Chapter 1043: Have you ever tried the

"Mr. Naoki! Is the script based on your own story?" "Director Nagayama, is the bed covered in cash based on your personal experience?" "Mr. Nagayama, could you say a few words about the casting of the female lead?!"

"...."

After taking the reporters on a tour of the set—especially after they interviewed the male and female leads who had just finished filming a bed scene—he had assumed the reporters would shift their focus to the film itself, or perhaps interview Zhang Guorong or Saejima Nao. However, he hadn't expected that these reporters would refuse to let Naoki Nagayama off the hook...

"Director Nagayama... the report from yesterday about the dissolution of the Nagayama Group... is that the organization from your family?!"

A bold reporter suddenly shouted this question out. The other reporters immediately quieted down, but they all held their cameras and microphones, waiting in anticipation...

"Ah..."

Naoki Nagayama felt helpless. Whenever the Nagayama Group was mentioned, everyone assumed it belonged to him, Naoki Nagayama—who else had such a high profile?

"The Nagayama Group has indeed dissolved..."

"It really dissolved?" the reporters pressed. "Does that mean Naoki-san no longer has any yakuza background? You can't command your underlings anymore?"

"... I never did... that side of things really has nothing to do with me..."

Naoki Nagayama no longer wanted to explain. The matter of a yakuza background was something that could never be clearly explained, especially after his film *The Legend of Hayato* became a massive hit. Everyone knew he was the grandson of Hayato Nagayama, which made the situation even harder to clarify!

"Everything I have now was built entirely from scratch by my own hands! I hope everyone will stop with the misunderstandings!"

"Click, click, click..."

The sound of shutters at the scene was constant, and flashes were flickering as if it were a celebrity press conference.

Naoki Nagayama, all by himself, had almost stolen the spotlight from the entire *Tiger of Ginza* crew~

Zhang Guorong saw this and couldn't help but ask Saejima Nao beside him:

"The reporters over there seem to be saying that Director Nagayama is involved with some organization?"

"You didn't know?" Saejima Nao glanced at the male lead, surprised. "Naoki-san is the grandson of the leader of the Nagayama Group, a branch of the Yamaguchi-gumi in Shizuoka..."

"..."

Zhang Guorong really hadn't known about this...

However, things like this were common in Hong Kong too—the Bamboo Union Gang, the Sun Yee On, the Hung Hing, the Tung Sing, and so on. Gangster bosses meddling in the entertainment industry, keeping young starlets, money laundering, and the like~

"Director Nagayama doesn't look like he has anything to do with the underworld at all~"

"Naoki-san is like a lotus rising from the mud, unstained!"

Saejima Nao felt a bit of admiration for Naoki Nagayama. This was a common sentiment among many female stars and actresses in the entertainment industry. He was handsome, wealthy, and talented... what did a little yakuza background matter? It only added a sense of danger to their Naoki-san, making people like him even more!

Hearing Saejima Nao's infatuated words, Zhang Guorong rolled his eyes in helplessness... but in his heart, he secretly decided to be even more respectful toward Naoki Nagayama!

Naoki Nagayama, facing the reporters head-on, felt a bit overwhelmed by the barrage of questions and finally could only say:

"Regarding the dissolution of the Nagayama Group, you can go to Kobe to interview the Yamaguchi-gumi yourselves, or ask the Sumiyoshi-kai or the Inagawa-kai in Tokyo... I actually don't know the specifics myself!"

"..."

The reporters fell silent for a moment...

Would they dare to go interview the Yamaguchi-gumi? Would they dare to interview the Sumiyoshi-kai or the Inagawa-kai?! They'd get their heads twisted off, wouldn't they!

It was only because you, Naoki Nagayama, are a positive figure, a good person, that we dare to point our microphones at you!

"Alright, alright, I have nothing else to say!"

Naoki Nagayama waved his hand and began to retreat.

"Media friends interested in *Tiger of Ginza*, you can continue to interview the cast... I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first..."

After saying this, he hurried toward the parking lot, got in his car, and sped away~

While eating dinner at Shanyingyuan that evening, Naoki Nagayama told Akina about the interviews that afternoon.

"Sure enough, being besieged by reporters is a troublesome affair... so for this period, I'll keep a low profile for now~"

Akina said with a smile:

"Naoki-san, you haven't seen anything yet... Back when I was working, except for when I returned home or was performing, there were lenses following me at all times... even when I went to the restroom, someone had to stand guard at the door..."

"No one would actually dare to enter the restroom to take photos, right?!" Naoki Nagayama asked, surprised. "Aren't they afraid of being caught as perverts?"

"Some reporters don't care..." Akina shook her head. "If they managed to snap something, that would truly be explosive news..."

If a popular star were really caught in an indecent photo... mainstream newspapers and magazines might refrain from reporting it due to pressure from agencies, public opinion, and the law, but those tabloid rags wouldn't care about that; they would definitely splash it on their front pages as a headline!

"So, being a famous person is truly exhausting sometimes~"

Naoki Nagayama sighed. At least those risks were just matters of reputation; if one encountered some crazy stalker fans, there would truly be a danger to personal safety.

