Outside the conference room, the lingering warmth of the discussions had not yet dissipated.
In the corridor, employees in small groups were still conversing in low voices, their excitement transmitting through the air like an electric current, their conversations invariably centered around the groundbreaking meeting that had just concluded.
"A fighting game… just hearing the name makes my fists clench," one planner couldn't help but gesture.
"Nakayama-san's plan this time, the scope is truly…" another Market Department employee shook his head, seemingly unable to find the right words, "Who would have dared to imagine this before?"
"Esports? It's the first time I've heard that term, but if you think about it, if our game competitions can become popular, it really seems like we could pursue that direction."
"The key is those two names at the end, Director Ooba and Caruda Teacher… My goodness, if we can really invite them, the overall caliber of this project would be too high!"
Amidst the discussions, every now and then, someone would cast a gaze, mixed with awe, curiosity, and even a hint of scrutiny, towards Takuya Nakayama, who had just exited the conference room. Once upon a time, those gazes were more about "watching the show" and "waiting for him to mess up."
The term "Takuya Effect," which originally carried a hint of mockery, was at this moment endowed with significant weight. Many people murmured to themselves: This "Young Master" really doesn't seem to be here just to coast by.
Takuya seemed oblivious to the surrounding gazes; his sight was fixed on Mr. Suzuki, the Market Department head, who was not far away, giving instructions to his assistant and preparing to leave.
He walked up quickly, a perfectly appropriate smile on his face.
"Mr. Suzuki, please wait."
Mr. Suzuki, the Market Department head, turned around at the sound, and upon seeing Takuya, his face immediately broke into an even warmer smile than he had shown in the conference room, and he even bowed slightly.
"Nakayama-san, how may I help you?" His attitude was completely different from before.
"Don't mention it," Takuya waved his hand, maintaining a humble posture, yet his tone carried an undeniable drive, "Regarding the invitation of Director Ooba and Caruda Teacher, I wanted to confirm the subsequent arrangements with you."
Mr. Suzuki's smile imperceptibly stiffened. This matter sounded exciting in the meeting, but when it came to actually executing it, he was still a bit apprehensive. While those two were not at their absolute peak now, inviting them for custom animation would likely not be so easy.
"Nakayama-san, as you know, both masters are renowned figures in their respective fields, so their schedules must be very tight, not to mention Caruda-san also has a manga to serialize, and…" He paused, choosing his words carefully, afraid of dampening the spirits of this newly rising star, "And, frankly, our connections at Sega in the animation and manga industries are quite limited. Approaching them rashly might…" He didn't explicitly state it, but his meaning was clear—difficult, very difficult.
"I know there are difficulties," Takuya cut straight to the chase, without any prevarication, "But precisely because there are difficulties, it highlights the value of our project. If it could be achieved easily, then it wouldn't be our turn to pioneer this era."
"Mr. Suzuki, I believe in the capabilities of the Market Department, and I believe in your resources." Takuya looked directly at Mr. Suzuki, his gaze not one of pressure, but rather a nearly candid trust and expectation, which made Mr. Suzuki feel a sense of responsibility more than a direct order, "As long as we show enough sincerity, an unprecedented cross-industry collaboration opportunity, and a project proposal that can excite them too, I believe there's a chance to move them."
Mr. Suzuki saw Takuya's confidence and his "must-win" demeanor, and didn't know how to respond.
"How about this, Mr. Suzuki," Takuya, seeing the time was right, immediately offered a concrete plan, "I will quickly put together a more detailed project description, including our envisioned game world-view, core character concepts, and preliminary ideas for potential future animation collaborations. On your end, please try to contact the two gentlemen as soon as possible through Shueisha and Tatsunoko Production, with the goal of securing an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting, even if it's only for half an hour."
"As long as we can sit down and talk, I am confident I can make them see the potential of this project."
"Understood, Nakayama-san." With Takuya's "half-hour" bottom line, Mr. Suzuki's pressure was not as great, and his tone became decisive, "I will arrange it immediately and do my utmost to facilitate the meeting as soon as possible."
"Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Suzuki." Takuya bowed slightly, a knowing smile on his face.
Securing the intent for external collaboration was only the first step. The internal engine also needed to be fully fueled.
Takuya turned, without delay, and walked directly towards the office area of Development Team 3.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the Development Team 3 office was ten times more fervent than in the corridor outside.
Programmers gathered around several monitors, pointing and gesticulating, passionately debating the feasibility of implementing certain effects; artists, meanwhile, spread out drawing paper or sketched on computers, eagerly exchanging ideas, the air filled with a pumped-up excitement and a certain "storm is brewing" restlessness.
"Hey, hey, did you hear? Our team is taking on Nakayama-san's 'K' project!"
"A fighting game? Never even heard of it! But from what the president said, it sounds super amazing!"
"That's a project personally assigned by the president! Our Team 3 is going to make a name for ourselves this time! Everyone, perk up, don't mess this up!"
"Making a name for ourselves is for sure, it's just… how exactly do you make a fighting game? We used to make platformers, shooters, and stuff, but this… we have absolutely no experience." A senior programmer scratched his already thinning hair, his face filled with "excitement and confusion."
Team leader Shimizu stood in the center of the office, looking at his team members who were pumped up but also clearly a bit unsure, his face showing irrepressible excitement, but also a trace of imperceptible worry. He knew better than anyone what this "K" project meant for Development Team 3. It was a pie from the sky, but also a hot potato. If they did it well, Team 3 could soar, becoming an ace team within Sega.
"Everyone, everyone quiet down!" Shimizu clapped his hands, trying to cool down the overly excited air a bit, "I know everyone is very excited, and I know better than anyone what this project means to us. But we also need to be calm, to be clear-headed!"
He emphasized, "A fighting game, this is an entirely new genre, for all of us. We don't have any ready-made experience to copy; everything has to be explored from scratch. This means huge challenges, and it means countless difficulties."
"Therefore, from now on, we must unite, use all our intelligence, and support each other to tackle this tough challenge!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the office door opened. Takuya Nakayama walked in.