Chapter 32

"Mr. Hattori, I will be straightforward with you. My Oriental Electronics is still quite limited in strength, and my main focus will be on developing the American market. If Epson is interested in entering the arcade industry, I can grant your company the production and sales rights for the Japanese market of the two games, 'Hong Kong Blocks' and 'Tank Battle.' After your company has these two games as a trial, you can quickly understand the industry and prepare to establish your own game development team. In my view, this is a win-win choice for both of us!"

Although Li Xuan knew that the party who spoke first would be at a disadvantage, Oriental Electronics was not on the same level as Epson, so he frankly proposed his terms.

"Ha ha! I really appreciate Mr. Li's honesty! I originally thought that electronic games were just toys for children. But yesterday, your company's game conquered me in just a few minutes, despite my prejudice. This is a simple, fun, and infinitely potential industry!" Hattori Kenshin said with a hearty laugh.

The exquisite dinner continued, and the carefully selected waitresses, all dressed in elegant makeup, served with delicate hands. As the young girls moved their chopsticks, a piece of beef with a marbled pattern was gradually cooked with a subtle "sizzle," and the enticing aroma of the meat filled the room.

"Mr. Li, this is the finest Kobe beef. Please enjoy it slowly!" Hattori Kenshin gestured invitingly from across the table.

After several rounds of mutual probing, they had almost figured out each other's sincerity and limits, and began to chat about other topics. Hattori Kenshin introduced his life studying in the United States, and since Li Xuan had also been in the U.S. in his previous life, the two enthusiastically discussed the differences between Western and East Asian cultures.

"I heard that Mr. Li specially visited the thousand-person hot spring at the Katakura Pavilion this afternoon. Not to boast, but in the entire Suwa hot spring area, only my hot spring house has the best scenery. Since dinner is over, please let Mr. Li experience it!"

After the meal, Hattori Kenshin suggested they go to the hot spring. He turned to the nearby Hase Yudai and instructed, "Mr. Hase, please ask Mr. Kusama to arrange a few maids to help Mr. Li bathe later."

"Hai!" Hase Yudai bowed and left.

Soon, Kusama Saburo came in and bowed, saying, "Sir, everything is ready!"

Kusama Saburo led the way, guiding Li Xuan and Hattori Kenshin to the back hot spring. The entire hot spring house was elegantly decorated, with calligraphy and paintings on the walls that exuded a strong Japanese ancient style. Passing through the hall to the back courtyard, a row of bamboo remained green even in the depths of winter.

Li Xuan was first led to the bath to change and bathe, where two beautiful young maids were already waiting. Their delicate, white hands gently helped him remove his clothes.

Then one of them picked up a ladle and scooped hot water from a large wooden bucket, pouring it over his body, while the other bent down to gently wash him thoroughly.

Li Xuan felt a bit like a feudal lord being served by beautiful young girls, and he felt slightly awkward as they tended to him.

Fortunately, the girls were quick, and after the rinse, which was just a custom before the hot spring, they quickly dried him, dressed him in a silk bathrobe, and changed his shoes to wooden sandals.

Li Xuan's wooden sandals creaked as he followed the girls along the winding corridor. After a few turns, the view suddenly opened up. A wild hot spring pool of about forty to fifty square meters lay before him, with steam rising from the water and a thick layer of snow on the surrounding rocks.

The two girls bowed deeply to Li Xuan, then smiled and removed his bathrobe without a care.

Snowflakes began to fall from the sky, and Li Xuan, fully immersed in the hot spring, enjoyed the contrast of the cold outside and the warmth inside, with the steam swirling around him and the snow-covered rocks.

"Mr. Li, how do you find the scenery here?" Hattori Kenshin, already dressed in a bathrobe, came out and pointed to the snowy landscape in the distance, saying, "If Mr. Li had come a few days later, you could have seen the divine crossing phenomenon!"

In the winter, after ten consecutive days of temperatures below ten degrees Celsius, the ice on Lake Suwa contracts and expands, producing a loud sound. The ice cracks and some areas rise over a meter high. The Japanese call this phenomenon the divine crossing.

Unfortunately, this year, the winter temperatures in Nagano Prefecture were a few degrees higher than usual, and Lake Suwa had just begun to freeze, so the divine crossing phenomenon was not yet visible.

Li Xuan couldn't help but marvel at the Hattori family of Suwa, which had a history of a hundred years since its founder, Hattori Kintaro, established the first clock shop in 1881. This was the legacy of a century-old family.

"Enjoying a hot spring with snow falling on my head, this is my first time!" Li Xuan smiled and sighed.

At this moment, the two girls who had bathed Li Xuan earlier had removed their clothes, revealing their delicate bodies, and stepped into the warm water. One of them came to Li Xuan's side and gently poured warm water over his head and back with a wooden ladle.

The other girl circled behind Li Xuan, and her small hands began to gently massage his back, following her movements.

The Japanese really know how to enjoy life, Li Xuan couldn't help but curse inwardly. He had to focus his mind to avoid being distracted.

Li Xuan's first hot spring experience ended in this slightly soul-stirring torment. Hattori Kenshin warmly invited him to stay overnight, and Li Xuan knew that if he stayed, the two fresh and beautiful bodies beside him would be his to enjoy.

But he politely declined. It wasn't that Li Xuan was being deliberately pretentious; in his previous life, he wasn't a saint and had no shortage of casual encounters with beautiful women. But at least those had the thrill and satisfaction of conquest.

The next day, Li Xuan and Epson finally returned to the negotiating table. Since Li Xuan had already informed them of his bottom line, the negotiations were very smooth. After more than a day of internal discussions, Epson, as Li Xuan had predicted, showed some interest in the booming arcade industry.

Since both parties were sincere about cooperation, Li Xuan, representing Hong Kong Oriental Electronics, and Seiko Epson, signed a preliminary cooperation agreement. The specific terms would be detailed and negotiated further by representatives from both companies.

This was already Li Xuan's fourth day in Japan. Since he had achieved some initial results, he hurried back to Hong Kong that night. He was still a student, and it was the final exam review period. He had taken two days off and added the weekend to make a four-day trip to Japan.

Li Xuan would immediately dive into his final exams upon his return, with a schedule as tight as a military campaign.