August. Karuizawa.
Sunlight filtered through the lush canopy, casting dappled patterns across the expansive lawn of the Nakayama family's private villa. The cicadas' song rose and fell in a rhythmic chorus, evoking the languid tranquility unique to a summer retreat.
"Big brother! Wait for me! Huff... puff..."
Eighteen-month-old Miki Nakayama, dressed in a pink frilly dress, stumbled forward on her chubby little legs, her face flushed red as she struggled to keep up.
A dozen meters ahead, six-year-old Kazuki sprinted after a green beetle, wielding a bug net nearly as tall as himself. He was completely absorbed in the chase, oblivious to the little tail following him.
Keiko, wearing an apron, hurried after the children, her arms outstretched as if to catch Miki the moment she tripped.
"Young Master Kazuki, slow down! Be careful not to run into Miki," Keiko called out with a gentle smile, her eyes filled with affection.
On the wooden veranda, Nakayama Hayao reclined comfortably in a rattan chair, dressed in a dark yukata.
He lifted a coarse ceramic teacup, blew on the steam, and took a sip.
The cool, refreshing air of Karuizawa had aided his recovery during his two-week convalescence. His once-pale complexion had regained a healthy glow, and his voice, now stronger and more resonant, carried a hint of his former authority as the head of Sega.
Takuya Nakayama sat beside him on a small table, flipping through internal Sega reports that had just been faxed from the Tokyo Headquarters.
"Must be tough, being cooped up like this after your discharge, huh?" Takuya tossed the reports onto the table and reached for a piece of chilled watermelon, freshly retrieved from a well-water bucket.
"Hmph. This old man isn't completely immobile yet," Hayao retorted, slamming his teacup onto the wooden table with a dull thud. He was clearly dissatisfied with this semi-retired existence, where he could observe but not intervene.
"How are things at Sega? Is the launch game for that new handheld keeping pace? Nintendo won't give us a moment to breathe."
"Ten newcomers, all fired up. They're pulling all-nighters in the dev room every single day." Takuya Nakayama took a bite of watermelon, its sweet juice instantly bursting in his mouth. "The core framework is complete. We'll have the first playable demo ready next month. Once this engine is up and running, the rest of development will be smooth sailing."
Hayao Nakayama gave a grunt and didn't press any further.
He had completely delegated authority now, leaving Sega's daily operations almost entirely to Takuya. He only stepped in to oversee the big-picture strategy.
"What's the latest from Nintendo?" Hayao changed the subject.
"Same as always. The battle for this console generation is already decided. Nintendo and Sony can only fight for their own small shares of royalties. The lion's share still belongs to us, Sega Jupiter." Takuya grabbed a tissue and wiped his hands, his gaze sharpening. "But in the handheld market, our Game Pocket and Nintendo's Game Boy are both showing their age. Their hardware is pushed to the absolute limit. Our new machine will launch right during this transitional gap. We'll definitely catch them off guard."
"By the way, the series finale of The Greed of Men aired last night," Takuya Nakayama mentioned casually.
Nakayama Hayao fell silent for a moment, then shook his head.
"The people in Hong Kong really have guts to film something like that—forcing their own four sons to jump off a building. The finance crowd in Kabutocho has been thrown into a frenzy by this show. I heard the retail branches of several major brokerages have long lines every day, all with panicked individual investors rushing to buy hedge funds."
Takuya Nakayama smiled.
Over the past two months, The Greed of Men, paired with TV Tokyo's in-depth financial analysis, had become a death knell for the Japanese financial circles. The Southeast Asian financial crisis was intensifying, and the public's panic had been thoroughly ignited. Giants like Nomura Securities and Daiwa Fund were throwing money around, even abandoning their dignity, just to secure the GG slots during TV Tokyo's late-night programming.
The shoji screen slid open.
Nakayama Miyuki emerged carrying a wooden tray laden with exquisitely sliced wagashi and several glasses of iced barley tea, condensation frosting the glass. Eri followed behind, holding a few clean, damp towels, a gentle smile on her face.
"Stop talking about work," Miyuki chided as she set the tray down on the small table. "We're here to escape the heat, so let's act like it. You two—father and son—can't ever just sit still, can you?"
Eri walked over to Takuya Nakayama and gently handed him a towel.
"Kazuki's just got too much energy," Takuya said, taking the towel to wipe the light sweat from his face.
"He's just like you were as a kid—a little monkey," Miyuki said, sitting down beside Nakayama Hayao. She picked up a piece of wagashi and offered it to him. "Try this. Keiko made it fresh this morning, and she went easy on the sugar."
Hayao took a bite, chewed slowly, and nodded in satisfaction.
Eri sat down next to Takuya, her gaze softening as she watched the two children running and playing in the courtyard.
