Chapter 8
1289words
Director Kokonogi closed his office door, his tone glacial.
Section Chief Matsumoto hurried in, visibly tense. "Director, yesterday's inspection turned up nothing..."
"I know." Kokonogi cut him off. "If we can't catch the rat by its tail, we'll make it jump into our trap."
He pulled a document from his drawer and tossed it onto the desk.
"What's this?" Matsumoto picked it up.
"Shinagawa Hospital Affiliated Rehabilitation Center project, construction cost eight billion yen." Kokonogi's lips curled into a sneer. "Put Kijima Shin in charge of the structural design."
Matsumoto frowned. "This is a critical project. To entrust an ordinary designer with—"
"Critical?" Kokonogi rose and walked to the window. "Matsumoto, do you know how Kijima Shin's father died?"
"I heard it was a construction accident..."
"That's right. Falsified geological data led to structural collapse. Makoto Kijima took full responsibility and eventually killed himself." Kokonogi turned, a cruel gleam in his eyes. "Since the son wants to follow his father's path, let's accommodate him."
Section Chief Matsumoto inhaled sharply. "You mean..."
"Alter the geological survey for the Shinagawa project. Let Kijima Shin design using false data. When problems inevitably arise, he'll become the new Makoto Kijima."
"But if there's an actual accident..."
"There won't be." Kokonogi dismissed the concern with a wave. "Before construction begins, we'll 'discover the design flaw in time,' force Kijima to take responsibility for the technical error, and remove him from the company."
Matsumoto swallowed hard. "I understand."
Three days later, the Shinagawa Hospital project officially launched.
"Kijima-kun, I'm entrusting this project to you." Section Chief Matsumoto dropped a thick folder on Shin's desk. "The timeline is tight. Survey report, design drawings, and all reference materials are here."
Shin took the documents and flipped through them. "Section Chief Matsumoto, assigning such an important project to me seems..."
"The director sees great potential in you." Matsumoto patted his shoulder. "Do your best. This is your opportunity."
Shin nodded and began carefully reviewing the materials.
The geological survey stated: Construction site has excellent soil quality, low groundwater level, suitable for a fifteen-story structure. Bearing capacity parameter: 280kN/m².
Everything appeared normal.
But half an hour later, Shin frowned.
"That's odd..." he muttered.
Based on his experience, the Shinagawa area was built on reclaimed coastal land. The soil would be primarily silty clay with a bearing capacity nowhere near 280kN/m².
Shin opened his computer and pulled up historical geological data for the Shinagawa district.
Sure enough, the standard bearing capacity for that area was only 120-150kN/m².
"The data's been tampered with." Shin's pulse quickened.
He remembered his father's words: "Better to calculate ten times than trust one wrong figure. Geological data is the lifeline of construction—there's no room for error."
Shin immediately called the geological survey company.
"Hello, this is Kijima from Tensei Construction. I have some technical questions about the Shinagawa Hospital geological report..."
"Mr. Kijima, the report has been reviewed by our technical director. The data is absolutely accurate." The person sounded distinctly annoyed.
"I just need to verify the bearing capacity parameters..."
"Sorry, we're extremely busy. If you have concerns, submit them through official channels."
The line went dead.
Shin set down the phone, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
That evening, Shin sat alone in his apartment, holding his father's engineering notebook.
On the yellowed pages, his father's neat handwriting read: "Falsifying geological data is the gravest sin in our industry—worse than murder, for it kills not once but potentially hundreds."
His trembling fingers turned to the next page: "When faced with suspicious data, an engineer's conscience must never yield. Even if the whole world stands against you, the truth must prevail."
"Dad..." Shin closed his eyes. "They want me to fall into the same trap."
But this time, Shin wouldn't be isolated and helpless as his father had been.
He grabbed his phone and texted Moriyama: "Emergency. Need your help."
Ten minutes later, Moriyama called.
"Shin, what's happened?"
"They've falsified geological data. For the Shinagawa Hospital project—they've given me fake survey reports."
Moriyama fell silent for several seconds. "Are you certain?"
"Absolutely. The bearing capacity is exaggerated by more than double. Any design based on this data would risk catastrophic failure."
"Damn those bastards!" Moriyama cursed. "What's your plan?"
"I need accurate geological data. Can you help?"
"Yes. I know several independent surveyors who could run tests. But it'll take time and money."
"How long?"
"A week. Cost around five hundred thousand yen."
Shin considered briefly. "Do it. And keep this absolutely confidential."
"What about you? What's your next move?"
"Play along." Shin's voice turned cold. "They want me to take the bait, so I'll give them a performance."
Over the next week, Shin outwardly proceeded with the design based on the false data while secretly gathering evidence.
He meticulously documented every falsified parameter, analyzed discrepancies between actual and reported data, and even located a whistleblower at the survey company who provided details about the tampering.
"Bearing capacity inflated from 120 to 280, safety factor reduced from 2.5 to 1.1..." Shin recorded every figure in his hidden notes. "This isn't error—it's premeditated murder."
Meanwhile, Moriyama's contacts completed their independent survey.
"Results are in," Moriyama reported. "Your assessment was spot-on. Actual bearing capacity is only 135kN/m², and there's an abandoned drainage pipe underground that further compromises stability."
"Good. Compile everything into a formal report. I'll need it for the review meeting."
"Review meeting? You're not handling this privately?"
"No." Shin's voice hardened with resolve. "I want everyone to witness exactly how Director Kokonogi sets up his subordinates."
The project review meeting began precisely on schedule in the main conference room.
Attendees included Director Kokonogi, Section Chief Matsumoto, and several of the company's technical experts.
"Kijima-kun, report on your design progress." Kokonogi sat at the head of the table, his expression impassive.
Shin stood and projected his design drawings onto the screen.
"Based on the provided geological survey, I've completed the preliminary design. The building uses a frame structure with a raft foundation, designed for a bearing capacity of 280kN/m²."
Section Chief Matsumoto exchanged a knowing glance with Kokonogi, his lips curling into a slight smile.
Technical expert Tamura spoke up: "Kijima-kun, do you have any concerns about this bearing capacity parameter?"
"Of course I do." Shin's answer stunned the room.
Kokonogi frowned. "What do you mean?"
Shin removed two reports from his briefcase and placed them on the table.
"On the left is the geological survey provided by the company, showing a bearing capacity of 280kN/m²." Shin's tone was unnervingly calm. "On the right is an independent survey I commissioned. The actual bearing capacity is only 135kN/m²."
The room fell instantly silent.
Kokonogi's face drained of color. "What... what are you saying?"
"I'm saying someone wants me to follow my father's path." Shin's eyes were razor-sharp. "Using falsified geological data to make me design a structurally unsound building, then forcing me to shoulder all responsibility when it fails."
"Nonsense!" Section Chief Matsumoto jumped to his feet. "How dare you question the company's official survey report!"
"Well then, Matsumoto-san," Shin's voice carried a cold edge, "perhaps you can explain these internal emails from the survey company showing someone paid five million yen to alter the data?"
Shin pulled another stack of documents from his briefcase.
"Here's sworn testimony from the survey company's technician. Here are the bank transfer records. And here's a comparative analysis of the data before and after modification. The evidence is conclusive."
Section Chief Matsumoto stared in horror, his entire body trembling.
Kokonogi glared at Shin. "You... how did you..."
"Because I am Makoto Kijima's son," Shin said, enunciating each word. "And I will never allow anyone to use the same methods that destroyed my father to endanger innocent lives."
