Rebirth Tokyo 1986

Chapter 374 Local Actions Also Needed
If Yahoo went, Netscape, currently the hottest new company in the world, naturally couldn't miss it.

He happily shook Anderson's right hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, a genius and hero of our internet world."

"Mr. Takeshita, you flatter me. You are the real genius."

Although Anderson was very confident in his own talent, he did not think he could surpass the top business tycoon who was admired worldwide.

I only developed a browser in six months, while the person in front of me has made outstanding contributions in a range of fields such as finance, electronics, and the internet.

Anderson was particularly impressed by Masato Takeshita's development of the operating system.

Microsoft, despite its immense power, was almost defeated by the Starsea operating system.

Unfortunately, without a strong motherland, this country was unable to protect its wealth.

His research and development not only failed to weaken Microsoft, but also strengthened Microsoft's monopoly in Europe and the United States.

Hearing their modest and polite words, Clark raised an eyebrow and then enthusiastically interjected.

"What's there to be modest about? Aren't you two both super geniuses?"

Shinji Kikuno, who was also visiting, earnestly echoed, "That's right, both the Chairman and Mr. Anderson are super geniuses."

After a brief chat, the group, led by Clark, arrived at Netscape's office.

Clark had previously served as CEO, making Netscape far more formal than Yahoo. However, this very formality might have made Netscape lack a certain quintessential internet company feel.

Therefore, somewhat disappointed, Masato Takeshita only gave it a cursory look around and left after lunch.

What are the differences between Netscape and Yahoo?

Faced with the chairman's question, Shinji Kikuno thought carefully for a few minutes.

"Yahoo is more dynamic, while Netscape is more formalized."

"You're still as cunning as ever."

Although the three giants of Xinghai Investment are all very upright, they also have their own characteristics.

Kamoto Takamasa is principled and meticulous in his work; Kikuno Shinji is clever and shrewd, and very tactful; Nagasawa Masao is outgoing and straightforward.

It was precisely because of Shinji Kikuno's smooth and gentle personality that the young man entrusted him with the management of Starsea Ventures in the United States.

Because Japanese people need to have plenty of patience to do investment banking business in the United States.

"Hehe, it's just my nature, I basically can't change it."

Shinji Kikuno knew that his chairman wasn't angry, so he spoke in a somewhat casual tone.

However, he quickly became serious again and then asked earnestly.

"President, what type of personality do you think our investments primarily favor?"

“Successful people have different personalities, and there’s no need to force it. As long as this person is willing to work hard before the company goes public, we can invest.”

Diligence is both the most important and the least important quality for entrepreneurs.

It's important because without this element, even a brief period of success will only leave behind a mess, or it may never be successful at all.

Take Nezha Auto for example. The founding team used investors' money to live a life of luxury, driving luxury cars and living in mansions, which ultimately led to its downfall.

I say it's not important because diligence is the minimum requirement for entrepreneurs. Talent, ability, and connections are more important; they are the true foundation of success.

Of course, a bit of luck also needs to be added.

In a sense, this is the most important talent.

The most famous example is Pony Ma, who tried to sell QQ several times but couldn't, and eventually embarked on the path of developing QQ social networking.

The chrysanthemum factory was in a similar situation. At first, it only wanted to be a middleman, but it couldn't get the goods, so it embarked on the path of self-development.

"Yes, Chairman, I understand."

Shinji Kikuno nodded, then took out an investment report.

“This company called Cadabra is being sold online. I think it has good potential and I might consider investing in it.”

"Oh, selling online, that sounds great. Tell me about their founders' background."

Selling online is a type of project whose future is immediately apparent.

Because he doesn't need to spend too much manpower and resources, he only needs to build a small website on the Internet, and then send the book to the buyer after the buyer pays.

Masato Takeshita never imagined that someone before Bezos would have had a similar plan.

"The founder is Jeff Bezos, who previously worked at a fund company as a senior vice president before leaving to start his own business this year..."

"Jeff Bezos?"

Takeshita Masato was shocked. He never expected that Amazon, which would one day have a market value of over one trillion, would have such an awkward name.

Since they are already certain to be future winners, they should naturally share in the spoils.

He readily replied, "A good work resume; I'm willing to invest. As for how much to invest, that's up to you."

