NCCnovel Chapter 155 The Long Night Is Coming
Chapter 155 The Long Night Is Coming
(Thanks to "Kukukubo" for the expert certification! Thank you to "Hoping for the Best" for the expert certification! Thank you to "Qingnian_" for the big health care! Bonus chapter is here~)
Friday, March 31, 1989.
The Tokyo night sky was heavy with low, oppressive clouds, making it hard to breathe. Even though it was already 11 p.m., the sprawling city was still wide awake.
On the contrary, a sense of pre-battle anxiety spread along the neon lights of the street, seeping into every shop that was still lit.
This is the last night of the old tax system.
After midnight, the consumption tax bill will officially take effect.
Da Rong Supermarket Dongda Island Store, Jiangdong District.
The roller shutter door was pulled down halfway, leaving only a narrow gap for employees to enter and exit. The store was brightly lit, with white fluorescent tubes emitting a slight hum, illuminating the messy sales area.
"Hurry! Clear out that canning shelf!"
The store manager held a megaphone, his voice hoarse. His uniform collar was open, revealing the edge of his underwear soaked with sweat.
More than thirty employees were scattered in front of various shelves, like a swarm of busy worker ants. Piles of price tag rolls were stacked around them, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of cheap adhesive tape.
"Click, click, click."
The sound of gunshots rose and fell, as dense as a torrential downpour.
The 198 yen became 204 yen.
The originally neat integer was forcibly tagged with "3%", turning it into a string of annoying fragments.
"Manager, do we still need to label the soy sauce here?" A young female clerk held up a bottle of Kikkoman soy sauce, her eyes glazed over, her fingers covered in black ink. "It seems the system hasn't updated this barcode yet."
"Apply them! Apply them to every single one!" The store manager scratched his head in frustration, dandruff falling onto his shoulders. "Headquarters said that before we open tomorrow morning, even if it's just a needle, we have to add that 3%! If we miss even one, the tax bureau will fine us!"
The area in front of the cashier is the worst affected.
Two technicians in gray overalls were lying on the ground, disassembling those bulky Toshiba POS machines. The black cables were tangled together like a mess of yarn.
"Has the coin box arrived?" the store manager shouted, turning around.
"Just arrived! Unloading at the back door!"
Several male employees rushed in carrying heavy wooden crates, their steps faltering.
"Thump."
The box hit the ground with a dull thud, like metal striking the earth.
The store manager went over and used a crowbar to pry open the lid.
Inside were rolls of brand-new 1-yen aluminum coins.
The silvery-white metallic luster appeared particularly cold under the harsh fluorescent lights, even carrying a hint of mockery. To prepare for the anticipated surge in demand for change tomorrow, the Da Rong Group had procured several tons of coins from the bank.
"Replace all the coin slots." The store manager wiped the sweat from his brow, looking at the coins. "The old five-compartment slots aren't enough; we have to replace them with these that have a dedicated 1-yen compartment. Also, give every cashier a calculator. If the system freezes, they'll calculate by hand! Absolutely no mistakes allowed!"
An elderly female cashier squatted on the ground, looked at the rolls of coins scattered all over the floor, and sighed.
"How can we do business like this... It would take forever just to count the money."
"Stop talking nonsense! Get to work!"
Suddenly, the store's loudspeaker blared, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, followed by a stirring mobilization order from headquarters: "For the company's future, to maintain our market share, everyone work through the night! This is the spirit of Da Rong!"
The shop assistants listened numbly, their hands never stopping.
tear.
Stick it on.
tear.
Stick it on.
Countless "+3%" labels, like greedy little mouths, cover the shelves, waiting to devour customers' wallets tomorrow.
……
At the same time.
Nerima Ward, Hikari Hill.
This is a famous satellite city of Tokyo, home to a large number of middle-class families.
S-Mart (Saionji Supermarket) Nerima Flagship Store.
Unlike the battlefield-like chaos of Da Rong Supermarket, this place was eerily quiet.
The huge floor-to-ceiling windows were spotless, letting in the warm tones of the interior.
