Volume 1: Japanese Storm Chapter 23: From Vienna (4)

  February's Yokosuka, like in previous years, is fluttering with white snow.

  "Mom, I'm here to see you." Jerry took off his hat and hung it on the tombstone of Jin Yu Xiao Xiang. "Please forgive my arbitrariness, I haven't come to see you for two years! Look, the grass over there has grown taller than me! But don't worry, I'll help you get rid of them! Hey Pedro, what are you doing? Stop it. Get out of the way, this isn't your job, only I can do this, did you hear?! Now, stop immediately and get out of the way, or I'll fire you!"

  Pedro Bocanegra looked at Jerry with his head held high and a stubborn expression, but still let go of the handful of grass he was holding and walked to the side.

  "Now, hand over that dagger at your waist to me!"

  After receiving the dagger handed over by Pedro, Jerry started to bend down and began cutting the weeds with the serrated edge of the dagger!

  "This year's sales of the manga department have already exceeded 10 billion yen, and the sales of the department are also approaching 15 billion yen. Fujisawa Tohru's "Shonan Junai Gumi", Koji Matsumoto's "Ningyo no Hakaba", and Yūsuke Watanabe's "Fushigi na Game" have been serialized in Shonen Jump,"

  "The" Revolutionary Girl Utena was widely acclaimed when it aired on TV Asahi. Since the original manga had a wealth of high-quality material, from the beginning of this year we decided to animate multiple titles, but as a result "our hands were not enough". Even if Mitsuru Miyata recruited more people, he couldn't keep up with the workload. I saw that he was really busy, so I brought in Kyoto Animation led by Hideaki Hatta.

  "I, along with Nana-chan, have also opened a coffee shop, a combined romantic and anime-style coffee shop. After more than a year of expansion, we've already opened 38 locations, centered around Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya's three major commercial districts. Gradually expanding outward, Rodoren has unknowingly been pushed to the corner of Japan. Now, with the help of celebrity guests, our star-themed weeks and anime-themed weeks, which feature collaborations with famous groups like Yuzu-shi, are becoming increasingly popular among Japan's new generation. I'm already busy with daily management work with Futsal, while also studying management courses at a Japanese university alongside Nana-chan. By the end of the year, he should have completed his management course prerequisites, and by then, the coffee shop will officially become an independent company. I've even thought of a name for the company - how about 'Soraha Sky'?"

  The company's sales channels have blossomed all over Asia, whether it's Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, everywhere you can see authorized dealers. In Japan, we have the Sanseido bookstore channel to help out, and your son's records have been sold to every corner of Japan! Yes, mom, I've started singing! At the beginning of this year, your son won three Grammy Awards in New York, USA, and now he has become an angel in the hearts of Christians all over the world and a prince in the hearts of the Japanese people. For this year's draft event and subsequent development plans, we acquired several offices, by the way, Miss Fa is really sticky with me. The concert hasn't even started yet, but she keeps calling to remind me not to forget the things I promised her.

  "Robinson Film, formerly Nikkatsu, the company that specialized in pink films. From this year on, they've started to transform completely. Master Takahisa Zeze's 'Cold Water' is still a romance film, but it lacks his usual eroticism and instead incorporates Kiyoshi Kurosawa's aesthetic beauty, telling a love story of young people that closely resembles the real lives of Japan's new generation, making it well-received by Japanese youth. And just released 'Midnight Bell' has caused an unprecedented sensation in all of Asia, recouping its production costs in the first week and doubling its box office in the second week, Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa is indeed very proud! Although he's not like the master I remembered, his cinematography and editing techniques are still worthy of praise. This is just the beginning for him, with time, he'll become a horror movie master. Takashi Miike's two documentaries are still in production, but judging from their current progress, they should be ready to hit theaters by spring after the new year, using historical records to recall those passionate years and restoring them in black and white, truly deserving of his title as a master. And young directors like Takashi Miike, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and Tetsuya Nakashima are also maturing in their techniques, perhaps it's time for them to go abroad and learn about independent filmmaking."

  "Compared to the TV station, this year has been a tough battle. Mitsui Aiko is still not someone to be underestimated. If it weren't for your son's prior preparations, the entire Asahi TV station would have been ruined! Just like how Wall Street conglomerates took down Hollywood film companies by controlling the theater chains, thereby dominating the entire film industry! Mitsui Aiko... if possible, mom, I really don't want to be her opponent, it's too much of a mental strain."

