Chaebol

Perhaps taken aback by the mention of a 70-30 split, Shigeru just stared blankly, unable to respond.

After all, he didn't have much authority. The only decision he could really make was whether or not to report this deal to the head office.

"You're busy crunching the numbers in your head, aren't you?"

At my question, Shigeru looked startled.

"You're trying to figure out what's most beneficial, running the numbers in your head."

"Ah, well…"

"You're probably wondering if there's a way to adjust the ratio to 50-50, or at least 60-40. You're thinking hard about whether there's any room for negotiation."

Realizing that his thoughts had been laid bare, he closed his mouth.

That reaction was all the answer I needed.

'He may know how to design characters, but he has zero negotiation skills.'

As a beginner in the business world, that was to be expected.

On the other hand, how many deals like this have I negotiated?

Due to all the experience I gained in this life that I couldn't in the previous one… I was becoming a master negotiator.

"Right now, partnering with me is the most advantageous option for you."

"Yes, you're right. There's a limit to how much we can do on our own. If you take care of distribution and promotion, we could see huge sales."

"But in the long run, it might be a loss."

"Excuse me?"

"Even if it's limited to North American profits… you'd be giving up 70% of all future earnings. What's the point of doing business if that's the case?"

Shigeru tilted his head, his eyes unfocused, as if he was questioning his own hearing.

It was absurd, right? I was admitting that this deal was overwhelmingly in my favor.

"…"

"But here's something you should understand. When someone lays down such a lopsided offer, it means your business is in pretty bad shape."

Maybe my words struck a chord because Shigeru let out a small sigh.

"Do you have any alternatives? I'm asking if there's anyone else I'm competing with for this investment."

"No, there isn't."

"So, even if I present you with worse conditions, you have no choice but to accept. And I know that."

His eyes seemed to ask why I was offering a 70-30 split then.

Shigeru couldn't quite bring himself to voice the question, but his expression said it all.

"You need at least 30% to be able to fund the development of your next game."

"So, you're leaving us a lifeline."

I nodded.

"The choice is yours."

Whether to accept the 70-30 split or continue struggling with sales on your own.

But I swiftly took even that small choice away from him.

"Before you decide, I'd like to take a look at your office."

"Excuse me?"

"If I'm going to invest several million dollars, I need to check a few things."

"Check…?"

"Did you think I'd just hand over the money after a few words? I need to see how many circuit boards you have in stock, the condition of your facilities, and whether the head office will adjust the difficulty based on your feedback—there are lots of things to check."

"You're right, that makes sense."

In an instant, Shigeru went from being in a position to make a decision to being the one who needed to ask for permission.

It all happened very quickly.

"Sorry, but we don't really have an office. There's a warehouse building, though. Will that do?"

"Let's go."

"It's quite a distance…"

"We're not walking there, are we?"

At my response, Shigeru hurriedly stood up.

***

In the outskirts of Boston.

The building was akin to a container-style warehouse, something you'd see thrown together quickly in Korea.

The small space was stacked with boxes of circuit boards sent from Japan.

"We've got quite a bit of stock. They kept sending more, telling us to sell as much as we could."

"So how many have you sold?"

"Only one so far…"

"Was today's sale your first?"

Shigeru scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"How are you going to pay the rent like that?"

"We can manage for another three months…"

Sigh.

"Do you at least have a desk?"

"Yes, we've got the basics covered."

Shigeru pointed to his own spot.

It was a folding table about 1.5 meters long, the kind you'd use for camping meals outdoors.

The surface was originally white but had turned gray with age, indicating it had probably been bought second-hand.

Maybe he noticed my expression.

Shigeru explained, almost like an excuse.

"Most of the staff are out doing sales. The office is just for appearances; we don't spend much time sitting at our desks… haha."

Contrary to his words, the desk was covered in documents.

There were handwritten notes and several sketches, probably character concepts.

Following my gaze, Shigeru hurriedly gathered up the sketches and said.

"This is just a hobby. Since I dreamed of being a manga artist…"

Indeed, Hideo's desk was filled with various illustrations.

The drawings were more on the cute side, with the typical exaggeration found in Japanese manga, rather than being realistic.

One character, in particular, caught my eye.

"What's this?"

"Oh… that's just something I sketched for fun."

Despite his words, Hideo's expression quickly turned serious.

"I mixed a dinosaur with a turtle. It's meant to be a boss character… I added spikes to its shell to make it look powerful. It's not finished yet."

"It's impressive. With that wide-open mouth, it looks like it can breathe fire."

"Yes, it does breathe fire."

Shigeru chuckled.

"It's not like a Western dragon's breath, though. It's more of a cute version—just spits out flames, really."

"Have you decided on a name?"

"Not yet. It's not exactly a major character…"

Not a major character?

