Chapter 527 The Witch of Saionji

When the group returned to the forty-seventh floor, it was already past four in the afternoon.

The secretary had long since prepared tea and coffee as instructed.

Gutfreund led Satsuki into the office, saw her sit down on the sofa, and specifically had someone move that plate of pastries a bit closer to her.

"Today I was so busy showing you around that we missed afternoon tea. Try this first, I had the secretary specially prepare it."

"You have already been very hospitable today."

Satsuki picked up her teacup and glanced at the secretary, who was busy pouring coffee for everyone.

"If this keeps going, I’ll be too embarrassed to keep taking up your time."

"Don’t say that at all."

Gutfreund took off his suit jacket, handed it to the secretary, and sat down opposite Satsuki.

"Time is the last thing I lack right now. As long as I’m talking business with Miss Saionji, I’m willing to clear my schedule for tomorrow if I have to."

"I’m afraid your secretary might not be too happy about that."

"She’s long used to it."

Gutfreund glanced over at the secretary.

"Right, Mary?"

Holding his newly removed jacket, the secretary looked quite helpless.

"Sir, the schedule for tomorrow morning has already been changed twice."

"See? What did I tell you?"

Gutfreund turned back and spread his hands.

"She even has her complaints ready."

The corners of Satsuki’s lips curved up slightly.

After the secretary went out, Williams brought over the dark folder on the table. Gutfreund reached out and took it, but didn’t open it right away.

"How was it? Today’s trip was somewhat interesting, right?"

"It’s much more interesting than sitting in a conference room listening to presentations."

Satsuki picked up a pastry.

"However, I finally understand why you like bringing up those old subordinates so much. When that supervisor asked you for a bonus just now, you looked even happier than he did."

"Happier? I’m just used to it."

Gutfreund picked up his coffee and couldn’t help shaking his head.

"If you had known him for twenty years, you’d know that if this fellow didn’t come to talk to me about bonuses for three consecutive months, I’d instead have to ask around to see if he was planning to jump ship."

"Then you’d better leave him some room for bargaining."

"Rest assured, I’ve been arguing with him for so many years, I won’t suddenly disappoint him."

Saying this, Gutfreund put his coffee cup back on the saucer.

Satsuki was willing to ask questions and chat with those department heads today, which was even better than he had originally anticipated.

It was just that quite a bit of time had been wasted just now; he glanced at the folder on the table and reached out to open it.

"Speaking of which, we’ve already chatted quite a bit about business downstairs, leaving what we prepared this morning until now."

He pulled out two pages from inside and handed them to Satsuki.

"Williams had someone reorganize it. Take a look first, and if there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, we can change it right now."

Satsuki took the document.

"Are you really planning to finalize it today?"

"Of course. Since you have time today, I can’t possibly let such a great opportunity pass by without talking."

Gutfreund leaned back into the sofa, his tone still very relaxed.

"Besides, your people have already officially started working today. Just how many people outside are staring at Salomon, waiting to see what Saionji will do next?"

"It’s beneficial for both sides if we clarify what can be made public earlier."

Satsuki lowered her head to look through the draft.

"You didn’t write the specific arrangements for the capital cooperation part, did you?"

"No. I know your team just came in, and demanding that you agree to an amount right now would be too unreasonable."

Gutfreund extended his hand toward Williams.

The other party handed over his copy of the draft, and he flipped to the first page, pointing it out to Satsuki.

"We only state that both sides are discussing the possibility of further cooperation, including long-term capital arrangements."

"As for what method to finally adopt, we can talk after your people finish their work. These are all things we’ve already discussed, so it shouldn’t put you in a difficult position."

"Writing it this way is fine."

After finishing the first page, Satsuki turned to the back.

Gutfreund picked up his coffee casually, but his gaze remained on the document in her hand.

There really wasn’t any problem with the first few paragraphs.

Continuing long-term cooperation, discussing capital arrangements, supporting Salomon’s existing business operations—all of these were consistent with the attitude Satsuki had previously expressed.

Until she saw that sentence in the middle of the second page.

The current management team will continue to advance the recovery plan and work closely with Saionji to ensure operational continuity.

Satsuki’s gaze lingered on it for a moment.

"Oh?"

She looked up at Gutfreund.

This old fellow really knows how to pick his timing.

Taking her on such a huge tour around Salomon today, letting her see so many traders and department heads still working diligently, and finally pulling out this statement—no matter how you look at it, it seems like a matter of course.

And there are no obvious flaws to be found in the phrasing.

Supporting the company’s operational recovery and maintaining management continuity both sound like things Salomon needs most right now.

But once this sentence is issued along with the joint statement from both sides, it’s hard to say what tomorrow’s newspapers will interpret it as.

Satsuki turned back to the second page and re-examined the content in front.

"Overall, it’s written quite well."

Gutfreund held his coffee, waiting for her to continue.

