eurekapd Chapter 286 The Expensive 5 Yen
Chapter 286 The Expensive 5 Yen
Tokyo, Narita International Airport.
The automatic glass doors to the VIP arrival area opened smoothly to both sides, where the cool air from the air conditioner collided with the slightly warm air from the outside.
Shuichi Saionji, dressed in a dark gray casual suit, stood outside the security line at the exit of the passage. His gaze passed over several security personnel responsible for clearing the perimeter and landed deep inside the passage.
Satsuki came out accompanied by Fujita Tsuyoshi.
She wore a thin, off-white sleeveless dress and walked with a steady gait. Fujita followed half a step behind, carrying a small aviation-grade constant-temperature cold chain container. The container's surface was covered with a silver insulating coating, and the digital display on the handle showed a reading of "4.0℃" on a green LED.
Upon seeing Shuichi standing outside the cordon, Satsuki's previously steady steps became lighter, and she quickly walked over.
Even though this elderly father was extremely busy after Satsuki relinquished power, he always insisted on going to the airport to pick Satsuki up whenever she returned from a trip abroad, no matter how busy he was.
It seems I'll have to keep my next trip back to China a secret from my father.
She stopped in front of Xiu Yi, her lips curving into a gentle smile.
"Father, I'm back."
Looking at his daughter, Shuichi's nerves, which had been tense for days, relaxed. A gentle smile appeared in his eyes as he softly asked, "Welcome back. You must be exhausted from that long flight?"
Satsuki gently shook her head.
"No, Father, you should get more rest."
"Oh, right. This is a local specialty I brought for you specially."
She turned around and took the cold chain box from Fujita Tsuyoshi's hand.
The cold chain box was quite heavy, and Satsuki handed it over with some difficulty.
"I was originally going to get a glass of crude oil as a souvenir, but I think this would be more suitable for you, Father..."
Shuichi reached out and took the box, looking curiously at the cold air emanating from it. Knowing his daughter as he did…
Did this girl steal some reagents from a biology lab? Or is it some kind of special resin compound used for next-generation semiconductor packaging?
It couldn't possibly be a blood sample used by some Washington politician for genetic testing, could it?
With a slight effort, Xiu Yi firmly supported this "core asset" that could be worth hundreds of millions, or even billions of dollars. He composed himself, his facial features hardening, preparing to receive a top-secret report involving transnational commercial espionage and geopolitical maneuvering.
"This was packed from a motel off a Texas highway."
Satsuki's gaze fell on the cold chain box, and she began to report in an extremely serious tone, word by word.
"Authentic sous-vide slow-smoked brisket. They use locally grown Texas mead wood and smoke it for over twelve hours. The charred crust and the inner fat blend perfectly, resulting in an incredibly delicious flavor."
Shuichi's arm, which was holding the box, froze in mid-air.
Texas... grilled beef brisket?
Isn't this just a fragment of some politician's work?
He looked down at the expensive, aerospace-grade cold chain equipment in his hands, equipped with an independent power supply system. Then he looked up at his daughter's earnest face.
Okay, it really should just be a piece of grilled beef brisket.
Shuichi smiled with relief and handed the cold chain box to the security personnel accompanying him.
Yes, that's very much my daughter's style.
"You're so thoughtful, girl. Since you just got off the plane, why don't we go get a meal first, as a welcome-back dinner?"
"Okay," Satsuki readily agreed. Successfully delivering a delicious meal put her in a good mood.
The two turned and walked towards the black Toyota Century sedan parked outside the VIP passage. The butler opened the car door, and Satsuki and Shuichi sat down one after the other.
The heavy, bulletproof doors closed, shutting out the slightly warm air and the noise of the airport.
Inside the carriage, the air conditioning vents were blowing out cool air.
The car started and drove smoothly along the airport expressway.
As Shuichi looked out the window at the receding street signs and the steel and concrete pillars of the overpass, he mentally considered where to have a meal.
"How about 'Kitcho' in Tsukiji? I'll have my secretary make a call; they should be able to free up a quiet private room today." Shuichi turned his gaze to Satsuki. "Or, we could go to 'Apicius' in Ginza for French food. You just got back from America; I bet you ate a lot of oily food there, right? Eating something light like kaiseki or a formal Western meal would be better for your stomach."
