Chapter 1
"Mutsu Corporation"
We enter our story as an attractive blue eyed, blonde young woman is walking off an elevator. The secretary sees her carrying a brief case, she is in a dress that complements her figure; black with white rose print, the skirt touches about mid thigh, and black heels to finish off her decor. She carries herself with great confidence and pride.
"Good morning Robin," she says to the secretary,
"Good morning Miss. Mutsu," the secretary replies.
"So tell me what is on our agenda for today."
"Well you are open all morning and then at noon you have a luncheon meeting with Mr.Yamazaki," she tells her.
"Him again, is he ever going to take the hint. I am not going to merge our companies; he can take a hike if he thinks I am."
"Well Miss. Mutsu you cannot blame him for trying, I mean the Mutsu Corporation is the largest and the wealthiest company in Japan," Robin says.
"I guess your right, but still in all."
As the two of them walk through a set of mahogany double doors into her office.
"I did not get where I am today by being an idiot, his business is failing after ten years and now he wants to merge with M.C to keep it alive and if you want to know the truth about it his products are not all that great," as she has a seat at her desk.
"Well you know you could always put our technicians on his product line to improve them," Robin says.
"That is just it I have already told him that; he wants nothing to do with my technicians in his business," as she gets up from her chair she walks over to a pair of large windows behind her looking out over Tokyo.
"Everybody wants a free ride," she continues. "I built Mutsu Corporation from the ground up from the age of fifteen, and I opened the doors on my first building when I was eighteen." She turns around looking at her office, and thinking how she went from a hole in the wall to an office with the double mahogany doors that bring you into an office of pure luxury. With a full bar of glass and solid wood, her couch of leather and matching high back chairs, two sitting with the couch and two right in front of her desk, the paintings and sculptures from Rembrandt and Michelangelo, her desk, also solid mahogany, the hand carved wood trim along the walls and floor. She pulls herself from her thoughts.
"Everybody wants a free ride," she continues. "I built Mutsu Corporation from the ground up from the age of fifteen, and I opened the doors on my first building when I was eighteen." She turns around looking at her office, and thinking how she went from a hole in the wall to an office with the double mahogany doors that bring you into an office of pure luxury. With a full bar of glass and solid wood, her couch of leather and matching high back chairs, two sitting with the couch and two right in front of her desk, the paintings and sculptures from Rembrandt and Michelangelo, her desk, also solid mahogany, the hand carved wood trim along the walls and floor. She pulls herself from her thoughts.
"I told my father the only way I would merge M.C with Yamazaki Corporation is if I get 51% of his shares and putting me in control." She hears a voice.
"He will not do it."
"Father what are you doing here, as she walks over to him to give him a hug."
"Well," he says, "When you have a daughter that is running a multi-billion yen business, she tends not be around much."
"Sorry dad I was going to come by Sunday but I kind of was tied up with the new product line... Robin..."
"Yes Miss. Mutsu" as she looks up from the daily planer.
"We will finish our talk later."
"Yes, Ma'am," and she leaves the room.
"How's mom,"as she walking back to her desk.
"She misses her parents," her father says.
"Well that is easy to take care of, climb on a plane, and go see them," she says.
"Well that is just it; she wants you to come with us."
"DAD! to New York, you know I cannot do that right now. With the new product line coming out and Mr. Yamazaki bugging me, I think that old man has it out for me, well his son anyway."
"Yes, I know all of this already and I have told your mother, but you know how she can get," he tells her.
"I know I can hear her already, 'Now Christine you know you have not seen your Grandparents since your 20th birthday, I think you should really go with your father and I.' "
As her father laughs, "You do a good job at sounding like your mother."
"Ah dad come on I could have went without hearing that," her father still laughing, as they hear Robins voice come over the speaker.
"Miss Mutsu"...
"Yes Robin"...
"Omi is here with your flowers"...
"Oh great send him in."
"Omi it is good to see you, I thought I was never going to see those flowers."
"Well, Aya had a heck of a time trying to get them over here seeing there native only to America."
"I bet he did seeing they are a wild flower," she replies.
"Well he is the one that took on the job to get them for you," Omi says.
