Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

Chapter 157 S-Mart

……

Second floor, monitoring room.

Tadashi Yanai stood behind the one-way glass, holding a cup of coffee that had long since gone cold.

His eyes were bloodshot, yet frighteningly bright.

"Too fast..."

He muttered to himself.

The downstairs cashier area is like a precisely operating assembly line, where every transaction is completed swiftly and efficiently.

"And look at this behavioral analysis data."

Sitting at the monitoring console, Shimomura Tsutomu pressed the Enter key, bringing up another set of charts. He pointed to a row of jumping green curves on the screen, still chewing his gum.

"According to feedback from the image recognition system, the frequency with which customers look at their watches, the number of times they peer into the room, and the probability of them stamping their feet in frustration are all far below the industry warning line. Even the ambient decibel level collected by the on-site microphones is 15 decibels lower than the average level under the same customer flow."

Shimomura Tsutomu blew a bubble, which popped with a "pop".

"This shows that their psychological defenses are relaxed and they are not anxious. In the retail industry, this 'psychological comfort' directly determines whether they will come back next week—this is the most positive retention rate indicator."

Tadashi Yanai was deeply shocked. He turned his head and looked at Tsutomu Shimomura.

"How's the data? What about the inventory?"

Shimomura Tsutomu's fingers tapped a few more times on the keyboard.

A set of comparative bar charts popped up on the screen.

The red line on the left represents the estimated efficiency of Daiei and Seibu department stores. The blue line on the right represents the real-time efficiency of S-Mart.

The blue pillar was much taller than the red one.

"Single cash register can process 120 orders per hour."

Shimomura Tsutomu blew a bubble.

"That's three times that of Daiei. And..."

He brought up another chart.

"This is the real-time inventory data from the S-Food backend."

"During that midday rush, Hokkaido onion inventory dropped by 40%. However, the replenishment order was issued 20 minutes ago. The trucks at the Chiba logistics center should be at the unloading area by now."

Yanai looked through the glass towards the unloading area at the back of the store.

Sure enough, a silver truck was steadily backing into position. The workers skillfully pushed out boxes of onions and placed them directly on the shelves.

"Seamless integration".

Tadashi Yanai took a deep breath, but the cool air did nothing to cool the burning sensation in his chest.

He looked at the replenishment system that operated like a precise clock, and then thought of the Darong Supermarket a few blocks away, which was probably in complete chaos at the moment.

"This is not even a contest on the same level."

Tadashi Yanai shook his head, crushed the empty coffee can in his hand, and made a soft "crack" sound.

"We are already harvesting the market with assembly lines, while they are still filling the gaps with sheer manpower."

He turned around and looked at Satsuki sitting on the sofa in the corner, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"The outcome was already decided before the door opened."

Satsuki was reading a fashion magazine, seemingly oblivious to the astonishing business miracle before her.

"President Yanai."

Satsuki turned a page of her book without looking up.

"This is just the beginning."

"The real test will come at night when the rush hour crowds come in."

She closed the magazine, stood up, and walked to the glass.

"However, I think the current president of the Chunai Kung Fu Society is probably much more anxious than we are."

……

Jiangdong District, Da Rong Group Headquarters.

The president's office was a mess. Documents were scattered all over the floor, and a telephone line had been ripped out.

Zhong Neigong slumped in his chair, his tie ripped open, his chest heaving violently.

An urgent report that had just been delivered was on the table.

[Da Rong Supermarket's checkout lines are experiencing severe congestion, with average wait times exceeding 20 minutes.]

Passenger traffic decreased by 15% year-on-year.

[There have even been cases of customers getting into physical altercations with store clerks over issues related to change.]

"asshole……"

Zhong Neigong grabbed the report and crumpled it into a ball.

"It's all because of that damn 1 yen!"

He closed his eyes, and the image of the girl who smiled and handed him the "poison contract" in the Akasaka ryotei came to mind.

He thought he had simply handed Rosen over to her.

Unexpectedly, she used the knife she had sharpened from Rosen's body to stab Da Rong in the heart.

"President! Something terrible has happened!"

The secretary rushed in in a panic, forgetting to even knock.

"Regarding Seibu Department Store... Chairman Yoshiaki Tsutsumi just issued a statement!"

"What did he say?" Zhong Neigong suddenly opened his eyes.

He said... Seibu Department Store, considering customer convenience, has decided to pilot a "rounding down" service at some counters! Although it's not entirely tax-free, but...

Zhong Neigong was stunned.

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi.

That arrogant, haughty Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, who always had "rules" on his mind, actually bowed his head?

What does this tell us?

This shows that even that real estate tycoon was afraid.

They were afraid of that kind of "white terror"—the white terror created by S-Mart based on "efficiency" and "experience".

Zhong Neigong slowly stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the sky over Tokyo remained gloomy.

But in every corner of the city, those white-on-black S-Mart signs are spreading like a virus, engulfing the territory of the old era.

"The world has changed."

Zhong Neigong's voice was hoarse.

He looked at his aged reflection in the glass window.

"This era... no longer belongs to us."

……

It was six o'clock in the evening.

S-Mart store in Shinjuku.

The rush hour has arrived.

