A 100 million loan, even in Japanese yen, is a huge sum of money for ordinary people.
But for Masato Takeshita, this amount was a bit on the low side.
He wanted to take one step to directly acquire a medium-sized luggage company, which would allow him to quickly produce a large batch of pull-rod suitcases.
Then, before competitors appeared, he could make a huge profit.
If he acquired a small company, although the loan would be less, the development would be too slow.
Haneda Ichiro, who wasn't very drunk to begin with, instantly sobered up.
It seemed it wasn't him taking care of his junior, but rather his junior giving him an opportunity to complete a business deal.
"Could it be, junior, that you have some collateral?"
"That's right. This is the pull-rod suitcase I invented, and it's also the guarantee for my loan."
The production of the pull-rod suitcase was very simple. After buying three rope-pull suitcases, Masato Takeshita quickly modified them.
Of course, to avoid disputes.
Masato Takeshita mainly used the basic structure and wheels of the rope-pull suitcases, while directly replacing the fabric, zippers, and other parts that might reveal the source with new ones.
For this, he even specifically learned fabric cutting from Sister Izumi for over ten days.
Masato Takeshita confidently took out the suitcase, which was placed in an opaque large woven bag, and began demonstrating his invention to Haneda Ichiro.
"Previous suitcases needed to be pulled by a thin rope, but due to the center of gravity, they often tipped over, making them very inconvenient to use."
"My pull-rod suitcase is different."
"Look, I can pull it however I want, and it won't tip over. Whether for travel or daily life, it's very easy and convenient to use, and it's definitely a product that will sell well."
As a bank employee, Haneda Ichiro often had to go out on business trips. When he went to faraway places occasionally, he was also very troubled by the issue of suitcases. Therefore, the moment Masato Takeshita demonstrated the product, his eyes lit up, and he stared intently at this epoch-making civilian luggage product.
"Have you registered for a patent?"
"Of course. I registered for a Japanese patent immediately and then applied for PCT."
PCT is the abbreviation for the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
With this, even if you only apply for a patent in one country, as long as the country has signed the treaty, the patent cannot be preemptively registered by others.
Of course, there is a time limit for this, which cannot exceed 30 months. And you still have to apply for a patent separately in each country.
This PCT is more like a declaration that you are the first inventor of this patent and have priority rights for application.
China's most important invention in the computer field in the 20th century, the USB flash drive, was precisely because China was also a PCT signatory country. This allowed Netac Technology to ultimately win the patent war.
"There's no problem with the loan, but there's a more important matter now, and I'm not sure if you can accept it."
Haneda Ichiro looked infatuatedly at the pull-rod suitcase in front of him, with its crooked lines and very simple and crude appearance. A voice in his heart faintly told him that this was the opportunity that would change his destiny.
"What are the conditions? Let's hear them."
At this point, the positions of the two began to reverse.
Both of them clearly understood the significance of the pull-rod suitcase. No matter which bank Masato Takeshita took the product to, he would be treated as a distinguished guest.
The suitcase was simply too practical, and the market prospects were clear at a glance. Anyone who wasn't an idiot could see that this product would definitely sell well.
"We can directly give you a luggage factory with about 500 people, at the cost of 25% of the shares."
Although Haneda Ichiro did not have such authority, this was not important. There were also members from Waseda University among the senior leaders of the Industrial Bank.
He believed that if he conveyed this news to the faction leader, the faction leader would also agree to this request.
"Okay!"
Masato Takeshita agreed without even thinking.
Japan is a closed society where zaibatsu forces run rampant.
He was currently weak and needed to integrate.
Moreover, Industrial Bank could be considered half a state-owned enterprise. Joining it while his wings were not yet fully grown might even be better than joining a zaibatsu.
Of course, he couldn't just agree so simply.
What if Industrial Bank set a trap?
One should not have the intention to harm others, but one must have the intention to guard against others.
"Really?"
Haneda Ichiro was a little disbelieving that his junior would be so straightforward.
"Of course, but I also have conditions."
"Okay, tell me."
Haneda Ichiro looked at his junior solemnly, thinking to himself, as expected, it's not that simple.
Masato Takeshita held up a finger:
"First, I require the factory to have no debts, including workers' wages."
"No problem!"
Haneda Ichiro instantly nodded in agreement.
"Second, the factory equipment must be complete."
"That's as it should be."
Haneda Ichiro had no intention of tricking his junior. Although doing so might allow him to climb to a high position early, his reputation within the Inamon faction would be ruined, affecting his future development.
Masato Takeshita then held up a third finger:
"Third, I require the factory to own the factory building and the ownership of 40,000 square meters of industrial real estate nearby, to meet the rapid expansion of the enterprise."
Japan was about to enter an era of soaring land prices, and Masato Takeshita did not want his company to pay for real estate and then pay large rents every year.
"This... okay."
Haneda Ichiro thought about the future of the suitcase. Although he was a little reluctant to give up a piece of industrial real estate, he ultimately didn't think for long before nodding in agreement.
"OK! Then the last condition. The factory must have 1 billion yen in cash assets on its books. This shouldn't be difficult, right?"
Masato Takeshita needed sufficient funds to purchase raw materials, pay workers' wages, and meet monthly energy consumption.
It's worth noting that for a factory with a scale of 500 people, excluding expenses like rent, water, and electricity, the workers' wages alone would be nearly 200 million yen.
"Okay, anything else?"
The scarce and continuously rising land had been met, so 1 billion yen in cash was certainly not a problem.
"That's all."
As soon as Masato Takeshita finished speaking, he immediately negated himself: "No, there's one more thing, and that is the factory must be located in Kawasaki City or Ota Ward in Tokyo."
Kawasaki City and Ota Ward are adjacent, and this is a famous industrial area in Japan, making industrial production very convenient.
Hearing his junior's final, non-demanding request, Haneda Ichiro, finally relieved, joked, "Of course. We are a bank, not politicians."
Any political bigwig who wants to go far must bring benefits to their constituency.
Kakuei Tanaka is an example.
After becoming an important leader and Prime Minister of Japan, he vigorously brought benefits to his hometown.
Taking the Japanese Shinkansen as an example,
At Kakuei Tanaka's strong request, it was directly built to his hometown of Niigata, making Niigata the number one city in the Hokuriku region. Meanwhile, Kanazawa, the original number one city in the Hokuriku region, did not get a Shinkansen until 2015.