Nakayama Takuya pushed the door open and left.
In the corridor, several employees hurried past carrying thick stacks of documents, heatedly discussing code bugs with one another.
Both the hardware and software for the new handheld were advancing at full speed. Sega seemed like a supercar filled to the brim with fuel, its engine roaring.
Everything was ready but the east wind.
Now it all depended on what good news Sato could bring back from Sharp.
On the morning of the third day, the skies over Tokyo finally cleared. Golden sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds and into the president's office at Sega Headquarters.
Nakayama Takuya had just settled into his broad leather office chair and lifted the Blue Mountain coffee his secretary had brewed. Before its rich aroma could spread across his lips and teeth, the office's heavy solid-wood door was violently shoved open with a bang.
Sato Hideki strode in.
He carried a black metal combination case in his hand, as though it contained some priceless treasure, and set it down heavily on Nakayama Takuya's broad wooden desk.
"Executive Director, it's done! They really pulled it off!" Sato Hideki did not even pause to catch his breath. He pulled out a chair and dropped into it, rapidly working the combination lock with fingers that trembled slightly from excitement.
With a crisp click, the case opened.
Nestled within thick, high-density shockproof foam lay several LCD panels, tightly wrapped in silver-gray anti-static bags.
"Sharp gave us their most definite answer." Sato Hideki carefully removed the anti-static bags and lined them up across the desk as though cradling newborn babies. "By the third quarter this year, the technology for this display will be fully finalized. They expect their first brand-new production line in Tenri City to officially begin operations