Kuroda Masayuki, the expatriate in charge of the food division at Itochu Corporation’s American branch, felt his insides clench as he gripped the steering wheel.
“Damn it, damn it...!”
His lips were drying out. The international call from Tokyo headquarters just three hours earlier had been like a bolt from the blue. The voice of the food division’s general manager on the other end of the receiver had been cold as ice.
[Kuroda-kun, have you ever been to the basement food hall of Ginza Mitsukoshi? Right now, it’s packed with wealthy customers trying to buy the California cherries Zen-Noh (JA) flew in.
That Sato Takeshi from Zen-Noh is even giving television interviews as if to show off, mocking us at Itochu. I hear you even negotiated with that cherry farm?
Just what exactly are you doing in America? Or is working in America so easy that you’re bored, so you’re staging a protest for us to send you somewhere difficult, like Egypt or India? Is that it?]
The general manager’s words stabbed into him like daggers. Sato Takeshi of the Zen-Noh Group, someone he inevitably clashed with while working in the same food import sector, had once again tripped him up.
The cherries Zen-Noh had flown in had become a trophy proving the skills of a trading-company man, and now they were squeezing Kuroda by the throat.
When he looked into the local situation, he found that the shipment monopolized by Zen-Noh was currently selling in Japan for more than five times its usual price, making it clear why the general manager’s language had been so extreme.
“Damn it, they were the ones saying it was too expensive...”
But Kuroda had had his reasons as well. No matter that they were being flown in directly by air, and no matter that this year’s frost damage had been severe, they had been asking for the insane price of eight dollars per pound, so Kuroda had called Japan to ask.
At the time, they had responded skeptically, asking whether it would really be all right since the price was too high, but now... they were pinning every bit of blame on him.
First, over the past few days, he had combed through Northern California like a madman. Then he found a few places in Washington and reported them to Japan, only to receive a frigid reply.
[Send them if you’re confident you can capture the wealthy department store clientele with that.]
With ordinary Washington cherries, not the Royal Tioga shipments from Harris Farm using its hydro-cooling facilities and MAP packaging technology, there was no way to win over Japan’s wealthy class.
After putting out the immediate fire with Washington cherries, he scoured all of Brentwood, but due to the frost damage, every farm in the area except Harris Farm had already suffered devastating losses.
In the end, there was only one farm left.
Harris Farm.
The problem was Harris Farm, and Frederick’s mind.
“Mr. Kuroda, I’m sorry, but our supply isn’t even enough for the domestic American market. Retail prices have shot through the roof because of the frost damage. There’s absolutely no reason for us to go through the trouble of preparing complicated export paperwork and paying air freight to send them to Japan.”
Frederick’s refusal was reasonable, but what Kuroda needed was not a few boxes of ordinary cherries. Only Royal Tioga shipments transported with Harris Farm’s technology could save him.
The technology that suppressed cellular respiration immediately after harvest and delivered that just-picked crispness all the way to Japanese dining tables. Without that, he could not overwhelm Zen-Noh’s shipments and retake the market.
As he left after parting from Frederick in despair, he came to his senses at something one of Harris Farm’s employees let slip.
[Harris Farm has a strategic partnership with the Redwood Group. President Frederick may be stubborn, but if Brian Choi of Redwood says something, he’ll wake up from a dead sleep to listen.]
Brian Choi. The Asian genius who had shaken Napa with Astra Veil. Kuroda immediately began asking around for Brian’s whereabouts. And he learned that Brian would be attending Robert Mondavi’s funeral today.
The funeral was a solemn event attended only by major figures. It was no place for a mere expatriate without even an invitation to barge in, but Kuroda had no room left to care about appearances.
The instruction from headquarters to secure an air shipment no matter what was an objective that had to be carried out like a military order.
In the distance, the Mondavi funeral venue began to come into view. With hundreds of black sedans lined up, it looked like a vast black sea. Kuroda pulled over as if abandoning his car a long way from the winery entrance and began to run.
‘Brian-san, you are the only key.’
Beneath the arch draped in black ribbons at the entrance to the funeral venue, Kuroda stood there panting. Napa’s influential figures were coming out with solemn expressions.
Among them, he saw a young Asian man who stood out in particular. The man walking calmly beside Napa legend Warren Winiarski—it was Brian Choi.
As Brian headed toward the parking lot while talking with Warren, Kuroda paid no attention to the gazes around him and approached.
“Excuse me, are you Mr. Brian Choi?”
“Why are you looking for me...?”
“Please help me!”
I stared in bewilderment at the man bent at the waist in a ninety-degree bow, then spoke to Warren first.
“Go home and rest today. You probably haven’t even recovered from the trip yet.”
“How can I rest when the master isn’t resting?”
“What are you talking about? I’m going to rest today too.”
“You’re determined to send this old man away, aren’t you?”
“Yes. So please, just go today. Starting tomorrow, I’ll put you to work plenty.”
Warren’s house was not far from the Mondavi funeral venue. If we contacted the butler there and had him bring the car, he would arrive in less than ten minutes, so Warren soon left the funeral.
After sending Warren off, I gestured to Kuroda.
“Let’s walk a bit.”
“Hai!”
We began to walk slowly along the path around Mondavi Winery. As we strolled through the vineyards, where a faint fragrance lingered in the warm May sunlight, he seemed to be watching my mood, only glancing at me until I opened my mouth.
“Kuroda of Itochu Corporation...?”
“Masayuki.”
