Takuya Nakayama observed the man before him—exhausted yet his eyes shining with passion—and a slow smile spread across his face.
Not only does he understand technology and management, but he also grasps human nature.
"Well said," Takuya said, standing up and patting Oguchi Hisao on the shoulder.
"Would you be willing to join the Executive Office as my deputy?"
Takuya's words were spoken casually, but to Oguchi Hisao, they sounded like thunder crashing across a clear sky.
He froze, the stack of faxes in his hand crumpling under his tense grip. He opened his mouth, a short, meaningless sound escaping his throat as his brain struggled to process this overwhelming news.
The Executive Office? That was the heart of Sega, the decision-making core of the company.
Just ten minutes earlier, he'd been arguing with the administrative department over a missing scanner for the art team.
"What, can't bear to leave the endless overtime meals here?" Takuya teased with a wry smile.
"No—no! I'm willing! I'm very willing!" Oguchi Hisao snapped back to reality, his voice cracking with emotion and drawing curious glances from several passing programmers outside the glass door.
He quickly lowered his voice, but then his brow furrowed, a troubled expression crossing his face. "But Managing Director, I'm swamped with work right now. If I leave now, several projects will immediately fall into disarray—"
He was a straightforward man. Even when presented with an opportunity, his first instinct was to prioritize his current responsibilities.
"I didn't say I was transferring you immediately," Takuya Nakayama said, waving his hand to calm him. "Finish the current phase of your work first. Finishing what you start is precisely why I value you." He paused, tapping his finger on the progress chart on his desk. "Before that, I'll give you a task to weave into your regular work—no need to rush."
"What kind of task?" Oguchi Hisao asked, puzzled.
"List the people you mentioned earlier—the ones whose technical skills are outdated, but who understand the processes and the human dynamics, and who have families counting on them for support. The veteran employees, in other words."
Takuya Nakayama's tone turned serious. "Regardless of which team they're from, if you think they're suitable for project coordination, put their names down. I'll have Human Resources create a new job category called 'Technical Manager'—with salaries reclassified to be at least as high as those for coders."
Oguchi Hisao's eyes lit up.
He understood exactly what this meant. It was like giving those old-timers whose careers had hit dead ends a golden path forward.
"As for the vacancies they leave behind, don't worry about that," Takuya continued. "Didn't we hire a batch of fresh graduates in April? Let the energetic young ones handle the hair-pulling work of coding. Have the veterans manage the newcomers. This way, we fill the managerial vacuum and create upward mobility for the young. It's called renewal."
This one-two punch not only relieved Oguchi Hisao's concerns but also directly addressed and smoothed out the seemingly chaotic project coordination within Sega's Development Department.
"Organize the list and clearly hand over your current work, then come report to me," Takuya Nakayama said, standing up and straightening his suit jacket. "Next week, I'll have HR contact you about the compensation for your new position. Think big—this is a special approval from the Managing Director. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want."
With that, Takuya turned and strode out, leaving behind an elegant silhouette.
In the conference room, Oguchi Hisao stood frozen for a full half-minute.
Only when the familiar office chatter seeped back into his ears did he finally exhale a long, deep breath.
He glanced down at the crumpled fax papers in his hand, then at the desk beside him—the one he'd been called upon to "put out fires" at. Suddenly, the tedious, hair-pulling details no longer seemed so loathsome.
Straightening his posture, he bowed deeply in the direction Takuya had left.
"Thank you for your guidance, Managing Director!"
His voice rang out, clear and confident.
The Human Resources Department was located on the thirteenth floor of the building.
Takuya knocked on the door to the HR Director's office. After hearing the response "Come in," he pushed the door open and entered.
Director Tamura was frowning at a stack of attendance records when the company's hottest Managing Director walked in. He sprang up before his chair had even warmed up, hurriedly shoving the messy reports into a drawer.
"There's no need to hide them. I'm not here to catch anyone slacking off," Takuya Nakayama said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. He casually picked up a report and glanced at it. "The Sales Department's tardiness rate broke another record this month?"
"Uh... they say they were entertaining channel partners last night and didn't finish drinking until 3 AM," Tamura said, forcing an embarrassed smile as he quickly poured Nakayama a glass of water. "What brings you to my office today, Managing Director?"
"Inspecting your work is the President's job. I wouldn't dare overstep my bounds. I'm here for two things," Nakayama said, holding up two fingers without any small talk. "First, I've set my sights on Hisao Oguchi. I'm planning to transfer him to be my assistant, with a half-grade promotion in administrative rank. You negotiate his compensation package and handle the paperwork as quickly as possible. I need him urgently."
Tamura immediately began searching on the computer in front of him.
Oguchi Hisao? That "jack-of-all-trades" who's constantly running himself ragged between departments?
Though he has a good reputation as a hardworking, uncomplaining veteran, isn't promoting him directly to Managing Director's assistant a bit too ambitious?
But he's a clever man. Personnel appointments are notifications, not discussions.
"No problem. Oguchi-san is indeed diligent. I'll arrange it immediately." Tamura nodded vigorously.
"The second matter is more complicated," Takuya Nakayama said, leaning forward, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. "I need you to establish a new job series in the Development Department called 'Technical Manager'."
He then detailed the plan Oguchi Hisao had just proposed.
The idea was to transfer older employees who were falling behind technologically but were familiar with the processes and adept at navigating company politics. They would no longer write code but instead focus on project coordination, progress management, and resolving interdepartmental conflicts.
As Tamura listened, his professional smile gradually faded, replaced by a look of genuine astonishment.
As the HR Director, he knew all too well the pain points of large corporations.
The Lifetime Employment System is like a curse. It traps outdated employees who can't keep up with the times—unable to be fired or reprimanded. They occupy positions, drain resources, and still receive annual raises. They're practically cancerous tumors within the company.
"This... this is an excellent idea!" Tamura couldn't help but exclaim, his pen flying across his notebook. "Rather than have them pretend to be busy at their desks without producing results, it's better to have them streamline processes. But how should we determine their salaries? Since they won't be writing core code anymore, if we classify them as administrative roles, their pay might be significantly lower than their technical positions—"
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