"Huh? This is rare today. President Aoki actually came to see me himself."
In the yakiniku restaurant, Hattori Yuji wiped the sweat from his bald head and teased.
"President Hattori, you've misunderstood me. I've been thinking of you every day." Aoki Haruhi grinned as he raised the beer bottle and poured a full glass of beer into Hattori's glass.
Hattori Yuji sighed and took a big gulp of beer, his mouth full of foam. "Sss ah. As expected, barbecue just has to go with ice-cold beer!"
He didn't ask why, if Aoki had been thinking of him every day, he had previously always sent his subordinates to discuss business.
President Hattori gave Aoki Haruhi some face, not wanting to put him in an awkward spot.
He raised his right hand and called out, "Boss, two more servings of pig uterus."
To be honest, this was the first time Aoki Haruhi had eaten pig uterus since coming to Japan.
Actually, it's just the pig's fallopian tubes. It's chewy, has a crisp texture, and is considered a great tonic. It's a bit like eating pork intestines, and it has a unique flavor.
Whether you call it a gamey smell or a fragrance, the most important part of eating this cut is experiencing that very flavor.
At first, I wasn't used to it, but after having it a few times, Aoki Haruhi found it exceptionally delicious.
You can tell if someone is a true foodie by whether or not they eat animal offal.
Hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, and kidneys are just the basics; knowing how to eat things like pig intestines is just the entry level.
If you like eating brains, pig uterus, "pig joy"...
Then congratulations, you are already an experienced and seasoned foodie.
"Pig joy" doesn't really have much of a taste. If you didn't know it was "pig joy," aside from it being a bit denser in texture, it wouldn't be much different from regular pork.
Aoki Haruhi grilled the meat while pouring a generous amount of chili into his small dipping dish.
Hattori Yuji, sitting opposite him, couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated just looking at it.
After eating for a while, both of them were drenched in sweat.
Just imagine, it was the scorching weather of June.
Tokyo was quite hot.
Add to that sitting around a charcoal grill, with almost no air conditioning in the room other than electric fans, and only ice-cold beer to cool off—it would be unreasonable not to be sweating profusely in such a situation.
But that was exactly the atmosphere Aoki Haruhi wanted.
Once everyone really started enjoying themselves, there was no image left to maintain, and without an image, they naturally let their guard down.
"I have a friend—well, I wouldn't exactly say we're super close, but she's a female news anchor at a TV station," Hattori Yuji said, opening up as he ate.
"Eh? Really?" Aoki exclaimed. "As expected of President Hattori, your connections are truly extensive."
Hattori Yuji really didn't hide anything; he was the type who wore his lechery on his sleeve.
What Aoki was curious about, however, was which news anchor he had his eyes on this time—it might even be someone famous.
"No, no, that's not the point." Hattori Yuji laughed heartily, and only after he finished laughing did he continue. "I had some dealings with the TV station staff before, had a few meals with them, and then one time, I received a gift from this news anchor."
"Huh? That means she's interested in you, right?"
"No, no, she's just the type who's charming and really knows how to take care of others."
Isn't this just another Tsuda Nao?
Aoki Haruhi thought to himself.
So after all this time, this guy is still thinking about my girlfriend?
"Then, I received a very exquisite and expensive tea set. Rather than just expensive, it was more like 'rare'."
Hattori Yuji smiled. "What was even rarer was that when this news anchor gave me the gift, she said she had specially picked it out for me, and that she hadn't thought much of it when she bought it—she just felt it suited me, it had an elegant and rustic quality to it, and it was so exquisite, so she bought it."
"Ah~ I see. You must have been very happy when you received it, then?"
"Yes, I was definitely very happy at the time. After all, she's pretty and eloquent, and I had already been paying attention to her. Getting her praise and such a thoughtful response, I was really happy."
"But?" Aoki Haruhi put down his chopsticks, suddenly interested in the rest of the story.
"But, later on, I went to a friend's house—someone who could be considered a competitor to Dongrun, or at least someone who has some business dealings with us, though not many.
And right there in his home, I saw the exact same tea set."
"Huh?" Aoki Haruhi said in surprise. "Could it be... but it's hard to say for sure, it could very well just be a coincidence, right?"
"That's what I thought at the time, too," Hattori Yuji said. "But next to the tea set, there was a small nameplate with a handwritten blessing, and it was signed by that same female anchor."
