Frank leaned back against the sofa.
This finally felt like the kind of negotiation he was familiar with.
"First, we want a fixed window."
"From now on, whenever Saionji traces any leads regarding US personnel, contractors, weapons, and funds, we do not want to go through three layers of diplomatic transfer again and end up receiving just a single sentence saying 'verifying'."
"We need someone who can deliver the information directly to the right department."
"This matter is negotiable."
"Second."
Frank did not pause at all.
"We want as complete a joint investigation result as possible regarding the resume of that retired CIA personnel, the major private security companies he has contacted since retirement, and recently confirmed defense contracting relationships."
Richard shook his head.
"CIA personnel files will not be handed over to a private enterprise."
"I did not say let me take his files away."
Frank looked at him.
"What I am talking about is the joint investigation results."
"You can judge for yourselves what can be given and what cannot be given."
"But do not use the word confidentiality to tell us that nothing can be investigated."
Richard did not speak.
Frank continued.
"Third, weapons."
"The Japanese police have already begun sorting out the models, ammunition, and left-behind items at the scene. The official materials will go through diplomatic and police cooperation channels."
"The US side needs to cooperate in tracing back."
"Procurement records, contractor inventory, overseas circulation—as long as you can find them, investigate them."
"If the stuff really leaked from some private contracting system, I want to know where it leaked from."
After listening, Richard slowly nodded.
Although these demands were troublesome, they had not crossed the completely unacceptable boundary.
"Anything else?"
"Yes."
Frank picked up the briefcase he had been keeping next to him.
This time, he did not open it.
He simply placed it on the table between the two of them.
"This is the truly important part today."
Richard's gaze fell on that black leather bag.
"What is inside?"
"Contingency plans."
"What contingency plans?"
"How Saionji should handle US risks next if the US cannot prove this matter has nothing to do with the US government."
The expression on Richard's face finally changed.
Seeing this, Frank actually felt a little better.
He was finally starting to listen seriously.
"The exact words Tokyo gave me were 'at all costs'."
"You should know what this word means when spoken from Saionji's mouth."
Richard of course knew.
Saionji's greatest advantage right now was that there was so much money that many conventional deterrents were beginning to lose their meaning.
A normal enterprise would not easily lose billions of dollars for political disputes; it would usually have many more realistic factors to consider.
It would consider the opinions of shareholders, the views of banks, and the ratings of institutions.
Yet Saionji possessed the confidence not to consider these things.
Washington did not grasp the full figure of the profit scale that Tokyo had just brought back from Nikkei transactions, but judging solely from the trading volume visible from Salomon, Goldman Sachs, and several clearing institutions, it was enough to give anyone familiar with finance a headache.
And most importantly, they also provided a considerable "dividend" to a whole bunch of related departments and forces, so Washington would not dare to casually extort this fat sheep.
"What does this include?"
Richard asked.
"Not decided yet."
Frank replied.
"Depending on the answers you give."
"It might be suspending new US asset acquisitions."
"It might be re-evaluating subsequent investments in Texas."
"Or it might be withdrawing a portion of the money originally prepared to continue investing in the US military-industrial and overseas logistics systems."
Richard picked up the conversation almost immediately.
"Carlyle's investment has already signed a formal agreement. If Tokyo is now preparing to re-handle projects that have already landed, things will be much more troublesome than you imagine."
"Contracts that have already been signed will of course be fulfilled."
Frank glanced at him.
"Saionji is not petty enough to breach a contract over such a matter. What I am talking about is the future—the next batch of funds prepared to be invested into the US, the next oil field, the next batch of bankrupt assets waiting for acquisition, and those overseas logistics projects originally prepared to continue being handed over to the US system."
He paused slightly here.
"These things have not been written into any contracts yet."
"If this country cannot even figure out who in its own system is trying to kill Saionji's heir, why should Tokyo continue to place billions of dollars here?"
Richard looked at Frank.
There was truly nothing to refute in this sentence.
But once Saionji truly began doing these things, the impact would by no means fall only on a single Japanese enterprise.
Behind those oil fields in Texas waiting to reopen were local jobs.
Behind Carlyle were military-industrial assets and Washington connections.
Those in the Pentagon who had just begun talking about long-term cooperation with S.A. Global Engineering and Logistics Rescue Group would also not be happy to suddenly look for new contractors again.
Not to mention Wall Street.
The handling fees generated purely by Saionji's annual transactions and custody were enough for several institutions to take seriously.
And once these people found their interests damaged due to an assassination attempt of unknown origin, they would not call Frank.
They would call here.
"Is this a threat?"
Richard's tone turned serious.
"No."
Frank actually answered very quickly.
"Just a routine risk management."
Richard looked at him.
Spoken from the mouth of a Wall Street person, he could understand these words without anyone explaining.
Frank's expression was even very earnest.
"We just discovered that there is a political risk in the US that has not been fully priced in the past."
"Someone was able to find former CIA personnel, professional gunmen, and military weapons from within the US system, and then send them to Tokyo to attack Saionji."
