Kozuki Kagemasa's Shocking News (4,000 Words)
Osaka, Kitashinchi.
A restaurant called "Quiet Moon" is hidden deep in an inconspicuous alley. It has no eye-catching signboard, but it is the preferred place for secret meetings of political and business people.
Ryoji Chubachi's channels were very discreet, and Kozuki Kagemasa's reply was swift. The two hit it off immediately and decided to meet here.
After all, this is Konami's territory.
As Ryoji Chubachi was led by a waiter through a cobblestone courtyard and into an elegant Japanese-style room, Konami President Kozuki Kagemasa was already kneeling there, leisurely admiring a clump of nandina outside the window.
"Mr. Chubachi, it must have been a long journey for you." Kozuki Kagemasa turned around with a warm smile on his face, as if he were simply entertaining an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Not at all, it was my honor to be received by the president Kozuki." Ryoji Chubachi replied with a smile. Neither of them brought any entourage when they sat down opposite each other, which in itself conveyed enough information.
"I've heard that Konami has been doing exceptionally well in the arcade market lately. Sunset Riders has certainly made your company a fortune," Ryoji Chubachi first, his words full of polite flattery.
"Haha, it's just small-scale stuff. It's all thanks to the hard work of my subordinates." Kozuki Kagemasa Ryoji Chubachi Sony, is truly making great strides in the Walkman and television markets. Our small-scale operations can't compare."
He casually referred to Konami as "small fry" and steered the conversation toward Sony's proudest traditional home appliance business, without mentioning game consoles at all.
Ryoji Chubachi cursed inwardly, "Old fox."
He didn't come here today to hear Kozuki Kagemasa praising Sony's traditional home appliances and Walkman business.
But the other person just wouldn't take the bait, only talking about romance, food, and the recent weather in Osaka, acting like a hospitable host, warm and attentive, yet leaving no room for doubt.
Time passed by, and dishes were served one after another, only to be taken away one by one.
Kozuki Kagemasa ate very slowly and with great enjoyment, savoring every bite, as if today's meal was the real event.
In contrast, Ryoji Chubachi seemed to have lost his appetite.
He felt like a salesman carrying a priceless treasure, only to be blocked at the door by his owner, who then spent ages chatting with the neighbor's dog.
That old guy has more patience than anyone else.
Ryoji Chubachi picked up his sake cup, ready to forcefully get to the point, but Kozuki Kagemasa across from him seemed to suddenly remember something and slowly began to speak.
"Speaking of which, the gaming world has been really lively lately."
He picked up a piece of translucent sea bream sashimi, dipped it lightly in soy sauce, and said slowly and deliberately.
"Sega is making a huge fuss about CD players and their supposed 'dream team' collaboration with Square. Nintendo, on the other hand, is all talk and no action with the Super Famicom; good third-party games are slow to come out, it's really baffling."
Kozuki Kagemasa put the fish into his mouth, chewed a few times, and then looked up at Ryoji Chubachi with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"As for Sony —I heard there hasn't been much progress on your Super Famicom-CD project with Nintendo?"
Finally, the old fox spoke, Ryoji Chubachi's heart skipped a beat. He quickly followed up on the conversation.
However, he didn't reveal his hand directly, saying that Sony wanted to go it alone and develop a completely new console.
That would be too foolish; it would hand over all the initiative to the other side.
He simply gave a troubled look, as if to say, "I'm in a difficult situation," and sighed.
"As the president pointed out Kozuki, Nintendo's focus is entirely on cartridge games for the Super Famicom (SFC). They're not really interested in CDs, this 'future' technology. Our Sony engineers have a lot of energy, but they can't seem to utilize it."
He raised his glass and toasted Kozuki Kagemasa from afar, then changed the subject, his voice carrying a seductive undertone.
"We often think that if a visionary and powerful company like Konami could join us in proving the true appeal of CD games to the market, the situation might be completely different."
After saying that, he fell silent, simply looking quietly at Kozuki Kagemasa, and threw the question back at him.
The air inside seemed to freeze for a moment.
Kozuki Kagemasa put down his chopsticks, his eyes, which always held a smile, were now sharp enough to pierce through one's heart.
