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Chapter 14 – Investment

I began my explanation.
Though, to be honest, it wasn’t anything overly complicated.

We would use the $50 million worth of gold bullion as collateral to borrow three times that amount in dollars.
Then, we would steadily buy up stocks whenever the market dipped.

Next, we would use those stocks as collateral to take out another loan of the same amount—and reinvest that into more stocks And continue this process as far as possible, pushing it to the limit.

At a minimum, we could acquire $300 million worth of stocks.
If we made it clear that our initial collateral was gold bullion, we might even be able to borrow more.

At the same time, we would carry out selective short-selling at various points to secure funds for debt repayment and workable capital.
Naturally, we would make use of leverage. 

This way, we transform a massive stock investment from mere debt into a net-positive asset.

For reference, the total market capitalization of the U.S. Dow Index in 1924 was in the low $200 billion range. I had no way of knowing the exact figure, but it likely hadn’t exceeded $250 billion.

Our Ootori’s investment would provide some boost, but even injecting several hundred million dollars wouldn’t have an extreme impact—unless we dumped it all at once.

And as we approached that day in 1929, the total market capitalization would balloon to nearly four times its value.
If we sold off a little before the peak, we should be able to cash out with ease.

Additionally, In my plan, all funding and investments would be handled through banks in neutral countries whenever possible.
Ideally, we would establish our own shell companies to act as intermediaries, ultimately linking back to Swiss bank accounts. 

This idea was inspired by 21st-century movies, but the goal was to enhance security as much as possible.

As for the actual investments, while Ootori would serve as the primary base, we would conduct transactions through these shell companies.

For stock investments, the Dow Index would serve as our foundation.
However, we would also purchase shares in General Motors (GM) as early as 1924, before their surge. 

Then, around 1927, we would aggressively buy up stocks in the booming aviation industry, further maximizing our profits.
If we were to invest in additional companies, our focus would primarily be on businesses that produced mass consumer goods.

For reference, $300 million in today’s value would exceed 2 trillion yen in the Heisei era(modern era, 1989-2019).
Meanwhile, Japan’s national budget at the time—excluding government bonds—was only around $700–800 million. 

One dollar is approximately two yen, and one yen from the Taisho era(1912-1926) is worth about 4,000 yen in modern times.

Just from these numbers, one can grasp the sheer scale of what I am attempting.

(What exactly am I trying to do? If history plays out differently, it won’t just be a fall—it’ll be complete ruin.)

Even so, I felt no urge to back down.

Across from me, my great-grandfather—and in fact, all four of them—listened to my explanation in complete silence.

After I had finished explaining everything, my great-grandfather quietly spoke.

“What are the chances of success? Even if you claim to have seen the future, I’ve heard that doesn’t necessarily mean it will come to pass.”

“As long as no major, unforeseen global events occur, there should be no issues. However, I do believe that small changes will inevitably happen.”

“I see. Some fine-tuning will be necessary. Tokita.”

“Yes, Goinkyo-sama(previous head)” 

“Make the initial preparations. And when stock prices fluctuate significantly, go to America. No, perhaps a trip to Europe will be necessary first. I leave the arrangements to you. And from now on, your loyalty is to Reiko, not me. That is my final command.”

“As you wish.”

“Father!”

My grandfather, Kiichirou, who had been watching with amusement, reacted sharply to my great-grandfather Souichirou’s last words.
But Souichirou silenced him with a glance.

“It’s fine. I had already intended to assign Tokita to the late Kiichi in the near future. This is just a slight change of plans. Besides, Ootori has entered a new era. If we don’t move forward, what are we supposed to do, hmm?”

With a challenging smirk that could almost be called smug, my great-grandfather stared him down. 

And just like that, my grandfather backed down. But only for a moment.

“…Understood. As the current head of the family, I approve of Tokita’s reassignment. However, I have one condition.”

“What is it?”

“I will serve as Reiko’s guardian and legal representative. If possible, I would also like to formalize the change in our family registry. If Tokita is to serve Reiko, it would be more acceptable within the family to uphold our tradition of direct firstborn succession.”

“Very well. Genji is a coward, after all.”

At the mention of “coward” mixed with a sigh, my onii-sama let out a small, amused chuckle.
Despite the insult toward our relative, his reaction revealed the nature of their relationship.

Calling Uncle Genji a coward also seemed to hint at the possibility that he might try to use me in the inheritance dispute.
In fact, in the game, Uncle Genji initially sided with ‘me’ but ultimately switched to the protagonist’s side at the last moment. 

The family must already see through that aspect of him.

However, my brother’s amusement lasted only for a brief moment. My great-grandfather began to speak to him.

“Ryuya, you were close to Kiiichi as well. You have your military duties, but protect Reiko as much as possible.”

“Of course. But… are you sure about this Goinkyo-sama?”

