Chapter 204: Cheng Chen

Rebirth Begins in Chinese Entertainment 2002, Chapter 200: Cheng Chen's Japanese Fandom Girl

Cheng Chen's situation in Japan had all been reported back to China.

The video footage of Cheng Chen being surrounded by numerous Japanese media and fans was swiftly covered by multiple outlets.

This fiery scene also delivered a powerful rebuttal to those in China who had doubted Cheng Chen's trip.

Of course, Cheng Chen, far across the ocean, knew nothing of any of this.

At this moment, he was secluding himself in the hotel to practice, ever since yesterday when fans recognized him on the streets of Japan.

Cheng Chen had become much more low-key in his conduct.

Although those fans had merely offered polite greetings.

But so far, he still needed to focus his energy on the upcoming concert.

"Deng-deng."

Cheng Chen's door was knocked on; his driver and bodyguard, Shi Qiang, walked in and said:

"Boss Cheng, the interpreter outside says a Japanese woman claiming to be Ishihara Rimi wants to visit you."

Since news of Cheng Chen's arrival in Japan spread, many had sent him invitations.

Including Japan's six major television networks.

Japanese television networks can be divided into two categories based on their nature, alongside the other five.

Why this division? Because Japan operates a public-private hybrid broadcasting system.

Simply put, it is a public broadcasting institution, state-owned.

Fuji, TBS, Asahi, and Tokyo are commercial broadcasting institutions, privately owned.

Simply put, it has immense influence, similar to China's.

The most typical program is the Kohaku Uta Gassen, somewhat like our country's "Spring Festival Gala," broadcast every December 31st evening.

As a state-owned broadcaster, it was the first to extend an invitation to Cheng Chen.

Immediately following was Fuji Television, the "ratings king" among the six.

Fuji Television's dramas are powerful, especially the Moon Nine Theater, which enjoys great fame.

In the 1980s and 1990s, it was the era of Moon Nine.

For example, Tokyo Love Story, LegalHigh, and Proposal Daisakusen all came from Fuji Television.

The late-night program Tales of the Unusual, familiar to Chinese audiences, is also from this network.

Cheng Chen had no intention of engaging with any of the six.

He merely deferred, saying he was fully focused on preparing for the concert, wanting to present his best self to Japanese fans.

This excuse, coming from a man known for Japan's strict conservatism, fit their sensibilities perfectly.

Isn't an artist who strives with such dedication worthy of respect?

Even if he declines our network, our doors remain forever open to Mr. Cheng!

And many artists had come knocking in succession, mostly out of a spirit of exchange and learning.

Idols are human too—they idolize others; the Japanese attitude toward idols is utterly reverent.

An international star like Cheng Chen naturally becomes the "idol" of Japanese idols.

Even before Cheng Chen arrived in Japan, many Japanese artists had publicly welcomed him.

The hotel where he stayed, besides media stakeouts, also saw visits from several artists.

"Ishihara… Rimi? You mean the woman's name is Ishihara Rimi?"

Cheng Chen asked, somewhat surprised.

Shi Qiang didn't understand why Cheng Chen was so startled, and hesitated:

"Shall I go ask again?"

Cheng Chen shook his head and said:

"Never mind, let her in. I'll know when I see her."

Judging by his tone, did Boss Cheng know this Japanese woman?

Shi Qiang wondered inwardly, a thought suddenly striking him—could it be…

He forcibly suppressed his speculation and stopped imagining further.

As Cheng Chen's driver and bodyguard, thinking too much might bring him close to being fired!

After about two minutes, Cheng Chen met Ishihara Rimi in the reception room.

It really was her!

Although Cheng Chen rarely watched Japanese dramas, the reputation of this "Queen of Japanese Drama"

as the "wife" of countless otaku had long been legendary.

In the future, Ishihara Rimi would rise to fame in the entertainment circle with her "healing smile."

Many girls would imitate her.

At this moment, Ishihara Rimi was far from the massive stardom she would later achieve.

If he remembered correctly, Ishihara Rimi should have just debuted three years ago.

Coming from an ordinary family, Ishihara Rimi followed the talent show route to debut.

In 2002, fifteen-year-old Ishihara Rimi participated in HORIPRO's 27th New Talent Selection.

She debuted after winning the Best Newcomer "Perfect Girl" award.

In 2003, the romantic film Little Island Love, in which she starred, was released.

In the same year, in April, the comedy film My Grandpa, in which she appeared, was released.

