bioinnovel Chapter 504 Remember to reimburse me for the coffee.
Chapter 504 Remember to reimburse me for the coffee.
Lu Ran intends to continue negotiations with Sakura Games.
Lu Ran put his phone on the table and stood by the window for a while.
It was already pitch black outside the window. The June night in Shanghai was as hot as a steamer. In the distance, the headlights of cars on the elevated road formed a slow-moving ribbon of light.
His face was reflected in the glass window, the corners of his mouth still bearing the suppressed smile from before, but there was no joy in his eyes.
He turned and walked back to his desk, sitting down again. He sent Chen Mo a message: "Let's meet Yamamoto. This Friday afternoon. The place is the coffee shop across from the company. Don't be too formal, but don't be too casual either. You'll come with me."
Chen Mo replied quickly: "Are you sure you want to see him?"
"Agreed. Some things are meaningless to say over the phone; they need to be said face-to-face."
Humiliation must be done face-to-face.
At 2:30 pm on Friday, Lu Ran arrived at the coffee shop on time.
The café is located on a street corner diagonally opposite the TUTU office building. It has a small storefront and an industrial style decor, with several black and white photographs hanging on the exposed cement walls.
Around two or three in the afternoon, the restaurant wasn't crowded, and several rows of booths further inside were empty. Lu Ran chose a window seat that wasn't very conspicuous, ordered an Americano, and then leaned back in his chair to wait.
Chen Mo arrived five minutes earlier than him and sat in the chair next to him, with a latte in front of him that was already half-finished.
At 2:40, the door to the coffee shop was pushed open.
Yamamoto walked in with a translator and an assistant. He was wearing a dark gray suit jacket and looked thinner than when I last saw him in China.
His gaze swept around the store, and when he saw Lu Ran, he walked over quickly, his steps faster than usual. He reached the table, bowed slightly, and said a sentence in Japanese.
The translator translated simultaneously: "Hello, Mr. Lu, thank you for taking the time to meet with me."
Lu Ran did not stand up.
He leaned back in his chair, pointed to the row of empty seats opposite him, and said, "Sit."
Yamamoto sat down, and the translator and assistant took their seats behind him.
The waiter came over and asked what they wanted to order. Yamamoto ordered a cup of green tea, and the translator ordered a cup of water.
After the waiter had walked away, Yamamoto spoke first, his speech much slower than during the last negotiation, and his posture noticeably more humble: "President Lu, I know we had some unpleasantness before. But in the business world, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. I'm here today with great sincerity."
"What kind of sincerity?" Lu Ran picked up his Americano and took a sip, his tone indifferent.
Yamamoto took a folder from his assistant, placed it on the table with both hands, and pushed it towards him.
The folder wasn't thick, but the cover had the Sakura Games logo and a line of Japanese text printed on it. Lu Ran didn't reach out to take it; he just glanced at the cover, then looked up at him: "Tell me the general contents first."
Yamamoto cleared his throat: "We are willing to undertake the distribution and operation of TUTU products in the Japanese market at a lower revenue share than our European distributors; specific figures can be discussed in detail. At the same time, we can open up Sakura Games' offline distribution network and esports resources in Japan to assist TUTU in building a cross-border esports system. This was the previous plan, but after internal discussions, we are also willing to—"
He paused, as if carefully choosing his words: "We are also willing to accept TUTU sending personnel to participate in the content localization review to ensure that the game's content direction in the Japanese market is consistent with TUTU's global strategy. This is a very rare concession in agency cooperation."
When Yamamoto finished speaking, he placed his hands on the table, looking very sincere.
Lu Ran listened but did not respond immediately.
He put the coffee cup back on the table, his gaze shifting from Yamamoto's face to the folder, and then back again.
"Mr. Yamamoto, what you're saying certainly sounds like you're sincere. But from my perspective, there's a fundamental problem with this plan—you're still positioning yourselves as collaborators, not those seeking help."
Yamamoto's brow furrowed slightly: "The one seeking help?"
"Yes. You came to me not because you think cooperating with TUTU is a good thing, but because your Sakura Games has stumbled in the Chinese market, and your market share in Japan is also shrinking. You need to find a powerful backer to survive. This is not cooperation, this is asking for help. And asking for help requires the right attitude."
Lu Ran spoke in a flat tone, as if stating something that had already been decided. But as the words came out of his mouth, he noticed that Yamamoto's fingers unconsciously tightened on the table.
"Since you asked, I'll be frank. You want the Japanese distribution rights for TUTU products? Fine. But you have to meet three conditions." Lu Ran sat up straighter, his gaze fixed directly on Yamamoto's eyes. "First, Sakura Games must transfer 10% of its shares to TUTU free of charge. Not a cooperation exchange, but a free transfer. This 10% stake serves as our entry fee into the Japanese market, and also as an explanation for your past actions."
