Traveling through the Tokyo bubble era

Chapter 622 New Toy

After leaving the Yunshang Pictures conference room, Hideki Hanyu was originally thinking about reminding the front desk again to ask Howard Schultz to come to the CEO's office to find him.

Before he had taken two steps, he saw Howard Schultz walking towards him under the guidance of the front desk.

"Okay, just leave it to me. Pour two cups of tea and send them to the CEO's office."

Hanyu Hideki gave an order to the front desk, then turned to Howard Schultz and said, "Long time no see, Howard."

Howard Schultz smiled helplessly and said, "Mr. Hanyu, we haven't seen each other for a long time. It should be since the investment that we haven't met again."

Hideki Hanyu, who was walking towards the office with Howard Schultz, wanted to say after hearing what the other party said, with such a small investment in Starbucks, is it necessary for him to care about it every day?

However, as a mature investor, it is obviously impossible for him to say such words in front of Starbucks managers.

So he stopped and looked at Howard Schultz with a trusting look, "Because I believe in Mr. Howard's ability."

As a veteran, Howard Schultz naturally understood that such compliments from Hideki Hanyu were most likely just polite remarks.

But the problem is that when such words come from the mouth of a person like Hideki Hanyu, even the experienced Howard Schultz can't help but feel complacent and proud.

Even the sense of accomplishment that comes from being recognized is something that he cannot suppress no matter how mature his thinking is.

While the two were talking, they had already entered Alan Horn's office.

After entering, Howard Schultz observed the somewhat old-fashioned office and asked Hideki Hanyu curiously.

"Is this Mr. Hanyu's office?"

"Please take a seat." Hanyu Hideki invited Howard Schultz to sit down first, then sat opposite him and replied, "No, I don't have an office for myself in Cloud Pictures. This is the office of Mr. Alan Horn, the CEO of Cloud Pictures.

I wanted to meet you somewhere else, but that place was being used."

Howard Schultz said, “No wonder I felt the style here didn’t quite fit Mr. Hanyu.”

"Really? Alan Horn was born in the forties, so it's normal for him to be a little old-fashioned."

When Hanyu Hideki finished speaking, the receptionist he had instructed came in with two cups of tea and placed them in front of the two of them.

After putting down the tea, the receptionist did not forget to close the door for them when leaving.

Howard Schultz waited until the receptionist disappeared before looking at the steaming tea in front of him and said, "I thought Mr. Hanyu would prepare coffee for me."

"I don't have any precious coffee stored in Yunshang Films, and I don't think you would be interested in the instant coffee given to employees."

Finally, Hanyu Hideki spread his hands and said, "Of course, I actually prefer to drink tea."

"Mr. Hanyu, who likes drinking tea, invested in my coffee shop," Howard Schultz joked.

Hanyu Hideki smiled and said, "I am an investor. The starting point for choosing an investment is never my likes or dislikes, but multiple considerations, such as the industry prospects and the level of the founder..."

Upon hearing this, Howard Schultz asked with great interest, "Mr. Hanyu, what do you think about the future prospects of Starbucks coffee?"

"I believe Howard, you should know more about this issue than I do. Otherwise, why would you continue to expand Starbucks? And we wouldn't be meeting now."

This is what Hideki Hanyu answered.

Nowadays, he gradually dislikes making predictions about the future in front of outsiders.

"Yes, I am very confident about the future of Starbucks. In my opinion, after 1990, the number of Starbucks stores in North America will exceed ."

Howard Schultz's words are full of vision for the future.

But after hearing this, Hanyu Hideki just muttered to himself without taking it seriously.

“Only one hundred?”

After all, he had a guy named Hiroyoshi Ichihara under him. Under his management, a video rental store called Blockbuster opened two thousand branches in America in a short period of time.

Even outside of America, the number reaches more than 400.

But he also understood that a store like Starbucks was different from a video rental store and that they couldn't really be compared.

Thinking of this, Hanyu Hideki asked directly, "So, what do you need?"

"If Starbucks wants to develop according to my plan, funding is essential. After all, whether it is employee training, the establishment of a supply chain, or the construction of warehouses in major cities, it all requires a large amount of money."

