Chapter 51. Skipped
Kiyoshi Yuuma invited Katayama Reiko for a meal, and the entire chapter focused on the meal and the spices in the Chinese restaurant. There wasn't anything important, so I skipped it.
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Chapter 52. What's His Name?
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December 24, 1990.
Monday.
In the morning, HR Ayase Akane knocked on the president's office door.
The door wasn't closed, but she knocked twice out of politeness.
Kiyoshi Yuuma looked up.
"President." Ayase Akane smiled faintly. "The music talent you wanted has already been recruited."
"Eh? That fast?" Kiyoshi Yuuma thought. This little HR girl was really capable—so efficient? It was only arranged last week, and she had already recruited someone?
"I have time now. Give me the resume, then arrange for the person to come to the company for an interview." Kiyoshi Yuuma stood up.
"That won't be necessary." Ayase Akane smiled. "No interview needed. Just tell me the salary range you're willing to offer, and I'll handle the negotiations."
"What?"
Kiyoshi Yuuma frowned. This little HR girl was really getting too arrogant.
Was it his fault for spoiling her too much lately?
After all, Pokeni was still just a small company. Compared to a giant like Nintendo—if they were a whale, then Pokeni was at most a salmon.
So as president, he still had to handle everything personally.
Especially something as important as recruitment.
If you hire the wrong person, even dismissing them later is troublesome. Even with a probation period, it's just a waste of time for both sides.
And now this HR girl, who didn't understand game development at all, was deciding to hire someone so rashly? Outrageous! It was like she didn't even respect him as president.
Still, Kiyoshi Yuuma suppressed his anger.
"Has Ozawa interviewed him yet?" he asked.
Shinji Ozawa was currently the only member of the company's sound department. He wasn't particularly talented, but he could handle simple compositions—decent, though not remarkable.
"No," Ayase Akane replied. "But this newcomer already has your approval. You've interviewed him before, so I thought there was no need to do it again."
"Hah?" Kiyoshi Yuuma was momentarily confused.
The little HR girl covered her mouth and laughed. "President, have you forgotten? That young man named Shirakawa Atsushi."
Shirakawa Atsushi?
Kiyoshi Yuuma froze, his pupils widening suddenly.
"What?! Shirakawa Atsushi has come back?"
"Yes!" Seeing his surprise, Ayase Akane laughed so hard her shoulders shook.
…
Sure enough, that afternoon, Kiyoshi Yuuma met the long-lost Shirakawa Atsushi.
Seeing him again, Kiyoshi Yuuma was overwhelmed with emotion.
"Shirakawa-san, it's all thanks to your music," Kiyoshi Yuuma said with a smile. "The Onmyoji series is quite successful now."
The president personally promised that the treatment at Pokeni would surpass what Falcom had offered. It wouldn't be less, and many major projects' soundtracks would be entrusted to him in the future.
Shirakawa Atsushi was visibly moved.
Though shy in expressing himself, he tried hard to restrain his emotions, his body trembling slightly.
His eyes were red.
"No, no. Really, it's because your games are so well made, President. I…"
His throat tightened, and it took him two seconds to continue. "Back then, I didn't have the courage or ability to accept the olive branch you offered me. I was truly foolish. Please forgive the ignorance of my younger self."
Kiyoshi Yuuma smiled warmly and extended his right hand.
"Shirakawa-san, welcome to Pokeni!"
Regained after being lost—
From now on, you are my Zhao Yun!
[T/N: Zhao Yun is a Chinese general.]
"Yes!"
Shirakawa Atsushi beamed happily, gripping Kiyoshi Yuuma's hand tightly.
…
After meeting Shirakawa Atsushi, the remaining details were left to HR—whether salary, benefits, career planning, or explaining the onboarding process, it was all Ayase Akane's work.
Meanwhile, Kiyoshi Yuuma paced excitedly around his office.
After a while, he sat back in his chair, tapping the desk lightly with his fingers.
To say he wasn't excited would be a lie.
He was thrilled.
With Tenmon's return, Kiyoshi Yuuma suddenly felt a surge of confidence.
It truly felt like when Liu Bei first founded his cause.
[T/N: Liu Bei is the former Emperor of the Han dynasty.]
Gradually, the generals were gathering around him.
