The day after the Millionaire Finals aired, Lin Baicheng flew to Tokyo.
That morning, around ten o'clock, he received a call from Mouri Haruko. She informed him that Mitsubishi Bank had decided to approve the loan, but he needed to come in person to finalize the amount and related details. At the same time, someone from the bank wanted to meet him privately. Whether he agreed to the meeting or not was up to him, and it would not affect the loan.
According to Haruko, the man who wanted to meet him was Iwasaki Mineryu, a deputy director at Mitsubishi Bank. Though his title within the bank wasn't particularly high, Mitsubishi Bank belonged to the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu, which was controlled by the Iwasaki family — and Mineryu was one of its members.
Naturally, Lin didn't refuse. Meeting someone like that could only bring potential benefits.
Once Iwasaki learned that Lin would be arriving that day, he immediately invited him to dinner, and Lin accepted.
Because the meeting came on such short notice, Mouri Haruko only managed to gather some basic information about Iwasaki Mineryu — his age, education, career background, and general personality. Nothing too detailed, but Lin wasn't disappointed; it was enough.
Soon after landing in Tokyo, Lin went straight to the dinner.
They met at a Chinese restaurant — a considerate gesture on Iwasaki's part.
Lin suspected the dinner might be about investment. Perhaps Iwasaki, or even Mitsubishi Bank, wanted to buy into Galaxy Games, now that they knew how profitable it was. Lin had already decided to refuse any investment offers and had mentally prepared himself for the possibility that this might cost him the loan.
Even though the bank had said the meeting wouldn't affect the loan, Lin knew better — words were cheap, and power decided outcomes.
Not that Lin was against selling shares in Galaxy Games entirely. It was just too early. The game console hadn't even been released yet. Once it launched and the company's revenue and profit rose, its valuation would skyrocket — that would be the best time to bring in investors or even take the company public in the U.S.
The dinner began casually. As they chatted over food, the atmosphere gradually warmed.
"Mr. Lin," Iwasaki said with an admiring smile, "when I heard that you built your current fortune in less than a year, I was shocked. I could hardly believe someone could rise from nothing so quickly. Truly, I respect you."
"You flatter me, Mr. Iwasaki," Lin replied calmly. "There are plenty of people who've made more money in less time. I've just been lucky."
He waved dismissively, refusing to be swayed by flattery. He knew better than to take such words at face value.
"Mr. Lin, you're far too modest," Iwasaki chuckled, then changed the subject. "Since you're in the gaming business, how do you view the future of the industry?"
"Well," Lin said after a sip of tea, "as the world becomes more peaceful and economies grow stronger, people will have more disposable income. When that happens, they'll seek greater spiritual and recreational fulfillment — and games will be one of the main outlets. So overall, I'm very optimistic about the future of the gaming industry."
It was a safe and confident answer — enough to show vision without revealing too much. Lin wasn't worried about Iwasaki entering the market; competition was inevitable, and what mattered was staying ahead.
Iwasaki shook his head slightly.
"Mr. Lin, the Soviet Union and the United States are still locked in a Cold War. Even a minor conflict between them could affect the global economy. And don't forget — just a few years ago, we had the oil crisis. Who can guarantee it won't happen again?"
"You're not wrong," Lin acknowledged. "But I don't think that far ahead. If such a crisis happens, then so be it. Some things are beyond our control."
He certainly wasn't going to reveal that he already knew what the future held. Bragging about that would've been idiotic.
As he studied Lin's calm expression, Iwasaki began to doubt his own assumptions about the man. Still, he pressed on.
"Then tell me, Mr. Lin — what's your view of our country's economy? If you were to invest in Japan, which industry would you favor? You already own a manga company — do you see potential in that field?"
"An entire nation's economy isn't something I can predict," Lin said with a shake of his head. Then, after a brief pause, he added strategically, "Japan is a small country with a large population — much like Hong Kong. So in my opinion, the real estate sector has tremendous potential. Unfortunately, as a Hong Kong citizen, it's difficult for me to acquire land here. Otherwise, I'd be very interested in developing property."
Telling Iwasaki that real estate would boom in Japan cost him nothing — Lin couldn't enter that market anyway. As a foreigner, he couldn't acquire development land, only purchase existing buildings.
But Iwasaki's eyes lit up.
"Mr. Lin might not be able to get land," he said, "but I can."
"Oh?" Lin raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that, Mr. Iwasaki?"
The tone sounded almost provocative, as if Iwasaki were deliberately testing him — though Lin couldn't see why. They had no personal grudges.
"Please don't misunderstand," Iwasaki said quickly. "Here's what I mean — I have certain connections in Japan, so acquiring land isn't a problem for me. And you, Mr. Lin, clearly have an exceptional eye for opportunity. Why don't we cooperate? We could pool our resources and establish a joint company together."
That, finally, was the real reason for this meeting.
Ever since investigating Galaxy Games and learning who its owner was, Iwasaki had been intrigued. Either Lin Baicheng was extraordinarily lucky — or he possessed business insight beyond the norm. And if that was true, then partnering with him might just bring fortune by association.
Yes, the Iwasaki family controlled the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu, but that didn't mean every family member could freely use its assets. Far from it. The Zaibatsu was a vast network of companies and trading houses, with the family merely holding the largest share.
Each member started higher than most people — but their usable capital was limited. They could lose money like anyone else. So to thrive, they needed to invest wisely and earn profits within their own means.