Traveling through the Tokyo bubble era

Chapter 440 Unexpected two people, unexpected news

After the "Elf" took off, it stopped in Alaska for refueling, inspection and rest, and finally arrived at London Heathrow Airport on the afternoon of November 5.

Hideki Hanyu walked through the T4 terminal that was just opened this year.

At the exit location, there is already a receptionist waiting for you at the British Library Association.

After the other party met and said hello, they began to introduce Hanyu Hideki enthusiastically.

It is available in all aspects, even the terminal building where it is located.

"Mr. Hanyu, the terminal you are in was just opened on April 1 this year, and the unveiling ceremony was personally hosted by Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

If all goes well, you will see him in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace in three days. The Investiture Day is one of the important events that members of the British royal family need to participate in and has a centuries-old tradition.

After being awarded the title, Mr. Hanyu can also take his relatives to visit Buckingham Palace..."

The receptionist named Jordan kept talking and introduced Hideki Hanyu with great interest.

That posture felt more professional than that of a tour guide.

And whenever the British royal family, traditional aristocrats, or other British things are mentioned, the pride in the words is palpable, very much like the style of the old-school British people.

When Hanyu Hideki and his party left the terminal, they got on the Bentley that came to pick them up.

Hanyu Hideki took advantage of the brief pause in the introduction and asked quickly.

"Mr. Jordan, I would like to know what other schedules I have before the award."

"The itinerary is not complicated, Mr. Hanyu. It is already very late today. You can check into the hotel to rest first. Since your assistant refused the association's hotel reception, we have no arrangements in this regard."

"Thank you for the association's kindness. This is my request." Hanyu Hideki said.

Just like attending the event in America Boston, he didn't like the hotel provided by the organizer.

He asked his assistant to book the Dorchester Hotel, a long-established luxury hotel built in 1931. It is located in the Mayfair district of London, overlooking Hyde Park and close to Buckingham Palace.

Staying in this hotel will also make it convenient for him to attend the medal ceremony a few days later.

The Bentley who picked us up at the airport today was also provided by the hotel.

"The schedule is as follows. There will be a writer's exchange event tomorrow that Mr. Hanyu needs to attend. In the evening, the vice president will have dinner with Mr. Hanyu.

No. 7 is a fan meeting with Mr. Hanyu.

We will arrange for Mr. Hanyu to visit London on the 8th..."

Listening to what the other party said, in the past few days before the awarding of honors, there is no way to have any free time except today.

But well, let's make peace with it now.

His picture books are selling so well in the UK, but he has never held any activities. It is necessary to have a good exchange with him.

After arriving at the Dorchester Hotel, Jordan said goodbye and left, saying that he would be picked up to attend the event tomorrow morning.

Hideki Hanyu said goodbye politely.

Then, under the guidance of the hotel service staff, he entered the penthouse suite he reserved.

With an area of ​​more than 100 square meters, it is the best suite in the Dorchester Hotel.

However, in Hanyu Hideki's opinion, the decoration is more than luxurious, but because it is too old, it is not modern enough, giving people an old and not "extended" feeling.

But considering it’s only 1986, I really can’t ask for too much.

Just when the hotel service staff helped him put the clothes away and put on comfortable pajamas, and when he was about to take a rest, there was a sudden knock on the door.

After opening the door and seeing the two people standing outside, Hanyu Hideki looked a little surprised.

"Why are you guys?"

It's no wonder that Hanyu Hideki was surprised, because he was completely unaware of the appearance of these two people in front of him, and he really didn't expect it.

On the left is Fred Weber, the head of Yunshang Pictures.

On the right is Tetsuya Aragaki, technical director of Elf Entertainment and head of the Neon and America Hardware Research Institute.

The former he had just met in Los Angeles last month.

As for the latter, the last time we met was a long time ago.

It's not that Hideki Hanyu doesn't want to meet Tetsuya Aragaki, after all, he is the senior person he personally dug, trained and promoted.

From electronic pets, handheld consoles, consoles, and arcade motherboards, Tetsuya Aragaki participated in almost the entire process. The young man who worked in the post-production department of Yunying's animation has now become the mainstay of helping Elf Entertainment conquer the world.

However, Tetsuya Aragaki was usually very busy, either hiding in the research institute to take charge of the work, or running around with Neon and America.

It was really difficult for Hanyu Hideki, the hands-off shopkeeper, to meet him.

But after being surprised, Hanyu Hideki said to the two of them, "Let's talk after we come in first."

