VISION GRID SYSTEM: THE COMEBACK OF RYOMA TAKEDA

Another knock comes from behind him. Ryoma turns around and sees Maria standing at the doorway with a folder tucked under one arm.

"Ah... I shouldn't be here," Aki says, smiling at Ryoma. "See you later."

"Drop by the gym sometime," Ryoma says.

"Definitely."

After giving one last wave, Aki gently closes the door behind her.

Now Ryoma finds himself alone, facing two businesswomen whose poise and charm would put many celebrities to shame. Yet it does little to unsettle him.

Ironically, Reika is the one who looks noticeably more nervous.

Calm down, Reika. He came here for business.

Just business.

Doing her best to maintain her composure, she gestures toward the sofa set across the coffee table.

"Please, have a seat."

Ryoma nods, takes a seat, and waits until Maria and Reika take their seats across from him.

For a few moments, the office falls quiet, the kind of silence that naturally settles before serious business begins.

"I think we both already know why I'm here," Ryoma begins. "I'll be fighting Miguel Cabello for the WBO world title. Ronin intends to stage that fight at the Tokyo Dome."

Maria gives a small nod. "So this is about partnership. What's your current projection?"

Ryoma doesn't answer immediately. He knows the card needs to be changed. So he quietly recalculates everything in his head while giving the picture.

"Satoru opens the show," he begins. "The All Japan Rookie King winner. Two additional Class-B bouts. Okabe in a JBC final title eliminator. Aramaki's first Japanese title defense against Rikiya Miyamoto. Kenta against a top-ten WBO contender. Ryohei versus Umemoto Kimitada in a Japanese title rematch as the co-main event. And of course, Miguel Cabello versus me as headliner."

Maria is the first to react, her expression changes, clearly showing interest, realizing how every fight on the proposed card carries genuine commercial value.

Two of the country's most anticipated rematches are there. Kenta's leap toward the world rankings has a clear narrative. And above them all sits Ryoma's world title challenge against Miguel Cabello.

On paper, it is exactly the kind of lineup capable of convincing people to spend an entire day inside the Tokyo Dome rather than showing up only for the main event.

"That..." Maria says slowly, "isn't just an expensive card. It's a very ambitious one."

Ryoma nods once. "My estimate is somewhere between 22 and 23 million dollars. And that's before purse bid, which could cost us another 7 to 10 million."

Maria leans back against the sofa. "So your total exposure could reach... 35 million dollars. That's an enormous amount of money."

"It is." Ryoma's answer comes without hesitation. "And we have enough capital to start the project ourselves."

That immediately catches Maria's attention. She had expected him to arrive looking like a promoter cornered by an oversized project. Instead, Ryoma deliberately presents the opposite picture.

But she knows exactly what he's doing. By establishing that Ronin is capable of moving forward on its own, Ryoma is protecting his bargaining position from the very first sentence of the negotiation.

"But considering the relationship between our companies," Ryoma continues, "I'd like to open the door for another partnership."

A faint smile appears on Maria's face. "Fair enough. Then why don't we simply repeat what worked at Yoyogi?"

Ryoma already knows where she's going before she finishes.

"I'm not interested," he declines.

Maria tilts her head slightly. "Not interested? If the price is the problem, we can improve the offer. Five million dollars for exclusive Japanese broadcasting rights. Fifteen million for exclusive United States broadcasting rights. And Vegas-level production from NSN at no additional cost."

Reika quietly watches Ryoma, wondering whether an offer that generous might finally persuade him. To her, it also feels like something she has quietly wished for all these years; her father finally extending a genuine hand to Ryoma instead of merely treating him as a valuable asset.

Instead, Ryoma calmly shakes his head. "I didn't come here to sell broadcasting rights."

Reika blinks, clearly caught off guard. "Eh? Why? Aren't the numbers high enough?"

"It's not about the money," Ryoma says. "Rather than giving up control over my own image, I came here to invite NSN to invest. I want NSN to cover fifty percent of the project's total operating cost. But Ronin remains the sole promoter."

Maria can't help shaking her head inwardly. Even in a situation where most promoters would gladly trade control for financial security, Ryoma remains as stubborn as ever.

Some people would probably call it arrogance or sheer obstinacy. Maria, however, sees a man who knows exactly what his own dignity is worth and refuses to bargain it away.

"Then tell me this," Maria says with a nod. "What exactly does NSN receive in return for investing that much?"

"First," Ryoma begins, "Ronin will use NSN's services throughout the project. Production, marketing, ticket distribution… we'll hire all of them from your company."

Maria gives a slight nod, signaling him to continue.