After Howard Schultz finished speaking, Hanyu Hideki continued to ask, "Dant Kane reported to me, are you interested in bringing in new investors?"

Howard Schultz replied, "Yes, I think the offer they made is good."

Hanyu Hideki asked, "What are the conditions?"

Howard Schultz said excitedly, "Four million dollars for 25% of Starbucks."

When Daily Coffee bought Starbucks, it only spent more than one million US dollars. Now, not long after, an investor has offered a valuation of 16 million for Starbucks.

It has increased tenfold, no wonder Howard Schultz is so excited.

But this number sounded so ridiculous to Hideki Hanyu.

Four million dollars for a quarter of Starbucks?
If he really did this, he would probably become a laughing stock like the son of China's richest man Li who sold Tencent in a few decades.

Moreover, does Hideki Hanyu lack those four million people?

But he didn't say such words.

Because he could understand Howard Schultz's idea of ​​bringing in new investors.

When he invested in Daily Coffee, he held 70% of the shares of Daily Coffee.

Later, when I bought the Starbucks brand, the controlling stake became even more complicated.

Although Daily Coffee directly controls 65 percent of Starbucks, the remaining shares of Starbucks are held by his Hope Angel Investment.

To put it in perspective, his stake in Starbucks is larger than that in Daily Coffee.

In this case, although he usually seems to be a hands-off boss, it is understandable that Howard Schultz wants to bring in new investors to dilute his power.

But the problem is that Hideki Hanyu is a major shareholder.

How could Hideki Hanyu agree to this kind of practice of restricting himself?

The reason why Howard Schultz dared to propose this investor was definitely because he felt that the investment conditions offered by the other party were indeed very generous.

After all, a tenfold return on investment in a year is a very considerable return in the investment world.

But what Howard Schultz didn't know was that Hideki Hanyu knew better than anyone what the future value of Starbucks would be.

Moreover, if Hanyu Hideki had no shortage of money, he would never agree to such an investment unless his brain was burned out.

However, in this situation, for the sake of future cooperation, Hanyu Hideki must think of a reason and consider investment solutions even if he refuses.

Especially when Starbucks really needs funds to develop.

He picked up the teacup and took a sip to demonstrate the time required for thinking.

After putting down the tea, Hanyu Hideki slowly spoke.

“I don’t agree with this investment.”

After he finished speaking, Howard Schultz seemed to want to say something anxiously, but Hideki Hanyu raised his hand to interrupt him.

“Just listen to me first.

The reason why I disagree is not because I don’t want Starbucks to develop, but I am simply not satisfied with the price.

Maybe in your opinion, this valuation is already very high, but to me, several million dollars is nothing.

The Yunshang Films where we are now investing more than 16 million US dollars in any major production.

I value the future of Starbucks, not cashing out in the short term."

After hearing what Hanyu Hideki said, Howard Schultz knew that he should not beat around the bush with Hanyu Hideki.

So I just said it directly, "Starbucks needs funds to expand, but if Mr. Hanyu continues to invest in Starbucks, I can no longer make concessions on shares."

Hanyu Hideki did not blame Howard Schultz for his attitude, because everyone would think about themselves. He just said slowly, "I can understand this. How about I propose a solution? Please consider it."

"Go ahead," said Howard Schultz.

Hanyu Hideki said, "I will provide the development funds that Starbucks needs, and I can give you $5 million, but you must sign a bet agreement with me."

Howard Schultz asked curiously, "How do we bet?"

“Five million dollars, I only want 20% of Daily Coffee’s shares, but you just need to give me 10% first after the funds arrive.

As for the remaining 10% of the shares, if you can complete the bet, then I can give it up. If you can't complete it, then you need to give me another 15% of the shares."

"What is the content of the bet?"

When Howard Schultz heard what Hideki Hanyu said, what he was most curious about was of course the content of the bet.

After all, he only owns 30% of Daily Coffee's shares now.

If the bet is won, it will mean controlling Starbucks Daily Coffee, and the market value will jump to 50 million US dollars.

But if he lost the bet, then Hanyu Hideki would take away his 25% shares for 5 million US dollars, which he absolutely could not accept.

Therefore, he must be sure of winning this gambling agreement before signing it.

