Family Dinner

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

The crystal chandelier spilled warm light over the dazzling array of dishes on the long dining table—sashimi platters gleamed translucent, tempura had been fried to a golden crisp, and a steaming pot of sukiyaki sent up curls of heat.

Nakayama Hayao sat at the head of the table, his wife Nakayama Miyuki on his left, and his eldest son Nakayama Katsuya and daughter-in-law Nakayama Reiko on his right.

Nakayama Takuya and his older sister Nakayama Ayako sat opposite them. His young nephew, Nakayama Maruji, was pressed close beside his mother, Nakayama Reiko, his little nose sniffing at the aroma while his eyes kept darting curiously toward his young uncle across the table.

The air was filled with the fragrance of food and the soft murmurs of relaxed family conversation. The maid, Nakayama Keiko, quietly refilled tea and water at the side, her movements so gentle she almost seemed not to exist.

"Speaking of which, Takuya." Ayako set down her ivory chopsticks and looked at her younger brother with a gentle smile. "That block game you brought back last time really is interesting." She meant the time she had helped test the Tetris prototype. "Mom and I have been playing the prototype machine you left at home lately. It's a little hard to stop. How is it now? Is development going smoothly?"

"A game?" Maruji, who had been clumsily trying to pick up beef with his small chopsticks, immediately raised his head, his big black eyes going round with excitement. "What game? Blocks? Is it fun? Uncle!" he asked in his childish voice, his little body leaning forward in excitement and nearly knocking over the soy sauce dish, making Reiko hurry to steady him.

Seeing his nephew so eager and adorable, Takuya could not help laughing. "Don't worry, Sis," he said, answering Ayako first. "The arcade version has already finished development, and debugging is done too. It should be rolled out in Sega's own game centers very soon." He paused, then added, "The home console and handheld versions are also being rushed along, and progress is faster than expected."

Then he turned to Maruji and deliberately lowered his voice. "Very soon, there'll be an especially amazing version you can hold right in your hands and play wherever you go. You can play it in the yard, or in the car."

"Wow! A game you can hold in your hands!" Maruji imagined the scene, his eyes going even rounder as he clapped his little hands in excitement. "Really? Can Maruji hold it too?"

"Of course," Takuya said, holding back a laugh. "When the time comes, Uncle will give you one as a present, all right?"

"Yay! Thank you, Uncle! I'm going to tell Taro and the others!" Maruji was so happy he nearly jumped out of his chair, completely forgetting the food in front of him.

Miyuki and Reiko exchanged a smile, curiosity about this novel game showing in their eyes as well. Ayako looked at her younger brother with relief, as if proud that he could make something so popular. The warmth of family flowed quietly around the dining table.

Nakayama Hayao ate calmly, every motion meticulous. Now and then, he lifted his eyes and swept them over his family. His gaze seemed to linger on his youngest son, Takuya, a little longer than on the others, an almost imperceptible scrutiny and contemplation hidden in those deep eyes.

Dinner neared its end.

Hayao wiped the corner of his mouth with his napkin and set it down gently. The relaxed conversation in the dining room gradually quieted.

"Katsuya, Takuya." His voice was not loud, yet it naturally carried a weight that could not be ignored. "You two, come to the study with me for a moment."

Miyuki, Reiko, and Ayako exchanged glances, and all tacitly refrained from asking further. Reiko said gently to Maruji, "Maruji, shall we go watch cartoons in the living room? Let Daddy and Uncle talk about serious matters."

The study door was closed softly, cutting off the laughter and cheerful voices outside.

Heavy chestnut curtains blocked out the night beyond the window, leaving only an elegant green banker's lamp on the desk to give off a soft halo of light. The sandalwood bookshelves exuded a faint, steady fragrance.

Hayao sat down in the broad leather executive chair, leaning back slightly. Katsuya and Takuya sat on the guest sofa opposite him, their postures a touch straighter than they had been at the dining table.

Keiko brought in three steaming cups of gyokuro sencha, the emerald tea giving off a refined fragrance in the white porcelain cups. After setting down the teacups, she withdrew without a sound and thoughtfully closed the door behind her.

For a time, there was only the faint sound of breathing in the study and the misting heat of the tea.

"Katsuya, how have things been at the company lately?" Hayao picked up his teacup, gently blew on the steam, and looked first at his eldest son.

Katsuya leaned forward slightly, his bearing as steady as ever. "Father, CSK's business promoting enterprise information systems has been progressing fairly smoothly overall." His tone was even and his explanation clear. "Recently, we successfully signed orders with several major banks and important manufacturing clients, and the contract amounts are quite substantial. However"—his tone shifted—"in the small and medium-sized enterprise market, acceptance and popularization of the technology will still take time to cultivate. We're also facing fierce competition from several emerging local software companies. They're more flexible on price and service, which has put some pressure on us." He reported the good news, but did not hide the worries either.

Hayao gave a noncommittal "Mm," took a sip of tea, and that was as good as tacit approval of his eldest son's steady style. "Keep it up. Advance step by steady step, and consolidate our existing major clients properly. They are the foundation of the business."

Then his gaze turned to Takuya. In that calm look, there seemed to be an added edge, like a polished blade ready to cut something open.

"Takuya."

"I heard from Shimizu that the arcade version of Tetris has already completed final testing, and development of the home console and handheld versions is also nearing its end." He first stated the facts blandly, as if confirming information. "The project has progressed faster than I expected. Not bad."

He set down his teacup, and the cup made a soft sound as it touched the red sandalwood desktop.

"So, what comes next?"

"Nintendo's Famicom is now like blazing fire over boiling oil. In Japan, it all but covers the sky with one hand. Third-party software companies are swarming to them like crucian carp crossing the river, as if all the stars were clustering around the moon. Now, they've even stretched their tentacles into the North American market. Yamauchi Hiroshi is very ambitious. He wants to replicate his success in Japan." Hayao's voice deepened, carrying a trace of hard-to-detect chill and heavy pressure as he accurately pointed out the brutal reality Sega currently faced, echoing the not-so-optimistic analysis report from the Marketing Department. "And what about us, Sega? The SG-1000 and Mark III have suffered defeat after defeat in the home console market, their share constantly being eaten away."

"Faced with a situation like this, how do you think Sega can break the deadlock with only a block game invented by the Soviet Union?"

The question was like a massive stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring silent yet heavy ripples throughout the study.

This was not merely an inquiry about the subsequent market plan for Tetris. It was also a direct test of his, Nakayama Takuya's, strategic vision and ability to take the helm.

Takuya felt the weight in his father's words, and also the attentive gaze his older brother Katsuya cast toward him.

He knew that the successful acquisition and rapid development of Tetris had merely won Sega, trapped in its predicament, a precious bit of breathing room—a card that could temporarily draw some attention.

If they wanted to truly shake Nintendo's seemingly unbreakable hegemony, if they wanted to reverse Sega's repeated retreats in the home console market, they would need far more than that.