Chapter 232: The Meeting
The meeting continued without any technical interruptions.
Rohit paid close attention as Arya went through the numbers. She listed the sales figures, market reach, and projected growth, pointing at the statistics on the screen with a laser pointer.
The annual revenue of Baahubali game alone had reached 13.5 million USD last year, with expectations of 15 million this year. Out of the 700,000 active users worldwide, 550,000 were domestic. That single detail already showed how profitable the game was within its core market.
Arya then presented her proposal. "If Bandai Namco is willing to invest 100 million dollars as part of their Naruto localization project, while allowing us to incorporate elements of the Naruto universe into our game design, the resulting next-generation version could potentially generate 300 million dollars in revenue over the next three years—even if limited only to the Asian market."
She finished her presentation and sat down, exhaling quietly.
The speech was polished, and the numbers were impressive. Yet Rohit remained unimpressed.
In his past life, he had handled arms-smuggling deals with dictators and warlords in countries torn apart by conflict. His standards for negotiations had therefore become unusually sharp.
When hundreds of millions were on the table, he believed you never entered a deal without keeping some leverage of your own.
By his standards, Arya’s presentation felt less like a high-stakes business negotiation and more like a student trying too hard to impress a teacher for full marks.
It was polished.
It was ambitious.
But it lacked the sharpness of a real deal.
As if on cue, Toyama nodded.
Behind the polite wrinkles and the mild smile hidden beneath his glasses, Rohit could sense the shrewd calculation of a man who had already smelled blood.
The Japanese director looked less like a guest and more like a tiger that had just caught the scent of blood, its eyes fixed on prey waiting to be pounced upon.
Kazumi smiled and spoke directly.
"Ms. Singhania. The prospects are very good. We are quite interested in continuing discussions regarding the investment. However, there are a few issues we will need to address first... if you don’t mind."
Arya’s brows furrowed for a brief second before she masked it with professional calm.
"Of course. Please go ahead."
Kazumi continued.
"First, we are working under a very strict deadline. We would require the project to be completed within one and a half years. That means we will need a written compensation agreement if the timeline is not met. Otherwise, we risk missing a critical market window. The detailed terms can be discussed later, of course... but I must ask — are you prepared for that level of commitment?"
Arya nodded. She had clearly expected harsh conditions. Her expression remained firm.
Kazumi went on.
"Second, the local server capacity you mentioned will not be sufficient for the scale we are aiming for. Our title is an RPG. Yours is an RTS. If we are to combine them into a functional hybrid model, the server requirements will be substantial — and the cost would be no less than ten million dollars."
He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle.
Rohit raised an eyebrow. Just as expected — the director had offered the carrot first, and now came the stick. He straightened in his seat, folding his hands, and watched Arya carefully.
Arya pressed her lips together. She already knew this was a weak point, but she answered with determined optimism.
"That is already within our calculations, Mr. Toyama. With the proposed capital, building new server infrastructure will be our first priority. Still, we would like to hear if you have any alternative suggestions."
Kazumi smiled.
"We already have servers. Why spend resources building new ones? We can provide access to ours. However, in that case, we would require a share of the intellectual property rights. Of course, proper compensation would be arranged."
Arya paused for a moment, then refused without hesitation.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Toyama, but that would not be feasible for a long-term partnership. Retaining full intellectual property rights is our baseline."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Toyama’s face, but he did not push further.
"In that case, young lady, how about this arrangement? You retain full intellectual property rights and receive complete access, while the servers remain under our management. That way the project stays secure, and neither side needs to invest additional capital in infrastructure."
Arya considered it for a few seconds, then nodded.
"That is something we can discuss further. And the other conditions?"
At that moment, Rohit could no longer hold back.
He let out a quiet but clearly disappointed sigh at his sister’s naivety and leaned forward slightly.
"If I may... can I add something?"
Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward Rohit.
