Chapter 581: A Hall of Distinguished Guests

On the other side of the lobby, several construction leads who had been invited were also admiring the work they had helped bring to life.

"Enomoto, get over here!"

A gray-haired foreman waved to him.

"Didn’t you say you wanted to take some photos for your son? Stand over here—you can get the logo behind you in the shot."

"Coming, coming!"

Enomoto Masao hurried over.

He had made a special effort to wear a newly purchased suit today, with a tie his wife had tied for him before he left that morning.

As one of the construction crew representatives who had participated in building Saionji Tower, he had received an invitation to today’s ceremony.

When the news reached home, Yuta was so excited he nearly dropped his chopsticks on the floor.

Before he stepped out this morning, his son had repeatedly urged him to make sure to take plenty of photos.

Preferably capturing the highest floors.

Thinking of this, Enomoto looked up toward the ceiling of the lobby.

Unfortunately, this place was still a world away from the top of the tower.

"What’s the matter, nervous?"

Seeing him standing somewhat stiffly, the foreman beside him reached out to straighten his crooked tie.

"You’re usually so talkative on the construction site. Why are you so quiet today?"

"Well, it’s just..."

Enomoto scratched his head in mild embarrassment.

"Whenever I came here before, I was wearing work clothes with piles of cement dust under my feet. Suddenly putting on a suit today feels a bit unnatural."

The foreman patted him on the shoulder after hearing this.

"What’s unnatural about it? You installed plenty of things in here with your own hands."

"True."

Enomoto looked at the neat walls around the lobby, his expression gradually relaxing.

Although the floors he had worked on were not down here, he could still see the immense effort the construction team had poured into every detail.

Especially those seemingly inconspicuous seams.

The distance between every stone slab and wood panel had been repeatedly measured.

Back then, to ensure the final result, the engineers had even demanded they tear down some already installed decorative panels and rebuild them from scratch.

Enomoto had done plenty of complaining in his heart back then.

Now that he was actually standing here, looking at this completed lobby, he suddenly began to understand why those engineers had been so uncompromising back then.

"All right, stop daydreaming."

The foreman raised the camera.

"Step a little toward the center. Right, right there."

Enomoto hurriedly straightened his back.

"Is this good?"

"Good, good, just don’t be so stiff!"

"I am being natural!"

"With that expression, you look like you just got called in for a scolding by the site director!"

Several workers nearby burst into laughter.

Enomoto couldn’t hold it in either, finally letting his shoulders drop.

As the shutter clicked, the man in the photo stood beneath the massive S.A. logo, an undisguisable joy written across his face.

He couldn’t wait to take this photo home and show it to his son.

...

9:45 AM.

A black motorcade slowly drove into the dedicated lane in front of Saionji Tower.

As the vehicles came to a stop, Tokyo Governor Isomura Naonori stepped out of the car.

Today he wore a dark gray suit with a subtle tie clip, his demeanor poised and a well-measured smile on his face.

Facing the reporters who had long been waiting near the entrance, he even took the initiative to pause and wave toward several cameras.

"Governor Isomura! What are your thoughts on the official completion of Saionji Tower?"

"Do you think the Waterfront Sub-center will usher in a new wave of investment next?"

Several reporters immediately swarmed forward.

Isomura was in no hurry to leave.

He first nodded to the reception staff, and only then turned to face the reporters holding out microphones.

"I believe today is a day worth celebrating for all citizens of Tokyo."

His tone was steady, and his years in television journalism gave him an innate approachability.

"The world’s tallest skyscraper has been completed in Tokyo, an achievement the Saionji Group dedicated years of effort to. As Governor of Tokyo, I naturally share in this immense joy."

"As for the subsequent development of the Waterfront Sub-center..."

Isomura paused briefly, his gaze slowly shifting among the reporters.

"Since everyone is already here in Odaiba today, you might as well take a look around the area yourselves."

"A few years ago, vast tracts of land here were still awaiting development. Now, Saionji Tower is completed, and surrounding hotels, office facilities, and public roads are steadily under construction. Although we still have a long way to go to reach our ultimate goal, this is at least a very good start."

Having said that, the smile on his face deepened slightly.

"Moreover, today is ultimately a joyous occasion for the Saionji Group."