"Yes, he did and he came through for me, tell him Thank you for me and heres something for your trouble," as she hands Omi fifty yen.
"Ah no, I cannot take that," he says.
"Take it Omi go by your girlfriend something nice with it."
Omi turns a little red saying, "I do not have a girlfriend."
"What, a good-looking guy like you does not have a girlfriend," she says.
"Christine," her father says, "You are embarrassing him."
She looks at Omi smiling at him she tells him she is sorry.
"That is all right Miss. Mutsu," he says.
"Well you can always split it with the others at the flower shop."
"No Way!" He says, "They would not split it with me if they got a tip like this."
She laughs, "Well then do what you will with it, Omi."
"Thank you Miss. Mutsu."
"You are very welcome Omi, and Thank you."
As Omi starts to walk out the door, he turns, "Miss. Mutsu will you be coming by the shop later for more flowers for your home."
"In fact, yes I will Omi."
"Great I will try to have them together for you when you get there."
"Well thank you that would be very nice Omi."
"See you later then" he says,
"Bye," and he is gone.
"All right then," her father says, "So what do you want me to tell your mother."
As she is messing with the flowers, she turns looking at her father. "Dad, tell mom if she wants me to go, she is going to have to wait for at least three weeks to a month for me to be able to come along. I have to be around for a while for this new product line. I am sorry."
"I understand" he says, "But I do not think your mother will."
"Tell her I am very sorry, but that is the best I can do right now."
"All right," he tells her, giving her a hug then leaving.
She goes back to her flowers, remembering back when times were simpler. She walks over to the window looking down on to Tokyo from her thirty-five story building.
"What happened to my life," she says, "I took a simple upper class family girl and turned her into a corporate women. With no time for her family and friends," she laughs, "or myself, I was giving poor Omi hell about not having a girlfriend and look at me, I have not had a boyfriend for over..." She stop, "GEES it's been so long I cannot remember," she laughs again. She looks at the clock;
"Great, two hours and I have to meet with Mr. Yamazaki, I wish he would fall off the face of the planet, and his son Oh my God..."
"Miss. Mutsu..." She hears Robin on the speaker again.
"Yes, Robin..."
"Mr. Susumu Yamazaki is here to speak with you,"
Christine thinks, "What the hell does he want," she gets a smile on her face, "Maybe he is here to tell me the meeting has been canceled or the old coot died. Send him in Robin," she takes a seat at her desk.
"Susumu, Hello, come in have a seat," as she offers him a chair at the front of her desk. She looks at him as he walks toward her, a good looking man maybe a year or two older than her, medium brown hair combed back into a ponytail, dark sexy eyes, very well built, dressed in a white suit with a black tie and white shoes to top it off,
"He is a snake she says to herself."
"What can I do for you today Susumu, and how is your father. Well I hope,"
"Liar," she says to herself, as he sits at her desk in front of her.
"Cut the shit Christine, you know why I am here."
She looks at him and smiles, "Listen Susumu if you think I am merging your fathers company with mine without 51% of your fathers shares you are as crazy as he is. Your fathers company is going down the tubes and I am not taking on a company in that bad of shape without total control of it," she tells Susumu.
"It is only going down the tubes because of your company. Yamazaki Corporation was the largest Computer/Gaming Company in Tokyo until you came along," Susumu says.
"Oh, no you do not! You are not blaming me for your father's bad products and business choices. M.C has only been around for seven years, I have seen the charts and reports on Yamazaki Corporation your father has been fighting to keep the doors open since he started that business Susumu and like it or not. I get 51% of the shares of Yamazaki Corporation, and full control of productivity or no deal you can shut your doors, end of story," she tells him. Susumu is very angry and she can see this.
"Do not let him make you lose your cool Chris, stay clam" she tells herself.
"Look lady, I do not know if you know who you are dealing with here, but if it takes every yen I have I will see to it that Mutsu Corporation hits rock bottom and never comes back if you do not take the deal my father offers you today." Susumu tells here.
Christine's eyes widen, "Did you just threaten me Susumu," rising from her chair and putting her hands on her hips.
