Nakayama Takuya once again thought of that project in America—the one he had placed such high hopes on.
Picking up the phone, he directly dialed Sega of America's headquarters.
The trans-Pacific line was a bit noisy; it rang for a long time before finally being picked up.
Through the receiver came the sound of rapid typing and muffled English chatter, and then the voice of Hideo Kojima.
"Executive Director?"
"It's me, Kojima-san. I'm not interrupting you, am I?" Takuya asked with a smile.
"Of course not!" Hideo Kojima instantly sounded energized.
"Director, your timing is perfect!
Crisis Imminent has already entered its final debugging phase. In about three weeks, we'll have a fully polished test-ready build!"
His speech sped up, as if proudly showing off his greatest work:
"When the time comes, I'll personally bring it to Maryland and let Mr. Tom Clancy see with his own eyes how we turned his writing into a tactical storm that can be perfectly reproduced on screen!"
"Good. Stick to your plan—refine everything to perfection."
Listening to Kojima's report, Takuya couldn't help but smile.
It seemed sending him to that "cowboy nest" in America had not only failed to cause culture shock—it had completely awakened his feral creativity and leadership potential.
Of course, none of this would have gone so smoothly without the help of one crucial person:
Mark Cerny.
Takuya's mind drifted back to the past.
He remembered clearly: Cerny, this technical powerhouse, had originally been drawn in by the groundbreaking design ideas of Metal Gear.
A young American tech genius dove head-first into Kojima's development team—a group defined by Kojima's extremely unique creative aesthetics.
Everyone expected a "Mars-collides-with-Earth" clash, yet what happened instead was unexpectedly harmonious.
After development ended, Mark flowed seamlessly into the Sonic team, where his brilliant technical abilities provided the solid low-level foundation needed to create Sonic's incredible sense of speed.
Takuya even remembered a time when the development team had been driven crazy by a spinning acceleration bug in Sonic—Mark fixed it perfectly in just a single night.
A talent like this was basically the universal lubricant of game development.
So when Takuya announced that Crisis Imminent would be developed by a new team in America, Mark Cerny was practically the first person to sprint into his office.
"Executive Director, let me go!"
Takuya still remembered the sight: his messy blond hair, and eyes shining with determination.
"The American development scene has been reborn from the ruins of Atari's collapse—this is the perfect time to return!
And I know how to deal with American programmers best—I understand exactly how they think!
And Kojima-san's ideas—I can translate them perfectly for Western developers!"
A man fluent in both Eastern and Western development philosophies, fluent in Japanese, and deeply loyal to Sega—there was no reason at all to refuse.
And looking at things now, this move had been absolutely correct.
"Sounds like you've been getting along just fine with those 'proud cowboys,' Kojima-san."
Takuya leaned back in his executive chair, smiling teasingly—using the same words he once used to encourage Kojima.
Kojima burst into a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! Director, please stop teasing me! To be honest, if not for Mark being here, I probably would've gotten into a fight within the first week—over something stupid like whether a door should open inward or outward!"
Kojima's tone was full of emotion.
"That guy is a genius—not just a translator of language, but a bridge between work styles and ways of thinking.
Even though my English isn't bad, there are still many things only he can help communicate."
"Excellent." Takuya nodded with satisfaction.
"Seems my decision was correct. And since he's this capable—perfect."
Takuya shifted tone, becoming more serious.
"Let him take the phone. I want to speak to him."
Kojima's laughter abruptly stopped.
He froze for a moment. "You want Mark? Okay! One moment!"
A burst of hurried footsteps could be heard, along with Kojima shouting in very Japanese-accented English:
"Mark! Big Boss wants you!
The REAL Big Boss—from Tokyo!"
"Executive Director? You wanted me?" Mark Cerny picked up the phone.
"Mark," Takuya leaned back deeper into his large chair, settling into a comfortable posture, "Kojima says you've been doing a great job in America."
Mark let out a light, cheerful laugh.
"Kojima-san is the one leading. I'm just helping out. You didn't call just to compliment me, did you?"
"Of course not."
Takuya paused, letting the weight of his next words travel across the Pacific.
"After Crisis Imminent is finished, Kojima may return to Japan.
But you—I think you should stay in America."
The line instantly went silent.
Even the chatter around Kojima disappeared, leaving only faint static.
A few seconds later, Mark cautiously spoke:
"Stay in America? Director… you mean—"
"Sega of America needs someone who can truly anchor the development floor.
A technical general—someone who can independently lead a team into battle."
Takuya's voice was steady and clear.
"And I think you're the right person."
"A general? Me?!"
Mark sounded genuinely shaken.
"Director, you're not joking, right? I mean—I would love to! God, I dream of something like this!
What project? Sonic's sequel? A brand-new IP?"
His questions fired out like a machine gun.
"There is no project."
Takuya shook his head.
Mark froze, his excitement slamming to a halt.
"Huh?"
"I'm giving you a blank check," Takuya said slowly.
"Your team—you build it.
Your budget—you request it.
Your game—you decide what to make.
I trust your vision. And your talent."
Silence returned.
Takuya didn't rush. He simply waited.
He imagined perfectly what expression Mark had right now—wide-eyed, mind racing at full speed as he tried to process the massive opportunity that had just fallen on his head.
"Director… you… you're serious?" Mark finally spoke, voice slightly dry.
"I never joke about things like this."
"OK—OK! I understand!"
Mark's voice rose, filled with energy that sounded ready to burst.
"I'll think about it! After Crisis Imminent is done, I'll bring you—
I swear—one of the best ideas in the world!"
"No rush."
Takuya chuckled.
"But if you really can't think of anything, I have plenty of good ideas stocked up.
You can always come get one."
This playful remark finally pushed Mark into a full relaxed laugh.
"Understood! Thank you, Director! Really!"
"Focus on the task at hand first."
Takuya prepared to hang up, but then suddenly remembered something and added:
"Oh, right, Mark.
When you start planning, think big—don't let the limitations of the Mega Drive box you in."
"You mean—?"
Mark instantly caught the implication.
"That's for later.
Once you finish Crisis Imminent, ask Tokyo HQ for the latest internal technical product brief."
Takuya hung up with a light smile—leaving Mark Cerny with endless imagination.
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