He didn't laugh, nor did he answer immediately. Instead, he slowly wiped his hands with a damp towel.
"Mr. Chinese Sports."
He spoke, his voice steady, yet carrying an undeniable penetrating power.
"You mean, Sony wants to bypass Nintendo and release its own Super Famicom (SFC) CD games?"
Ryoji Nakamoto's heart skipped a beat.
Here it comes! That old fox really got it right away!
He was about to descend the steps when Kozuki Kagemasa gave him no chance, continuing to speak with a knowing smile playing on his lips.
No, that's not right.
He shook his head, as if denying his own guess, or as if speaking for Ryoji Chubachi and saying what he dared not say.
"How could a giant like Sony be content to be just a publisher? You're trying to use Nintendo's Super Famicom-CD project as a cover to build your own ship and then go out to sea, right?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ryoji Chubachi felt his shirt back instantly soaked with cold sweat.
He knew he was facing a fierce tiger, but he didn't expect the tiger's sense of smell to be so sharp, biting his throat right away.
All the pretense, all the buildup, seemed utterly ridiculous at this moment.
He stopped trying to hide it, sat up straight, and nodded solemnly. "Kozuki Liu's insight was truly remarkable."
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Kozuki Kagemasa finally burst into a hearty laugh, the sound echoing in the elegant Japanese-style room, making everyone's eardrums throb.
"Interesting! Absolutely fascinating! Nintendo has nurtured a tiger that will eventually bite them, and they're still completely unaware! This game is getting more and more fun!"
He finished laughing, picked up his wine glass again, and his eyes gleamed with excitement—the kind of excitement that seemed to thrive on chaos.
"Speak, Mr. Chubachi. Do you want Konami to be the first to board your ship?"
"Not the first passenger to board," Ryoji Chubachi himself slowly and deliberately, "But a partner who shares the helm."
"Partner?" Kozuki Kagemasa savored the word. "A 'ticket' to a partner isn't cheap."
"We are willing to offer our utmost sincerity," Ryoji Chubachi Kyoto, top-priority technical support, and Sony's global distribution network. We believe that those who create value deserve the greatest reward."
These words sounded grand and dignified, but Kozuki Kagemasa understood them immediately.
They gave a lot of money and put in a lot of effort.
He nodded in satisfaction, but remained firm. "That sounds wonderful. However, Konami has always believed that good games should be accessible to all players. We don't want to be tied to any one company."
This is a clear rejection of exclusive rights and first-release status.
Ryoji Chubachi discussion was far beyond expectations.
His purpose in coming today was not to sign any agreement, but to convey Sony's intentions to Kozuki Kagemasa.
It now appears that he has clearly received it.
It could even spread to third-party circles through Kozuki Kagemasa's words.
As for whether he would keep Nintendo and Sega a secret, Nakamoto Ryoji wasn't too worried.
After all, Nintendo received no information whatsoever when Konami was secretly colluding with Sega.
As for Kozuki Kagemasa, a pure businessman, he was by no means loyal to Sega. Unless there was sufficient benefit for him, he would naturally not reveal this matter to Sega.
With that in mind, Ryoji Chubachi his glass, "Of course, we respect Konami's choice. So, I wish us a pleasant collaboration?"
"It's a pleasure doing business with you."
Kozuki Kagemasa clinked glasses with him and drank the sake in his cup in one gulp.
Once the business was over, the atmosphere relaxed again.
The two began to truly enjoy the food before them.
Just as Ryoji Chubachi thought the meeting was about to end, Kozuki Kagemasa picked up a piece of succulent tuna belly, as if suddenly remembering something, and casually said something.
"By the way, Mr. Chubachi, I heard that things seem a bit unsettled at Panasonic lately—"
Kozuki Kagemasa's voice was very soft, as if he were talking about some trivial neighborhood gossip, but it made Ryoji Chubachi Nakabachi stop picking up food instantly.
Panasonic?
That arch-rival that fought Sony its entire life in the home appliance industry?
Alarm bells were Ryoji Chubachi's mind, but he maintained a polite smile and steadily placed a piece of tamagoyaki onto his plate. "Oh? What made you say that, President Kozuki? Aren't they always focused on home appliances and VCRs?"