"Mother, my parents called last night," Eri said, turning to Miyuki.
"Is your father-in-law finally done with his work?" Miyuki asked, pouring a glass of barley tea.
"He's been running around so much he barely has time to eat," Eri said with a soft laugh behind her hand. "The Greed of Men finished its first run, and he just signed the contract for the second broadcast this morning."
Takuya Nakayama raised an eyebrow.
"So those local stations in the TXN Network finally coughed up the cash?"
"They did. And they bled for it," Eri said, a smug satisfaction in her voice as she took her father's side. "They were too cheap to join the initial acquisition, too afraid of the risk. Now that they've seen TV Tokyo raking it in and breaking viewership records every day, they're scrambling like ants on a hot griddle. The presidents of TV Aichi and TV Hokkaido even flew to Tokyo in person, camping outside my father's office and flattering him relentlessly."
"What price did my father-in-law set?"
"Three times the cost of the initial buyout. Not a cent less," Eri stated.
Takuya clicked his tongue. "Ruthless."
"They deserved it," Nakayama Hayao interjected, his voice carrying the coldness of a ruthless businessman. "In business, if you're too afraid to take a risk and just want to reap the rewards after others have done the work, you're out of luck. Nakagawa, that old fox, has those local stations completely under his thumb now. From here on out, TV Tokyo will hold absolute authority within the network."
Miyuki patted Nakayama Hayao's arm, signaling him to speak more politely.
Eri didn't mind at all. Instead, she nodded in agreement and continued, "It's not just the copyright fees. The station's GG revenue has skyrocketed several-fold in the last few months."
After hearing this, Takuya Nakayama tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table.
"The fiercer the financial storm, the more these institutions need to use TV-GGs to steady the hearts of retail investors. TV Tokyo has precisely tapped into the pulse of the times."
"The Finance Department worked overnight to balance the books. This year's profits could equal the past three years combined. The late-night slots for financial institution GGs are already booked through next spring," Eri said, her voice tinged with unconcealed pride.
"So, is my father-in-law planning to come here for a long vacation?" Takuya asked.
"Yes. Now that the contracts are signed, the station's affairs have been temporarily handed over to the deputy station chief," Eri nodded. "He said he'll be here the day after tomorrow to stay in Karuizawa for a couple of days and get some fresh air."
Miyuki smiled.
"Perfect. This house has plenty of rooms. When your father-in-law arrives, you two can keep him company with tea and chess to help him relax."
"I'm just afraid he won't be able to stay idle," Takuya said, taking a sip of barley tea as his gaze turned thoughtful.
Nakagawa Jun's sudden trip to Karuizawa was definitely about more than just escaping the summer heat.
TV Tokyo was sitting on a massive pile of cash, and the GG Platform's status had skyrocketed. It had completely broken free from the constraints of local stations, gaining the confidence to challenge the five major private core networks.
Yet, at a time like this, Nakagawa Jun wasn't in Tokyo running things. Instead, he had come to Karuizawa to see Takuya.
Takuya Nakayama turned to look at Nakayama Hayao.
Nakayama Hayao also turned his head.
Father and son locked eyes, sharing a silent understanding. Neither said a word.
Two days later.
A black Toyota Century pulled up steadily in front of the Nakayama family's private residence.
The car door opened.
Nakagawa Jun stepped out, dressed in high-quality casual wear. He looked spirited and healthy, his face glowing.
His mother-in-law, Takako Nakagawa, followed behind him.
Takuya Nakayama stepped forward to greet them.
"Father-in-law, the air in Karuizawa is nice, isn't it?"
Nakagawa Jun burst into laughter and clapped Takuya firmly on the shoulder.
"Never mind the air. I've brought a big problem with me this time."
Takuya stopped in his tracks.
Nakagawa Jun's smile faded.
"Someone at Fuji Television is getting restless."
Takuya raised an eyebrow.
"They're jealous?"
"TV Tokyo has snatched a lot of their viewership share over the past few months," Nakagawa Jun explained. "Even some of their long-term partner GG Merchants have jumped ship to our side. Fuji TV's president personally called me yesterday, hinting that they plan to throw some obstacles in our way for the upcoming fall season. I heard they've even brought Takuya Kimura on board, preparing to pour a fortune into a major production."
Nakagawa Jun sneered, a flicker of disdain in his eyes.
Nakayama Takuya led his father-in-law and mother-in-law through the courtyard gate and asked tentatively, "So, your visit to Karuizawa this time is..."
"To borrow some of your troops," Nakagawa Jun said, striding into the yard. "Let's see what brilliant ideas you've got left in that head of yours to keep them pinned to the ground."
Just as Nakagawa Jun stepped into the yard, one-and-a-half-year-old Miki stumbled toward him and hugged his leg.