After asking the two of them to sit on the sofa in the living room, Hanyu Hideki asked, "Why are you two suddenly coming to England?"

Fred Weber glanced at Tetsuya Aragaki and replied first, "I want to contact the Tolkien Heritage Committee."

After hearing this, Hideki Hanyu did not immediately ask for contact information, but first asked Fred Weber about other matters.

"Have the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit been negotiated by Saul Zaenz?"

Fred Weber replied, "The person in charge of the other company is willing to negotiate, but the price is not low. We are still negotiating."

"How much do they want?" Hanyu Hideki asked.

"The total value of the two works is 15 million US dollars. When Saul Zaenz bought these two rights from United Artists, the price would never exceed 3 million. I think the full copyright of the two works is 800 Around 10,000 would be more appropriate, but now we’re only talking about 12 million.”

Fred Weber tells the price and his opinion.

"What about the scope of copyright?"

This is what Hideki Hanyu cares about.

He remembered the Embracer Group company that bought many well-known IPs such as "Tomb Raider", "Borderlands", "Deus Ex", "Kane's Legacy", "Thief" and so on. Enz Corporation has acquired the rights to "Lord of the Rings".

But that includes global rights to movies, games, board games, merchandise, theme parks and stage productions.

If Saul Zaenz was selling the full copyright at this time, then in Hanyu Hideki's opinion, twelve million dollars would be a great deal.

You must know that Amazon later spent nearly 300 million US dollars just to buy the TV series rights to "The Lord of the Rings".

Of course, at that time, due to the influence of the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" movies, the IP of Middle-earth was already priceless.

Fred Weber replied, "It's a full rights deal."

Hearing that it was full copyright, Hideki Hanyu immediately made a deal.

"Let's do this. I'll arrange for Elf Entertainment to contact your people. The two parties will jointly purchase it for 12 million US dollars. The transaction will be completed as soon as possible. After the completion, the relevant copyrights will be divided between Elf Entertainment."

"Okay, I will notify the person in charge of negotiations." Fred Weber replied.

At this time, Hanyu Hideki asked, "You have just come to the UK. How are you getting in touch with the Tolkien Heritage Committee?"

"The Heritage Committee was contacted, but the staff said that only the committee's executor, Mr. Christopher Tolkien, Tolkien's youngest son, can decide on the authorization of the Silmarillion."

Fred Weber answered.

"Then have you contacted Mr. Christopher Tolkien?" Hanyu Hideki asked.

Christopher Tolkien, of course he knew.

If John Ronald Riel Tolkien is the creator of Middle-earth, then his third son Christopher Tolkien is the one who perfected and carried forward this series.

For movie audiences, the familiar "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" are actually just a few trickles in the vast history of the Midway world.

The original book that truly writes all the stories of Middle-earth is actually "The Silmarillion".

However, when Tolkien died, "The Silmarillion" had not yet been finalized, leaving only more than 70 boxes of manuscripts as an "inheritance" to his younger son, Christopher Tolkien.

The book "The Silmarillion" we saw in later generations was finally completed by Christopher Tolkien who carefully compiled his father's manuscripts and carefully erased the discord between the story fragments.

In the following decades, Christopher Tolkien compiled his father's manuscripts and published a series of stories about Middle-earth.

It was not until the age of ninety-five, when he finished "The Fall of Gondolin" and brought the story of Middle-earth to a successful conclusion, that Christopher Tolkien passed away.

It seems that his existence is to take over from his father and perfect the fantasy world of Middle-earth.

Or, a child who grew up listening to his father telling stories spent his whole life just to fulfill his father's last wish.

At this time, Fred Weber answered.

"I haven't been contacted yet because Mr. Christopher Tolkien does not live in the UK. He settled in a small town called Draguignan in Provence, France a few years ago."

"France?"

Hideki Hanyu murmured to himself.

He still respects Christopher Tolkien.

Because at the beginning of Peter Jackson's production of the "Lord of the Rings" series, the media interviewed Christopher Tolkien and asked him whether he thought the movie could show the essence of the Lord of the Rings story.

Christopher Tolkien replied.

"General executors want to maximize the profits of their works, but we are just the opposite. We just want everyone to understand what is against the spirit of the original work."

Afterwards, the Lord of the Rings movie series became a huge success, and the stories of Middle-earth became very popular. However, Christopher Tolkien refused to authorize the story of "The Silmarillion" and gave up the wealth at his fingertips.

