by Simon Archer
“Thank you, Miss Kennedi!” I told her. It wasn’t the first time she had said something to inspire a great idea. I saw Ellie and Charlie stand up too. Ellie put her hand on her chin as though she was deep in thought.
“How unique would it be to serve the food at Belavi on hand-blown nano-glass dishes?”
“And we could always keep it proprietary,” Kennedi added. I unwrapped my arms, and she turned to face the table.
“Absolutely,” Charlie said. The four of us stood for a moment, just looking back and forth at one another. I heard the alarm go off in the other room and locked eyes with Charlie.
“It’s time to go!” I said and headed to the bedroom to turn off the alarm. “Remind me when we get home, if everything goes as planned, to take Samuel Caster out to dinner to thank him for sharing his secret!” I called back over my shoulder.
19
Charlie
The girls stayed in the suite while Clark and I headed out to our meeting with Mr. Isamu Sato of Murai Gurasu. Isamu had arranged for us to meet him in the Washoku Souten executive private dining room right there in the hotel. When we got there, Mr. Sato had not yet arrived. The room had been prepared for us, however. It was a gorgeous meeting area. It was a corner room done up in gold, black, and beige tones. There were large, flat pieces of glass hanging from the ceiling, shedding light on the ten-foot-long conference table below them. Across from the conference table was a smaller seating area with upholstered chairs and a small, black coffee table that looked like it was made up of several circular pieces of wood. The walls were mostly glass, and in the very corner, there were barstools set up for viewing the city.
I made a mental note to bring Leah to this hotel one day. She would absolutely love the decor.
Clark and I walked over to the conference table. One end was piled with food. Initially, I saw your typical American breakfast foods, like scones, bagels, muffins, and cereal. When I looked a little closer, I noticed several dishes that were completely foreign to me. As good as everything looked, and smelled, my stomach was not in the mood for food. It had been the same forever. My body just didn’t want food before a big meeting, or the closing of a deal. I walked to the other end of the table and set the briefcase I’d brought with me on it. I had a couple of notes in the case, none of them I actually needed, but for some reason, businessmen respected a man with a briefcase more than those without one. I looked over at Clark, who was standing at the chair next to me. We would wait to sit until Isamu arrived. That made me think of something.
“Clark, there are a couple of things I want to run by you real quick,” I said to him.
“Sure. What?” he replied.
“Business etiquette,” I started. “I’m not sure if Ellie or Kennedi went over anything with you, but I want to make sure, anyway.”
“That makes perfect sense,” Clark said. “They went over some things, but I’d love to make certain I have a handle on it.”
“It’s relatively simple,” I said. “First, a business greeting is always a bow, but sometimes, depending on how culturally sensitive your host is, it is a handshake with a bow. If you shake hands and bow, lean to the left to avoid hitting each other.”
“Okay, got it.” Clark was nodding.
“Next, don’t put your hands in your pockets, bow and accept any offer of business cards with two hands, and DO NOT put the card away. Leave it face up on the table until the end of the meeting. Lastly, do not correct him if he is wrong. This country is all about saving face. If there is something that needs to be corrected, speak to him privately.” I looked to make sure Clark was absorbing the information. He was an extremely smart man, so I had no doubt that none of this would be a problem.
“All that sounds easy enough,” Clark said.
“Perfect.” I no more than got the word out of my mouth when Mr. Sato arrived. Clark and I went to the entrance to greet him. He was relatively short with a slight build, but he had a wise look about him. Although his sixty years showed by the creases on his face and the spattering of grey throughout his black hair, his dark brown eyes were alert and bright. He was clearly used to dealing with Americans because he immediately offered his hand to shake.
