After the meeting, Takuya returned to his office. Before he could even put down his meeting notes, there was a knock on the door.
It was Yu Suzuki, which surprised Takuya.
This tech-obsessed individual was usually either deep in thought over circuit boards and code in the arcade development room or debugging the latest graphics board in the hardware lab. It was the first time he had ever proactively sought out the Managing Director's office.
"Executive Director Nakayama." Yu Suzuki's address was a bit stiff, clearly still unaccustomed to it.
"Suzuki-san, please come in quickly." Takuya smiled and stood up. "There's no need to be so formal between us."
Yu Suzuki nodded but didn't sit down. Instead, he went straight to the point: "Are you free tomorrow evening? There's a familiar Kaiseki restaurant in Ginza; I'd like to invite you for a chat."
Takuya's eyebrows twitched. Kaiseki cuisine? Given Yu Suzuki's personality, if he were to invite Takuya to dinner, the location would most likely be an izakaya where they could drink until they were plastered, not a place that emphasized style. Seeing the serious expression squeezed onto Yu Suzuki's uncommunicative face, Takuya had already guessed seven or eight parts of the reason. He didn't expose it but readily agreed: "Alright, I haven't had Kaiseki in a long time either. It'll be a good chance to try their craft."
The next evening, Ginza, Kiku no Ichi branch.
Takuya arrived on time and was led by a waiter into an elegant private room.
Pulling open the shoji door, Yu Suzuki was already waiting at the table on the tatami mat. Takuya's gaze swept across the table and saw three sets of exquisite Kutani ware tableware on the low table.
Takuya understood immediately and, without asking further, sat down calmly, waiting for the main guest to appear.
The two of them sipped tea and chatted idly about Yu Suzuki's latest research projects. The atmosphere wasn't particularly lively, but it wasn't awkward either.
After all, in Yu Suzuki's world, nothing expressed goodwill better than talking about technology.
About fifteen minutes later, the door was gently pulled open.
A slightly plump, kind-faced middle-aged man walked in, took off his hat, revealing a face Takuya was very familiar with—Director Takahashi, who was in charge of the Arcade Business Division.
Takuya thought to himself, 'As expected.'
"Director Takahashi." Takuya bowed slightly.
"Nakayama-kun, no need for formalities. I apologize for making you wait." Director Takahashi smiled and returned the greeting, then sat down, his gaze sweeping between Takuya and Yu Suzuki. He chatted familiarly with both of them, completely avoiding the main topic.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the atmosphere in the private room became much more harmonious under the influence of alcohol.
Director Takahashi put down his glass, wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and straightened his posture slightly, the smile on his face fading a bit.
He finally got to the point: "Nakayama-kun, I've been thinking about the new strategy from the board meeting for a long time since I returned. It is indeed grand and ingenious, truly impressive. However, after repeated consideration, this strategy seems to boost all departments of the company, except for the arcade department that I am in charge of, where the benefit seems to be the smallest. Have you considered this issue?"
His voice was not loud, as if without much emotion, but the question was quite direct, even a bit sharp.
Takuya did not answer immediately. His gaze first fell on Yu Suzuki beside him. This master technician sat upright, eyes downcast, like a stone Buddha, detached from the situation. Takuya then turned his attention back to Director Takahashi.
Director Takahashi understood the inquiry in his eyes and said frankly, "Suzuki-kun was invited by me. With his talent and contributions, it's only a matter of time before he joins the board. I invited him today, on one hand, to let him understand the situation in advance, and on the other hand, to let Nakayama-kun know that the future of our arcade business cannot do without Suzuki-kun."
These words, on one hand, elevated Yu Suzuki, and on the other hand, subtly showed Takuya the strength and legacy of the arcade faction.
Takuya smiled and turned to ask Yu Suzuki, "Suzuki-san, has Director Takahashi mentioned the ACGN strategy I proposed to you?"
Yu Suzuki shook his head: "Director Takahashi only said that Managing Director would personally explain it to me."
"Good." Takuya picked up his wine glass and took a sip, then concisely reiterated the core idea of the ACGN strategy: cross-media collaborative development of animation, comics, games, and novels, with IP as the core.
Yu Suzuki listened very carefully, his brows sometimes furrowed, sometimes relaxed. After Takuya finished speaking, he remained silent for a long time before slowly opening his mouth: "Managing Director Takuya, forgive my frankness, but Director Takahashi and I have the same concerns."
"This time, I won't beat around the bush." Takuya put down his wine glass with a crisp sound, leaned forward, and his entire aura changed.
"First, for the overall layout of the ACGN industry, Sega cannot start from scratch; that would be too slow. The fastest way is through mergers and acquisitions and cooperation.
