Chapter 13

Sitting on the international flight to Tokyo, almost the entire first-class cabin was booked by Ji Feng, with Spark and over a dozen team members seated around him.

The rich wine gently swirled in Ji Feng's hand, and the rose-colored liquid gradually made him like it more.

"Boss, to be honest, I still have doubts about whether Japan will honor those bonds. They are the most unreasonable country in the world, nothing like Britain, France, and Germany, who are much more reasonable. As you know, they still refuse to acknowledge their wartime aggression," Spark said, sipping his wine and sitting beside Ji Feng, his tone laced with concern.

"That's why we need professionals like you to handle it. If I were to do it myself, they might welsh on the deal, but I believe you will find a way." Thinking about this European trip, Ji Feng felt a surge of excitement that he couldn't contain.

The bonds from seven countries, including Britain, France, and Germany, amounted to over $1.5 billion in cash, all of which was deposited into his UBS account. Initially, Ji Feng thought there would be a lot of haggling, but to his surprise, the governments of these countries honored the bonds without much fuss. Britain and Germany, having records, were particularly quick to exchange, and the other countries, without records, were also persuaded by Spark and his team to complete the exchange within five days. Ji Feng was quite satisfied with Spark's team.

In the entire team, only Spark knew that Ji Feng was a major shareholder in UBS, so calling him "Boss" was not an exaggeration. Especially after Ji Feng had once talked to him about wanting to start a bank in the future and inviting him to manage it, Spark was thrilled. Managing a bank alone would be a dream come true for anyone passionate about finance, let alone for Spark.

Dennis, looking relaxed, said, "Boss, you don't need to worry at all. In the face of international law, if the Japanese government dares to deny it, I'll make sure they lose everything, down to their last pair of underwear." As the team's lawyer, Dennis had worked at UBS for over 20 years and was experienced. Any attempt to welsh on the deal would land them in jail.

Ji Feng smiled, "Of course, our Mr. Dennis is not someone to be trifled with."

The few people in the cabin couldn't help but chuckle, and the lingering worry vanished.

The UBS general manager in Tokyo greeted them. Initially, Ji Feng thought it would be difficult to quickly obtain a Japanese visa, but as a major shareholder in UBS, he merely mentioned to Greta his desire to obtain Swiss citizenship, and the next day, the visa was arranged. The efficiency was astounding, and Ji Feng now held dual citizenship.

Although dual citizenship was not allowed in his home country, many people secretly held it. He could always cancel his domestic citizenship later, as Swiss citizenship was just a transitional step.

After staying in Tokyo for a night, the UBS Tokyo staff had already collected all the necessary information. Japan had not explicitly stated that early bonds had expired, so it shouldn't be too complicated.

However, when Spark and his team enthusiastically arrived at the Bank of Japan to exchange the bonds, they were told that the bonds had expired.

"This is ridiculous. We just came from Europe. Are you saying the Japanese government wants to embezzle UBS's money, or are you willing to face international legal sanctions?" Spark jumped up and roared when he heard the word "expired," his face red with anger, as if the person in front of him had raped his wife.

Shimada Eisaburo looked somewhat helpless at the group of Caucasians in front of him. If it were a small amount, he might have exchanged it directly, but these people had brought four suitcases containing bonds worth over 15 billion yen. Even if he wanted to exchange them, he didn't have that much money.

"I am truly sorry, but the government issued a notice years ago that expired bonds would no longer be honored. Why did you come so late? This has indeed passed the redemption period."

Dennis immediately said coldly, "Sir, remember, no one can confiscate UBS's money. No country has ever refused to honor early bonds. Are you saying the Japanese government wants to mercilessly seize the gold of Swiss citizens? A hundred years ago, when you were so poor you wore shorts, we extended a helping hand. If you can't make a decision, please get someone who can. And I am very familiar with your country's laws and government actions. If you insist, I will consider taking you to an international court."

Shimada Eisaburo's forehead was sweating. According to the rules, there was no provision for refusing to honor expired bonds. Even after several decades or centuries, if the physical bonds were presented, they had to be honored. The amount was just too large.

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Shimada Eisaburo bowed and said, "Please wait a moment. I will consult with the president."

Watching Shimada Eisaburo run out of the VIP room, Spark shook his head and said angrily, "See, I knew they would welsh on the deal. This nation is truly disgusting."

Dennis patted his shoulder and smiled, "Don't worry, buddy. They will honor it. This is 15.5 billion yen in face value. They can't just swallow it. Otherwise, with UBS's connections, we have many ways to deal with them."

Spark laughed bitterly, "Dennis, I'm just worried about the trouble. You know Boss is someone who hates trouble, and he wants the cash as soon as possible."

Miranda said, "I'm actually curious. Why does Boss need so much cash? He doesn't seem to have any investment needs, and he doesn't allow us to manage it freely. Oh, following such a boss, I'm a bit worried about my future."

Spark smiled, "Boss will let us manage the funds, but not now. We need to give him some time. Trust me, everyone. Boss may not be very knowledgeable about finance, but he is smart."

Dennis, sipping his coffee, smiled, "Yes, he is smart, but also lazy."

The people in the VIP room all laughed kindly. After spending over half a month with Ji Feng, the team had come to understand him. Although he seemed energetic, he could be incredibly lazy when it came to certain things.

About half an hour later, Shimada Eisaburo returned with a Japanese man in his fifties.

"I am truly sorry for keeping you waiting. We are aware of your request to exchange early bonds, but due to the large amount, we need to consult with the Ministry of Finance. Please give us some time."

Before Spark could speak, Dennis said, "I am Dennis, a senior lawyer at UBS. You have three days. We have other countries to visit, so we can't stay in Japan indefinitely. Please give us a response within three days, or we will consider using all of UBS's resources to take you to an international court. Believe me, sir, you won't be able to handle it."

Seeing Dennis's aggressive demeanor, Sato Daishima wanted to retaliate but, noticing Dennis's playful look, he suddenly realized the potential actions UBS might take. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he quickly said, "Alright, we will give you a satisfactory response within three days. Please bear with us."

Watching the team members enter the room with mixed feelings, Ji Feng smiled, "See, my worries came true. Is Japan trying to welsh on the deal?"

Spark nodded bitterly and recounted the events, "But I believe they will honor it within three days. Otherwise, they can't afford the consequences."

Ji Feng smiled and heard Dennis say, "Boss, don't worry. If all the countries holding Japanese bonds sell them at once, it will completely destroy Japan's economy. Japan can't afford such a loss, so they won't dare not to honor the bonds. Once we expose Japan's intention to renege on the bonds, many countries will be happy to follow our lead."

Ji Feng was taken aback and laughed, "That's good. It seems issuing too many bonds isn't a good thing. But what you said reminds me of a news article I read. It seems our country holds over 1.8 trillion yen in Japanese bonds."

Spark poured himself a cup of coffee and smiled, "Yes, the Heavenly Empire is incredibly wealthy, as everyone knows."

The group laughed, but Ji Feng shook his head. With so much money, the people didn't seem to benefit much, and the tax burden was one of the highest in the world. He didn't know what to make of it.

"Alright, go rest now. Tell everyone they can do as they please for the next three days, and I'll cover all the expenses."

Hearing their cheers, Ji Feng smiled and waved them off.

After closing the door, Ji Feng entered the Shenlong Space. Damn, if you had given it to me without a fuss, I wouldn't have bothered. Since you're so unreasonable, I'm sorry, but I'll have to take more from you to feel justified.

The early 20th-century Japanese bonds are cheap on the market, almost like cabbage. I'll get a few times more as a small punishment. PS: Please follow!

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