"Ah... you must have been very heartbroken then."
"No, not really. It wasn't the first time I'd experienced something like this. It's just that the anchor appeared to be a very shrewd person, so I didn't expect her to make such a mistake."
As he said this, Hattori Yuji took a large gulp of his iced beer and licked the foam from his lips.
As the saying goes, there is no pain without comparison.
It is precisely because so few people can do what Tsuda Nao does—giving special attention to every partner and expressing gratitude in a unique way—that makes it all the more precious.
However, Hattori glanced at Aoki Haruhi and did not say Tsuda Nao's name out loud.
He had a vague, ominous premonition that this young man in front of him had some sort of connection with her.
If he were to ask, it might become impossible to eat and chat happily with either Tsuda or Aoki in the future.
Some things are better left unknown, even if you suspect otherwise.
Hattori Yuji's philosophy of life was: it is rare to be truly muddled.
Hearing this story, Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but chuckle, thinking of Li Chen's heart-shaped stones.
This female streamer had actually done quite well for herself; who could have imagined she would slip up in an era where the internet wasn't even well-developed?
"Yes, yes, I know, President Hattori. I'll have to be more careful and selective with the gifts I give you from now on," Aoki said, half-jokingly.
"Well, make sure you don't send the same thing to anyone else," Hattori Yuji said, feigning an angry scowl.
Hahaha...
They couldn't even keep a straight face for two seconds.
Both of them burst into laughter.
"Aoki-san, why don't you wait for me to go for a sauna, maybe get a massage or something later?" Hattori Yuji suggested.
"Oh, right."
After he finished speaking, he leaned in close to Aogi Haruhi with a lecherous grin and chuckled in a low voice, "I know a great place that even offers bubble baths. Not only are they enthusiastic, but the place is full of beautiful women, too."
"Eh?! For real?!"
Aogi Haruhi pretended to be very envious and tempted. "President Hattori, why didn't you tell me sooner? But..."
"I'm afraid I can't reciprocate your enthusiasm," he said with a polite bow. "Please forgive me. I'd love to have a good time with you, President, but my small company really can't function without me. I'm busy as all hell."
Hattori Yuji smacked his lips and looked at Aogi Haruhi with some dissatisfaction.
We're both men here, don't play innocent with me.
"However, please do recommend that place to me. I'll treat you next time."
"Alright, alright, but you'd better keep your word."
Hattori Yuji huffed heavily, then broke into a happy smile again.
He pulled a business card from his breast pocket, handed it to Aogi Haruhi, and turned to get into his car.
"Aoki-san, if you go by yourself, just mention my name. They'll definitely provide you with the best service."
"Got it! I will!"
Aogi Haruhi clutched the business card and waved at Hattori Yuji.
After rolling up the window, Hattori Yuji's expression changed slightly, his eyes filled with disdain and suspicion.
"This guy Aoki Haruhi... is he completely unmoved by beautiful women? He won't go to the sauna, won't take a bath, or is it just that he doesn't want to go with me?"
Taking a bath, getting a massage—these things are quite normal in Japan, and perfectly legal, too.
There was nothing special about it.
"President Aoki probably has a girlfriend. Maybe even married," the driver glanced at the rearview mirror and said.
"Hmm... it's possible," Hattori Yuji nodded. "Married, probably not, but there's a high chance he has a girlfriend. However..."
He thought of Aoki Haruhi's demeanor and couldn't help but smile.
"Is this guy the type to be henpecked?"
"Isn't that too spineless?"
"Hard to say, maybe he's afraid his girlfriend would mind," the driver replied.
Hattori Yuji nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Putting aside Aoki Haruhi's love life, he picked up the gift bag the other man had just given him from the seat.
A beautifully wrapped box contained a game cartridge of "The Witcher," along with a square box.
Upon opening it, there lay a men's Hermès wallet.
The Japanese place quite a high value on wallets. Even in the era of smartphone payments 30 years later, they still retain the tradition of carrying a wallet with them.
Furthermore, the Japanese are quite superstitious about wallets, believing that a good wallet, especially one used by someone successful and prominent, often carries good luck for "making a fortune." Thus, there is a custom among some juniors of wanting their seniors' wallets as gifts.
One look at this wallet, and it was clear it was worth a considerable sum, at least over a million yen.
