This clearly elevated the game to the status of a universally applicable product for the entire society.
"Distribute those so-called gifts to the brothers in the Development Department who are working overtime."
Takuya Nakayama glanced casually at the list and flicked the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray.
"Don't be swayed by their sugar-coated bullets. They're praising you to the skies now because you turned their pile of long-delayed, capital-draining cartridges into hard cash."
He stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the bustling street below.
"A merchant's gratitude has a shorter shelf life than milk. Today they'll send us fruit baskets for this windfall, but tomorrow, if we dare to charge even a fraction of a percent more in royalties to Jupiter, they'll turn on us instantly and secretly stab me in the back."
"What about these thank-you letters—"
"Have the assistant file them away," Takuya Nakayama said without turning around. "Instead of wasting time on this, focus on the logistics in Yokohama. Now that they've made money, applications for the next batch of Development Kits will come pouring in like snowflakes. That's when we'll truly squeeze the money from their pockets."
Sato put away his files and grinned.
After all, compared to money, sentiment doesn't even register as a decimal point on a financial report.
After a couple of days of rest at home, Oguchi Hisao appeared in Takuya Nakayama's office, briefcase in hand.
During his two days in Tokyo, he hadn't truly relaxed; his mind was still filled with images of the assembly lines at the Dongguan factory.
"This is the final summary," Oguchi Hisao said, placing a thick file on the table. His voice still carried a hint of fatigue from his recent travels.
Takuya Nakayama opened the report, his gaze lingering on several key red figures.
Oguchi Hisao's trip had essentially served as a "pressure relief valve."
At this critical juncture, with the Jupiter selling like hotcakes globally, any greed or negligence in the supply chain could lead to a fatal rupture.
It was worth noting that Oguchi Hisao had demonstrated remarkable political acumen in dealing with the "shady" middle managers.
He had followed Takuya Nakayama's advice before his departure: Don't ask why, don't be the bad guy, just focus on shipment volumes.
"Director Terauchi and Director Hatano are very pleased with this month's production report," Oguchi Hisao said, taking a sip of his now-cool coffee. His Adam's apple bobbed as he continued, "I only mentioned the gaps in raw material supply and assembly scheduling. I didn't say a word about how those gaps formed or who was tampering with the logistics."
Takuya Nakayama closed the folder, judging this approach to be the most beneficial under the circumstances.
By leaving the two old directors enough face, they would naturally be motivated to personally intervene and clean out the traitors to prove their authority. This strategy of using their own strength to strike at the enemy was far more efficient than Headquarters sending in auditors and causing a major uproar.
"Mercury Technology gave us a surprise," Oguchi Hisao said, pulling another brief project proposal from his bag.
Takuya Nakayama took it and saw the title clearly displayed on the cover: Investiture of the Gods: The Legend of Yang Jian.
He pondered for a moment, realizing this was likely the concrete manifestation of the butterfly effect.
In his past life, Yanshan Software had been a master of modding, but they had never had such a formal development environment at such an early stage.
"An ARPG?" Takuya Nakayama flipped through the design document. "They've smartened up. They chose a story with a manageable narrative complexity and a character with good potential for ARPG gameplay. They avoided the structurally loose Journey to the West and the Three Kingdoms, which would require a massive ensemble cast. For their first game targeting the Japanese market, this level of development and complexity carries relatively low risk while still allowing them to showcase some Chinese cultural elements."
"Fu Zhan mentioned they're contacting art experts in Mainland China who are well-versed in the Investiture of the Gods and literary consultants who specialize in ancient texts," Hisao Oguchi added. "Following your advice, all the art must retain its Eastern charm while also appealing to international tastes. They're now treating 'cultural barriers' as their own version of a 'tightening hoop spell,' as they call it."
It seemed that the "hellish training" they underwent in Tokyo with Development Team 3 had indeed ground down the arrogance of those Fujian men, replacing it with a newfound reverence for industrial development processes.
"How is the progress on appointing the legal supervisor?" Takuya Nakayama shifted the conversation to another crucial "rein on the monkey king."
"The candidate has been selected: a Taiwanese student from Waseda University's Faculty of Law," Oguchi Hisao replied, pulling a resume from the bottom of the folder. "However, they won't graduate until March. While they're a fresh graduate, they have a strong background in international copyright and patent law from their studies. Most importantly, their internship evaluations highlight a strong sense of principle, meticulous work habits, and an intimate knowledge of key international case law."
Nakayama glanced at the photo of the graduate, who wore black-rimmed glasses and had a slightly stoic expression.
This was the perfect type of person.
He didn't need to understand the nuances of human relations or social etiquette. All he needed was to wield the law and serve as a "black-faced judge" in the Fuzhou office.
"After graduation in March, have them spend a month in Sega's Legal Department and then half a month at Sega Galaxy," Nakayama said, tapping his fingers on the table. "This will allow them to familiarize themselves with our patent cross-licensing agreements with Nintendo and Sony, as well as our third-party royalty review processes. Once they're fully versed in our entire intellectual property and IP operating framework, then send them to Fuzhou."
Oguchi Hisao nodded and made a note.
"Once you've compiled these reports and handed them over to the assistant team, start your vacation. I'm approving two weeks off to compensate for missing the New Year with your family." Takuya Nakayama waved him off, urging him to rest well.
"But... isn't this the critical launch period for Jupiter, the first two months?" Oguchi Hisao tried to protest, but Nakayama raised his hand to stop him.
"Balance is key, in both work and life. Mr. Koguchi, you need to learn to live properly to return to work in better shape." Nakayama waved him toward the door. "Go on. There are plenty of people in the Executive Office, and Jupiter is already on track. You don't need to worry too much. Oh, and remember to collect your special hardship allowance from finance. Don't be stingy during your vacation—relax, and spend quality time with your wife and children."
"Yes! Thank you, Managing Director!" Oguchi Hisao bowed to Takuya Nakayama and exited the Executive Office.
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