National Tide 1980.

Chapter 1355 Weakness

Behind the glass wine rack wall there is a corridor leading to the floored business space.

Both Jimao and his son followed the bartender, walking forward on the purple-red carpet.

After turning a corner, a more luxurious decoration suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Three steps down the stairs is a fairly spacious room with high-quality wooden floors throughout.

There are dark brown tables arranged in a row, and each table is surrounded by a long leather-covered sofa.

There is a crystal ashtray on the table, and there are floor lamps with lampshades next to it.

The ceiling is equipped with embedded downlights, which are scattered all over the place and provide soft lighting, just like the starry sky at night.

The dim light from the floor lampshade could only illuminate their respective tables.

The dim light and shadows showed the guests and hostesses chatting and laughing with each other.

In the center of the store's business space, there is a round table with a large Kutani kiln flower pot.

This is the highlight of the whole event and the most eye-catching place.

Because the huge and gorgeous flowerpot contains a large flower arrangement made up of a variety of flowers such as vermilion, rose red, bean paste and pink, which is at least more than one person tall.

Under the illumination of several spotlights on the top, it looks quite gorgeous and lush, like a bright red morning glow.

Anyone who sees this will realize the origin of the name of this store.

"Please sit here and wait!"

Finally, the guy with the bow tie took Jimao and his son to a table in the corner under the stairs and asked them to sit down.

Although the location is remote, we cannot easily conclude that this is contempt.

After all, it was getting late, and Chixia's business was booming.

Looking around the place, there were almost no empty tables.

Only the seats in the corners are still empty because the space is small and it is difficult to accommodate many people, and the practical value is not high.

The table and small long sofa they have here can only seat six or seven people at most.

If there are more than three male guests plus the space for the female host, it will definitely be crowded.

If there were more spacious seats, no one would bring guests here casually.

But from the perspective of space, it is okay for the father and son to sit here.

The only downside is that this place is like an isolated island overseas, far away from other tables.

They had no way of seeing the entire business space and could not find Ning Weimin for a while.

After the father and son placed their respective briefcases on the sofa and sat down.

Soon two hostesses came over and sat next to them.

Her looks were indeed average, but she was very young, probably in her early twenties.

Moreover, she has a really good figure, and her makeup is very simple and elegant, and her clothes are light and gorgeous, which is really pleasing to the eye.

Minister Yoshimo then ordered a bottle of OLD PARR.

In a high-consumption place like this, if you add the seat fee and order a bottle of Old Man's whiskey that sells for 6,000 yen in the store, the total amount of consumption should be around 200,000 yen, which is not stingy.

Moreover, you don’t just order wine randomly. The type of wine can be regarded as an indication of the guest’s age and status.

So there was no need to say anything more. The two hostesses realized that Minister Yoshimo was at least an executive of a large company or the president of a medium-sized enterprise, so he was so fond of this kind of whiskey that was introduced to Japan from overseas by Japanese politicians back then.

Their attitude became more and more attentive, and they began to actively serve wine to the guests and mix drinks with ice cubes.

While showing a sweet smile, we also try our best to choose topics that the guests like.

Ji Maoce is a young man after all, how can he resist the temptation of a professional "gold digger"?

Suddenly I felt a little dizzy.

Although I didn't dare to act rashly in front of my father, I was still restrained and couldn't help but feel a little bit lusty.

Minister Ji Mao was indifferent to this and only focused on what he cared about. "The guy who showed me the way just now, he doesn't seem to be an ordinary bartender, right? His attitude seems a bit stiff!"

"Ah, he is from Hong Kong, not Japan. If he has displeased you, I apologize to you on his behalf."

"It doesn't matter. This is my first time here. I came here today for President Ning. But he said he would inform him for me, but he doesn't know how long I have to wait?"

"Hey? President Ning? Don't worry, our bartender is very familiar with President Ning. Since he said he had informed you, I think President Ning should have known about your visit by now."

Minister Yoshimo was relieved, but he wanted to ask more questions, but the hostess stood up after pouring him wine.

It turned out that the waiter brought two disinfected towels, a few small plates of simple side dishes and nuts.

The two ladies not only made way for him, but also lent a hand to help, rearranged the table, and even wiped away the water stains that had accidentally dripped.