There are many opportunities to invest in Amazon, and Shinji Kikuno doesn't care how many shares he wants to get.

However, considering the emergence of Yahoo, Netscape, and Amazon, Xinghai Group also needs to increase its investment in the internet industry.

At least in the Japanese market, Xinghai Group aims to achieve a monopoly, which would give it more strength to compete with established Japanese conglomerates.

"Yes, President."

Shinji Kikuno's confidence soared, and he decided to make Bezos his first truly personal investment brand.

Even if I earn less, I still want to achieve my life goals.

"By the way, which company are we visiting tomorrow?"

"IBM, we have accepted President Gerstner's invitation."

"Okay, let's fly there now."

"Yes, President."

IBM's headquarters are located in Armonk, New York, and the group needed to travel almost across the entire United States.

"Tired?"

"It's alright, I've gotten used to it."

After arriving in the United States, Shinji Kikuno always traveled long distances by private jet, so it wasn't too difficult for him.

Of course, he is still inferior to Masato Takeshita.

He wasn't in good health, making it even harder for him to adapt to time zone and geographical changes.

"That's good. Let's get a good rest tonight so we'll be more energetic tomorrow."

"Yes, I know."

Knowing of the group's arrival, IBM drove to pick them up early the next day.

"Guo Shina-san, it's been a long time, congratulations!"

Lou Gerstner's tenure as president of IBM was a great success, quickly turning the group around and earning $30 billion last year.

It is foreseeable that he will continue to succeed and achieve even greater glory.

"President, you flatter me. I only did what I was supposed to do."

Through a simple conversation, Masato Takeshita quickly sensed that Gerstner was different.

Indeed, living in a state of tranquility and cultivating one's health are essential.

After becoming the president of the largest technology company in the United States, and the last bastion and cornerstone of the American technology industry, Gerstner became very domineering.

However, Gerstner is indeed capable.

Before he joined IBM, the company was already discussing splitting up.

After he joined IBM, the company's various businesses made significant progress. Many businesses that seemed destined to be cut were revitalized and generated substantial profits for the company.

It is easy to find a thousand soldiers, but difficult to find a good general, and Gerstner was that good general.

Upon entering IBM, Masato Takeshita, led by Gerstner, toured some of the company's newest laboratories. "As expected of IBM, it has a rich heritage."

"It's all just hype; we still need to embrace the challenges of the new era."

Gerstner was indeed satisfied with IBM's foundation, but that was all.

For a long time, IBM has focused primarily on hardware research and development. However, the circumstances in the United States are no longer well-suited for developing hardware equipment.

He wanted to lead this blue behemoth into the software field, an area where IBM still had many shortcomings.

The two talked a lot about their ideas for future development, and only ended their conversation reluctantly near lunchtime.

"Would you like to try our company lunch?"

Masato Takeshita usually enjoys eating in the company cafeteria, and Gerstner has also inherited this fine tradition.

Now, when he invites acquaintances to dinner, he usually does so at the company cafeteria.

"Of course, it's an honor."

After finishing our meal, it's time to enjoy a snack.

Masato Takeshita was enjoying the wonderful taste of the black tea when he casually asked a question.

How's the standardization of computer interfaces going?

"The project team is still developing the software, and it is expected to be launched during the summer."

"That's great, now it's convenient for everyone."

The standardization of computer interfaces is great news for the entire computer industry and computer users.

From then on, computer parts no longer needed to be produced in all sorts of bizarre models.

"Yes, the messy interfaces have hindered the development of the computer industry."

With IBM present, AT&T, also located in New York, naturally couldn't miss out.

Xinghai Group and this world-class telecommunications giant have numerous collaborative projects.

However, compared to the vibrant IBM, AT&T, which has suffered repeated blows from the government, has begun to decline.

If they can't find an excellent CEO, they'll probably repeat the same mistakes they made in the past.

As for the final stop in New York, Masato Takeshita chose Wall Street.

Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, as well as their Tokyo-based partner Citigroup, were among the companies he visited.

He naturally had nothing to say to these companies; his responses were mostly polite formalities.

He doesn't understand finance; he makes money mostly by investing in world-renowned companies from his previous life—something any transmigrator with a bit of common sense could do.

