Life As Hikigaya Hachiman

Chapter 581: Finally Acquiring the Gaming Company

Eagle Jump , President's Office.

A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties stood by the window, gazing out at the distant horizon.

This was none other than the president of Eagle Jump, Kenjirou Sugita.

At this moment, a trace of worry lingered on his face.

Although having someone interested in acquiring his company could be seen as a cause for celebration, it wasn't something he would have chosen unless absolutely necessary.

Who would willingly sell a company they had built with their own hands?

Everyone has their dreams, and for men, achieving success in their careers is often one of them. Kenjirou Sugita was no exception.

When he founded this company, he was filled with passion, and over time, he had watched it grow step by step. To put it plainly, the company was like his own child.

However, while having dreams is admirable, one must also face reality.

The company's finances had run dry, making it increasingly difficult to sustain operations.

Employee salaries, daily expenses, and his own outstanding loans—all these pressures weighed on him like mountains, leaving him no choice but to make this decision.

"Sigh, maybe having a new boss will be for the best. It's certainly better than things staying as they are now," Kenjirou Sugita sighed softly.

As for the buyer, Kenjirou Sugita had naturally heard of them long before.

The Nakiri family, one of the four major families in Japan, was an absolute giant.

Although Kenjirou Sugita couldn't quite understand why the Nakiri family, known for their focus on the culinary and ingredients industry, would want a gaming company, he wasn't going to turn away a buyer willing to take it off his hands.

Just then, the office door was knocked upon, and his secretary stepped in.

"President, the representatives from the Nakiri family have arrived."

"I see," Kenjirou Sugita nodded.

"Let's go together."

The two of them headed to the reception room.

However, upon entering and seeing the visitors, Hachiman and Erina, Sugita was momentarily stunned.

He hadn't expected the people coming to discuss the acquisition to be two young individuals who looked more like students than businesspeople.

Nonetheless, as the president of a company, Sugita quickly regained his composure, putting on a welcoming smile.

"Thank you for coming all this way. I am Kenjirou Sugita, president of Eagle Jump."

"Nice to meet you, President Sugita. I'm Hachiman Hikigaya, and this is Erina Nakiri," Hachiman replied with a smile.

Erina Nakiri?

Hearing this name, Kenjirou Sugita was taken aback.

He had, of course, heard of her—the eldest daughter of the Nakiri family and the renowned "God Tongue" of the culinary world.

What surprised him even more, however, was that it wasn't Erina, the prestigious daughter of the Nakiri family, who first spoke, but rather the seemingly ordinary Hachiman.

Noticing Sugita's slight surprise, Hachiman smiled faintly.

"You see, President Sugita, the truth is, I'm the one looking to acquire your company. Erina is only here because I asked for her assistance."

"I see," Kenjirou Sugita responded with a smile, nodding, though the surprise in his heart only deepened.

After all, someone who could enlist the help of the eldest daughter of the Nakiri family was certainly not ordinary.

"Ah, my apologies. Please, both of you, have a seat. Let's sit down and talk," Sugita said, snapping out of his thoughts. He then nodded toward his secretary.

"Miss Murakami, please prepare three cups of tea."

"Understood, President," the secretary, Miss Murakami, replied with a nod before leaving the reception room.

The three of them sat down together, and Hachiman wasted no time, diving straight into the topic.

"What price are you envisioning for the company, President Sugita?"

Sugita was momentarily taken aback by Hachiman's directness.

However, since the question had already been asked, he saw no reason to hold back.

"Two billion yen."

Hearing this, Hachiman raised an eyebrow.

"President Sugita, I hope you're not trying to take advantage of my age, thinking I'm easy to fool."

Sugita simply smiled at this, not offering any defense.

Negotiations were negotiations, after all. Haggling was a given, and he never truly expected to seal the deal at two billion.

"And what price does Mr. Hikigaya have in mind?"

"One billion," Hachiman replied with a smile, slashing the price in half without hesitation.

Hearing this, Kenjirou Sugita frowned.

"Mr. Hikigaya, with all due respect, even though Eagle Jump is not in a great position right now, it's worth far more than just one billion."

Sugita's words weren't without merit. Although the company was in a slump, the issue was largely due to a shortfall in the funding chain.

After all, Eagle Jump was the developer of Fairies Story, a game beloved nationwide.

The company still held considerable renown in the gaming industry. If their funding issues were resolved and paired with a solid game concept, a comeback wasn't out of reach.

But, as they say, reality is cruel...

Money—or the lack thereof—was the ultimate barrier. Without it, all plans and ambitions were nothing more than pipe dreams.

"You should be well aware of your company's current predicament, Mr. Sugita," Hachiman said with a light chuckle.

