Zaboru made his way to the guest room—often referred to as the waiting room—located within the ZAGE USA headquarters. As he entered, his gaze landed on an elderly man seated with quiet dignity, dressed in a well-fitted suit and holding a cane. A warm smile spread across Zaboru's face as recognition sparked in his eyes.
"Mr. Disney," Zaboru greeted him with a smile, extending his hand.
Walt Disney began to rise from his seat. Zaboru instinctively moved to assist him, but Walt stood up on his own with a chuckle. "I'm still strong, boy. Hahaha," he said with a wide grin as he firmly shook Zaboru's hand. "Nice to et you, Zaboru boy."
Zaboru's expression brightened further, his eyes gleaming. "Please co to my office, Mr. Disney. We can speak more comfortably there."
With a sense of mutual respect and curiosity, the two n walked side by side down the hallway toward Zaboru's office inside the ZAGE USA building.
Walt Disney sat down with a gentle sigh, the creak of the chair beneath him echoing softly in the room. Zaboru, attentive and respectful, asked with a courteous smile, "Would you like sothing to drink, Mr. Disney?"
Walt let out a small chuckle. "Just water is fine. Can't drink anything else anymore—age, you know."
Zaboru nodded in understanding, moved to the mini-fridge tucked in the corner, and retrieved a chilled bottle of water. He poured it carefully into a crystal glass, then handed it to Walt before taking a seat across from him with a warm, welcoming expression.
Despite being well into his 80s, Walt Disney carried himself with an energy and charisma that belied his years. His posture was upright, his eyes still sparkled with curiosity and passion, and his voice had not lost its signature warmth. To anyone eting him for the first ti, he could easily pass for soone in his 60s.
"Mr. Disney, to be honest, I'm a fan… I love your work," Zaboru said sincerely, his voice tinged with admiration. Walt Disney chuckled warmly. "Well, I'm your fan too. I've been playing quite a few of your gas lately, and I must say, I'm impressed."
Zaboru's eyes lit up, a genuine glow of pride and excitent crossing his face. "Really? That's truly an honor, Mr. Disney. Did you enjoy them?"
Walt leaned back slightly and nodded with a chuckle. "Yes, your characters are fantastic. They've got charm, depth, and heart. I really like them. But Zaboru boy, I'm not here just to chat. I've co with a proposal."
Zaboru's expression turned thoughtful, his mind imdiately racing. A proposal? What kind of proposal… Could Disney be planning to acquire ZAGE, like Microsoft did in my past life? If that's the case, I can't agree to it—even if it's Walt Disney himself making the offer.
Zaboru viewed Walt Disney very differently than he did Bill Gates. Walt had the aura of a true artist—soone whose work was driven by passion and a desire to bring joy, not by financial gain. In contrast, Bill Gates always gave off the impression that every creation needed to serve profit above all else. The distinction was clear to Zaboru: one created for people, the other for the bottom line.
Walt Disney leaned forward slightly and asked, "Before I make you my offer... Zaboru boy, do you believe in fate?"
Zaboru nodded. "Yes, Mr. Disney. I believe in fate."
Walt chuckled softly. "Good. Ever since I was a kid, I've always had this strange sensitivity to fate. Lately... I've had a strong feeling that I might need your help."
Zaboru raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "My help? With what, Mr. Disney?"
Walt grinned. "To buy Disney from —and lead it to beco what it's truly ant to be, both now and in the future."
Zaboru's eyes widened. "…? Buy Disney…? But why?"
Walt smiled with warmth. "Like I said, fate plays a part in this. And now that I've t you face-to-face, I understand what kind of man you are. You create not for profit, but for people—to make sothing aningful. The profit cos only because it has to, to keep your vision alive. That's how I've always seen myself too. We're alike in that way, Zaboru."
Zaboru stayed silent for a mont. "It's an honor… but I'm not sure if I'm the one ant to do it—buying Disney?"