"Then is not it completely normal to readjust the US risk exposure?"
For a moment, Richard could not find any words to directly refute this.
Frank had already continued:
"Of course, Saionji does not hope things reach that step."
"I do not hope so either."
"That is why I am sitting here."
"As long as you prove that this was not done by the US government, nor condoned by the US government, and then work together to find the people who actually did this, many problems naturally will not happen."
"But if you give nothing—"
He reached out and gently patted that briefcase.
"Tokyo can only prepare for the worst-case scenario."
Richard's gaze lingered on that leather bag for a moment.
"Are you prepared to make the matter public?"
"If necessary."
"Someone in the Japanese Parliament is already preparing to question why US military standard-issue weapons and former CIA personnel appeared on the streets of Tokyo at the same time."
Frank's tone was calm.
"How many inquiries the US Embassy receives every day from now on will no longer be something I can control."
"As for Capitol Hill..."
He smiled slightly.
"Saionji also knows some friends in the US."
Richard knew.
And knew even more than many US companies.
This was the most troublesome part.
He raised a hand and rubbed his temples.
"Frank."
"Hmm?"
"If someone else were sitting here instead, regarding what you said today, I might have already had someone show them out."
"That is why Tokyo sent me."
Frank took it over unceremoniously.
Richard looked at him.
After a while, he instead let out a laugh.
"This point really is a lot like her."
The expression on Frank's face softened slightly in an instant.
As long as Satsuki was brought up, and it was not bad words, his temper seemed to automatically drop a bit.
Richard acutely noticed this change.
He suddenly really wanted to ask, what on earth do you take that little girl for?
But after thinking about it, he decided against it.
The answer probably would not make him feel comfortable.
On the television, the farewell ceremony had already entered its second half.
Satsuki was talking with the family of the deceased.
The camera was far away, and the specific content could not be heard; one could only see her slightly lowering her head, quietly listening to the middle-aged woman speak for a long time, and finally bowing once more.
Richard also watched for a while.
"The White House will give Tokyo a reply."
Frank did not make a sound.
"I cannot guarantee to you that the true mastermind will be placed on the table within two days, nor can I hand over the intelligence agencies' files to Saionji."
"But a fixed liaison window can be established."
"We will cooperate on weapon tracking."
"The US side will also reinvestigate that retired personnel and his main activities after leaving the CIA."
Richard turned back.
"In addition, I can tell you clearly."
"If it turns out in the end that there are current US officials or government contractors who used their positions to participate in this matter, the White House will not clean up the mess for him."
Frank looked at him for a few seconds.
"I have remembered this sentence."
"You had better tell Tokyo as well."
"I will."
Richard reached out to take that cup of coffee that had completely gone cold, but put it back down after touching the cup wall.
"One more thing."
"What?"
"Before the matter is cleared up, do not let Tokyo treat every person who has worn a military uniform and taken a government contract as an enemy."
His tone was very earnest.
"The US is big."
"And the government is not just one person."
"Some people hate Saionji, some people like your money, and even more people simply do not care who that little girl in Tokyo is."
"If someone really used US connections to plan this operation, we also need time to find him out from such a huge system."
After listening, Frank slowly leaned back against the sofa.
This time, he did not retort right away.
"Milady thinks the same way."
Richard was somewhat surprised.
"She said that?"
"One of the first things she did after waking up was to have Tokyo re-list all major US interest relationships."
Speaking up to here, a trace of a genuine smile finally appeared at the corners of Frank's mouth.
"She does not like deciding who the enemy is first, and then finding evidence to prove she is right."
Richard was silent for a moment.
"That is indeed smarter than many Washington people."
"Of course."
Frank replied as a matter of course, as if feeling a sense of glory himself.
Richard glanced at him.
Forget it.
He should not have praised her.
Frank took the briefcase back again.
"In that case, I will not open this tonight."
"I thank you on behalf of the American people."
"Do not thank me."
Frank stood up.
"If the final answer does not look good, I will still open it."
Richard stood up as well.
When walking to the door, Frank suddenly stopped.
He turned back to glance at the television.
Satsuki was already preparing to leave the scene.
The camera followed her all the way toward the vehicle.
That petite black figure moved slowly among numerous reporters and security personnel, and the white dressing on her right cheek remained particularly conspicuous.
Frank watched for two seconds, then turned back to Richard.
"Also."
"Hmm?"
"Please tell those who are investigating."
His tone turned cold again.
"Hurry up."
"Saionji is really angry this time."
Richard looked at him.
Frank opened the door.
"So am I."
After the office door closed again, only the English translation voice from the television remained in the office.
Richard stood there, just listening like that.
After a while, he picked up the telephone on the desk.
The number dialed this time did not go through the secretary.
After the call connected, he only said one sentence.
"Expand tonight's cross-departmental list further."
"Military-industrial contractors, private security companies, and retired personnel who left the Asia station system over the past five years—go through all of them again."
He paused for a moment.
"In addition, tell them."
"Do not drag it out this time."