"Because if you are you have bitten off more than you can chew."
Susumu gets up from his chair placing his hands on her desk and leaning forward. "I will see M.C goes down in flames before the end of the year if you do not take my fathers offer," Susumu tells her.
Still clam Christine laughs at Susumu, "I do not know who you THINK you might be, but your not dealing with some bubble headed blonde here. I will listen to what your father has to offer today, but if it is not 51% and total control, the deal is as it stands, NO GO! Yamazaki Corporation can shut its doors, for all I care, and as far as your little threat, if you think, you have the balls to take on Mutsu Corporation, the ONLY Corporation that has helped Tokyo and the people when they needed it, BRING IT ON!"
As she walks to the door and opens it; "Because I see you failing miserably, Good Day, Mr. Susumu Yamazaki."
He looks at her putting his hands in his pants pockets walking to the door to leave, as he walks past her he whispers to her,
"I would watch my back if I were you."
She had to stop herself from slamming the door on him as he walked out. She finally closes the door.
"Grrrr, I cannot believe him,"
"You do not know who you are dealing with" she mocks him,
"Watch your back he tells me."
She walks over to her desk, "Robin get in here," she yells into the speaker.
"Yes, Miss. Mutsu."
"I cannot believe the nerve of that guy" Christine says as Robin walks in.
"Yes, Miss. Mutsu what can I do for you," Robin says.
"Where am I supposed to meet Mr. Yamazaki at today for lunch?" Christine asks Robin.
"At the Red Dragon," Robin says, "At twelve sharp."
"I guess he added the sharp when he arranged for the meeting." Christine adds.
"Yes, Ma'am he did."
"Robin please how many times have I told you do not call me Ma'am, call me Christine, Chris, or Miss. Mutsu anything, but not Ma'am please." She says to her.
"Yes, Miss. Mutsu." Robin says.
"All right then, do I have anything going on after the luncheon."
"No, Ma'a... Miss. Mutsu."
"Fine then, after the meeting I will not be back for the rest of the day. If I am needed, I can be reached on my cell." Christine says. "I need to get out of here, this whole deal is driving me crazy, this man has been hounding me for the last six months to merge with M.C, and I am afraid to say, the only thing I am going to do today is piss him off and his son. Because if they are not going to give me what I want, there is no deal."
"Yes, Miss. Mutsu." Robin says.
"Thank you Robin that is all." Robin turns to leave, "Oh, Miss. Mutsu, turning back around..."
"Yes, Robin..."
"You got a call while you were with Mr. Susumu Yamazaki, they left you a message," Robin hands Christine the message and leaves.
Christine lays the message on the desk and gets up to get herself something to drink. While she is at the bar she looks in the mirror behind it;
"God look at me, I am 26 years old and I look ancient. This life style is killing me; I need a vacation... a long one."
As she grabs her soda and goes back to her desk, she reaches for the message, "I wonder who called me." As she looks at the message, a big smile comes across her face.
"That is someone I have not seen in years, I wonder what he is doing back in Tokyo." She folds the message and puts it into her pocket.
"I will call him after the meeting; he will be able to put me in a better mood, if things do not go well." She leans back into her chair and smiles saying,
"Sha Gojyo what are you doing back in town."
Characters in Story
Chapter 2
"Mutsu Corporation"
As twelve o'clock rolls around Christine finds herself sitting at the Red Dragon waiting for Mr. Yamazaki. The server comes over to the table and asks her if she is ready to order;
"No thank you, I am waiting on the other half of my luncheon party," as Christine looks up she sees Mr. Yamazaki and his son Susumu walking to the table.
"There they are now" Christine replies, "Could you come back in about five minutes" she tells her, the server leaves the table.
Christine rises to greet Mr. Yamazaki and Susumu.
"Hello Mr. Yamazaki," as she extends her hand to him,
"Miss. Mutsu," shaking her hand. "So do we want to order first or get right to doing business," Mr. Yamazaki says.
"You choose," Christine says "It makes no difference to me how we do it." She looks over at Susumu and smiles,
"So Susumu" she says, "How have you been, it has been a while since I have seen you."
