January 16.

  Rachel resumed her methodical work on what she had to do and what she shouldn't, jotting down notes. She deeply hated long trips and hours and hours of irresponsible travel. She walked with a specific purpose taimax, a Japanese animation studio founded in 1980 by four uy students. Despite the great series produced, art was the only pce where the owners were dedicated to creating a studio based on different styles. However, they desired tarts: seinen (suspeories) and aecha, and of course, great stories. Hideaki Anno, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Hiroyuki Yamanga, and Tajami Akai were among them, with Hideaki being the most involved in produ. After many animators (mangakas) left in 1992 and many of the founders ehe depression, the studio was sold fairly quickly.

  -Focus, Rachel. The sale is closed; you don't have to worry, - Rachel muttered to herself.

  -, I'll have some versations with some Madhouse founders who don't want to be interviewed due to the pending animation world. It's about iing capital into a few series. Acc to statistics, 65% of animation studios go bankrupt, and 85% go bankrupt at some point but recover, - Rachel ented.

  Then, Olm Inc. also wao be under an Ameri shelter. However, this studio agreed under a series of ditions proposed by four partners who decided to sell, and they agreed to follow the mandate of the one who was not willing to leave: Shoji Ota. But everything would be backed by incredible animation teams.

  -You have to do everything the director proposed, - Rachel ented.

  -I'm gd to see you, Miss Rachel. I'm Tomashi from iations Ltd. We are responsible for handling the agreement, - Tomashi said with a slight bow.

  -You speak English very well. I'm Rachel Sanders, Chief Operating Officer of Lux Animation. Thank you very much for your efforts over the past month, - Rachel said with a slight bow.

  -Oh, Miss Rachel, you're very kind. Allow me to take you myself; you'll stay at my house, - Tomashi said solemnly.

  When a Japanese person invites someoo their home for business reasons, it's usually a gesture of courtesy and trust. In Japanese culture, inviting someoo one's home is sidered a sign of closeness and respect towards the guest. This indicate that the business retionship is progressing positively and that a more personal retionship is being built between the parties involved. Additionally, it be an opportunity to discuss business matters in a more informal and rexed manner, which strengthen professional bonds and improve unicatioween the parties. It's important to folloanese s aiquette during the visit to demonstrate resped appreciation for the hospitality offered.

  -I'm surprised by the invitation, Mr. Tomashi. I don't know what to say, but I deeply appreciate it, - Rachel ented. iations Ltd. ects people to make purchases. They've bee on three occasions: first for toy factories in Thaind and Maysia, sed for the Japanese market and ics, and stly, for the purchase of animation studios. All three times, these retionships, now mediated by iations Ltd., had an Ameri adverbial preseo sympathize with the culture.

  They quietly left the airport. A small gray car awaited them with a dy who greeted Rachel cordially in broken English.

  -My wife, Miss Rachel, - Tomashi said with a smile.

  -It's a pleasure, ma'am, - Rachel said, amazed by everything she saw. Different but simir to the big cities, there was beauty in the view of these cities.

  -Don't worry; we'll have a meeting tomorrow with the tract already signed. We use an agreement in English to prevent misuandings, and another in Japanese; however, both dots are identical. You expect that much of the progress made by my pany is doo help iations. Links with uies have been provided, and we have arranged several solutions, as we discussed in previous versations, - Tomashi ented.

  -Thank you, Tomashi, - Rachel whispered, still lost ihoughts.

  ***

  Steve Parks, enjoying good health, found relief in cooler climates. The warmth often made him unfortable, but the city of New York's Eastern side blessed him with its cooler temperatures.

  His destination now diverted to Rhode Isnd, where he had only one goal: to iate the Transformers franchise with Hasbro. Acquiring the rights to Transformers was a revetion, as there were many series Billy wished to obtain.

  Entering a restaurant, he ordered a gss of water and poured a small gss of whiskey into it. The deep fvor left a lingering taste, apanied by chewing gum. Hasbro arrived promptly, three men in sharply tailored suits, elegantly described as "vampires" seeking to extract all they could from the iations.

  -Mr. Parks. Antony Dals. I'll be leading the iations, along with my atant, Steve Starlin, and advisor, Jim Hangurberg, - said Mr. Dals, a striking figure with bck eyes, long hair styled with gel, and a red vest.

  -Gentlemen, a pleasure to meet you, - eeve Parks.

  -We have half an hour. Let's get straight to the point: 25 million for the Transformers franchise, provided you grant us an exclusive lise with your creations for 20 years, - Antony Dals stated. Generous? Not really. They were merely following suit with the pany that had surpassed Marvel and begun selling Star Wars ics. Why couldn't they sell the Hasbro series?

  -I like your style. I want you to see some data on the franchises we've created i days. Prepare to be surprised. Once again, I'm astonished by the results, but for a small pany, this is our achievement, - Steve Parks remarked.

  The toy sales statistics from Pixar movies, after many deals, tax payments, and naturalizatioers—the profits were staggering, parable to those of major panies for just one franchise.

  -You don't achieve all that by ting sheep. We're fag the greatest animator of the porary era. Rumors suggest that Billy Carson is the Walt Disney. Hollywood panies are stuhey strike from the shadows but don't attack because they know the young talent is the pinnacle of now. Let's iate. I have a third option: 10 million, exclusive lise for Power Rangers, Transformers, and Evangelion toys in cartoon form, provided we earn a 15% cut of toy sales. Billy Carson will support the creative process, a's strengthen our retionships. We keep our cards close to our chests, but these series will provide an outlet they won't fet,-Steve Parks proposed.

  Transformers would yield returns 10,000 times greater than the 10 million iment, but Steve Parks was unaware.

  "12%."

  "14%."

  "13%."

  "13.5%."

  -Very well, we'll do it. But I want more than just a lisiionship. You work on other involvements; we want to be part of some other panies, - the Hasbro director ented.

  Steve Parks smiled and said softly, -That be iated. -

  Statistically, until 1995, the Transformers franchise hadn't geed more than 100 million in its 20 years of existence. In other words, it averaged a profit of 5 million per year, not fact in advertising, shipping, and creation costs.

  ...