An Unexpected Encounter at the Premiere

Nakayama Takuya temporarily put aside the development progress reports of several games he was working on and headed to the premiere of Studio Ghibli's new film, "Only Yesterday".

With Sega's stake in Sunrise and the successful expansion of multiple game projects into the anime field, Sega is now considered a significant player in the Japan animation industry.

Thanks to Miyazaki Hayao, Nakayama Takuya has always had a good relationship with Yoshita, so whenever a new film is released, an invitation is always delivered to his office on time.

The premiere was a star-studded affair, with elegantly dressed celebrities and industry luminaries in attendance.

As Nakayama Takuya appeared, many presidents and producers from animation companies took the initiative to greet him, creating a lively atmosphere.

He first approached the film's director, Gao Yanxun, and his heartfelt praise truly moved the animation master.

"Director Takashi, you are truly amazing." Nakayama Takuya's praise was not just empty words. "To be able to capture the delicate, private, and even slightly awkward realism of adults reminiscing about their childhood is a hundred times more difficult than simply capturing passion and fantasy."

These words clearly struck a chord with Gao Yanxun, who smiled knowingly and offered a few words of modesty. He also conveyed Miyazaki Hayao's greetings, who was unable to attend, and his words revealed a hint of "resentment" for his old friend not being able to see the film in person.

Next, Kazuhiko Torishima, Shueisha's top editor, also came over with several of the most popular manga artists from Weekly Shonen Jump to say hello.

Nakayama Takuya immediately recognized the two people walking ahead. One, wearing glasses, was Yoshihiro Togashi, the author of Yu Yu Hakusho Yoshihiro Togashi; the other, who appeared much more composed and focused, was Takehiko Inoue, the author of Slam Dunk.

"Executive Director Nakayama, I've long admired your name." Kazuhiko Torishima extended his hand, a shrewd smile typical of business occasions on his face. As Shueisha's ace, he had naturally heard of Sega, the rising star stirring up the entertainment industry.

"Mr. Torishima, you're too kind. I'm the one who should be admiring your names." Nakayama Takuya shook hands with him, then turned his gaze to the two manga artists behind him, his smile becoming much more sincere. "Togashi-sensei, Inoue-sensei, I've been following your works without missing a single issue."

This opening remark clearly surprised the two cartoonists who created the haircut.

Yu Yu Hakusho Nakayama Takuya's gaze first fell on Yoshihiro Togashi, and he said with a smile, "I've followed every season of Yu Yu Hakusho without missing a single one. The setting of the Spirit World War is just too ingenious. How about turning it into a fighting game? Our Sega Mega Drive console needs a game like this that can ignite the passion of players."

As soon as he finished speaking, not only Yoshihiro Togashi himself, but also Kazuhiko Torishima and Takehiko Inoue standing next to him were stunned.

Yoshihiro Togashi was clearly caught off guard. He hadn't expected this big shot to have such a deep understanding of his work, and even to have conceived of a game adaptation.

He opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words, while Kazuhiko Torishima reacted much faster; his eyes behind his glasses instantly lit up, as if he could already see the clattering banknotes.

Before they could fully process this information, Nakayama Takuya turned to Namikawa Takehiko, his tone filled with admiration. "And Namikawa-sensei's ' Slam Dunk,' that youthful sweat and never-give-up spirit are truly moving. It's a pity that current game consoles can't handle the nuanced action, otherwise Sega would be developing games like that too."

A glint also flashed in Takehiko's eyes. As a creator, nothing is more gratifying than having one's hard work deeply understood.

"Speaking of which, why didn't I see Akira Toriyama and Tsukasa Hojo today?" Nakayama Takuya asked casually, with an air of familiarity and composure.

Mentioning these two, Kazuhiko Torishima couldn't help but facepalm, half-jokingly and half-seriously complaining, "Don't even mention it. One said he doesn't like crowds and hides in the countryside playing with his cat. The other's laziness has flared up again. I had to send three editors to wait outside his house in shifts just to barely get the latest manuscript for <City Hunter> out. How could I dare let him out?"

This sarcastic remark drew a few chuckles from the crowd, instantly warming up the atmosphere considerably.

