That Incident
I said my goodbyes to Nae Fitzgerald, who eventually shed tears as we parted. (Aris got angry at her mother, snapping that she always sent her off with a smile whenever she went somewhere, but started crying the moment it was time to separate from me.) After that, we boarded the flight bound for LA.
Even though it was the same country, the distance between New York on the East Coast and LA on the West Coast meant a flight time close to five hours. They said this was already faster thanks to engine developments after the war, so it must have taken even longer before.
We were exhausted from staying up all night at the auction, even though we’d caught some naps, so we slept through most of the flight across American airspace. When I opened my eyes, we had already arrived at LA International Airport.
There were quite a few people waiting for us at the airport. Aris had her friend and fellow actress, Hanasaki Sayaka, waiting for her, while my friend Kiyohira was there to meet us.
On top of that, an investment contract meeting with Mother Mars had been arranged at a café in a hotel near the airport, so our schedule was packed from the moment we landed.
“Yo~!”
Through the crowd, Kiyohira—with his white hair and fierce-looking face—spotted us and waved. To me he felt familiar and welcoming, but the guy really did have one hell of a scary mug.
His body, honed by years of combat sports, combined with that delinquent appearance meant he’d never have to worry about racial discrimination no matter where he went. Still, since everyone in our group already knew him, we greeted him warmly as we approached.
“Thanks for coming to pick us up.”
“What are you talking about? It’s way more convenient than taking a taxi, right? You’re all staying at Lady Rinka’s place anyway. Since you guys are here, I get to use it as an excuse to see her too. Win-win.”
Kiyohira had immense respect for Fujigasaki Rinka as a fellow martial artist, so he looked genuinely excited at the chance to stay at her house thanks to us.
He and Rinka had been acquainted since their school days, but he couldn’t just stay over without a reason. Having me—her direct disciple—show up gave him the perfect opportunity.
“Hold on, I’ll give Sayaka a quick call.”
Aris looked around, couldn’t spot Hanasaki Sayaka, and pulled out her phone.
“Huh? You’re over there? Got it, I’ll come find you.”
After a brief conversation, Aris hung up and led us toward the lounge near the international arrivals area. Since we’d flown a domestic flight, we hadn’t needed to go through immigration, and that’s where Hanasaki Sayaka had been waiting alone.
We picked up Hanasaki Sayaka, who had been anxiously waiting by herself. But seriously, she’s a pretty famous actress back in Japan—why was she wandering around the airport without a manager? Was it really okay for her to travel alone like this?
“Hello, Ryuta! Thank you so much for letting me stay at Lady Rinka’s house! And thank you again for the autograph you gave me last time!”
Hanasaki Sayaka bowed at a perfect ninety degrees as she greeted me. Oh right, she was a huge fan of Fujigasaki Rinka.
“Ah, yes. Shall we head to the car first? This is Genba Kiyohira. He’ll be acting as our driver for the duration of our stay in America.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Oh! I know you! You’re active in UMC, right? Please give me your autograph too!”
It seemed Hanasaki Sayaka wasn’t just a personal fan of Fujigasaki Rinka—she genuinely loved combat sports in general. Kiyohira looked a little flustered as he signed the paper she offered, then guided us toward the parking lot.
“Since there are quite a few of us, I rented a bigger vehicle on purpose.”
When we reached the parking lot, Kiyohira opened the door of a large Starcraft van—the kind idol groups usually rode—and said with a grin.
Well, with two celebrities in our group, riding in a car like this wasn’t strange at all. I had Aris, Hanasaki Sayaka, and Mimata Chieri sit in the back so they could chat, while I took the passenger seat next to Kiyohira. It’d be nice to catch up with him during the drive.
“When’s your match?”
“It’s set for November. Against the third-ranked guy.”
November? Shouldn’t he be in the middle of intense training right now? It was already the end of July… Still, there was some time left. A few days off probably wouldn’t hurt.
“Is Kazuhiro training right now?”
Kazuhiro had a match tomorrow, so we wouldn’t be able to meet him today. It was a massive derby match between FCLA and LA Andromeda, so he was apparently preparing with absolute focus. He’d gone through a lot of trouble to get us tickets for the derby, and our plan was to watch his fight tomorrow before throwing a party at Fujigasaki Rinka’s house.