Satsuki leaned back in the soft leather seat.
She was playing with the ugly Statue of Liberty keychain in her hand (she couldn't find anything cute about it), and gently rubbed the crooked torch on the statue with her thumb.
"I'm not going to those places." Satsuki shook her head, her gaze still fixed on the keychain in her hand. "I want to eat at my family's restaurant."
Shuichi thought about it for a moment and nodded in agreement.
"That's also an option. Our group recently opened a new private members-only restaurant in the port area called 'Shunkyo'," Shuichi introduced his business. "The restaurant is positioned as a high-end, exclusive establishment. All the ingredients used in the kitchen, including Wagyu beef and organic vegetables, are specially supplied by the Hokkaido Biotechnology Center. Currently, it does not accept walk-in customers and is only open to senior executives of the Saionji family and certain invited political and business figures. The security measures there are very strict, and the environment is quiet enough."
"旬享 (xún xiǎng)" – "旬" represents the most refined aspect of Japanese cuisine: seasonal ingredients, while "享" signifies the highest level of hospitality.
Satsuki stopped fiddling with the keychain.
She turned her head and looked into Xiuichi's eyes.
"No." Satsuki put the keychain into her handbag. "Let's go to 'Kitakuni-ya'."
Shuichi was clearly taken aback for a moment.
Do we own this store?
He straightened up slightly from the back of his chair, his brow furrowed, as he searched his mind for the name.
Several seconds passed before he finally found this fast-food chain brand specializing in inexpensive beef bowls from the vast and complex retail landscape of the Saionji Group.
"Kitakuni-ya?" Shuichi asked, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Isn't that a store catering to the lower classes?"
Satsuki looked at her puzzled father.
"Since the outbreak of the Middle East war, have basic food prices in the country risen across the board recently?" Satsuki asked.
Xiu Yi shook his head truthfully.
"I don't know."
His usual dining places, besides his family's private kitchen, are members-only restaurants owned by various conglomerates. A single meal can easily cost hundreds of thousands of yen. Whether a bowl of beef rice costs four hundred yen or six hundred yen, such micro-level fluctuations are simply not part of his daily information intake.
After all, for people like them, even if basic prices rose a thousandfold, the Saionji family's wealth would be enough to support their consumption without them even realizing it.
Satsuki crossed her arms in front of her, her elbows resting lightly on the armrests of the leather seat.
"Father, what impact do you think a war in the Middle East will have on the domestic catering industry?" Satsuki didn't launch into a long-winded explanation, but instead looked at Shuichi and asked him in return.
Xiu Yi leaned back in his leather seat, pondered for a moment, and gave a reasonable judgment: "Crude oil. Once oil prices rise, the transportation costs of land logistics will inevitably increase."
"It's not just about logistics." Satsuki shook her head slightly. "Japan's agricultural fertilizers and feed also rely on overseas supply chains. Fluctuations in crude oil prices mean that shipping costs and agricultural input costs will rise sharply. This kind of imported inflation will directly squeeze the profit margins of brick-and-mortar stores."
Shuichi quickly reviewed the operating model of traditional chain restaurants in his mind, his brows gradually furrowing. As the head of a conglomerate, he quickly realized the fatal weakness of the traditional model in this macro context.
"Those competitors outside rely on imported beef and domestic agricultural cooperatives for vegetables. They also have to go through several wholesalers who add markups before finally delivering the goods to the stores by truck." Satsuki gazed at the street scene outside the window. "There are too many links in this supply chain. The more links there are, the lower their resilience. Whenever international oil prices rise, each node incurs additional costs. To survive, they have no choice but to modify their menus and raise prices."
Upon hearing this, a look of understanding flashed across Xiu's eyes, and he looked at his daughter.
"So, you insist on going to Kitakuni-ya today to personally verify the system we've deployed in Chiba and Hokkaido?"
"S-Farm's industrialized farming is more than enough to supply our group's internal food expenses." Satsuki tapped her fingertips lightly on the back of her hand, her tone calm. "We bypass agricultural cooperatives and use our own roll-on/roll-off ships to deliver ingredients directly to Chiba's central kitchen. As long as this closed supply chain can absorb the pressure of rising external crude oil prices and maintain the original price of beef bowls..."