Yamamoto's expression changed. His lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something, but Lu Ran didn't give him a chance to speak.
"Secondly, once TUTU's products enter the Japanese market, all historical content within the games must be reviewed according to the official standards of China. This includes, but is not limited to, character settings, map names, and background narratives related to World War II. If any content distorts history or glorifies aggression appears, TUTU has the right to unilaterally terminate the agency agreement and demand full compensation."
Yamamoto's lips pressed into a thin line.
The translator next to him lowered his voice several octaves when relaying the information, as if he were sharing the burden with the speaker.
"Third, Sakura Games must publish a statement on its official website and all public channels. The statement will be drafted by TUTU's legal department. It must acknowledge the crimes committed against China in history, the unjust nature of the war of aggression, and the harm caused to the people of China. The statement must be published simultaneously in Japanese and Chinese versions and pinned to the top of the screen for at least three years."
After he finished speaking, it was as if a layer of air had been sucked away from the cafe booths.
Just then, the waitress came over with the green tea Yamamoto had ordered. She stopped a few steps away from the table, as if sensing something was wrong, and hesitated for a second before continuing. When she put down the teacup, her movements were much lighter than usual, and she walked much faster.
Yamamoto didn't speak. He stared at the green tea in front of him for several seconds before reaching for it.
The teacup was brought to his lips but then put down, the surface of the tea still gently swirling.
The translator sat beside him, his face bearing an expression that suggested he might get up and leave at any moment.
After a long while, Yamamoto finally spoke.
His voice was much lower than before, but the ease with which he had said "we can talk" when he first sat down was gone: "President Lu, of the three conditions you just mentioned, the first and second are indeed harsh, but theoretically we can still discuss them internally. But the third condition—issuing such a statement—will deal a devastating blow to Sakura Games' brand image in the Japanese market. Our users will think we are bowing down to Chinese capital, and we will lose our core domestic market."
"When you tried to steal our cake in the Dragon Kingdom market, you didn't think about brand image at all."
Yamamoto's fingers trembled slightly on his knee, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
His translator glanced at his expression and didn't dare to say anything on his behalf.
Lu Ran withdrew his gaze from Yamamoto's face and picked up his half-finished cup of coffee: "Mr. Yamamoto, when you last came to China, you brought hundreds of pages of research reports and signed a joint development agreement, thinking that the Chinese market was a field that could be harvested at will. You packed up what the Japanese market had already finished, repackaged it, and launched it, thinking that Chinese players would buy it. We remember everything you did very clearly. Today you sit across from me, talking about cooperation, sincerity, and long-term value. But you've forgotten how you viewed our market in the first place."
Yamamoto was silent for a moment, then said in a dry voice, "President Lu, I really cannot accept the conditions you have proposed."
"I know you can't accept it. I just want you to hear it once."
Lu Ran stood up, picked up his coffee cup, took a final sip, and placed it back on the table. "Mr. Yamamoto, this coffee is on me today. After you return to Japan, think carefully about how history should be written. Once you've figured it out, you can come back to me anytime, and we can discuss the specific terms of the second condition. As for the third condition, there's absolutely no room for negotiation."
After he finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the door. Chen Mo also stood up, glanced in Yamamoto's direction, and then followed Lu Ran's footsteps.
The glass doors of the café closed behind the two people, shutting out the air conditioning and letting in a sudden wave of heat.
Lu Ran stood under the awning by the door and rolled up his shirt cuffs again.
Chen Mo stood next to him and glanced back into the cafe. Through the glass wall, he could see that Yamamoto was still sitting in the same spot, his cup of green tea untouched. His translator and assistant stood beside the booth, all three with their heads down, and no one spoke.
The waiter quickened his pace noticeably as he passed by with the tray.
"He would never agree to the third point you just mentioned," Chen Mo said, turning his gaze away.
"I know. I said it on purpose."
"Then why did you call him here in the first place?"
"Because he needs to be reminded. Remind him that he owes Longguo. He's now a businessman sitting in an air-conditioned room in a suit, but what his company, his family, and the country behind him have done can't be wiped clean just because they're being nice now. I'm not trying to make a deal with him; I want him to know that I, Lu Ran, have a very good memory."
Chen Mo did not speak again.
The two people crossed the road one after the other and walked back to the lobby of the TUTU office building.
Before the elevator doors closed, Chen Mo said something behind him, his voice low and his tone flat: "The last thing you said in the coffee shop—'This coffee is on me today'—was quite thoughtful."
"Of course. When necessary, we must demonstrate the demeanor of a great power."
The elevator doors opened.
The two walked into the corridor's light. The transparent glass door behind them completely kept out the June heatwave, while the cool air from the air conditioner inside enveloped every inch of the space.
"Oh, and remember to have the company reimburse me for the coffee."
Chen Mo: "..."
...