Makoto Yamashina ignored him completely, turning instead to his secretary.
"Notify Human Resources," Yamashina commanded, his voice hard and leaving no room for negotiation. "Section Chief Yamada has shown gross inefficiency and dereliction of duty, severely hindering the company's major strategic initiatives. Effective immediately, he is relieved of his duties as Section Chief of Finance Section 1 and reassigned as a warehouse worker in Chiba Prefecture. He is to clear his desk and get out of this building by three o'clock this afternoon!"
Yamada looked as if he'd been struck by lightning. His face drained of all color, and his legs gave out, sending him crashing back into his chair.
"President! I—I'll sign it right now! I'll get it done immediately! Please, give me a chance!" he stammered, his voice cracking with desperation as he scrambled for the pen on his desk.
Yamashina didn't even glance back. He turned and strode toward the Legal Department.
Ten minutes later, the Deputy Director of the Legal Department—the one responsible for reviewing the merger and acquisition contracts—was also summarily fired by Yamashina for "procedural delays." He was immediately demoted to the customer service center, where he would spend his days answering phones and listening to the most vitriolic complaints.
The entire Bandai Headquarters was thrown into absolute chaos.
Two powerful mid-level managers, denied even a single word of defense, were stripped of their authority in one fell swoop and relegated to the lowest rungs of the company as marginalized employees.
The indecisive, compromising Makoto Yamashina of old was gone. In his place stood a madman, backed against a cliff, ready to burn every bridge and drag everyone down with him.
The conservative directors, who had been covertly instructing their subordinates to stall, were now utterly panicked.
Yamashina was killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.
Anyone who dared to cause trouble at this critical juncture would suffer the same fate as those two unlucky bastards sent to do grunt work.
That afternoon, efficiency in the Bandai Building miraculously skyrocketed. Backlogged documents were approved in an instant; overdue reports were rushed through the night. No one dared to gamble their livelihood and career by testing Yamashina's breaking point.
In his office, Chuta Mitsui listened to his subordinate's trembling report on the recent personnel earthquake. His expression shifted violently, his face darkening to an extreme degree.
He lifted the teacup from his desk, only to find the tea had gone completely cold. He slammed it back down in frustration, splashing a few drops across the table.
Makoto Yamashina, that cornered beast, had finally been pushed to the brink.
He was forcing the merger through, even resorting to the most extreme measures to clear all obstacles. Once Bandai's asset consolidation was complete, Sega would simply sign on the dotted line, and the acquisition would enter its final, substantive phase.
At that point, as the primary architect of the merger, Makoto Yamashina would undoubtedly reap enormous rewards from Sega, securing his wealth and status.
And Chuta Mitsui would be reduced to a worthless spectator.
The "internal sabotage" he had promised Takuya Nakayama would become a worthless, empty vow.
I cannot let Makoto Yamashina seize control of the situation!
Chuta Mitsui shot to his feet and strode to the floor-to-ceiling window. He stared out at the gray, overcast sky, a venomous glint flashing in his eyes.
Since Makoto Yamashina wanted to cut the Gordian knot, Chuta would have to apply pressure from Sega's side to ensure the blade never fell.
He pulled the blinds shut, hurried back to his desk, grabbed his private mobile phone, and dialed the number.
The phone rang three times before someone answered.
At Sega Headquarters, Takuya Nakayama sat in his spacious executive chair, reviewing the day's documents.
"Mitsui-san, calling at a time like this... Has something happened over at Bandai?" Nakayama's voice came through the receiver, his tone calm and laced with a hint of amusement.
"Makoto Yamashina has gone mad!" Chuta Mitsui lowered his voice, his words rapid and filled with barely concealed urgency. "He fired two of his key middle managers today, then unilaterally launched an asset inventory and contract drafting. He's trying to wrap Bandai up and deliver it to our doorstep before the end of the month!"
The line went silent for two seconds, followed by a soft chuckle.
"Strong survival instinct. A cornered rabbit will bite, after all. That's good."
"Executive Director Nakayama, we can't let him succeed!" Chuta Mitsui gripped the phone so hard the veins on the back of his hand bulged. "If he gets everything settled, what's the point of my being here? Sega has to step on the brakes right now!"
"Oh? And what would you have me do?" Takuya Nakayama asked nonchalantly.
Chuta Mitsui gritted his teeth, a fierce glint in his eyes.
"Refuse to accept Bandai's financial reports!" Chuta Mitsui proposed a vicious plan. "Find an excuse—say we suspect the data is falsified and demand a third-party audit to re-calculate everything! As long as Sega stalls the process here, Makoto Yamashina's prestige within the company will be completely ruined. Then, I'll rally the Board of Directors to strike. He won't even have room to fight back!"
Over the phone, the sound of fingers tapping lightly on a desk came through. Tap, tap, tap. Each sound seemed to strike Chuta Mitsui's heart.
"A third-party audit? That's a long process. Can Bandai's cash flow even withstand that?"
"The worse, the better!" Chuta Mitsui snorted coldly. "As long as he falls, Bandai will be Sega's for the taking. Isn't this exactly what you want?"
A long sigh came from the receiver, but it held no pity.
"Mitsui-san, you're truly ruthless toward your former employer," Takuya Nakayama's tone suddenly turned cold, carrying the oppressive weight of a superior. "However, you seem to have misunderstood one thing."
Chuta Mitsui's heart sank. "Managing Director, what do you mean by—"
"Sega wants a fully functional Bandai that can get to work immediately. Especially those experienced mid- and lower-level employees." Takuya Nakayama's voice was like ice. "You're trying to destroy Bandai in your quest for power. If you drive the company into bankruptcy, scatter its people, and all the skilled workers flee, what use is an empty shell to me?"
"I—" Chuta Mitsui finally realized he had completely misread the situation. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"Remember your place, Mitsui-san." Takuya Nakayama bluntly reprimanded the Bandai executive. "You're just a guide, not the one playing the game. When Sega hits the brakes or steps on the gas is not for you to teach me. Without those mid- and lower-level employees, the presidency of that subsidiary I promised you will have to go to someone else. Do I make myself clear?"
Chuta Mitsui trembled all over and immediately bowed his head, as if Takuya Nakayama were standing right in front of him.
"Y-yes, sir. I understand perfectly. I await your orders, Managing Director."
"Very good. Keep your people in line, don't act rashly, and wait for my word."
The line went dead.
As Chuta Mitsui listened to the dial tone, a chill ran down his spine.
He had thought he was one of the directors of this grand play. Now he realized that in Takuya Nakayama's eyes, he was nothing more than a dog to be discarded at any moment.
Please Support me by becoming my Patreon member and get 30+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon