Wednesday 7 June 1997.
Zaboru continued working as usual, not giving much thought to Zanki's unexpected visit. He assumed Zanki had simply come to manipulate him somehow using his abilities—and failed. Either way, Zaboru had grown tired of trying to read into it. He had more pressing matters on his mind. That very morning, his father had informed him that Seiya Shimura was looking for him, wanting to discuss something important.
Zaboru was surprised that Seiya Shimura had called for him. Seiya wasn't just anyone—he was a longtime friend of Zaboru's father, Zanichi, and a respected real estate businessman and investor. In fact, Zaboru had previously acquired the old ZAGE Osaka building through him, making their connection both personal and professional.
"I wonder why he's looking for me though?" Zaboru sighed, then returned to his work, pushing the thought aside.
Not long after, Yumi Ichijou entered his office.
"Boss, there are people here to see you. Their names are Seiya Shimura and Himura Sendou. They said they have a private appointment with you. Should I bring them in?"
Zaboru nodded. "Yes, please, Yumi-san. Show them in."
Yumi nodded and turned to fetch the guests.
Meanwhile, in the ZAGE Tower waiting room, Seiya and Himura were both surprised by how impressive the interior was. It didn't resemble a typical office at all—every corner was filled with vibrant ZAGE character displays and polished decor.
"Pretty impressive, huh?" Seiya said, glancing around.
Himura nodded. "Truly. This looks like a fantastic place to work."
They continued admiring the environment until Yumi arrived to escort them. "This way, please," she said with a polite smile, leading them to the 51st floor where Zaboru's office was located.
Before long, Seiya and Himura arrived at Zaboru's office. Yumi politely excused herself, leaving the three men to their meeting.
"Seiya-san, long time no see," Zaboru said, shaking his hand.
"Long time no see, Zaboru! And damn—nice tower, by the way," Seiya replied with a grin.
Zaboru chuckled and nodded, then turned to the man beside him. "And this?"
Seiya gestured proudly. "Ah, this is Himura Sendou."
Himura stepped forward and extended his hand. He looked to be in his mid to late 30s—sharp but composed. Zaboru shook his hand warmly. "Sendou-san."
"Renkonan-san, please—call me Himura," he said with a polite smile.
Zaboru laughed lightly and nodded. "Alright, then you can call me Zaboru too. Now, let's sit, you two."
He motioned for them to take a seat, and they did.
Zaboru leaned forward slightly. "So, why are you looking for me?"
Seiya smiled. "First of all, let me introduce Himura properly. He's the CEO of Sendou Inc., the internet provider. You've heard of them, right?"
Zaboru nodded. Of course he had. Sendou Inc. was quickly rising to prominence. It wasn't just another tech company—they had serious government contracts and were making waves in the infrastructure world. What fascinated Zaboru most was that Sendou Inc. didn't even exist in his previous world, at least not by that name. It was a wildcard—one he hadn't accounted for, and that alone made it worth watching.
Even more shocking was their technology. For 1997, the internet speeds Sendou was offering were unreal. Back in Zaboru's original world, speeds like this—on par with late DSL and cable—wouldn't be common until the early 2000s. Yet here, Sendou had already pushed Japan's digital infrastructure to that level, nearly four or five years ahead of schedule.
And they hadn't stopped at speed. What truly made Sendou stand out was their pricing. They weren't trying to create a luxury product—they were aiming for accessibility. Fast internet, reasonably priced, widely available. It was a game-changer. For the average citizen to access this kind of speed in 1997? That would flip entire industries on their heads.
Zaboru's mind was already spinning. He could feel the potential unraveling in front of him. If this was real—and scalable—then projects he'd shelved for years might suddenly have a future.
"Yes, I know Sendou Company. They're quite famous," Zaboru said with a small smile.
Himura returned the smile and leaned forward slightly. "Zaboru-san, you'll see—we at Sendou have spent years focused on developing technology that delivers high-speed internet. It's been a long road, but with consistent collaboration with the government, we've made significant progress. Our core mission has always been to make internet access not just fast, but as easy and affordable as possible for everyday people."
He paused, his tone becoming more passionate. "It's been nearly a decade since we launched our Fiber to the Home initiative. This project is a partnership between Sendou Inc. and several government agencies. We're working to replace outdated copper lines with fiber-optic cables, which are capable of transmitting data at dramatically higher speeds. These cables are being installed underground, making the network more stable, weather-resistant, and scalable."