"Does President Ning come here often?"

"Yes, he comes here almost every day these days."

"Haha, it seems that the Chixia Club is really attractive. It even attracts a busy man like President Ning. Your mama-san must be an amazing person..."

At this point, Minister Yoshimo couldn't help but laugh.

There was a hint of teasing in his words, and the subtext was undoubtedly making fun of Ning Weimin's youthful romance.

However, the strange thing is that this common joke did not receive any response or support from the hostesses.

They still smiled politely.

Especially the one next to him, if you look closely, it's a bit embarrassing.

Minister Ji Mao couldn't help but feel strange, and asked again, "President Ning should be a regular customer here, right? Who accompanies him every time he comes here?"

The hostess's intention to shirk responsibility was even more obvious.

"Ah, sorry, I don't know about that. I just came here last month. I was working somewhere else before."

Minister Yoshimo turned to look at the man next to his son. "What about you? Do you understand?"

"I've been here for three months, but I just met President Ning recently. He doesn't seem to have any young ladies he's familiar with, just mama-san's friends."

“Is the mama-san at Chixia Nightclub young?”

Hearing the two young ladies say this, Minister Yoshimo's thin face became more and more curious.

This young lady seemed to be a talkative person, and she was not too strict with her mouth.

"She's young! Much younger than most mamas in clubs, and a big beauty of foreign descent. I heard that she used to be the top female public relations officer of a nightclub, and was called 'the most beautiful girl in the world' by the guests."

"Oh, so that's how it is. Your mama-san seems to be really amazing! I really want to meet her in person right away."

At this point, Minister Yoshimo burst into laughter again.

He already thought he knew the truth and felt that Ning Weimin was no different from other men in this respect.

After all, I am young and cannot control my desire for beauty.

Although he married the "most beautiful woman" and they had just been married for a short time, he was still greedy and came here every day.

If compared from this perspective, it seems that my son is not that bad.

"Of course this will satisfy your wish. Although Mama-san should be very busy right now, she will definitely come over in a while, especially since you are President Ning's friend."

As she was being complimented, the young lady inadvertently looked towards the hall and suddenly screamed.

"Ah, Mama-san is really there! Look, sir, right over there, she's here with President Ning."

Minister Yoshimo's view was completely blocked from his position. He tried his best to look in the direction the young lady was pointing, but he still couldn't see anything!

However, because his son had already stood up with a respectful look on his face, he knew that the young lady would not be wrong.

They also stood up to show their welcome and respect.

However, after standing up, he was greatly surprised when he saw Ning Weimin.

Because in his imagination, even if Ning Weimin’s lover was really the mama-san here.

Then a beautiful lady came over with her arm around his and walked over with him.

It's not even surprising to see such a beautiful woman leaning her head on his shoulder and showing off their "affection" in such a romantic place.

But he never expected that Ning Weimin would be accompanied by two women wearing gorgeous kimonos.

On the left and on the right, each of them has a beautiful makeup and each one is more beautiful than the other.

Are there two mamasans here?

You know, usually, a store only needs one such role.

Because mama-sans not only have high incomes, but they also often get dividends from the store's profits.

There are actually two mama-sans in this nightclub, it seems that it has quite a strong background.

  Judging from this momentum alone, the background of this store must be unfathomable, otherwise how could it afford such expenses?

The key is which one of them is President Ning’s lover?

Remembering what the hostess had just said, the slightly dim-sighted Minister Yoshimo was trying hard to identify which mama-san looked like a mixed-race girl in the dim light. At the same time, he was secretly thinking, could this young man be so lucky to have so many girls around him?

But if you think about it, it's very possible.

There are many rich people in Ginza, but most of those who have achieved success are older people.

There are not many handsome guys like Ning Weimin who are young, elegant and graceful.

As a result, even bigger surprises are yet to come.

When the target of his gaze came closer, Minister Yoshimo was finally able to see the face of a man and a woman clearly. Only then did he realize that the person standing behind Ning Weimin was actually Ning Weimin's newlywed wife, the Japanese superstar Keiko Matsumoto.

  What the hell is going on?

In an instant, Minister Yoshimo immediately broke free from his somewhat obscene yet envious fantasy.

Confusion and astonishment appeared on his face.