Incidentally, Fujigasaki Rinka was still at some national park and wouldn’t arrive until around the time the party started tomorrow. If her flight was delayed, there was a chance we’d end up throwing a house party without the owner.
After about five minutes of driving, we arrived at the hotel closest to the airport. Since the meeting with the president of Mother Mars was scheduled here, we got out of the car.
“While we’re handling the contract, the rest of you can relax in the hotel or explore the area…”
Since the contract would be signed by me and my secretary Mimata Chieri, I gave the others instructions and headed into the hotel café. Kiyohira knew the area well enough to show them around, and Aris had said she visited LA often, so they probably wouldn’t get bored.
“There should be a reservation under the name Mother Mars.”
“Right this way, please.”
Following the staff member, we were led into a private room. Inside the modestly sized space was a table, and seated at it was a middle-aged white man with graying hair and a slightly nervous expression.
Standing beside him was a beautiful silver-haired white woman who looked rather expressionless. She was much younger than I remembered, but I recognized her at a glance.
It was Vivienne Taylor, the future chairman of Mother Mars—one of America’s five major megacorps in the TMC era—and the older sister of the youngest son of Megacorp. Of course, at this point in time she wasn’t chairman yet. She was probably the daughter or a close relative of the man sitting here. In the future she was the epitome of a cold, ruthless megacorp chairman, but I wondered what she was like now.
“Hello. I’m Taira Ryuta, the one who contacted you.”
“Ah, hello. I am Liam Taylor, president of Mother Mars. This is my niece and secretary, Vivienne.”
I’d thought she was his daughter, but she was his niece. I sat down across from Liam Taylor while Mimata Chieri stood beside me, just as Vivienne Taylor stood beside her uncle.
As expected from someone who had been the director of a lab under NASA before going independent, Liam Taylor’s eyes were filled with intellectual sharpness. However, like most people from research backgrounds, he gave off the impression of a scholarly type lacking in boldness.
“Since we’re all busy with our businesses, let’s get straight to the point. How much capital do you need, and how much equity can you offer?”
“The crops we’re currently developing are suited for Martian soil…”
I’d told him to be direct, but Liam Taylor started giving a long explanation. It was a bit frustrating, but I couldn’t rudely cut him off, so I listened patiently.
In the end, after ten minutes of talking, his conclusion was that they were conducting research on crops suitable for Martian soil, and the more investment they received for the sake of humanity’s future, the better.
“If I invest ten million dollars, how much equity can you give me?”
“Hmm…”
At my question, Liam Taylor glanced at Vivienne Taylor. She probably handled the finance and management side, so he was likely asking for her opinion. Vivienne Taylor let out a small sigh and spoke to me.
“We are not a startup, so we cannot offer a large share. If you look at these documents, you’ll see that if the research succeeds, the value of Mother Mars will be astronomical. For ten million dollars, considering future valuation, we could offer approximately 0.5 percent.”
Vivienne Taylor probably thought 0.5 percent for ten million was reasonable or even a bit generous, but to me, acquiring equity in a company that would become a future megacorp at this price was an absolute jackpot. Still, I couldn’t accept right away. I needed to negotiate a little more.
“How about I invest fifty million dollars for 10 percent equity?”
I was proposing 2 percent per ten million—four times what Vivienne Taylor had offered. She immediately shook her head as if it were absolutely impossible.
“If you invest up to fifty million, we can go as high as 7 percent.”
“Deal.”
The moment I nodded without hesitation, both Vivienne Taylor and Liam Taylor looked stunned. I didn’t want to take too much equity anyway. If I held too large a share, the future might change. If I got greedy and Mother Mars ended up as just an average company because of that, it would be my loss. Better to keep it moderate.
Later, when Mother Mars became one of America’s representative megacorps, that 7 percent stake would be worth an incredible fortune.
“Additionally, if you ever decide to sell your shares, you must include a clause naming us as the priority negotiation partner.”
“Of course.”
It was probably a provision to protect management rights. After accepting Mother Mars’ final demand, we signed the contract and completed the equity transfer agreement. The whole process moved at lightning speed. Mimata Chieri transferred the money to Mother Mars’ account, Liam Taylor finished the final signature, and just like that, the exchange of funds and shares was complete.
Vivienne Taylor
Even though she’s a woman, Vivienne prefers wearing suit pants.
But our dear Yukyung…
She loves skirts!
Mini skirts are no exception either lol