At that moment he felt a sharp pinch on his thigh. He didn’t need to look to know who it was. Sheetal was clearly agitated — she had been the one to pull him into the meeting, and now she was regretting not briefing him properly. In her mind, he was about to destroy the entire deal.
Rohit simply placed a hand over hers, keeping it firm, and continued watching Toyama. He needed to see whether the director was genuinely interested or merely being polite.
Kazumi noticed the surprised expressions around the table. His gaze briefly fell on the nameplate that read Technical Adviser, and after a short pause he nodded.
"Yes. Please go ahead."
Rohit rested both hands on the table, fingers loosely crossed.
"Mr. Toyama, I believe it would be in the best interest of both companies if you completely drop the idea of hosting the servers on your side. Allow me to explain with numbers."
Kazumi looked mildly amused.
"Please continue."
Rohit kept his tone measured.
"If I may ask, what is the average hourly wage of an employee in your country? A rough estimate is enough."
"In dollars... somewhere between fifteen and eighteen," Toyama replied.
Rohit smiled slightly.
"In India, it is two to three dollars. Roughly eight times cheaper. Building the infrastructure once is not the real issue. The long-term maintenance cost of the servers will continuously bleed a project of this scale — especially one involving a hundred-million-dollar investment. Wouldn’t it be more practical to establish the servers here in India and let the rest of the operations follow? Of course, we can sign whatever security clauses are required."
Silence settled over the room.
Kazumi studied Rohit more carefully now. His eyes moved to the surname on the nameplate as ’Singhania’, and understanding flickered across his face.
For the first time, the relaxed expression disappeared. He leaned forward, becoming noticeably more serious.
"That is certainly a valid point, Mr Singhania. But it still does not explain why we should absorb a ten-million-dollar loss when every expense has already been calculated in advance."
Rohit smirked.
"Because it is worth it. We already have a local market of five hundred and fifty thousand users. A significant portion of them have never properly engaged with the Naruto franchise. Once this game launches, curiosity alone will push many of them toward your anime, merchandise, and other services. Other companies can make similar claims, but none of them have the distribution ecosystem of Singhania Export Services behind them."
He straightened, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Mr. Toyama, if you finalize a deal with our company, I can guarantee there will be room for your local franchise products to enter our market smoothly. With our existing retail and distribution chains, flooding the market will take very little time. In addition, my sister can also assist with testing projects to further sweeten the arrangement."
Arya’s face tightened in panic as Kazumi began to rise.
"Mr. Toyama, please don’t misunderstand—"
Kazumi raised a reassuring hand, cutting her off. He gave a single clap, a genuine smile appearing on his face.
"Brilliant!! Rohit, is it? You are certainly an interesting person."
He turned to Arya. "You have a deal, Ms. Singhania. I can agree to these terms, provided we make a few minor adjustments. My secretary will contact you soon. Unfortunately, I am short on time today."
Arya quickly composed herself and nodded.
"Of course, Mr. Toyama. Please, allow me to escort you."
She stood and held the door open, discreetly pinching Sheetal as a signal to follow.
The moment they left the room, the atmosphere exploded.
Geeta and Avantika immediately surrounded Rohit, their voices overlapping with praise.
"Wow, you were so cool!"
"We should start calling him Little Boss from now on."
"I genuinely thought I was going to die when you cut in. If the deal had failed, I don’t even want to imagine how Arya would have reacted."
Then the questions came in a flood.
"How did you even know how to talk like that?"
"Weren’t you afraid of our boss?"
"Can you convince her to organize a picnic? Even a short trip would be fine."
Avantika frowned at Geeta’s last suggestion.
"How can you ask something so stupid?" She pressed Rohit’s arm instead. "Little Boss, can you at least talk to your sister about allowing work-from-home on Saturdays? My friends keep teasing me for working on weekends."
Rohit was left completely speechless. For once, he had no idea how to respond and could only laugh awkwardly.
Just then, Sheetal returned. Her expression was serious.
"Rohit. Arya wants to see you in her cabin. Now."