3000K color temperature track lights replaced the stark white fluorescent tubes, and the soft halo diffused onto the light-colored wooden shelves, creating a tranquil atmosphere like that of an art gallery.
The store has a beige, slightly cement-like floor that reflects the blurry shadows of the shelves.
The employees were busy, but their movements were gentle and orderly.
No one was holding a price tag gun.
Because they don't need to calculate that 3% added value.
A young male employee wearing a dark gray apron was standing in the fruit section. He was holding a clean white cotton cloth and carefully wiping a freshly placed Aomori apple.
After wiping it, he gently placed the apple back into the wicker basket, adjusting the angle so that its reddest side faced the aisle.
On the price tag behind him, a huge number was handwritten in black marker:
100 Yen (tax included).
Integers without decimal points appear so beautiful.
On the adjacent shelf, Hokkaido onions were neatly stacked in a pyramid shape in brown paper bags.
【200 Yen】
A female shop assistant was pushing a ladder, adjusting the angle of the spotlights. She held up her hand to block the light, making sure the light perfectly outlined the rounded contours of the onions without creating harsh shadows.
"The light here is a bit too strong, let's move it a little to the left."
The store manager, Noguchi, stood in the middle of the aisle with his hands behind his back, speaking in a low voice, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility.
"Yes." The female shop assistant gently turned the lamp head.
"How's the prepared food section coming along?" Noguchi turned around and looked at the huge island counter in the center of the store.
S-Kitchen.
Several chefs, wearing tall white hats, were wiping down the stainless steel countertop. The huge glass warming cabinet was empty, but the oil in the fryer was already preheating, rippling slightly.
"The oil temperature control system has been calibrated." The head chef gestured. "We'll start frying the first batch of croquettes at four in the morning. We guarantee that when we open at seven tomorrow morning, the aroma will reach the subway station."
Noguchi nodded.
He looked up at the huge banners hanging from the ceiling.
The dark blue fabric, printed with white Ming Dynasty calligraphy, appeared particularly dignified under the warm light.
[Government tax? 0!]
[To lighten your burden.]
"I really can't wait to see tomorrow."
Noguchi adjusted the badge on his collar; the red square logo of SA Group gleamed faintly under the light.
"Ding-dong."
At this moment, the automatic doors slid open to both sides.
The cold wind outside blew in a few fallen leaves, but it was quickly neutralized by the indoor heating.
Welcome!
Noguchi bowed instinctively, then realized that the shop was already closed.
The person who came in was not a customer.
Two security guards dressed in black suits and wearing headsets walked in first and quickly took their positions on either side of the entrance, their eyes scanning the entire room warily.
Immediately afterwards, a pair of black flat leather boots stepped onto the slightly cemented ground.
Saionji Satsuki walked in.
She was wearing a beige cashmere coat, a dark gray scarf around her neck, and holding the iconic black thermos that had already appeared in GG.
Shuichi followed behind her, still dressed in a well-fitting double-breasted suit, carrying a briefcase.
"Young Miss! President!"
Noguchi and the shop assistants immediately stood up straight and bowed in unison.
Satsuki waved her hand, indicating that everyone should relax. She then walked straight to the shelf area.
Her fingers gently traced the wooden planks. Not a speck of dust touched her fingertips.
"It's wiped very clean."
She picked up the apple that the male clerk had wiped and weighed it in her hand.
"Red apples do look better in this light wood basket than in a green plastic one."
The male shop assistant blushed instantly, and was so excited that he was at a loss for what to do.
Satsuki put down the apple and continued walking forward.
She walked through the fresh produce section and arrived at the warehouse-style shelving area at the back.
Unlike the previous boutique area, the shelves here are towering high, reaching all the way to the ceiling.
Boxes of toilet paper, detergent, rice, and canned goods were piled on top. Although it was a bulk-market display, the cuts of the boxes were all trimmed neatly, and the labels all faced outwards, forming a "wall of goods" that was both imposing and aesthetically pleasing.
"This is our ammunition depot."
Satsuki stopped and looked up at the wall.
"Father, look."
Shuichi walked up to her.
"These things will become the scarcest resources in all of Tokyo after the sun rises tomorrow."