Clark and I both shook his hand, bowed, and we moved to the conference table. We waited for him to sit, and then we followed suit. Isamu had an assistant with him who went to work pouring tea from a pot at the end of the table. Once we had all been served, Clark and I waited for Isamu to take his first sip of tea before we drank ours. Being that he was our elder, respect was a huge factor in etiquette. His assistant also served us small plates with various pastries, but nobody started eating. Instead, Isamu pushed his plate aside and sat forward in his chair.
“That was a very interesting way to express interest in having a conversation, Clark,” Isamu said. He was referring to the message Ellie had left on his email server.
“I felt there may be some precautions needed in order to reach out to you,” Clark told him. “I’m inclined to think you agree, being that we are here in Japan instead of video conferencing?”
“It was a smart move,” Isamu answered. “Now, onto the reason, you are here. I have no intention of resigning my contract with Omnicorp.” I respected a man who didn’t mince words and didn’t feel the need for small talk. I sat forward to mirror him.
“We are sorry for the negativity that has ended up surrounding your dealings with them,” I said. Again, respect.
“Thank you,” Isamu replied. “What I want to know is why you expressed interest in my company.” Clark glanced at me before addressing Isamu.
“My company, Vice Grip Solutions, performs cat girl modifications,” Clark started. “Our interest in your company began with us wanting to develop a more efficient way to do our modifications that would also decrease our liability by decreasing the possibility of error.” Clark glanced at me again.
“Clark created a device design that we need a manufacturer for. It does require a small amount of nano-glass.” I added. It was considered impolite to give oneself credit for accomplishments, so by me edifying Clark’s creativity, we were showing that, as a team, we worked as one. Isamu’s expression didn’t change. He was completely straight-faced.
“I supply all of the glass used in the building of cat girls. If I am not supplying a builder of CGs, what benefit would it be to me to partner with you?” Isamu sat motionlessly.
“Clark and I have spent considerable time thinking about that exact question, and here is what we’ve come up with,” I said. Pitching benefits was one-hundred percent in my wheelhouse. “Are you aware of alternate uses for nano-glass?”
“The glass I produce has only been used for CG building.” Isamu’s expression finally shifted. He had lifted an eyebrow ever so slightly.
“Clark, tell Mr. Sato what you discovered.” I handed the conversation over.
“Mr. Sato,” Clark said. “There is a heating process that, when done correctly, serves to make nano-glass multi-functional.” Clark gave as few details as possible while still creating curiosity. Isamu was looking more interested, so I jumped back in.
“The volume of glass that could possibly be used for some of those functions could easily match what you are selling Omnicorp,” I told him. “It may even exceed it.”
“What functions?” Isamu asked plainly.
“To begin with, kitchen range production,” I said. “Clark has his hand in the restaurant business as well and sees the value of stoves and ovens that heat evenly regardless of where a heat source is applied.” Isamu looked lost in thought for several moments.
“So, you have no intention of taking over the building of CGs?” Isamu questioned. Clark leaned forward slightly.
“We do not believe further production of new CGs is needed at this time,” he said confidently. “Instead, what we’d like to do is take care of the ones that have already been created. After Omnicorp was cited for data mining, a lot of CG owners abandoned their units. Plus there is a recycling c
enter full of defective units. Charlie and I believe that repairing and upgrading those CGs would be a better use of materials and have more of an impact on the industry moving forward.”
There was a long silence after Clark stopped. That was a critical time in any meeting. It was time to shut up and wait for the other party to respond. It was where so many deals are lost because someone can’t handle the awkwardness of silence. Isamu’s stare was riveted, and blank, and he was looking directly into Clark’s eyes. The room was silent for a full five minutes, which felt like an eternity. Then Isamu sat back, broke his gaze, and looked at me.
“I do believe you may be correct about household items needing more nano-glass than even CG production,” Isamu broke the silence. “I believe we should move forward. I would like to see your product array marketing plans as soon as you have them developed.” Isamu picked up his tea and took a sip. Clark did the same.
When he put his cup back down, he asked Isamu, “When will your materials be available to a new company?” We still needed to know when the contract with Omnicorp ended.