At that question, my grandfather let out a sharp laugh before responding.

“It doesn’t matter. If I do my best to hold on as head of the family, the next succession won’t be for another twenty years. By then, Reiko will be a full-fledged adult, and her husband will take over as the next head. If you have no objections, there will be no place for Genji to interfere. Besides—”

He paused for a moment, a wry smile forming on his lips.

“Just look at Reiko now. I wouldn’t be surprised if, ten years from now, she’s already the de facto head of the conglomerate and the family. For that matter, you went through a similar kind of fear about ten years ago yourself.”

“You’re overestimating me.”

This time, my older brother smiles wryly.

“Is that so? Then why did you choose to become a soldier? At the very least, it was to step away from the race for the zaibatsu’s leadership, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, exactly. Just like you, Uncle Kiichirou.”

The two of them lock eyes, as if glaring at each other.
Both are so capable that they deliberately stepped back. Even so, my grandfather had become the family head simply because he was the eldest son.

And now, with my father—the eldest—having passed away, it looks like my second uncle, Genji, and my older brother, Ryuya, who comes from a branch family, are about to compete for the position of the next head.
But by naming me here, they are effectively settling the matter.

And since Ryuya acknowledges it, this decision is practically the consensus of the entire family.

However, as I watch this exchange, I can’t shake a strange feeling.

First and foremost, there’s this massive hidden fortune I had no idea about—something that wasn’t even in the game.

It would make sense that the Dreaming Miko would be in the game, since a miko appears in the game as a guide for the family, but there is no ‘Dreaming Miko’ setting in the game..

And looking at everyone here, the family is incredibly united.
Even if they were to decline somewhat, I can’t imagine them collapsing completely. Everyone is intelligent and capable.

Yet at the same time, all four people in this room only appear in the game’s backstory.
That fact makes me understand the game’s setting even more. 

The family doesn’t fall apart because of some inherent flaw—it’s because, at some point, all the wise leaders are gone.
Without them, the family crumbles due to internal conflict and eventually destroys itself.

And as far as I know, none of the surviving members of the family in the game are wise people.

In a way, as the so-called villainess, ‘I’ might have struggled to save my family and the zaibatsu, only to ultimately lose the inheritance conflict and meet my downfall.

For now, the financial issues should be resolved.
The next challenge is figuring out how to prevent key family members from being lost too soon.

(That being said, what the heck am I supposed to do about injuries, illness, or even lifespan?!)

As I grumble internally about all sorts of things, I feel my consciousness gradually fading.
I must be exhausted from talking so much. 

After all, my body is only three years old.

If it’s just sleepiness, then this sensation of drifting off makes perfect sense.

　・

　・

　・

“Hm? Did she fall asleep?”

“Well, she is only three years old.”

Before they knew it, the little girl—their young relative—was peacefully breathing in her sleep.
The expressions of all four men softened.

And so, they each reached for their drinks and snacks.

Tokita carefully adjusts Reiko so that she’s properly lying down and gently covers her with a blanket that he had prepared just in case.
It seems they’ll wait a little longer before carrying her to her room.

“So, about the investment company and the shell companies—what should we name them?”

“In that case, here—”

This time, Tokita, seated on the left, pointed at the document in front of him.
Written in slightly clumsy handwriting were the words:

“鳳投資資金(Ootori Toushi Shikin) – Phoenix Fund Investment (PFI)”

“A fund? Investment? Wouldn’t a bank or a securities firm be better?”

Kiichirou tilted his head in confusion.
Ryuya nodded in agreement, and it seemed Souichirou shared the sentiment as well.

“It’s probably a term from the future. But there’s no need to jump too far ahead. Ootori Bank already has a branch in New York, and we can establish a branch of Ootori Securities there as well, even though it currently only operates in Japan.”

“Yes. However, ‘Phoenix’ might be better recognized overseas than ‘Ootori’. I would like to use that name for our shell companies. Also, I would like to name one of the companies ‘Phoenix Fund’.”

“Do as you like.”

Souichirou responded somewhat dismissively to Tokita’s suggestion, showing little interest in the name itself.
Instead, he turned his gaze toward the young child lying beside them, as if saying there’s something more important here.

“Still… just how far into the future has this child seen?”

“Who knows? At her age, she probably doesn’t fully understand it herself.”

“Perhaps. But she is the ‘light’ guiding our family’s future. She might even illuminate the future of Japan. We must protect her at all costs.”

“Yes.”

That was the shared sentiment of all four men.

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The Gold Standard (金本位制, Kin Hon’i Sei)
A system in which the value of money is based on gold (Au).
Under this system, a nation’s central bank holds gold reserves equivalent to the amount of paper currency in circulation, ensuring that paper money can be exchanged for gold at any time.

The Gold Standard played a key role in supporting both Pax Britannica and Pax Americana.