Everyone was waiting.
Waiting for someone else to speak first, waiting for someone else to shoulder this black pot that would stink for ten thousand years.
Yamashina Makoto looked at these executives, who normally talked grandly and could argue until they were red in the face over departmental budgets, yet had now collectively become mute. His stomach churned with nausea.
"Why has everyone gone silent?!" Yamashina Makoto suddenly exploded, pounding the tabletop hard enough to make the teacups hum. "Didn't someone suggest restarting the merger negotiations as soon as possible? Sega is about to acquire Sotsu, so come up with something! Have you all gone mute?!"
Dead silence.
The head of the Toy Division lowered his head and stared fixedly at the teacup before him, as though studying the molecular structure of the tea stains.
The head of the Human Resources Department held a pen and absentmindedly drew circles in his notebook, pressing so hard that he nearly tore through the paper.
Several veteran managing directors simply closed their eyes, watching their noses, their noses watching their hearts, pretending to be deep in thought. In truth, they had even slowed their breathing.
Everyone had their own ledger in their hearts.
Back then, resisting the merger had been a collective decision.
Why should I be the one to stick my neck out now?
You want me to negotiate with Sega?
If the terms I bring back are brutally harsh, Bandai gets broken apart, and the employees call me a traitor; while Sega thinks I am nothing but trouble. I would be neither fish nor fowl.
Only a fool would take on a thankless job destined to earn eternal condemnation.
Mitsui Chuta sneered again, the sound especially piercing in the quiet conference room.
"President, this won't be easy." Mitsui Chuta swept his