“Yes, yes... Are you here about the cherries, by any chance?”
If a Japanese person from Itochu Corporation had come looking for me, the first thing that came to mind was cherries. Not long ago, Chloe had said she had negotiated exports with someone from Itochu Corporation.
There was just one thing that made me think it might not be that: the fact that he had come to see me, not Frederick or Chloe.
But then,
“That’s correct.”
As expected, my guess had been right.
“Why did you come to me about the cherry issue?”
With his head lowered, he continued in a trembling voice.
“The Zen-Noh Group has taken most of Harris Farm’s cherries. Our clients at Itochu Corporation are extremely angry.
But I heard that you, Brian-san, are the only person who can persuade Mr. Frederick. We need the hydro-cooled shipment.
If we don’t have cherries treated with that technology, the one that can send freshly picked Royal Tioga cherries all the way to Japan as they are... I’m finished!”
Kuroda explained his circumstances in a tearful voice.
“Mr. Kuroda, please raise your head.”
He cautiously lifted his head, and I said to him,
“Frederick is my colleague and partner. You must know there’s no reason for him to send cherries to Japan when he doesn’t even have enough for the domestic market.”
“I know that! But Brian-san, Itochu is not merely a distributor. The premium distribution networks we have secured in Ginza and Aoyama are the best in Japan!”
He did not believe that there was no additional export volume to send overseas from Harris Farm’s shipments.
“No, I’m telling you, there isn’t enough supply.”
“We’ll pay more. Right now, protecting our customers is more important than making a profit. Please help us!”
As I gave a bitter smile at the awkward situation, something suddenly occurred to me.
“What exactly is your position?”
“I am in charge of the food division for the Americas.”
“Then does that include wine as well, by any chance?”
The cherry wine, which was not simply sweet like dessert wine but had complexity as well, had caused quite a stir at first, but now the heat had gradually died down.
So although we had produced over three thousand cases last year, more than a thousand cases were still sitting in the warehouse.
Of course, that inventory was not a huge burden. Because cherry prices had soared due to the frost damage, of all things, we were planning to drastically reduce cherry wine production this year. Distributing fresh cherries was far more profitable under the circumstances.
Kuroda Masayuki’s eyes shook violently. The moment the word wine came out of Brian’s mouth, he instinctively realized that this desperate plea had entered the realm not of simple charity, but of cold-blooded negotiation.
“Wine, you say? Of course. Our food division has complete control over alcohol distribution networks as well. In particular, Itochu’s premium hotel and private club lines are unrivaled within Japan.”
I calmly rested my chin on my hand and ran the numbers in my head. There were about 1,200 cases of Ceracia cherry wine currently stacked in Redwood’s warehouse, and there was also the 100 tons of cherries from Frederick’s farm that Redwood had contracted to acquire this year.
Under the original plan, those 100 tons were to be put back into aging tanks to make next year’s wine, but considering this year’s special circumstances, it was right to reduce that by about half. That would reduce inventory and benefit Harris Farm as well.
“Good. Let’s create some volume.”
“Truly?”
As if he had been waiting for those words, Kuroda’s complexion brightened instantly.
“But there is one condition. It won’t be enough for you to simply buy the cherries. Itochu must purchase all 1,200 cases of Ceracia, the cherry wine currently in our warehouse. At the retail price, on the condition that it is supplied only through Japan’s highest-end distribution channels.”
“All of the wine?”
“Yes. And out of the 100 tons of cherries I’m set to receive from Frederick this year, I will transfer 50 tons to you. The highest-grade Royal Tioga variety, with hydro-cooling and MAP packaging completed.”
A full 50 tons. His eyes wavered sharply.
“F-Fifty tons, you say?”
“What do you think? Interested?”
The question about whether he was interested was not aimed at the cherries. It referred to the 1,200 cases of Ceracia.
“Th-then what is the price of this cherry wine, Ceracia?”
“Eighteen dollars.”
From the way he blinked, he was undoubtedly running calculations rapidly in his head. And before long, he smiled brightly.
“Haha, that is possible. We will purchase the entire quantity.”
If it had been priced high per bottle like Astra Veil, or even Sylphid or Aeshlon, that would have been one thing, but this was a low-priced wine that did not even cost twenty dollars, so 1,200 cases came out to only about 260,000 dollars.
Stacked in a warehouse, it was an enormous burden, but converted into money, it was not that much. That was why Kuroda had agreed without much difficulty.
The fact that he likely felt confident that he could clear 1,200 cases in an instant by advertising it as a one-of-a-kind cherry wine made by the hottest winery in America must have played a part as well.
Looking at him as he wore a relieved expression, as if everything that needed to be done was now settled, I grinned.
“And... there is one more condition.”
“Yes? What...?”
Startled, his face stiffened.
“I’m talking about top-tier placement in Itochu’s premium wine distribution network in Japan.”
“By top-tier placement, do you mean the Golden Slot?”
The top-tier placement I mentioned referred to the best spots, the most visible places where sales actively occurred.
“That’s right.”
“Why that...?”
“If you allocate a portion of those spots to me starting this year, I’ll give you the 50 tons of cherries.”
The distribution rights I had given Christopher covered America, Europe, and similar regions. I had not opened Asia to him. Since most of the wines I distributed were around three thousand cases or so, Christopher had not made a major issue of it. With only three thousand cases, there was barely enough to cover consumption within the United States.
“Are you saying you intend to distribute wine yourself, by any chance?”
“I’m planning to start thinking about it now.”