Chapter 284: Pachinko Parlors

Yakusho, at 28 years old, was at the age of maturity, and Arthur got to know her a bit.

At the cocktail party, Arthur had a meeting with the head of Japan's Sakura Bank. Formed in 1990 by the merger of Mitsui Bank and Taiyo Kobe Bank, Sakura Bank was the second largest banking group in Japan, right after Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank.

"I'm heading to Hong Kong; you stay and finalize the deal with Tadashi Yanai's Fast Retailing Group. Currently, its market value is estimated at around 70-80 billion yen," Arthur said.

"Sakura Bank agreed to lend us $30 million, roughly 3.2 billion yen, which is more than enough for us to accomplish many things," he continued.

"I'm very interested in the pachinko parlors scattered across Japan. Our next step is to enter this industry," Arthur smiled.

After all, it was a grey area in Japan, and the profits from pachinko parlors were making Arthur envious.

Emily Shead nodded, "We should just look for local partners in Japan. Since pachinko parlors are doing well, we should also enter the pachinko machine manufacturing sector."

Arthur's eyes lit up, "Indeed, there's no need for any concerns here in Japan; this industry is like the gambling scene in Las Vegas. You handle the standard negotiations and acquisitions, and leave the rest to Seraphim; they'll handle cooperation with the local underground forces."

"I understand," Emily Seidel had no objections.

"Now that Japan's economy is in decline, I've heard many unemployed people are feeling down. It's the right time for them to visit pachinko parlors either to relieve stress or try their luck," Arthur said with a smile, patting Emily on the shoulder. "Don't underestimate those little pachinko balls; it's definitely a big business!"

...

Two days later, Arthur left Tokyo and returned to Hong Kong with Vivian Chow.

That evening, at the villa in Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, Arthur rolled off Vivian.

"By the way, we're attending the opening ceremony of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong today. It seemed like you had an animated conversation with the boss of Hong Kong Cinema City."

"I was just finding a local distributor for Galaxy Films; Speed is about to be released in Hong Kong, and Cinema City has a long history of operating theaters and is familiar with distributing foreign films," Arthur didn't care much for the Hong Kong market.

After all, how could Hollywood movies compete with local films in Hong Kong?

Arthur was confident in Speed, but with Jurassic Park also coming out this year, breaking the box office record for domestic Hong Kong films would depend on this sci-fi and special effects blockbuster.

"Speed, huh? I heard its box office has already surpassed $100 million," Vivian had seen promotional posters in Hong Kong and was familiar with the film.

Since its release, Speed had been out for more than a month, with its North American box office exceeding $100 million. The Super Bowl ad definitely played a role in that.

The production and marketing costs totaled over $40 million, but Speed did not disappoint Arthur.

The next day, on the sea near Repulse Bay, Arthur took Vivian out for a sunbath.

Flipping through the newspapers idly, Arthur was attracted to a piece of news: Rupert Murdoch had come to Hong Kong!

"Rupert Murdoch's News Corp acquired a certain percentage of shares in Hong Kong Satellite Television Limited for 500 million HKD!"

Hong Kong Satellite Television Limited, which would later become Star TV!

"Rupert Murdoch, who just established control over British Sky Broadcasting last year, has now swiftly moved to Asia," Arthur put down the newspaper, realizing the global satellite TV strategy of News Corp wasn't just empty talk.

Wearing a bikini, Vivian walked across the deck, "Don't you care at all that Speed is being released in Hong Kong?"

Arthur stretched, "How many people are there in Hong Kong anyway? The highest box office record is only HKD 49 million, right? Can Speed break the record? I have no confidence in that; it will only bring in a few million dollars in box office revenue at most, not to mention the video sales.

I've heard that the entertainment industry in Hong Kong is deeply entangled with the local triads."

Saying this, Arthur wrapped his arm around Vivian and led her to the railing on the deck, "Do you think it's a good idea to buy a personal yacht like this? It's not expensive."

Vivian smiled, "You hardly ever come over here; buying a yacht would just leave it collecting dust at the dock."

Arthur shrugged, "This yacht isn't too big, just 15 million HKD. It could be fun to use it on vacations in the future!"

"In that case, I'd rather vacation in Europe or the US," Zhou Huiru leaned on Arthur. "There are too many reporters in Hong Kong; it's very annoying."

"That's true. Anyway, the luxurious private yacht I customized in Italy will be delivered by the end of the year," Arthur leaned towards her ear. "Then, we can vacation in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean."

"Sigh!" With this, Arthur held Vivian close and kissed her passionately, and she tightly embraced him.

Soon, Arthur carried Vivian into the bedroom in the cabin, laying her down and untying her bikini, kissing her deeply.

"Arthur, I need to report to the Rumble in the Bronx film crew in Canada. When you're back home, come visit me if you have time," Zhou Huiru, breathing heavily, reminded him.

"No problem, it's not far anyway," Arthur said, then lifted his head to kiss her, silencing her words.

Shortly after, the bedroom was filled with stirring sounds...

*****

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