61 Unexpected chains of events
[New York]
[LaGuardia Airport]
Orio Masayoshi's flight touched down at LGA. He descended the airplane's stairs, and once he set foot on the ground, he checked his phone to see if anyone from NewLand had messaged or contacted him.
Finding no messages, he pocketed his phone and made his way into the bustling airport. Once inside, he decided to grab a meal at a nearby fast-food restaurant while he waited. During his meal, he attempted to contact the NewLand company.
*Beep* *Beep*
Orio waited patiently as the phone continued to ring. He was quite sure he had paid a Japanese telecom company for international service. This was his first time traveling abroad, so many things still felt unfamiliar. He had been chosen as KiShin's representative because of his proficiency in English and his capabilities.
As doubts about his telecom service started to creep in, someone finally answered the call.
"Hello, this is Alec Foreman."
Orio felt relieved that someone had picked up and quickly responded in English, "Hello, this is Orio Masayoshi. I'm the representative of KiShin, and I've just arrived at LaGuardia Airport."
Alec Foreman on the other end sounded surprised, "Oh, Mr. Masayoshi." He hadn't saved Orio's number in his phone, and he added, "I apologize for not being able to assist you upon your arrival or welcome you in person. Our company is currently facing some issues..."
Orio smiled modestly and replied, "No worries, I've just arrived."
Deep down, he made a mental note that NewLand's situation might be worse than what KiShin had anticipated. He planned to use this to his advantage during negotiations later.
Alec was unaware that the cunning Japanese was already scheming, and his voice on the other end was tinged with embarrassment as he continued, "On behalf of NewLand, I sincerely apologize."
"It's truly okay," Orio said with a smile, but his complex mind was already formulating a plan to reduce Tetris's purchasing rights.
"If it's alright with you, we'll head over to you right away, sir," Alec said, still feeling embarrassed for his company.
"Alright, I'm currently still at LaGuardia Airport. I'll patiently wait," Orio replied with a smile as he continued eating his hamburger.
"Understood," Alec's voice responded from the other end of the phone.
---
Japan, Tokyo, October 26, 1990: The business world was suddenly abuzz as the corporate giant Suzuki Group unexpectedly announced a press conference to be held at Keidanren Keikan in Chiyoda, Tokyo.
Keidanren Keikan was a Japanese Federation Building dedicated to promoting the Japanese economy and businesses. Such a venue was typically reserved for use by a corporation or company when they had a groundbreaking announcement to make or important upcoming products and plans that would significantly impact the Japanese business world, if not reshape it. Normally, companies held press conferences annually, and Suzuki Group had already held one not long ago. It would be months before their next scheduled press conference, yet they were now planning to hold one much earlier than anticipated.
Numerous media outlets and journalists were eager to obtain information from Suzuki Group regarding why they had decided to hold a press conference ahead of schedule. However, the information they received was vague, and the Suzuki Group representatives remained tight-lipped about the details.
---
Tokyo, Minato Ward, Roppongi District.
Tora Headquarters.
Inside the Tora board of directors meeting, Chairman Asahi Tanaka wore a solemn expression, mirroring the gravity of the situation felt by the rest of the board members.
Except for Vice Chairman Jin, who was likely taking pleasure in Asahi's situation, but still maintained a hypocritical solemn expression like the rest.
"The Suzuki Group has announced that they will hold a press conference at the Keidanren Keikan," said one of the board of directors, Iharu Yoshikan, with a solemn tone. He added, "I have a feeling it's about a video game console."
Chairman Asahi nodded in agreement. "I share the same thought. However, I didn't anticipate they would make such a big fuss and attempt to steal the spotlight with a sudden press conference," he said thoughtfully. In all honesty, Suzuki's move was quite cunning. They were preparing to hold a press conference for their imitation FamiCom product, acting as if they were the pioneers in this business.
The fact that KiShin, the original company behind the FamiCom, hadn't even scheduled a press conference yet made Suzuki Group's actions appear rather audacious. To make matters more intriguing, the CEO of KiShin happened to be the son of the Suzuki Group's chairman.
One of the board of directors expressed their disapproval, saying, "They have no shame. KiShin, the company that originally introduced the FamiCom, hasn't even announced a press conference yet, and Suzuki Group is already poised to steal their thunder."
