Not allowed in principle meant it was allowed

Chen Fan had yet to respond, but the astonished expressions on the two bodyguards behind Fujiwara...

Their mouths could have held an egg with room to spare.

Miss Fujiwara did not even think much of Colonel Fujita, the Tokkō commander in Shanghai.

She could speak to him without paying any attention to his mood.

Yet Fujiwara was asking Chen Fan, the owner of a small trading firm, whether that would be "all right."

It felt no different from Tōyama Mitsuru, the president of their Black Dragon Society, seeing ordinary bodyguards like them and asking whether they wanted to join him for a meal.

This was not merely showing him respect. It was showing him far too much respect.

It even felt as though she was afraid Chen Fan would refuse.

She was Fujiwara Kyoka. Since when did she need to ask anyone else's opinion?

Chen Fan was taken aback too. What did she mean, would that be all right? It could not have been better.

"Then sorry for the trouble, Miss Fujiwara."

Fujiwara Kyoka turned to one of the bodyguards. "Sugita-kun, take Mr. Chen in through the side entrance and find Mr. Yamazaki in the Logistics Department."

"Tell him Mr. Chen is my friend. If their Logistics Department does indeed need these things, please give them serious consideration."

Sugita Jirō bowed slightly. "Yes."

With that, he stepped forward and turned slightly toward Chen Fan. "Chen-san, please follow me."

Chen Fan hurriedly bowed to Fujiwara in thanks, then urged Xiao Ding to pick up the things they had brought and followed Sugita toward the side entrance.

Fujiwara watched Chen Fan's figure slowly disappear, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly, but the moment she turned around, her smile was gone.

"Watanabe-kun, let's go."

The consulate, the office of the head of the Logistics Department.

With a cigarette between his lips, Yamazaki was looking through a supplies report.

The consulate's supplies were generally provided by Mitsui & Co., a subsidiary of the Empire's Mitsui Zaibatsu.

As the Empire's foremost zaibatsu, the Mitsui Zaibatsu had been making financial contributions to the army ever since the war began.

Even the financial backer behind the South Manchuria Railway Company, currently the Empire's largest transportation organization, was the Mitsui Zaibatsu.

Knock, knock, knock. A knock sounded at the door. Yamazaki set his cigarette on the ashtray and said, "Come in."

The door opened, and his secretary entered. "Director Yamazaki, a trading firm owner named Chen Fan would like to see you."

"Chen Fan? Never heard of him. Tell him I'm out and send him away."

The secretary looked troubled. "Director, I'm afraid you'll need to make time to see him. The person who brought him in is Miss Fujiwara's bodyguard, Mr. Sugita."

"Hmm? Who?" Yamazaki paused briefly. "All right, bring him in."

The secretary bowed slightly, then turned and left.

Before long, the door opened again, and the secretary said politely, "Mr. Sugita, Mr. Chen, please come in."

After entering, Sugita Jirō got straight to the point. "Director Yamazaki, Mr. Chen here is Miss Fujiwara's friend."

"He runs a trading firm. If the consulate needs anything that Mr. Chen can supply, you might consider him, Director Yamazaki."

Having finished speaking, Sugita bowed slightly and took his leave.

Then he simply left.

Inside the office, Yamazaki studied Chen Fan, inwardly wondering just what this young man's background was.

For even Fujiwara to put in a word for him, his background was probably no ordinary one...

Chen Fan hurriedly offered the business card he had brought with him respectfully. "Director Yamazaki, I look forward to your support."

Yamazaki Kōzō took the card. Printed on it were Chen Fan's name, contact number, and business activities.

It was just a very ordinary business card.

Yamazaki was a department head, after all, and had seen the sort of personal cards that often bore nothing but a name.

The sort printed with a whole pile of titles, as though afraid others would not know what the owner did, marked someone as third-rate at a glance.

He really had no idea what Miss Fujiwara saw in him.

Still, Yamazaki did not ask further. He merely asked amiably, "Mr. Chen, you run a trading firm, but our consulate's supplies have always been provided by the Mitsui Trading Company."

"I'm afraid there isn't much possibility of us doing business together."

"Not necessarily." Chen Fan took a stack of liquor information he had prepared well in advance from his briefcase.

"Director Yamazaki, although my trading firm hasn't been open long, we're located on Wusong Road and specialize in serving the Empire's expatriates."

"I hear you're particularly fond of Chrysanthemum Valley sake."

"Not many trading firms in Shanghai sell this sake. We obtained a batch when we first opened."

"If you're interested, Director, we can supply it to the consulate."

Yamazaki stared at Chen Fan and suddenly asked, "Mr. Chen, since you've come to see me, I assume you've done some preparation?"

"Do you have any detailed information I could look at?"

Chen Fan hurriedly said he did, then took a stack of documents from his briefcase and handed them over with both hands.

Yamazaki was a professional logistics officer and leafed through them from beginning to end.

He nodded. "Hmm, some of these prices are indeed a little lower than the Mitsui Trading Company's."

"But Mr. Chen, you must understand that in an organization like ours, price is not the only criterion for procurement."

"What matters is quality, and your ability to supply us."

"What we require is reliability. We can't have the consulate needing something today only for you to tell me you can't find a source."

"That would put me in a difficult position."

Chen Fan hurriedly said, "You can rest assured, Director Yamazaki. Although our trading firm isn't very large, our supply will absolutely be reliable."

"Oh, and I also prepared a gift for you on this visit, Director."

"When our trading firm opened, we ordered a few bottles of Source of Purity, personally brewed by Master Nishiyama Saiichi, from the Kimura Trading Company under the Osaka Chamber of Commerce."

"This is sake that's hard to buy even back in the homeland."

As he spoke, Chen Fan called outside. Ding Zongshu hurried in and placed a bottle of sake wrapped in red silk and a gift box in front of Yamazaki.

Source of Purity...

As Yamazaki looked at the sake before him, his throat visibly bobbed.

He already loved a drink. This Source of Purity was the equivalent of someone bringing a bottle of twenty-year-aged, 53-percent Flying Fairy Moutai to a drinking gathering in the future.

For a drunkard, it was utterly irresistible.

"Oh, how could I possibly accept this?" Despite saying that, Yamazaki had already swiftly stowed the sake beneath his desk.

"Director Yamazaki, we Chinese say that a thousand cups are too few when drinking with a kindred spirit, and that a fine sword should be given to a hero."

"No one appreciates sake better than you. This was prepared especially for you."

"It's just a small token. Please don't stand on ceremony."

Yamazaki adopted an official tone. "Ah, Mr. Chen, we have rules and regulations concerning supply arrangements."

"In principle, we can't purchase supplies from you."

The moment Chen Fan heard Yamazaki's words, he knew there was an opening.

Generally, when something was not allowed in principle, that meant it was allowed.

Because Director Yamazaki was the principle.

Sure enough, Yamazaki said the next moment, "However, we can give you a little opportunity. We'll arrange a meeting within the department and see which supplies need to come through a dedicated supplier."

"Section Chief Fujiwara has put in a word, after all. I can hardly refuse her that courtesy."

Chen Fan hurriedly nodded and bowed. "Thank you, Director Yamazaki, for being willing to give our trading firm an opportunity."

"We'll be sure to provide the most professional service."

As they were speaking, footsteps sounded outside, and a voice called out, "Yamazaki-kun, do you have any way to get hold of a few things?"

"That fellow Lin Maosheng is such a nuisance..."

"Oh, you have a guest..."