William White had really let himself go, spending his days either fishing or catching shrimp, without a care for his business in America.
"Sir, the helicopter you ordered has arrived. Do you want to check it out?"
"So soon? Hope they didn't just pawn off some unsellable stock on me."
"No way, I checked it out just now. It's in great shape!"
"Well, Tanner, do you know how to fly it?"
"No."
"Haha, if you can't fly it, how can you tell if it's any good? Have Max and the team check it out. Make sure we aren't being had."
William White was overthinking things; who would manufacture helicopters without an order?
To protect his safety, he spared no expense. The Black Hawk helicopters of this era were considered reliable toys. He actually ordered six of them at once. Unless there was a war, most villains weren't a significant concern for him.
Still, you couldn't do much more than that. After all, you can't equip them with missiles, not even on a private island.
...
"Max, how's the helicopter?"
"Boss, everything checks out. The engine's brand new, but there's no weapons system."
"Haha, we're a security company, not buying fully armed machines."
Max gave a knowing smile, thinking it's no big deal to install some weapon mounts himself.
"Boss, the tracked off-road vehicle has also been delivered. Wanna go take a look?"
"Sure, let's check it out."
William White had invented a new term since he couldn't quite understand it. What's a tracked off-road vehicle? This thing's clearly an armored car.
"Max, we're heading out tomorrow to hunt wild boar."
Seeing the excitement on William White's face, the manager of the weapons company nearly tripped. Max wasn't quite sure either; using half a dozen armored vehicles to hunt wild boar was indeed a big idea.
William White wasn't joking; those things were far inferior to the Soviet T-70 series and way overpriced.
To be honest, they were practically just toys, maybe a bit intimidating, but that's about it.
The world was chaotic during this time, and the title of America's richest man was impressive enough. Without enough power, someone might well gamble everything.
Pirates have existed in all eras; they didn't vanish even in the 21st century, so they were naturally present during this time.
This area would soon be a hub for the wealthy. Without some security measures, everything could be wiped out.
The current equipment was really just for training. Lanai Island might seem small, but you couldn't circle it in less than half a day.
...
"Holy smokes, why's it so bumpy? Max, is this how you guys used to fight?"
"Boss, it's the commander's vehicle, not a regular personnel carrier."
"No wonder you'd need a steel helmet; this thing'd split your head open."
They were destined to miss the boar as they'd already bolted long ago. He'd never seen such an unreliable setup.
The boss wanted roast boar, so his team found a way. By the time William White returned to the beach house, they had two wild boars and a deer.
It seemed the Black Hawk was reliable. With a sniper rifle on board, everything was brought down with a single shot.
Wild boar meat wasn't much special. Though the chef knew how to prepare it, it wasn't particularly tasty.
When humans domesticate animals, they naturally preserve their delicious genes. Wild game might sell for a high price, but it really isn't as tasty as free-range meat; the price is high simply because it's rare.
The largest animals on Lanai Island were wild boars and deer, and there were quite a lot. Without prior warnings, they'd have been eaten up by now.
...
"Hey, Suzuki, do you think I should retire early?" Lying on the beach with a cigar in his mouth, letting the waves wash over his stinky feet.
"Boss, you're still so young. Why think about retiring? Are you under a lot of pressure lately?"
"Yeah, I'm actually really lazy. If I had the choice, I'd rather be a playboy."
William White was cozying up with his assistant while the Wall Street folks were pounding their calculators to death.
They easily sold a million game consoles, casually walking through the market. The American gaming companies were in a stupor; this blow was nearly fatal for them.
Even with their ads stopped, demand outstripped supply, and the leading position in this industry was now uncontested.
One company thrived while others hit the skids. If they didn't change, they'd end up in the historical trash heap like arcade machines.
William White despised these fools, hence, went away to avoid the fray.
After William White left America, they actually started to realize they were simply not in the same league. Why even bother finding the boss?
Whether these guys could produce the PS1, William White had his doubts. Comparatively, Atari was more clear-headed. They knew that game cartridges were key, while everything else was fleeting.
PS1 games were a few decades ahead in terms of experience. Understanding this made choices easy.
The biggest stumbling block was the royalty system. It was quite a load, like squeezing pennies at every corner, simply not allowing other platform developments.
In principle, it was a draconian rule, outright unfair competition.
In reality, the Fair Trade Commission raised concerns, insisting these terms had to change.
The outcome was predictable. Legendary World announced that, due to system instability, third-party game software would not be accepted.
A simple announcement caused upheaval in the market, with game stocks plummeting once again.
The Fair Trade Commission was in a tight spot. If the royalty system was illegal, they'd just play by themselves. You've got the guts, go develop your own stuff. They didn't care even if everything was made public.
Right, didn't you say there's a conspiracy?
Not playing anymore, satisfied?
"Jeez, why aren't the Japanese affected?"
"Japanese is more stable."
Well, they couldn't even bother to make up lies. Make of it what you will.
William White had confidence for good reason; collecting tolls was fundamentally fair and legal. Where's the free lunch in this world?
He wasn't afraid of the Department of Commerce probing his monopoly. Frankly, Legendary World was a new company. Just because their product's good doesn't mean they're monopolizing.
But that's only for now; a few years down the line, the scenario will change. If American game companies all sank, monopoly or not, it'd be monopoly.
Don't be surprised; the U.S. was quirky at this time, keen on bringing down big companies. They didn't tolerate industry leaders, citing consumer protection.
*****
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