Although it was a momentary change, it was so unexpected that it almost exposed his dull expression. This was definitely an occasional phenomenon for Minister Yoshimo, who was quite shrewd.

This subtle change of his was clearly seen by Ning Weimin, who was able to observe the big picture from the subtle details.

So he burst into laughter as soon as he approached, and after introducing Maria, the current mamasan of the Akagi Club, to Minister Yoshimo, he took the initiative to explain why Keiko Matsumoto was here.

"Mr. Minister, were you shocked by Qingzi? Haha, actually, Qingzi came here specifically to study."

"study?"

"Well, Mist Studios is going to shoot a TV series based on Mr. Seicho Matsumoto's novel "Black Leather Notebook". Keiko will play the heroine, a mama-san who runs a nightclub in Ginza. That's why I specifically asked Chixia's mama-san to take Keiko to experience the real life of running a nightclub."

"Oh, so that's how it is."

Minister Yoshimo suddenly realized what was going on and at the same time, he also took the opportunity to offer compliments.

"Matsumoto-san is such a good actor. I didn't expect that you are so talented and hardworking. No wonder every role you play is so touching. It's really admirable. You really deserve the Academy Award. No Japanese actress can compare with you in terms of professionalism. I am looking forward to this TV series. Please let me know when it is released."

Matsumoto Keiko smiled and said modestly, "No, you're too kind. This is just my duty as an actor. Actually, I have caused a lot of trouble for Mama-san. I'm really sorry."

Maria’s job is to please people, and of course she knows how to please people.

In addition to having someone fetch a bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne as a gift to welcome Minister Jimao, the new guest.

She also followed up on Keiko Matsumoto's words with a humble gesture.

"No, no, in the past two days, thanks to Mr. Matsumoto's patronage, Chixia's business has improved. The customers are very honored and surprised. To be honest, I should be the one to thank you. Especially when the TV series is released in the future, I am afraid that Chixia, as the filming location, will become more famous because of you. Having such an opportunity to promote my nightclub is the most effective advertising effect. I really want it. Otherwise, why would Minister Yoshimo come to our store today?"

"That's not necessarily true." Ning Weimin interrupted, "I have to remind you that the heroine of "The Black Leather Notebook" is a villain who records customers' privacy and blackmails them. If the TV series is broadcast, it is possible that Qingzi's character scares away Chixia's customers. If business gets worse at that time, we will not be responsible at all."

This is of course a joke.

Maria responded very quickly, "No problem. Chairman Ning, you are a major shareholder of Chixia. As long as you are here, everyone will have a guaranteed salary no matter what. Maybe thanks to you, we will have a lot more free time."

As soon as this was said, everyone started laughing.

Minister Yoshimo, in particular, not only laughed, but was also deeply shocked.

Because after entering the store and observing it, he had actually noticed it a long time ago.

In the Chixia Club, almost every table has glasses filled with brandy and whiskey mixed with drinking water.

There are at least three guests at a table with fewer people, and at most ten guests at a table with more people.

Everyone was chatting and laughing around the table, and the excellent hostesses were entertaining them.

The sounds of laughter, playfulness and conversation merged together, like a heat wave or the steam rising from a boiling pot, billowing in the diffuse smoke.

The customers are mostly middle-aged or older, and their pious appearance is just like the disciples of Sakyamuni. The densely packed tables are like countless constellations, making the store look like a beautiful and vast universe.

Business isn't very good for a club like this.

It is so good that there is no fault to choose from. It is definitely a first-class club in Ginza.

Just for this night, it is estimated that at least tens of millions of yen can be brought in. This is a purse with constant cash flow.

And from the perspective of personal connections, this is undoubtedly a treasure trove.

God knows, there are countless presidents, chairmen and celebrities from all walks of life who come here for a long time. Doesn’t that mean opportunities?

Ning Weimin turned out to be the financial backer of this family, that's what it means to get both people and money.

From this we can see how precise his calculations are.

Anyway, no matter what his relationship with this mama-san is, it shows that his brain is not comparable to that of ordinary people.

And God knows what other businesses he is involved in, whether there are more shops like this one…

It was because of these thoughts that when the greetings were over, Minister Ji Mao quickly pulled his son over with admiration and asked Ji Mao Ce to bow to Ning Weimin to express his gratitude.