“The contract is up thirty days from today,” Isamu told us. That was a lot sooner than I thought it would be.
“We can have the plans to you well before that,” I assured him. “I will send the NDA for the modification tech, and as soon as we get it back, we’ll get you the design.” The timeline was actually perfect. Now the only question was whether or not we would need to come back to Japan to finalize things.
Clark must’ve been thinking the exact same thing because he cleared his throat quietly and said, “Mr. Sato, I understand the logic behind our meeting in person while you are still under contract with Omnicorp. What are your common procedures for communication once a new contract is set up?” Isamu started nodding his head slowly.
“Rest easy, you will not need to be flying internationally on a regular basis,” Isamu said and surprised both Clark and me by smiling slightly. “I would like to sign all initial paperwork in person, however. I haven’t been out of the country in a very long time, so I think, when it comes down to it, I’d like to visit the states.”
“Please let me extend the invitation for you to stay with me when you visit,” Clark was quick to get the invitation out. “I am happy to arrange for you to see some of the more interesting things our area has to offer.”
“I appreciate your offer and will take it into consideration,” Isamu said. Then he turned to his assistant and said, “Bring the sake.” Clark and I looked at each other. In Japan, traditionally business was discussed over drinks, and it was rude to discuss family matters until after business was handled. Isamu having ordered us all drinks was a very good sign of his intention to do business with Vice Grip Solutions.
His assistant silently poured the Sake into ceramic o-choko cups and disappeared. Isamu lifted his o-choko and nodded as we toasted our future dealings. For never having been to Japan, or involved in Japanese business dealings, Clark had done a superb job getting this next phase of VGS moving in the right direction.
20
An hour and a half later, I slid the key card into the lock of my hotel suite with Charlie standing beside me. I threw the door open and shouted, “We did it!” as Charlie and I walked into the entryway. Kennedi and Ellie both were lounging on the window seat but jumped up quickly and rushed over to us upon hearing my announcement.
“What did he say?” Kennedi asked excitedly.
“Well,” I started. “He said that without Charlie and his exceptional business coaching, I never would have had a chance.” I looked over at Charlie and smiled. It was my way of thanking him for his help. He gave a small smile and turned to the girls.
“He also said that Clark had the best vision of the future of nano-glass, and he’d be happy to do business with us!” Charlie added with his own sense of sarcastic humor. Ellie rushed and threw her arms around my neck.
“That is fantastic!” she shouted. She took a step back and smiled at me. “When does the Omni contract end? I can’t wait to see what you manufacture together!”
“The contract ends in thirty days,” I told Ellie. “That is the perfect amount of time for me to get my design finalized, and for Charlie and I to get the business plans and paperwork put together.” Kennedi started jumping up and down.
"What did he say about the amount of glass production?" Kennedi's eyes were wide with excitement. "Or did the topic come up at all?" Charlie walked to the table and pulled out a chair.
“The topic did come up,” he started. “That is when Clark definitely impressed Isamu with his discovery that nano glass was multifunctional.” I moved deeper into the room, taking both girls by the hand and leading them to the table where Charlie was already sitting.
"As of right now, we are in business for the tech to use for modifications," I explained to the girls. Both Ellie and Kennedi were all smiles as they wiggled in their seats.
“We are SO proud of you, Clark!” Kennedi said happily.
“You too, Charlie!” Ellie chimed in. “So, what is our next move?”
Charlie looked at his watch and back at Ellie before saying, “Next for me is catching a plane home!”
“You’re leaving right away?” I hadn’t realized he wouldn’t be flying out with the rest of us.
“Yeah, I need to get back,” Charlie said with a small hint of disappointment in his voice. “Leah is handling all the arrangements for the huge gala dinner that she’ll be hosting with Macy, so I need to get back and take the hotel business off her hands.” Charlie was proud of his wife and her accomplishments, which showed in his tone of voice. He may be disappointed about missing out here in Japan, but he was more than happy to help his wife slay her own little world.
