Thanks to the extraordinary success and positive reputation of its predecessor, Onmyoji 1, players eagerly anticipated the sequel.
On the first day of Onmyoji 2's release, a steady stream of players flocked to game stores to purchase the game cartridges.
The game sold out on the first day, and Pokeni's phone lines were overwhelmed.
The most common sound in the office each day was the ringing of the phone.
The Marketing Department colleagues were swamped.
"Okay, 2,000 copies of Onmyoji 2. Can you give me the address?"
"Got it. No problem."
"Okay, 4,000 copies of Onmyoji 2. Can you give me the address?"
Chief Operations Officer Takahashi Kazuma was swamped with work.
This position had been vacant until recently. Takahashi Kazuma had only hired this person after Onmyoji became a hit, as the company needed someone to handle the operations.
Although the title was "Operations Manager," Takahashi Kazuma was actually the sole person in charge of both the operations and marketing departments.
After all, it was a small company of just over 20 people. In Japan, everyone had to wear multiple hats, leading to overwhelming workloads and stringent efficiency demands.
Failure to meet these demands meant working late.
Fortunately, the position was intermittently busy. It was dog-eat-dog during game launches, but during the game development process, there was almost no work. That was a small mercy.
To cope with the current situation, Aoki Haruhi had asked colleagues who had already finished their development work to pitch in.
Answering phones, confirming orders, verifying payments, contacting the factory to press game cartridges, and shipping...
The entire process was tedious and exhausting.
Yet precisely because it was exhausting, everyone's faces were beaming with joy.
The surge in orders meant the game was truly going to be a massive hit!
A massive hit meant a continuous stream of—
Money!
After hanging up the phone, HR representative Ayase Akane turned to Aoki Haruhi with sparkling eyes and a radiant smile. "President, the game is going to be a hit!"
Hmph.
Aoki Haruhi let out a soft snort. "Isn't that only natural?"
Tsk tsk. Ayase Akane gave him a knowing look.
The President might appear cool and composed on the surface, but his palms were slick with sweat.
Hattori Yuji was lighting a cigarette in the President's office. He'd just taken a puff when his secretary, Fujiki, knocked and entered.
"Mr. President, a game store in Akihabara called to say Onmyoji 2 is sold out and asked if we can restock."
"Sold out?"
"What?"
Hattori Yuji found this utterly unbelievable. His fingers trembled, and the cigarette tip fell off.
"Ah, hot, hot, hot!"
He sprang up from his chair, frantically patting his trousers with both hands.
A visible hole had appeared in the fabric.
Fujiki couldn't bear to look and quickly turned away, struggling to suppress a laugh. She was professionally trained and couldn't afford to displease the President. While it wouldn't cost her her job, she'd definitely get a severe scolding.
"Which game did you just mention?" Hattori Yuji asked, straightening his clothes. "You must be mistaken. You meant Uncharted Waters, right?"
He had full confidence in Koei's games; the company had always been reliable with its releases.
From Romance of the Three Kingdoms onward, Koei has consistently released one blockbuster after another. This time, Uncharted Waters was also highly anticipated.
"No, President," Fujiki shook her head. Seeing the President's puzzled expression, she dutifully corrected him, "It's Onmyoji 2, the sequel to Onmyoji developed by Pokeni Corporation."
She didn't know that the President held a low opinion of the Onmyoji series.
After all, the Onmyoji franchise was personally "discovered" by Hattori. Before any other distributors noticed the game, Hatori Yuji was the first to purchase P Corporation's titles.
From Onmyoji to Elite Academy, and now Onmyoji 2.
If he didn't see potential in this company, why would the President invest so heavily in acquiring their games?
When Hatori Yuji heard the name Onmyoji 2, he was momentarily stunned.
"And it's not just the Akihabara branch; all other stores in Tokyo have sold out."
The initial distributor order for Onmyoji 2 through Pokeni was only a little over 5,000 units. Normally, this quantity would have been more than sufficient.
Dealers wouldn't order too much at first, fearing a massive loss if they couldn't sell it. They'd take small, experimental batches and then decide whether to restock based on initial sales.
But a complete sell-out on the first day was truly rare.
Hattori Yuji's eyes glazed over.
Pokeni?
Onmyoji?!
Nani?!
This crappy game actually sold out on its first day?
Hiss...
This is terrifying.
So scary. Terrifying.
He gritted his teeth, bent down to pick up the cigarette butt on the floor, and crushed it out in the ashtray with fierce determination.
You bastard—you're going against me, aren't you?
Back then, when I dismissed Onmyoji, it exploded, selling 100,000 copies.
I thought Pokeni was smart, so I doubled down on Elite Academy, only to end up in a deep freeze—not a shred of warmth.
Now, I refused to believe it again, and Onmyoji 2 comes out of nowhere.
So, I've never been right about anything?!
Just as Hattori Yuji was feeling utterly miserable, his secretary, Fujiki, standing beside him, clasped his hands over his chest and gave him an admiring look.
"President, your judgment is truly exceptional," Fujiki said with a smile.
"Huh?" Hattori Yuji was even more bewildered.
"Back then, none of the other distributors had any faith in Onmyoji, Pokeni was completely ignored, and neither had any reputation at all. Yet you saw their potential and bet heavily on them. President, you not only have foresight and extraordinary insight, but you're also incredibly bold!"
Ah~Hiss~ Hiss~
Hattori Yuji drew a few sharp breaths, unsure how to react.
After a moment of contorting his face, a smug smile spread across his face.
President Hattori settled back into his chair, looking self-satisfied on the surface, but inwardly seething with disgust and anger. "Of course," he said. "Otherwise, how do you think I became president?"
"Mmm-hmm. I admire you even more now," Fujiki said, meaning every word.
In the great wave of the era, foresight is more important than strength.
Especially for a company's leader, choosing the right path can make them invincible.
From this perspective, Hattori Yuji is truly talented.
"The President has so many qualities we can learn from," Fujiki said.
"Heh, heh," Hattori Yuji chuckled awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
"Then..." Fujiki asked tentatively.
"Place an order. Call Pokeni," Hattori Yuji said. "Have the Marketing Department assess the required quantity."
"Right away!" Fujiki nodded.
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