It is an undeniable fact that Sega lacks talent and foundation in the animation, comic, and novel fields."
He paused, looked around at the two of them, and posed a question: "So, from your perspectives, looking at all of Japan, which target is most suitable?"
Takahashi and Yu Suzuki exchanged glances, both falling into thought.
Director Takahashi, having been in the business world for many years and being well-informed, seemed to have an idea after a moment. He tentatively began, "Could it be—Sunrise and Bandai?"
"Bingo." Takuya snapped his fingers. "Director Takahashi has sharp eyes."
He explained: "A large portion of the Japanese ACG industry's powerhouses are the Ichibashi Group, centered around Shueisha, Shogakukan, and Hakusensha. They are colossal entities that we cannot and should not touch. In the future, they can only be partners."
"Among the remaining targets, the combination of Sunrise and Bandai, possessing both strong IP creation capabilities and mature industry chains, is undoubtedly the most valuable. And they are also potentially acquirable by us."
"The shortcomings of these two companies happen to be our strengths—top-tier game development capabilities and global distribution channels."
"But," Yu Suzuki couldn't help but interject, appearing somewhat impatient, "even if we acquire Bandai, what direct relation does it have to our arcade department? Their game development capabilities, if I may be frank, are not worth mentioning."
Takuya didn't answer directly but instead asked an unrelated question: "Director Takahashi, our own claw machines,
I recall last year's performance report was quite impressive, wasn't it?"
"Hmm?" Director Takahashi was stunned for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up, as if struck by an electric current, instantly grasping something crucial.
Takuya's voice continued unhurriedly: "The IPs in Sunrise's hands, like Gundam, Aura Battler Dunbine, and Heavy Metal L-Gaim, are the dreams of boys."
"And what does Bandai have in their hands? They have gashapon machines, model toys, and countless businesses that monetize IP."
"Imagine, when the prizes in our claw machines are not just dolls that girls like, but also Dragon Ball figurines and Kamen Riders that boys like, and when our arcades where we place claw machines also have various latest and trendiest gashapon machines next to them. A business that can capture both boys and girls in one go is not simply calculated as one plus one equals two."
"These businesses are not highly technical, nor do they require frequent iterations like game boards. They are low-cost, yet they are a continuous source of cash cows."
Director Takahashi's breathing hitched as he tried to imagine the blueprint Takuya was describing.
"However," Takuya changed the subject, "Bandai's market value is currently high. Forcing an acquisition is not a wise move. We need an opportunity."
He looked at the two men, who were now completely engrossed in his thinking, and laid out the final plan: "So, my idea is to proceed in two steps."
"First, we establish good relationships with Bandai and Sunrise through game project collaborations. When the time is right, we first try to acquire Sunrise."
"Second, we then become their significant shareholders through a small amount of equity exchange, stabilizing them and dispelling their wariness about our acquisition of Sunrise. The rest is just waiting."
"Waiting for what?" Yu Suzuki asked subconsciously.
"Waiting for them to make a mistake."
"Is Executive Director Nakayama so confident that Bandai will stumble?" Director Takahashi frowned, raising the most critical point of the plan.
Takuya's lips curved into a confident smile. "Because Bandai's foundation is far less stable than ours. Their business model is relatively singular, and their risk resistance is inherently weak. Look at their investments in recent years; their desire for expansion is strong, but their steps are very unsteady. From the disastrous TV-JACK 5000 console in '86 to that strange 'Bandai Channel,' it all proves one thing: they have the desire to swallow the market, but not the good teeth for it, and their judgment of their own capabilities is incredibly wrong. For such a company, it would be strange if they didn't make mistakes."
"For such a company, we just need to be patient, and we will definitely wait for an opportunity to acquire it at the most suitable price."
Inside the private room, there was dead silence.
Director Takahashi held his wine glass, his hand suspended in mid-air. The scrutiny and probing in his eyes had long been replaced by astonishment and shock.
This was no longer just a strategic concept; it was a clear, meticulous, and even somewhat ruthless hunting plan.
He had initially thought this young man was just lucky, having won a battle. Today, he discovered that the other party's chessboard had already been drawn across all of Japan, and even the entire world.
"I've learned a lot, Executive Director Nakayama." After a long while, Director Takahashi came back to his senses and raised his glass to Takuya.
"The arcade department will not hold back Executive Director Nakayama's strategy."
"Haha, Director Takahashi, you flatter me. We still rely on the support of the arcade department, and Suzuki-san too." Takuya also raised his glass, pulling in Yu Suzuki, and the three of them heartily clinked glasses.