"How could this be?"
Aoki Haruhi stood before the dozen-story office building and let out a sigh of near despair.
The large DUN logo hung at the top of the building, and the glass doors on the first floor reflected his haggard appearance with stark realism.
Raising investment had been an arduous process.
Before the burst of Japan's economic bubble, securing investment had been effortless. Investors had practically lined up to lend you money without you even having to ask.
But now...
The situation was bleak. Everyone was strapped for cash; simply surviving was a victory, let alone finding investors.
In this climate, anyone willing to invest—beyond banks—needed a certain amount of courage and substantial resources.
DUN Corporation was one of those rare, almost one-in-a-million companies.
To be precise, DUN wasn't an investment firm. They had previously manufactured children's toys, but a year ago, they diversified into adult toys, including inflatable men, as well as producing and distributing blue-ray videos.
Remarkably, DUN was among the few companies that had weathered the financial storm without being hit and even made a small profit.
Aoki Haruhi couldn't decide whether to call the president of DUN Corporation too timid or too bold.
Some might call him bold for not riding the wave of the national economic boom to make a quick buck. Others might call him timid for daring to venture into new markets after the bubble burst.
But luck was truly on his side.
Just recently, DUN had announced its intention to invest in game development. For Aoki Haruhi, DUN might be his last hope.
"After all my calculations and planning, who could have imagined I'd stumble over such a small hurdle?"
Before this, Aoki Haruhi had nearly exhausted every venture capital firm and bank in Tokyo. He was just one step away from resorting to high-interest loans from yakuza-affiliated groups.
If DUN didn't invest today, he had no idea what he would do.
There's nothing more heartbreaking than lacking the funds to realize your dreams. He knew that once he got his foot in the door, the future would be bright. With his extensive experience and skills, he was certain he could achieve great things. Yet he had tripped and fallen before even taking that first step.
Aoki Haruhi took a deep breath, slapped his cheeks, and rallied himself.
"Let's go!"
With his briefcase in hand, he entered the DUN Corporation building with Ishino, his copywriter, and Senkawa Hiroichi, the company's IT engineer.
Since he had made an appointment in advance, Aoki Haruhi was quickly shown to a conference room upon arriving at DUN's office.
The group sat nervously for a while until the conference room door opened. A young woman entered, wearing a white blazer, with meticulously styled hair and makeup, a slender figure, gaunt cheeks, and surprisingly ample curves in certain areas.
Aoki Haruhi took only one glance and mentally assessed her:
This young woman is beautiful, but she inexplicably exudes an air of aloofness. She doesn't seem approachable.
"Thank you for waiting, everyone. I am Tsuda Nao, President of DUN Corporation. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I look forward to working with you."
"The pleasure is ours."
The group quickly stood and bowed in unison.
After sitting down, Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but marvel. He'd never expected the president of DUN Corporation to be a woman, and such a young one at that. After all, the company primarily operated in the blue market, which required an extremely precise understanding of men's preferences.
Could a woman truly grasp men's tastes?
As this thought crossed his mind, Aoki Haruhi felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his stomach.
If he'd encountered a beautiful woman like Tsuda Nao on the street, it might have brought him joy and made his day.
But meeting her in a business setting was a different matter entirely.
It wasn't about gender discrimination. The issue was that there were simply too few women in professional roles in Japan, especially in the gaming industry. Many young women didn't even play games much. If she lacked sufficient understanding of the medium, she might reject their proposal.
No, if she's a woman, she might be even more moved by the story of Onmyoji.
After the introductions, Tsuda Nao spoke first. "I've reviewed your proposal, and to be honest, I was deeply moved."
"Thank you," Aoki Haruhi replied quickly.
A few days earlier, Pokeni had submitted the proposal to DUN. The company's initial interest must have been positive, otherwise this meeting wouldn't have been scheduled.
As Tsuda entered the conference room, she was holding the Onmyoji proposal they had submitted earlier.
She flipped through the pages as she spoke.
In fact, she had already read it no less than three times, yet each time she couldn't help but be captivated by the story within.
Tsuda Nao looked up at the young president seated across from her and asked, "President Qing, your budget shows 50 million yen for development costs, correct? What's your estimated development timeline, projected sales, and what are your goals?"
"Our projected sales share is over 100,000 units. My goal is to make this game a landmark classic, an enduring masterpiece that players will remember vividly even after ten or twenty years."
Huh?
Ishino and Chikawa beside them trembled slightly. This was the first time anyone had heard this, and it was genuinely shocking.
100,000 units!
That was a terrifying number. Very few games sold over 100,000 units in a year. The previous game, Heart of the Sword, hadn't even reached 2,000 copies. Where did the President get the courage to claim the new game could sell 100,000 units?
But on second thought, this must just be President Tsuda's rhetoric. It was clear she didn't understand games well. Investors like her cared more about return on investment. As long as they secured the funding, that was all that mattered.
Yes, yes, that must be it.
Tsuda Nao lowered her eyes and remained silent, her gaze fixed on the proposal document spread before her.
To strengthen his proposal, Aoki Haruhi even included several character concept art pieces in the business plan, depicting the male protagonist and three female protagonists from Onmyoji. With his artistic skill, quality, and aesthetic sense, these illustrations were at least twenty years ahead of their time.
Tsuda Nao's gaze settled on one of these images: Yuuki Rei, the first female protagonist. She had long, straight black hair, large, striking eyes, a well-proportioned figure, and a uniquely determined expression. Dressed in a red-and-white miko outfit and holding a longbow, the character was instantly captivating.
In fact, Aoki Haruhi had designed this image based on Kikyo from the future Inuyasha series.
Of course, when translated into the actual game, the image and clarity would inevitably be greatly compromised.
To be blunt, these concept art pieces were merely Aoki Haruhi's tools for securing investment. They might fool laymen, but industry insiders could see through them at a glance—such effects were impossible to achieve with current technology.
After a two-second pause, Tsuda Nao spoke. "Your game, DUN, has been approved. If 50 million yen isn't enough, we can increase the investment by 20 million."
Huh?!
Aoki Haruhi was slightly taken aback.
I haven't even asked any questions yet. How did it get approved so quickly?
He had come today prepared for the worst, even ready to prostrate himself in apology. He never expected her to agree so readily.
"There's nothing to refuse. This proposal is excellent—an outstanding script and beautiful character designs. I believe DUN can be successfully developed."
Tsuda Nao closed the proposal in her hands and looked up, her bright eyes smiling.
Aoki Haruhi immediately stood and bowed. "That's wonderful, President Tsuda! Thank you..."
She interrupted him before he could finish. "However, I have one condition."
Aoki Haruhi gritted her teeth.
Of course. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
If she had agreed too easily, he would have found it suspicious. After all, DUN had managed to stand out amidst the turbulent waves of the era. The president couldn't be that foolish.