Rebirth Tokyo 1986

Chapter 350 What kind of guide are you talking about?
As evening approached, a crisp knock came from outside the office door.

"It's probably Kikuno-san."

When Takeshita Masato checked the time, he secretly wondered what was going on while calling out to the outside, "Come in."

Sure enough, when the door opened, Kikuno Shinji's thin body was revealed.

Before his colleague, Xinghai Investment's vice president in charge of US stocks, could speak, the young man stood up and took his hands.

"You're awake! You and everyone else have worked so hard these past few days."

Working day and night, and being unable to leave the office building, is definitely one of the most unbearable types of jobs.

Without ample welfare and financial support, not many people could persevere.

The scenes depicted in the movie The Wolf of Wall Street are very similar to those of private equity hedge funds, where the entire company is somewhat crazy from top to bottom.

Of course, Xinghai's funds are not as stressful and exciting as Wall Street private equity hedge funds, so the employees are much healthier mentally.

"Work is not a matter of whether it's hard or not."

Shinji Kikuno smiled and shook his head, completely unconcerned about working the night shift. He'd gotten somewhat used to it after all this time.

"Ah."

The young man nodded, then released his finger and pointed to the spot next to him.

"Sit down, we were just talking about the stock market."

"Thank you. Are we talking about US stocks?"

"Yes, we talked about US stocks, Hong Kong stocks, and European stocks."

"That's it."

Shinji Kikuno didn't ask any further questions, simply replying that he understood.

The young man didn't seem to care and casually asked, "How much profit do we expect from the fund we're working with Goldman Sachs on?"

"Sorry, we haven't done any statistics on this yet."

"There's nothing to apologize for. I was just asking casually."

Takeshita Masato waved his hand and then decisively changed the subject.

Which industries in the United States do you think are in a period of explosive growth?

"Telecommunications business, the number of computers in the United States is constantly increasing, and telecommunications companies are ushering in an unprecedented golden age."

"Secondly, there should be the World Wide Web industry. With the advent of the World Wide Web, the number of websites worldwide has increased dramatically."

"In 1992 there were only 10 websites in the world, last year that number had increased to more than 300, and so far this year, more than a thousand websites have been created."

"The World Wide Web is expanding at an unprecedented speed, and I believe that sooner or later, websites that will be able to change the world will be created on it."

Masato Takeshita's long-term influence, along with his years of experience in the US stock market, has made Shinji Kikuno one of the few financial professionals in the world who understands the internet sector.

He is very optimistic about the future of the internet and hopes that the company can increase its investment.

Hearing what Shinji Kikuno said, the young man couldn't help but think to himself.

"Last year there were more than 300 websites. It seems that Xinghai Group has made the most significant impact on the internet industry."

Masato Takeshita vaguely remembers that in his previous life in 1993, there were only 150 websites in the entire world.

The reason there are more than 150 extra websites in this life is probably due to the desktop operating system and Xinghai Internet Cafe.

Both increased the number of internet users and promoted the development of the internet industry.

Thinking of this, Takeshita Masato, intrigued, asked curiously, "Oh, you're very optimistic about the development of the World Wide Web?"

He wanted to know if his vice president had the understanding in this area and whether he was capable of taking on such a great responsibility.

"Yes, I recently discovered a really great website called Jerry and David's World Wide Web Guide. I think the company should invest in this website."

The young man felt like he'd heard the name Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web before, and couldn't help but ask more questions out of curiosity.

"Oh, what kind of website is this?"

"The website is somewhat similar to a library's catalog, with links to various websites. With just a click, we can quickly jump to the relevant website."

"In addition, the website categorizes the linked URLs according to certain rules, with tags such as news, sports, and literature."

"It can help users quickly find the websites they want to watch or are interested in watching, which is definitely a fantastic product."

As Shinji Kikuno spoke, he became more and more excited, his eyes even shining brightly.

His expression resembled that of an old Liverpool player who was interviewed in my past life, that white-haired, aged goalkeeper.

"Website directory".

Takeshita Masato was startled and subconsciously blurted out what was on his mind.

"Yes, the president really knows how to describe it, it's basically a directory of websites."

Shinji Kikuno couldn't help but nod, admiring his president even more.

"A website directory sounds like a fantastic project."