For writing, there was Mika Ishino and Urobuchi Gen.
For music, Shirakawa Atsushi.
For programming, Akanishi Ken, plus the exceptional hardware engineer Asakawa Hiroki.
And himself—possessing unrivaled skill in both illustration and programming, far beyond the era.
Kiyoshi Yuuma even felt an urge to march straight into Shu like Liu Bei.
How could great things not be achieved?
How could they not?!
But…
The only problem troubling him now was that Pokeni still didn't have a producer who could share his workload.
Yes.
A producer.
For a game, they are absolutely crucial. Even someone like Urobuchi Gen would struggle to take on that role.
Though Urobuchi had fame and the title of the "Warrior of Love," that applied only to writing.
There was no denying that his scriptwriting skills were top-tier, his imagination astounding.
But in other areas, he was much weaker.
A qualified producer not only needs to control the story, but also gameplay, visuals, and music—every detail of the game's experience must be under their command.
Simply put, a producer is like the director of a film. The quality of a movie is 99% the director's responsibility.
Even if investors pile on impossible demands, a producer still has to make it work.
And that was exactly what Pokeni lacked—a true producer. Or rather, they lacked many. If the company wanted to expand its game lineup, Kiyoshi Yuuma knew he didn't have the ability to serve as producer for multiple projects at once.
Should he hire one?
Kiyoshi Yuuma crossed his arms, deep in thought.
But training a producer takes a long time. Many companies spend huge amounts of time, energy, and money to cultivate one good producer.
What's more, in Japan, corporate culture is extremely important. Once employees pass probation, they're essentially locked into lifelong contracts, becoming part of a family.
Unless absolutely necessary, people don't leave their first company.
Poaching a skilled producer wouldn't be easy.
In this era, was there anyone still undiscovered?
Miyazaki Hidetaka?
Kiyoshi Yuuma thought carefully. That guy seemed to be only fifteen this year.
Horii Yuji? No, no. Dragon Quest had already been a hit for years.
And of course, stars like Kojima Hideo and Sakaguchi Hironobu were out of the question—you couldn't possibly lure them away.
…
Or perhaps… should he cultivate one within the company?
Kiyoshi Yuuma frowned.
Maybe Mika Ishino had potential?
While he was lost in thought, Ayase Akane returned to the office.
She knocked lightly, smiling. "President, the contract has been signed. But since the New Year is coming, it's fine if Shirakawa-san starts after the holiday, right?"
"Mm, it's alright." Kiyoshi Yuuma nodded.
Just then, he noticed a young man passing outside the door. His hair was parted neatly in the middle, his forehead wide.
He hunched slightly, as though crushed by some heavy blow, heading for the main entrance.
With just one glance, Kiyoshi Yuuma thought he looked a bit familiar.
"Hey, Akane-chan, who was that? I don't recognize the face."
"Hm?"
Ayase Akane turned to glance behind her.
"Oh, just an applicant. He said he really liked our games and wanted a chance to join the company."
"Eh?" Kiyoshi Yuuma remarked. "It seems like we're getting more applicants these days who come here out of admiration."
Recently, since the release of Onmyoji 2, the series had become popular, attracting quite a few candidates.
Unfortunately, not one of them had been satisfactory so far.
The main reason was that Kiyoshi Yuuma's standards were too high.
This wasn't the bubble era anymore—recruitment had to be strict. It's better to have none than the wrong fit.
"He looked really crushed. Was he rejected? What position was he applying for?" Kiyoshi Yuuma asked casually.
"Game planner," Ayase Akane said as she flipped through his resume and the test sheet he had just completed. "His written test was a disaster, so we sent him home."
The written test was the company's first screening step, meant to weed out pure game enthusiasts.
Many players who loved games lacked the deeper understanding required for development.
In truth, while many people thought game planning was simple, the bar was actually very high.
Take numerical planning, for instance—it required designing combat formulas and optimizing the in-game economy system…
"I see." Hearing he had failed the test, Kiyoshi Yuuma didn't think much of it. "What's his name?"
"Let me check…" Ayase Akane lowered her head, opened the resume, and read.
"Mikami Shinji."
"What?!" Kiyoshi Yuuma jolted violently, whipping his head around, eyes wide. "Mikami Shinji?!"