Chapter 91: The Layout in Japan

Japan was much colder than Los Angeles. William White wrapped his cashmere coat around himself as he slowly descended the stairs of the airplane.

Declining the companies' offers to pick him up, William White and his group left in the car sent by Viking Comics.

Yes, Viking Comics had already set up its own studio in Japan and was establishing distribution points.

For the Japanese then, this inconspicuous comic studio was insignificant. What they cared more about was his adapter card business.

Even though it was a private jet, long flights were tiring. William White planned to take it easy for a day and meet those people tomorrow.

Alright, someone was being particular again. If he had taken a commercial flight, he probably wouldn't have minded it too much. After all, it was only a matter of hours, and not like flying from New York to Tokyo.

After soaking in a comfortable hot bath, his fatigue diminished significantly.

"Suzuki, bring me a robe inside."

"Sure, please wait a moment."

William White started learning Japanese, so the young lady tried her best to communicate in Japanese.

Having eaten three servings of Wagyu beef to fill up, William White couldn't help but feel amazed. Fortunately, it was room service. If people outside saw him, they would probably be very surprised.

Seeing the boss with a good appetite made the young lady very happy.

...

He merely glanced at the three gaming companies without visiting their factories. Checking their prototypes in Tokyo was enough.

He never doubted Japan's manufacturing capability. The Japanese of this era were very diligent, but the next generation wouldn't be as reliable.

He came to Japan mainly to inspect his studio. He had no time to sit and chat with old geezers.

In fact, they were also very busy. Since no arrangements were needed, they continued with their own tasks.

The people at the comic company were not strangers to him; they'd all spent at least two weeks in Los Angeles.

This time, William White was here to check the progress up close. 

Naturally, the results were very good, far ahead of the progress in Los Angeles. William White felt quite smug about his arrangements. Without these plans, achieving even half the progress would have been commendable.

Hard work should be rewarded. William White wasn't Japanese; he couldn't use corporate culture to bind these people, so the only option was the power of money, which worked well everywhere.

"Fujita, look for a suitable office space. We need a better working environment."

As the person in charge in Japan, Fujita had substantial power. He wasn't worried about the company's development. The boss wasn't short on money, and the IPs he held were quite good, so losing money wasn't a possibility.

"Sure, boss, what kind of area are you thinking of?"

"Man, you guys don't use square feet here, which makes it hard for me. You know White Films? Find a place bigger than that."

Fujita was immediately dizzy. Japan wasn't like America. That so-called 12-story building was already excellent here.

"Alright, boss, I'll start looking right away."

"Okay, just handle this quickly. Keep up the good work."

"Yes, definitely will work hard."

William White nodded and left.

...

He didn't have much time in Japan. The investment department needed to be established quickly.

Like all multinational companies, overseas profits were great net evaders. As long as you didn't distribute dividends, continuous investments were fine, and no one would come after your taxes.

William White was considered pretty fair. The profits from adapter cards sold in America would partially return.

As for other regions, well, he had plenty to invest in.

This was considered reasonable tax avoidance. If you were even more outrageous, you could show hefty losses for overseas companies.

Japan's economy was about to take off, and he wouldn't miss this opportunity. Besides the obvious capital, there should be some offshore companies too.

There was no need for major action yet; once the time was right, he could start to invest heavily.

"Suzuki, urge the printing machinery to complete the contracts quickly. I won't be going there this time; I'll wait until the machinery is in place."

Darwin's printing facilities had been upgraded significantly. Locals didn't understand why so many machines were needed -- the entire Darwin area couldn't consume that much.

The biggest challenge was transportation. Shipping was the cheapest, but unfortunately too slow.

For a weekly magazine, timing was crucial. If the volume was small, air freight was possible, but large quantities would incur unacceptable costs with air freight.

There weren't any better solutions yet, so renting two high-speed shipping vessels would have to do.

He hadn't completed the layout in America. Once he had his newspaper and magazine, these problems would naturally resolve themselves.

"Still not enough money!"

It wasn't him being picky. Despite the terrible economy, traditional print media were thriving, and the television industry was even growing against the trend.

The media and entertainment industry had become a sought-after commodity. It seemed everyone wanted a piece, not just Wall Street capital getting restless, but European and Middle Eastern tycoons were actively getting involved.

The reason was simple: profitability. William White wasn't a superman. There were many more capable than him. Look at Lucas; wasn't he a prime example?

William White couldn't care less about these changes. If it were that simple, Lucas, the cunning old fox, wouldn't let others take advantage.

Try investing in Star Wars and see if he pays any attention to you. Everyone knew that movie was profitable. It's impossible that the old fox wouldn't know.

After so many years, how many Hollywood movies earned over a hundred million? How many flopped?

Forget about hundred-million-dollar movies; getting on the big screen was an achievement. Any film earning over ten million at the box office would have someone quietly muttering "God bless." And this was no joke, just the stark reality.

*****

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