As the two Japanese men in black three-piece suits arrived at the main entrance of the towering office building, they craned their necks to look up at the imposing structure. Though they had traveled extensively throughout Europe and Avalonia, they had never encountered a building of such magnitude and grandeur before. The sheer size of the edifice was enough to make them feel small and insignificant in its shadow.
One of the men took a deep breath and straightened his tie, attempting to gather his composure before entering. The other man seemed more at ease, but even he couldn't help feeling a sense of trepidation. They were here for an important meeting, one that could potentially make or break their careers, and the sheer scale of the building only added to the weight of their responsibility.
As they stepped through the door and into the vast lobby, they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sheer opulence of the place. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, and marble floors gleamed beneath their feet. The air was scented with a faint whiff of expensive perfume, and the gentle hum of activity filled the space.
A beautiful lady approached them gracefully and bowed.
"Good morning to the Axelsen & Nielsen Headquarters. May I ask who is Mr. Omura here?" Amelia asked, flickering her gaze between them.
"That would be me," the taller of the two men replied, introducing himself as Omura. He was a middle-aged man with a round, jovial face and a rotund figure. His dark hair was slicked back neatly, and his eyes were warm and twinkling with good humor.
Omura's suit was strained at the seams by his ample girth, and his tie was loosened slightly around his neck. Despite his physical appearance, however, he exuded an air of confidence and geniality that was infectious.
Omura continued. "This man standing next to me is my personal secretary, Mr. Sanada."
Amelia bowed politely to Omura and Sanada. "I'll inform your arrival to the executives, please make yourself comfortable by taking a seat there," she gestured to a luxurious waiting area furnished with plush chairs and coffee tables.
Omura and Sanada thanked Amelia and made their way to the waiting area. As they sat down, Omura leaned over to his secretary and whispered, "They got a quite of an office building here, Sanada. I have never seen something like this."
Sanada nodded in agreement. "True, normally, we would see palaces but this one, has a height that can pierce through the sky."
Omura sighed, feeling a tinge of regret. "It's a shame that our country is so far behind in these fields. We have much to learn from the West if we ever hope to catch up."
Sanada nodded solemnly, knowing all too well the struggles of their home country in modernizing and keeping up with the rapidly changing world.
"Yeah, if we don't want the Western powers exerting their influence in our country as they did to the Qing Dynasty and Joseon, we must put in the effort to develop ourselves," Sanada replied.
Omura nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We cannot allow ourselves to be left behind, or we risk becoming vulnerable to external forces."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. Omura and Sanada looked up to see Amelia.
"Mr. Nielsen and Mr. Axelsen are going to see you now. Please follow me,"
Omura and Sanada rose to their feet and followed Amelia behind. They were led to the elevator, a technology they are already aware of but different from the one they knew.
"This elevator, if I may ask, is powered by a steam engine?" Omura asked.
"No, Mr. Omura, this elevator is run by electric motors. Specifically AC motors," Amelia answered.
"AC motors?" Omura raised an eyebrow, unfamiliar with the term. He heard of DC motors but not AC motors.
The door of the elevator opened and they stepped inside. Amelia pushed a button in the panel and they started to feel the elevator ascending smoothly and swiftly. Omura and Sanada were impressed by the speed and efficiency of the elevator, which seemed to effortlessly glide upwards.
"How about AC motors? I have heard of DC motors but not AC."
"I'm not actually well-versed in the engineering concept of the elevator but I can explain to you the basic idea of AC motors. AC stands for alternating current, which means the electric current periodically reverses direction. AC motors use this alternating current to produce a rotating magnetic field that drives the motor shaft. This makes them more efficient than DC motors and they can be used in a wide range of applications," Amelia explained.
Omura nodded thoughtfully, impressed by the explanation. He made a mental note to inform his countryman about this new motor.
The elevator doors opened to reveal a spacious and tastefully decorated office. It has wall-sized windows that can see through the entire company town, giving an impressive view. In the center of the room sat two men behind a large mahogany desk. They were impeccably dressed in sharp suits and wore stern expressions on their faces.
"Mr. Omura and Mr. Sanada, welcome to Axelsen & Nielsen. I'm Mr. Nielsen, and this is my partner, Mr. Axelsen," the man on the left said as he rose to greet them.
"Allow me to introduce myself formally, Mr. Nielsen," Omura said and began. "I'm Takeshi Omura from Imperial Japan. Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Labor."
Poul and Jonathan nodded upon his introduction. Hearing his title made him an all the more important client as he is not only a businessman but a Cabinet Minister in the Japanese Government.
"Please take a seat, gentleman," Jonathan gestured to the plush seats in front of their desk. "So that we can begin our negotiations."
Omura and Sanada promptly took their seats as Jonathan and Poul sat back down.
"I assume you are here to discuss an acquisition deal of AN-M1 rifles? Because if that was the case, then you have come to the right place. Our enterprise in weapons manufacturing has been gathering a lot of attention from the rest of the world due to its effectiveness in the war that is happening in Europe."
"You assumed correctly, Mr. Nielsen. We have come for those weapons as we believe that those rifles could help us achieve what our Imperial Majesty wants," Omura said.
"Very well, let's start this," Poul said.
