Tokyo, Japan.
After landing in the city, Lin Baicheng wasted no time. With Miyamoto Ei arranging the meeting, he was soon sitting across from Gunpei Yokoi once again — the man whose talent he was determined to bring into his company.
"It's been a while, Yokoi-san!"
"A while?" Yokoi chuckled, shaking his head. "It's only been two months! I didn't expect to see you again so soon, Lin-san."
After a few polite exchanges, Lin went straight to the point.
"Yokoi-san, I believe you already know why I came here today," Lin began. "I want to officially invite you to join Galaxy Games. Our company may be young, but our first two titles have both become global hits. We've proven that we have the skill — and now, the resources — to go further."
He paused briefly, meeting Yokoi's calm gaze.
"But a true gaming company can't rely on software alone. Hardware is just as important — it's what builds an empire. And that's exactly where I want you to lead us. I want you to be the head of our hardware development."
Yokoi raised an eyebrow.
"I appreciate your confidence, Lin-san. But tell me — you do realize that I'm only one of several senior engineers at Nintendo, yes? There are others above me, more powerful, more visible. Why not recruit them instead? Japan is full of hardware engineers. Why me?"
Lin smiled faintly. Of course he couldn't say "Because I already know your future accomplishments". So he answered in the most convincing way possible.
"Yokoi-san, I'm not looking for people with high titles. I'm looking for people with talent."
"If I only cared about positions, I wouldn't have recruited Miyamoto either. There are dozens of people above him at Nintendo — but how many of them have his creativity?"
He leaned forward slightly.
"It's the same with you. I don't care about your title — I care about your ability. I believe you have the kind of mind that can change the entire direction of gaming hardware."
Yokoi listened silently.
Lin continued with calm conviction.
"To be honest, I didn't personally know you or Miyamoto before all this — I'm from Hong Kong, after all. But when I decided to hire talent from Japan, I commissioned a research firm to evaluate potential candidates. They gave me a long list… and I chose two names: Miyamoto Ei and Gunpei Yokoi."
He smiled lightly.
"The firm was right about Miyamoto. His work has exceeded my expectations. And they said you were a genius in hardware design. So tell me, Yokoi-san — were they right about you?"
For a moment, Yokoi was taken aback by Lin's directness. Then, after a short silence, he answered firmly:
"Of course they were. I wouldn't claim to be the best, but I'll never lose to anyone in my field."
"Then I truly found the right man," Lin said warmly.
He then continued with quiet seriousness:
"I understand your situation at Nintendo. You have ideas — many, I'm sure — but no matter how high your position, there's always someone above you. The board, the executives, the endless approval process. They don't understand innovation until it's already making money. You want to experiment — but they want guarantees."
Yokoi sighed softly.
"You're not wrong. But that's not just Nintendo. Every company is like that."
"True," Lin agreed. "That's why I'm offering you something no other company would."
He pulled out a folder, setting it gently on the table.
"Here's my promise — and it can be written into the contract: if you join Galaxy Games, you'll receive a five hundred million yen annual R&D budget — and complete autonomy over it. You can develop whatever device you want. No approvals, no bureaucracy, no second-guessing. As long as it's used for hardware research, the decision is yours alone."
The words struck Yokoi like thunder. Five hundred million yen a year — with full creative control.
That kind of freedom was unheard of, not even for department heads at Nintendo. For the first time in his career, he imagined the possibility of turning his wildest ideas into reality — ideas most executives would laugh off as "impossible" or "unprofitable."
His heart stirred.
At the side, Miyamoto added earnestly:
"Senpai, the president's offer is something no company in Japan would ever give. Not Nintendo, not anyone."
Yokoi remained silent for a long while, eyes thoughtful. Finally, he said:
"Lin-san, your sincerity is clear. Let me think about it a little longer. I'll give you an answer in a few days."
Lin nodded without hesitation.
"Of course. Take all the time you need. I'll be waiting for your decision — and I truly hope it will be yes."
As Yokoi left, Lin turned to Miyamoto.
"Miyamoto, during your break, keep in touch with Yokoi-san. Don't pressure him — just make sure the connection stays warm."
"Understood, President," Miyamoto replied with confidence. "With the conditions you've offered, he'd be crazy to refuse. I'm sure he'll make the right choice."
"I believe so too," Lin said, smiling faintly.
He wasn't worried. His offer wasn't just about money — it was about trust, vision, and creative freedom. And those were things no big corporation could offer.
Still, Lin didn't idle while waiting. He had the investigation firm start a new round of research — not about people this time, but about an entire industry.
With his growing capital, Lin Baicheng was ready to take Galaxy Group beyond video games —
and into the next frontier of technology.