“Of course, the content of the bet is about the development of Starbucks. The purpose of my proposal is to encourage the development of Starbucks, not to buy shares from you, so the standard is not too excessive, please rest assured.

As for the conditions for completing the bet, I plan to require Starbucks to set a completion standard in terms of store size, total sales, average sales per store, etc. within a two-year period. As for the specific standards, I will let Dante Kane complete them as soon as possible.

If you agree then, we will sign the contract.

If there are any parts that you disagree with, you can also express your opinions.

Again, everything is for the development of Starbucks."

Hideki Hanyu is not just saying nice things here.

He is already very satisfied with his share of Starbucks, so what he desires most now is not the shares, but for Starbucks to develop like it did in his previous life.

The development of Starbucks still depends on Howard Schultz, so he does not want to drive the other party out of Starbucks, and he does not care about the investment of millions of dollars.

That's why he came up with such a bet agreement, which would stimulate Howard Schultz's abilities without overly forcing the other party.

Therefore, in the end, he was destined not to let Dante Kane make the bet too excessive.

After listening to Hideki Hanyu's words, Howard Schultz fell silent and began to think on his own.

Hanyu Hideki did not urge him, but just waited quietly for the other party to think.

After a long time, Howard Schultz looked at Hanyu Hideki again and said, "Mr. Hanyu, I can sign a bet agreement with you, but please let Dante Kane do it as soon as possible. After all, Starbucks urgently needs funds for its development."

"Please rest assured that I am a major shareholder of Starbucks. I want to see Starbucks succeed more than you do."

When Hideki Hanyu said this, he suddenly took out a business card and handed it to Howard Schultz.

"This is the contact information of Hirokichi Ichihara, the general manager of Blockbuster video rental store. In recent years, Blockbuster has opened more than 2,000 branches in North America alone.

Although Blockbuster and Starbucks are not in the same industry, I think there are still things you can learn from Blockbuster in terms of logistics, supply chain, and warehousing system construction.

He's currently at Blockbuster's Los Angeles office, so you can talk to him while Dante Kane is working on the deal."

As soon as Hideki Hanyu said this, Howard Schultz immediately showed an interested look.

After all, Blockbuster's development in America in the past two years is considered a big miracle in the business world.

Howard Schultz was naturally very willing to learn from the development experience of such companies.

He naturally knew that if Hideki Hanyu hadn't introduced it, this key experience for the development of the industry would definitely not be known to him.

Therefore, after he took the business card from Hanyu Hideki, he said sincerely, "Thank you Mr. Hanyu for your help."

Hanyu Hideki said, "You're welcome. The best way to show your appreciation to me is to develop Starbucks well. I am very much looking forward to the day when Starbucks rings the bell at the New York Stock Exchange."

Howard Schultz said, "I am also looking forward to that day."

"Okay, it's getting late. You can contact Ichihara Hirokichi now. I also need to contact Dent Kane immediately."

When Hanyu Hideki said this, it was like he was sending the guest off.

Howard Schultz said goodbye and left.

Hideki Hanyu also contacted Dante Kane shortly afterwards.

At this time, the manager of "Hope Angel Investment" is still in the south of Donghai South.

It was said that a professor from MIT went out to start a business related to mobile communication technology, which attracted many investors to negotiate.

When Dante Kane heard the news, he also decided to try his luck.

However, from the tone of the voice on the phone, it was clear that the result of this negotiation was very bad. There were too many venture capital firms and the competition was too fierce.

Hope Angel Investment, which was established not long ago and has no outstanding achievements, is actually difficult to attract the attention of potential entrepreneurs.

However, Hideki Hanyu is not in a hurry about this.

Anyway, after two years, Cisco will go public, and with the help of Divine Vision, it will increase its presence again. I hope the reputation of angel investment will be about the same.

As for the current stage, he really doesn't have any good investment targets.

So just let Dante Kane do his thing.

Anyway, venture capital companies succeed through trial and error.

Although Masayoshi Son is so famous, most of the companies he invested in throughout his life actually failed.

But the few successful investments directly created the other party.

After telling Dante Kane about the idea of ​​betting against Starbucks, Hideki Hanyu asked the other party to prepare the betting agreement as soon as possible, and then contact Howard Schultz after confirming it with him.