"Mm-hmm~"

The two people, both considered famous in the Japanese entertainment industry, reached a consensus instantly.

While they were watching TV that night, the phone nearby rang...

"Moshi moshi, this is Shanyingyuan~"

"Naoki... it's me~" The voice of his cousin, Yongshan Feng, came through the receiver.

"Cousin Feng?" Naoki Nagayama was pleasantly surprised. "You've returned to Tokyo! Have the matters back home been handled?"

"Just about~"

Yongshan Feng chuckled softly.

"As for the rest, Father is capable of taking charge now, so I'll leave it to him to handle~"

To be honest, with the Nagayama Group dissolved, Yongshan Feng actually felt a sense of relief in his heart.

After all, as the business grew larger, the situations he faced became increasingly complex. The more he interacted with the upper echelons of Japan, the greater the impact a yakuza family had on him.

After all, in the minds of the elite, the yakuza were merely black gloves used to handle some unsavory business; they were not in the same social class.

If the KTV business remained entangled with the yakuza, it had already reached its peak.

"How is Grandfather?" Naoki Nagayama asked.

"Grandfather... he's a bit frail; he probably needs a good period of rest~"

After all, the dissolution of the spiritual pillar he had built over a lifetime was a blow to the old man's spirit.

"But he should gradually recover~"

"That's good..."

Naoki Nagayama couldn't think of any way to comfort him; this kind of heartache could only be healed by oneself... Using the opportunity of this call, Naoki Nagayama also inquired about his cousin's wife, Yongshan Xinhai.

"How is Xinhai-san's health? You must be careful now that she's pregnant~"

"Daijobu... Xinhai-chan had severe morning sickness at the beginning, but it's much better now..."

The two exchanged a few words about their family situations, and then Yongshan Feng asked about another matter:

"Naoki... about what we discussed earlier, opening milk tea shops for the members of the group..."

"Opening them so soon?"

Naoki Nagayama was a bit surprised.

"Mm..." Yongshan Feng nodded. "After all, since the dissolution has been announced, everyone back in Shizuoka is very lost... they're all looking at what to do next~"

"In that case..." Naoki Nagayama pondered for a moment. "Opening milk tea shops isn't a problem; just buy a small storefront, then customize the signage and machines..."

"However... making milk tea is something that might require some training..."

"Eh?" Yongshan Feng didn't drink much milk tea; he just assumed it was like black tea, where you just added some sugar and milk. "It needs training?"

"Yes... milk tea is a science!"

As a former milk tea enthusiast, Naoki Nagayama could be said to be extremely knowledgeable about various types of milk tea.

"For example, have you ever tried the 'QQ Nai Nai' tea that tastes so good it makes you go 'mie pu'? A secret recipe for milk tea like that is very hard for an ordinary person to learn!"

"..." "?"

Not only was there silence on the phone, but even Akina, who was eavesdropping nearby, showed a look of confusion?!

Was this milk tea, which sounded like it tasted incredibly good just from the name, for real or not?!

"Naoki... are you speaking Japanese..." Yongshan Feng paused before coming back to his senses to ask.

"..." Naoki Nagayama felt helpless. Others wouldn't understand this meme. "In any case... I'll write down some milk tea secret recipes, ah no... let me experiment with the secret recipes first... I'll provide unified training for the milk tea shop employees then!"

"Cousin Feng, have Uncle count up the underlings who are willing to leave the yakuza life and want to open shops..."

"You can start buying the storefronts and such as well..."

"... Alright~"

After a moment of silence, Yongshan Feng decided to trust his cousin; after all, Naoki Nagayama never lied...

After hanging up the phone, Naoki Nagayama saw the bright eyes of his wife before him:

"Naoki~~~"

He heard Akina pestering her husband in a spoiled voice.

"What kind of milk tea was that 'QQ' thing you just mentioned? I really want to drink it~"

"Er..." Naoki Nagayama felt helpless. "It seems there are no raw materials for it right now..."

"No... I want to drink it~"

Akina hugged Naoki Nagayama's arm and acted spoiled. Women are very strange after getting pregnant; sometimes they suddenly want to eat something and absolutely must have it right then and there...

"This..."

Naoki Nagayama had a headache. Pearl milk tea really wasn't hard to make, but there were no ready-made pearls for sale in this era!

However, seeing Akina looking at him with pitiful, deer-like eyes, and occasionally touching her belly—using the child to command Naoki...

"Alright, but you'll have to wait a while!"

"Mm-hmm!"

Pearls... they were originally made from tapioca starch, but using sweet potato starch wouldn't be a problem either.

Naoki Nagayama's kitchen was well-stocked; he quickly found sweet potato starch, brown sugar, white sugar, as well as high-quality black tea, milk, and so on.

He boiled the brown sugar water, then poured in the sweet potato starch to stir it into a chewy dough, used a large sieve to divide it into small portions, rolled them into small pearls, boiled them, scooped them out, and let them cool... then he brewed the tea, boiled the white sugar and added milk, and finally mixed it all into milk tea...