Ellie’s head drooped just a little. “That’s too bad! You’ll miss the hike,” she said. Charlie shrugged.
“Yeah, but the mountain isn’t going anywhere, and we’re going to come back to sign the original documents after these next thirty days,” Charlie told Ellie.
“Well, we are going to miss you!” Kennedi announced. “Did you set your flight back already?”
“Yes, just now,” Charlie said. “I’ll be leaving in about an hour to head for the airport.”
“In that case,” I started. “Since it is still early, why don’t we start the hike today instead of tomorrow?” I looked from Kennedi to Ellie. I couldn’t think of a reason to stay an extra day when the mountain was the only thing I was interested in doing on this particular trip.
“It might get dark on the ascent,” Kennedi cautioned.
“I bet the sunrise coming down off the mountain would be breathtaking in that case,” I replied. The four of us stood up, and the girls immediately got to work packing up our things. I held my hand out to Charlie.
“It’s amazing how quickly things can change, isn’t it?” I was still in awe of how our meeting with Isamu went. Charlie reached out and shook my hand.
“The best adventures seem to be spontaneous ones,” he answered. He let go of my hand and turned towards the doors to head to his own room. “I’ll see on the other side of the world.”
“Hey, safe travels, and let Theo and Bev know that we’ll need a fireside chat when we are all back!” I told him.
“You’ve got it!” Charlie smiled. He was one of those men who could be excited, and you’d never know it unless you’d spent a considerable amount of time with him. I could tell, in this case, that his level of excitement matched my own. He strolled to the door, opened it, and was gone.
The next half hour was a frenzy of activity. Kennedi called the guide who would be taking us up the mountain and made certain we could climb that day. I pulled out the equipment I’d brought for climbing and changed into it. Ellie made sure all of our bags were packed, and that we weren’t leaving anything behind in the room. As we exited the suite, the three of us took one last look at it. Although it housed us for less than twenty-four hours, it would be ingrained in our memories as the place we were staying w
hen life took an amazing turn.
21
Mount Kita-dake was a three and a half-hour train ride from Tokyo, so by the time we got to the trailhead, after transferring to a bus that would take us from Kofu City Station to Hirogawara, it was early afternoon. Ellie had booked the climb for the Kusasuberi course, which was a mountain slope trail, and would take an average of seven hours to reach the top. We would then make our way to the Katoano-koya huts to camp for the night. We met our trail-guide, a stout man named Daiki, a mere fifteen minutes before we began our hike.
Initially, Daiki was a man of very few words but had a kind and informative demeanor. He started out our hike by having Ellie translate a question for him. He asked, “Why do you wear your climbing harness and rope on a trail that doesn’t require one?”
I’d learned my lesson in nature many times that if I wasn’t prepared for it, whatever that may be, it would happen. “I like to be prepared, so I never hike or climb without them,” was the easiest way I could figure to answer him.
He didn’t say much after that, but the limited chit chat that he did engage in was with Kennedi, who was delighted, once again, in the opportunity to use her newly acquired linguistic skills. About thirty minutes in, Daiki started to speak more freely. Ellie translated for me as Kennedi engaged in conversation. Daiki pointed out several different types of Alpine plants that the mountain region was known for and would periodically report our elevation.
The terrain wasn’t extremely challenging but made for a good workout. There were ladders in place to assist less-experienced climbers, and the trail was dry due to the recent lack of rain. Lush greenery covered the mountainside, but the vegetation was mostly small bushes and grasses native to the area. It was the various flowers that made the path truly beautiful. We were traveling along a river that Ellie and Kennedi kept jumping back and forth across to explore. I found myself envious of their more-than-human physical abilities for the first time. Every few minutes, they would report what they’d found. At one point, Kennedi came bounding up to me, pointing at something across the river.