Tolkien's youngest son gave up his promising future at Oxford University and spent his whole life hiding in a remote town in France just to fulfill his father's last wish. It can be seen that what he is obsessed with is not material things.

Hideki Hanyu had read "Beren and Lúthien" in his previous life, which Christopher Tolkien compiled and published decades later.

In the story, Beren returned the Silmarillion that everyone desired to the Elven King and said this.

"Behold, Your Majesty, I give you this marvelous gem which you desire. It is but an insignificant thing which I found on the roadside. I think it is much more beautiful than the apple of your eye." Many, but now she belongs to me." The apple of Beren's eye was his wife Luthien.

For Christopher Tolkien, what he cherished was to continue his father's unfinished fantasy story.

Thinking of this, Hanyu Hideki said to Fred Weber.

"You are waiting for me in London for a few days. I have also received an invitation from the French Children's Bookstore Federation this time. When the British award is over, I will go to France with you to visit Mr. Christopher Tolkien."

"Okay boss." Fred Weber responded.

Then, Hideki Hanyu looked at Tetsuya Aragaki.

Aragaki Tetsuya responded upon seeing this.

"I came to the UK for R&D cooperation. I didn't know that President, you would come to the UK before. It was Satoru Iwata who told me today. I thought I hadn't seen the President for a long time, so I came here specially to visit. I didn't meet Frey until I arrived at the door. Met Mr. De.”

"That's really a coincidence, but since we got together, it's just a good time to have dinner and have a drink together. I heard that this hotel restaurant is good."

After Hanyu Hideki finished speaking, he invited the two of them to the restaurant.

But before going out, he had to change into another set of clothes.

Originally, the two of them didn't come, so he planned to order something to eat in the room and then take a quick rest to get rid of the jet lag.

The three of them entered the hotel restaurant together, ordered food and chatted.

After a while, Hideki Hanyu asked Tetsuya Aragaki, "Does Elf Entertainment have any R&D partners in the UK?"

In fact, he just asked casually.

With the deepening of research and development, apart from the general direction, he can no longer help much in research and development.

After all, he is a layman in terms of technology.

And he has never had the idea of ​​a layman leading an expert.

"It is a computer company located in Cambridge, but they also conduct research and development of processors. They just developed a 32-bit processor by themselves last year. Although the performance is not the best, it has a great cost advantage, so we proposed Technical consultation intention.”

Tetsuya Aragaki explains.

"Uh--"

Hanyu Hideki thought that his company had taken too big a step.

It wasn't even 1987 yet, and all this attention was paid to 32-bit processors.

However, when Tetsuya Aragaki said that the performance was not good, but it was cheap, Hideki Hanyu didn't care too much.

Everyone says that the performance of the host is better than that of the computer, but in fact, in terms of processor, the required performance of the host has always lagged behind that of the PC.

It is a dedicated aircraft with a single purpose. It doesn't matter if the performance is a little bit different, as long as it is adjusted well.

"So how's the cooperation deal with Aragaki-san going?" Hanyu Hideki asked.

"We are still talking about it, but I saw that they are developing ARM2 processors. The performance will be further improved, the power consumption will be reduced, and the most important thing is that the cost will be further reduced. But we don't care about power consumption, and we hope to reduce the cost. .”

Tetsuya Aragaki's words made Hideki Hanyu nod, "Cost is indeed more important than power consumption."

Although Elf Entertainment sells consoles, it has always made money at a loss.

Especially the early release of the 16-bit model almost compressed profits to the limit, almost to the point of being non-existent.

But for now, the 32-bit era is still too far away.

What stands in the way is the high cost of the processor. A chip is more expensive than a host. Who can afford it?

In comparison, no one cares about power consumption.

This is not the era of smartphones, processors for mobile phones...

and many more!

Hanyu Hideki suddenly came back to his senses.

Tetsuya Aragaki said, the name of that processor is ARM2?

Could it be ARM, the semiconductor design and software giant that will be acquired by Masayoshi Son in the future and belong to SoftBank?

Thinking of this, Hanyu Hideki asked directly, "What is the name of the company we are working with?"

Tetsuya Aragaki replied, "Acorn Computers."

Upon hearing this name, Hanyu Hideki thought that it was indeed it.

Acorn Computers, Acorn Computers.

It was founded by the predecessor CPU company in the late 1970s and developed its own processors in the mid-1980s. Its own Archimedes computer was known as the "British Apple" because of its simple and easy-to-use graphics operating system.

