Chapter 1119: Do not say you were not warned!

When Ishizaki Takanori, the legal counsel for Shu You, was called out of the editing room by Yoshimura Otomo, he was still a bit confused.

"What, what?" He pinched his ears with his fingers. "I have an illegitimate child?!"

"How come I don't know?!"

"..." Yoshimura Otomo handed him the evening paper with the smell of printing ink. "This is the 'Tokyo Sports' just issued... take a look..."

Ishizaki Takanori took it, and sure enough, he saw the picture on the front page was him standing outside the delivery room, looking nervous at the door.

At the same time, the headline of the report was "Shocking: Famous Great Writer Might Have an Illegitimate Child? Playboy Naoki Returns to True Colors?", and the report wrote that it was taken at the obstetrics department of the Women's Hospital this morning, and at that time a woman was waiting to give birth inside, and the delivery room file was also marked with the name "Naoki Nagayama"...

"Uh..."

Before Ishizaki Takanori could speak, Yoshimura Otomo asked,

"Naoki-san... it wouldn't be true, right? This photo was taken in the morning, there was only you in front of the delivery room, and you were so nervous... haha~"

"..."

Ishizaki Takanori just wanted to answer, when he suddenly felt the strange movement around him. Turning his head, he saw that the doors of several offices next to the corridor were all half-open, and the shadows of heads seemed to flash away...

Even in the bathroom at the end, there were people peeking and looking around, and even people who were squeezed out, after touching Ishizaki Takanori's eyes, pretended that they still had some urinary urgency and went in again~

It was very clear that the evening paper was received by the front desk, and now the employees of Shu You knew about this!

"This is Feng-dage's baby born... I just went to visit this morning."

Ishizaki Takanori remembered the two people who jumped the most happily, then explained to Yoshimura Otomo,

"When the photo was taken, Feng-dage happened not to be in the corridor... and it just happened that Xinhai-chan screamed in pain..."

"Oh oh..." Yoshimura Otomo nodded and continued to ask, "Then why would the delivery room file be your name?"

"..."

Ishizaki Takanori was helpless,

"Because Akina also gave birth to the baby in this hospital, and felt it was not bad, so when Feng-dage asked about the postpartum center, I introduced it directly..."

"And then because the director of this hospital offended me slightly before, and promised to give me a discount, so I just used my name to book the VIP room..."

Although Ishizaki Takanori didn't lack this bit of money, but if there is a discount

This live broadcast also ends here!

After the screen on the television switched images, the sound of discussion in the editorial department of the *Tokyo Sports* newspaper suddenly grew louder.

"They're actually going to sue?" "Are they playing for real?" "They wouldn't be that petty, would they?" "Let them sue, we've even broken news about the Prime Minister, what are we afraid of!" "He didn't explain, is there really something going on behind the scenes?" "I actually think that reply was very imposing; I want to use it in the next draft." "..."

Looking at this editorial department that resembled a wet market, Kitanori Ishizaki shook his head, then decided to give *Tokyo Sports* another dose of "Shuyou shock"!

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

The forceful clapping of his palms produced a loud sound, which also left Kitanori Ishizaki's hands feeling numb and aching, even losing sensation for a moment, but for the sake of his pride, he gritted his teeth and swallowed his groans of pain...

So, what everyone at *Tokyo Sports* saw was a man gritting his teeth, looking extremely furious...

"Uh... may I ask who you are looking for?"

"May I ask who the editor-in-chief of *Tokyo Sports* is, Junichi Imamura?"

Kitanori Ishizaki hid his numb hand behind his back and asked, word for word.

With cold, stern faces, the three men dressed in black suits actually possessed an indescribable air of ferocity!

Hearing his words, everyone subconsciously cleared a space, revealing Junichi Imamura, who had also been watching the live broadcast just a moment ago.

Even the editor-in-chief, Junichi Imamura, felt a bit uneasy for a moment, but upon thinking that this was the headquarters of *Tokyo Sports* and there were so many colleagues around, he regained his courage:

"I am... may I ask what business you have with me?"

"Oh... so you're the one!"