"If you leave all the questions for me to answer, I’m afraid Miss Saionji might object later."

The reporters broke into laughter.

Taking the cue, Isomura concluded the interview and walked into the building under the guidance of the staff.

Having worked at NHK for many years, he naturally handled occasions like this with ease.

When to elaborate, when to wrap up the interview at the right moment, and even how to naturally steer the topic back to today’s hosts without seeming contrived—he handled it all impeccably.

After entering the building, a staff member dedicated to VIP reception stepped forward to greet him.

"Governor Isomura, welcome."

She gave a slight bow.

"Mr. Saionji and Miss Saionji are currently in the VIP reception lounge. Please allow me to guide you."

"Thank you."

Isomura nodded.

However, after walking only a few steps, something suddenly occurred to him.

"By the way."

The accompanying secretary immediately stepped forward half a pace.

"Governor?"

"Did Saionji receive yesterday’s road-opening report?"

"It has been delivered. The secretariat confirmed it once again with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government this morning."

"Mm."

Isomura gave a slight nod.

"That’s good."

The secretary glanced at him and said nothing more.

Before leaving the Tokyo Metropolitan Government this morning, Isomura had reviewed that report once again.

Being able to complete the inspection and acceptance of the first batch of public roads before the ceremony was indeed a relief to him.

However, part of the reason he intentionally arrived early today was to personally explain the follow-up arrangements to Satsuki.

After all, Saionji had already completed their five-hundred-meter-tall corporate headquarters.

Moving forward, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government naturally had to keep pace with the progress of public infrastructure.

But such matters were clearly not suitable for discussion at the entrance in front of reporters.

...

Saionji Tower, First Floor, VIP Reception Lounge.

Compared to the bustling central lobby outside, the atmosphere here was noticeably quieter.

Dark wood-paneled walls and charcoal-gray stone formed the main body of the space. Near the windows lay a compact indoor garden, with several low coffee tables casually arranged amid spacious, comfortable sofas.

The frequent shutter clicks outside in the lobby could barely be heard here.

At this moment, more than a dozen prominent figures from Japan’s political and business circles were gathered inside the reception lounge.

Several familiar entrepreneurs gathered around a coffee table chatting, while on the other side, Shuichi was conversing with the heads of two major financial institutions.

As for Satsuki...

She was standing near the floor-to-ceiling windows, speaking with a corporate representative from the United States.

Hearing movement at the doorway, she tilted her head slightly.

Isomura Naonori had already walked in.

Their eyes happened to meet.

Isomura gave her a gentle nod, but did not immediately walk over to interrupt her ongoing conversation.

He first approached Shuichi to greet the head of the Saionji House.

"Mr. Saionji."

"Governor Isomura, welcome."

Shuichi took the initiative to extend his hand.

"Thank you for taking the time to come all the way here today."

"You’re far too kind."

Isomura shook his hand, an amiable smile on his face.

"On such an important day, I had to come see it with my own eyes no matter what. Besides, I specifically had my secretary rearrange my morning schedule yesterday just so I could arrive early."

"Haha."

Shuichi chuckled as he held Isomura’s hand, unbothered by the governor claiming credit.

"Then I am truly obliged to you, Governor."

He gestured slightly toward the guests beside him.

"Please have a seat for a moment. Refreshments have just been prepared, and we still have some time to chat before the ceremony begins."

"Thank you."

Just as Isomura was about to reply, he noticed that Satsuki had finished her conversation over there and was walking over.

He naturally turned sideways, slightly shifting his stance from facing Shuichi.

"Miss Saionji."

Isomura proactively extended his hand.

"Congratulations."

His voice was slightly lower than before, yet his face retained that natural smile.

"With this tower officially opening today, I imagine the entire Tokyo financial world will be buzzing for quite some time."

"Thank you, Governor."

Satsuki shook hands with him.

"My father and I are very pleased that you could attend in person today."

"Not at all."

Isomura chuckled and shook his head.

"I’ve been looking forward to this ceremony for a long time. Every time I passed by Odaiba over the past few months, I saw another part of the building completed. Now that it is truly finished, even an outsider like me feels a sense of accomplishment, let alone all of you."

As he spoke, he looked out the window at the newly landscaped plaza.

"And coming here today, the surrounding roads and traffic arrangements were quite smooth. It seems the prior preparations weren’t in vain."