"Grandpa!" the little girl called out, looking up with a milky voice, her big eyes blinking.
The wrinkles on Nakagawa Jun's face instantly bloomed into a smile, all traces of the TV station president's prestige gone. He bent down, scooped Miki into his arms, and gave her a couple of bounces, making the little girl giggle.
On the lawn nearby, Kazuki ran over with a bug-catching net, greeting his grandfather while covered in sweat.
Eri came out of the house, holding a wet towel and handing it over.
"Father, you've just stepped out of the car. Wipe your sweat first. These two little rascals are terribly naughty—don't let them bother you," Eri said with a smile as she took Miki into her arms. She then turned and instructed Keiko to take Kazuki to the back yard to wash his hands.
Nakagawa Jun used the towel to wipe his face and neck, then let out a long sigh of relief.
The gentle breeze of Karuizawa blew past; it was indeed much more comfortable than the sweltering heat of Tokyo.
"Come on, let's sit over there," Nakayama Hayao said, pointing to a shaded spot at the end of the long veranda, where a low wooden table and several zabuton cushions were arranged.
The three men took their seats in turn.
Eri brought over freshly brewed gyokuro tea and several plates of exquisite wagashi, then tactfully withdrew back into the house, leaving the space to the three men who controlled vast business empires.
Nakagawa Jun picked up his teacup and took a large gulp, ignoring whether it was too hot.
He set the cup down, took a document from the briefcase he had brought, and pushed it toward Takuya Nakayama.
"Fuji TV has leaked some news. For the autumn season, they're planning to bring in a major cast. It's clear they're trying to win back the viewership and GG sponsors they've lost over the past few months," Nakagawa Jun said with a cold snort.
Nakayama Hayao, who was idly playing with the folding fan in his hand, spoke up unhurriedly: "The big boss is anxious. TV Tokyo has been eating too well these past few months, so it's only natural they're jealous. Takuya Kimura's current appeal is absolutely lethal to those young women."
Takuya Nakayama flipped through the document, glanced at it twice, and tossed it back onto the desk.
"The Getsuku Slot has always been Fuji TV's home turf. Is my father-in-law planning to go head-to-head with them?" Takuya picked up a chilled slice of watermelon and took a bite.
Nakagawa Jun stroked the stubble on his chin, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"The old guard at the station are getting a bit cocky. They feel that The Greed of Men has won them a decisive victory, and now that they have some spare cash, they want to strike while the iron is hot. They're planning to pour money into a few big-budget productions for the autumn Golden Time Slot to challenge Fuji TV. I tried to hold them back for a few days, but a few people on the Board of Directors have been jumping up and down, convinced this is the perfect opportunity to seize the top spot."
Takuya shook his head decisively.
"It's a losing battle."
Nakagawa Jun raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"The Greed of Men became a hit because its theme happened to coincide with the Southeast Asian financial crisis. Plus, the late-night audience—trapped investors and finance professionals—needed an emotional outlet." Takuya pulled out a tissue and wiped his hands, his gaze clear. "That was a matter of timing and circumstance. When the autumn Golden Time Slot arrives, it's the domain of housewives and young people. They want pure love and family dramas. What kind of depth does TV Tokyo have in those genres to compete with Fuji TV's Getsuku? Throwing money at it? Fuji TV is the last place to lack money!"
Nakayama Hayao nodded beside him. "Playing to our weaknesses against their strengths is the stupidest way to compete."
Takuya Nakayama continued, "Moreover, if we divert our funds and energy to fight for the Golden Time Slot, the quality of our late-night programming will inevitably suffer. When the core audience we've cultivated finds there's nothing left to watch, they'll abandon TV Tokyo in an instant. That's what you call 'trying to steal a chicken only to lose a handful of rice.'"
Nakagawa Jun frowned slightly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the wooden table.
"My suggestion is to maintain the status quo for the Golden Time Slot and avoid getting bogged down in that muddy water. Instead, we should pour all the money we've earned into the late-night slot and turn it into TV Tokyo's absolute moat." Takuya Nakayama's tone was resolute. "As long as we hold onto this lucrative late-night slot and establish a differentiated advantage that other channels cannot replicate, they can do whatever they want with the other time slots."
Nakagawa Jun picked up his teacup and took another sip, pondering Takuya Nakayama's words.
"You make a good point. Securing our foundation is the most critical thing." Nakagawa Jun set down his teacup and turned to Takuya Nakayama. "So, tell me, what should we broadcast in the late-night slot next? We can't just buy a few more old dramas from Hong Kong to fill the time, can we?"
Takuya Nakayama smiled, a shrewd glint in his eyes.
"A crossover hit like The Greed of Men is a rare find. Next, we need to target our niche precisely."
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