After laughing, Kazuhiko Torishima's expression turned serious again. He took a step closer, lowered his voice, and said with an undeniable eagerness, "Executive Director Nakayama, what you said today is more interesting than any movie. I think we really need to find some time to sit down and have a good talk about the game adaptation. It's not just those two; Jump has quite a few good cards to play."

Nakayama Takuya smiled inwardly; the fish had taken the bait.

He nodded, picked up a new glass of champagne from the waiter's tray, Kazuhiko Torishima.

"I'm always ready."

During the pleasantries, Ito Nobutatsu, the president of Sunrise, approached with a wine glass in hand, his face flushed, and his excitement could be felt from a distance.

As for director Yoshiyuki Tomino, he is currently fully engaged in the preparations for <Mobile Suit Gundam F91> and was not present.

After more than a year of rest, the bald director is in much better spirits. Under Nakayama Takuya's "Space Completion Plan" blueprint, this time <F91> is no longer the theatrical version forced to be rushed by capital two years ago, but will be made into a complete TV anime, telling the whole story of the Cosmo Babylonia Founding War, striving to fully present the struggle of various forces and the fate of the characters in that turbulent history.

"Manager Nakayama, thanks to you!" President Ito's voice was filled with barely suppressed joy as he spoke, "The final profit report for <G Fighter Legend> is out, it's practically—it's practically picking up money!"

The recently concluded "Mobile Fighter G" not only brought Sunrise and Bandai a much larger return than expected, but more importantly, it successfully expanded its large base of young viewers.

"Guess what?" President Ito lowered his voice mysteriously, "What you said at the meeting, 'New fans will go looking for older works,' has come true! In the last few months, the rental data for those Gundam VHS tapes from the 80s has skyrocketed! Now the entire company reveres your saying, 'Each generation has its own Gundam,' as gospel!"

The prophecy was perfectly fulfilled, Nakayama Takuya simply smiled and nodded, keeping his achievements hidden.

President Ito's gratitude towards Takuya was palpable, after all, the story and setting of <G Fighter Legend> were practically fed to Sunrise by Takuya.

After discussing the successes, it's natural to talk about the future.

"By the way, Executive Director, we're really confident about the racing anime we're preparing for, <Cyber Formula>!"

Thanks to the ample cash flow from "G Fighter Legend" and the backing of Sega, Sunrise now has more confidence and patience in making animation than ever before.

President Ito introduced with great enthusiasm, "We followed your original suggestions exactly, repeatedly polishing the script and designing rich backstories and unique charms for each major rival. Now, the script we've presented—not only me, but even the screenwriter himself—guarantees it's absolutely the benchmark for racing anime!"

While the protagonist's growth is important, the essence of racing is competition. If the opponents are all indistinct and become stepping stones for the protagonist's advancement, then the race itself will lose its luster. Sunrise has grasped this essence perfectly.

"I'm confident in the script, but as for the follow-up merchandise—" A hint of hesitation flashed across President Ito's face, "Tamiya is very interested, but several new toy manufacturers have also offered very high licensing fees, so I'm a little unsure."

This was his main purpose in coming today—to ask the God of Wealth for guidance.

Upon hearing this, Nakayama Takuya picked up his champagne glass, took a sip, and instead of answering, asked, "President Ito, why do you think Bandai has been able to make Gundam models such a unique and successful business?"

President Ito was taken aback, and subconsciously said, "Because they did a good job?"

"That's right, because they're the most professional." Nakayama Takuya put down his glass, his eyes clear. "What's Sunrise's moat? It's our ability to create good stories and good IPs. What's Tamiya's moat? It's the world's strongest 4WD model development capabilities, sales channels, and brand influence."

"What we want to do is form strong alliances and grow the pie together, not support a second-rate competitor for a small amount of licensing fees. If their product is subpar, whose brand will be damaged in the end? Our ' Cyber Formula ' brand."

His tone was calm, yet every word carried immense weight.

"Let professionals do what they're good at. We'll perfect our animation, and Tamiya will perfect our toys—that's a win-win situation. Animation IP is the upstream of the industry, and we always have the initiative in our own hands. Why should we be afraid of a toy company turning against us?"

These words Ito Nobutatsu, and the hesitation on his face vanished, leaving only complete conviction.

"I understand! Thank you for your guidance, Executive Director!"

Having achieved his goal, President Ito bid farewell with satisfaction and went to socialize with the other guests.

