Friday, November 11, 1988
Late night, 10:00 PM
Minato Ward, Akasaka
The late autumn rain carried a damp chill that seeped into the bones. Rainwater dripped along the black tiles of the Tsuruya ryotei, gathering into a thin stream that fell into a moss-covered stone basin in the courtyard.
—*Thump*—
The bamboo shishi-odoshi, filled with water, struck heavily against the stone, letting out an ethereal, lonely crack.
In this hidden private room named 'Matsukaze,' the air seemed frozen.
The Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications sat kneeling on the tatami. The ashtray before him was piled with twisted cigarette butts, looking like a miniature mass grave. This high-ranking bureaucrat who usually held sway over Kasumigaseki had unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. His face, which always maintained an air of majesty, now held only bleakness and exhaustion.
Across from him, Saionji Satsuki was lifting a cast-iron teapot.
Scalding water poured into the tea bowl, sending up white steam that blurred her exquisite young face.
"Vice-Minister, the tea is getting cold."
The girl's voice was soft. Her movements were fluid and elegant, as if she were performing a sacred ritual.
The Vice-Minister raised his eyelids and looked at the fifteen-year-old girl before him.
It was these very hands that had sliced a piece of foie gras at the Hotel Okura last night, and at the same time cut off all of the Ministry's paths of retreat.
She clearly looked like a quite cute little girl, but anyone who had ever opposed her knew the rumors of her being a 'Witch' were not unfounded.
Now, looking at that face, he felt only a sense of horror, as if he were staring at an exquisite Japanese doll.
"Miss Saionji."
The Vice-Minister's voice was hoarse, as if his throat were filled with coarse grit.
"We have already made the greatest concessions. S-Food's seized equipment will be unsealed tomorrow morning, and all fines will be canceled. Even... we can tacitly allow you to continue using your current internal network, as long as you no longer promote it with such fanfare."
He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket. His fingers trembled slightly as he drew one out, but he hesitated to light it.
"This is the bottom line. Type I Telecommunications Business — that is, the right to lay fiber optics and own infrastructure — is the nervous system of the nation. It must remain in the hands of NTT. This is not just a legal issue, but a matter of sovereignty. It absolutely cannot be opened to private entities, and certainly cannot let American capital get its hands on it."
The Vice-Minister stared intently at Satsuki, his eyes carrying a final shred of persistence.
"This is a matter of principle."
Satsuki set down the iron teapot.
She did not argue or show any dissatisfaction. She simply turned slightly and took a neatly folded document, entirely in English, from the handbag beside her.
The paper was thin, but in the quiet room, the sound of it unfolding was exceptionally piercing.
It was a copy of a draft sanction list prepared by the United States Trade Representative.
Satsuki extended her slender fingers, pressed down on a corner of the document, and slowly pushed it across the grain of the tatami toward the Vice-Minister.
"Vice-Minister, I am also a person of principle."
Satsuki smiled. Her expression appeared somewhat hazy in the candlelight.
"I am not fighting for Type I. I have no interest in digging ditches and burying cables all over the streets. That is manual labor, and it does not suit the Saionji Family."
The Vice-Minister froze for a moment, his eyes scanning the document. The words 'Sanction List' at the top made the muscle at the corner of his eye twitch violently.
"Then what do you want?"
"I want a license for 'Special Type II Telecommunications Business.'"
Satsuki raised a finger, tapping lightly in the air.
"Type II?" The Vice-Minister frowned, appearing to search through the legal clauses in his mind. "That is just leasing lines to provide value-added services..."
"Yes, I will lease NTT's fiber optics."
Satsuki's smile deepened, like a datura flower blooming in the dark.
"However, the equipment at both ends of the line must be determined by me. The transmission protocols must be determined by me. The data flow, encryption methods, and routing rules — NTT will have no right to ask or interfere."
"Nominally, I am using your road to drive my car. As for what is inside the car and where the car is going..."
She pointed at the document.
"That is my freedom."
The Vice-Minister's fingers suddenly tightened, snapping the unlit cigarette.
He understood.
How was this leasing? This was clearly 'shell hijacking.'
As long as one controlled the equipment and protocols at both ends, the fiber optic was just a physical wire. The Saionji Family was essentially constructing a completely independent nervous system inside NTT's body.
"If you agree to this plan," Satsuki picked up her teacup and lightly blew on the foam, "it will be an 'opening of value-added services in line with international technical trends.' It preserves NTT's face as the infrastructure owner and responds to market demands."
"As for the American side, I will handle the explanation. The sanction list for auto tariffs will be withdrawn before noon tomorrow."
Satsuki raised her eyes. Her gaze was clear and cold.
"But if you do not agree..."
"Tomorrow morning, this draft will become an official decree of the White House. When that time comes, I imagine the anger of MITI and Toyota Motor might be harder to appease than that of the Americans."
The Vice-Minister stared fixedly at the document, then at Satsuki's calm face.
He was weighing his options.
As long as the ownership of the lines remained with NTT, appearances could be maintained, and the banner of 'national sovereignty' would not fall. Although giving up terminal control was equivalent to gouging a massive hole in NTT's wall of monopoly... compared to the impending trade war and the political liquidation of all Kasumigaseki, this hole seemed like a bearable price.
—*Thump*—
The shishi-odoshi in the courtyard struck again.
The Vice-Minister closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. His entire being appeared to age ten years in an instant.
"As long as the line rights remain with NTT..."
He opened his eyes again. The last trace of resistance in his gaze had vanished, leaving only compromise and helplessness.
"Deal."
