Naka Yuji hadn't come to America alone. He had brought several game cartridges, the corresponding consoles, and other equipment to be used for promotion.
Before disembarking from the plane, Naka Yuji double-checked his suitcase.
The cartridges for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Metal Slug—checked.
The posters and gifts to be given to the audience at the press conference—checked.
Posters—checked.
He'd even brought power adapters compatible with both Japanese and American standards—checked.
When the plane landed in San Francisco, a wave of brief panic washed over Naka Yuji.
I'm actually abroad!
He had gone to Africa for a hunting trip before, but that was as part of a group. They had just followed a guide, firing their guns and hunting, surrounded by other Japanese people.
This time, however, he was the one leading the team. The moment they landed, Naka Yuji realized the gravity of the situation.
He was the leader now. If he couldn't maintain his composure, everyone else would be filled with anxiety.
Looking around, Naka Yuji saw nothing but white faces—and even some black ones. He couldn't help but feel a wave of nervousness.
Okay, don't be afraid. You're the team leader now.
Naka Yuji took a deep breath and turned to the other Atlas employees traveling with him.
"Everyone, I know the journey has been exhausting. The President has already arranged a hotel for us to rest."
"Osh—" Jun Funabashi raised his hands weakly.
As a newly joined music producer, he had composed a significant portion of the soundtrack for Metal Slug, which was why he had been brought along for the promotional work. At first, Jun Funabashi had been thrilled at the prospect of a company-funded trip abroad. But the long flight and the overall journey had nearly killed him.
He hadn't realized until he boarded the plane that he had a crippling fear of heights.
"If I don't find a place to lie down, I'm seriously going to die here," he groaned.
Jun Funabashi downed half a bottle of mineral water in one go before he could even begin to suppress the nausea.
As the group exited the terminal, they immediately spotted a young man leaning against a minivan, next to an Atlas promotional standee.
"Welcome, welcome!" the young man grinned. "I'm from the taxi company. Your boss hired me to pick you up. Konnichiwa, sashimi, wasabi! I speak Japanese too."
Naka Yuji: That fucking-ass Japanese is worse than not speaking it at all!
As the car pulled away from the airport, Naka Yuji gazed at the passing scenery, his eyes suddenly locking onto a wall.
A Black hoodlum was spray-painting graffiti, scrawling the chaotic symbols of his gang.
But right next to the hoodlum, a massive portrait of Sonic was clearly visible on the wall.
A blue alien hedgehog!
Naka Yuji was stunned.
Do Americans really love this game that much?
The car drove straight to the hotel. In their suite, the group met Kobayashi Tetsu, who had arrived in the U.S. ahead of them.
"Gentlemen, I've missed you so damn much!" Kobayashi Tetsu spread his arms wide. "You've arrived at the perfect time. The day after tomorrow, Sega will hold a press conference in San Francisco to announce the Mega Drive's North American launch date, its specific model specifications, and a live demo. They'll also unveil the launch titles."
Kobayashi Tetsu glanced at his watch. "Tonight, we'll have a welcome dinner and experience a bit of America's unique nightlife."
After calming the group with a few words, Kobayashi Tetsu turned his gaze to Naka Yuji.
"Did you bring everything?"
"I did!"
Naka Yuji pulled out his suitcase and began introducing the items one by one.
"Cartridges, power converters, gifts, posters, passports—everything is here."
Kobayashi Tetsu casually flipped through the cartridges. The Metal Slug cartridge was still manufactured by Bandai, its cover featuring the iconic little tank and Marco and Tarma, who looked like they were running for their lives from the enemy army.
Kobayashi Tetsu was relatively satisfied with this poster cover. As for the two female characters, they would, of course, be added in the second part.
"As for Sonic—"
Kobayashi Tetsu's voice cut off abruptly.
He snapped his head up to glare at Naka Yuji.
"I told you to bring the Sonic cartridge, and you actually brought me the Sonic cartridge?!"
Naka Yuji looked down, and in an instant, his head buzzed with a deafening ring.
He knew exactly what the problem was.
He had brought the cartridge for the first Sonic game!
In a heartbeat, the atmosphere in the suite turned frigid. A few staff members glanced over, their expressions hesitant, as if they wanted to speak but didn't dare.
Kobayashi Tetsu remained silent, tapping his brow in thought for a moment before speaking. "We'll deal with other matters later. Right now, the most important thing is that we have a Sonic cartridge before the press conference starts. A poster alone isn't enough. You, go contact Sega of America. The American cartridges are commissioned through their branch—see if they can coordinate a cartridge for us. And you."
Jun Funabashi raised his head. "President, my name is Jun Funabashi."
"Right, you, Funabashi. Call Atlas Headquarters immediately. Have Iwata Satoru arrange for someone to hand-carry the cartridges over. They must arrive in the U.S. within three days."
The orders were issued methodically, and the rest of the group finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the problem wasn't as dire as they had feared.
Kobayashi Tetsu glanced at his watch again.
"Alright, it's not a major issue. Go get some rest. I'm going to contact the restaurant for our welcome dinner."
With that, Kobayashi Tetsu left the room first, but not before shooting Naka Yuji a pointed look.
Naka Yuji seemed to understand. A few minutes after Kobayashi Tetsu left, he also found an excuse to step out of the room.
Sure enough, Kobayashi Tetsu was waiting for him just outside the door.
"President, I—"
"Save it for inside."
Kobayashi Tetsu pulled Naka Yuji directly into the adjacent room they had prepared for them.
In front of the staff, Kobayashi Tetsu had spared Naka Yuji's dignity by not saying anything harsh. But now, he couldn't hold back any longer.
"How could you mess up something this important? Getting cartridges from Japan will take at least three days. Even if we contact the North American branch, it'll still take two or three days to get them in our hands—the cartridge factory isn't even in San Francisco! You've been here for five years; how can you be so clueless about something this basic?!"
Naka Yuji lowered his head and muttered softly, "Yes, I know I messed up. I'm willing to take a pay cut."
Kobayashi Tetsu raised an eyebrow. "How about we swap? You become the President, and I'll be the Manager."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean, 'huh'? You've already taken the initiative to punish yourself. If you're not going to be the President, am I supposed to do it?"
"As for your punishment, we'll deal with it after this is all over. For now, just pray silently that even if we don't announce the Sonic news at the press conference, the North American players won't storm the stage and punch you."
Though he said that, he still needed a backup plan.
Kobayashi Tetsu's mind raced.
If the atmosphere at the venue is electric, but Atlas can't produce a playable Sonic cartridge, the whole mood will be ruined. The press conference itself might not tank over a single game, but it will definitely hurt future sales.
"Luckily, we still have a day before the press conference starts. There's still time to act. I'll give you a chance to make amends—we're going out!"
Kobayashi Tetsu declared, "We can still make it to an electronics store in the U.S. and buy a computer."
Naka Yuji's eyes widened.
Could Kobayashi Tetsu be planning to code a Sonic game right here and now?
A single day wouldn't be nearly enough time!
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