Kobayashi Tetsu was in his office, fiddling with a Walkman.
This was the new model released by Sony Music, the WM-DD9, a flagship Walkman that wouldn't officially go on sale until 1989. It was the best in the world in terms of both portability and performance.
Although Kobayashi Tetsu really wanted to hang the Walkman around Makoto Yuki's neck just like in the original game, the Walkmans of this era were still a bit too heavy. So, he made a slight modification, changing it to be kept in a pocket instead.
He had asked Kadokawa, who wished to remain anonymous, to do some digging and act as a go-between. This successfully put him in touch with someone at Sony Corporation, and he managed to obtain this specially made Walkman.
However, this particular Walkman, which was only intended to accompany the advertisement, featured a special blue finish. Only if the game's response was positive after its release would Sony consider launching a Persona co-branded Walkman.
After playing with it for a while, Kobayashi Tetsu casually tucked the Walkman into his desk drawer.
Takamine Aika gave a brief report. "Industry research shows the ad is performing very well. Some viewers have even expressed a desire to purchase the same model of Walkman. Additionally, several industry investors contacted Atlas today, hoping to meet with the President."
"No meetings. I'm not seeing anyone," Kobayashi Tetsu said without looking up.
Meet them? My ass, he thought. It's not like Atlas needs to go public; people are practically begging us to do it. I'm not the one in a hurry.
For Kobayashi Tetsu, successfully completing the IPO before the Japanese economic bubble burst in 1991 would be a win.
His free time was limited—likely only until Persona was released. After that, he'd have to travel for roadshows, speeches, and promotions to ensure the IPO went smoothly.
Kobayashi Tetsu clasped his hands together and casually said, "I don't have much free time left—probably only for the next few days. Besides, Valentine's Day is coming up. I don't want to see any investors right now. Let's just spend some precious personal time together."
Takamine Aika kept her head down, looking at the schedule in her notebook.
Yet, the corners of her lips couldn't help but curve upward.
Ah! Tetsu-kun really does value her after all. He can still find time for a date even in his busy schedule!
As he rode the elevator down, Kobayashi Tetsu was still planning what to do for Valentine's Day the day after tomorrow.
I can't always be thinking about stepping on her back! I'm a man of noble sentiments, whose moral character far surpasses his peers!
Just as he was about to get into the car, a figure suddenly flew in front of him. Kobayashi Tetsu's hand twitched, and he felt this person strangely resembled "Tang Niu." He almost couldn't resist kicking the man out.
Looking closer, it was a slightly chubby middle-aged man. He didn't look very Japanese. He didn't have much hair, and his cheeks were bulged out like a squirrel's cheek pouches. At first glance, he even thought it was Mo Yan.
Kobayashi Tetsu felt this person looked familiar, but he couldn't call out his name immediately.
"President Kobayashi, I've heard a lot about you. I'm very sorry for disturbing you so abruptly."
The man bowed deeply to Kobayashi Tetsu and introduced himself: "I am Masayoshi Son. I run an investment company, 'Japan SoftBank'."
"Oh."
Kobayashi Tetsu's gaze froze slightly, staying on the other person.
It was impossible for Kobayashi Tetsu not to observe carefully. After all, when he heard this name, Kobayashi Tetsu realized who this person was.
Masayoshi Son, SoftBank Group—these names would later become household words.
Son had invested in countless industries, but his most famous bet was on Alibaba. In the investment world alone, his reputation was stellar—incredibly so.
However, in 1990, Japan SoftBank was not yet the SoftBank Group of the future. While Son was already well-known, he had not yet attained his future stature. At this point in time, SoftBank's overall revenue and business scale were inferior to Atlas.
Kobayashi Tetsu felt a flicker of surprise at meeting a celebrity, but the feeling subsided after a few seconds.
The fact that Masayoshi Son was the one waiting here, and not Kobayashi Tetsu, spoke volumes.
Kobayashi Tetsu recalled Son's life story and spoke slowly. "SoftBank... I've heard of your company. I heard you made your first pot of gold selling Taito's arcade games when you were still in high school."
Son bowed slightly, his eyes gleaming with unmistakable pride.
"That was my first attempt at investing in a business, and the first time I tasted success. Even today, after countless failures, I still cherish that feeling."
He changed the subject. "On the other hand, President Kobayashi, you returned from your studies in the United States, founded Atlus Studio as a high school student, and released your first game. Today, you've become a major player in the gaming industry. You are the one we should be learning from."
The two exchanged a round of tactical flattery. Amidst the laughter and pleasantries, Kobayashi Tetsu said, "It must have been hard waiting here all this time. If I hadn't come to the underground parking lot, you would have waited in vain."
Masayoshi Son replied, "Still, it was worth it just to meet you, President Kobayashi."
Kobayashi Tetsu couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
The damn guy can really wait!
