I Found a Hole in my Yard. It Might Be a Dungeon, but That’s Now my Garbage Dump

A few days after the call, Ishida visited Hiroki with someone who seemed to be a school staff.

[I’m sorry for having you come all this way.]

[No, no. It sounds interesting, and I’m the kind of person who is inclined to go to places when something interests me.]

When they got out of the car and exchanged greetings, Ishida suddenly felt something strange.

[Arehh…… President, doesn’t the atmosphere around you feel rather different?]

[Ehh…… Is that so? I’ve been drinking often lately, so I guess I became fatter?]

Laughing, Hiroki tapped his belly, which was tighter than before.

However, Ishida feels like Hiroki is a whole lot bigger than he used to be.

Also, there’s his eyes.

There are two ways that people look at highly-educated intellectuals like Ishida.

They either look at you as if you’re a youngster who doesn’t know what the real world is like, or they look at you with pure respect.

Hiroki’s eyes were neither of these though.

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His eyes felt like they’re black holes, as even though he himself had approached them, it felt like he wasn’t interested in them and was looking at something else.

[Sensei, is something the matter?]

When Hiroki called out to him, Ishida realized that he had been silent for a while.

Ishida pushed such thoughts away from his mind.

The reason he had come to such a remote place was to take the initiative in the upcoming business.

In order to do that, he had to keep talking with more information than the other party could process.

[It’s nothing. It was just that I had been up late doing research.]

[I see. I guess being a scholar really must be tough. Ahh, it’s getting hot, so let’s talk about the details in the office.]

[Yes. We’re in your care.]

Pulling himself together, Ishida followed Hiroki.

★　★　★　★　★

[This place was quite clean, wasn’t it?]

Ishida’s praise at the sight of the office was exaggerated, but he wasn’t just trying to say flattering words.

Unless they work in an industry where they’re serving customers, the office of local small businesses would usually be a messy place littered with picture frames with quotes on the walls and papers scattered all over the place, but Hiroki’s office that they were led to was tidy for a room that also functions as his home.

[Well, I suppose it’s just that I don’t have that much stuff.]

As Hiroki said, there were so few things in his office that it was almost bleak.

In his office, there was a sofa for visitors, an office desk and a laptop. Then, there’s the small refrigerator.

And then, on the wall, there is only a large flat screen monitor.

All of these are new.

[That’s a big monitor.]

[I use it for my hobby. It also doubles as a TV.]

There didn’t seem to be much equipment in the office that would require the use of a large monitor though, so Itsuki wondered if Hiroki used it to watch moving or something.

If that was the case though, he should have had a better sound system, but he didn’t seem to have any speakers or anything like that.

However, he just pushes such thoughts aside.

They came here today to talk about business.

[First of all, I’d like to explain our services to you……]

[You’re talking about that venture, right? I understand.]

[In the first place, there is the context in the government policy that universities and companies should contribute as members of the local community……]

Ishida signaled to the staff to prepare the documents for everyone, and began smoothly speaking his words.

★　★　★　★　★

[……And so, well, that’s how it is. This is the background of the promotion of the system known as the University-launched venture companies. It’s a national policy, so to speak.]

Ishida’s hour-long monologue finally ended.

[I see, so that’s how it is.]

Wondering how much he really understood, Ishida smiled at Hiroki’s constant affirmation.

[The university’s technology is put to practical use by the companies. The way they do this is through corporatization. If the university sells their technology and the company just buys it, there will be no mutual development. In the first place, technology is always advancing, so incorporation is desirable to ensure continuous investment in technology development.]

(T/N: Corporatization refers to the restructuring/transformation of a state-owned asset or organization into a corporation.)

[Hmmm…… but does that even apply to this case? I’m not receiving any technology from the university after all……]

Ishida nodded his head in agreement to Hiroki’s answer.

This was the point where Ishida focused his wisdom the most.

Guiding the listener’s questions by giving explanations with holes in them beforehand, and increasing their confidence by answering them.

This is a presentation technique that is also used in academic paper presentations.

[That’s the thing! I think President Gomi’s technology is wonderful. However, even though they knew that you had some sort of great technology, the municipality and large companies that you do business with are worried about the fact that they don’t know what exactly you were doing.

……Please don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say, but even though there are some companies that have been touted for their amazing technologies, there are also some companies that would be seen as fraudulent for possessing an impossibly amazing technology. In the U.S., there was a scam that raised a huge amount of money by claiming that they were able to diagnose all diseases a person has with a drop of their blood. As for ascertaining such technologies, I think it would be difficult to say. That’s why companies that can explain their technologies will often get the job.]

[Ahh, I see. I’ve read about that company on the internet. If I remember correctly, the president was a young and beautiful lady, wasn’t she?]

[Yes, she was. However, she actually did well. Large corporations and local governments are vulnerable to appearances.]

[Hmmm…… But I kinda look like……]

[No, no, President Gomi looked fearless enough, but that isn’t the point. What I’m talking about is the appearance in business transactions of the scientific reliability of the test results data.

For example, you’ve seen those commercials that show a notebook PC that was dropped from a meter above ground several times in a Drop Impact Test, right? When dealing with large corporations, you would need such data.

If I were to give a concrete example, you would have to send in the results of the survey we did last time to your business partners, only it would be before and after your waste treatment. If possible, install sensors and monitoring posts, and set up a system that allows for hourly reporting. If you can show that you are in compliance with the law, then companies will be able to do business with you with confidence.]

[I see…… The appearance of the data huh. That’s certainly something I didn’t do……]

As a sole proprietorship, Hiroki’s office didn’t have the facilities to conduct such inspections, nor did he have the skills to write reports that could support an audit by a large corporation.

[You could set up just the monitoring post, and the data transmission could be done from the university lab. In fact, that might make it look more reliable.]

[But even the laboratory would become part of a company through the Industry-Academic Collaboration, right? Being that it’s part of the circle, would that report really be alright?]

(T/N: So, it’s just like asking the CIA to investigate the CIA.)

[It was because the laboratory is still affiliated to the university. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.]

[I see, appearances huh……]

Ishida felt like the duck was getting totally drawn in.

There is no way he’d let this timing away.

After Ishida signaled the staff beside him with a glance, the staff pulled out a contract from his bag.

[For the time being, for our conversation to proceed, I prepared a contract. The contract is just a memorandum, and it’s for applying to the university for future travel expenses and such. If it’s good with you, I’d like you to stamp your seal on it.]

[Ahh, yes, yes.]

Hiroki accepted the contract that was naturally presented to him.

Hearing Hiroki’s words…… Ishida inwardly smiled.

……For if he just stamps his seal, that technology would now be his.

Thinking about how unbecoming such technology is for a country-side company, Ishida plans to make it useful to the world……

Ishida was convinced that his plan would be a success.