Monday 14 December 1995.
Zaboru is currently with his father, Zanichi Renkonan, and they have gone to visit the owner of Green Leaf Studio, an anime production company. Zaboru is considering acquiring another studio to strengthen ZAGE's reach in the anime industry. Green Leaf Studio is looking to sell its shares in order to raise fresh capital and continue operating. Zanichi was insistent on accompanying his son to this meeting, expressing a keen interest in the potential deal. Zaboru, trusting his father's instincts, didn't mind bringing him along.
Meanwhile, at Green Leaf Studio, its CEO Shiroki Toho was grinning from ear to ear. "Heheheh, easy money, easy money," he muttered to himself gleefully. Shiroki had long heard rumors that whenever a company was acquired by ZAGE, the conglomerate paid handsomely and elevated the acquired company's status within the industry. To him, this was the perfect opportunity.
Green Leaf Studio was a small, relatively obscure anime production company. The original owner had sold his shares to Shiroki due to mounting debts with Oki Inc which are loan sharl, not realizing that the company itself was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Despite the studio having just around 35 employees, they were frequently contracted as an outsourcing partner for larger studios, often working tirelessly on animation projects under tight deadlines.
Shiroki had been skimping on wages, paying his employees the bare minimum while burdening them with excessive workloads. Morale was low, and his staff was overworked and underappreciated. Still, Shiroki was undeterred. He believed he had struck gold.
"Hehehe, this will be a breeze. That Zaboru guy is a pushover," he said smugly, rubbing his hands together. The thought of reaping a generous payout from ZAGE, despite his company's deteriorating state, filled him with greedy anticipation. He couldn't wait to extract money from Zaboru and finally enjoy the rewards of his scheme. With that he depart on meeting spot.
Before long, Zaboru and Zanichi arrived at the designated meeting location, a modest conference room in one of the city's hotels. There, they were greeted by Shiroki Toho, who had been eagerly awaiting their arrival. After exchanging a few words of polite introductions and engaging in brief small talk, Shiroki abruptly shifted the conversation to business. With a slightly nervous yet determined expression, he declared, "I... I want 5 billion yen for 50% of Green Leaf's shares because... I want to achieve my brother's dream! To make Green Leaf one of the best animation studios in the entire world—respected, admired, and renowned on a global scale!"
Zaboru was taken aback and sensed something odd. 'Why is he suddenly asking for 5 billion yen when his company isn't even close to being worth that much? That figure doesn't make any sense...' he thought, puzzled. Before he could articulate his thoughts, Zanichi, sitting beside him, leaned forward and asked, "Hoo? Your brother, huh? Has he passed away?"
Shiroki nodded, his expression suddenly shifting to sorrow. A few tears welled up in his eyes as he replied emotionally, "Yes... he passed away a few years after taking over Green Leaf. It was always his dream to make this studio succeed."
Zanichi gave a slow, understanding nod and followed up with a calm question, "And what was your brother's name?"
Caught off guard, Shiroki's face twitched with a mix of surprise and hesitation. He stammered slightly before answering, "I-It's... Kuroki Toho."
Zanichi grinned just as Zaboru was about to speak, cutting him off with a sharp interjection. "Five billion yen, huh? For the dream of a company that exploits its employees?" he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. Zaboru frowned, confused, while Shiroki's face turned pale.
"W-What... what do you mean?" Shiroki stammered.
Zanichi chuckled coldly, leaning slightly forward. "I know exactly who you are, Shiroki... Owner of Oki, the infamous loan shark firm."
Shiroki's eyes widened with panic. "No! That's not true! I'm not—" he blurted out, his voice cracking.
Zaboru looked confused, his thoughts racing. 'How does Dad know all of this?' he wondered silently. Zanichi noticed his son's confusion and offered a smirk before calmly replying, "Well, I did some digging. Turns out you're just another scumbag loan shark. Anyway, we're done here. Let's go, boss."
Shiroki, now visibly upset, slammed his palm on the table and barked, "You don't have the authority to cancel this deal! It's Zaboru-san who agreed to it, not you! Right, Zaboru-san? You said you'd buy 50% of my company's shares, didn't you?"
Zaboru hesitated, his gaze shifting to his father. Zanichi responded with a subtle shake of his head, silently urging his son to reconsider. Zaboru let out a heavy sigh and looked back at Shiroki. "I'm sorry, Toho-san. I can't go through with it. He's my father, and I have to listen to him on this one."
With a small, apologetic chuckle, Zaboru stood up. Zanichi followed suit, and together they turned to leave the room. Shiroki remained seated, fuming with frustration as the deal he had counted on slipped right through his fingers.
Zaboru and Zanichi returned promptly to the ZAGE corporate offices. Now seated across from each other in a quiet meeting room, the atmosphere was serious as Zanichi prepared to explain everything to his son, face to face.