"The paragraphs on the cooperation agreement and capital arrangements can both be kept. There is only one place I want to change."

She turned the document around and pointed to that line in the middle of the second page.

"Here. As for the part about the current management team, delete it."

Gutfreund’s coffee cup had already reached his lips, but upon hearing these words, he slowly put it back down.

"This sentence?"

"Mm."

Satsuki handed the document back to him.

"Just keep the content supporting Salomon’s continued operations. As for who is responsible for advancing the recovery plan, I don’t think it’s appropriate to put it into the joint statement right now."

Gutfreund lowered his head to look.

That was a sentence he had personally added in the morning.

He picked up his fountain pen, his pen tip pausing beside that line of text for a moment before he looked up and asked:

"Are you worried that the outside world will interpret it as Saionji preparing to intervene in Salomon’s personnel arrangements?"

"That’s not my biggest concern."

"Then what is?"

"We haven’t reached that stage yet."

Satsuki replied very naturally.

"Your team and our people are discussing cooperation, and formal due diligence only started today. For Saionji to express an opinion on who will manage Salomon in the future right now is simply too early."

"Besides, this isn’t a capital agreement either, but merely explaining to the market what both sides are doing."

After listening, Gutfreund glanced at Williams.

Williams took over the conversation: "If we delete the phrasing about the current management team, we can put operational continuity at the front and write it together with the arrangements for existing business and customer service."

"Of course that’s fine," Gutfreund nodded, yet still looked at Satsuki, "however, Miss Saionji, I hope you will also consider how the outside world will understand it."

He put the press release back on the table and leaned forward slightly.

"You saw so many people today. They are still working, and clients are still calling in, but you and I both know what everyone is most worried about right now."

"Some are afraid their departments will be eliminated, and some are afraid clients of many years will transfer their accounts away tomorrow. The situation seen by those institutions outside is even worse."

This time he didn’t joke about the traders anymore, his tone much more solemn than before.

"If we announce that Saionji is prepared to support Salomon, yet avoid talking about management arrangements, will it make the market feel once again that both sides are still wrangling over this matter?"

"But we haven’t even settled the management arrangements in the first place."

Satsuki looked at him.

This sentence was said very peacefully, but Gutfreund couldn’t respond for a moment.

She picked up her teacup, and only after waiting for him to cast his gaze back onto her did she continue:

"I agree with what you just said, Salomon needs stability. And precisely because of that, Saionji is willing to make clear the things that can be determined right now."

"For example?"

"For example, the three-year cooperation agreement will be fulfilled as usual. For example, both sides are seriously discussing long-term capital arrangements. And for example, Saionji will not suddenly halt ongoing cooperation projects simply because of recent market rumors."

Satsuki pointed to the few paragraphs in front of her on the first page.

"These can all be written more clearly. Haven’t you always wanted clients to know that Saionji is still willing to do business with Salomon? I can promise you this point today."

Hearing this, the expression on Gutfreund’s face softened slightly.

These commitments indeed carried weight.

Especially the fact that existing cooperation projects would not be suspended due to market rumors; to Salomon, which was currently busy retaining clients, this was far more useful than a few general expressions of support.

But what he wanted was more than this.

"I am very grateful that you are willing to do this, Miss Saionji," he paused, "however, I still hope you understand what management continuity actually means to Salomon right now."

"I understand."

"Then you should also be clear about what will happen once the outside world starts guessing that the company is preparing to replace its management."

"Mr. Gutfreund."

Satsuki put down her teacup.

"Today you personally took me to meet so many people, and I believe you know their value better than anyone else. But them being willing to stay here and continue working, and us making a commitment to the management right now, are two different things after all."

Gutfreund’s gaze landed on her face.

"I am not asking Saionji to guarantee the term of any specific person."

But after the words came out, even he himself felt that this defense was somewhat pale.

If he was truly only asking Saionji to support Salomon’s continued operations, the preceding paragraphs would clearly have been enough.

What he actually wanted by specially adding that sentence just now was quite clear to both of them.

Satsuki did not expose him.

"Then there is even less need for us to write this sentence in, isn’t there?"

Satsuki gestured toward the press release in his hand.

"Supporting business continuity, maintaining client relationships, and continuing to advance cooperation—these are the things both sides already have a consensus on."

"As for the rest, it won’t be too late to discuss them after reviewing the materials and talking about the capital arrangements more specifically."

The office fell silent for a moment.

Gutfreund looked down at that line of words, gently drawing a line next to it with his fountain pen.

Of course he could hear that Satsuki was leaving him room for maneuver.

She hadn’t negated Salomon’s management team, let alone said she wanted to replace anyone. She was even willing to write the existing cooperation more explicitly than the original draft, clearly still intending to continue pushing forward with the investment.

But he could also hear that she steadfastly refused to pin these commitments onto him personally.

