Group dating, or goukon, is a very normal and common social activity for the Japanese.
Mainly, after people start working, everyone is quite busy, and social circles quickly become rigid. After all, with the lifetime employment system, it's very difficult to find a suitable partner within one's own small circle.
Plus, there are more men than women among office workers, so this gradually evolved into what is known as the group dating system.
Basically, a few guys agree with a few girls to have the same number of participants, then get together to eat and drink, with follow-up activities like KTV or something else in the evening.
Truth be told, if it hadn't been for Akanishi Ken's reminder, Aoki Haruhi really wouldn't have noticed this.
Gen Urobuchi and Mikami Shinji have just entered society, and sometimes they really work too hard. A little love in their lives occasionally might stop Old Xu from writing those insane scripts.
Hmm, hmm.
Akanishi Ken's suggestion is absolutely necessary.
Should I ask Tsuda to help introduce someone when the time comes?
No, no.
As soon as this thought popped into his head, Aoki Haruhi suppressed it.
Just think about it, what kind of professions would the girls Tsuda knows have?
Hmm, better to find someone else; that would be more reliable.
However, even though he thought about it, once November arrived, Aoki Haruhi pushed the matter of "introducing dates to Gen Urobuchi and Shinji Mikami" to the back of his mind.
For no other reason than that Diablo was about to hit the shelves.
The game cartridges had been submitted to Sega, passed inspection, and were ready for release.
Whenever this time of year came around, Aoki, as company president, inevitably became incredibly busy.
Thwack.
The golf club tapped the white ball gently, producing a pleasant, light sound.
The ball rolled along the turf for a moment before dropping into the hole.
"That's amazing, President Hattori!"
Aoki Haruhi applauded in praise.
Hattori Yuji took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead and smiled at him.
"You're too kind. It's mainly because the golf club set you gave me is truly excellent. President Aoki, you really shouldn't have spent so much."
And how could he not?
This set of golf clubs had cost Aoki Haruhi 1 million yen.
Golf truly lived up to its reputation as a pastime for the wealthy.
Aoki Haruhi was heartbroken over the cost.
Just a decent set of clubs was this expensive, and each trip to play would cost around 16,000 yen as well.
For an 18-hole round, it was mandatory for each person to rent a cart and hire a caddy; otherwise, walking the course alone would practically exhaust you to death.
Besides Aoki Haruhi and Hattori Yuji, he had also very tactfully arranged for two pretty young ladies to accompany them.
Although the young women didn't really understand golf, they knew how to cheer them on, and they seemed to enjoy watching the two presidents play.
Of course, all of today's expenses were on Aoki Haruhi.
"So, is Pokeni's new game launching again?" Hattori Yuji said straightforwardly.
Although he had initially disliked Aoki Haruhi, after interacting with him so many times, he discovered that the guy actually had a knack for making money. Several of his games had sold quite well.
At the end of the day, Hattori Yuji was a businessman, and he didn't have a competitive relationship with Pokeni. If there was money to be made, why not?
After taking a few swings, Hattori Yuji sat down to rest, wiping away sweat while sipping a drink.
Golf, while called a sport, is actually for doing business. Because an entire round takes about three to four hours to finish, it would be too boring if you didn't talk about something during that time.
Business golf culture is particularly prevalent in Japan, especially during the economic bubble era. Back then, people were basically either playing golf or on their way to play golf.
But then again, it really did create a lot of bubbles.
After the collapse, a large number of golf courses in Japan went out of business, and the few that remained became activities only for the wealthy.
"Yes, President Hattori," Aoki Haruhi said with a smile. "Pokeni's new game is called 'Diablo'. It's our all-out effort, and it's bound to be a big seller.
I've even got the cartridges ready.
I look forward to your guidance."
Hattori Yuji glanced at the gift box sitting on the golf cart. He had to admit, President Aoki was getting better at this.
"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance, but yes, I will certainly give it a thorough play when I get back."
"I also wish Pokeni's new game great sales."
Although the previous remarks were just standard pleasantries, the last sentence was heartfelt.
If Diablo sold well, then as a major distributor, Dongrun's revenue would also increase.
That's the beauty of being a distributor—no matter who you are, they genuinely wish you success.
Once they accept your game, you're in the same boat.
"So, President Hattori, how many units are you planning to pre-order this time?"
Aoki Haruhi stood in front of the white ball, squinting one eye as he eyed the hole not far away.
It was less than 10 meters from where he stood.
A gentle tap might just sink it.
He gripped the club with both hands and swayed it back and forth.
"Hmm... quite a bit more, at least 10,000 sets. Hahaha..."
Hattori Yuji laughed heartily.
A company's strength isn't something that can be proven just once. After so many trials, if Pokeni could still achieve such good results, then the company had proven its worth.
Hattori Yuji believed in mature experience and the value of a brand verified by the market.
"Then I'm very grateful to you, President Hattori! I must pay a visit to your office some other day to properly thank you."
"Haha, no need to be so polite."
Before Hattori Yuji could finish his sentence, Aoki Haruhi swung the club, rotating his waist with force.
Swish...
He swung completely into thin air.
Both beauties couldn't help but cover their mouths and giggle.
Hattori Yuji laughed heartily along with them.
However, he just thought Aoki Haruhi's acting was too clumsy this time.
The last time they played billiards, this guy clearly had superior skills but chose to go easy on him. Hattori simply didn't believe Aoki would be a novice at golf.
Hmm...
Still, this act was really infuriating.
If you're going to act, do it better. Miss by a stroke or two, maybe, to make my skills look impressive.
"By the way, how is the development of your new handheld console going?" Hattori Yuji was quite curious about this.
"It should be almost ready," Aoki Haruhi smiled. "The prototype should be out next month."
"Oh, not bad," Hattori Yuji stroked his chin.
He wondered what the price of the new console would be when it came out.
Just then, Aoki Haruhi spread his feet and tapped the ball.
Tap...
The white ball rolled straight, but soon veered away from the hole, rolling further and further away instead.
Huh?
Hattori Yuji blinked in surprise.
So this guy really doesn't know how to play.
Originally, Hattori had thought Aoki was just playing the novice like he did with billiards.
But he never expected that this guy was truly a novice.
On the way home, the driver pulled over as usual.
Before he could even ask for instructions.
Hattori Yuji opened the car window with a blank expression and tossed the game cartridge into the trash can.
Clatter.
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