章節 51: Luck

[Tora Corporation HQ]

Inside the office of the President, Taro Ikeda was buried in paperwork related to the video game console, engrossed in discussions with the company's programmers.

"We're still lagging behind KiShin in terms of video game and console sales. We need you to develop more captivating games urgently!" Taro's voice resonated through the office as he passionately addressed the programmers.

Taro Ikeda had been appointed as the president of the company by Chairman Asahi himself, so he took matters related to video games and the Tora 16-bit console very seriously, just as Chairman Asahi did.

"Mr. President, it may seem like creating games is a simple task, but we're still in the process of figuring it out. Coming up with something extraordinary on short notice is quite challenging," one of the programmers explained.

"Yes, we've been working overtime trying to meet the demands," added another.

President Taro furrowed his brow, his determination unwavering, and he exclaimed, "I understand the challenges, but I don't want to hear excuses! I need results!"

With those words, President Taro dismissed the programmers, leaving them with a sense of urgency.

---

[Suzuki Group]

[Suzuki Chairman's Office]

"Father, KiShin remains unyielding and refuses to cooperate," Shiko reported to his father, Shiro Suzuki, the Chairman of the Suzuki Group.

"Their sales still dominate the video game market," Shiro remarked with a subtle smile, and he continued, "Commence the mass production of the video game consoles we've readied. We'll unequivocally demonstrate to both KiShin and Tora that Suzuki reigns as the premier electronic technology company in Japan."

"Understood," Shiko and Seki nodded in agreement.

---

Two weeks had passed since the launch of the Tora 16-bit console, yet their daily sales remained stagnant at 8,000 to 12,000 units throughout Japan. Even their video game cartridges experienced slow sales, with the exception of the game 'Happy.'

In stark contrast to KiShin FamiCom, which boasted sales exceeding 20,000 units in Tokyo and various cities and prefectures, along with a substantial demand for their video game cartridges, the initially apprehensive KiShin employees found a newfound sense of calm. When KiShin was the sole player in the market, they had become complacent and careless, which had annoyed Shin. However, the emergence of a competitor rekindled their cautious and vigilant spirit, fueling their competitiveness.

KiShin Company's net worth skyrocketed to an astonishing 13.9 billion yen, a surge that left everyone astonished. In just a mere six months, the company had experienced unprecedented growth. It was no wonder that the Suzuki Group was eager to get their hands on it.

Inside the CEO's office, Shin held a report detailing the results of the reverse engineering process of the Tora 16-bit console.

Shin smiled as they had finally managed to decipher the CPU technology, thanks to the influx of professionals within the company. The newly established department, 'KiShin Research,' was now populated with individuals holding master's degrees in Computer Science and various other experts.

Among them, Yuji Tamanaka stood out as an invaluable addition. He held a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Harvard, making him a prized recruit handpicked by Shin himself.

Securing such a talent was a stroke of luck.

It started when KiShin had managed to hire an 60 year old man who was willing to take on any role, even that of a janitor. One day, while Shin was enjoying coffee in the company's building café, he noticed the old man meticulously cleaning the café. Intrigued, Shin invited him for coffee, only to discover the old man's talent for creating toys. In particular, he had crafted a Lego set, which had not yet been invented in this world. Given that Shin had already established a subsidiary called KiShin Merchandise, specializing in toys, figurines of characters like Super Mario and Donkey Kong, pillows featuring fluffy Super Mario designs, and clothing with KiShin game-themed designs, he was impressed by the old man's skills.

This talented individual was none other than Ataraha Tamanaka. Impressed by his abilities, Shin invited him to be the CEO of KiShin Merchandise. At first, Ataraha chuckled at the notion due to Shin's young age, thinking him an ordinary young man. However, when he was invited to Shin's office, he was shocked to discover the truth that Shin was the owner of the company.

But the story didn't end there. Ataraha's son, Yuji Tamanaka, had been a government-sponsored scholar at Harvard due to his exceptional intelligence. Upon returning to Japan, Yuji was surprised to find his father as a CEO. His father convinced him to join KiShin, and Ataraha introduced Yuji to Shin. The revelation that Yuji had studied at Harvard took Shin by surprise.

Grateful for the opportunity, Shin hired Yuji for the KiShin Research department, offering an attractive salary. With Yuji on board, the research on various components and the Tora 16-bit system became significantly easier.

KiShin also set up factories and acquired the necessary equipment to mass-produce the required components, eliminating their dependency on Tora Electronics.

[Factory Setup, Manufacturing Equipment, Assembly Line, Production Line, Tooling, Automation, Supply Chain Management, Quality Control, Mass Production, Lead Time, Capacity Planning, Quality Assurance, Cost Optimization, Environmental Compliance, Lean Manufacturing, Prototyping, Factory Commissioning.]

Everything required for operations had been prepared according to the documentation. Shin simply needed to trust the professionals. With their newfound independence in component production, KiShin Electronics could now truly be called an electronics company.

Reflecting on this achievement, Shin placed the papers on the table and smiled as he said, "Thank you for your outstanding work, Mr. Tamanaka," addressing the bespectacled man in front of him.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Suzuki," replied Yuji, adjusting his glasses.