Kitanori Ishizaki looked him up and down, nodded, and then strode over, the momentum he brought with him making no one dare to block his path.

He stopped about a step away from Junichi Imamura, slapped his briefcase onto the nearby desk with a *thud*, and then took out a letter from inside...

"I come on behalf of Shuyou!"

"Delivering a lawyer's letter to *Tokyo Sports*..."

"If you do not offer an apology in accordance with the terms in this lawyer's letter, we will formally file a lawsuit!"

"At that time, do not say you were not warned!"

"..."

The whole speech was delivered in one breath, extremely satisfying!

After Kitanori Ishizaki handed the lawyer's letter to Junichi Imamura, he immediately turned around with his subordinates and strode away... Acting tough and then running away, it felt so good!!!

Once they were out the door of the headquarters, his subordinate, Yuya Koyama, asked:

"Ishizaki-san, why did we walk so fast? Didn't we say we were going to give them a taste of their own medicine?"

Kitanori Ishizaki rolled his eyes:

"Are you an idiot? Didn't we just throw the lawyer's letter in their faces? Besides, this is the headquarters of *Tokyo Sports* after all, it's full of their people, and there are only three of us; what would we do if we got beaten up?!"

"Yeah, yeah..." another person who had followed, Yuya Otsuka, chimed in, "We legal professionals are civilized people, we don't fight!"

"..."

After the Shuyou legal trio left, the editor-in-chief of *Tokyo Sports*, Junichi Imamura, finally opened the lawyer's letter.

And the other editors and reporters gathered around also saw the contents of the letter...

"What? Front-page apologies for a week straight?" "Compensation for defamation and emotional distress of 100 million?" "Dismissal of the direct responsible party..." "..."

"This is too harsh, isn't it?!" "There's absolutely no sincerity!" "What are they trying to do?!"

The many editors began to clamor; this lawyer's letter was completely asking for the moon... If they followed the plan on this, *Tokyo Sports* would definitely be severely crippled!

"Editor-in-chief, we can't agree to this!" "Imamura-san, fight, let's fight them in court!" "Don't be afraid!"

"..."

Amidst the voices of the crowd, Junichi Imamura raised his head, and he revealed a smile:

"Don't worry... our *Tokyo Sports* is not to be trifled with! We have thousands upon thousands of media workers standing behind us... we will absolutely not agree to this!"

"That's right!" "As expected of the editor-in-chief!" "So cool..."

"....... Alright, everyone, back to work!"

After finishing, Junichi Imamura returned to his office, his eyes darting around as he began to think continuously.

After ten minutes or so, he dialed a phone number...

"Yes... the lawyer's letter has been delivered!" "The terms are very harsh!" "What should we do now?" "..."

Outside, after the spokesperson for the Shuyou Group held a press conference, the entire entertainment industry suddenly boiled over.

Yesterday's news report had already caused quite a stir, and today Naoki Nagayama added fuel to the fire on this topic...

The discussions surrounding this topic were countless... However, Naoki Nagayama himself, who was at the center of the public opinion storm, was as calm as if he were in the eye of a hurricane.

He was in the editing room, working on the final part of the film's editing.

Luo Luo Bote, who had originally been in the office next door, also came out and was now in the same office as the other editors; his special effects shots had been completely finished.

"Let's put this close-up shot of Akina at the very end..."

Naoki Nagayama said,

"The male lead has ascended and left, but the living must go on... and this shot of Akina crying is excellent; as the final scene, it's also very classic!"

"Hai!" Xu Xu Mudao nodded and continued processing it on the editing console.

"The theme song 'Unchained Melody' will also play at the end... let's not include any easter eggs or behind-the-scenes footage this time... just jump straight to the credits!"

Naoki Nagayama turned his head to look at Luo Luo Bote,

"Luo Luo Bote, you're on there too!"

"Thank you, Director Nagayama!"

Luo Luo Bote responded with a smile, though he wasn't too excited... it didn't mean more money!

"Once the beginning and end are added... the editing work for this movie is more than half finished!" Naoki Nagayama straightened his hunched body and remarked with emotion, "Next is to go to the film technical factory to make copies!"

