Tokyo, Hudson (Hudson Soft) headquarters.
The air inside the president's office seemed even more stifling than the early-September heat outside the window.
Kudo Hiroshi, president of Hudson, sat upright and solemn.
Across from him sat a specialist from Nintendo, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, his expression as standard as if it had been measured with a ruler, without the slightest trace of personal emotion.
The tea in front of the specialist had barely been touched.
"President Kudo, we are very grateful for Hudson's long-standing contributions to the Famicom platform."
The specialist's voice was flat and unruffled, as if he were reciting a report that had nothing to do with him.
"Recently, in order to optimize the overall production capacity of the cartridge production line..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Kudo Hiroshi's face without the slightest warmth.
"...and to ensure that the products of all third-party partners meet Nintendo's consistent high-quality standards, we will be making stricter adjustments to batch management."
A thread of foreboding flashed through Kudo Hiroshi's heart.
This sort of official boilerplate was usually the prelude to bad news.
"Specialist, please speak plainly."
He tried his best to keep his tone calm.
The specialist gave a slight nod, as if he was not surprised by such directness.
"Regarding your company's key product originally scheduled for release in early September—Takahashi Meijin's Adventure Island."
Here it came.
Kudo Hiroshi's eyelid twitched.
"The cartridge stock prepared for its first shipment will be reduced by twenty percent."
Twenty percent!
Beneath the table, Kudo Hiroshi's knuckles quietly clenched tight, his nails almost digging into his palm.
He took a deep breath. His face still maintained its respectful look toward the "parents who provided his food and clothing," but his voice carried a trace of difficulty he could hardly conceal.
"Specialist,