Willows Dark, Flowers Bright

In the evening, the dining room of the Nakayama family mansion was brightly lit.

The crystal chandelier casts warm light on the exquisite tableware.

On weekdays, Takuya is always the most active person at the dinner table at this time, chatting and laughing, injecting elements of relaxation into the serious family atmosphere.

But tonight was completely different.

He sat quietly in his seat, picking up vegetables and eating mechanically. He occasionally responded to his family's words, but was obviously absent-minded.

The chopsticks moved slowly in his hands, and his eyes strayed into the distance from time to time.

Nakayama Hayao put down the wine glass in his hand and his eyes stayed on his son's face for a few seconds.

As an old fox in the shopping mall, he was keenly aware of the anomaly of Takuya.

But he didn't ask on the spot, he just continued to drink sake and occasionally exchanged a few words with his wife and eldest son's family.

The atmosphere at the dinner table became a little subtle due to Takuya's silence.

After dinner, Nakayama Hayao walked to the study alone.

About ten minutes later, soft footsteps sounded in the corridor, and Aunt Keiko came softly, conveying Nakayama Hayao's call.

"Father, are you looking for me?"

Takuya opened the study door. The light in the study was soft, and Nakayama Hayao was standing in front of the tea table by the window, concentrating on playing with a set of exquisite purple clay tea sets. His movements were slow and unhurried, and every gesture of lifting the pot and filling water seemed calm and elegant.

"Sit down." Nakayama Hayao said in a calm voice without looking back, "Drink a cup of tea with me."

In addition to the sandalwood, the air is filled with moisture from steaming water. The tea rolls quietly in the small purple clay pot, making a subtle and continuous "gurgling" boiling sound, like a whisper. Nakayama Hayao's techniques are extremely skillful. Every step of washing the cup, scalding the pot, setting the tea, and brewing is as precise as if it has been measured.

He slowly poured the first tea water on the tea pet, and then refilled it. After a while, he lifted the teapot and evenly divided the amber tea soup into two white porcelain tea cups. A long and elegant aroma of tea, mixed with the faint aroma of charcoal roasting, seemed to be given life, and spread slowly in the study room, dispelling the last trace of impetuousness in Takuya's heart.

Nakayama Hayao pushed one of the cups to Takuya, and his eyes finally fell on his son, with a subtle scrutiny. "Since you took charge of the new project, you have received frequent good news, and you are mostly in high spirits." His voice paused, like tasting the tea soup in the cup, and he thought carefully, "Tonight is the first time I see you frowning and eating without speaking."

He picked up his tea cup and blew the tea gently, his eyes calm and calm. "Have you encountered any difficult problems?"

Takuya took the still-warm cup of tea, and the temperature of the tea passed through the delicate walls of the cup to the palm of his hand, bringing a touch of solid warmth. He was silent for a few seconds, feeling the power in his father's calm eyes. In the end, he did not choose to conceal or modify, and told the whole story of Sunrise's refusal to authorize, and the possible actions of Bandai behind his back.

"The obstruction behind the scenes by Bandai is more profound and serious than we initially expected." Takuya's voice was a little gloomy. "They seem determined to monopolize the resources of all popular IPs owned by Sunrise. This kind of barrier built by capital and long-term cooperation is extremely difficult to break from the front."

Nakayama Hayao listened quietly, occasionally stroking the warm body of the purple clay pot with his slender fingers, and taking a sip of the fragrant tea from time to time. There was no emotion on his face. Until Takuya finished speaking, he did not immediately give any specific suggestions or comments, but fell into a brief silence.

For a while, the only sound left in the study was the sound of sipping tea.

"Takuya."

After a long time, Nakayama Hayao finally spoke.

"Do you think that in the business world, there are really only two relationships between companies: pure competition and cooperation?"

This question, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, made Takuya slightly stunned. He subconsciously rubbed the teacup in his hand, and the smooth touch of the rim of the cup made his chaotic thoughts focus a little.

"It should... not just like that." Takuya pondered for a moment and answered tentatively. He knew that every question his father asked would not be asked casually.

Nakayama Hayao nodded slowly, his deep eyes seemed to reflect the night outside the window, and seemed to have insight into countless unknown undercurrents in the business world. "In Japan, especially among those companies with a long history and large size, there is a more complex and more secret relationship network."

He picked up the tea cup, his eyes fell on the clear tea soup in the cup, and he uttered two words one after another:

"Consortium."

He deliberately emphasized these two words, which struck Takuya's heart like a bell.

"Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Fuyo, Dai-Ichi Kangyo, Sanwa..." Nakayama Hayao speaks slowly Fast, but every name represents a huge force, "These consortiums, through cross-shareholdings among their companies, mutual dispatch and marriage of top managers, joint investment and research and development, and long-standing club-style gatherings, have formed an intricate community of interests that benefits everyone and hurts everyone."

Takuya's breathing speeded up unconsciously, and his back straightened slightly. His father's words were like a key, opening a door that he had ignored in his past cognition, or in other words, had been deliberately downplayed. He had always thought about problems more from the perspective of pure market competition, product quality, negotiation skills, etc., but had ignored the greater structural force behind it.

"Many times, on the surface, it looks like two independently operating companies are making business decisions, but their final direction is often deeply affected by the consortium to which they belong, or in other words, the core will of the consortium." Nakayama Hayao continued, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, making a soft sound, as if in time for his words. "The so-called business competition we see, at some levels, is just an extension and game of power between different consortiums."

A bright light flashed through Takuya's mind like lightning! His father's in-depth analysis made him suddenly think of an important identity that he had intentionally or unintentionally put aside in the depths of his subconscious - he, Nakayama Takuya is not only a person from Nakayama family, but also the grandson of the Mitsui Family! His mother, Nakayama Miyuki, is a member of the collateral family of Mitsui Group.

"Father, what do you mean..." Takuya's voice contained a tremor of disbelief, and his eyes gradually lit up with an unprecedented light, as if a lighthouse appeared in the fog.

Nakayama Hayao did not answer him directly, but looked at his son meaningfully, with an imperceptible arc at the corner of his mouth. "Some problems, if you only stay on the surface to find solutions, you will often get into trouble and get half the result with half the effort." He picked up the teacup and motioned for Takuya to drink tea too, "Sometimes, you need to try to cut into it from a higher level, or from a completely unexpected side, and maybe you will be able to solve the problem."

Takuya's thoughts were running at high speed like a flood. He thought of his mother's family's numerous connections and influence within Mitsui Group, and of the business information and interpersonal networks that seemed to be mentioned inadvertently in various business gatherings and family interactions.

If you just want to use your grandfather or an elder from your mother's family to "exert pressure" on the related parties of Sunrise or Bandai, then even if you can achieve a temporary cooperation, the foundation will definitely be unstable and may even bury deeper hidden dangers. This approach is too small and is not a long-term solution.

But what if... what if the consortium's huge and complex network of relationships could be cleverly used to find a new cooperation model that can benefit many parties, even original competitors? That's a completely different story!

"Bandai, Sunrise... even Sega ourselves, these shareholders have more or less the shadow of consortiums behind them, or are inextricably linked to certain consortiums." Takuya's voice slowly became clear, "If we can sort out these deep-level capital connections and interest relationships, maybe... maybe we can find the key to breaking the situation!"

Nakayama Hayao finally showed a gratified and satisfied smile on his face. "You understand. This is no longer a simple commercial licensing negotiation, but has risen to a more complex level of gaming that tests wisdom and skill." He warned, "But remember, our ultimate goal is not to completely defeat our opponents, but to work hard to find a solution that all parties are willing to accept and benefit from. A win-win situation will last long."

Takuya stood up slowly and paced back and forth in the study room slowly, the Persian carpet under his feet was soft and silent.

"I need someone immediately to conduct an in-depth investigation into the two companies Bandai and Sunrise, as well as the syndicate background and affiliations behind their major shareholders and board members."

"At the same time, I need to use my mother's family network to learn more about Mitsui Group internally to see if there are channels for potential cooperation with these two companies or their related parties, or people who can effectively mediate."

"The most important thing is that based on this information, we need to design a new and attractive cooperation plan, a plan that all relevant parties cannot easily refuse!"

Nakayama Hayao nodded happily. "Very good. The thinking is clear and the direction is clear." He reminded again, "But you must be fully mentally prepared. This level of game requires great patience, accurate intelligence and superb wisdom. Every step must be carefully considered and walked on thin ice. One wrong step may result in all previous efforts being wasted."

Takuya sat down in front of the tea table again, picked up the slightly cold teacup, and drank the tea in one gulp.

The warm tea slid down his throat, with a hint of sweet fragrance, and seemed to take away all the confusion and depression in his heart.

"I understand, father." His eyes were firm and bright, full of unprecedented fighting spirit, "This copyright battle seems destined to open up a new situation from a place that none of us expected at first. So, let me first go to the Marketing Department to see what basic information they have collected about Bandai and Sunrise."