He said, "My son has just been promoted and is now the head of the financing department. To be honest, it is all thanks to President Ning's care that he has achieved what he has today. I really don't know how to thank you. If you need him for anything in the future, please feel free to let me know. Don't hesitate to ask."

At this time, he increasingly believed that no matter what Ning Weimin's future was, he must cultivate a good emotional foundation.

Ji Maoce is actually not that slow.

He, who had been listening to the conversation quietly and not daring to interrupt, immediately followed his father's instructions, changed his expression, and bowed in an almost servile manner to thank Ning Weimin.

"Yes, I never dreamed of having such a promotion opportunity. I really don't know how to express my gratitude! If I have the opportunity in the future, I will do my best to repay you. Please accept my gratitude."

But to be honest, even though what the father and son said sounded nice, such empty words of gratitude seemed a bit lacking in sincerity in Ning Weimin's eyes.

After all, he is a pragmatist and prefers real money and tangible things.

But it doesn't matter, he has this ability, he can make something out of nothing and always find opportunities to make money.

If Ji Mao and his son wanted to satisfy him with just these two nice words, it would be impossible.

So even though he said congratulations, he immediately followed the situation and made a request based on what they said.

"In that case, I won't be polite. Right now, there is something I really need your help with. It's like this. Qingzi is going to shoot a TV series. According to the script, in addition to being filmed in a nightclub, a large part of the film also requires the use of the bank's business premises. So I wonder if you can help solve this problem. For example, the branch where your son works can be used. Can you allow us to borrow it for one or two hours before and after business every day?"

This caught Jimao and his son off guard, and they fell into deep thought instantly.

Logically speaking, this matter should be helped.

But the problem is that doing so will inevitably affect the branch's shift arrangements.

It may also affect the normal business hours, so it will definitely cause banks to arrange for employees to work overtime.

Especially they were embarrassed to negotiate with Ning Weimin about the venue fee.

Considering that Ji Maoce had just been promoted to section chief, if he made such a troublesome request to the branch, it would probably cause dissatisfaction among many people.

I was afraid that if I made the branch manager unhappy, then...

Just when the father and son were thinking about it and getting a headache, they didn't expect that Ning Weimin seemed to see through their thoughts.

Then he actually added, "Does it make things difficult for you? Are you worried that someone in the branch will criticize you? If so, there is no need to worry. Your bank has always been worried about the loan issue. At worst, I can borrow some more from your son. Anyway, the real estate I own has appreciated a lot recently. Hey, are you interested in real estate in Ginza? My Dangu Restaurant is currently mortgaged to the Banque de l'Indochine. But the loan amount is very small, only about 2 billion yen. It can be paid off easily. I can pay back the money to the Banque de l'Indochine and then mortgage it to your bank. If it doesn't work, it doesn't matter, I still have a few parking lots..."

Sometimes the same thing depends on how you express it.

The effect will be different if you say it in different ways.

Even though it is the same loan, Ning Weimin would have said it directly.

That means he is passive, he needs it, and he owes the other person a favor.

But in this situation, he first asked the other party to provide a venue and then stated the loan requirements, which became a compensation condition.

  Not only can he take the initiative, but he can also gain the other party's gratitude. Do you think he is smart?

There is no doubt that his words are a panacea, which is equivalent to grasping the soft spot of the banking industry at once.

Immediately, all worries of Ji Mao and his son disappeared and they agreed without hesitation.

"Is it true? President Ning, the Tan Palace Restaurant is actually a real estate under your name."

"Yeah, how's it going?"

"Then...then it's worth about 20 billion yen now. How much do you want to loan this time?"

"I don't care about that. It depends on your wishes."

"Then...15 billion yen is okay?"

"Sure. That's fine with me."

"That's great! Thank you so much."

"Ah, don't say that. Friends should help each other. I wish us a happy cooperation."

"Happy cooperation!"

In this way, the two sides quickly reached a new consensus.

Especially now the champagne was served.

The most remote table in Chixia Club today was immediately filled with the joyful sound of clinking glasses.

It has to be said that the magic of the bubble economy lies here.

It seems that no one in the game suffers any loss.

Everyone seems to be a winner and can easily get everything they want.