off by Mr. Endo."
"His ability is not bad."
She said this very fairly.
"Yet without these arrangements, at most he would only be a Section Chief of some regional branch right now, not sitting in Tokyo touching the group's financing plans, let alone seeing next year's fund allocations in advance."
The old man's face darkened.
"Do you want to cancel his director qualification?"
"He is not a director yet, so there is no question of cancelling it."
Satsuki earnestly corrected his wording.
"Starting tonight, all recommendations, evaluation quotas, and special training arrangements from Saionji are entirely withdrawn."
She tapped lightly on the evaluation form.
"Board candidate qualification cancelled. His current position will also undergo internal re-examination."
"Since your family has already been regarded as an enemy by Saionji, family members naturally can no longer continue to access group financing, mergers and acquisitions, and fund scheduling."
"After tomorrow, he will be transferred away from his current department to a position that does not involve core business."
The old man abruptly raised his head.
"He has not leaked anything!"
"I did not say he leaked anything."
Satsuki's tone remained calm.
"But why should Saionji wait until the intelligence is actually sent out before admitting that members of hostile families should not remain in core departments?"
The old man was speechless for a moment.
Satsuki had already turned to the next page.
"As for the other one on Sumitomo's side, he was originally scheduled to go to the U.S. factory to study in the autumn and be responsible for the new production line upon his return."
"That quota was likewise coordinated by Saionji."
"Sumitomo's overseas factories, equipment plans, and new production lines are no longer suitable to be open to hostile families. The training will be cancelled tomorrow, and he will also be transferred away from the preparation department."
The old man could finally no longer contain himself.
"You are cutting off their prospects!"
"It was your family that first decided to cut off ties with Saionji."
Satsuki looked at him as if reminding him of something that had just happened and would not be forgotten yet.
"You all believed that Saionji was entering the interiors of various families through funding, personnel, and industrial relations, which is why you wanted to establish a mutual aid association to restrict Saionji from continuing to do so."
She pushed the two documents together in front of the old man.
"Now Saionji has withdrawn."
"Your family's younger generation can continue to collect salaries, and they can also wait for promotions based on their own abilities just like other ordinary employees."
"It is just that the board of directors, group financing, and new production lines will no longer be open to them from now on."
The old man stared at the board candidate form, the colour in his face draining away bit by bit.
Directly firing the two of them might only make them change to another company.
But what Satsuki was taking away now were the two channels that this family had spent more than a decade obtaining.
Starting tomorrow, they would leave those positions capable of accessing the group's funds, technology, and major decisions, and once again become two of the most ordinary employees within the Saionji and Sumitomo systems.
Satsuki did not continue waiting for the old man's reply.