"It was about 4 or 5 months after I entered Kyoto University..." Morimoto said, "My impression is very clear. At that time, the research team happened to publish an article about the axis inclination rotation error of the minimum area circle method. That night, Professor Okawara was very happy and took our entire group to an izakaya to celebrate.”

"At almost 10 o'clock, a man in a suit and leather shoes, about fifty years old, walked in. I am not surprised by this kind of scene. Because, in the research group, every time I interact with Professor Okawara When we go out to eat, people come from nowhere and rush to pay for him.”

"However, the person who came this time seemed to be different. Professor Okawara warmly greeted him to sit down. After the introduction, I learned that his name was Masahiro Yoshimoto, and he was the president of a machinery and equipment manufacturing company. It turns out that there are usually many of us. The materials and equipment of the research team were all provided by President Yoshida. This president is very good at enlivening the atmosphere. After he arrived, everyone chatted more happily."

"At that time, I felt that the atmosphere in the Okawara research group was really good. I even felt that if I could stay in the Okawara research group, even if I could remain a researcher for the rest of my life instead of becoming a professor, it would be worthwhile."

Morimoto's eyes seemed to have regained a glimmer of light, but soon dimmed again. He continued to mutter to himself, as if his whole person was immersed in memories.

Kitahara and Miyagawa sat opposite the thick glass. Morimoto's somewhat deep voice penetrated through the holes in the glass. Under this whisper, this small interview room seemed to have really transformed into a Kyoto izakaya that night. A corner was filled with noisy chatter, laughter, and clinking of glasses.

"I am a smoker," Morimoto suddenly said, "My wife Xiang Hui has always hated my smoking. She has been persuading me to quit smoking before.

"If... if..." Morimoto's tone became excited, "I really listened to Xiang Hui and quit smoking. Then... then these following things would not happen."

"Don't get excited yet, Dr. Morimoto." Kitahara said to reassure him, "Speak slowly and think slowly. We have plenty of time for today's meeting. If you really feel that you feel very uncomfortable, then let's take it a little more slowly. Wait a minute and then talk. The purpose of our meeting today is to know what you have personally experienced."

Morimoto raised his head and looked at the two lawyers in front of him with a sense of desolation, "Sometimes, fate is so tricky, and your future is often determined in just one moment. While eating, Yoshida Club The director suddenly took out a pack of cigarettes and handed one to Professor Okawara. After that, he also handed one to me. Originally, I wanted to avoid it, but for some reason, I took the cigarette by accident."

"No one else in the research team smoked. So Professor Okawara, President Yoshida, and I left the table temporarily and went outside the izakaya."

"Everything started from this conversation outside the izakaya."

"I was smoking a cigarette at that time. Although I was next to Okawara and Yoshida, I couldn't get in their conversation at all. The issues they discussed were very profound. They talked about the depression of the industry, the budget mechanism and so on. They smoked one cigarette and then another. For the first ten minutes or so, I couldn't even understand what they were saying. I only knew that their tone was anxious and worried.

"I feel very strange about this. Today is a prosperous time in Japan. The stock market is rising, people are getting rich everywhere, and the whole society is booming. Why do I still hear the words "industrial depression"? I doubt my

There was something wrong with their ears. However, their attitude at that time was that the country of Toyo seemed to be - as if an unprecedented crisis was really going to happen."

Morimoto's eyes widened unconsciously and his body leaned forward slightly.

Miyagawa looked at Morimoto's expression and shuddered inexplicably. Unconsciously, he also felt scared and quietly leaned closer to Kitahara.

"President Yoshida told Professor Okawara that he has observed a very strange phenomenon in the industry recently. That is, the sales volume of private cars is constantly increasing, but the shipment volume of auto parts has not kept up, forming a

A very weird crack.”

"President Yoshida said that after visiting various places, he discovered that a large part of the current car sales are 'name sales and real loans'. Lawyer Kitahara, you also know. In today's society, every household in Japan has

If you want to pursue a car and marry a girl, you must be able to afford a car. However, it is impossible for everyone to afford a car."

"However, Toyo now has specialized private financial companies doing this. They specialize in lending to consumers who want to buy cars. We also know that once a car is auctioned as a second-hand car, its value will depreciate significantly. Therefore,

The interest rates charged by these private financial companies are unusually high."

"Therefore, these car sellers on the front line are very clear that once the income of these consumers decreases even temporarily, an unprecedented wave of car supply cuts will come. And a large number of second-hand cars being auctioned will

This will in turn affect the prices of first-hand car dealers. Therefore, this is the reason for the cracks. Many manufacturers are unwilling to follow the increase in sales and expand production."

"However, what scares President Yoshida is that he found that the recent gap in Toyo is constantly shrinking. In other words, the current shipments of auto parts are also increasing. Obviously everyone knows the terminal sales data

In fact, it is 'fake'. However, no one can resist the temptation of money. After all, private financial companies are buying cars lavishly, and no one can refuse this kind of money falling from the sky."

"The problem is that once the production volume of cars increases along with the false sales data, it will lead to real waste in the factory. Sooner or later, a large number of unsaleable cars will be produced."

"The above words were said by President Yoshida. Although I don't understand economics, I feel that President Yoshida is a very smart person."

"After President Yoshida finished speaking, Professor Okawara also sighed. He said that the university has now introduced a new budget mechanism, namely the expenditure decision system. In the past, university budgets were often allocated in fixed quotas or based on scientific research application projects.

The budget will be released according to the demand for funds. The new expenditure decision system has now linked the budget not only to the demand for funds, but also to expenditures."

"To put it simply, how much budget a university can get depends on how much money it can spend. For example, if the university gets a 2 billion yen scientific research budget this year, but its expenditure this year is only 1.5 billion yen. Then, it

The scientific research funding budget for the coming year will be slashed to only 1.2 billion yen."

"In this way, the use of scientific research funds has become a competition game of expenditure. Whoever fails to spend all the money will be brutally eliminated in this scientific research competition. During this period, Professor Okawara even talked about

The current use of university funds is ridiculous. It is said that there are twelve months in a year, and it turns out that all national universities in Japan, without exception, have the highest scientific research expenditures in the twelfth month. There is a tail curve in university expenditures."

"Everyone knows that everyone is just spending money in December to avoid the university budget being cut. After hearing this, President Yoshida sighed and said that he felt that the situation was not good. He had two

A precision machine tool factory, its capital turnover has recently begun to fail, and the bank does not know why it is unwilling to lend him money. Then, Professor Okawara and President Yoshida chatted more and more passionately and deeply, and they even had

Forgot about the research team members in the izakaya.”

"I was even more at a loss next to them. I didn't know whether to continue listening next to them or go back. Just when I didn't know what to do, they suddenly looked back at me in unison and asked me: -"

"Morimoto-kun, are you not interested in a joint industry-research strategy?"
Chapter completed!