As for investments on the East Coast of America, their priority is definitely not as high as Starbucks.

After Hideki Hanyu ended his phone call with Dante Kane, he began to consider whether he should go back to Japan before going to Europe after finishing his business in Los Angeles.

Today is May 19th, Thursday, and it is already Friday the 20th in Neon time.

On May 23rd, which is next Monday, Storm Advertising will officially ring the bell on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

As the leader of an important faction in the Storm Advertising Board, it would be inappropriate for him not to show up at such an important occasion. While he was hesitating secretly, someone suddenly knocked on the office door.

"Please come in," said Hanyu Hideki.

The door opened and in walked Christiana Yeri, wearing a women's suit and a one-piece skirt.

Hanyu Hideki, who had already guessed it was the other party, asked, "Has your audit meeting ended?"

"It has been open for almost a week. Today is the last day. It was almost over when you came, Mr. Hanyu," Christiana Yeri replied.

“How’s that Luc Besson movie going?”

"The Big Blue was selected as the opening film of this year's Cannes Film Festival. It was screened in Cannes two days ago and received good reviews from the program."

Christiana Yeri replied.

"Well, hopefully this movie won't make me lose money."

Hideki Hanyu casually said that he wanted to visit Cannes the last time he went to Europe, but unfortunately he was unable to go due to business.

The Cannes Film Festival usually lasts about two weeks.

If I could catch this event, I would go to Cannes to have a look.

After deciding this, Hideki Hanyu asked Christiana Yeri again.

"Benedetta is my important partner. Since she entrusted you to me, I naturally have to take responsibility. So, are you satisfied with your current job?"

Hanyu Hideki looked at the girl in front of him as he spoke. Even though he was an old hand in the world of flowers, he had to admit that the girl in front of him was truly extraordinary in her beauty.

If the beauty of a beauty is limited to a score of ten and he, a playboy, is asked to judge, then the beautiful receptionist who made him look at her a few more times when he entered Yunshang Pictures just now would be around six points.

And Christiana Yeri in front of us will start with a minimum of nine points.

With such a beauty in front of him, he could control the possessiveness in his heart.

However, his recent dissatisfaction caused him to still have some strong thoughts about this girl.

So, when Christiana Yeri replied to him, "I am very satisfied with my current job."

He extended the invitation without hesitation, "It's almost lunch time. If Miss Yeri doesn't mind, can we have lunch together?"

After hearing Hideki Hanyu's invitation, Christiana Yeri not only did not feel any resistance, but even felt a strange sense of relief and joy.

It seemed that Hideki Hanyu's invitation represented an appreciation for her.

Even though she understood that Hanyu Hideki admired her because of her beautiful looks, she had experienced too much admiration for this reason since she was a child.

But she just looked forward to this feeling of appreciation.

It seems that only with this feeling can she feel at ease with everything she has now.

So when she heard Hideki Hanyu's invitation, Christiana Yeri agreed without hesitation.

"Okay."

"Then let's set off now."

(Christiana Yeri)

The dark red Ferrari F40 roared out of Century City and headed straight for a high-end French restaurant in the Beverly Hills community.

In the car, Hanyu Hideki said to the beautiful woman in the passenger seat, "I just booked a French restaurant. French restaurants in America are more relaxed, not as formal as in France. I hope you can get used to it."

Christiana Yeri grabbed the handle on her right side and said nervously, "Actually...actually I don't often eat French food in France. My family prefers South American food."

"Really? Looks like I booked the wrong restaurant since you're here. Let's go have seafood risotto and barbecue together next time."

Hanyu Hideki finished speaking, pretending to realize something, "I almost forgot that Benedetta said that you and your family immigrated to France from Brazil."

"Actually, my father lived in Italy when he was a child, and of course the taste there is similar to that in South America," said Cristiana Yeri.

At this time, Hideki Hanyu probably noticed that Christiana Yeri seemed a little nervous, so he eased off the accelerator and slowed down the supercar.

He asked, "Did we drive too fast just now?"

Christiana Yeri nodded. "It's my first time riding in this kind of car. It feels like I'm sitting on the ground. It's very visually impactful."