In the film, she portrayed Goda Tamako, the only daughter of the Goda family.

She won the Newcomer Award at the 27th Japan Academy Film Prize for this film.

She also won the Newcomer Award at the 28th Hochi Film Award and six other film awards.

When Ishihara Rimi first debuted, she portrayed the neighborhood girl type.

Just her debut work, *My Grandfather*, earned her seven newcomer awards.

It also gave her excellent opportunities early in her career, allowing her to star in many well-known works.

Later, she appeared in works like *Pet Lover*, *Five Water Boys*, the morning drama *Sunny Family*, and the big river drama *Yoshitsune*.

For a newcomer, achieving such success was enough to overshadow her peers.

But alongside her "healing smile," her "professionalism" also went viral.

In the following years, she maintained a relentless pace of at least three films per year, firmly establishing herself in Japan's entertainment industry.

Many in China first learned of Ishihara Rimi through the Japanese drama *Nine to Five, the Handsome Monk Fell in Love with Me*.

What truly made her go viral was her lead role in *Unnatural Death*.

Even those who haven't watched this drama likely know its name—or have heard its Theme Song.

That song is the new track Cheng Chen will premiere at his upcoming concert in Japan:

*Lemon*.

This work was a major milestone for Ishihara Rimi.

It swept all the major awards in Japan's drama industry that year.

It won the Work Award, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Screenplay Award, and Theme Song Award—all of them!

It proved Ishihara Rimi was a true Japanese drama goddess—with both beauty and acting talent.

The story depicts how 80% of unnatural deaths in Japan are disposed of without autopsy.

Japan has the lowest autopsy rate among advanced nations, so a public interest foundation established the "Unnatural Death Investigation" (UDI Lab).

Ishihara Rimi portrays the forensic pathologist Misumi, the central character of the drama.

Each episode, she works with the director, technician, and recorder to unravel the mysteries behind the deceased…

So when Cheng Chen saw this woman before him—still bearing the youthfulness and roundness of a 19-year-old, unlike the later, more refined and beautiful Ishihara Rimi—he was naturally stunned.

"Um, I'm Ishihara Rimi. I apologize for this unexpected visit!"

Upon meeting him, Ishihara Rimi bowed 90 degrees.

Good grief, that bow nearly knocked Cheng Chen over.

Japanese people are always bowing; even Korea next door can't match them in this regard.

Looking at this girl, visibly excited and nervous, Cheng Chen cleared his throat and said:

"Miss Ishihara, hello. I'm Cheng Chen."

"Huh? Mr. Cheng, you speak Japanese?"

Ishihara Rimi looked up, eyes wide, expression startled.

Although Cheng Chen's Japanese had a hint of some unknown accent.

But it was unmistakably Japanese.

"I only understand a little, and my accent is imperfect—if you can't follow, I can have my interpreter come over."

Cheng Chen smiled.

He knew his own limits—his half-baked Japanese sounded impressive at first glance.

But when actually conversing, the flaws showed—his accent was too mixed!

"No, no, no, I think it's fine. Mr. Cheng's Japanese is very fluent and easy to understand."

Ishihara Rimi quickly waved her hands.

"Good."

Cheng Chen nodded, then asked:

"So, Miss Ishihara, what brings you here?"

Hearing this, Ishihara Rimi grew slightly flustered and hurriedly said:

"I… I deeply admire Mr. Cheng. I've collected all your music albums.

I'm thrilled you're coming to Japan for a concert—I took leave from my director in Osaka and rushed over.

But I heard you've turned down many artists who came to visit you.

I was afraid you'd refuse me, but if I didn't try, I'd surely regret it.

So I came here just to give it a shot.

I never expected you'd agree—I'm truly grateful.

Of course, I also apologize for showing up uninvited!"

She bowed another 90 degrees.

Seeing her like this, Cheng Chen couldn't help but chuckle.

So this girl was a fan too—clearly his own little admirer.

She'd heard he was coming to Japan and came all the way from Osaka just to meet him.

At the same time, Cheng Chen was moved by her courage and conviction.

He remembered reading an article about her in the future:

Her real name wasn't Ishihara Rimi—it was Ishigami Kuniko.

She changed her stage name to Ishihara Rimi because she wanted to be as strong as a stone.

And to hold onto a steadfast heart.

It was precisely this attitude that led her to finally land the drama *Unnatural Death*.

The female lead she portrayed, Misumi Mikoto, was full of charm.