But unfortunately, just when their chips were just developed and the Archimedes computer was widely praised, the home computer market collapsed in the 1980s.

Aikon Computer spent a lot of money on research and development and lost all its money, so it had no choice but to sell itself to Olivetti Computer Company in Italy.

In the late 1980s, Apple's own Newton project was blocked, and then, on the recommendation of its own engineers, it settled on ARM processors.

At that time, Apple and Aikon Computer were competitors, and it was impossible for Apple to use the chips developed by Aikon Computer.

Therefore, they teamed up with VLSI Technology, the American foundry of Aikon Computer, and wanted to spin off the ARM processor development team from Olivetti Computer Company, the controlling shareholder of Aikon Computer.

It happened that Olivetti Computer Company was not optimistic about the future of ARM processors, so it followed Apple Computer's wishes.

In this way, ARM, which will dominate the mobile processor market in the future, was born.

In fact, there is a very coincidental thing.

That is Spirit Vision, which is now managed by Lao Huang, and its main foundry is also VLSI Technology.

Thinking of this, Hanyu Hideki felt that he might not be able to do what Apple could do back then.

Moreover, Apple has business conflicts with Aikon Computer, but Elf Entertainment’s game console does not.

The reason why foundry VLSI is willing to cooperate with Apple is because it wants to win over Apple, a major customer.

But in this day and age, to put it bluntly, game console manufacturers are the real big customers.

The semiconductor industry came back to life in the mid-to-late 1980s, relying on the brilliant gaming industry.

After going through the information about ARM in his mind, Hideki Hanyu quickly asked Tetsuya Aragaki.

"Aragaki-san expects how long the talks with Aikang Computer will last."

Aragaki Tetsuya also showed his confusion.

"I don't know about this. Aikon Computer's recent business is not going well. It seems that due to financial problems, it is negotiating with an Italian computer company, so it has reduced its investment in research and development of ARM processors.

If this situation continues and they cannot concentrate on cooperating with us, we will have to find someone else. After all, Aikon Computer is only one of the technical alternatives. "

Italian computer company?

Hideki Hanyu thought to himself, could it be that Aikon Computer had not been controlled by Olivetti at this time?

"Is the Italian computer company you're talking about called Olivetti?"

"I don't know about that. After all, it has nothing to do with my work." Tetsuya Aragaki replied.

"Okay, I understand." Hanyu Hideki didn't ask any more questions.

Next, because he was thinking about something, he hurriedly ended the dinner with the two of them.

Returning to the hotel, he immediately called Dante Kane, who was looking for angel investment.

Due to the time difference, it was noon in New York where Dante Kane was located.

He asked straight to the point, "Are you done with Supreme?"

On the other end of the phone, Dante Kane replied, "Boss, it can be done in a week at most."

Hanyu Hideki said, "Leave the matter to others first. You and your people come to London immediately. I have urgent matters that need you to deal with."

Hearing Hanyu Hideki say it was an urgent matter, Dante Kane agreed without saying a word, "Boss, I'll leave as soon as I hand over the work."

"The sooner the better." Hanyu Hideki warned and hung up the phone.

After contacting Dante Kane, Hideki Hanyu thought about his meeting with Christopher Tolkien after going to France.

Hideki Hanyu was not very sure about buying the copyright to "The Silmarillion" from Tolkien's youngest son.

Therefore, you must consider how to contact the other party in order to impress the other party.

Of course, buying copyright is just a purpose.

As a fan of Middle-earth books, Hanyu Hideki certainly wanted to chat with the other party in person and see Tolkien's manuscripts and the map of Middle-earth drawn by the other party.

And after participating in the activities in France, it is also a good choice to visit the French scenery of this era.

Draguignan, where Christopher Tolkien settled, is a city in southeastern France, part of the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

Not only does the local area have distinctive wines and a variety of French cuisine, but it is also rich in historical and cultural heritage.

He traveled through life and found that making money was not his pursuit in life, but his pursuit in life was to enjoy life with the money he earned.

It's a pity that I didn't bring a beauty with me to Europe this time, so traveling alone seemed a bit boring.

But, if he could meet a beautiful woman when he went to France this time, he would have someone to accompany him on the journey.

It is said that France is the most romantic country in the world, but Hanyu Hideki sneered at this.

But if he could really meet a beauty, he could temporarily believe this statement.

　Thanks to Wandering Books, Du Mijin, Master Tongzhai, and Oakes 20210815 for the reward.

　　Thanks to CHau534 for the 600 starting coin reward.

(End of this chapter)