With the advent of the 16-bit era, cartridge prices naturally rose, reaching an average of 6,500 yen each in Japan.
After accounting for Atlas's distribution commissions and other factors, the net profit per cartridge was approximately 1,700 yen.
Based on this figure, Kobayashi Tetsu had earned over five billion yen from the North American market alone.
Of course, the actual amount would be lower due to exchange rates and various fluctuations, and the revenue from North American cartridges wasn't calculated that simply.
But that didn't stop Kobayashi Tetsu from treating himself to a vacation.
He'd earned billions of yen—did they really expect him not to take a break?
Early the next morning, Kobayashi Tetsu woke up, slipped into his slippers, and shuffled to the bathroom to wash up.
The previous afternoon, he had gone to see Kobayakawa Rinko and refused to leave her apartment, no matter how much she tried to push him out.
By evening, when he finally tried to leave, he found he couldn't. Kobayakawa Rinko had grabbed him, pinned him to the floor, and relentlessly pressed her advantage.
But two hours later, the tables had turned.
Kobayashi Tetsu's regular training over the past half year hadn't been in vain! Every arch of his back was the result of Takamine Aika's athletic training!
"Being young really is the best," Kobayashi Tetsu sighed, casually wringing out a towel to wipe his face.
Washing one's face was actually quite interesting. He'd heard that people in northern and southern China had different styles—northerners washed directly with water, while southerners didn't do that, preferring to wet a towel and wipe their faces with it.
The sound of bare feet walking behind him made Kobayashi Tetsu know exactly who it was without even looking back.
There was no one else in the room besides Kobayakawa.
"Mmm-hmmm—"
She approached Kobayashi Tetsu from behind, her messy hair brushing against the small of his back. After leaning against him for a moment, she lifted her head and looked at him earnestly.
"Tetsu-kun, you're really not Japanese, are you? So many of your habits are different from Japanese people's."
Kobayashi Tetsu nodded. "What's different?"
"Tetsu-kun, you wear slippers at home. Actually, many people don't wear slippers at home, and even if they do, they wouldn't wear the style you do."
"Ah, of course, there's also the hand towel. The way Tetsu-kun wrings it out is different."
Kobayashi Tetsu let out a soft "Huh?"
How could there be a difference in that?!
"What, do Americans wring it with their hands, while Japanese people use their feet?"
"No."
Kobayakawa took the towel and demonstrated.
Instead of wringing it horizontally, she wrung it vertically.
The difference in technique was that Kobayashi Tetsu held the towel horizontally and twisted his hands in opposite directions.
But Kobayakawa held the towel vertically and twisted both hands inward, in the same direction.
Kobayashi Tetsu kept wiping his face, but he was inwardly stunned.
He had never paid attention to such trivialities in daily life, but now he saw that these details were indeed crucial.
Luckily, his persona was a kikokushijo—a returnee child. Otherwise, people would have immediately realized he wasn't a local.
After Kobayashi Tetsu and Kobayakawa enjoyed Old Man Hu's special chazuke rice, he tidied up and prepared to head out.
"If you're free today, do you want to come with me to see someone?" Kobayashi Tetsu added deliberately, "It's a woman, by the way."
As expected, Koyakawa's eyes widened instantly, and she slid right in front of Kobayashi Tetsu.
Kobayashi Tetsu continued, "She's almost forty."
Koyakawa's relief was palpable.
No one likes an old woman who's almost forty!
Well, okay, maybe some people do, but Kobayashi Tetsu definitely isn't one of them.
"I suppose I could," she said, feigning a bit of restraint and trying to resist. But Kobayashi Tetsu was already at the door, changing his shoes.
"If you're not coming, I'm leaving."
"Wait, wait, wait! I'm coming!" Koyakawa hurriedly changed her shoes and asked Kobayashi Tetsu, "So, who is she exactly?"
Kobayashi Tetsu replied, "The boss's wife of Koei, or rather, the actual president, Keiko Koei."
Keiko Koei, the wife of Koei's president, the uncrowned king of Koei.
Although she kept a low profile and outsiders knew nothing about her, Keiko Koei had indeed played a huge role in Koei's development.
And today, during his day off, Kobayashi Tetsu was here to meet Keiko Koei.
Kobayashi Tetsu held a certain degree of respect for this woman.
This is true female empowerment! Koei could replace its president with someone else, but without Keiko Koei, it would never have become the Koei we know today.
At that moment, the three of them sat facing each other in the Old Dixie Restaurant. Keiko Koei sat opposite them, while Kobayashi Tetsu and Koyakawa sat on this side.
Anegasaki Nene was by the kitchen counter, where she had a clear view of the entire scene.