Misumi Mikoto, beyond her scientific rigor, also possessed courage and gentleness.

Her background was troubled—her biological mother committed suicide by charcoal burning when she was a child, leaving her with Childhood shadows.

As an adult, she held respect for every person who died unnaturally.

She hoped to use her professional knowledge to clarify the true cause of death for the deceased.

Thus, the female lead's focus was her work, not herself.

She did not spend much time on her appearance, often wearing a white lab coat with cool-toned clothing underneath.

To better embody Misumi Mikoto, Ishihara Rimi avoided elaborate makeup and emphasized no adornment.

She even cut off her long hair, which she had kept for eleven years.

Of course, the drama itself was worthy of her dedication.

The script was extremely solid, addressing a social issue in every episode.

Simultaneously, it offered unique insights into grand themes like life, death, and justice.

To this day, the drama maintains a high score of 9.4 and is regarded as a masterpiece by many.

Ishihara Rimi was thus elevated to divine status.

So when Cheng Chen saw Ishihara Rimi, he thought of the character Misumi Mikoto.

As if she had been tailor-made for the role.

"Miss Ishihara, thank you so much for your admiration."

Cheng Chen helped Ishihara Rimi up, looked into her eyes, and said seriously:

"In my eyes, you are also an outstanding actress.

Your debut drama, My Grandfather, won seven Newcomer Awards in a row—I deeply admire you.

And even after achieving such success, you remained humble, hardworking, and took on many television roles without complaint.

I am glad an actress like you exists; I greatly appreciate your dedication."

Hearing Cheng Chen say this, Ishihara Rimi's eyes suddenly turned red.

What in the world could be more worthy of pride than receiving recognition and praise from one's idol?

And he had actually watched her dramas and understood her current state.

Had he been paying attention to me all along?

Master Cheng was indeed as humble and gentle as she had imagined.

"Thank you so much for your recognition!"

Ishihara Rimi instinctively bowed her head.

Seeing her about to bow again, Cheng Chen quickly held her shoulders and joked half-seriously:

"I know Japanese people love bowing, but considering I'm a foreigner—

Miss Ishihara, you don't need to bow so frequently. Let's just talk like ordinary friends, okay?"

"Hi!"

…And another bow.

Cheng Chen was helpless.

As if sensing she had done something her idol disliked, Ishihara Rimi stood there, uncertain.

Cheng Chen smiled and said:

"It's fine—I respect your culture. So, Miss Ishihara, I'd like to know why you like me…

Oh no, which of my works do you like?"

Hearing Cheng Chen's attempt to ease the atmosphere, Ishihara Rimi seemed to open the floodgates:

"I greatly admire Master Cheng's Blue Lotus and your operatic singing style…"

The conversation with Ishihara Rimi lasted over an hour.

Most of the time, she spoke while Cheng Chen listened attentively.

Cheng Chen occasionally interjected to explain his emotional state while composing songs and to answer Ishihara Rimi's questions.

Ishihara Rimi checked the time and said reluctantly:

"Then, Master Cheng, I'll take my leave—I have a shoot tonight, but I will definitely attend your concert…"

"Alright, thank you for your hard work, Miss Ishihara."

Cheng Chen nodded with a smile.

"No, thank you for patiently listening to me for so long—I'm truly grateful."

Ishihara Rimi said gently.

Cheng Chen smiled and nodded:

"Then, goodbye."

After Ishihara Rimi left, Cheng Chen refused to meet anyone else.

Meanwhile, Ishihara Rimi's meeting with Cheng Chen caused an uproar in Japan's media.

You should know that in today's Japanese entertainment industry, Ishihara Rimi can only be considered a minor, unknown figure.

Although she won seven Newcomer Awards consecutively upon debut, three years have now passed.

In the entertainment industry, she was not at the bottom, but certainly not among the top-tier stars.

Her current status in Japan's entertainment scene was mid-to-lower tier.

But after meeting Cheng Chen, she was immediately noticed.

After all, the most talked-about event in Japan's entertainment scene right now was Cheng Chen's concert tour in Japan.

Some media even speculated about the relationship between Cheng Chen and Ishihara Rimi.

You should know that before this, many artists far more famous than her had tried to visit Cheng Chen, only to be turned away.

What gives her, Ishihara Rimi, such treatment?

How could this not make people suspicious?

When this news spread back home, it immediately caused a huge uproar...

And in this atmosphere, Cheng Chen's very first concert in Japan is about to begin...

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