On The Money

“I sent Ridge to Nagoya to check out the other location—what?”

“You’re explaining what I have to do but I haven’t even agreed to help you?” That’s rule #1.

“Oh, yeah.”

“Oh, yeah? That’s all? Are you even going to explain what it is you need help with?”

“Ah- ha, well, the story’s a bit long.”

I looked at my watch, “ I ha-“

“You have time very funny, but some people like corny humor.” 

“Hah.”

“I guess you should know the truth. Your book, “Don’t call 911”, had a pretty popular roll out if I remember. A lot of universities were toured, because of this book. A lot of copies were sold. Why?”

“How’s this relevant?”

“It’s as you say, this is my job. What I’m saying this isn’t random-well, sort of. You’re awfully quiet.”

“Well to be honest it sounds interesting so continue, please.” I put my hands up, I notice that small smile growing little by little. I wonder what that means for us. Hmph, thinking such things. “What are you saying?”

“Your book was popular, it had some ground breaking thoughts like fruit reversing effects of cancer, diabetes, etc..” Is she just going to praise me? I mean, cool, but what—the point. The hair on my arm is rising, a small smile escaping my lips too.

“The guy we’re going to see—

Ding!

We stepped out the elevator, windows facing us as we walked towards the left. Where are we going? For some reason, I don’t care. I act like I do, but I enjoy the adventure too. 

To an extent. 

“What are we doing?” I stopped. People are walking around, clipboards, labcoats, beside and past me, being pushed in wheel chairs. She’s looking at me. I’ve only now noticed her eyes are light brown. What could possibly be it? Hold on-

“We’re you planning to meet me?”

“Yes.” she replied flatly, “Buuut, to be fair that day truly was coincidence. I was caught off guard because there you were. Right in front of me. I’m a business woman for my dad I’ve told you. Just listen, and decide after, Kay?” Bold of you to say that. 

“Basically, he was interested in you or still is interested in you. I grew up…we'll say pretty regular until 8-9 then we got pretty rich im not gonna lie.”

“The point?”

“The poi—oh, excuse me, I’m sorry. Shin, let’s move over there.” She pointed and I followed. 

“The book alone was groundbreaking but that’s stuff you can find nowadays, it’s common but the papers you’ve written for Chamber, well…tell me.” 

“I'm surprised you know about that. I mean, whats to say? It’s a B-side thesis theory. Just wrote an article for them once, that’s it really. This guy we’re visiting, who is he and why is he relevant? You still haven’t explained much. Don’t really care to hear about how rich you grew up.” Although, I didn’t grow up so bad either. 

“Not just that, but other theories you had of fruitarianism being a sustained mode of lifestyle for humans and eco conscious it made my—well, I think it made my father curious, I’m guessing. I have no reason why he’s interested in you. Aht, before you answer, let me finish. I wanted to meet you. I was just too curious. I wanted to intercept my father to see what the hype was about about—“

“Has it lived up?”

She smiles at that, “I don’t know. You keep surprising me. I don’t know what to think of you. But it’s good enough to ask for help. In the sense that I trust you.”

“You don’t know me.”

“You don’t need to know someone to trust them. Only their actions.”

Hmm, I’ll take that one. “Okay, that being said, what is this about? Your actions haven’t exactly screamed trustworthy yourself.”

“Really, I was curious. Because I wondered what you have to do with this. Why did I meet you? Why does my father have such deep interest in you? I need your help to figure it out. Ridge came to ME. Later that night, when we went to the dock,”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Okay, so he told me what he found, about Osaka Industries, I mean, I knew certain things, but I don’t know.”

“…that’s what someone said. The director quit, it’s true I heard it from Ryuki-San.”

“Excuse me, did you just say director?”

She turned to their convo, which, she really is strange, it was a bit ironic before, when I said that but now it’s not. Like, what? You couldn’t make this up. “Yeah, apparently he quit because of pressure.”. 

"Are you sure you heard this correctly? Who did you hear it from? Di-" God, relax. You're gonna overwhelm the lady-"Uh-i-well, I'm sorry, I just heard it a few moments ago. I can't give you any more than that-" See? You gotta ease into asking questions. Let's take this conversation for example. She, as in Rin, met up with Rich without me knowing, withheld all this information about me being Neo from the Matrix or something like that. Maybe that's just me. I don't know what work he's seen that isn't public. Hold on, I think I missed something. Wait, -"Woah, woah, that's it? We're leaving just like that?" I stopped her before she crossed the elevator. "What do you want to do?"

She stopped, facing me as now, she's stepping towards me near the window. People are still passing by, clipboards and coffees in hand. "You're not curious or I don't know, you're just rather accepting and acquiescing all of a sudden. I don't get you."

"You don't have to get me to understand me or whatever it was you said."

"I said that you don't need to know someone to trust them. Only their actions."

"And do you believe your actions have been trustworthy?"

She paused, looking for something, "Over there, let's sit."

"No. I'm leaving."

"Okay. But you want to know, don't you?"

"Know what?"

"Your role in all this, why did I meet her, what's going on, this is too strange. I want to explain it to you. It would've never made sense unless you saw with your own eyes. You saw the dock, yesterday. I've been wondering for years why my father has done business with people like Tony, great dude and all, but it doesn't make sense. Are you listening?"

"Mhm." To be fair, in this situation, I think she was going to tell me anyways, so there was no need for the charm. I don't like to pretend around her although she seems to do a lot of that around me. 

