The declaration came too swiftly, too directly.
Takuya Nakayama set his teacup back on the table, a hint of helplessness in his expression.
He had prepared an entire speech, complete with analyses of the company's current situation, projections for future strategies, and even a few bargaining chips for potential exchanges.
But these two men had completely thrown him off script, laying all their cards on the table.
"Gentlemen, your approach has rendered my entire night's preparation obsolete," Nakayama said, spreading his hands. "At least go through the motions, make a few demands. Let me experience the ritualistic dance of power negotiation."
Laughter filled the office.
"Ritual doesn't buy us real money," Hoshino said, his smile wide. "From dodging the domestic economic bubble burst to shorting oil futures during the Gulf War, shorting the British pound, and now the Silicon Valley Online IPO—you've led us to nothing but victories. The simplest truth is that following you means making money. Demands? That's just asking for trouble."
Sugiura added, "We only care about one thing. Where's the next big money-making opportunity?"
Takuya Nakayama dropped his helpless expression, leaned forward, and crossed his hands on his knees.
"Have either of you been following the economic situation in Southeast Asia recently?"
Hoshino and Sugiura exchanged glances.
"Southeast Asia?" Sugiura asked. "Which specific countries are you referring to?"
"Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia," Nakayama replied, naming four countries.
Sugiura pondered for a moment before asking, "What about Vietnam and Singapore?"
He automatically excluded Cambodia, with its politically unstable situation.
Hoshino chimed in, answering for Nakayama. "Vietnam is a no-go. It's still recovering from the war with China, and it hasn't bounced back yet. Without strong foreign investment, its foundation is too weak to be worth the effort. Singapore, on the other hand, is too rigid. Its financial regulations are strict, making it difficult for foreign investors to find loopholes to exploit."
Nakayama nodded in agreement. "Director Hoshino's analysis is very insightful."
He steered the conversation back to the four countries.
"Focus on these four. In the past two years, a massive amount of foreign capital has poured into them, creating a bubble of hot money. Real estate,..."
"The stock markets are soaring. On the surface, the economies appear to be booming, but this prosperity lacks support from the real industrial sector—there's a lot of hot air in there."
Takuya Nakayama continued, "You should assign personnel to form a dedicated research team. Focus on gathering economic data from these four countries, identifying where the hot money is piling up. Also, pay close attention to their foreign exchange reserves and their central banks' exchange rate policies. The data needs to be detailed and accurate. It's worth noting that the factors driving economic growth in these countries are very similar. Once the defenses in one country are breached, panic could spread rapidly, triggering a regional chain reaction."
"You believe there will be trouble there?" Sugiura asked.
"Hot money can inflate economic indicators, but it can also trigger a collapse when it retreats. The exact timing is uncertain, but foreign exchange is the key—the space for manipulation there should be the greatest." Nakayama tapped the table. "First, conduct thorough research to understand the situation. When the tide turns, we'll step in to make a killing."
"Understood," Hoshino said, folding the notes he'd taken. "I'll pull top personnel from the department tomorrow to begin researching Southeast Asia's data. I'll report any anomalies to you immediately."
With the matter settled, Hoshino and Sugiura prepared to leave and start making arrangements.
"Don't rush off just yet," Takuya Nakayama called out to them.
They sat back down.
"I met with Director Terauchi earlier," Nakayama said, introducing another topic. "He's been inspecting the Greater China region and isn't satisfied with the current state of chip suppliers. As Sega's hardware product line continues to expand, our demands for chip capacity and cost will only grow. We need to secure more influence in upstream production."
Sugiura asked, "Does Director Terauchi have a specific target in mind?"
"TSMC," Nakayama replied.
Hoshino raised a concern. "That company's ownership structure is very closed. Government capital and licensors hold the majority stakes, making it difficult for outsiders to get involved."
"They have an expansion strategy. They're planning to build their first overseas eight-inch wafer plant in Washington State, and the funding gap is our leverage," Takuya Nakayama explained. "Investment Department, keep a close eye on TSMC's shareholding changes. Whether it's using Sega's orders as a bargaining chip or direct investment, find a way to acquire a stake if the opportunity arises. The semiconductor industry is cyclical, and TSMC urgently needs long-term orders from major clients to offset the depreciation costs of their new production lines. That's our negotiation advantage."
Sugiura nodded. "Chip manufacturing is the core industry of the future. Even if game consoles don't require the same cutting-edge process technology as PC processors, they demand extremely high levels of cost-effectiveness and production stability. Investing in TSMC would enhance Sega's supply chain security. We'll keep a close watch on this."
"Director Terauchi will cooperate with you. He'll provide the business-side bargaining chips, while you'll handle the funding and share transfer procedures," Nakayama assigned the tasks.
"No problem," Hoshino agreed.
"Thank you both for your efforts," Nakayama said, standing up.
Hoshino and Sugiura rose and escorted him to the door.
"Safe journey, Managing Director."
After discussing the Southeast Asia market research and the TSMC investment with Directors Hoshino and Sugiura, Takuya Nakayama returned to his office to handle his daily affairs.
The next morning, carrying a moderately sized briefcase, he headed to the Sega Galaxy office building.
Sega Galaxy had been operating for several years now.
When Takuya first proposed the concept at the Board of Directors meeting, many remained hesitant, wondering how much impact a subsidiary solely dedicated to IP assets could truly make.
However, under Director Hattori's leadership, the venture had been managed with remarkable success.
Hattori personally oversaw the Copyright Management Department.
The licensing strategy was perfectly calibrated: derivative products of core IPs maintained stable market exposure without over-saturating the market, avoiding player fatigue from Sega's constant attempts to drain their wallets.
For example, Pokémon merchandise spanned stationery, apparel, co-branded snacks, and themed pop-up shops, with fresh offerings each quarter but never to the point of overwhelming consumers.
Non-core IPs hadn't been neglected either.
Hattori devised an innovative approach: cross-licensing second-tier characters with third-party manufacturers and integrating them into works that wouldn't disrupt the core narrative.
When players suddenly see Sega characters making cameo appearances in games from other developers, their typical reaction is "Oh, what a nice surprise!" rather than "Here we go again with the cash grab."
Please Support me by becoming my patreon member and get 30+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon