Gyumao’s CQ 1: A CEO’s Duties

Gyumao starts narrating to you as he wonders if he’s ever talked about his past to you. He talks about how he used to be the rebellious gangster type, as hard as that might be to imagine now. He was the eldest in a set of sworn brothers, and he defied everyone from the palace of the heavens. But eventually, he left that place and came to live in Flaming Mountains with all his friends.

 

Even after this, a dispute with the heavens arose. What started as a chaotic mess between the vanguards turned into a giant ordeal. All of the heavenly army was deployed, and among them was one of his former brothers-in-arms. Gyumao shrugs and says there was no way he could win. He was exorcised and chased away from the refuge to the great path.

 

Gyumao doesn’t have an answer as to why he rebelled as he did. He doesn’t deny that he was foolish, and all he can say is that he didn’t want to obey them. He just couldn’t stomach having anything about himself decided by others, even if it was seen as “correct.” He rejected having anyone else decide how he should live his life, and so he was summoned to Tokyo.

 

Time skips to the present where some people are getting restless amidst a showy festival of sorts taking place. There’s barely any time to people to set their stalls up and many are desperate to put their things up to look nice. It’s the very picture of people aiming for success in the free market of Roppongi.

 

Anyways Gyumao walks over and greets you, thanking you for accepting his invitation. You can either tell him you were thinking of participating, say you came because you’re his partner, or that you’ll hear out any sort of request if it’s from him.

 

Going B, Gyumao laughs and says it’s a delightful answer. He also comments that you’re good at capturing the hearts of others in negotiation, almost enough to get him mistaken as someone special. But anyways he asks what you’ve brought for the store today. You have either old books, a bunch of toys, or unworn clothes from there gang.

 

Gyumao notes that you’re trying to raise money by selling off old things from your guild members. He says it’s good to have a lot of stock and asks you to have fun with it. He also hopes you’ll have a good time experiencing the market event his company is running.

Xolotl shows up at this point and is surprised to see you both. Gyumao is surprised to see him too, and Xolotl asks if you two are participating in this thing because he is too. He also happens to have the space next to yours, which he finds comforting. You ask about him running a store or if he has the day off today.

 

Xolotl explains that Hakumen ordered him to join in the project to make it a success. He does hope he can make it work, though he’s nervous about the actual selling. Gyumao remembers at this point that he has some briefing to do for the event. He wishes you two luck and says he’ll come back later, then leaves while laughing.

 

After Gyumao goes, Xolotl comments on how energetic Gyumao seems all the time. He wonders if this is what it’s like after a storm blows over somewhere, then sets the thought aside as he suggests you two do your best today.

 

Some time later, Xolotl turns out to have sold nothing at all. Neither have you for that matter. Xolotl freaks out about being spanked by Hakumen if this keeps up, then talks to himself hoping he can make at least one sale.

 

Gyumao returns at this point and laughs, commenting that you guys seem to be in trouble. Xolotl is surprised by him, and Gyumao goes on to say that you guys don’t need to worry because he’s here now. With his skills, it’ll be a snap to reform the shop and turn things around.

 

Time skips over whatever Gyumao has to say, and Xolotl mentions needing to learn from his aggressiveness and advice. Randos start walking up and take an interest in Xolotl’s things until a crowd starts forming. He’s happy and deeply touched that people are buying from him, even when the things he’s selling aren’t his. He’s also surprised you’re about sold out too. You comment that you had less to begin with and/or say it’s thanks to Gyumao.

 

Gyumao laughs and thanks you for your words. He feels his stock is rising here and invites you to jump into his chest (by which he means join his company) whenever you want. You decide to ask him how he got to be so good at business, and he tells you that all he did was advise Xolotl to treat his products as if they were antiques. The issue with his shop was that his prices were comparatively too high next to the shops around his. Whether they warranted that price is another story. In that case he may as well give a more direct endorsement and write that they’re Hakumen’s selections. That will boost her popularity as well, so two birds one stone.

 

Gyumao further explains that he suggested that part of the proceeds go to charity. As he talks he starts looking at you, and he mentions that this is just a scheme he presented, even if that’s not all to it. Gyumao notes that you two have a gift for selecting products and that your haul of things had worth in being treated as antiques too. You ask if they’re really worth that much and say you’ll need to thank the gang later.

 

Gyumao comments on your friends being here in Tokyo for a long time. Transients summoned in like him by contrast aren’t that familiar with Tokyo’s history or things that relate to it. Therefore, anything that would evoke local memories have value to them. Gyumao then notices that there’s one thing left in your store and asks if he can buy it. That turns out to be some large bracelet woven from thick threads, but he seems happy with it. He also figures it belongs to you, which you confirm as something you made in class.

 

Gyumao comments that it felt like it was oozing a certain aura and that it was left unsold because it was too big for most people. It’s the perfect size for him though of course, and it’d go well on his arm. You can either offer it to him for free or thank him for buying it.

 

Going A, Gyumao insists that you shouldn’t let business opportunities go and that it’s fine since he just wants to buy it. You put effort into it, so he’ll give you what he feels is the appropriate amount for it. This is also a part of communication, and he hopes you’ll take it to heart in your social studies. Also, he teases you saying you can’t say the thing is worth nothing now can you?

 

Gyumao thanks you for the bracelet and says you’re now sold out. That means you have time to yourself now, so he invites you to look around the place with him. There are parts of the place he hasn’t inspected yet, so he’d be happy if you accompanied him. You either say you’ll happily go with him, call it an alliance, or just nod.

 

Gyumao laughs and thanks you for saying yes. Xolotl tells you two to have fun and says he’ll try to sell out all his stuff too. Time skips a bit as you and Gyumao push your way through the lively crowds. Gyumao asks if you’re alright and says to be careful since there’s a lot of people in the area you’re at. Trouble happens a lot where people gather, and he’s thought about increasing security, but that would go against his wish for things to spread for everyone to enjoy. It’s a hard thing to consider.

 

You ask Gyumao if he’s fine considering how big he is and can wonder if you can sneak a feel without getting caught. If you go with B he notices and welcomes you to his red ocean before asking if you want to try setting up shop in a new area. Time is money but haste makes waste. Discussions can happen in private later~.

 

But anyways, Gyumao comments that the place is a lot livelier than he was expecting. That just means his sponsorship is that valuable, which he takes pride in. On that note he decides to ask what you think of the free market. You either describe it as the place where you can sell things you don’t need or as a place where interchange happens through business.

 

Gyumao nods and says whichever answer you pick has some truth to it, then tells you that it has another sort of significance to it to Transients summoned to Tokyo. Just as it’s not a regular distribution channel, it’s not often that rarities from other worlds circulate much. Lots of Transients have money problems, so they decide to sell off whatever they had on them during their summoning. Gyumao says what he is getting at is this market is a place where you can see treasures and the skill of buyers.

 

You nod and agree as you say you’ve never thought about that before. Gyumao says theft happens in places like this too, which is a problem he wracks his brain about. While this is an inspection, he’s also warning people about it a bunch of times. You ask if that’s why he asked you along or say they may have their own reasons they can’t help it.

 

Going A, Gyumao laughs and says you’ve got good insight. If something happens he’d prefer to have at least someone competent with him. This is also his attempt to make a pitch to you, so you can think of it as a simple internship. If you see anyone suspicious, act right away. You comment on how busy or hardworking he is.

 

Gyumao nods and says his current goal is to make his company even bigger. If the company doesn’t get stronger then he can’t protect his workers. He boasts that he’s been prepared to look after his employees’ lives from the start. He’ll always be waiting for the time you join his company, which he brags is a hot place to work at, Tokyo’s Flaming Mountains. You either tell Gyumao he’s getting too close to you or wonder about the benefits.

 

Before anything else happens Xolotl screams. Gyumao recognizes it and says it’s not some regular thing happening. You say something must be up and suggest checking it out. When you two get over there, Gyumao asks Xolotl what’s happening. Xolotl tells you he was robbed when he looked away for a second. Specifically, someone stole the Hakumen recommended courtesan negligee set that can happiness punch anyone in the world.

 

You are baffled at the thought of this thing while Gyumao comments that Hakumen’s personal stuff is highly valued so maybe he should have put up a guard or done that himself. For now you guys should find the thief, and he asks if Xolotl knows which way they went. Xolotl didn’t see them at all, but it hasn’t been that long so the thief can’t have gone far. Gyumao says you guys should be able to make it if you hurry then.

 

Anyways Gyumao says he has guards set up in the perimeter. The entrances are pretty busy so you can’t relax about it, but at least it’s some peace of mind. He talks about how this is when you need to keep calm and suggests handling things as soon as possible. He then tells you to get on his shoulders. You either agree or question this course of action.

 

Gyumao activates his ability to become a giant, and you yell about how big or tall he’s getting. He laughs and compares it to his skills. Gyumao then talks about how managers are wanted for their ability to see things from above, so doing this means he can get some new perspective on things. You either agree that has some logic to it or say his profile looks cool.

 

If you go with B, Gyumao thanks you for the compliment but reminds you to keep focused on other things. You can watch him do a bunch of cool stuff in the meantime though. Either way he seems to see something at this point, saying it should be possible to catch the thief and asks you to hang on. He starts walking, so you ask if he even has anywhere to put his foot down or say you’re shaking and falling.

 

Going A, Gyumao says there is and that he’s the one who thought up how the stall layout was set up so he could move around. That’s the sort of vision a manager needs! You guys reach the suspect in moments, and rando dark pirate is freaking out wondering what’s going on. You tell the guy to give up, say he can’t run, or ask him to stop so you guys can talk it out.

 

If you go C, Gyumao is surprised you’d go with that but it’s a rare quality not really seen in his company of rowdy types, so he feels you really are worth recruiting to his company. This abruptly shifts into the episode battle, and things continue after that.

 

After the battle, Gyumao confirms that he has the stolen goods. One of his employees comes by at this time and asks if the pirate is the suspect for this case. Gyumao says yes and figures the mob is a stray Transient looking for something to resell. The pirate admits to it and was blinded by his greed, then says he didn’t steal anything else.

 

You take a look at the negligee set, which is described as being decorated with a bunch of gemstones. It’s light on fabric but it makes all the important bits shine, and it gets compared to a starry night sky.

 

Gyumao is about to comment something about the piece before saying it all looks real and is surprised gems can be used in lingerie. You either are surprised they’re all real, nod and agree, or say Hakumen is gorgeous.

 

Going A, Gyumao says that few people would be able to tell that. The mob scoffs and says he’s a pirate, so he’s seen a lot of treasure in his time. He could tell it was valuable in an instant. If he managed to sell it somewhere else he could have made a huge profit, though he doesn’t have anything left to use as funds. As a true pirate himself he figured he may as well steal it...not that he’s figured out where to fence it.

 

Gyumao’s guard suggests taking the pirate away immediately and reminds him that his next appointment thing is almost around the corner. Gyumao however suggests holding off for a moment, then starts talking to the pirate about his eye for things of value. The pirate asks if he doubts him and brags about his experience while staying on edge.

 

Gyumao cheerfully offers a suggestion to the mob, saying he could become a buyer on behalf of Gyumao’s company. The pirate is shocked by this, and you ask Gyumao what he means. He explains that a buyer would be someone who buys stock for his company, and that he’s offering to hire the pirate on as one. The pirate doesn’t answer, and you either are surprised he’d hire a thief or quietly trust in him.

 

Going A, Gyumao asks to leave that subject for later as he wants to focus on talking about the future for now. Anyways, he talks about how you don’t have an organization to protect Strays. People who’ve lost their patronage can’t easily find a new way of living, and with no other ways open to them they may end up turning to crime. Just like how his Flaming Mountains used to be, he says with a wry smile.

 

Gyumao figures Flaming Mountains must be in a state of chaos even now after his defeat. After being summoned here he can’t go and check, but it’s easy enough to imagine. Back then he wasn’t prepared to be responsible for his underlings’ lives.

 

Gyumao says he wants to change himself to become someone who can protect his employees and prevent the same thing from happening again. He declares that’s why he needs to make his company stronger, so that he can protect it. The pirate is still quiet, and Gyumao composes himself saying it’s a bad habit to get fired up when making a presentation. He asks if the pirate gets why he needs him now and says he only sees good things in it for him.

 

The pirate answers that he understands why Gyumao is making his offer, but declines to join since he doesn’t want to answer to him. Gyumao is shocked by this, and you decide to speak up and suggest something to him. He turns to you and asks if you understand, and you ask if he remembers what he was talking about before, saying the pirate might be like how Gyumao used to be.

 

Gyumao sighs as he understands, then looks up at the sky. He closes his eyes for a second, then asks if the pirate will give him a chance to make another presentation. He also asks one of the mobsters to cancel his next appointment for him.

 

Time skips a bit and says what Gyumao and the pirate talked about are kept secret to themselves. All everyone else can see is that the pirate has agreed to turn himself into the police. The pirate then mentions having one thing to say before going, and Gyumao offers to consider any conditions he may put up. The pirate says he’s not so weak that he can only be protected, so when he •becomes one of his employees• he’ll be there to protect Gyumao too.

 

The pirate has one other thing to say, then declares he’ll be drawing a line as he calls Gyumao boss. The mobster says he’ll go explain things to Xolotl and act as his escort. Gyumao sees him go with a bit of shock on his face from behind.

 

Some time later Gyumao asks if you’ll hear him out for a bit. He admits that while he’s thought about protecting everyone under him, he’s never thought about being protected himself. He’s the president after all, and that’s what he kept in mind all this time as he made his way to this point. It embarrasses him to think about being protected by his future employees. You point out that’s what makes for a strong organization, say it’s not about a single employee in front of a CEO, or say a president who’s protected can be a good thing.

 

Going A, Gyumao starts laughing before saying he’s had a one-sided vision for a while now. He notices lots of new things when you’re with him, and narration says a new fire is lit in his eyes. He’s reviewed what it is he ought to do.

 

Gyumao says that in learning something new he’s gotten mightier. He thanks you for that and invites you to join his company again whenever. You can be one of his arms and together you’ll both walk the path of prosperity! He’ll always have a place for you, so join alongside him, even in his private life! You either tell him you’ll think about it, say this sounds like a proposal, or say you’ll be the one proposing.

 

Going B, Gyumao laughs again and says it ends up coming out like a proposal no matter how hard he tries to keep up appearances. He suggests getting some revenge for before, which you can just treat as another business offer. He makes a point of saying there’s a part of him not being against you seeing it as more than business stuff. He personally would like to see what sort of presentation you’d give.

 

Something falls out of Gyumao’s sleeve, which he notices is that bracelet he bought off you today. He’s shocked that it may have broke despite it being fine earlier when he went giant. He apologizes for letting this happen so soon after saying he’d take care of it. You however explain that it’s called a misanga, and when it breaks it’s suppose to mean your wish will come true.

 

Gyumao asks if that’s true and says he doesn’t have enough research done about native traditions. Gyumao talks about how his wish is for his company to become strong and his wish to change himself for that goal. It’s his wish that what happened on Flaming Mountains won’t happen a second time, then asks if that means he did change. You say his wish may have come true, smile and say nothing, or stare at him seriously.

 

Going A, he laughs and agrees. That said, Gyumao says this isn’t the end. He’s changed, and he’ll continue to change. He, as Gyumao the singular person, hopes that you’ll also be with him. A gentle smile rises to his face, softer than his usual one. The fire in his eyes also turns gentler as it shines upon you, brightening his own expression. The end.