Chapter Twenty-Six: Nintendo Company

"That's right! The family did send me to America to facilitate communication between us and Mr. Wei, but that doesn't stop me from seeking martial arts guidance from him, does it? Cousin, you know I've loved martial arts since childhood. Among the younger generation in our family, there’s no one left who can match me. Now that I’ve finally encountered such a remarkable talent as Mr. Wei, how could I possibly let the opportunity slip by?" Sakura Kinoshita insisted stubbornly. Sato Eimon, sensing the tense atmosphere, hastily interjected, "Miss, Young Master, Mr. Wei—this matter of sparring can be discussed another time. Since Miss will be staying in America for a while, there will be plenty of chances to learn from Mr. Wei. There's no need to argue about it now. Today, after all, we’re here on behalf of the family to express our gratitude to Mr. Wei!"

"My apologies, sir," Sakura Kinoshita said, bowing to Wei Hua after listening to Sato Eimon. "It was thoughtless of me. I am here under my father's instructions, specifically to convey the Kinoshita family's thanks. Your instant food project has solved an urgent problem for us, and the future profits it will bring are sure to be tremendous. That is why my father sent me to America to thank you personally, and to deliver the information you requested about Nintendo and Hiroshi Yamauchi. Seeking guidance in martial arts was my own impulsive idea, so I hope you can forgive my rashness."

"It's all right, Miss Sakura. When it comes to martial arts, I have no special insights. Mr. Kinoshita calling me a martial arts prodigy is more honor than I deserve. As for you asking for instruction, I'm hardly qualified. Still, when we have free time, we can always exchange pointers," Wei Hua replied after hearing Sakura Kinoshita's words.

"Mr. Wei, Miss, Young Master, let’s not stand on ceremony. Today’s gathering is both to welcome Miss to America and to celebrate Mr. Wei’s success. Let’s begin the banquet!" Sato Eimon urged.

The banquet did not last long. During it, Sakura Kinoshita demonstrated the art of the tea ceremony, giving Wei Hua a taste of Japanese tradition. While sipping tea, Nosuke Kinoshita said to Wei Hua, "Sakura has already submitted her application to MIT. Passing the entrance exam should be no problem. I hope you’ll look after her at the institute in the future."

"No problem," Wei Hua agreed readily.

After dinner, Wei Hua returned to his apartment with some documents. Jessie, Mary, and Kathleen were all holed up in their rooms, busy with who knows what. Lately, his relationship with the three women had grown increasingly complicated, and he still didn’t know how to resolve the tensions between them. Sitting in the living room, Wei Hua began to examine the materials Sakura Kinoshita had brought about Nintendo.

At present, Hiroshi Yamauchi had already set his sights on video games, but unlike Wei Hua, he couldn’t see into the future, so Nintendo’s development was still slow. Now that Wei Hua had sufficient funds, he was considering whether to acquire Nintendo and reorganize it as Blizzard, or to establish an entirely new Blizzard company from scratch. He mulled it over for a long time, unable to reach a decision. At last, Wei Hua went to knock on the doors of the three women.

Before long, all three appeared in the living room, but none of them spoke to one another. Wei Hua gave a wry smile and said, "Ladies, I’d like to discuss our next steps with you. For the foreseeable future, we won’t have another opportunity like the recent surge in oil prices, so I’m planning to invest in some real industries. I’ve gathered some information, and I intend to establish a game company to produce cartridge-based consoles and game cartridges. The arcade machines on the market are too simple, lacking in competition and appeal, but cartridge consoles don’t have these shortcomings. Plus, with cartridge consoles, you can switch out different games and play a wide variety, which gives them great market potential."

"Cartridge consoles? Is that a new type of gaming machine? How come I’ve never heard of it?" Jessie asked.

"It’s a new patented technology. Right now, I hold the technology and am preparing to apply for the patent. I can have a prototype and the documentation ready in a few days, and I can also develop the game cartridges. Technically, there’s no problem. What I want to discuss with you is this: since we want to produce these consoles, should we acquire an existing factory with manufacturing capabilities, or build a new factory ourselves?"

"How big is the market potential, and is there room for growth?" Mary inquired.

"How big is the market? Let me put it this way: as long as our technology is sound, the Japanese market alone could see annual sales of up to a million cartridge consoles, with game cartridge sales being even higher!" Wei Hua explained. (Please forgive any discrepancies with historical fact.)

"I think we should just acquire an existing game console manufacturer. After all, we have enough capital to force a takeover," Kathleen said, in perfect keeping with her character.

"My sights are set on Nintendo in Japan, but I doubt it’ll be easy to acquire. Hiroshi Yamauchi isn’t someone to be trifled with, and it would take a substantial sum to buy out Nintendo. Yamauchi is unlikely to let go of the company—after all, it’s his family’s business," Wei Hua remarked.