This guy would eventually become the final boss in multiple Super Mario games.

"Did you create this one here too?"

"Oh, that one's pretty plain… Honestly, there's not much to it. It's just a green dinosaur with shoes."

For something so simple, he sure had drawn a lot of it.

The design included a frog-like tongue that stretched out to attack, and effects showing the throat bulging when it swallowed its prey.

It could have been a creepy scene, but Shigeru's manga-style technique made the design quite endearing.

"Somehow, it feels like it would pair well with Super Mario."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I can imagine Super Mario riding on its back."

Shigeru looked shocked at my comment.

Then, as if possessed, he started sifting through the papers.

He eventually found one specific sketch.

In it, the two characters were standing side by side, arms over each other's shoulders.

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That these two were a team… how did you know?"

Well, because in the future, you'll make them into a game.

'Thanks to constantly watching it at my friend's house, I'm pretty familiar with it.'

But I couldn't say that out loud.

"They just seemed to go together. Their colors and overall design."

Although my answer was vague, it seemed to be quite encouraging to Shigeru.

"Really?"

"Yes. They feel like a dynamic duo."

"Phew."

Shigeru let out a sigh of relief.

But only for a moment.

"Ahem."

As if remembering his original purpose, he quickly changed his expression.

"Sorry for getting sidetracked. As I mentioned, this is my desk, and those are the other employees' desks over there. It's more like we just put a few desks in a warehouse…"

He was so lively when talking about the characters.

But when the conversation shifted to the office, a shadow fell over Shigeru's face again.

"You wanted to see the place, so I showed you… but it probably didn't help with the decision, did it?"

"Not really."

"Ugh."

Shigeru hung his head, then finally spoke with difficulty.

"Mr. CEO."

"…?"

"Is there no way?"

He continued, his voice filled with desperation.

"The investment offer you mentioned… it's an invaluable opportunity for us. But the head office will definitely have issues with the profit-sharing arrangement…"

"…"

"Is there no way?"

"Are you appealing to my sense of compassion?"

"There's no point in trying to outsmart you when we don't have any bargaining power. It's better to be honest and ask for help."

He was right.

If he had tried to outwit me, I would've firmly squashed him in the negotiation.

But with him so humbly asking for help, what more could I do?

"So you're saying the profit-sharing needs to be adjusted, right?"

"Yes. If it were 50-50, I think I could convince the head office."

An even split, huh.

Honestly, it would still be an incredibly favorable deal for me.

I knew that, but.

'I guess it's just disappointing because I was thinking about a 70-30 split.'

Hmm.

Should I drag this out and settle for something like 60-40?

Pretending to think, I slowly moved closer to Shigeru's desk.

I had no specific intention.

I was just trying to avoid his desperate gaze by looking at something else, like the sketches on his desk.

That was all it was.

But then.

The moment I saw the sketch of Super Mario riding on the dinosaur's back.

"…!"

A sudden possibility came to mind.

'An investment that doesn't attract too much attention!'

A deal that might seem foolish now but would bring in steady profits over time—a hidden gem of a contract.

I'm the type of person who has to act on an idea the moment it strikes.

"There is a way."

"R-Really?"

"Yes. There is a solution, but I need your approval, Mr. Miyamoto."

"My… approval?"

I nodded.

"As I mentioned, I don't have much authority…"

"All the characters you've created up to now."

"…?"

"And the characters you'll create in the future—I want the rights to them."

"You mean the rights to the games?"

"No. The game copyrights belong to the head office. What I'm asking for is the rights to specific characters."

A huge question mark appeared in Shigeru's eyes.

Of course.

I was proposing a concept that didn't even exist in this era.

"Let me explain it more simply. If the game is a soccer team, then the characters are the players. Nintendo owns the soccer club, but I want the rights to the players."

"Like a sort of agent?"

I nodded.

But then Shigeru's expression turned uneasy.

"Is that… going to be profitable?"

"We'll make it profitable."

"…?"

"If the player becomes famous, there'll be advertising revenue. We can even put them in movies. In other words, I'm talking about the rights to derivative works."

"Derivative… works?"

I ended up giving a mini-lecture on intellectual property rights.

Though, based on his reaction, I could tell he didn't quite grasp it.

"Isn't that too much of a fantasy? The idea of individual characters having their own rights and making money off of them."

"It could be possible in the distant future."

"But… if this business really is valuable, why limit it to just the characters I've created?"

"Because I'm investing in you."

"Pardon?"

"I'm not particularly interested in the company Nintendo."

"…Then?"

"What I'm interested in is Miyamoto Shigeru, and only you."

Maybe he hadn't expected to hear that.

As soon as I finished speaking.

Gulp.

Shigeru's Adam's apple bobbed visibly.