"Son" Zaboru nod "Yes dad"
"It's been quite a while since we've had a proper face-to-face talk like this—as father and son, right? Anyway, what I want to talk to you about is this: do you truly understand what's really going on with Green Leaf Studio?".
Zaboru nodded. "They're liars, right? And loan sharks? When did you find that out?"
Zanichi grinned and nodded in return. "I did my research when I wasn't too busy. Anyway, Zaboru, you're an extremely smart son—but also incredibly foolish at times. Why? Because you've built a reputation that doesn't reflect ZAGE's standards. ZAGE is a multibillion-yen global company now, and yet you behave like a pushover. I get it—you don't care about appearances or recognition. But it's no longer just about you, son. Your employees, your company's integrity, and its name are in your hands. You simply can't afford to act this carelessly anymore.""
Zaboru was about to retort, but Zanichi raised a finger to silence him. "Shut up. I'm not done yet." Zaboru reluctantly complied and fell silent.
"In the last few acquisitions," Zanichi continued, his tone sharp yet measured, "I've always heard complaints from Sayuri—our Head of Finance at ZAGE. Why? Because you consistently overpay for shares. Like what happened with Studio Ghibli. Now ZAGE has a reputation for being the company that overbids whenever you are involved."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "I understand you want to move fast. But son, there's always room for negotiation—always. Both parties can benefit without rushing into an inflated deal. And if you really want to help these companies financially, then do it after acquiring them. That way, your investments stay out of the public eye and don't damage our credibility."
Zaboru fell silent, quietly absorbing his father's words. Deep down, he realized there was truth in them. He had been too lenient, too soft in matters that demanded a stronger presence.
Zanichi leaned forward slightly, his voice calm but firm. "Son, when you're outside the company, you must carry yourself like a leader truly worthy of running ZAGE. Show the world that ZAGE is unshakable, immovable. Remember how Bill Gates has spoken with you many times? Did you ever notice how different he acts when speaking with you personally, compared to when he talks about Microsoft in public or behind closed doors? There's a shift—you noticed it, didn't you?"
Zaboru blinked, caught off guard, then slowly nodded. Now that he thought about it, yes—he had noticed. Bill Gates carried a distinct gravitas when discussing Microsoft externally, projecting strength and resolve. That contrast now seemed meaningful.
Zanichi put his hand on Zaboru's shoulder. "Son, you are a great person. ZAGE is a great company, and I won't stand by and let a trash company like the current Green Leaf scam you." Zaboru let out a long sigh. "I see. I understand now, Dad. Maybe next time, I should refrain from making such decisions on my own, huh? Perhaps it's better if I consult with you first—or with Kudou, our Head Lawyer—before moving forward with any acquisition."
Zaboru then continued, "But it's really unfortunate we can't acquire Green Leaf. They're located right next to YaDo, our main subsidiary animation studio. If we were able to bring them under our wing, we might've had access to some additional resources. I know it's not a huge gain, but it still could've been useful."
Zanichi then said, "Leave it to me, son. Green Leaf wasn't always like this. When it was in the hands of its original owner, it was actually a decent company—full of dreams and ambition. But now, it's shattered. The original owner, a man of integrity, now works humbly as a janitor right next to the Green Leaf studio, watching the company he once built fall apart under the hands of a fraud."
Zaboru, surprised by this revelation, responded with quiet respect, "I see... then I'll leave it to you, Dad."
After that, Zaboru nodded and Zanichi left the room. Once outside, Zanichi made a phone call to Akechi. "Akechi, can you do something for ZAGE?" he asked.
"Anything, Zanichi-san," Akechi replied from the other end of the line.
Zanichi smiled subtly and said, "I want you to persuade someone to sell his company at a significantly reduced price. Don't worry—you probably know him well."
Akechi, speaking on the phone, said, "Ah, I see—it's Oki Inc., the loan shark company, and the owner is Shiroki Toho, right? He's the one you asked me to investigate earlier. So, you're planning to support Green Leaf Studio now, is that it?"
Zanichi nodded thoughtfully. "That company is in a miserable state. Besides, Zaboru believes they could benefit from additional manpower for animation tasks, especially since they're located right next to YaDo, our main animation subsidiary. It would be strategically beneficial. Can you handle it?"
Akechi, grinning as he spoke into the phone, said, "Consider it done, Zanichi-san. But if Zaboru finds out about this, it's all on you."
Zanichi replied calmly, his tone unwavering, "Don't worry about that. I'll take full responsibility.
With that, the phone call ended, and Zanichi let out a quiet chuckle. "Well then, I suppose it's time I give you an early birthday present, Zaboru," he said with a smirk. Zaboru's birthday was just around the corner—on December 15th, only two days away. The timing, Zanichi thought, couldn't have been more perfect.
To be continue
AN : character development and little bit drama chapter it wont take long LOL
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