Regarding the dark-pool operations in Southeast Asia, especially on the Thai side, it was time to lay the cards on the table for the entire board and brief them on the specific operational plan for the near future.
Over the past two years, at Nakayama Takuya's instruction, the Sega Investment Department had moved a large sum of money into the Southeast Asian market under various covert headings, breaking the whole into parts.
At the time, the economy over there had been running blisteringly hot, like oil boiling over a raging fire. Real estate and the stock market had both been soaring wildly, and money could be picked up with your eyes closed.
The investment department had followed the established plan, smashed the money in, and let it snowball along with the local revelry.
And after the expectation of an inevitable regional financial crisis became clear, Director Hoshino immediately led his people to close the net with thunder-and-lightning efficiency, rushing to cash out those assets whose short-term appreciation had topped out and quietly convert them back into liquid funds.
It could be said that Sega had already eaten clean the sweetest, fattest stretch of dividends from the economic bubble that had blown up in Southeast Asia.
"Everyone, please look at the latest data from the Bank for International Settlements." Director Hoshino handed a photocopy to the assistant beside him and indicated for it to be distributed. "Starting from the fourth quarter of this year, the scale of hot money entering Southeast Asia has fallen off a cliff.
Foreign capital is no longer coming in. Although they haven't begun a large-scale retreat yet, the faucet has already been screwed tightly shut."
Changes in the funding side were always the most direct, most lethal signal.
"The money we invested inside earlier needs to