"I'm preparing to leave, and I'm leaving the acquisition of teams in the four major North American leagues to you. I hope to hear good news by this time next year."

"Yes, please rest assured, Chairman."

Of these teams, the only one that presents a real challenge is the New York Knicks. Not only does the team have a good record, but their Garden Square is also a New York landmark and a basketball mecca.

However, none of this mattered to Shinji Kikuno. With Goldman Sachs' help, no one could take over the Star Sea Group.

Besides, the advertising money that Xinghai Group spends on major mainstream platforms every year is not wasted.

If any media outlet dares to incite widespread hatred towards the Xinghai Group among Americans, they are simply throwing money away.

Even if a few journalists dare to do so, they will quickly be blacklisted by mainstream media.

This is another reason why many large companies frequently advertise.

After returning to Japan and enjoying a few days of warm family life, the young man got back to his busy schedule.

Masato Takeshita quickly finished signing the documents in his hand, and then said in a gentle tone, "Sit down, would you like something to drink?"

"I, I'm fine with anything."

Sensing the nervousness of the Xinghai Network Operations Department Director, the young man didn't immediately get down to business, but instead chatted aimlessly with him.

The effect was excellent; the tension on Tanaka Aoki's body quickly dissipated.

Only then did the young man slowly reveal the reason why he had called him to his office.

"Here's the thing, do you know Yahoo! America?"

"I know, it's a great website."

When talking about familiar territory, Tanaka Aoki's tone unconsciously rose slightly, and his voice became more natural.

“Great, I’m planning to replicate Yahoo! in Japan. The president of Hoshino Networks recommended you. Do you think you can do it?”

Tanaka Aoki became excited after hearing this. He knew that the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

He immediately stood up and solemnly replied, "Yes, please rest assured, Chairman."

"Very good, very energetic. My requirements include East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Can you meet those requirements too?"

"No problem, I am very confident even if I have to compete with Yahoo in the US."

Tanaka Aoki has a deep understanding of the internet and had long ago proposed creating a Yahoo! that belongs to the Japanese.

This is why, as soon as Masato Takeshita mentioned replicating Yahoo's success, Xinghai Network immediately offered a suitable candidate.

“Excellent. Our company’s employees should have this kind of confidence. The company will initially invest 20 billion yen and will also allow you to unconditionally transfer 150 elites from various companies.”

"As for the company name, let's call it Qiandu Company."

If the current internet industry weren't still very weak, and if he weren't unaware of Tanaka Aoki's control capabilities...

The initial investment of 100 billion yen and the staffing of 1000 people are not a problem.

"Yes, understand."

Although he didn't know why the president chose such a name, he didn't care.

The name doesn't matter as long as it's not too awkward; what's important is the company's products.

"Alright, you can go ahead and get busy."

"Yes, President."

After watching Tanaka Aoki leave, Takeshita Masato murmured to himself.

"With a significant first-mover advantage and the help from Xinghai Internet Cafe, there shouldn't be any major problems."

But soon, the young man contradicted himself.

"No, we need to add an insurance policy."

The young man then thought of Tencent's "breeding poison" tactics in the gaming industry in later generations.

The company allowed two game studios to develop the same type of game simultaneously.

Once the development is successful, the two games will then compete head-to-head.

The effect is excellent. It can not only identify which product is more dynamic through market testing, but also eliminate other competitors.

For example, in the competition between "Honor of Kings" and "King of Glory", the winner, "Honor of Kings", swept the Chinese MOBA mobile game market.

This single game generates over 500 billion yuan in revenue for Tencent every year.

As for similar projects launched by companies like NetEase, they are all barely surviving.

The battle royale mobile games "PUBG Mobile" and "PUBG: Army Attack" have even achieved better results.

It captured the vast majority of the global market and became Tencent's first world-class mobile game.

However, in terms of making money, it is still slightly inferior to the national mobile game "Honor of Kings".

The effect of penguins raising insects is somewhat similar to that of JDB and Wanglaoji in the herbal tea industry, where the two companies' competition swept out the third-place Heqizheng.

This time, however, Masato Takeshita does not plan to incubate the company internally, but instead seeks outsiders to form the company.

As for the name of the new company, let's call it Google.

(End of this chapter)