Reborn in America: Starting as a California Resident

"Yokoi-san, what a coincidence to meet you here!"

Just as Yokoi Junpei suppressed his resentment and decided to turn the storm into motivation to move forward, re-examine his work methods and team management, and look for a new breakthrough, a slightly magnetic male voice interrupted his thoughts.

Although the alcohol made her vision a little blurry, she still tried her best to focus her gaze on the mysterious visitor.

This person was in his early thirties, with a tall and slender figure, as if he had maintained a good physique and exercise habits for a long time.

Wearing a well-tailored pure white suit, he stood out in the dim lighting, creating a striking contrast with the traditional atmosphere of the surrounding izakayas.

Although he wore a humble smile typical of those who live simple lives, his slightly deep-set eyes gave him an unfathomable quality.

"May I ask... who are you?"

Yokoi Junpei frowned, feeling a little confused by the person who had suddenly appeared in front of him.

He asked in a tone tinged with doubt and wariness, trying to recall if he had seen this face before.

"Oh, my apologies."

The visitor paused for a moment, then smiled more broadly, as if apologizing for his oversight in introducing himself: "Let me formally introduce myself."

I am Kenichi Sato from the Japanese branch of the Sci-Fi Arcade series.

Nice to meet you.

As he spoke, he bowed slightly, performing a polite Japanese-style bow.

"It's President Sato!"

Upon hearing that the other person's name was Kenichi Sato, Junpei Yokoi's heart tightened.

Isn't this the culprit that made him drink heavily late at night?

Recently, with the success of "Donkey Kong", it has become the focus of discussion in the arcade industry!

He truly never expected to meet the other party here today.

This place isn't exactly close to the Japanese headquarters of the sci-fi arcade game—6-18-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, on the 30th floor of the Shinjuku Gyoen Tower!

Yokoi Junpei tried to suppress the turmoil in his heart, forced a smile, and said in a polite but slightly distant tone, "It is a great honor to meet you here."

I wonder what brought you to this alley today?

"Hehe, Yokoi-san, what do you think?"

Sato Kenichi smiled meaningfully, a subtle scrutiny in his eyes. "You're right, I did come here tonight with a special purpose."

"oh?

Special purpose?

Gunpei Yokoi downed the wine that had been suspended in mid-air in one gulp and gently placed it on the table, making a soft sound.

His tone was laced with obvious sarcasm and self-deprecation: "President Sato, you wouldn't happen to be here like those mercenary businessmen, trying to poach talent, would you?"

...

The three-second silence seemed to freeze the air in the private room.

The relaxed atmosphere suddenly became tense, and the noise in the izakaya seemed to recede into the background.

Kenichi Sato's smile froze on his face;

The scrutinizing look in his eyes faded, replaced by a barely perceptible cold glint.

As the current heir of the Sakura Group, an ancient Japanese yakuza family, who has ever dared to speak to him like this?

A subject who is disgraced by his lord shall die.

Before Sato could make a move, the burly man in black standing behind him could no longer contain his anger.

After cursing "Baka yarou!", he immediately moved his hand to the hidden pouch at his waist, preparing to teach this arrogant fellow a lesson.

But just as his subordinate was about to begin his actions, Kenichi Sato gently raised a hand, stopping him.

Although a trace of coldness still lingered in Sato's eyes, he immediately suppressed his murderous intent after remembering that this recruitment was a special request from the American big boss: "Yamamoto-kun, violence is not needed here."

We're here to discuss cooperation, not to cause trouble.

"Hi!"

Upon hearing his young master's order, the subordinate named Yamamoto immediately stopped what he was doing and reluctantly returned to his original position.

But his gaze remained warily fixed on Yokoi Junpei, as if awaiting the next instruction.

"Yokoi-san."

Kenichi Sato turned to Yokoi, his voice still steady, but the temperature in it had clearly dropped. "I understand you may be unhappy about what has happened recently, but that doesn't mean we can treat each other with contempt."

I came here tonight because I sincerely hope that we can move forward together.

Sci-Fi Arcade has seen your talent and the endless possibilities you can bring to the gaming world.

We believe that with your participation, sci-fi arcade games will reach new heights.

At this point, he paused for a moment, took a carefully prepared document from Yamamoto's hand, gently placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Yokoi.

"To show our sincerity, we are willing to provide you with an unprecedentedly broad development platform—a platform whose resources and freedom are unmatched by other companies."

This year alone, the company expects its revenue to exceed $200 million.

This provides us with a solid foundation to support more innovation and development.

This section details our support plans for the game console development department.

We will invest no less than $1000 million in research and development each year, and will only assign one finance staff member to oversee the accounts, ensuring transparency while giving you maximum autonomy.

You will have the final say on the development direction and technology choices.

Since we are not a publicly listed company, our salaries and benefits are not subject to the board of directors' control.

For you, this means greater flexibility and higher returns.

We do not intend to take profits from the game console development department over the next three years; instead, we will fully support your creativity and technological breakthroughs.

Your starting annual salary alone will be $100 million, with an additional 10% increase every three years.

After a slight pause, Sato tapped the document lightly with his finger. "In addition, we have prepared generous stock options for you, as well as a 2% commission on the profits from product development."

This incentive mechanism is valid indefinitely; as long as you work at the sci-fi arcade until retirement, your family will also enjoy the security provided by this income indefinitely.

His eyes shone with sincerity: "In other words, in terms of salary alone, working for a sci-fi arcade machine for a year is equivalent to five years' worth of income at Nintendo, or even more."

Mr. Yokoi, we believe that these terms not only recognize your personal value, but also demonstrate our confidence in future cooperation.

We look forward to creating even greater achievements together with you, bringing players an unprecedented experience.

Yokoi Junpei took the document, his fingers gently stroking the paper, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Every word Kenichi Sato offered was incredibly tempting, especially the salary and R&D funding support, which would be extremely attractive to any game developer.

Unfortunately, this company not only has a triad background, but it is also a Hong Kong company.

What kind of future can I expect if I join a Hong Kong tech company?

No matter how good the conditions are, it's all just a mirage!

(Because Yokoi was too low-level, he didn't know the true details of the science fiction arcade game and only thought it was a Hong Kong company.)

Hong Kong's technological level in the 1980s was undeniable. Anyone with a modicum of common sense would have thought this company could survive in the fiercely competitive arcade industry!