Masato Takeshita is now itching to fly to the United States to invest, because he has finally figured out what this tongue-twisting name means.

It was Yahoo's original name, the beginning of the internet.

Countless novice internet users found enjoyment in surfing the internet through Yahoo, and subsequently came to appreciate the entire internet.

But he quickly regained his usual composure. Because Yahoo, this hidden gem, had not yet attracted the attention of venture capital firms.

Of course, true talent will eventually shine through. If Xinghai Group continues to delay, new venture capital firms will inevitably become the first to take the plunge.

However, Xinghai Group cannot appear hasty; everything must be carried out discreetly. If it attracts the attention of American venture capital firms, it will have to sacrifice some of its profits.

"So, is the chairman planning to invest?"

Shinji Kikuno looked at the young man expectantly, like a kindergarten child wanting to receive a red flower as a reward.

He was obsessed with Yahoo and longed to bring it to a wider audience.

"No problem, such an interesting website should definitely be shared with more people."

"Thank you, President."

Shinji Kikuno was very happy and hoped that Yahoo could grow and that his own company could make more money through Yahoo.

"No, I should be thanking you for recommending such a great website to the company."

Masato Takeshita is preparing to have the venture capital firm established by Starsea Capital in the United States take action, but he is worried about leaks from there.

"Never mind, let's wait a bit longer."

He glanced at Shinji Kikuno, and a new idea formed in his mind.

After the private equity hedge fund was liquidated, he was directly transferred to the United States to serve as the head of North America for Starsea Capital.

This not only resolved the potential leaks but also allowed him to work and live a better life.

Since the conversation turned to the internet, Masato Takeshita naturally asked about browsers.

Are there any good browsers currently available on the market?

Shinji Kikuno shook his head. "None of them are very good. They have a lot of problems."

Then he looked up expectantly and asked, "President, how about our company develop one?"

"No. The trade friction between Japan and the United States continues, and we also retaliated against the Americans in the field of operating systems."

"We need to keep a low profile now to avoid angering the United States."

In 1994, Japan and the United States resumed trade negotiations. The Clinton administration pressed further, leading to the breakdown of the talks.

If Xinghai Group dares to make any big moves in the internet industry right now, it will definitely be targeted by both the political and economic circles in the United States.

Xinghai Group needs to keep a low profile and needs time to dilute the vicious gaze of the Americans.

Furthermore, the browser could be a ticking time bomb that could damage Microsoft.

He had to plant a landmine for Microsoft to prevent it from dominating the US internet ecosystem.

The reason why Microsoft had such a bad reputation in the United States in its previous life was because it was no different from a penguin in the PC Internet era.

They see something good in other companies and copy it pixel-perfectly. It's no wonder a company like that can't gain people's favor.

At any time, people prefer innovation and despise those who plagiarize others just because their company is big.

"Yes, I understand."

When Shinji Kikuno saw the helpless expression on his boss's face, a feeling of frustration welled up inside him.

He was also aware of the company's current situation and knew that no major moves should be made.

At the same time, Takamasa Kamoto and Masao Nagasawa also felt extremely humiliated.

But there's nothing you can do; you can't fight city hall.

The four people looked at each other, and then sighed in unison.

A silence hung over the office for several minutes until it was broken by a ringing bell.

It turns out, the cafeteria has opened for lunch.

Seeing that everyone was a bit down, Takeshita Masato clapped his hands loudly and said...

"Gentlemen, all unpleasant things will be changed by time. Let's work together to speed up this process."

The old hegemon will always be challenged, and that will be Japan's chance to break free of its shackles.

"Yes!"

The three men were startled, their hearts filled with a sense of mission.

All our current efforts will contribute to the country's development.

Now that we're at Xinghai Capital, we can't leave tonight.

He followed the old rules and stayed there with the employees for a week, enduring hardship together.

As a company founder, it's essential to stay informed about the living conditions of those at the grassroots level. Losing this awareness will cause the company to stagnate.

The job of a trader is tedious, but Masato Takeshita still enjoys it immensely.

Of course, others are operating with tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of shares.

He wasn't particularly skilled; he only traded a few hundred or a few thousand shares to enhance his understanding of stock trading.

You can only gain more from experiencing things firsthand, and you will also earn the heartfelt love and respect of your employees.