Akina watched excitedly from the side, occasionally helping out. The commotion in the kitchen even disturbed Mrs. Nonaka, who had already been resting in her room, and she came out to see what the couple was doing...

"I haven't made this in a long time; I might need to experiment a bit to master the proportions..."

Naoki Nagayama really hadn't drunk much milk tea in this life; such high-sugar, high-calorie things were the natural enemy of a good figure, and he didn't want to develop a little potbelly or high blood sugar...

A sweet fragrance wafted out from the kitchen, quickly permeating the entire first floor. Even Eitaro and Miaotaro were attracted, circling around the kitchen and sniffing incessantly.

When it was late at night, one could see Akina and Naoki Nagayama both holding a cup of milk tea, drinking on the sofa...

"Akina..." Naoki Nagayama pushed away the dog that was crowding him for the Nth time. "Don't drink too much at night... be careful you won't be able to sleep..."

"Daijobu, there are two of us drinking!"

As she said this, she proudly touched her belly. Just at that moment, her belly bulged, and the baby moved as well, seemingly agreeing with its mother's words~

"Sure enough, it's a chewy feeling!"

Akina chewed the dark red sweet potato pearls, feeling the sweetness that was even more intense than the milk tea itself, and narrowed her eyes.

"It really is delicious!"

"Naoki-san, why don't we just open a milk tea shop ourselves!"

"... Sanmeiju can sell milk tea..."

"Alright then~"

The weather in June was getting hotter and hotter; the days of going out in shirts and T-shirts had arrived.

But even under such a sun, the football fields and gymnasiums in the community had energetic students sweating, and the outdoor basketball courts on university campuses were not empty either. The boys who got possession of the ball took three steps, leaped upward with force, and wanted to try a "dunk"...

*Slam Dunk* continued to be serialized in *Weekly Shonen Sunday*. After the foreshadowing of the first few chapters, more and more people fell in love with this sports anime that was both funny and passionate.

Not only elementary school students, but even high school students and some university students knew the name of this manga.

It was said that Shogakukan had received a lot of feedback about this manga, which surprised the editorial department!

"Kuniharu-san~"

Morimoto Yushi was chatting with Morikawa Kuniharu while smoking during his leisure time.

"I originally thought it was just a favor... I didn't expect *Slam Dunk*'s popularity to be so unexpectedly high!"

"Haha, I originally thought it was just doing a favor too~" Morikawa Kuniharu sighed with emotion. "Naoki-san is indeed different from others; everything he touches becomes a trend!"

"Originally, after *Touch* ended, we were worried about what sports manga could replace it..." Morimoto Yushi said with a smile. "I didn't expect *Slam Dunk* to be delivered to our doorstep like this..."

*Touch* was the flagship sports manga of *Weekly Shonen Sunday* and the only sports manga that could compete with *Captain Tsubasa* in *Weekly Shonen Jump*. One was baseball and the other was football, and both were equally popular~

"*Touch* is ending?" Morikawa Kuniharu was surprised. "Has it been decided?"

"Yes, Mitsuru Adachi has already indicated that it will end this year..." Morimoto Yushi sighed. "No matter how we try to persuade him, he won't listen..."

An editor of a manga magazine like him also had a headache regarding certain manga artists...

Just like the plot in *Touch* where Kazuya Uesugi dies in a car accident—all the editors disagreed with the death of this popular character, but Adachi threw the original drawings to the editors and ran away. They couldn't find him, let alone change it...

"Sometimes, these talented guys can really make people angry to death!"

"..."

Morikawa Kuniharu touched his nose and didn't make a sound...

At this time, one had to mention how good Naoki Nagayama was: talented and easy to talk to, publishing a bestseller novel every year without ever missing a deadline, and it could be published directly without even needing revisions...

He didn't cause any trouble for the editor at all; he was simply a dream author!

Now, even the manga under his banner was so popular. Naoki Nagayama was simply a blessing sent by heaven to Shogakukan... ah no, sent to him, Morikawa Kuniharu!

He had to go back and offer a Buddha statue for Naoki Nagayama!

"Hahaha, Editor Morimoto, have another cigarette, relax, relax your mood... the future will definitely be better~"

"Heh~"

Morimoto Yushi took the cigarette that was offered, suddenly thought of something, and said to Morikawa Kuniharu:

"By the way, based on *Slam Dunk*'s popularity, maybe someone will come over to discuss its anime adaptation in a while..."

"So soon?"

"Don't underestimate the sensitivity of TV stations!" Morimoto Yushi said. "The anime adaptations of *Touch* and *Captain Tsubasa* are so popular; they must be very concerned about sports manga with potential!"

(In the future, *Detective Conan* was discussed for adaptation when the fifth chapter was serialized~)

"Mm..."

"It's best to communicate with Naoki Nagayama in advance."

"Hai, I will~"

Morikawa Kuniharu scratched his head; he remembered that Naoki Nagayama seemed to want to handle the anime adaptation himself...

Sigh... if the work is too good, the editor will also have troubles! ===== CHAPTER 1044 =====