"Whether it's the first yuzu tree, business deals, or whatever. I'm always kept in the dark about these things, and I'm left to figure it out by myself."

"Why did you send Rich to Nagoya? What is this? Some rabbit goose chase? It doesn't matter if I want to know or need to know, if this about me, whatever. Why are you involved? It sounds like you don't have to be."

"Do you ever listen? I want an adventure, a mystery or something. My father has some sort of interest in you. I don't know why, but it's there. I should rephrase, Rich, let me explain the story. It might make more sense this way..."

"Okay. So what? Her dad is the CEO of Osaka Industries. She's a rich kid who loves to travel and do business. Am I missing something?" I mean it's good to know, it's not like it's a surprise. The only thing, I mean the only thing that confuses me is why me?

"No, well, yes! A bunch. Okay, so look at this-" He takes some sort of piece of paper out from his pocket, "I wrote down all the partners, sponsors, and business deals Osaka Industries does. Extensive, for only an hour or so. Every company related to them invested upwards of at least 20 billion yen into the NHK."

"Many companies invest in media to control it, promote themselves, what's different about this? And look at you, getting involved in the affairs of others. I thought you wanted to go." It's really hot in this greenhouse. Overhead fans ran throughout the space, but still. Workers wearing their hazard suits kept walking around, tending to the area. We're in the corner where the conversation is a bit more private. All companies want to spread their propaganda the "legal" way. Buy up shares in a government initiative or a campaigner running for office, the government gives them tax breaks, the cycle repeats. 

"I did."

"But now?"

"I don't know. This is really, uh, how do I say-"

"Hey guys. Sorry my call took so long. What'd I miss?"

"Oh, not much. The us-"

INCOMING CALL
***
DEAN (ONLY ANSWER IN NEED)

Hmph, this qualifies, "Rich." I turned towards him, pointing at the screen. "A pure chance of irony, but I have to take this call." Not really, because Rich already filled me in on everything. The Dean, weird guy, actually loves fruit, so he says. We connect through that but my God if he doesn't ask every single question he has about something. He does this fake-interest-in-what-I like thing to try and get me to chat with him. He's 70 but thinks he's 25. Maybe I should've stayed in there. I shut the door behind me as I passed a worker who was coming in. 

Huhhhhhhhh. Click. "Dean, hi sir how are you doing today?"

"That was a long phone call." Rich smiled.

"It was. I'm sorry. I brought you to this place for research and all and I wasn't even around. By the way, how's that going?"

"It's good. We're already done. This should be our last stop."

"Oh, okay. So it's true, you are leaving?"

"Yeah. We have to report this research. It's such a big deal this time around because our grant is on the line. Truthfully, it always is. But he's gotten a bit careless lately and we haven't reported our research in time, it's way past due. I practically had to beg the foundation to give us a week longer. I don't how you deal with him."

"He's an interesting guy, I'm sure you've realized."

Rich paused for a second, "You think so? Why are you doing this? It seems like an awful amount of work for a business opportunity."

She stared out the window to her right. There he was, on the phone animatedly, who really was this guy? Beyond the research, the indifferent attitude, "I want to know more about him. Besides, when we were passing the radishes over there, I saw you talking to Tony, through the window.”

"Oh, yeah. Uh, he's a cool guy."

"What did you talk about?"

"Oh nothing. Just guy stuff, I guess. It's not much to share, really."

"Did he tell you about Osaka Industries?"

Rich paused again, what is she getting at? "Uh, no. Why would you bring that up? I'm not sure I'm familiar with the company."

"Osaka Industries controls this port. And many other ones throughout the nation. But you knew that though, right?"

"Maybe. Why is that important?"

"Did you know that Osaka Industries has over 60 companies underneath them? 3 major ports and international ties? Many members of the executive board of Osaka Industries also hold office in the government. Do you know who Japan's biggest exporter is?"

"No. How is this relevant? I've kept quiet for a bit out of respect for Shin, but I don't really trust you. Everything you say is layered with another meaning. And you're doing all this traveling, getting us into government buildings with high clearance. Forgive me if I don't believe you."

"My dad, Osaka Shindo, is the head of Osaka Industries. I need your help taking him down."

What? I wish you could see my face. "And that was it? Nothing else? You didn't even explain why Rich is in Nagoya, or why I wasn't told about any of this?"

"Osaka's major port is in Nagoya." She held up three fingers, "There is one in Nagoya, Sendai and Kochi. He offered to go to that one alone and check it out while we go to the one in Sendai. But first, we have to go back to Tokyo. My dad called me, before I had this conversation with Rich, that day."

"I feel you're leaving a lot of details out."

"Some things I can tell you, some things I can't. Like, doesn't it interest you in the slightest that my father, head of one of the biggest exporters in the world, wants something from you?"

"No." Such a lie, huge lie. Totally interested. I need to know her angle first. "Why would I care or believe someone who only gives doses of the truth at a time? You can keep your mystery, Sherlock Holmes." Ah, that was a bit lame. We'll blame that one on the author. But still, I have no information to go off of. Why should I go?

"You say you want to travel the world and find the most exotic fruits and collect them all. The story about the granadilla, I'm sure there's many more. Why not add one more?"

"That's true. Why should I?"

"Because I want to see how far we can go, together. After all, we do share the same dream."

So, this is what they mean when your heart skips a beat.

***