Chapter 87

Chapter 43: Shareholding (Part 2)

Su Aijun was taken aback for a moment before he said helplessly, "Liu Lan, if others don't know, how could you not know? If we owe someone a favor, it should be my Su family owing Fang Mingyuan. Back then, if he hadn't reminded me, and I hadn't told Dad, the annual development plan wouldn't have mentioned the railway speed increase. It was precisely because of that report that Dad secured his current position. And my Su family, helping him was just a small favor...”

“You can't say it like that. Now it might just be a small favor to you, but for the Fang family, it solved a big problem. Since Mingyuan has such good intentions, why must you reject him so firmly? If you have a share in this business, you can help him with a clear conscience in the future, right?” Liu Lan persuaded, “There's still a long way to go, and there will be many more opportunities to help the Fang family. I don't think Mingyuan cares about this small share. Why are you so insistent? Or do you not trust Mingyuan, fearing he might cause trouble and involve the old Su family in the future?”

“Is Mingyuan really saying this?” Su Aijun asked, somewhat disbelieving.

Seeing Su Aijun waver, Liu Lan secretly admired Fang Mingyuan. If it weren't for the conversation they had tonight, she wouldn't have been able to persuade her husband like this. Liu Lan trusted her judgment. Although Fang Mingyuan was still young and his character not yet fully formed, she firmly believed he wasn't the type to do anything underhanded. If the Su family could closely align with him, it would be greatly beneficial in the future, and naturally, it would be good for their unborn child.

“If you don't believe me, you can ask Fang Bin. He was there and didn't object!” Liu Lan placed Su Aijun's hand on her belly, speaking with warmth, “For our child, don't let Mingyuan's good intentions go to waste. Just agree to it.”

“I'll ask Mingyuan in person tomorrow. If it's really like that, I'll agree to the shareholding!” Su Aijun finally relented. Liu Lan couldn't contain her joy and kissed Su Aijun on the cheek.

At the same time, Kōmoto Tetsu was tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. He had already faxed the game proposal provided by Fang Mingyuan back to Japan and could only wait for the results. But Kōmoto Tetsu was still deeply troubled and couldn't fall asleep. The more he interacted with Fang Mingyuan, the more he felt that this young man was not simple. When he heard the good news, Fang Mingyuan was completely unmoved, as if everything was already within his expectations. It seemed he was just confirming it through Kōmoto Tetsu. This indicated that he had absolute confidence in his work!

In fact, Kōmoto Tetsu was overestimating Fang Mingyuan. The reason Fang Mingyuan was so calm was largely because he knew the brilliant achievements of "Yū Yū Hakusho" in his previous life, spanning the manga, animation, and game industries, with image licensing everywhere. Although it was launched two years earlier through his hands, Fang Mingyuan believed that a masterpiece was a masterpiece! Therefore, he wasn't worried about the popularity of "Yū Yū Hakusho." However, this foresight appeared to Kōmoto Tetsu as a sign of confidence.

Such a talented manga artist with great potential, who also had a knack for game design, had already impressed Kōmoto Tetsu with the game proposal. From his perspective, this game might not reach the global popularity of Tetris, but it wouldn't be far off. The game, named "Puzzle Bobble" by Fang Mingyuan, was simple, easy to understand, and suitable for all ages. Moreover, the game was relatively easy to develop, making its value lie in its creativity!

But why did no one else think of this simple idea, yet Fang Mingyuan did? And why did he perfect it into such an attractive and challenging game? What did this mean?

Thinking about this, Kōmoto Tetsu jumped out of bed and pulled out a stack of paper from his briefcase. He had to write a report to the upper management, urging them to pay more attention to Fang Mingyuan and to win his favor. This was a money-making tree with boundless potential! As long as he continued to work with "Shounen Monthly," it wasn't an impossible dream for "Shounen Monthly" to catch up with or even surpass "Weekly Shounen." Giving Fang Mingyuan better treatment, he might bring unimaginable returns to the company.

Kōmoto Tetsu was very clear that China's manga, animation, and game industries were like a dwarf standing next to a giant compared to Japan, and this gap couldn't be bridged in the short term.

There had been a survey in Japan about the manga industry. The period from 1946 to 1949 was the first post-war baby boom in Japan. This generation, known as the "Dankai Generation," grew up in front of televisions and were part of the "Audio-Visual Generation." Unlike their parents, the "Print Generation," they had a natural preference for visual media. As this generation grew older, they brought manga into universities and society. The "Dankai Generation" and their younger siblings, including their children, formed a vast manga readership, solidifying the social status of manga culture. Therefore, the development of manga in Japan was continuous, catering to various age groups, genders, and cultural levels, leading to the cultivation of diverse manga.

Moreover, Japanese society's tolerance for manga was significantly higher than in other countries, which was a crucial reason for the current state of the manga industry. From the late 1940s, manga in Japan has continuously developed, and now manga publications account for almost one-third of all book publications, a ratio unmatched by other countries. Additionally, the intertwined cultural relationship between Japan and China made it easier for the Japanese to understand Fang Mingyuan's manga, whereas for Westerners, this would be more challenging.

Furthermore, to expand the international market for animation and manga products and promote Japanese culture, the Japanese government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government have implemented support and promotion policies for the animation and manga industries. The government not only treats them as important export industries but also cultivates them as independent cultures, providing significant assistance in policy, funding, and organization.

Therefore, if Fang Mingyuan wanted to publish manga and gain greater benefits, Japanese magazines were undoubtedly his best partners at present.

And "Shounen Monthly" would become his exclusive partner in the manga world!

But how could he firmly bind Fang Mingyuan to "Shounen Monthly"? The idea of "shareholding" naturally came to Kōmoto Tetsu's mind.

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End of Chapter 43: Shareholding (Part 2)