Sugita fell silent at these words.

As president, he knew better than anyone just how dire the situation was at Eagle Jump.

Sales of their recent projects had been declining steadily, and employees were taking more and more time off.

While on the surface, extended vacations might seem like a good thing, the truth was that he had no choice—without proper cash flow, there was no way to keep them all working.

Although the company was in the process of developing Fairies Story III, if this project failed, there would be no other option but to file for bankruptcy.

At that point, Kenjirou Sugita would face immense debt pressure, so it seemed more prudent to sell the company now while there was still a chance for a turnaround.

Moreover, his emotional attachment to the company couldn't be ignored.

Rather than watching it go bankrupt, it was better to see it continue under someone else's leadership.

With this in mind, Kenjirou Sugita let out a deep sigh.

"Mr. Hikigaya, one billion yen is still too low."

"1.5 billion yen. That's my bottom line," Hachiman stated calmly, naming his price.

"This 1.5 billion is just for purchasing the company from you, Mr. Sugita. As for providing additional funds to stabilize the company, I will handle that separately."

"However, I'll also need full access to all the cooperation channels Eagle Jump has previously established."

"My offer is already quite generous. I'm sure Mr. Sugita doesn't want your employees to lose their jobs, right?"

In Japan, unemployment is considered a major social disgrace. Most people stick with one job for their entire lives until retirement.

Having unemployment on one's record often leads to being perceived as incompetent, making it extremely difficult to find another suitable job.

This is one of the key reasons for the high suicide rates among the unemployed in Japan.

Hearing Hachiman's words, Kenjirou Sugita fell silent.

Deep down, he was a kind-hearted person who genuinely didn't want his employees to bear the stigma of unemployment on their records.

As Sugita deliberated, the secretary returned with the tea.

Hachiman didn't rush him, calmly sipping his tea while waiting.

Erina, who had remained silent the entire time, also took a sip of her tea. However, as soon as she tasted it, she frowned slightly.

While the tea wasn't bad, it fell far short of the top-quality teas she was accustomed to drinking.

After about ten minutes of silence, Kenjirou Sugita finally spoke again.

"Mr. Hikigaya, I agree."

"Then, please sign the contract, Mr. Sugita."

Seeing Sugita finally agree, Hachiman smiled. He pulled a pre-drafted contract from his folder and slid it across the table.

Taking the contract, Kenjirou Sugita skimmed through it, a bitter smile spreading across his face.

The terms on the contract matched exactly what the two had just discussed, down to the acquisition price.

"Truly, youth is full of promise," Kenjirou Sugita sighed in admiration before signing his name.

Hachiman followed suit, signing his name as well, and each party kept a copy of the contract.

"Mr. Sugita, the 1.5 billion yen will be transferred to your account by the end of today," Hachiman said as he carefully stored his copy of the contract. He extended his hand with a smile.

"Looking forward to working together."

"Likewise, Mr. Hikigaya," Sugita replied, shaking Hachiman's hand with a relieved smile.

The weight on his heart had finally lifted. 1.5 billion yen was more than enough to clear his debts and still leave him with some remaining funds. He could even open a small shop and enjoy a peaceful retirement.

"One more favor, Mr. Sugita. Could you please gather all the employees in the company? I'd like to take this opportunity to meet everyone," Hachiman said.

Hearing this, Sugita nodded with a smile.

"Of course. Miss Murakami, please notify all departments to assemble in the conference room in five minutes."

"Understood," the secretary replied with a nod before leaving the reception room.

...

In the conference room, everyone had gathered.

"Yagami-senpai, do you know why we've been called here?" a twin-tailed girl, no taller than 150 cm and looking more like a middle schooler, whispered softly.

"I have no idea, probably another company decision being announced," replied a tall, slender woman with long blonde hair, looking to be around 25 or 26 years old.

"Eh? Yagami-senpai, even you don't know?" the twin-tailed girl asked in surprise.

As the two whispered, another voice interrupted them.

"Kou, Aoba, stop talking. The president will be here any moment."

The speaker was a mature woman in her thirties, with gray wavy hair and wearing red half-rim glasses.

"Sorry, Hazuki-senpai. I understand," the twin-tailed girl apologized quickly and fell silent.

Minute by minute, time passed. Soon, the conference room doors opened again, and Kenjirou Sugita, the company president, walked in.

What surprised everyone was the sight of two unfamiliar teenagers following behind him.

"Good day, President!" the employees greeted in unison.

"Hello, everyone," Kenjirou Sugita replied with a nod.

"I've called you all here to make an important announcement," he began, gesturing toward Hachiman.

"Starting today, Mr. Hikigaya here will be the new president of Eagle Jump."