"When I was a boy, she said their tea was special because they cared more about the land than the price."
For a moment, he smiled faintly.
Then his expression darkened.
"I stopped listening to those people a long time ago."
Naomi didn't immediately respond.
She wasn't there to absolve him.
But she recognized genuine regret.
After a moment, she asked whether he'd ever visited the village recently.
He shook his head.
"Not in years."
Naomi looked toward the empty table.
Then said quietly.
"Mrs. Morita used to say that a cup of tea couldn't be separated from the people who grew it."
The billionaire stared.
For several seconds, he seemed lost in thought.
Then he nodded slowly.
"My mother said something very similar."
Before leaving, the chairman addressed the broken bowl.
Naomi had been dreading the subject.
She knew the piece was valuable.
Its history mattered.
And she didn't want to pretend that destroying it had no consequences simply because the intervention was justified.
The billionaire looked toward the serving station.
"The tea master tells me some fragments were preserved."
Naomi nodded.
"Yes."
He took a breath.
"I was furious when you broke it."
"I know."
He paused.
Then looked directly at her.
"But a bowl can be repaired, documented, or remembered. A person cannot always be brought back."
Naomi felt tears rising.
For a moment, she couldn't speak.
Then whispered.
"I'm sorry it was damaged."
The chairman nodded.
"I believe you."
He stood.
Then gave her a small, deliberate bow.
It wasn't an extravagant performance.
It wasn't a claim that she belonged to a secret family or possessed some extraordinary rank.
It was a simple gesture of respect.
The kind he should have offered before he knew anything about her.
"Thank you for protecting me."
Naomi bowed her head.
"You're welcome, sir."
For several seconds, they stood quietly.
Then the billionaire turned toward Mei.
"I hope Miss Brooks hasn't suffered professionally because of this."
Mei answered immediately.
"She has our support."
He nodded.
Then looked toward Naomi once more.
"I hope you'll allow me to make a formal statement correcting the public account."
She considered the offer.
Then answered.
"If it's truthful and doesn't interfere with the investigation."
For the first time, the billionaire smiled.
"That seems fair."
The billionaire's public statement appeared the following afternoon.
It was brief.
He confirmed that Naomi had intervened after observing suspicious activity involving his tea and that the subsequent examination supported serious concerns about contamination.
He acknowledged that his initial response to her had been inappropriate.
And he requested that members of the public stop spreading unsupported accusations about her conduct.
The statement didn't identify everyone under investigation.
It didn't claim that legal responsibility had already been established.