“How awful. Enter a despot.”
I reached for my glass too.
“Mr. Katsuragi said he would give us one more chance.”
“Oh.” With my glass in hand, I looked back at the youthful president’s face. “In that case, the story’s different. Let’s rework the plan. This time we’ll come up with something he can’t complain about.”
“Of course, that’s what I intend, but he gave us two conditions. One was to highlight how they’re dealing with environmental issues. And it’s not just about exhaust fumes and energy conservation. He apparently wants to let it be known that Nissei takes environmental protections into consideration even within their manufacturing process.”
“That seems like it’ll become tedious. So, what was the other condition?”
“Yes, about that.” Kozuka poured himself a glass. He didn’t try to make eye contact.
“What’s the other condition?” I asked again.
Kozuka breathed a small sigh before opening his mouth. “That we need to replace the staff wholesale. In particular that we should switch out the leader, Shunsuke Sakuma.”
Even though my name had come up, I didn’t immediately understand what he was saying. No, it was hard to take in because my name had come up. “He wants me out of the picture?”
“Apparently, Mr. Katsuragi conducted a thorough review of your jobs until now. The results pointed to a certain conclusion. Remember, I’m not the one saying this. It’s the words of Executive Vice President Katsuragi.”
“Please tell me.”
“Mr. Sakuma’s way of doing things may be striking and attract a lot of attention in the short term, but he is missing a view of the long term. His ideas are simple and easy to get, but he is unable to tune into people’s hearts. The notion of building a pseudo-amusement park for a new car’s campaign is hardly novel, and the superficiality of his way of thinking is evident. Nissei’s customers purchase not only our cars, but pride. None would go to an amusement park to be proud. I want to entrust this next opportunity to someone who is able to figure out everything two steps ahead—those were Mr. Katsuragi’s words.”
I was cemented in place still holding my glass. It was as though rage and humiliation were filling my entire body. I felt as though if I said anything, I’d yell, and if I moved, I’d throw my glass.
“Did you miss that?” Kozuka asked.
I shook my head. “Basically, he said Sakuma from Cyberplan is incompetent…”
“He didn’t go that far. He’s just saying that you don’t match up with his policies.”
“Isn’t that the same thing? It’s because Mr. Katsuragi thinks of himself as the best.” I gulped down my brandy. I felt the sensation of it moving down from my throat to my stomach.
“Anyway, all our firm can do is accept the conditions. Tomorrow, I’m talking to Sugimoto.”
“Is Sugimoto my replacement?”
“That’s how it’s going to be.”
“Sugimoto the concert guy, huh?” I laughed. Out of sarcasm, and as a bluff.
“That’ll be all.”
“I understand.” I stood up.
“Why don’t you stay and drink for a bit. My policy is to keep company with a guy who needs to get wasted.”
“Please don’t be unreasonable.” I raised both my hands slightly to beg mercy.
Kozuka nodded, muttering that it might well have been unreasonable as he lowered his glass.
When I left Sabine, I didn’t feel like going straight home, so I stopped by a bar I’d been to several times before. I swigged bourbon on the rocks in a seat at the end of the counter, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling I’d just swallowed lead. He is unable to tune into people’s hearts; the superficiality of his way of thinking is evident; I want to entrust this next opportunity to someone who is able to figure out everything two steps ahead—all of the words I’d just heard were managing to wreck my inner balance.
Give me a break, I thought. It had been four years since I was headhunted from a major ad agency, and since then there hadn’t been a single product I’d worked on that I hadn’t been able to sell. Whether it was a thing or a person, treasure or garbage, I had pride that I’d sold it. There was no way someone who couldn’t tune into people’s hearts could do that.
I was still in the worst of moods, but my head started feeling a little foggy, so I decided to leave that establishment, too. I went out to the street and hailed a cab.
“Where to?” the driver asked me.
Kayabacho, I was supposed to answer. Because my condo was there. But I was unexpectedly hit by a strange urge. A whim, you might call it. I heard myself respond, “Go to Denenchofu.” I added, “You know that mansion of Nissei Automobile’s chairman, Shotaro Katsuragi? It’s near there.”
“Yes, that big mansion.” The driver knew the address.
Chapter 2
It was a stupidly huge Western-style house. If it weren’t for the nameplate, it could’ve easily been mistaken for some institution. The gate that seemed big enough for a semi to pass through had doors that were decorated with intricate patterns. Garage shutters flanked the gate. It seemed like four cars could easily fit in there, even Mercedes-Benzes or Rolls-Royces. Just over the wall were all kinds of trees planted like a jungle so that you really had to struggle to glimpse the roof of the main building, which seemed awfully far away, too. It looked like you could get tired just walking from the gate to the front door.
I wasn’t so careless as to approach the residence. I’d noticed the security camera mounted on a gatepost. Naturally, there had to be other cameras. That was why I’d gotten out of the taxi well short of the place. Even now, I was still sixty feet or so away from the premises. There happened to be a van parked on the street, so I was hiding in its shadow.
Let me meet Katsutoshi Katsuragi, I thought. I’d see him in person and interrogate him. What is it that you have against Shunsuke Sakuma? Exactly what part of my way of thinking is “superficial”? I didn’t understand with just Kozuka’s explanation. I can’t begin to comprehend it.
But looking at the giant, fort-like estate, I hesitated. If I visited at this time, there was no way Katsutoshi Katsuragi would even meet with me. I’d more likely be turned away at the gate. Announcing myself might be fruitless. They’d simply laugh that an unpleasantly stubborn ad man had come to complain. Even if I did meet him, right now my breath stunk of alcohol. If Katsuragi thought I’d merely been driven by the momentum of being drunk, he’d no doubt immediately get up and walk away.
But it was true that I’d been driven by my inebriated state. When I told the taxi driver my destination, my head had been boiling over like a kettle on a stove.
There was nothing to it. In the end, when I was right in front of my enemy, I was chickening out. I was going wobbly. It was just that I was so scared of the humiliation of scramming and doing nothing that I couldn’t leave it at that. Even listing all the reasons for not charging in was me making excuses to myself.
I grew more and more furious. My rage was directed at myself. Shunsuke Sakuma, how could you be acting so small?
I’d make a fresh start, I decided, my mind sobering. I wasn’t running away. Without fail, I’d confront Katsutoshi Katsuragi. But the way I’d do it would have to be meticulous, just like me.
I pointed at the estate. Then I swore by my heart. Just wait, Mr. Katsuragi. You’ll learn my true strength, for sure.