After seeing off the satisfied President Ito, Nakayama Takuya finally had a moment of peace.

He walked to a corner of the venue with his wine glass, intending to rest for a bit, when he caught a glimpse of a somewhat out-of-place figure out of the corner of his eye.

The man stood alone in the shadows of a corner. Despite the soft lighting indoors, he wore a pair of large sunglasses, making him look out of place.

Nakayama Takuya felt that this outfit looked somewhat familiar, and after going through the faces of people in the industry in his mind, a name gradually emerged.

He casually took a fresh glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray and strode over.

"Good evening."

Nakayama Takuya stood beside the man, his voice not loud, but enough to bring the other man back to his senses.

The man in sunglasses was clearly taken aback for a moment, then turned his head and saw that it was Nakayama Takuya, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.

Having worked in the animation and gaming industry, he naturally knew the weight this Sega executive held in the industry.

"Hello, Mr. Nakayama, the Executive Director." He responded somewhat reservedly, then took out a business card holder from his pocket and handed it to him with both hands. "I am Hiroi Ouji from Red Company. I've heard so much about you."

Hiroi Ouji.

It was him, as expected. Nakayama Takuya knew it in his heart, smiled and took the business card, and also took out his own business card from the inside pocket of his suit and exchanged it with him.

"Mr. Hiroi, you're too kind." Nakayama Takuya's gaze lingered on his business card for a moment, then he smiled and said, "I really enjoyed your company's collaboration with Sunrise on ' Mashin Hero Wataru.' I heard that after that project recently concluded, Mr. Hiroi has been gathering inspiration for a new project?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Hirohira gave a wry smile, his sunglasses unable to conceal the hint of melancholy in his expression. "I apologize for making you laugh; inspiration isn't something you can simply conjure up."

"Oh?" Nakayama Takuya seemed oblivious to the dejection in his voice, instead leaning closer with interest and lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, "I do have a somewhat immature idea, I wonder if Mr. Hironami would be interested in hearing it?"

Hiroi Ouji.

Nakayama Takuya's voice carried a strange allure, "We've combined several seemingly unrelated things. For example—girls, swords, steam-powered chibi robots, and stage plays. Mr. Hironami, are you interested in a project that combines these elements?"

Hiroi Ouji's body froze instantly.

His wry smile froze, and his eyes behind his sunglasses must have been wide open in shock.

Girl? Stage play? Robot?

These words, taken individually, represent elements he has been contemplating and passionate about over the years.

But he never imagined that someone would plan to connect them all with a single project!

This instantly stirred the strings of his creative inspiration!

"You—how did you know I like stage plays?" Hiroi Ouji blurted out instinctively, his voice trembling slightly. This wasn't a trade secret anymore; it was his personal hobby, the source of his creative inspiration!

Seeing his shocked expression, Nakayama Takuya revealed a mysterious smile.

Sega owns shares in Sunrise.

A seemingly casual remark exploded like a bombshell in Hiroi Ouji's ears.

He suddenly realized, "Oh, I see!"

RedCompany has collaborated with Sunrise for so long that it's entirely plausible that Sunrise knew about RedCompany's preferences and creative habits, and then relayed these to the major shareholder through Sunrise!

In an instant, the image of the young executive in his mind became incredibly mysterious and powerful.

"This idea..." Hiroi Ouji was so excited he was almost incoherent. He wished he could pull Nakayama Takuya and talk about it all night long. "Executive Director Nakayama, can we discuss this in detail? About this---"

"There are too many people and too much chatter here; this isn't the place to discuss such a big project," Nakayama Takuya interrupted him with a laugh, raising his champagne glass in a gesture of respect.

"Come to my office at Sega Headquarters next Tuesday at 10 a. m. Then, we'll turn this story into reality."

Hiroi Ouji nodded vigorously, his excitement and exhilaration no longer concealed.

He carefully put away Nakayama Takuya's business card, as if it were some rare treasure.

I'll definitely be there on time!

After saying that, he hurriedly took his leave, his steps unsteady, clearly eager to return and sort out his thoughts that had been completely ignited.

Nakayama Takuya watched his retreating figure as he practically ran away, then gently swirled the champagne in his glass, the golden liquid rippling under the light.