I don't know about other young people in other companies, but he himself has benefited a lot from this affection and reduced the number of parasites in the company.

Time always flies when you're busy, and before you know it, it's time for the US stock market to close.

He stretched and then casually walked into the cafeteria.

"Give me a medium portion of grapes, a banana, and a tomato first."

Masato Takeshita loves eating raw, sweet and sour tomatoes, and he promotes this practice within his company.

Of course, Xinghai Group's tomatoes are all rural varieties, with thin skin, plenty of juice, and a fantastic taste.

Unlike the tomatoes you buy in the city, which look very tempting red, but taste hard and only have a slight tomato flavor.

"Alright, Chairman, your supper is ready."

"Well, thank you!"

"President, you're too kind."

Masato Takeshita's soul belongs to the country across the sea, therefore he does not have the same strong feudal hierarchical mentality as the Japanese.

He really likes to say thank you, even to an ordinary employee in the company.

Under his influence, the leadership of Xinghai Group also likes to say thank you to ordinary employees.

It can be said that in terms of equality, it has far surpassed Japanese companies, and even Sony, which claims to be international, cannot compare.

Of course, it was still far behind later internet companies, and could only change little by little.

Because he hadn't slept during the day, Masato Takeshita kept dozing off in the latter half of the night.

But he wanted to have the same rest time as everyone else, so he took the initiative to find Masao Nagasawa and go to the game room to play games together to refresh himself.

"What should we play? Street Fighter, shall we?"

"No, we can't keep playing the same game. Let's switch to another one."

Masato Takeshita isn't really interested in Street Fighter today; he'd prefer to play something simpler.

"Then the Three Kingdoms period?"

"Hmm, let's play Snow Bros. for a while."

The levels in Snow Bros. are much simpler than those in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, so it's not too tiring to play.

The only downside is that it's too easy to die when you're not concentrating.

But this is a minor issue, because the two were playing the arcade version, which allows for unlimited lives.

In a sense, this is one of the major advantages of arcade games.

If you have money, there are very few games you can't pass.

Unlike console games, most of them don't have a life-saving feature; once you run out of lives, the game ends immediately, and if you're not skilled enough, you simply can't complete it.

Soon, the two of them guided the snowman to the fourth level.

"Go ahead and jump, I'll be waiting for you down here."

"Row."

The final boss in Snow Bros. is very simple. As long as you don't get trapped in the bubbles and fly to the ceiling with barbs and get killed, or get crushed by the bubbles with monsters and fire, you can easily pass the game.

Therefore, the two of them easily cleared the game without losing a single life.

What's next?

In response to Masao Nagasawa's question, the young man casually asked, "You said you're practically a part-owner here?"

"So, what about Virtua Warrior?"

Masao Nagasawa really enjoys this 3D fighting game and plays against others several times a day.

"Forget it, I can't play this game."

Virtua Fighter is a classic fighting game and one of the most popular fighting games right now.

Having grown accustomed to the style of later 3D models, Masato Takeshita couldn't muster much interest in this game with its rough graphics.

"Let's play Tank Battle together."

Masao Nagasawa understood his chairman's needs and, as expected, chose another two-player puzzle game.

"Tank Battle, haven't played it in a while, no problem."

The FC game that Masato Takeshita played the most in his previous life was probably Battle City, which was also the first time he realized that games could actually allow players to design their own level maps.

It can be said that Battle City is the ancestor of all editor-based games that followed.

After playing for more than an hour, Masato Takeshita finally came to his senses.

"I'm almost recovered. I'll go back to typing for a bit more."

"Okay, Chairman, you're busy."

Masao Nagasawa was also getting a little tired of adventure games, so he was happy to see the president leave.

Soon, the game room, where he was all alone, was filled with the names of game moves.

"How was today's trading? Did it go smoothly?"

"It went very smoothly; they usually sold within minutes of being listed."

"That's good. Don't forget to take the opportunity to sell some of the shares of the companies I've highlighted."

Masato Takeshita's initial idea regarding the shares in companies like Cisco was to hold onto them tightly. However, after careful consideration, he decided to release one-third of them.

It's not a good thing that Xinghai Capital holds too many shares in a promising company. He needs more partners to cooperate and drive the stock price even higher.

(End of this chapter)