Tuesday 11 February - Night After a long day of work at the ZAGE office, Zaboru finally arrived home around 21:00. As he stepped inside, he noticed his father, Zanichi, waiting for him in the living room. His father's serious expression made Zaboru raise an eyebrow.
"Son, we need to talk," Zanichi said, his voice calm but firm.
Zaboru, sensing the importance of the conversation, immediately sat down beside his father. "What's going on, Dad?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.
Zanichi took a deep breath before speaking. "You know that Sonaya is planning to release their gaming console soon, right?"
Zaboru nodded. "Yeah, of course, I know. That's not exactly a secret."
Zanichi continued, "What you might not know is that they're not just focusing on Japan. They're planning a full-scale global release within months or even weeks after their console launches here. Their first major target is the U.S. market, and after that, they'll move aggressively into Europe. Sonaya has deep pockets and powerful global connections. They're making sure their console gets massive exposure."
Zaboru listened carefully, but he wasn't as shocked as his father might have expected. He had already anticipated this move from Sonaya. It made perfect sense given the company's size and influence. "I see... That's a pretty bold move," Zaboru mused. "But are you sure you should be telling me this? I mean, I'm your competitor now, and Sonaya is your employer."
Zanichi chuckled, a hint of pride in his eyes. "You're my son first, a competitor second. Of course, I care about Sonaya, but my priority will always be you and your success. I want to make sure you're prepared."
Zaboru smiled at his father's words. "Thanks, Dad. But don't worry too much. We've already secured our plans for global expansion. We're preparing for the U.S. market launch soon, and we already have an official distributor lined up for the American market."
Zanichi's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You already have a distributor? That's impressive. You've exceeded my expectations again, son."
Zaboru chuckled. "Well, I have to stay ahead if I want ZAGE to compete with giants like Sonaya." Follow current novᴇls on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝔫𝔢𝔱
Zanichi nodded in approval. "That's good to hear. In that case, I don't need to worry as much. Just keep pushing forward."
The father and son continued chatting for a while, discussing both business and personal matters. After a bit of casual conversation, Zaboru finally excused himself and went to bed, knowing that tomorrow would be another busy day.
Wednesday 12 February - Morning The next morning, as Zaboru was organizing his schedule for the day, his phone rang. It was Akechi.
"Zaboru," Akechi said the moment the call connected.
"Yes, Akechi-san? What's up?" Zaboru replied.
"My game is finally ready for testing. Can I bring it over for your team to check?"
Zaboru was pleasantly surprised. "Already? That's great! Of course, bring it in. Since it's your project, I'll personally supervise the testing."
"I appreciate that," Akechi said. "I'll be bringing Kazu Bukio with me. You remember him, right? The lead programmer from Akaishidan?"
"Yeah, I remember him," Zaboru confirmed. "Alright, I'll be waiting for you both."
A little over an hour later, Akechi arrived at ZAGE headquarters, accompanied by Kazu. Kazu looked thrilled as he stepped inside, his eyes scanning the vibrant office space. The walls were now decorated with posters and artwork featuring ZAGE's most popular game characters. The once plain workspace had transformed into a lively, creative environment.
"Whoa! The new office setup is awesome," Kazu said, clearly impressed. "Did you design all this, Zaboru-san?"
Zaboru nodded. "Yeah, I thought it was time to give the place some character. Makes it feel more like a game company, right?"
Akechi smirked. "Looks like a proper game developer's office now."
Zaboru led them inside. "Come on, let's not waste any time. I'm excited to see what you've been working on."
The trio made their way to the Quality Control department, where Yugo and his team were busy testing ZAGE's upcoming February releases. Yugo, as usual, was completely immersed in his work, but he perked up when he saw Zaboru approaching.
"Yugo," Zaboru called.
Yugo turned to face him. "Yes, Boss-sama? What do you need?"
"We're testing Akechi's game today. I'll be playing it myself, so I need you and your team to assist me with the evaluation."
Yugo grinned. "Oh? A new game? That's exciting! Alright, Boss-sama, I'm ready!"
With everything set, Akechi handed over the cartridge. The game was titled Master Ninja, and its cover art featured a mysterious black and red-clad ninja hidden in the shadows, observing his enemies from above.
Zaboru examined the cartridge before inserting it into the ZEPS. "The cover alone looks pretty cool," he admitted.
As the title screen appeared, a dramatic soundtrack played, setting the tone for what was clearly going to be an intense stealth-action experience.
"Alright," Zaboru said with a smirk. "Let's see what Akaishidan Studios has created."
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