"I Need a Translator Now!" the Panicked Billionaire Yelled — But the Maid Surprised Him!
Chapter 3
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Hana turned back to Conrad. Her voice was steady now. "Mr. Moriyama says that he read the Japanese contract carefully. In it, your company promises to keep the Moriyama name on every inn, to keep all 400 employees, and to protect the traditional buildings exactly as they are. He was prepared to sign that." She paused. "But his granddaughter read the English version on the plane, and it says something very different. The English version says the inns will be rebranded as Pierce Properties within two years. It says staffing will be reviewed, and it allows the company to renovate the historic buildings however it chooses."The room went cold."He believes," Hana said quietly, "that you tried to trick him. He says he can forgive a hard negotiator. He cannot do business with a dishonest one."Conrad stared at her. Then he grabbed both versions of the contract and handed them to his lawyer. "Compare them. Now."His lawyer flipped through the pages, then looked up, pale. "I can't read the Japanese."Hana stepped forward. "May I?"Conrad hesitated for only a second. Then he nodded.She sat down at the table beside the man who had told her to stay out of the way an hour earlier. She went through the contract clause by clause, translating the Japanese aloud while the lawyer followed in English.On page six, the difference appeared. Then on page nine. Then on page 14.Three sections had been changed: the Japanese version promised everything the Moriyama family wanted; the English version, the one Conrad's company would legally enforce, quietly took it all away.Conrad's lawyer read it twice. "Conrad, I didn't draft the Japanese version. Ashford Consulting did. Your chief strategy officer hired them."Conrad's face turned to stone. He knew exactly what it meant: his own strategy officer had tried to win the deal by deceiving the other side. Conrad had been so focused on getting the signature that he had never asked how.He looked across the table at the old man holding his cane. For a long moment, nobody spoke.Then Conrad did something nobody in that room had ever seen him do: he stood up, walked around the table, and bowed—awkwardly, but deeply."Please tell Mr. Moriyama," he said to Hana, "that I didn't know. But that doesn't excuse it. It's my company. It's my responsibility. Tell him I'm sorry. And tell him that if he'll give me 30 minutes, I'll rewrite the English contract so it says exactly what the Japanese one promised: his name stays, his people stay, his buildings stay as they are."Hana translated. She chose her words carefully, adding the formal apology the moment required.Mr. Moriyama looked at Conrad for a long time. Then he slowly sat back down. He said something quietly, and for the first time that morning, the corner of his mouth lifted.Hana smiled. "He says you have 29 minutes left."