Hearing this, Satsuki’s gaze flickered slightly.

"Speaking of which, I’ve already received yesterday’s road-opening notice."

She looked at Isomura.

"I heard the final days of inspection were quite demanding. Governor, you truly went to great lengths this time."

"You flatter me."

The smile on Isomura’s face remained unchanged.

"These roads were originally part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s construction plan. Now that Saionji Tower is officially opening, the surrounding public infrastructure should naturally be put into use as soon as possible. We merely brought forward the work we could accomplish to meet the actual demand."

He answered very naturally, neither venting grievances to Satsuki nor taking the opportunity to boast about his hard work over the past few days.

As if that was simply the way it was supposed to be.

However, after a brief pause, he proactively added:

"My coming here today was also to personally explain things to you."

"The road sections that have passed inspection were officially opened starting yesterday. As for the remaining areas that still require construction, we have already coordinated a revised schedule. We won’t push the remaining work back to the old timetable just because today’s ceremony has concluded."

Satsuki nodded.

"That’s good."

She picked up the teacup a staff member had just delivered, gently blowing away the steam on the surface.

"After all, many departments will be moving into the headquarters successively in the coming days. If transportation and other public infrastructure can keep pace as planned, everyone’s daily work will be much more convenient."

"Precisely."

Isomura chimed in.

"The headquarters relocation plan submitted by Saionji Group has already been forwarded to the relevant departments for review. In the coming months, commuting demand will increase further, and the transportation department is adjusting arrangements based on actual conditions."

Having reached this point, his tone grew a bit more earnest.

"If future plans change, please notify the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as early as possible. We can coordinate among the bureaus in advance to avoid last-minute scrambling like this time."

His words were chosen with immense tact.

They conveyed the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s full willingness to cooperate with Saionji while seamlessly establishing a continued channel of communication for both sides.

Satsuki looked at him, the corners of her mouth curling into a gentle smile.

"With that reassurance from you, Governor, I am at ease."

Isomura bowed slightly.

"To have your trust is my honor as well."

His tone remained entirely natural.

Several business figures chatting nearby didn’t even pay particular attention to this remark.

But those standing a bit closer could clearly perceive that Isomura maintained a very humble posture whenever he faced Satsuki.

He did not put on airs simply because he was Governor of Tokyo, nor did he act overly subservient.

More often than not, he simply listened intently to Satsuki before responding with composure.

Even in his standing position, he naturally yielded half a step.

For a politician already at the helm of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, these details alone spoke volumes.

However, Satsuki clearly had no intention of continuing to talk business.

She set down her teacup gently and said instead:

"Since it’s a rare occasion today, please enjoy a thorough tour, Governor."

"We have arranged a tour of select office areas and high-level facilities. Once the ceremony concludes, staff members will guide everyone there."

"Oh? Then I shall certainly look forward to it."

Isomura’s expression relaxed noticeably.

"Speaking of which, back when I worked at NHK, I visited quite a few headquarters of large overseas corporations. But a building on the scale of Saionji Tower is something I have truly never seen in person."

He glanced up at the ceiling of the reception lounge.

"Especially after walking in today, I noticed that even your interior design is remarkably intriguing."

"I am glad it meets your approval."

Satsuki nodded slightly.

"If you have any feedback after the tour, please feel free to share it with me anytime."

"Haha, Miss Saionji, you are too modest."

Isomura waved his hand.

"Still, since you’ve said so, I really will take a closer look later—lest someone back at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government asks me what the world’s tallest skyscraper is like, and all I can tell them is ’it’s very pretty.’"

All of them smiled.

In the midst of their conversation, a faint murmur of voices suddenly came from near the entrance of the reception lounge.

A staff member walked over to Chizuru and reported a few words in a low voice.

Chizuru promptly came up beside Satsuki.

"Milady."

"Yes?"

"Chairman Tsutsumi has arrived."

Hearing this, Satsuki’s eyes brightened slightly.

"Oh? Uncle Tsutsumi is finally here."

She nodded apologetically toward Isomura and Shuichi.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. Please pardon me for a moment."

"Please, go ahead."

Isomura responded immediately, then naturally stepped back a bit.

Meanwhile, Satsuki had already turned and started walking toward the other side of the reception lounge.