Satsuki turned around and looked at Noguchi, the shopkeeper.
How much is left in the warehouse?
"Reporting, Miss, the back warehouse is overflowing. Even the staff break room has been cleared out and filled with a hundred boxes of rice," Noguchi replied. "As per your instructions, we have stockpiled five times the usual amount."
"Five times..."
Satsuki pondered for a moment, then shook her head.
"not enough."
Noguchi paused for a moment: "But... this is already the limit, there's no room to put any more."
"This five-fold inventory will be cleared out by noon tomorrow."
"I've already instructed the logistics center to prepare. SA Logistics' fleet will be parked in a nearby parking lot tonight, ready to go. If the front desk runs out of stock, it must be replenished within twenty minutes."
She walked to the cashier.
There stood a brand-new IBM POS machine, black in color, with a simple keyboard. Next to it was no bulky coin sorting box, only a drawer for holding large bills.
"Give it a try."
Satsuki pointed to the machine.
Noguchi immediately stepped over the counter and began operating the equipment skillfully.
He picked up a bottle of mineral water and scanned the barcode.
"drop."
The number [100] appears on the screen.
Below is a line of small print: [Tax Included].
"Check out," Satsuki ordered.
Noguchi pressed the settlement button.
The screen image changes instantly.
Accounts Receivable: 100
[Actual Received: 1000]
Change given: 900
[GST: 0 (Payed by SA Group)]
The drawer popped open.
Inside, stacks of thousand-yuan banknotes and hundred-yuan coins were neatly arranged.
Thanks to the "de-zeroing" strategy, there's no need for those annoying 1-yen aluminum coins or 5-yen copper coins here.
Instead, there are silver-white 100-yen and 500-yen coins that gleam with a refreshing luster under the light.
"Hmm, the speed is acceptable."
Satsuki commented.
She looked at the pop-up drawer.
"While Daiei's cashiers are still rummaging through drawers to make up that 3 yen, I want our customers to have already walked out of the store with their purchases."
Satsuki raised her head and glanced at every employee present.
"Everyone."
"Tomorrow, this place will become a battlefield."
Although her voice was still young, it carried a convincing authority.
"I know you'll be very tired. Tomorrow, some people might complain, some might push and shove, and some might even get angry because they couldn't get that box of 10-yen eggs on sale."
"However, I hope you can continue to provide high-quality service to every customer as always."
Satsuki paused, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
"Because we are destined to win."
"This will be a one-sided massacre."
"The opponent's gun is out of bullets."
"Their pricing is chaotic, people are panicking, and their systems are slow. And we..."
She pointed to the quiet POS machine, then to the neatly arranged wall of merchandise.
"We've been preparing for a whole year."
"This is the moment we've been waiting for."
The employees' eyes lit up. The fatigue from working through the night seemed to dissipate considerably at that moment.
Satsuki glanced at the watch on her wrist.
11:59 PM.
"Time is up."
She stepped out of the counter and stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside, the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow.
Across the street, the signboard of a "SunKus" convenience store was still lit. Through the glass, you could see the clerks busily changing price tags.
The red "100" label was torn off and replaced with an awkward-looking "103" with a fractional part.
Every movement seemed so clumsy, so helpless.
"when--"
The midnight bells rang out from the distant clock tower.
Once. Twice.
The sound was deep and resonant, piercing through the night sky of Nerima Ward.
April 1, 1989.
Midnight.
The consumption tax law has officially come into effect.
"drop."
The S-Mart store's public address system automatically announces the time.
Store manager Noguchi took a deep breath and pressed the system switch button on the POS machine.
The screen flickered.
A line of green text appeared:
System Ready. Tax-Free Mode Activated.
Satsuki did not leave.
She stood by the window, gazing at the old-fashioned convenience store across the street, still struggling to make ends meet over 3-yen coins.
Her calm face was reflected in the glass window, along with the clean, bright, and orderly store behind her.
She unscrewed the lid of the thermos, and white steam rose up, blurring her vision.
"here we go."
She took a sip of hot tea, her gaze still fixed on the chaotic night outside the window.
The aroma of black tea slowly diffused into the air.