"Times have changed." Kozuki Kagemasa chuckled, picked up his sake cup, and looked at Ryoji Chubachi through the wafting aroma of sake, his eyes full of meaning.
"A few days ago, someone also talked to me about the 'future.' The words they used were strikingly similar to what you said today, Mr. Chubachi."
Boom!
Ryoji Chubachi felt as if his heart had been struck hard with a hammer.
He instantly understood what Kozuki Kagemasa meant.
Sony isn't the only "rebel"!
Matsushita Electric, that behemoth, was secretly plotting the same thing!
A chill ran down my spine and up to the back of my head.
He had assumed that Sony was the only Greek warrior and planned to sneak in while Nintendo was preoccupied with its own problems, but he never expected that another, even more ferocious army had already appeared outside the city.
Meanwhile, Kozuki Kagemasa, that old fox, was sitting on the mountaintop, watching with great interest which of the two families would make the first move.
"Really? It seems great minds think alike; everyone is very confident about the future." Nakamoto Ryoji suppressed the turmoil in his heart, picked up his wine glass, and drank it all in one gulp, trying to use the spiciness of the alcohol to cover up his loss of composure.
Seeing his expression, Kozuki Kagemasa's smile deepened.
He casually dropped another bombshell, speaking as casually as if he were talking about the weather.
"Speaking of which, there's an interesting story from the United States. You know Trip Hawkins, the Chubachi of EA, right?"
Of course Ryoji Chubachi knew! The man who founded North America's number one game developer and publisher was a name that no hardware manufacturer could ignore.
"I heard he resigned from EA and is now seeking investment to start his own new company."
Ryoji Nakamoto's thoughts, which he had just managed to calm down, were shattered once again by those words.
He suddenly raised his head and stared intently at Kozuki Kagemasa.
These two events—the unusual moves at Panasonic and Hawkins ' departure—were casually mentioned by Kozuki Kagemasa at the same time, which could not possibly be a coincidence!
What exactly is this old fox trying to say?
Is this an indication that Sony should try to recruit Trip Hawkins, either as a top-tier software producer for the PlayStation or as a software distribution channel?
Or perhaps it's a chance to gain EA's support while watching the EA leadership change?
Or was it a warning to him that Panasonic had already colluded with Hawkins, and a terrifying alliance between an appliance giant and a software genius was about to be born?
Or was he simply showing off his intelligence network, telling himself that in this game, he Konami, was the dealer holding all the cards?
Ryoji Chubachi's mind raced, countless possibilities intertwined, making him momentarily dizzy.
He looked at the face before him, which always wore a warm smile, and for the first time felt what it meant to be unfathomable.
Kozuki Kagemasa saw Ryoji Chubachi's chopsticks hovering in mid-air and his ghost-like expression, he finally stopped hiding it and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.
He picked up the succulent tuna belly, put it in his mouth, squinted his eyes in satisfaction, and then slowly opened his mouth, breaking the suffocating silence.
"Mr. Chubachi, what's wrong?"
"This tuna belly is top-quality; it would be a waste to leave it for too long."
Following Kozuki Kagemasa's instructions, Ryoji Chubachi put a piece of tuna belly into his mouth.
But the tuna belly meat that Kozuki Kagemasa called "top-grade" tasted like wax to Ryoji Chubachi.
The thick layer of fat melting on his tongue should have been an unparalleled pleasure, but at this moment it only served to disrupt his thoughts.
His brain was working at lightning speed, piecing together the fragments of information he had just received.
One is a long-time rival of Sony in the home appliance industry, and the other is a man who built North America gaming empire and knows best how to leverage the market with software.
These two names were like two thunderbolts, exploding in his heart and shattering all his previous smugness and calculations. That old fox, Kozuki Kagemasa, was not just gossiping.
Every word he uttered was like a scalpel, precisely dissecting Sony's supposedly flawless plan and presenting the bloody reality before him.
Sony isn't the only player in this market.
There were other people at the card table.
And other people's cards might be even stronger than yours!
Ryoji Chubachi swallowed the fish with difficulty, feeling some discomfort in his throat.
He picked up his sake cup, wanting to take a sip to soothe himself, but saw Kozuki Kagemasa looking at him with a knowing smile, his eyes full of understanding.