Koyakawa, meanwhile, was curiously observing the woman before her. As a new editor at the game magazine, Koei was certainly a target worthy of an interview.
Kobayashi Tetsu exchanged a few brief words with Keiko Koei before quickly getting to the point.
"So, Koei's intention is to develop a game for the MD platform and entrust Atlas with its distribution."
Keiko Koei nodded. "Naturally. Following Koei's tradition, this will be a historical strategy game. Have you heard of Age of Discovery?"
Kobayashi Tetsu instantly looked up, his respect deepening.
It must be Uncharted Waters.
Uncharted Waters was a game Koei had developed for the PC and SFC platforms.
Of course, for various reasons, Uncharted Waters never received any more sequels. Nevertheless, Uncharted Waters 3 and 4 still hold a very important place in the hearts of players.
Uncharted Waters was also a masterpiece of Japan's peak era of art, managing to create stunningly beautiful visuals with the limited colors of the time.
It could be said that the 3D era belonged to American companies, but in the 2D era, Japan was the undisputed peak.
Kobayashi Tetsu took a sip of his drink and said, "The Age of Discovery was indeed a magnificent era. But what I'm more curious about is, would Japanese players even like this kind of theme?"
Keiko Koei tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave a faint, ambiguous smile.
"I can't help it. Yoichi likes it."
Kobayashi Tetsu instantly leaned back.
So they were negotiating a publishing deal just because Koei Yoichi liked it?!
This mouthful of "dog food" almost choked him.
"Rationally, I don't agree with this kind of game," Kobayashi Tetsu gasped. "However, since we've already established such a cooperative relationship with Koei, Atlas is willing to publish this game. As for the distribution ratio..."
Kobayashi Tetsu's smile turned a bit ambiguous.
Now, that was something to negotiate.
Keiko Koei knew the market well, making it nearly impossible to squeeze her on the price. But Kobayashi Tetsu couldn't resist the challenge.
After a fierce round of negotiations, they finally agreed on a profit split: 37% for Koei and 63% for Atlas.
Koei's cartridges had always been expensive. A few of their games ported to the FC back in the day had already reached a price point of 10,000 yen.
The FC console itself only cost 15,000 yen!
As a result, the upcoming release on the MD would be no exception. The future Uncharted Waters cartridge would reach a staggering price of 11,800 yen.
Based on the agreed-upon split, after Atlas covered the costs of cartridge production and other expenses, the net profit per unit would be an astonishing 5,000 yen.
This meant Koei would take 1,850 yen, while Atlas would keep 3,350 yen.
If Koei's games hadn't always had modest sales—where 100,000 copies was considered a hit—Kobayashi Tetsu would have been absolutely floored by this pricing.
With the deal finalized, the two of them felt a wave of relief.
Koyakawa, though not fully grasping the business side, was deeply shaken.
What kind of game sells for that much?
Who would actually pay over 10,000 yen for a game?
Kobayashi Tetsu nodded solemnly.
"They absolutely would."
After a few minutes of casual conversation, Kobayashi Tetsu learned that Kobayakawa wanted to interview Keiko Koei. He deliberately left the two of them alone, then slipped behind the counter to sneak off for a secret rendezvous with Anegasaki Nene.
Kobayakawa Rinko opened her notebook and looked at Keiko Koei, ready to ask her first question. However, Keiko Koei simply smiled.
"Kobayakawa Rinko, am I right? You're quite fond of President Kobayashi, aren't you?"
"Eh?" Kobayakawa quickly composed herself. "Um, that's not relevant to the interview."
"Indeed. I was just making a casual observation, so don't take it too seriously. But if you truly want someone to like you, don't just be their shadow. Build a career of your own. Be gentle when you need to be, but more often than not, you must be strong."
Keiko Koei took a sip of her drink. "Of course, I'm just speaking casually. Please, begin the interview."
Kobayakawa nodded blankly, still not quite grasping what Keiko Koei was trying to say.
As the interview proceeded, Keiko Koei casually recounted her life story. She met Yoichi Koei during their university years. Later, due to the conflict between Yoichi and his family, she resolutely chose to follow him back to his hometown, leaving Tokyo behind.
They supported each other through the struggles of starting their business. She took on many responsibilities, which was how they managed to build Koei into the company it is today.
Yet, no matter the circumstances, she always preserved Yoichi Koei's status and dignity.
"He needs to be like a samurai's wife," she explained, "capable of managing the household while also being able to grace the court. Yoichi is a man of great vision, and Koei's fans adore him. But even he needs my help. You understand what I mean, don't you?"
Keiko Koei rested her chin on her hands, her words heavy with implication.
That's all I can do for the boy, she thought. If he still can't learn after all my hand-holding, then it's a matter of talent. He's just not destined to be the main wife!
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