Satsuki crossed her arms, her face beaming with pride at the supply chain she had built.
"We can attract a large number of our competitors' customers in one go."
"Even if they adjust the prices after this war ends, they certainly won't be able to win back many customers."
"Hmph, then, it'll be another abundant cash flow."
Looking at his daughter's haughty posture with her arms crossed, Xiu Yi's eyes revealed a knowing look.
This is a stress test on the Saionji family's underlying business empire.
"I understand." Xiu nodded, then asked, "So, did Kitakuni-ya withstand this impact? Were they forced to raise prices?"
Satsuki shook her head slightly.
"I have no idea."
Shuichi immediately reached for the car phone on the center armrest.
"Then I'll have Endo contact the retail division immediately and send over a latest pricing report for the fast food industry."
A hand reached out and gently pressed on the back of Shuichi's hand.
Satsuki stopped him from dialing.
"There's no need to look at those reports that have been processed and compiled through multiple layers." Satsuki withdrew her hand, her tone revealing full confidence in her company's entire food supply chain. "The data on paper can be misleading. I want to personally go to the stores to confirm things."
"Driver. Make a U-turn at the intersection ahead."
The car made a U-turn at the wide intersection and headed toward the nearest Kitakuniya store.
……
"Are you sure this is an order from head office?"
Inside the Northland house.
The air was filled with the aroma of broth made from cooked beef and onions, as well as the savory fragrance of soy sauce released as it heated up.
Satsuki sat on a high stool in front of the U-shaped bar, arms crossed. She looked at the young clerk standing inside the bar, her brows slightly furrowed.
The young waiter had just finished explaining the price change of the set meal to the two seated customers. He didn't know the true identities of the father and daughter in front of him, and simply regarded them as ordinary diners who had doubts about the price increase.
When the female customer asked for confirmation again, the clerk bowed slightly and gave the store's standard explanation, his tone carrying a hint of habitual apology.
"Yes, sirs. Due to the recent unrest, prices have risen sharply. We apologize for the temporary price adjustment."
Satsuki's gaze passed over the clerk's shoulder and was fixed on the hard resin menu board on the wall behind the bar.
Below the panel that reads "Standard Beef Rice Set Meal," a brand-new price tag is stuck in the slide rail.
The inserts fit perfectly, and the specifications are entirely based on standard materials uniformly distributed by the head office, clearly not temporary alterations made privately by individual stores.
The brand new black numbers are clearly printed on it: [500 yen].
It increased by fifty yen.
Satsuki maintained the posture of crossing her arms, her index fingers tapping very lightly on her elbows.
Why would prices go up? There's clearly enough profit margin to cover the price increase.
The scale of F1 crossbred cattle farming at S-Farm in Hokkaido has reached the predetermined peak, the feed conversion rate per unit has remained within the established range, and the cost of raising live cattle has not changed at all.
The logistics rely on its own roll-on/roll-off shipping routes, and the economies of scale in maritime transport are enough to offset minor fuel fluctuations. Chiba's central kitchen operates its automated production lines 24 hours a day, and labor and processing losses are kept at extremely low levels.
Even with soaring oil prices, this closed-loop supply chain, built at great expense, is perfectly capable of absorbing this inflation from an objective financial perspective.
This mere fifty yen increase has absolutely no basis for cost accounting.
She had expected to see her company demonstrate absolute dominance amidst inflation, crushing competitors by not raising prices. But she was swiftly proven wrong the very first second of her inspection.
That brand-new price tag seemed to mock her previous confidence in the train carriage.
Satsuki stopped tapping her fingers.
Adhering to the principles of seeking truth from facts and not wronging her own people, she forcibly suppressed her anger that erupted on the spot.
But her expression instantly darkened. The surrounding air seemed to drop several degrees in temperature with the change in her aura.
Satsuki stood up without saying a word.
With a cold expression, she turned and walked straight out of the store.
"You'd better give me a reasonable explanation..."
The faint murmurs dissipated through the gap in the open sliding door.
Shuichi, who was sitting in the seat next to him, immediately got up and followed.
Before leaving, he glanced at the glaring price tag of 500 yen on the wall and shook his head helplessly.
"Someone's going to be in trouble now..."