"Just sit on it a few more times and you'll get used to it," Hanyu Hideki said casually.

Fortunately, Yunshang Pictures was not far from the restaurant where he had ordered the meal. While the two were talking, the Ferrari had already arrived at the restaurant door.

After Hideki Hanyu parked the car on the side of the road, he opened the door for the beautiful woman like a gentleman.

Next, the two of them naturally enjoyed a French meal with the warm service of a high-end restaurant. The meal seemed exquisite and sumptuous, but it did not fill Hideki Hanyu at all.

If it weren't for bringing his girlfriend, Hideki Hanyu would rarely be willing to eat in places like this.

Of course, his sacrifice of not having enough to eat was worth it.

This slow style of serving food is very suitable for him to chat with the beauty.

Relying on his memories of his past life, he was very knowledgeable and chatted with the beauty about all sorts of things.

Sometimes strange anecdotes can make beauties cover their mouths in surprise, and sometimes interesting stories can make beauties smile like flowers.

In short, under Playboy's strong ability to control the situation, Christiana Yeri's familiarity with him can definitely be said to have developed rapidly.

During the three-hour lunch, Hanyu Hideki never let a dull moment pass between the two of them.

After the last dessert, Christiana Yeri suddenly spoke to Hideki Hanyu seriously.

"It was a great pleasure to spend time with you today, thank you very much."

Hanyu Hideki said, "You're too polite, it's just a lunch."

Christiana Yeri said, "I am not only grateful for today's lunch, but also for the help my husband has given me in my work. My experience in the French crew of "The Big Blue" has taught me a lot."

"It seems that Miss Yeri has indeed grown up."

Hanyu Hideki finished speaking, looked at his watch, and invited again, "Would you mind talking to me? There's a place I think would be a good fit."

"Won't it disturb you, sir?" Christiana Yeri said with a little reservation.

"Of course not, I'm done with my work for the day."

At this time, Hideki Hanyu would certainly not say that he was pregnant.

Christiana Yeri asked curiously, "Where are we going then?"

"Ms. Yeri will know soon." Hanyu Hideki replied.

As a result, half an hour later, the Ferrari F40 stopped at a mansion on Malibu Beach.

"Ms. Yeri, how about we go to the beach and talk while walking? And you don't have to worry about being disturbed, this area is my private land."

Although American law stipulates that beaches beyond the high tide line cannot be privately owned, the "dry sand area" above the high tide line can be privately owned, but the public cannot be prevented from entering.

But this is not a problem at all for rich people.

Some people who live near the coastline simply spend huge amounts of money to pile up sand to make a "beach" that does not belong to the coastline.

Some people even forcibly occupy the land and would rather pay fines to the management committee than let the public in.

Hideki Hanyu is probably both.

There are even other ways.

In short, whether it is expansion, fines, or even direct donations, it is not difficult for him to get the management committee to turn a blind eye.

In America, money can do a lot.

And his words somewhat surprised Christiana Yeri.

After all, she had already experienced a little bit of success before.

But this was the first time she had seen the life of the super-rich, who drove supercars and strolled on private beaches that stretched as far as the eye could see.

At this time, Hanyu Hideki said, "Our clothes are not suitable for this kind of place. Let's change our clothes and go for a walk. I hope there are clothes that are suitable for Miss Yeri."

Christiana Yeri asked in confusion, "Why did you prepare women's clothing, sir?"

Faced with this question, the scumbag replied calmly, "Of course I have to prepare. I used to entertain friends here or hold some parties. There were naturally both male and female guests. It was normal to have accidents that required changing clothes."

While Hanyu Hideki was speaking, he had already brought Christiana Yeri into the mansion.

Not long after, he was the first to come out.

The formal attire he was originally wearing has been changed into casual pants and a polo shirt.

After waiting for a while, Christiana Yeri came out slowly.

The girl's appearance made Hanyu Hideki stare at her.

Her long golden brown hair fell on her shoulders and she was wearing a loose and flowing emerald green dress. The shoulder strap design made her look a little sexy, revealing some of her fair chest.

The girl just stood there, with the afternoon breeze from the coast blowing, her hair swirling and her skirt fluttering, coupled with her exquisite and beautiful face, she was like an elf from a fantasy story walking into reality.