Susumu glares at her from across the table, "I have been quite well thank you," Susumu tells her.
"So Miss. Mutsu..."
"Yes, Mr. Yamazaki" looking back at him.
"I would like to make a new offer to you," he says.
"Mr. Yamazaki, I have told you every time we meet what I am looking for in this deal and if you are not going to take it, I cannot deal with Yamazaki Corporation."
"Miss. Mutsu please my business is all I have left. Please listen to my offer."
Christine puts her head to one side rubbing her neck, "All right Mr.Yamazaki tell me what you have to offer Mutsu Corporation" she says in an irritated tone of voice.
The server approaches the table, "Would you like to order now" she says. Christine looks at Mr. Yamazaki and Susumu,
"Yes" they say.
"I guess we are ready," Christine says. They tell server what the would like, and she leaves.
"All right Mr.Yamazaki where were we." Christine says.
"Oh yes, this is what I propose," he starts with.
"I would like to keep 50% of the shares and that would make us equal partners and give you full control over productivity and let your technicians in on the product line. I want Yamazaki Corporation to remain Yamazaki Corporation and not changes names, and I want Susumu, my son, to take over as the President of the business."
Christine looks over at Susumu as Mr. Yamazaki is still rambling on about what he wants,
"That little S.O.B no wonder he came to me today and threatened me, well lets see what he has to say about this."
"Mr. Yamazaki let me stop you there," she says. "There is no deal. I will not take on Yamazaki Corporation at a 50/50 deal it will be a 51/49, my part being at the 51%. Yamazaki Corporation will not keep its former name it will be changed to Mutsu Corporation. I will take over full control of the whole business, not just the product line and my technicians will go on the product line immediately, and as far as your son goes, if I feel that he can handle the job I might put him in the mail room. I will not take over a corporation that is in such finical need without full control. Now, you can take my deal and set back a collect the money or you can close the doors to Yamazaki Corporation, that is my finally offer."
Susumu slams his fist down on the table. "You are being a bitch Christine."
She turns and looks at Susumu, she smiles, "Thank you" she says to him. "I will not be threatened to take over a business that might fail, even if I take it over. Yamazaki Corporation is in major need of a makeover and it will take me a year or better to bring it back to its feet just to make a profit off of it."
"Threatened, who has threatened you Miss. Mutsu; I just want to hang on to my business and not just be someone that is there," Mr. Yamazaki says.
She looks over at Susumu. His father looks at him;
"Susumu is this true have you threatened Miss. Mutsu."
"Father!"
"Answer my question Susumu."
Susumu hangs his head, "Yes father I have threatened Christine."
"Miss. Mutsu I am so very sorry for my sons' actions and I will see that you receive a full apology from him."
"There is no need Mr. Yamazaki I know he was doing it for you, but I just placed my finnal offer on the table, you can take it or leave it, but I will have you know if you leave it there will be no more meetings to discuses this matter. I am not cutting you out totally Mr. Yamazaki, the way I have it you can set back, retire, and let the Mutsu Corporation put you back on your feet; you will no longer have Yamazaki Corporation, but you will still have the money coming in that you once knew. And if it makes you feel any better, If I can trust, Susumu, to do what is needed of him without a fight from him every time I tell him to do something. I might leave him as the Vise President of the corporation in that building." She hears Susumu says under his breath,
"YES!"
As she turns to Susumu smiling at him, "But... if you step out of line with me ONE TIME Susumu your days in your fathers business are over, Got it!"
Mr. Yamazaki looks at Susumu and then looks over to Christine. He extends his hand to her and says,
"You have a deal 51/49 and you have full control."
She smiles at him, "You will not regret this Mr. Yamazaki" shaking his hand.
"I will have my secretary draw up the papers and give you a call when they are finished so your lawyer may go over them. Then after that, I will meet with you again so we can get them signed."
Just then, their server brought their food to the table. "Ah, just in time" Mr. Yamazaki said, "That was prefect timing."
"Yes, it was," Christine says.
"A toast." Mr. Yamazaki says as he raises his drink, "To a New Beginning."
"To a new beginning," Christine and Susumu say.
