Nakayama Takuya rose to his feet, walked over to the water dispenser in the corner, filled two cups with warm water, then returned and handed one to Sato.
"Apart from that time we worked with Sony on the CD-ROM drive, we've basically never taken the initiative to track the cutting edge of hardware technology these past few years. After all, new technologies come with huge R&D and trial-and-error costs in the early stages, and it's easy to step into a pitfall. Once you get used to eating ready-made rice, naturally you become too lazy to watch the upstream manufacturers' labs and see what kind of rice they're planting."
Sato Hideki accepted the paper cup respectfully with both hands, gripping it so tightly that his palms were faintly sweating.
The more calm and casual his future boss seemed, the more guilty he felt.
"Managing Director, I'll go back immediately and overhaul the Hardware Department's intelligence-gathering system. I'll keep a close eye on the R&D developments of the major semiconductor manufacturers. I absolutely won't let this kind of darkness beneath the lamp happen again!"
"No need to be so nervous. Have some water." Nakayama Takuya waved a hand and sat back down in his executive chair. "We found the problem; we fix it. Sega is a big operation now. We need to spend what should be spent and build the intelligence channels that should be built. Don't begrudge that little bit of funding. The most critical thing right now is Sharp's display. That's the lifeblood of our new handheld."
He clasped his hands on the desk, leaning forward slightly as his gaze sharpened.
"First thing tomorrow morning, lead a team to Sharp Headquarters yourself. I don't care what method you use—cling to them like a leech or clear the way with money—but