A Friday Revelation in Tokyo
Friday, 15 January 1993 — Tokyo, Japan. The offices of ZAGE were buzzing with tension. The usual weekly executive meeting, typically held on Monday or Tuesday, had been rescheduled for Friday due to Zaboru's return from a business trip to the United States on Wednesday this week.
As the meeting came to order, Zaboru promptly took his seat at the head of the table, his presence commanding silence. "Before we get into the agenda," he began, scanning the room with calm authority, "is there anything pressing I need to know or something you'd like to ask me directly?"
Sayuri Yamaguchi, head of ZAGE Finance, adjusted her glasses and immediately cut to the chase. "Boss, I received a high-priority alert from our bank. They called us this morning—the account labeled 'Investment Money,' which holds our contingency funds and investment capital, shows a sudden withdrawal of 1.8 billion yen last week. I need to confirm something directly with you: did you use that money to actually purchase Marvel? There are already rumors swirling in the papers today suggesting as much."
The question drew instant reactions. Zanichi Renkonan, the CTO and Zaboru's father, exchanged a concerned glance with Shinsuke Yamaguchi, head of marketing. Both looked skeptical.
Zaboru, however, simply smiled. He had anticipated the pushback.
"Yes," he replied calmly. "I bought Marvel. Sayuri-san, you'll get the full contract details later. Please coordinate with Kudou on the paperwork."
Sayuri nodded and began jotting notes into her notepad. "Got it boss."
Zanichi didn't hesitate. "Why Marvel? I know 1.8 billion yen might sound like a bargain for acquiring a goliath like Marvel—if this were twenty years ago. But today, even at that price, it feels like a questionable move. Marvel has already fallen from grace. They've been struggling for years, and the American comic book market is steadily declining. It feels like buying a company already on life support. Investing in Marvel now is like acquiring a mediocre firm in a fading industry, hoping for a miracle turnaround."
Shinsuke chimed in. "Are you planning to fold Marvel into our U.S. division, or is this some passion project boss?"
Zaboru leaned forward, folding his hands on the table.
"I understand your concerns," he began. "From the outside, Marvel looks like a relic. But I see untapped potential. We're not buying a company—we're investing in a future empire."
The room fell quiet. Most of the execs looked skeptical. All except Yugo, who, as always, remained fiercely loyal to Zaboru. Even now, his eyes sparkled with excitement as he silently marveled, 'Whoa, Boss-sama actually bought Marvel!? With that many characters under his command... I can't even imagine what Boss-sama will do next! Maybe he'll launch a new animation division, or bring them into games! Oh man, I hope he lets me help with it somehow... I can't wait to see his vision come to life!'
"You may think this is crazy today," Zaboru continued, "but give me five to ten years. Marvel will become one of ZAGE's powerhouses. It will be one of our crown jewels. I promise you that."
With that, the team, though unsure, nodded in acceptance. They'd seen Zaboru pull off the impossible before.
"Okay, if there are no further questions regarding Marvel, let's begin our weekly review," Zaboru said with finality, adjusting his seat as a hush fell over the room. Papers shuffled, computers flickered to life, and department heads opened their reports with a mix of caution and anticipation. Despite the lingering tension from the shocking Marvel news, the meeting settled into its usual rhythm.
Meanwhile, outside ZAGE...
Outside ZAGE, the Japanese media exploded with the news. Headlines raved and ranted that ZAGE had bought a fallen titan. Some hailed it as visionary. Others mocked it as foolish.
One such skeptic was Hikaru Kurata, CEO of Sonaya and a major Sonaya shareholder. Watching the news, he smirked clearly amused and happy.
"Finally, Zaboru screws up!" Kurata laughed, the sound sharp and filled with vindication. Years ago, he had approached Marvel with an offer of 4 million dollars—a mere less than half of what ZAGE had just paid—only to be rudely dismissed by Mark Ackerman, Marvel's then-CEO, who had told him in no uncertain terms to get lost. Kurata still remembered that moment vividly. To him, Marvel had long been a sinking ship, weighed down by poor leadership, declining comic sales, and brand fatigue. Spending 4 million back then had felt like a gamble; to pay more now seemed outright reckless. "And 4 million was already generous," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. The absurdity of Zaboru's decision only made Kurata's laughter grow louder.
Still laughing, Kurata scoffed, "If he'd bought DC, I'd be worried. DC has a fan base. But Marvel? Besides Spider-Man, nobody cares."
Junpei Hoshida, head of Sonaya's game department, raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that, boss? This is Zaboru we're talking about."
Kurata waved him off. "I'm sure. This time, he blew it." Hikaru Kurata had always longed to see Zaboru stumble, and now that it had finally happened, he was overjoyed. A smug grin spread across his face as he leaned back in his chair, savoring the moment like a fine wine. This was the victory he'd waited for really long time.
Junpei said nothing but frowned slightly. He had a gut feeling this wasn't going to end the way Kurata thought.
As Kurata took a triumphant sip of coffee, a flicker of doubt crossed his mind—but he pushed it aside.
'There's no way Zaboru can seriously think he'll get something substantial out of Marvel, right? Sure, making video games based on Marvel characters might work, might even be a hit or two—but what else? He can't possibly think there's more to be gained beyond that. I bet he's overestimating their relevance at this point.'
Hikaru Kurata smirked, relishing the moment. He saw an opportunity to amplify the momentum by scheduling a personal interview on Japanese television. In the segment, he planned to share his scathing opinion on Zaboru's acquisition of Marvel and offer his own interpretation of the decision's reckless nature.
"They'll mock him," Kurata chuckled, his voice laced with satisfaction. It had been a long time since he'd felt this triumphant, and he intended to enjoy every second of it.
Junpei looked at his boss and sighed, and thought 'You might regret this, boss. But hey, who am I to judge?' With a quiet shake of his head, he turned his attention back to the Sonaya January project.
To be continued
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