The next day, 10:00 AM
Kasumigaseki, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Building
What should have been a quiet weekend was now filled with reporters from major newspapers and television stations in the press conference hall. Flashbulbs fired frantically, illuminating the podium in stark white.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications stood before the microphone. He wore a dark blue uniform, and though his face was somewhat stiff, he still made an effort to maintain bureaucratic arrogance and dignity.
Holding an announcement that had just been stamped with a bright red official seal, he cleared his throat.
"...To adapt to the international wave of information and promote the diversified development of telecommunications value-added services, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, after careful study, has decided to approve the establishment of a new 'Special Type II Telecommunications Business' classification in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Telecommunications Business Law."
The sound of shutters from below merged into one, like a sudden downpour of rain.
"Regarding the previous dispute over S-Food's network access..."
The spokesperson paused, pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, and avoided the sharp lenses below.
"After an overnight review by a technical expert group, it has been determined that the enterprise's actions constitute a 'pioneering exploration in the field of technical innovation by a private enterprise.' While there were slight flaws in the procedure, it fully complies with international standards in terms of technical safety."
"Therefore, the Ministry has decided to waive the relevant penalties and... proceed with the supplementary issuance of the license."
They had not "admitted defeat."
By using carefully crafted rhetoric like "pioneering exploration" and "procedural flaws," the bureaucrats used the most dignified language to cover up a complete and utter rout.
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 outside.
Only a single desk lamp was lit in the room, making it dim and oppressive.
The Vice President of NTT sat behind his large desk, the television broadcasting the press conference live.
"Pioneering exploration..."
The Vice President watched the opening and closing mouth of the Ministry spokesperson on the screen and let out a cold laugh.
—*Snap!*—
The Montblanc pen in his hand was violently snapped. Black ink splashed out and stained his expensive shirt cuff. But he was completely oblivious.
He turned his head to look at the Bloomberg Terminal in the corner.
On the screen, NTT's stock price was diving. The green downward curve was as steep as a cliff, and the red sell order numbers flashed frantically, as if mocking this giant of a bygone era for having its spine pulled out overnight.
The office door was pushed open a crack, and the secretary poked her head in, her expression panicked.
"Vice President, representatives from Nomura Securities and Sumitomo Bank are downstairs... they are demanding an explanation..."
"Get out!"
The Vice President grabbed the ashtray on his desk and hurled it.
"Tell them to get out!"
The secretary shrank back in fear, and the door was slammed shut.
The Vice President slumped in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
He knew that although the Ministry had used wordplay to save NTT's face, the capital market knew exactly what this meant.
The wall had collapsed.
That once-impregnable iron wall of monopoly that had kept all competitors out had been forced open by that little girl named Saionji.
From now on, countless greedy sharks would pour through this opening...
3:00 PM
Saionji Industries Headquarters
The post-rain sunlight pierced through the clouds, painting the entire city in glorious gold.
Inside the President's office, the air was filled with the faint aroma of coffee.
Fujita Tsuyoshi held a thin piece of paper in both hands, walked respectfully to the desk, and bowed deeply.
"Eldest Miss, this was just retrieved from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications."
It was a business license — 'Special Type II Telecommunications Business Permit.'
Number: No. 001.
This piece of paper was very light, but in 1988 Japan, its weight was thousands of times heavier than an equal volume of gold.
It meant the Saionji Family had obtained the legal power to inject their own blood into the vessels laid by NTT.
Satsuki sat in the high-backed chair, not reaching out to take it immediately.
She set down the book in her hand, her gaze falling on the paper.
It bore the bright red seal of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. Every word represented the shattering of a monopoly.
She reached out and took the license.
Her fingertips brushed across the paper. It felt slightly cool.
Satsuki's face was very calm. She merely gave the number on it a brief glance before casually tossing it into the mountain of documents at the corner of the desk.
"Eldest Miss."
Fujita Tsuyoshi asked in a low voice, a trace of irrepressible excitement in his tone.
"Cisco has already sent over the latest quote. How much equipment should we order?"
Satsuki did not answer immediately.
She stood, walked around the large mahogany desk, and went to the wall.
Hanging there was a massive map of Tokyo's telecommunications network. Densely packed black lines looked like a giant spiderweb covering every corner of the city.
That was the nervous system NTT had laid over the past decades.
Satsuki pulled a thick red marker from the pen holder and popped off the cap with a pop.
The smell of alcohol diffused into the air.
"How much?"
Satsuki looked at the map, the corners of her mouth curling into a cold arc.
"All of it."
She raised her hand, pressing the tip of the pen heavily onto the map.
Starting from the 'Pink Building' in Akasaka, she drew a thick red line, cutting straight into the 'Crystal Palace' in Ginza.
Then Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro... the red lines crisscrossed on the map, connecting every S-Food outlet, every S.A. Group building, and that new Odaiba district which was still on the blueprints.
The pen tip dragged across the paper, making a grating friction sound.
The red ink soaked into the paper, bleeding slightly, as if cutting fresh, bleeding wounds into the texture of the city.
Those were the new blood vessels belonging to the Saionji Family.
"Notify Cisco to clear out all their inventory in Asian warehouses and ship it to Tokyo. If it's not enough, have their current production lines run twenty-four hours a day."
Satsuki capped the pen and looked at the map covered in red lines, her eyes flashing with unmasked ambition.
"To change the blood of this country..."
She turned around, her back to the blinding sunlight outside. Her entire person was bathed in a golden halo.
"We're going to need quite a lot of 'pipes.'"
Outside the window, a rainbow arched over the Imperial Palace moat.
It was an illusion following the rain.
And beneath that illusion, a new order was breaking through the soil.