Chapter 28

To compete in mature markets like the United States and Japan, the knockoff products that Keji Company previously produced would definitely not suffice. However, if Li Xuan were to invest in establishing a large-scale computer motherboard production factory himself, the one or two million Hong Kong dollars he had accumulated would only cover a small fraction of the investment.

Li Xuan's initial plan was to give up some of the benefits, such as game production rights, and have game giants like Taito and Sega produce the game boards on his behalf. After all, even a company like Taito had to bow to Sega when promoting Space Invaders arcade games. The law of the jungle in business is always that the big fish eat the small fish, and the small fish eat the shrimp. The beginning of a new company is often the most difficult time!

However, Seiko Epson is a printer manufacturer and has no direct conflict of interest with Oriental Electronics, which produces game consoles. Li Xuan only needed to focus on business, so he didn't have to give up too much. As a person who had been reborn, he understood better than anyone how classic the games Hong Kong Blocks and Tank Battle were. If he were forced to license the games to other manufacturers, he would suffer huge losses.

The cabin speaker broadcast the flight attendant's sweet voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Japan Airlines' flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo. The plane is about to land at Tokyo Narita International Airport. Please prepare for landing!"

At the same time, the bright flight attendants reappeared in the cabin, urging passengers to tidy up their drinks, fold up the adjustable tables in front of them, fasten their seat belts, and prepare for landing.

This was Li Xuan's first time flying after his rebirth. The shadow of his previous experience still lingered in his mind, but he didn't want to show his fear in front of his employees. Fortunately, the Boeing 737 didn't circle in the air for long. The captain adjusted the plane's attitude, aligned it with the runway, and landed smoothly.

Li Xuan finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. They had arrived in Tokyo.

In the airport's arrival hall, a middle-aged man in a black suit stood with a much younger-looking young man. The young man held up a sign that read, "Welcome Mr. Li Xuan from Hong Kong."

Li Xuan, along with Du Wenqiang and Liang Ning, walked towards them.

"Hello, are you Mr. Li Xuan from Oriental Electronics?" Seiko Epson's preparations were very thorough, and they had even brought a Cantonese translator for the arcade.

"Hello, I am Li Xuan!" Li Xuan also politely smiled at the group.

"Mr. Li, welcome to Japan. I am Hase Yudai from Seiko Epson. Please take care of me!" The middle-aged man leading the group clearly spoke English. Without waiting for the translator to relay Li Xuan's words, he bowed ninety degrees to Li Xuan and then shook his hand with a smile.

From the translator's narration, Li Xuan learned that Hase Yudai was the head of the External Liaison Section of the Market and Marketing Planning Department at Seiko Epson. Hase Yudai and Li Xuan walked at the front, and the group left the airport together.

Seiko Epson's headquarters is located in Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture, a four-hour drive from Narita Airport. Seiko Epson had specially prepared a black luxury extended Cadillac for the guests to ensure they wouldn't be too tired during the long four-hour journey.

Hase Yudai had excellent speaking skills and continuously introduced the scenic spots, historical sites, and interesting stories of the regions they passed through in English, keeping the atmosphere lively. The car was also thoughtfully equipped with salmon salad, salmon sushi rolls, cheese cake, and Japanese sake. While chatting, they could also enjoy the food, making the long journey less monotonous.

By the time Li Xuan's group arrived in Suwa City, it was already 8 PM. Hase Yudai directly took the guests to a hotel that had been reserved in advance. Everyone was very tired, so they had a simple dinner and then retired to their rooms.

Li Xuan's hotel was located by Lake Suwa. Nagano Prefecture had already entered winter in November, and it had snowed lightly the night before. The next morning, Li Xuan stood by the window and looked out. The distant snow-covered mountains and the rippling lake were a breathtaking sight.

Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to appreciate the scenery. The upcoming negotiations were crucial for him. The person who came to pick up Li Xuan and his two companions was Hase Yudai from the previous day.

Seiko Epson's headquarters is located in the Suwa Industrial Zone by Lake Suwa. Nagano is a famous agricultural prefecture in Japan, but Suwa City became an industrial city after World War II with the rise of the watch, camera, and lens manufacturing industries. Seiko Epson is the most important industrial symbol of Suwa City.

Accompanied by Hase Yudai, Li Xuan toured Seiko Epson's printer production factory and the newly built wafer factory. The chip factory, which cost 12 million US dollars to build, was about the size of two or three football fields and was entirely lit by natural daylight.

The wafer factory was designed with high cleanliness and dust-free standards. Entering the clean room production area for a tour was a complicated process, requiring a thorough dust-removal procedure. Li Xuan only observed the inside through the glass with Hase Yudai.

Compared to the semiconductor factories of thirty years later, the current ones were like dwarfs. Before his rebirth, a large wafer factory investment had already reached several billion US dollars, and without strong capital support, there was no qualification to enter the game. The cleanliness of the production area was a thousand times higher than the most strictly disinfected hospital operating rooms. The semiconductor industry represents the pinnacle of human industrial civilization.

After the morning tour, the afternoon schedule was for formal negotiations. Li Xuan proposed that Seiko Epson produce the arcade computer version for Oriental Electronics.

"Mr. Li, after our company's investigation, Oriental Electronics is a small company that has been established for less than a month. I am very sorry, but this does not meet our company's minimum requirements for partners!"

The representative from Seiko Epson responsible for negotiating with Li Xuan was Deputy Director Ishijima Yusuke of the Market and Sales Planning Department. He gave Li Xuan a warning right from the start.

"I do not deny this. My company, including myself, has fewer than twenty employees. Compared to a large company like Seiko Epson, we are just a grain of sand!" Li Xuan was not intimidated by the other party's refusal and continued calmly.

"However, the electronics industry is the one most likely to create miracles. I saw many Apple II computers in your company's office area just now. Three and a half years ago, Apple was just a shell company founded by Jobs and two friends with 1,300 US dollars in a garage.

"But now, it has become the most important driving force behind the popularity of your company's dot matrix printers in the United States! Although my company produces game consoles rather than computers, I believe my company has the same great potential as Jobs' Apple!"

PS: I humbly request your recommendations! Please help me out and give me some support. I would be very grateful!

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