Another director chimed in, "But isn't the CEO of KiShin the son of the Suzuki Group chairman?"
One of them nodded and added, "That's correct. At first, we suspected that KiShin and Suzuki might be working together to trap us, Tora Corp, into a loss."
"Yes, that's exactly what concerns me," voiced another director.
"There's no doubt that the KiShin CEO is the son of the Suzuki Group chairman. However, there's no need for everyone to fret. I'm almost certain that the father and son aren't on the best of terms," Chairman Asahi asserted confidently.
The board of directors reluctantly nodded, pushing their worries aside for the time being.
However, Vice Chairman Jin remained unconvinced and questioned, "How can you say that? You don't have any proof to be so confident, Chairman Asahi Tanaka."
The other directors quietly agreed with the Vice Chairman's skepticism.
Chairman Asahi seemed to anticipate Vice Chairman Jin's objection as he grinned and declared, "Hehe, you want proof? I'll provide you with proof." He gestured to someone, causing the room to darken as the lights were turned off. Then, a projector in the room illuminated the whiteboard, projecting a video. In the video, Vice Chairman Jin was shown bribing Chairman Asahi's secretary, and Vice Chairman's voice could be heard as he appeared to be conversing with Chairman Asahi's secretary.
"Retrieve all of Asahi Tanaka's confidential files and hand them over to me, especially the ones that would completely tarnish his image," the Vice Chairman's voice was hushed, but he seemed unaware that the secretary had a hidden microphone concealed on her person.
The board of directors, especially Vice Chairman Jin, were left in shock.
"Dig up any scandals on him, and if possible, seduce him while secretly recording it. I'll pay you more for that," Vice Chairman Jin's voice in the video added in a hushed tone.
The board of directors stared at Vice Chairman Jin in disbelief, while Chairman Asahi observed with a cunning smile.
Vice Chairman Jin realized the situation wasn't in his favor, so he quickly raised his hand and shook his head in denial, saying, "No! I-I didn't say that! It's a mistake!"
Chairman Asahi chuckled and stated, "It's clearly you in the video, Vice Chairman Jin. And I'm certain it's your voice."
Vice Chairman Jin began to sweat, feeling helpless. He glanced at some directors on the board who were his friends, but they all turned away when he looked at them.
"Damn it! Are you all abandoning me now!?" Vice Chairman Jin roared in anger.
Chairman Asahi's expression turned serious as he said, "Vice Chairman Jin, I have more evidence beyond this video. Evidence of your involvement in meddling with our contract partnership with KiShin and more. I, along with the entire company, can press criminal charges against you."
Vice Chairman Jin shook his head in denial, stammering, "No! That's not true!"
Chairman Asahi calmly smiled, sensing an opportunity, and possibly the rest of the board did as well. He stated, "No. It's absolutely true. Not only can we file criminal charges against you, but I and the board of directors can also decide to seize your company's shares."
The board of directors, even those who were Vice Chairman Jin's friends, stared at him as if he were a delicious meal. They envisioned themselves sharing the spoils, dividing the Vice Chairman's shares among them, Chairman Asahi, and the board.
Vice Chairman Jin froze, his expression shifting from shock to dark realization. Despair slowly took hold as he muttered repeatedly, "This can't be real!"
Chairman Asahi and the board of directors saw that Vice Chairman Jin's emotional and mental state were deteriorating, so they called for personnel to escort him out of the room.
Chairman Asahi maintained a friendly and amiable smile throughout, but the board of directors couldn't shake the chill running down their spines.
One of the directors who was a friend of Vice Chairman Jin discreetly texted another director who shared his affiliation with the Vice Chairman. He sent the message to lighten the mood.
As the recipient received the message and discreetly checked his phone to distract himself from the tension in the room, he found the text: "Chairman Asahi Tanaka is more like a KiShin (Fierce God). He embodies the name 'KiShin' better than the KiShin company themselves, haha."
Reading this, the director's mood lightened, bringing a hint of humor to the otherwise tense atmosphere.
[I've noticed that some readers have expressed their frustration about the main character taking four chapters choosing a ring. As an apology, in addition to this bonus chapter, I'll be releasing three chapters at the usual time of 12:00 AM UTC+08. If we manage to reach the top 15 or even higher in the rankings, I'll release even more chapters.]