The list brought by the legal advisor in the morning resurfaced in his mind.

June meeting materials.

Internal working drafts.

Those people had already started investigating forward along regulatory issues, and he hadn’t even obtained a single word of public support regarding the current management yet.

Gutfreund capped his fountain pen and put it back on the desk.

"Miss Saionji, there is something I want to ask you directly."

"Please go ahead."

"If the due diligence goes smoothly and Saionji decides to provide long-term capital to Salomon, would you be willing to support the current management team in continuing to be responsible for the recovery plan?"

Williams looked up at him.

This was already stated extremely bluntly.

Gutfreund himself was well aware of this.

He looked at Satsuki, waiting for her answer, not even caring when the cup of coffee in front of him had gone cold.

Satsuki didn’t seem surprised.

Ever since their first meeting, she had known that this old fellow would sooner or later bring the question here.

"I cannot make this commitment to you right now."

Gutfreund’s lips moved.

Satsuki continued:

"Saionji can support Salomon and is willing to invest resources to help it recover operations. But as for specific arrangements for future management, I will not express an opinion right now."

"Whether this point is written into the statement or not, my attitude remains the same."

"Even if we can reach an agreement on the capital terms?"

"That will still have to wait until both sides finish negotiating the terms."

Gutfreund leaned back into his chair, lowering his head to glance at the press release, seeming to want to say something more.

But Satsuki actively took over the conversation.

"However, Mr. Gutfreund, you don’t need to feel that our discussion today hasn’t gone smoothly because of this."

He raised his eyes.

"How so?"

"That joint statement you want, we can issue it."

"Existing cooperation continues, long-term capital arrangements continue to be discussed, and those business heads I met today can directly interface with Saionji’s team afterwards."

Saying this, Satsuki took back the press release and used a pen to add a few revisions beside the first paragraph.

"And I think the content regarding the cooperation projects can be written even more proactively."

"Didn’t you say just now that some clients are waiting for news from Saionji? At least on this matter, we can set their minds at ease."

She pushed the document back in front of Gutfreund.

"If the legal teams from both sides can finish checking it today, it can be released tomorrow. What do you think?"

Gutfreund lowered his head to look.

Satsuki had indeed added content for him.

She agreed to write Saionji’s commitment to existing cooperation more clearly, and was even willing to jointly release a signal to the market with Salomon while the capital negotiations were not yet complete.

This was clearly not an attitude of preparing to withdraw.

"Publish it tomorrow?"

"Aren’t you hoping the sooner the better?"

Gutfreund finally picked up the draft again.

"Of course, the sooner the better."

As he spoke, he gestured to Williams.

"Have PR and legal prepare to revise it according to this. Keep all the items Miss Saionji added."

Williams nodded and stood up to contact the relevant personnel.

After only the two of them were left in the office, Gutfreund looked at Satsuki again.

"Then what about the subsequent capital negotiations? When do you hope to continue?"

"Once the first batch of comments is organized from today’s materials, we can continue talking."

Satsuki picked up her teacup, her tone relaxing a bit.

"Since you invited me to New York, you surely can’t just let me tour the trading floor and then return to Tokyo like this, right?"

Gutfreund finally picked up his coffee again.

"Of course not."

He glanced at the press release on the table, then looked at Satsuki.

"Then I’ll await your good news, Miss Saionji."

"I hope it’s good news too."

Satsuki raised her teacup towards him.

Gutfreund accompanied her with a sip, but in his heart he was still dwelling on that deleted sentence, unable to even taste the flavor.

Tomorrow, Salomon would be able to announce to the market that Saionji was willing to continue cooperation.

This was naturally good news.

But what he wanted to know most right now was, after Saionji’s lawyers finished reading the materials, would Satsuki still sit here and chat and laugh with him like she did today?

Yet whenever management was mentioned, she consistently refused to give even half a commitment.

Was it because due diligence had just begun, and she truly wasn’t willing to state her position prematurely?

Or was it that she never intended to let him stay on from the very beginning?

Gutfreund recalled this afternoon’s tour. Satsuki had been in high spirits all the way, chatted happily with those department heads, and was clearly quite satisfied with Salomon’s business.

She should be willing to save Salomon.

But was she willing to save John Gutfreund?

He looked at Satsuki closely again.

The Eldest Miss was holding her teacup, the corners of her lips still carrying that smile he had become familiar with since their first meeting.

Just like during the tour.

Just like when she agreed to issue the statement just now.

And no different from when she refused to endorse the current management.

Just like an exquisite mask, unchanging.

Did he really manage to guide her emotions?

Gutfreund looked for a long time, but ultimately failed to read a single bit of an answer from that pretty face.

It was also at this moment that he suddenly remembered something.

Rumor had it that in Japan’s financial circles, quite a few people privately called this eldest miss of the Saionji Family—

"The Witch of the Saionji Family."