Kobayashi Tetsu didn't know exactly when Masayoshi Son had started waiting here, but he knew that for the past week, he hadn't taken his car from the underground passage at all, leaving directly from the front entrance instead.
Under these circumstances, to run into him as soon as he came downstairs, Masayoshi Son must have been waiting for more than just one day.
SoftBank wasn't a bank; it was an investment company. Since it was an investment company, Kobayashi Tetsu knew exactly what they did.
He decided not to beat around the bush with Masayoshi Son any longer.
"I know a place where we can sit down and talk. After you?"
"After you!"
A dozen minutes later, the two men were seated in the Old Dixie Restaurant.
Masayoshi Son pulled a handkerchief from his briefcase and dabbed the light sweat from his forehead. Since Anegasaki Nene was absent today, another server came over to greet them and take their order.
Kobayashi Tetsu was fine with eating anything, but Son bowed slightly to the server.
"The same as last time, please."
He handed over a bill. Kobayashi didn't stop Son from paying; his attention was fixed on those words.
The same as last time.
This meant Son had also looked into Kobayashi's frequent visits to Old Dixie and had specifically waited for him here.
Heaven knows how long Son had been waiting for him, or where else he had gone, ever since Kobayashi had let the news of Atlas's IPO slip.
"Alright, let's get straight to the point," Kobayashi said. "Atlas is indeed considering going public, and I am indeed considering accepting money from some investors. However, the amount won't be as large as you might think, and the number of shares Atlas will issue to the public market won't be that high either."
This wasn't because they lacked funds, but to forge a strategic alliance.
Masayoshi Son thanked the waiter who had just delivered their meal, then turned to Kobayashi Tetsu and bowed. "That's not surprising at all. However, it would be a great honor if SoftBank could acquire a portion of the unissued shares."
Kobayashi Tetsu smiled but did not answer the question directly. "What's your take on the Japanese stock market right now?"
Son smiled. "It's excellent. Booming, thriving. Even the fishmongers in the markets are talking about stocks and financial jargon."
Kobayashi Tetsu also smiled. "You're not telling the truth."
"But this is the truth. Isn't this exactly what the Japanese stock market is like right now?"
Only now did Masayoshi Son finally reveal a businessman's expression—a cunning smile.
"However, this also means one thing: the Japanese stock market is like a balloon that keeps inflating. If an external force were applied now, all it would take is a single pin—pop!—and it would burst completely."
Kobayashi Tetsu said, "But you still want to invest in Atlas at a time like this. Aren't you afraid of losing everything when that day comes?"
Masayoshi Son bowed.
"Based on my observations of Atlas, you will never reach that point. Unlike other companies in the industry, Atlas does not rely on bank funding. Its cash flow is exceptionally healthy—even excessively so. Furthermore, Atlas has never built its own headquarters. Instead, it prioritized constructing a Technical Development Department. The meaning behind all of this is already crystal clear. It shows that, rather than being aggressive, you are someone who leans more toward stability."
He took a breath. "In other words, even if this bubble were to burst with a bang, the worst-case scenario for Atlas would merely be a significant loss of paper wealth. However, Atlas's hard assets would absolutely never shrink. The employees, the technology, the game series, the Technical Development Department, and so on—these elements will not be affected by the fluctuations of the stock market. Even if a magnitude-10 earthquake were to strike Japan, I'm afraid Atlas would still stand as firm and unyielding as Mount Fuji."
Kobayashi Tetsu couldn't resist the urge to applaud Masayoshi Son.
As expected, successful people are all silver-tongued.
When Masayoshi Son first started his company, he told his subordinates, "This company of mine will become a top-tier company with assets of fifty billion in the future."
Two of his subordinates, hearing this, thought Masayoshi Son was just talking big and quit the company overnight.
One wondered if those two would ever regret not sticking it out.
Fortunately, Kobayashi Tetsu would not.
He wiped his mouth and extended his hand toward Masayoshi Son.
"Deal?"
"Deal!"
Kobayashi Tetsu said, "On March 14th, the first game developed by Atlas using the Persona Engine, Persona, will be officially released."
Although it seemed like an unrelated topic, Masayoshi Son understood.
This meant that Kobayashi Tetsu would begin the IPO process at that time. In other words, if he raised funds before then, he could acquire Atlas's pre-IPO shares.
Pre-IPO shares are stocks issued internally before a company goes public. Without certain connections, it is extremely difficult to obtain them in advance. Once the IPO process begins, no rational company will easily issue or sell pre-IPO shares anymore.
After all, once a company goes public and its stock price rises, the value of pre-IPO shares can increase tenfold, a hundredfold, or even ten million-fold.
But now, with Kobayashi Tetsu specifying this timeline, he could more calmly raise funds and board this train!
Moreover, he would very likely be the first person in all of Japan to do so!
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