Chapter 5: Chapter Five: Promotion

"Your bank account has received twenty million yen; please check and confirm~~~"

Luo Quan lay on her bed, repeatedly reading the message, her face blooming into a smile.

"Twenty million... how should I arrange you all?" Luo Quan gripped her phone tightly, letting her imagination run wild in her mind.

"Kobe beef, pan-seared sea bass, Edo-style sushi..." Luo Quan counted off on her fingers, listing the high-end Japanese dishes she knew.

Although she usually had no interest in Japanese cuisine, now that she was in Japan and had earned such a huge sum, how could she not try some?

Just as Luo Quan was about to search her phone for the most expensive Japanese restaurant, an email arrived from Sony Records.

"The release preparations for your three songs have officially begun. Would Miss Quan be available to shoot the album cover?"

"Of course!" Luo Quan perked up, suddenly remembering her primary task was not indulgence, but promoting her upcoming album.

"Then let’s meet at Odaiba Seaside Park. Our field team is currently shooting there—staff will come pick you up right away."

"Alright, I’ll wait for you downstairs."

After sending the message, Luo Quan quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth, then put on a pair of brand-new white sneakers and stepped out.

After waiting about ten minutes downstairs, a black sedan pulled up before Luo Quan—it was Miki again.

"What a coincidence," Luo Quan said, surprised but smiling at the young man once more.

"From now on, I’ll be handling all matters concerning Miss Quan," Miki said, stepping out and opening the rear right door, gesturing politely.

Luo Quan tugged at the hem of her T-shirt and got into the car, all of which was seen by the landlord lounging on a shaded chair.

"It's blazing hot, why is he wearing a black suit?" The landlord, seeing Miki's attire, immediately thought of Japanese organized crime groups like the Yamaguchi-gumi or Sumiyoshi-kai—those legitimate thugs always dressed in suits like this!

Thinking this, the landlord sucked in a sharp breath—could this girl have attached herself to some yakuza boss?!

Before he could step out to ask, Miki drove off.

Previously, Luo Quan had assumed that Tokyo, as the world’s most populous metropolis, would have unbearable traffic congestion, like its trains—so packed you’d doubt your own sanity.

But once on the road, she found Tokyo’s traffic wasn’t nearly as congested as she’d imagined, especially during morning rush hour.

If this were her hometown of Yuzhou, the streets would surely be gridlocked beyond recognition.

One reason for this was Tokyo’s dense network of tiny side streets, like capillaries, which greatly relieved pressure on major roads and gave drivers more route options.

Another reason was that although Tokyo residents had a high car ownership rate, usage was extremely low—many families bought cars and left them gathering dust in garages, some only driving once a month.

In fact, most Tokyoites believed trains were far more convenient; their first choice for travel was the train, second was the bicycle, and third was the private car.

If Tokyo ever became as congested as Jingcheng, those commuting by train would surely be much more comfortable.

Odaiba Seaside Park was located in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, even closer than Shinjuku Ward, where Luo Quan had been the day before; along the way, the car barely stopped except at traffic lights, arriving at the destination in just twenty minutes.

As a famous Tokyo commercial district, Odaiba was always bustling with crowds and traffic, and its seaside park was one of the must-visit tourist spots for visitors from all over the world.

But today, a large area of the park was cleared out, occupied by only a few dozen people.

It wasn’t some rich person renting the space—it was because Japan’s hottest idol star, Hoshino Sakura, was shooting a photo album there.

As one of Japan’s most popular female idols, Hoshino Sakura was actually a Japanese-American who had lived in the U.S. during her youth and moved to Japan after coming of age.

After signing with Sony Records, she released several singles, quickly winning the hearts of countless Japanese otaku and middle-aged men with her sweet voice and pure, beautiful looks; her albums sold like wildfire, and her popularity skyrocketed.

Next, Hoshino Sakura entered the television drama scene, starring in two hit urban romance series that earned both high ratings and critical acclaim; thanks to these dramas, she even broke into the Korean and Huaxia markets, her fame reaching unbelievable heights.

Soon it would be her second anniversary since debut, and to thank her fans for their long-term support, Hoshino Sakura had come specifically to the seaside park to shoot a swimsuit photo set as a gift for them.

But the shooting didn’t seem to be going smoothly—the Sony field team had already set up the location and all crew members were in place, yet Hoshino Sakura still lay on a beach chair, legs crossed, lazily enjoying the sea breeze.

Her manager stood nearby, face grim, trying to persuade her, but Hoshino Sakura, wearing sunglasses, showed no expression, utterly unmoved.

This was one of Hoshino Sakura’s few major flaws: she liked to throw tantrums—or rather, she was arrogant.

Whenever something didn’t go her way during work, she’d refuse to continue; in serious cases, she’d fly into a rage. No one knew what had triggered this outburst today, leaving the entire team waiting for her alone.

Miki led Luo Quan into the shooting area, and a young man in a short-sleeved shirt and baseball cap quickly approached: "Miki-kun, you and Miss Quan may have to wait a bit longer before shooting begins."

"What’s going on? Is Hoshino-san having another tantrum?" Miki had little personal interaction with Hoshino Sakura, but he’d heard of the infamous "Hot-Tempered Princess."

"Hot-Tempered Princess" was a derogatory nickname used by her haters, filled with mockery and disdain; many company staff privately referred to her by this black label.

"One of the new runners on the photography team bought Hoshino-san’s iced coffee with the wrong flavor. She took one sip, threw it on the ground, and refused to start shooting."

"The new guy has to go get another one—he hasn’t come back yet."

"How could something like this happen?" Miki frowned, glancing toward Hoshino Sakura, then at Luo Quan beside him: "I’m truly sorry, Miss Quan—you’ll have to wait a little longer."

Luo Quan smiled lightly: "It’s fine. I’m on summer break anyway—I’m just treating this like a trip."

Miki exhaled deeply—thankfully, Miss Quan didn’t have Hoshino Sakura’s erratic temper; if she were another spoiled diva, everyone present would’ve been in trouble.

With the bright sun shining, Luo Quan bought a pair of wooden sandals from a convenience store behind them, changed into them, and ran to the shore to play in the waves.

As someone from inland who had never seen the ocean before, this was her first time ever visiting the seaside. She had once naively thought the sea would be just like a swimming pool covered in sand—but now that she stood on the actual beach, she realized they were entirely different concepts!

The vastness, the scenery before her eyes—nothing a swimming pool could ever match.

As Luo Quan walked along the shore, the slightly salty sea breeze brushed her cheeks like a lover’s gentle hand, lifting her hair into the air.

The azure waves rose and fell with the ocean’s every breath, each retreat and surge soaking her plump, round toes and translucent insteps; the refreshing sensation easily offset the scorching heat of summer.

Too bad she was a landlubber who couldn’t float a single second in water—if she could swim, she’d have changed into a swimsuit and plunged into the crashing waves, swimming where the blue sea met the blue sky.

Just as Luo Quan stood by the shore, sighing in vain, the new employee who had bought the wrong coffee returned. To get Hoshino Sakura’s preferred mocha frappe, he had run a full five kilometers round-trip; his shirt was drenched in sweat, yet he hadn’t even had time to wipe a single drop.

"Miss Sakura, I’ve brought the coffee you like! I didn’t know your taste before—I’m truly sorry!" The new employee bowed at a perfect forty-five degrees, holding the plastic bag with the coffee high above his head, face filled with sincerity.

Hoshino Sakura glanced at him with the corner of her eye and said, "I see. Put it over there."