Connections

The middle-aged man who cosplayed as Mario was actually going through a challenging phase in life. Without a family and unemployed, he relied on instant noodles to sustain himself and lacked a suitable living space.

His ability to participate in the 'Kosupure' event stemmed from borrowing money from his brother, who is a family man and a salaryman. Despite his hardships, attending the event turned out to be a positive choice for him.

A year ago, when he was employed, he developed a passion for Mario and even practiced mimicking Mario's voice. Little did he expect that this skill would lead him to victory in the competition, earning him around 180,000 yen.

He felt it was finally sufficient to afford some non-instant ramen for a change.

"I hope I win again next time," the middle-aged man couldn't help but say as he was surrounded by a small crowd.

---

Following the cosplay event's conclusion, Shin recognized that the middle-aged man who cosplayed as Mario would be a suitable candidate to hire. He could act as Mario in various events, including video game competitions, providing entertainment to people.

Whether the man would accept the offer depended on his decision.

---

Takagi Goda, the middle-aged man who cosplayed as Mario, received a surprising letter from KiShin. Realizing he was hired to cosplay as Mario, he promptly went to the KiShin Merchandise branch to accept the offer.

This was his opportunity, after all.

---

Meanwhile, after a few days had passed, Shin noted that the round of funding for Cadabra was fortunately secured by KiShin.

He managed to secure the necessary funding for Cadabra, totaling 2 million dollars.

Given that Jeff was just starting, it wouldn't yield immediate profits. In fact, Jeff informed Orio Masayoshi, the KiShin representative, that Cadabra, Inc. wouldn't be profitable in its early stages.

Although Orio Masayoshi struggled to comprehend Shinro Suzuki's plan once again, he faithfully followed Shin's instructions. Consequently, 2 million dollars were invested, leaving Orio Masayoshi feeling uneasy about what seemed like a substantial amount of money wasted. He couldn't fathom why Shinro Suzuki would be willing to spend such a significant sum on an ordinary online bookstore.

To be frank, in Orio Masayoshi's view, KiShin could have established its own online bookstore.

Well, Orio Masayoshi's perspective wasn't entirely off base. If Shin desired, he could have created his own Amazon. However, he lacked the same level of drive and time commitment as Jeff.

Developing the algorithmic data framework of Amazon would be time-consuming, especially given that it relied on customer preferences on the internet. Considering the internet was still in its early stages with only several million users, and Amazon might only attract a hundred or even fewer visitors each day initially, success would take time. Only someone like Jeff, who was also successful in Shin's previous life, could propel Amazon to success. Jeff had the necessary dedication and time to invest.

---

In late August in the USA, a trailer for the 'Mortal Kombat' film aired on some TV channels.

Initially, it didn't garner much attention. However, when people realized it was produced by KiShin Pictures, it caught the interest of many 'Jurassic Park' fans. Given its theme of fighting and martial arts, some anticipated it to be reminiscent of Hong Kong films similar Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee films.

The trailer even made its way onto some Disney channels...

The other major film studios of the big six sensed that Walt Disney was establishing closer ties with KiShin.

Why?

Primarily because 'The Lion King' had achieved monumental success.

Some Disney executives themselves didn't hold much hope for the animated film. On its first day, the box office was only around a few hundred thousand dollars. However, they were surprised when, on the second day, it earned 5 million dollars. The film continued to gain momentum in box office numbers as word spread.

In just a month, 'The Lion King' box office surpassed a hundred million dollars.

Even some film studios among the big six were surprised since they knew that Disney hadn't put much effort into marketing 'The Lion King'. Yet, it turned out to be a winner for the year.

After about two months of screening, the animated film earned at least 296 million dollars. While it couldn't quite compare to 'Jurassic Park', it was a huge success for a film with a budget of 45 million.

Because of this, some Disney executives felt that their marketing of 'The Lion King' was a huge success, and KiShin Merchandise, the toy manufacturer of 'The Lion King', also played a part in this success.

Due to this success, the president of KiShin Merchandise in the USA negotiated with Walt Disney for the licensing rights to 'The Lion King.' This allowed them to produce additional characters from the animated film. Recognizing the significant role KiShin Merchandise played in the success of 'The Lion King,' Disney sought to establish good relations with KiShin and granted them the license.

With the triumph of the Disney animated film, sales of KiShin Merchandise's 'The Lion King' soared, benefiting both KiShin and Disney.

As the relationship between KiShin and Disney strengthened, Disney also supported KiShin Pictures' second film, 'Mortal Kombat,' serving as its film distributor in the USA. Some film studios, like the previous distributors of 'Jurassic Park,' regretted missing out on KiShin's new film.

Simultaneously, they harbored disdain towards Walt Disney for poaching their partners. However, their disappointment was tempered as 'Jurassic Park' continued to generate revenue through tape sales.

Now, with Walt Disney's backing in marketing KiShin Pictures' 'Mortal Kombat,' an increasing number of people became aware of the second film from KiShin Pictures.

KiShin's connections expanded further through a strong relationship with Walt Disney.

Shin recognized Disney's expertise in film management, particularly in animated and hero movies. Disney's extensive network with talented directors and writers was perceived as valuable, especially for potential adaptations of Marvel Comics characters.