  Fortunately, the "play" won, and the six major financial groups that failed had to hand over more than 100 billion yen. With this money, he expanded his own wired network. Yes, mom, you have to believe that wireless broadcasting will eventually become history. I really regret that Inamori Kazuo underestimated it and sold off the telephone network covering three major commercial districts for a mere $1 billion.

  "The three-shift system around the young people adjusted the relationship between employees and machines, protecting their biological clocks while maximizing the work efficiency of both employees and machines! After a year and a half of development, Sanrio has become a complete OEM factory for young people's peripherals. With manga and games as its backing, young people's peripherals have become Japan's first independent peripheral company. We have anime keychains, anime couple cups, anime decorations, anime earrings, anime rings, anime clothing, and so on. In short, we are developing all sorts of small items related to anime. Apart from anime, Square Enix and other game-related peripherals are also within our development scope. As for who the most powerful designer at Young People's Peripherals is... well, mom, don't think about it anymore, it's me, your son."

  "Squaresoft and Enix's game development has entered high gear, with sequels to several games being released one after another. Following the Street Fighter series, came the Samurai Spirits series, the ActRaiser series, and the King of Fighters series. Takahashi Tokita won't have any time to rest, if he wants to beat out Hiroyuki Ito's team, he'll have to keep busy like this! Once the development of the PlayStation version of Final Fantasy is complete, work on the next version should also begin."

  "The King Fund set a trap for the Japanese insurance industry, but it's not really a trap. If they weren't so greedy, they wouldn't have fallen into this trap. All we did was sign a contract, nothing more. At least to some extent."

  Although the shadow investment is rampant in Japan, now John and others can't borrow many stocks. The four major securities companies should have given them some warning! Just this week, the Nikkei index soared to a record high, and those bastards in the Japanese insurance industry are counting their fingers to calculate how much money they made from King Fund! When the Bank of Japan raises interest rates under Saneyuki Kō, there will be crying! If Saneyuki Kō's stimulus is not enough, George Soros will help us! Baidu not only targeted the building materials futures market but also bit into Kawasaki Steel. John Paulson used a contract to bet on Mitsubishi Estate with Rockefeller Center. Mom, you don't know how fierce this guy looked when he did it; As for Marc Faber, he is now mixing well in Taiwan. In another year and a half, he will complete the layout of King Fund in Taiwan.

  "Alvy's company, PDI, has Disney's Roy E. Disney and Jeffrey Katzenberg salivating over their work on The Lion King! Their collaboration with Pixar on the computer animation production system software, Marionette, is nearing completion. The Connors brothers have been a big help in this process - thanks, Ron Connor and Tom Connor, developers of Northstar! It's only a matter of time before Russell and Carter are poached! I wonder how Steve Jobs will react when he finds out... probably by jumping up and down. But with Pixar having already absorbed 4% of Apple's shares, it won't be long before they take over the company in two years' time. What can he do then? In the end, it'll still be necessary to rely on the King Fund to bring him back to Apple... if there aren't too few talented people left?? I really don't want such a tyrant; hopefully these years of failure will have humbled him."

  "Steven Spielberg's 'Jurassic Park' has been released globally, with a trailer and gimmicks like Dinosaur Island. After one month of screening, it has already raked in nearly $700 million worldwide. At this rate, the final box office for 'Jurassic Park' should break through $1 billion! Looks like asking Warner Bros for 7% of the box office was a wise decision! The second and third installments should be on the agenda soon,"

  "When it comes to AKB, I have to mention the new Minsei Party she founded! We have reached a final cooperation agreement with the Japanese Communist Party and the Japan Socialist Party, and taking office is now a common goal! It's not difficult for Mr. Fujii Tetsuzo and Ms. Doi Takako to get along, perhaps it's because of AKB's national idol halo effect! Saito Ryusei is indeed a natural politician material. Letting her assist AKB is really wise,"

  "Mom, did you hear all that? What Jerry said, did you hear it? Can you answer me? I got a letter from Uncle Billiswang from Vienna. He told me they found the guy and he wants me to find time to go to Austria. He says the guy's been locked up in a mental hospital and now even he doesn't recognize himself! He's gone crazy, Mom! Tell me, should I go see him? Tell me, okay?"

  Jerry held the letter in his hand, which had been crumpled by him for a long time. Snowflakes fell on it and slowly melted, making the words on the letter blurry and indistinct!

  "Should I go take a look at him?"