"Sir, we can go now."

Looking at Hideki Hanyu who was staring at her, Christiana Yeri whispered a reminder.

But Hanyu Hideki couldn't help but say, "Ms. Yeri, you are so beautiful now."

Hearing this, the girl replied playfully with her hands behind her back, "I am very happy to receive the compliment from you, sir."

"Ha ha……"

Hanyu Hideki smiled, adjusted his behavior after not losing control of himself because of a woman for a long time, and said, "Let's go then."

In this way, young men and women began to walk along the beach along the coast.

The woman is tall, with graceful curves and beautiful face.

The man also had a straight body, sharp features and was extraordinarily handsome.

The sea breeze blew, and the light of the setting sun sprinkled on the two people, rendering a circle of golden outlines.

If an outsider saw this scene, they would probably mistake it for an elf.

However, even if there were no outsiders, Marco, who was protecting Hanyu Hideki from afar, couldn't help but take out the camera he carried with him and captured this rare scene.

As the two walked, Christiana Yeri slowly told Hideki Hanyu what she had seen and heard on the crew.

Also, during this period of time, she has a new understanding of the entertainment industry.

She also realized how naive and ridiculous her unrealistic and beautiful fantasies about actors were.

Of course, although Christiana Yeri did not say it explicitly, Hideki Hanyu could vaguely hear that the girl was enjoying everything that her current job brought her.

The improvement in status, the sense of superiority in identity, and the unprecedented recognition from her family made the girl unable to stop.

Hideki Hanyu finally saw it.

Christiana Yeri didn't really understand anything, she just jumped from a small circle of fame and fortune to a higher circle of fame and fortune.

Of course there's nothing wrong with that.

In fact, even he, to put it bluntly, is only standing in a higher circle of fame and fortune.

For humans, perhaps this is growth.

Just as the two of them walked back into the mansion, standing in front of the window sill of the small living room on the second floor, looking at the beautiful sunset over the sea in the distance, Hanyu Hideki said with emotion.

"If Ms. Benedetta could hear what you just said, she would be very pleased."

After he finished speaking, he asked Christiana Yeri, "The work at Blue Sea and Blue Sky is about to end. Do you have any ideas for the next work?"

"I still want to continue doing similar work, is that okay?"

As Christiana Yeri spoke, her beautiful eyes stared at Hanyu Hideki, with a hint of desire in them.

"Of course, if you like." Hanyu Hideki agreed readily.

But then he continued, "If you are just acting as a representative of the capital on the set, you are still at the beginner stage in this industry.

You should continue to learn and then move towards higher goals, such as producer, project initiator, or even a higher position.

Besides, the French film market is too small. Now that you are in Los Angeles, you should understand that Hollywood is the center of world cinema. If you want to be the best, you should come here to develop. "

When Christiana Yeri heard what Hanyu Hideki said, her eyes lit up and she couldn't help asking, "Can I do everything you said?"

"With my help, why not?" Hanyu Hideki's confidence was evident in his words.

Of course, the look in the scumbag's eyes when he looked at the beauty at this time was also full of aggression.

Faced with such a look, Christiana Yeri had already realized something, but she did not dodge, but tried to meet it with her eyes.

Such a reaction is equivalent to giving the scumbag a signal to attack.

The next moment, Hideki Hanyu stretched out his powerful arms and directly embraced Christiana Yeri in his arms. He kissed the girl hard as she tried to dodge.

Christiana Yeri's emerald green dress from Saint Laurent looks ethereal and easy to lift up.

Looking at all the beauty in front of him, how could a scumbag who is in a state of lust control himself?

"Hold on to the balcony!"

Hideki Hanyu ordered Christiana Yeri.

Then~~~~~
……

It was just getting dark, and the Malibu beach mansion was illuminated by the moonlight. The wind had calmed down and the waves were still.

In the bedroom, Hideki Hanyu sat up and spoke to Christiana Yeri, who was still struggling to catch her breath.

"I plan to go back to Neon tomorrow. You can come with me. It's a good opportunity to meet Ms. Benedetta."

The scumbag has just gotten a beautiful new toy and it’s very new, so naturally he wants to play with it more.

(End of this chapter)