As they walk out shaking hands and saying their good byes and going to their cars. Christine gets on the phone to Robin and tells her the good news and to get the papers drawn up and get them to Mr. Haruki's office A.S.A.P so they can get a move on this deal, and get into the building.
"We have our work cut out for us at Yama... the new Mutsu Corporation building," as she smiles from ear to ear.
"Oh, and one more thing Robin I need you to send a Memo to the technicians. I need a meeting with them tomorrow say around two o'clock, in my conference room."
"Yes, Miss. Mutsu right away, I will have that taken care of for you."
"Thank you Robin and I will see you tomorrow morning, good-bye."
Christine, ready to celebrate, she could not believe she got old man Yamazaki to break and give in to her. Everyone said he would stick to his guns on this and she got what she wanted, with a little fight, but she got what she wanted her father is going to be so proud. As she climbs into her Black Jaguar convertible, she remembers Gojyo. She grabs for her phone. Dialing his number, she feels nervous,
"What is wrong with me, Gojyo is like my best friend and I am nervous about calling him get it together girl gees."
The phone starts to ring, on the forth ring she hears,
"Hello,"
She thinks "Sanzo, why! Of all four of them in that house, why Sanzo had to answer the phone,
"Hello," he says again.
"Sanzo," she says,
"Yes" he says "Who is this?"
Christine thinks, "He does not remember my voice; I cannot believe he does not remember my voice, that jerk."
"Sanzo it is me Christine, is Gojyo there."
"Christine, Christine, oh Chris,"
She can here Gojyo in the background,
"Quit being an ass Sanzo and give me the phone; you know exactly who it is."
"Yeah, he is here just a second."
"Give me the phone Sanzo or you are not going to like what happens... Chris you still there?"
"Yeah I am still here. Why does Sanzo have to be such a jerk?" She says.
"Because if he were not, he would not be Sanzo," Gojyo says.
"So what are you up to Gojyo?"
"Well nothing right now, but talking to you... '
"What about later," she asks.
"Still nothing," he tells her.
"Great I am coming by to get you we are going out for the rest of the day to celebrate."
"Really what are we celebrating" he asks.
"I will tell you when I get there," she says to him.
"Oh, are you guy's still in the same house you had before you took off" she asks him.
"Yep, you remember where that is right?"
"I sure do, I will see you in a few, Bye" she says and hangs up.
About ten to fifteen minutes later, she is pulling up in front of a humble and modest home of wood and brick with a cast iron fence around it. She sees Cho Hakkai and Son Goku unloading a car full of groceries. As Goku turns around to see who has just pulled up, he hits Hakkai in the arm and he points to Christine at the end of the driveway. Hakkai turns around to look,
"Well as I live and breathe look who it is. This is one place I thought I would never see you again," Hakkai says.
Goku goes out to give her a hug, "I missed you Chris," Goku tells her.
"I missed you guy's too, it has been along time," she says.
As they walk back up the driveway she stops in front of Hakkai, he looks at her and hands her a bag
"Here make yourself useful" he smiles at her she smiles back.
"Thanks Hakkai" as she walks off, "I love you too."
"At one time, you did if I remember right," he replies.
Goku hits him. "Hakkai, come on do not bring up that again, leave it where it belongs, in the past," Goku says to him.
She shakes her head thinking, "He will never let it go," she turns her head looking at Hakkai, "Did I do the right thing by letting him go; he does not think so I know that." As Sanzo breaks her thoughts.
"Well, well look who it is long time no see Miss. Mutsu."
"Back off Sanzo, I am not in the mood for you today" she says.
He laughs; "You are never in the mood from what I hear."
"What!" She says.
"You heard me," he said.
"You know what Sanzo if I..." she stops herself,
"Forget it you are not worth my time or worth me wasting my breath on you," she tells him.
"Why you little..."
"Chris there you are" as Gojyo cuts Sanzo off in mid sentence, knowing if he does not they will be there the rest of the day trying to pull those two apart.
Gojyo takes her into the living room. "Why do you two always have to go at each other?"