The neon lights on the street began to flash, turning the flooded pavement into a hazy kaleidoscope of colors. Crowds surged in like a tide, carrying with them the chill and weariness.

Shinichi Tanaka, a section chief at Mitsubishi Corporation, carried a heavy briefcase and mingled in the crowd.

He had just finished a marathon meeting, and his tie was making it hard to breathe. His throat was parched, and all he wanted to do was buy a bottle of water and rush home on the subway to sleep.

Because his usual convenience store was packed with people, he inexplicably pushed open the glass door of this newly opened supermarket.

"Ding-dong—"

The melodious sound of wind chimes rang out.

A rich, assertive, and warm aroma, like a pair of gentle hands, instantly captured his stomach.

The savory sweetness of the radish, simmered in bonito broth, is combined with the rich aroma of freshly fried chicken and the caramelized flavor of teriyaki sauce over charcoal.

Tanaka originally intended to head straight for the beverage counter, but his feet seemed to slow down on their own.

Ah, I'm hungry.

S-Mart's traffic flow design here demonstrates an amazing magic.

Unlike traditional supermarkets that hide the deli section deep inside, the entrance here is designed as a wide, curved path that forcefully—yet incredibly smoothly—guides customers to the huge, brightly lit open island counter in the center of the store.

S-Kitchen.

This place is like a theater stage.

Several employees in pristine white chef uniforms were busy at work. Inside a huge stainless steel oden pot, amber-colored broth was gently bubbling. Radishes soaked in the broth had a translucent jade-like appearance, beef tendons were tender, and the tofu pouches were bulging.

Steaming hot, with white mist swirling around.

In this chilly early spring night, this warmth is the most irresistible temptation.

And especially for a hungry office worker who has just finished get off work, this smell is enough to kill him.

"Freshly baked Hokkaido Baron Meat Patties! Be careful, they're hot!"

The staff brought out a plate of golden and crispy fried meat patties and poured them into the warming cabinet.

That crisp "crash" shattered Tanaka's last line of defense.

He didn't feel like he was shopping in a supermarket; instead, he had the illusion of walking into a high-class izakaya.

Here, the food is not coldly sealed in plastic boxes, but displayed fresh and steaming hot.

"Two meat patties, and a serving of oden, please."

Tanaka swallowed hard, his voice hoarse.

"Okay, sir." The clerk quickly packed the food into a box. "It's closing time now, but for an extra 100 yen you can get a tuna salad. Would you like that?"

"……want."

Tanaka took the warm box, the warmth seeping through the paper bag into his palm, making him feel an urge to cry at that moment.

Continuing forward from the island platform, you'll find the meticulously planned "related display area".

Right next to the steaming hot cooked food is the huge "world wine cabinet".

This is a floor-to-ceiling glass wall of refrigerated display cases.

To cater to the desire of those leaving get off work to "have a sip right away," the refrigerator temperature during this time period is set at an extremely low 2 degrees Celsius—the temperature at which beer tastes most refreshing.

Dark green Heineken, gold Ebisu, silver Asahi Spicy Cake.

Countless aluminum cans and glass bottles were covered with fine water droplets, which shimmered with an alluring diamond-like luster under the illumination of a specially designed cold light source.

And next to the handle of the wine cabinet, rows of snacks to accompany drinks are hung with great "cunning" skill:

Smoked squid strips, wasabi green beans, and thick-cut beef jerky.

No need to think, no need to search.

With the wine in his left hand, he could easily grab a bag of snacks to go with it.

Tanaka originally only wanted to buy a bottle of mineral water.

But when he came to his senses, he found himself holding an expensive can of Ebisu Gold Label beer and a bag of Hokkaido scallops.

"You've had a long day, it's not too much to ask for a nice drink, is it?"

He said this to himself.

Finally, there's the cashier area.

Tanaka, carrying his black shopping basket which had unknowingly become full, mentally prepared himself for a long queue. After all, buying so many things would definitely be a hassle at the checkout.

But to his surprise, the team was moving very fast.

The whole process was incredibly quiet, without any of those annoying "please show your change" prompts.

Soft jazz music drifted into my ears, accompanied by the rhythmic beeping of the cash register.

It was his turn.

"The total is 1800 yen."

The cashier took the two 1,000 yen bills from Tanaka and almost instantly placed two 100 yen coins in his hand.

Here's your change: 200 yen. Thank you for your patronage.

Clean and efficient.

He didn't need to hesitate over that one yen, nor did he feel awkward waiting.

This is a shopping experience unlike any other.

Dignity. Comfort. Efficiency.

Ten minutes later.

Shinichi Tanaka stepped out of the automatic door.

The wind outside was still cold, but he felt warm all over.

I don't feel so tired anymore.

He was carrying a bag full of things—a bunch of beer, snacks, bread for tomorrow's breakfast, and a box of sushi for a late-night snack, which he hadn't originally planned to buy.

And that newly issued membership card with a red logo.

He glanced back at the bright floor-to-ceiling window, the only place in this indifferent city that didn't bother him but instead gave him dignity.

"Let's come here again from now on."

He said to himself.

Clutching the warm oden in his hand, he strode toward the subway station.

Behind him, the soft lights of S-Mart resembled a giant trap, gently devouring every weary soul that passed by.