Walt sighed deeply. "Zaboru boy, Disney is like a daughter to … I love her dearly. I've always wanted Disney to create things that fill people's hearts with joy and wonder. But I can't do this forever. I'm old now, and death isn't far off. Truthfully, I'm tired. I want to rest."
He paused, collecting his thoughts. "I fear that when I'm gone, Disney will collapse without soone to guide it. That's why I've thought this through. I need a successor—a worthy one. And that person is you, Zaboru boy. Let's just say... I have a strong hunch."
Zaboru nodded, thinking, "Buying Disney could solve a lot for ZAGE. They've got the best animation teams right now, and their IP catalog is outstanding. I could create so much with it—not to ntion the potential for expanding Disneyland locations in the future. But still... will it really be that easy? Will the U.S. governnt let it slide? Would they penalize just for being a foreigner trying to take over one of their biggest entertainnt companies?" While Zaboru sat in silence, carefully weighing the pros and cons, Walt Disney chuckled.
"Don't overthink it… I know what you're worried about—the U.S. governnt, right? Don't stress. I've already made arrangents to ensure they won't be able to touch Disney, even after I'm gone."
Zaboru looked surprised. "But how…?"
Walt chuckled. "That's my little secret, hehehe. Now then—are you interested in my proposal?"
Zaboru responded with honesty. "If I said I wasn't interested, I'd be a terrible liar, Mr. Disney. But the question is... how much are you willing to sell for?"
Walt leaned back and smiled. "Well, Disney is currently valued at around 2.5 billion USD. I personally own 80%, and my daughters hold 10% each. I'm offering to sell 50% of my stake to you—for 1 billion dollars."
Zaboru's eyes widened. That figure was nearly equivalent to ZAGE's total annual profit. While ZAGE technically had the funds, it would take careful planning and strategic coordination to make such a purchase work.
Walt Disney grinned. "That would be the case if soone ca to asking to buy the shares. But this ti, I'm the one approaching you. So I'll lower the price—800 million dollars, Zaboru boy."
Zaboru leaned back, absorbing the weight of the offer. "That's a huge sum… and it's incredibly tempting. But I'll need to et with the ZAGE higher-ups to discuss this properly, Mr. Disney. I'll need a bit more ti."
Walt Disney's eyes lit up—it was clear now that Zaboru genuinely wanted to buy Disney. "So you're willing… I see. Tell , Zaboru boy, if you were to buy Disney, do you believe you can make it shine again within five years? Can you create sothing powerful enough to captivate the audience in that ti?"
Zaboru didn't hesitate. He t Walt's gaze directly and grinned. "I definitely can, Mr. Disney. That's a promise."
Walt studied Zaboru for a long mont. There was no hesitation in the young man's eyes. No doubt, no fear. Just conviction. It was all Walt needed to see.
Walt Disney burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha! That's the spirit! If that's the case, maybe I'll get to see sothing great before I die! Let put it this way: if you decide to buy Disney, go ahead and tell the public the deal was for one billion dollars. But between us? You'll only need to pay 700 million. I'll personally cover the remaining 300 million. I just want the public to believe Disney is still a high-value company. Perception matters, hahaha!"
Zaboru smiled and let out a soft chuckle. "I'm definitely interested, Mr. Disney. But I'll need more ti to prepare. Could you give until next month?"
Walt, sensing the weight of the decision and respecting Zaboru's position, nodded calmly. "Very well, Zaboru boy. I'll wait for you until next month."
Not long after, the eting concluded, and Walt Disney quietly returned to his ho. anwhile, Zaboru lingered in the office, deep in thought. He sighed, knowing this was a matter he couldn't rush.
He would have to wait until he returned to Japan before making any final decisions. Another internal eting would be essential—one that included the Erald Wings representative. He made a ntal note to summon Ryan Miller back to Japan within the next three days. The next steps would require strategy, support, and absolute clarity.
To be continue
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