"Grrr," she says, shoving the bag in Gojyo's arms. "He is such an ass," she says. "He starts it every time I am around, it does not matter what I say to him, he will make some sort of crud remark out of it, he well... he... I do not know, but he gets on my nerves, what I have left of them from the last time he was around me" she says. Gojyo laughs at her.
"It is not funny Gojyo it is as if... he likes to piss me off."
"You know why he does it don't you," Gojyo says.
"If you tell me, it is because he likes me I think I might smack the crap out of you," she replies.
Gojyo laughs, "Well if he did not like you he would not even talk to you, so yeah he likes you."
As he takes off running into the kitchen with Christine fast on his heels.
"Hey, hey you two no running in the house," Hakkai says, "You two are worse then a couple of little kids when you get together."
"Well it is better than her and Sanzo when they are together," Goku says laughing.
Gojyo puts down the bag and grabs Christine, "Come here you, I have not gotten my hug yet." As Gojyo and her hug, Sanzo walks in with the last bag.
"Take it to your room Gojyo, that is the last thing I want to see, I seen enough of it when she was with Hakkai."
"Bite Me Sanzo," Christine tells him.
"No thank you, I might catch something that they cannot cure."
"Sanzo you dirty Mothe..." as Gojyo covers her mouth with his hand,
"Now Chris you know that is not lady like to say things like that. I am going to take my hand from your mouth, but only if you promise not to say what you were going to say all right," Gojyo looks at her, "All right" he repeats.
She nods her head. As she is leaving the room, she turns looking at Sanzo.
"You know Sanzo one of these days your going to catch me in the wrong mood and that is going to be all it takes, you are going to find my handprint across your face."
He smiles at her, "So are you saying my days are numbered Chris."
As she continues to walk out of the room, "If you only knew Sanzo, if you only knew," she says.
"Hey, guy's I am out of here, do not wait up for me, do not know when I will be back or even if I will be back tonight" as he smiles, running out the door, So they can get on their way.
"Gojyo why did you say that to them you know Sanzo all ready thinks I am a slut," she says.
"No, he does not, he might think of you as many things, but he does not think you are a slut and they all know we are just friends."
She looks at Gojyo, "Sometimes I wonder if I should have ever gotten involved with all of you."
As he hops in her car, "Why do you say that Chris."
"Well Sanzo and I never got along from day one when you brought me over to meet everyone. Then there is Hakkai and I, which is just too much to go into."
"He still cares for you very much you know that right," Gojyo says.
"I know he does, but right now or then was just not a good time for a guy in my life, and he did not just want to be together he wanted marriage and that freaked me out. Damn I was only twenty years old; I was way far from adult enough to be married."
Gojyo laughs, "You were not adult enough to get married, but you were adult enough to run a million yen business."
"That is different Gojyo."
"How is it different Chris; both of them take a very level head and a lot of responsibility. You are very intelligent look what you have done with your life from the age of 15. You designed a computer chip that revolutionized computers and games. You sold it to an American Company, which in turn made you very rich, two years later the same Company is calling you to see if you had an upgrade on it and of course, you did, but being who you were, kept the best ideas for yourself and opened a business with the money you made off the upgrade. At eighteen, you were sitting pretty. When I meet you, you were a multi-millionaire, you were what twenty, and look at you today your business is worth how much now."
"It does not matter what it is worth it is not the same, I was ready for my business, I was and still today am not ready for marriage," she says.
"I know I broke Hakkai's heart and I feel bad about it, but I was just not ready and I told him that. I just wish I could get him to understand. It is not because I did not care for him or love him because I did, he was not the only one that suffered when we broke up, it broke my heart as well, and when he would not have anything to do with me and stopped talking to me completely," a tear trickled down her cheek.
"Hey," Gojyo says, as he wipes away her tear, "It was a long time ago, lets drop it, it is in the past, lets leave it there, and you tell me why we are going out to celebrate?"
She smiles at him, "You will be so proud of me Gojyo."
"I am always proud of you babe, now tell me what is going on?"
She tells him of her deal with Mr. Yamazaki and the trouble she had with all of it and his son. All Gojyo could do was smile at her as she told him her story.
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