"So desu ne," Mori concurred in Japanese, her voice a trifle strained. Tam thought she looked a bit bleary-eyed after her flight in from Tokyo, but there were no half measures about the woman. She was all business in a prim silk suit shading to gray with a bright blue scarf tied at the neck. She wore high heels, but they didn't slow her brisk stride as she paced around her desk. "I am sure you will do it well. I would like you to know I am prepared to assist you at every step."
Well, Tam had a pretty clear idea of how she intended to proceed, which didn't really include a lot of assistance from Akira Mori. What exactly had Noda been telling this woman? Maybe, she mused, Mori-san just hadn't been fully brought up to speed.
"I noticed that you're reviewing our analytical sheets." Tam continued, "Those are the firms we're going to start restructuring first."
"And if you do not receive the desired cooperation? What will you do then?" Mori asked evenly, as though she didn't already know the answer.
"We'll just keep up stock acquisition till we have whatever we need. Also, I intend to appoint a representative to sit on the board of directors, to monitor performance and make sure our program is implemented."
"That is my understanding as well." Mori went on, "And concerning the matter of who will be assigned—"
"I've just finished putting together a list of management experts. They're dedicated people. Most of them will probably help us for a small honorarium instead of their usual consulting fees."
"These personnel are an area I wish to discuss with you," Mori pushed ahead, almost as though not listening. That was when Tam realized she was finally getting around to the real agenda of the meeting. "It is our opinion that, at this stage, the heavy involvement of Americans in that capacity would be counterproductive."
"'Our opinion'?" Tam didn't like the sound of this. "Who exactly is 'our'?"
"I have reviewed Dai Nippon's program in some detail with . . . the interested parties in Tokyo." Mori appeared to be making an announcement. "They have concurred that at this stage it would be more efficient if we assigned our own specialists to assist in the management of these companies."