To Love You Again

In an expansive courtyard-style estate in one of the most affluent residential villa area, teeming with greeneries and scenic garden scapes in the capital of Country J, a small feast was laid on the long low dining table. At the head of the table was a dignified man in his mid-sixties wearing a traditional men's kimono.

Shinichi bowed. 

"Greetings, father."

"Take a seat."

Shinichi sat down on the soft cushion on the tatami covered floor. He did not touch the food and waited for his father's chopsticks to touch the food.

"How is the trip to Country C?"

"It's quite fruitful."

"Who did you meet there?"

Shinichi found this question a bit strange. "I attended the Tang family's banquet and got to know them--"

"I am asking you if you have made any deal with a person?" his father interrupted. "Or if you had an argument with some people?" 

His father's crinkled but sharp eyes looked at him. The gaze was keenly watching all of his reactions.

A scene flashed in Shinichi's mind.

"I have only talked with the people relating to corporate partnersh.i.p.s and potential deals with Simsung."

It had nothing to do with the Tanaka Group. That was what he wanted to say.

The other man quietly put down his chopsticks which he had used only to pick up a side dish. 

"Have you heard of what happened to the company?"

The 'company' his father was talking about was most likely the Tanaka Group.

"At the airport, I heard from my assistant that there is a scandal circulating since yesterday night, that this morning, the stock price of the company is greatly affected..."

"It seems you have heard of it. What do you think?"

"If you are this affected by the scandal, then it seems like it is true."

The scandal was about Tanaka's famous motor engine brand, 'Sunny'. According to the news circulating around, Sunny, which was produced by the Tanaka Group for almost thirty years was actually a project stolen by the Tanaka Group from a small businessman.

It was an old story. There was a tiny rumour about it many years ago, but it was considered untrue. 

However, the article that was released recently had the doc.u.ments of the original drafts and project outline of the motor engine 'Sunny', dating back to more than three decades ago. The doc.u.ments were backed by other original doc.u.ments and were very hard to declare as fake. 

Not only that, but there was also an artificial saying that the Tanaka Group had promised to invest in 'Sunny'. However, after the technology became known by the company's research and development, the Tanaka Group swallowed the project alone and abandoned the man. 

The latter part of the story was not backed by any authentic doc.u.ment or proof, but simply a pitiful story of the man who had his hard work stolen from him.

The old man, Mr. Tanaka, answered him. "It doesn't matter if it's true or not. Sunny belongs to our company, that's final. However, the masses and some stockholders doesn't think so."

Shinichi lowered his eyes.

So it was true.

But like his father had said, the man who released the scandal would not be able to get Sunny back. All the necessary and legal doc.u.ments had long been secured. Sunny would remain under Tanaka Group. 

However, it had greatly impacted the company's image as the people in their industry was more invested in trust and transparency.

"Don't you think it is suspicious? It has been thirty years. Sunny is long past its peak. No good would come out of getting Sunny back to them. Even we say that they only managed to gather evidence recently, it is too foolish to act right now."

Shinichi did not answer.

"Using Sunny against Tanaka Group, it might have caused us damage, but it's not enough to make us bleed severely." Mr. Tanaka looked at Shinichi. "If their goal is not to bring us down, then what is it?"

Shinichi's hand under the table clenched. 

"Can you answer it for me, Shinichi?" 

"It is likely a threat."

Mr. Tanaka smiled. 

"You are right. It is most definitely a threat or a warning. Then why? What for?"

Shinichi lowered his eyes to look at the food on the table.

It could not possibly be because of that man's threat, or could it be?

The timing was too coincidental.

"The Tanaka Group have many enemies," Shinichi answered. 

"You are right. However," Mr. Tanaka's sharp eyes looked at him. "In the past years I sat on the position of the head, no one dared to challenge me, nor let out corporate secrets. Because our companies' rivals had their dirty secrets sitting in my hands as well. The core people I hid in those companies also confirmed that no one have made a move against us yet. So it is likely not the people I am wary about."

Shinichi was silent.

"Can't you think of anyone targeting us?"

After brief hesitation, Shinichi chose to hide the conversation between him and that crazy man. As he had said, he still would not move even if that man targeted the Tanaka Group. 

Moving would just give that man more confidence with his blackmailing.

If the Tanaka Group burned slowly, it was because the consortium was full of dirt. Not to mention, knowing his father's means, he would not easily back down.

"I don't have someone in mind."

Mr. Tanaka stared at him for a few seconds, before he took his gaze away. He moved his chopsticks to get the side dishes to his bowl. "I see. But I am telling you again, Shinichi. Tanaka Group always comes first. No matter which method we use, we must preserve the Tanaka Group, our company."

Shinichi bowed his head.

He was silent throughout the dinner.

The bad premonition he was feeling started to grow more.

****

The third day passed and Mr. Tanaka made a move. To hide a rock, one needed a bigger rock to hide the small rock's shadow. 

A set of released news hyped up the internet and the matter about Sunny got buried again. 

Shinichi knew that the old man did something about it. However, he still felt that this was not the end.

And he was not wrong.

On the fifth day, a scandal broke out again regarding Tanaka Group.

An article was released as the credibility of Tanaka Group's founding of upgraded GPS in the country was being queried. Since this was a big achievement of the Tanaka Group which had raked them buckets of gold, it was a huge deal.

The article was so bold and repeatedly stressed that Tanaka Group once again stole this innovation from another small company.

There were no proper doc.u.ments or any evidence at all that was posted, but there were a lot of people who were interested in the matter.

A lot of arguments and conspiracy theories were piled up by the netizens until this became sensational in the country. 

The Tanaka Group's public relations worked overtime, yet the tide could not be reigned in.

No matter if it was true or not, this greatly impacted Tanaka Group's image, unless concrete clarification was done to subvert the news.