Inside the wallet was also a handwritten note from Aoki Haruhi:
[The rising sun's long rainbow, the cooling rain, the sound heard through broken bamboo]
Hmm...
This guy is becoming more and more like Tsuda.
However, compared to Tsuda's gentle beauty, Aoki Haruhi's haiku could be said to be written with power and strength—quite impressive, indeed.
Hattori Yuji picked up The Witcher cartridge and examined it carefully.
He had played a few games on the Sega Mega Drive, but none were as exquisitely made as this; just the artwork on the cartridge itself was enough to make one feel the urge to experience it.
After driving for a while longer, the car came to a stop.
The driver said nothing, just sat quietly looking straight ahead.
Hattori Yuji hesitated.
How did Aoki Haruhi describe it again?
It was a top-down action RPG, which sounded quite interesting. Should he go back and give it a try?
Up until now, he didn't think he had ever played a Pokeni game. He only knew they were getting better and better and had built up a good reputation, but he had absolutely no firsthand experience of what they were actually like.
However...
After thinking for two seconds, Hattori Yuji dismissed the idea.
Pandora's Box.
If he opened it and it ended up hurting sales, that would be a disaster.
Better to just throw it away.
Hattori Yuji rolled down the car window and tossed it out.
Clang...
The cartridge landed in a trash can.
The driver smiled slightly, started the engine again, and sped off.
With the sales arrangements negotiated with the distributors and the release date set, Pokeni's remaining task for the coming period was to spare no effort in its promotion.
Ads for The Witcher were flying everywhere.
Major TV stations were airing the corresponding PVs during prime-time commercial breaks.
This time, the PV for The Witcher was much simpler compared to Your Name, and there was a clear difference in art style.
This was only natural; after all, Shinkai Makoto had served as the lead artist for Your Name and had controlled the entire style, which tended to be fresh, beautiful, and healing...
Meanwhile, the producer of The Witcher was Mikami Shinji, and the script was written by Gen Urobuchi, so naturally, it had to be darker and more tragic. Perhaps the only thing that remained unchanged was the sense of healing that shone through it all.
"The Witcher" is not a galgame, so it doesn't need to focus on the plot. The short ten-second trailer primarily showcases the game's combat feel and action.
Therefore, this trailer is produced with the camera work of a shonen manga in mind.
In the shot, dark clouds hang very low, and a figure stands atop a high-rise in the city, looking down at all living things.
Below are dilapidated ruins.
And humans being besieged by the Blood Tribe.
The two sides are locked in a brutal clash. A member of the Blood Tribe flashes out from the shadows, faces the camera, opens its abyssal mouth, and bares terrifying fangs.
The moon hangs high, like a round disk hanging in the sky, bright and clear.
The camera pulls back to a wide shot, where the protagonist, silhouetted black by the moonlight, puts a mask on their face.
The next second—
They leap from the top of the high-rise.
His entire body dove like a silver fish into water, surrounded by the shimmering streaks of rain.
Immediately following, he crossed his hands to reach under his ribs and pulled out two futuristic-looking pistols.
"Go to hell! Blood Tribe!"
Bang, bang...
As the gunshots rang out, explosive-looking subtitles appeared on the screen:
[Blood Tribe]
[Humans]
[The Witcher]
[In this city filled with murderous desire, the irreconcilable conflict between the last remaining humans and the Blood Tribe...]
[Choose destruction, or will you join them?]
[Your life will be in your own hands.]
There was almost no plot information to speak of, yet players could still feel the adrenaline-pumping tension.
The ultimate combat, a rush of excitement that made one's blood boil, came rushing towards them.
[June 1st, "The Witcher"]
[Pokeni
Producer: Mikami Shinji
Scriptwriter: Gen Urobuchi]
After the GG broadcast, it immediately caused an uproar, with countless gamers expressing high anticipation.
"Wow. Is P Corp's The Witcher finally coming out?"
"This effect is absolutely explosive. Can current games really reach this level?"
"No way, right? It's being released on the Sega Mega Drive, isn't it? The MD can't possibly pull off this kind of effect."
"It's just the trailer effect; it's the same thing that happened with Your Name before, isn't it?"
"But the in-game effects for Your Name didn't end up being all that different. Maybe The Witcher will be the same?"
"Tsk, tsk, this makes it well worth looking forward to."
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