Zaboru raised an eyebrow with interest as Himura continued. "I'm not sure if you've heard about fiber optics in detail, but to put it simply—they transmit data using light. That means nearly zero latency and bandwidth that supports everything from multi-user households to future infrastructure demands. We're rolling this out not just across Japan, but also expanding with key partners in Korea and China. It's a regional transformation that could leapfrog Asia's digital capacity ahead of the rest of the world."
Zaboru's eyes widened. He clearly knew what fiber optics were, but he never expected them to show up this early—not in 1997. In his previous life, the technology didn't begin to take off until the early 2000s. Yet here it was, already in motion. It was shocking... and thrilling.
"This is... very unexpected," he said, leaning back slightly. "I know a bit about fiber optics. I've been keeping an eye on its potential for years. So—what exactly do you need from me?"
Himura sighed, his tone growing more serious. "Honestly? We need investment. And not just a little—we're talking large-scale capital. I know it's difficult to trust something this early, but believe me, when this project succeeds, internet speeds will skyrocket. We're talking transformative change, not just for homes, but for the entire infrastructure of Japan's digital future."
He glanced briefly at Seiya before continuing. "The problem is, we're hemorrhaging money. This project is a financial black hole—for now. Seiya's already put in a significant sum, which we're grateful for, but the pace we're moving at is draining resources fast. Between laying underground cables, building nodes, and scaling operations beyond Japan, we're stretched thinner by the week."
Zaboru didn't hesitate. He knew exactly what this meant. Fast internet wasn't just a convenience—it was the backbone of everything he planned to build. From online video platforms to real-time systems, this infrastructure would support it all.
"I'll invest," he said simply.
Seiya chuckled, already anticipating the answer. Himura looked stunned for a moment, then gave a small smile—relief mixed with admiration.
"Just like that, Zaboru-san?" Himura asked, still a bit stunned by the speed of the decision.
Zaboru smiled and leaned back. "Let me share a little secret. For a while now, many of ZAGE's projects have been stuck—stagnating, really. And the root problem has always been the same: internet speed. We've had powerful ideas, platforms, even prototypes ready to launch, but the infrastructure couldn't support them. This investment with Sendou, especially with government support behind it, isn't just logical—it's necessary."
He gestured toward Himura. "And I really admire how you've handled things. Instead of turning high-speed internet into some overpriced luxury, you've made it affordable. You've built a system that respects the everyday person. That's rare—and exactly the kind of initiative I want to support."
Himura nodded with a satisfied smile. "I see. That's good to hear. We've worked hard to keep it accessible."
He reached into his case and handed Zaboru a folder. "Let's plan another meeting next week. I'll bring more detailed documents—technical specs, timelines, and revised investment options."
Seiya added, "I'll gather some folks from the government as well. If we get them involved early, it'll smooth the path ahead."
Zaboru nodded. "Fair enough. I'll loop in my head of finance too. We'll need to model this properly, but I'm confident we'll move forward."
The three continued talking for a while longer, shifting from business into lighter, forward-looking discussion. Ideas flowed. Visions aligned. And when the meeting finally wrapped up, it was clear—this was the start of something big.
After the meeting, Zaboru returned to his personal workshop on the 52nd floor. He dropped into his chair, grinning ear to ear as he leaned back and stared at the ceiling in disbelief. "I can't believe it... fiber optics are actually coming this soon—even though it's still just 1997," he muttered to himself.
He let out a chuckle. In his previous life, it had been true that Japan and Korea were pioneers in deploying Fiber to the Home (FTTH), but even then, the rollout didn't gain traction until the early to mid-2000s. Seeing it surface this early in the timeline felt like a science fiction twist suddenly becoming real.
"Hehehe... what a surprise," he said with a smirk. "If the fiber-optic network becomes usable soon, I'll launch an all-out advertising campaign. No doubt about it."
He spun slowly in his chair, mind racing. "Not to mention what this will do for ZAGE's backlog... so many of our projects have been stuck because of lousy internet speeds. But with this?" He snapped his fingers. "We can bring them back to life."
One by one, the visions started lining up in his mind like dominoes. "The YouTube-style video platform—we can finally deploy the prototype. A full-on streaming service—hell yes, now it's possible. Even the ZAGE forums could be completely overhauled. I can finally enable video uploads, better content sharing, and smoother multimedia integration."
He opened his notebook and began jotting down new outlines for project phases, estimated launch windows, marketing angles—everything. It felt like momentum was finally back in his hands. But this is still needed when Fiber Optics are truly implemented.
To be continue
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