"Second, NSN will have the first right to negotiate the domestic broadcasting rights, as well as the U.S. rights through your group, both with a five-percent discount. But I won't sell exclusive broadcasting rights to anyone."

Maria tilts her head. "Is that all?"

"Also a fifteen-percent share of the project's profit," Ryoma adds.

Maria leans back against the sofa and quietly considers the proposal. On paper, it is already a respectable offer. NSN secures multiple revenue streams while strengthening its relationship with the country's fastest-growing promotion. Even so, negotiations are negotiations.

"The incentives are still too modest," she says. "You're asking us to shoulder half of the investment risk. If Ronin fails, NSN fails with you."

Ryoma meets her eyes without the slightest hesitation. "You don't need to worry about that. For starters, I've already secured the title sponsorship. Aqualis Labs has agreed to four million dollars. Two million before the purse bid. The remaining two million once we win it."

"Aqualis..." Maria says with a faint smile. "They've supported your events for years, regardless of the risk involved. That doesn't necessarily tell me how the rest of the market will respond."

For the first time since the meeting began, a faint twitch runs through Ryoma's brow. The remark strikes him as unnecessarily disingenuous.

They have negotiated with each other for years, long enough to know exactly where the other's cards lie.

"Don't kid yourself, Maria," Ryoma says calmly. "For years, NSN has been coming after my events like ants swarming sugar. If the risk were truly as high as you're trying to make it sound, Logan Rhodes wouldn't have flown all the way from the United States just to start the conversation with me."

Maria doesn't deny it. She knows the point is valid, yet she decides to test his resolve one more time.

"Even so, fifteen percent is still too low. It would be a different story if…"

"Eighteen percent," Ryoma offers.

Maria shakes her head. "Thirty-five."

"Twenty."

"Thirty."

"Twenty five."

"Twenty-eight."

Ryoma's face sharpens and repeats himself.

"Twenty five. Final."

Maria lets out a quiet laugh and rubs her temple. "You really know how to make someone sweat. Just to be clear, the twenty five percent is calculated from net profit?"

Ryoma nods. "After every project expense has been deducted, but promotion fees are excluded. Ronin will bear those separately."

Maria studies him in silence. From the way he has structured the negotiation from the very beginning, it is obvious Ryoma hasn't walked into this room hoping to improvise.

Every number has been calculated, every concession measured, and despite negotiating aggressively, he has still left enough room to keep the proposal fair.

Maria knows it isn't the structure Logan had hoped for. Even so, she has to admit the offer remains commercially sensible, and if the event outperforms Ryoma's previous shows, NSN still stands to gain substantially.

Before she can say anything, Reika quietly leans toward her.

"It's a good deal for us… Right?"

Maria glances at her, and Reika's grips on her arm slightly tightens.

"Right?"

Reika even smiles a little more brightly.

"...Right?"

Maria closes her eyes for a brief moment before letting out a quiet sigh and turns back to Ryoma.

"All right. Give us some time. This isn't a decision I can make on my own. We'll need to discuss it internally first."

Ryoma straightens his suit jacket, buttons it, and rises from the sofa. "Of course. And when you speak to Logan Rhodes, tell him there's one more thing I'd like from him."

Maria tilts her head. "What's that?"

"If he's genuinely interested in this partnership," Ryoma says, "he can start by giving us some intelligence from his side."

Maria frowns, unable to follow. "What do you mean?"

Ryoma simply turns away. "Logan will know exactly what I mean. Just pass the message along."

Maria's brow twitches almost imperceptibly. Even until the very end, Ryoma never softens his stance. There is no handshake, no polite attempt to ease the atmosphere before leaving.

Letting out a quiet breath, Maria begins gathering her notes, mentally organizing the points she will later present to Logan.

Halfway through, however, she notices Reika staring at Ryoma's back with eyes so openly smitten that Maria almost wants to cry.

"Oh, God. He just spent the last thirty minutes giving me a headache... and somehow that's exactly what you find attractive."

Reika blinks, looking genuinely confused, and turns to her. "He's the same age as me, and did you see the way he handled that negotiation? He knew exactly what he wanted, and kept the entire discussion on his own terms."

Maria only shakes her head as she rises and walks toward the door.

"You're hopeless."

Deep down, Maria understands exactly why Logan entrusted the Tokyo branch to Reika. Keeping someone this close to Ryoma has done wonders for NSN's relationship with Ronin.

But sometimes, Maria can't tell whether Reika is protecting the company's interests or Ryoma's. And that distinction, she fears, might one day bankrupt the company for the sake of love.

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