Chapter 9: The Spring of the White Dragon

The new department, headed by the son of the second-generation president, got off to a smooth start thanks to the support of many people within the company.

We will all support the young successors.
That atmosphere permeated the entire company, and I was working within that flow.

However, I had a conflict within myself.

The department's theme was "components" supplied to semiconductor equipment manufacturers.
But whenever I get involved, things always escalate.

Not just a part of the device, but the entire system.
We started receiving inquiries one after another about projects worth tens of millions of yen.

That was the work I had always been doing.

But the president said:

"That carries risks."
The current approach is producing sufficient results.
Please stop accepting orders for the equipment."

I was troubled.

My income was stable.
My position at the company wasn't bad either.

However, as an engineer, I wanted to take on bigger projects.

Around that time, a major wave swept through the semiconductor industry.

Semiconductor recession.

The company was in such dire straits that it had to offer voluntary retirement packages.

I applied for that position.

The president was furious.

"Why are you quitting?"

But I had made up my mind.

Fortunately, I was on friendly terms with the head of general affairs.
That person intervened, and ultimately, I was able to leave the company amicably.

However, the year-end bonus was cut.

I had never received unemployment benefits before.

His annual income was around 10 million yen.
Because my termination was due to company reasons, I received unemployment benefits close to the maximum amount.

About 400,000 yen per month.

That was paid to me immediately after I retired, for one year.

That became the funding for my next life.

At the time, I owned a house in the mountainous area of Hannō City, Saitama Prefecture.

It was a place where a river flowed and was surrounded by forest.
It was a slightly inconvenient location, but the nature was abundant.

I have a plot of land nearly 100 tsubo (approximately 330 square meters), and I built a prefabricated office in the garden.

I placed the desk there.

I started a company.

FM Ecology Research Institute Co., Ltd.

The company name was a combination of my wife's and my names.

That was the beginning of it all.

A year later, the company was incorporated as a limited company.

I changed my name too.

Aqua Green System Co., Ltd.

The company grew remarkably well.

Seven consecutive terms
Increased revenue and increased profits.

The bank gave me a loan of 100 million yen even though I had no collateral.

They also expanded overseas.

Singapore
Malaysia

We established a local subsidiary.

And I had a big dream.

Elemental Life Community

A utopia where people live in harmony with nature.

To realize that vision, I moved the company headquarters to Aizu.

Aizu had a plan to acquire land rights to 500,000 tsubo (approximately 1.65 hectares).

Furthermore, a plan for a mineral water factory worth 5 billion yen was also underway.

First of all,
A plan covering 50,000 tsubo (approximately 165,000 square meters).

That concept drawing is still available on the human resources development page of the website.

But looking back now, I understand.

Back then, I wasn't strong enough.

Large-scale plant.
Overseas infrastructure projects.

I lacked funding, experience, and connections.

And then fate takes a dramatic turn.

The owner of a mineral water factory committed a crime.

Arrested.

The plan suddenly came to a halt.

I had already made a considerable investment.

As a result

Japan
Singapore
Malaysia

We ended up liquidating three companies at the same time.

The company went bankrupt and was insolvent.

The land of Aizu at that time is a place I will never forget.

There was an abundant spring there.

The drilling for the hot springs had also been completed.

Deep in the forest, there was a fantastical spring.

A body of water resembling a small swamp.
Still water.

There

Stone monument of the water god

He was standing there.

I took several people who claimed to be psychics to that place.

Then they all said in unison.

"There is a white dragon and its offspring here."

My wife and I went to that spring every morning while we were staying in Aizu.

And then I prayed.

Around that time, although I was a Christian, I was also beginning to become aware of the existence of Japanese gods.

I also met the Shinto priest.

The Shinto priest performed a purification ritual for the land.

The end of the Shinto ritual.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew.

The trees in the forest shook all at once.

I thought.

A white dragon took flight.

Autumn in Aizu was beautiful.

Golden rice stalks sway in the wind.

Clouds hang over the mountains, and occasionally, clouds shaped like dragons appear.

Every time I found one, I rejoiced like a child.

On my day off, I went to a hot spring with my wife.

Aizu has many excellent hot springs.

As I soaked in the quiet bath, I thought about the rest of my life.

I also visited the graves of the Byakkotai (White Tiger Corps).

The land that young samurai risked their lives to protect.

Standing in that spot, a quiet feeling welled up from deep within my chest.

Life is like a mountain.

Sometimes we climb.
Sometimes you tumble down.

But looking back, it seems like everything was a path.

The company was lost.

But I was still walking.

And I didn't know yet.

I believe even greater connections will come from around the world after this.

It was a new story that began in South Korea.