Rebirth: Japanese investor

   Chapter 21 A drop in the bucket

   January 1, 1998, the beginning of the new year. According to the content of the contract, this day is the day when Masayoshi Kishimoto transferred money to NCSoft Online Game Company for the first time.

   He came to a Mitsui Bank near Taito District early and lined up for business. Surprisingly, Chinese elderly people like to queue up to withdraw money before the bank door is opened.

   This RB old man also likes it. They really go to bed early and get up early, with good health and longevity. However, living too long is not necessarily a good thing.

  Kishimoto's head couldn't help thinking of a book published by NHK that he had read before he crossed, and it was about the old book "Bankruptcy after the Old: A Nightmare Named "Longevity"" published by NHK.

   A sentence that still makes me fresh in my memory is that an old man in the book said that when he spent all his money, he would commit suicide before he died.

   Masayoshi Kishimoto, while sighing with emotion, once again firmly believes in the words of Soros, I was born poor, but I must not die still poor.

   When the loudspeaker in the bank read his name, he walked to the counter and sat down without haste. He took out the passbook, raised his hand and delivered it to the other party.

  RB's commercial banks do not have thick bulletproof glass, so when they encounter a bank robbery, the bank staff will make customers hostages to the robbers, so that they are safe behind the thick bulletproof glass.

   China's commercial banks are not the same, thick bulletproof glass is standard. This is something that even US commercial banks that legalize guns can't do.

   Among them, there is an even more exaggerated place. KFC in Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa, even has a thick bulletproof glass like a Chinese bank, and the window for withdrawing money has become a window for getting food.

   It didn't take long for Kishimoto to complete the personal business of transferring money. He put away the passbook and his private seal, and slowly got up and left.

  In RB, in addition to the signature, the private seal is very important, and it is generally used. Both natives and foreigners need one.

   Kishimoto Masayoshi walked out of the gate of the bank and saw snowflakes falling from the sky outside. He stretched out his right palm and took it.

   Kishimoto Masayoshi stepped forward, not choosing to go home directly, but walked into a small street shop that he used to go to.

   As soon as he entered the door, the owner greeted with a warm smile: "Long time no see. You haven't come to me for a while!"

   "I sold the billiards shop." Masayoshi Kishimoto directly explained the reason why he hadn't come to this restaurant to eat and drink recently.

   "Oh, are you planning to retire early?" the shopkeeper asked in disbelief.

   "There is no such good fate. I'm going to travel far and go to the United States." Masayoshi Kishimoto is really not talking.

   He has already selected a project at Stanford University in the San Francisco Bay Area of ​​California, the focus of this year's investment.

   Masayoshi Kishimoto doesn't think that this Japanese-style shop with an internal layout like the one in "Late Night Canteen" is too low-key, but makes him feel very Japanese-style culture and sentiment.

  The only difference is that the owner of "Late Night Canteen" is a business from midnight to early morning, and here is a business only during the day.

  The owner is a good man, or a man who takes care of his family. As soon as it reaches 6 o'clock in the afternoon, he will close the door early and do not do business at night. Every morning at six o'clock, the store has already opened its doors and started to do business.

   Masayoshi Kishimoto found a seat on the innermost left side and sat down, and was instantly attracted by the steaming oden. Eating some hot food in this big winter is naturally a very useful thing for the body.

   "First, bring me a radish, a tofu, a fish ball, and one each of Chikuwa. By the way, give me a glass of sake." Masayoshi Kishimoto said as he looked at the Oden with white mist.

   After the owner understood, he immediately took the empty bowl in one hand and the spoon in the other, and served as he wanted. He packed the four Oden dishes the other party needed, and then went to pour the other party a glass of sake and brought it to him.

   At this time, the TV in the store happened to be playing the Korean nationals who spontaneously donated gold, dollars and other hard currencies to save the country in response to the Asian financial turmoil.

   "I didn't expect Koreans to be united!" The shop owner sighed while looking at the picture on the TV screen.

   "A drop in the bucket." Masayoshi Kishimoto made his debut with a glass of sake in his right hand.

   The shop owner turned to look at him again, and said with great interest, "Tell me about it!"

   "Last year, on November 11, 1997, South Korea's foreign exchange reserves were only US$3.84 billion, and the foreign debt to be repaid in two weeks' time reached US$10 billion.

  Korea imports necessities of life from foreign countries, and it also needs 12 billion US dollars a year. On December 3, 1997, when South Korea was almost stabbed to the neck, the government accepted the 57 billion US dollar bailout package provided by the International Monetary Fund almost unconditionally, except for the core clauses that were not accepted. .

  Many international media used the city records forgotten by Santa Claus to film the Christmas of the people of Seoul. South Korea is the hardest-hit country among the Asian Tigers.

   More than 2 million Koreans donated gold and other discounts for a mere $1 billion. Isn't this comparison a drop in the bucket?

   In other words, it is more of a show. After all, in the hands of ordinary Koreans at this time, apart from owed a lot of card debts, they also have little money.

   Even if South Korea survives this Asian financial crisis, there will be a credit card crisis in the near future. At that time, there will be another wave of suicide in South Korea, and even the charcoal in the supermarket is out of stock.

  The government has once again stepped forward and played the role of savior. For those who have too much personal card debt, they go bankrupt. For those with less credit card debt, interest will be reduced or waived and paid off monthly in installments. Masayoshi Kishimoto drank the sake from the glass as soon as he raised his head.

   "What happens if the South Korean government doesn't accept the IMF's $57 billion bailout package?" the shopkeeper asked curiously.

   "The national economy is collapsing. At this time, the TV news you see is not about the Korean people donating gold or dollars, but the social order is extremely chaotic, with beatings, smashing, looting and burning everywhere.

   However, this will not happen. Because the South Korean government would rather accept the IMF's alliance under the city than allow this to happen.

  The former is at most the broken arm of a strong man, and if the latter makes it a reality, it is a life reminder. "Kishimoto Masayoshi said without joking at all.

   (end of this chapter)