"Hai, it's already been arranged!"

Yukiyuki Nishimoto said from the side,

"Expedited processing... guaranteed to be finished before Christmas..."

In the current film technical factories, copying master tapes was already semi-automated, so with about half a month left, there was no problem with expedited copying.

"Good..."

When evening came, after the editing was completely finished, Naoki Nagayama and several editors went to the screening room next door and watched the full version of *Ghost* from beginning to end.

From the sweetness at the beginning, to the shock and sadness of the sudden accident, and then to the male lead protecting his girlfriend as a spirit and defeating the villain...

Whether it was the famous "pottery" scene, the perfectly timed background music, or the eye-opening telekinesis and walking through walls... it made the directors, Xu Xu Mudao and Yukiyuki Nishimoto, watch with great interest.

Once the screening was over, the few people in the small screening room all applauded.

"Nagayama-san, this movie will definitely go down in film history!" Yukiyuki Nishimoto said with some excitement, "Even after watching it so many times, it's still very moving!"

"Love, revenge... these are the eternal thrills of a story!"

Naoki Nagayama smiled,

"In the future, when making movies, as long as you shoot in these two directions, you won't have to worry about no one watching..."

At this time, Xu Xu Mudao took down the master tape and put it in a film canister:

"Nagayama-san... should we announce the news that the film's editing is finished to the public now?"

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Naoki Nagayama's face; everyone knew about the sudden public opinion since yesterday.

"No... let the topic ferment for two more days." Naoki Nagayama shook his head, "Let's see how *Tokyo Sports* replies to me."

"Do they still dare to hold out?" Yukiyuki Nishimoto asked in surprise, "The facts are clear; if it goes to court, they're sure to lose!"

"Haha, so let's see if anyone makes them hold out later!"

Naoki Nagayama gently toyed with the master tape canister in his hand; he always felt that this news broke a bit too quickly... he always felt that someone was stirring things up behind the scenes.

He looked at the label on the film canister, which was written with the basic production information of *Ghost*, specifically marked "Master Tape"...

"*Ghost*... it wouldn't really be for you, would it?"

In the last month of the year, the heat of the discussion about "Naoki Nagayama's illegitimate child" and "Naoki Nagayama suing the media" was actually higher than "Seiko Matsuda returning to the *Kohaku Uta Gassen* two months after giving birth"!

Yes, Seiko Matsuda had just announced through her agency that she would return to the *Kohaku Uta Gassen*, and she had originally expected to become the national focus, but she didn't expect to be completely overshadowed by Naoki Nagayama!

"Naoki Nagayama..."

Seiko Matsuda watched the news broadcast, her expression impossible to tell if it was anger or helplessness...

"Why does it feel like you're haunting me like a ghost!"

At this time, her mother, Mrs. Kamachi, walked over holding Sayaka and asked while looking at the news on the screen:

"Noriko... you're well-informed in the entertainment industry... that Naoki Nagayama, does he really have an illegitimate child?"

"I don't know!"

Seiko Matsuda was a bit angry and held Sayaka in her arms,

"Who can say for sure about a guy who abandons his partner like that!"

"Still abandoning his partner?! To whom?" Mrs. Kamachi's eyes lit up, "Tell me more!!"

"..."

It's your own daughter!

Meanwhile, in a KTV in Shibuya Ward, the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Kenki Kurita, was together with the Chairman of the Japan Film Producers Association, Nobuo Asai.

Of course, the two of them weren't there to sing, but were playing songs in the private room while talking to each other.

"I originally thought that if Naoki Nagayama explained, we would let *Tokyo Sports* fabricate some more rumors... but I didn't expect Shuyou to actually file a lawsuit directly!"

Kenki Kurita said,

"This guy, why doesn't he follow the rules?"

Nobuo Asai was a bit strange:

"Commissioner Kurita... didn't you say before that this news was true? And isn't Naoki Nagayama unable to prove it now?"

"No matter how he replies, as long as he tries to prove his innocence, we can continue to question him and continue to demand he prove his innocence... anyway, no matter what you say, as long as I don't believe it, that's enough."

Kenki Kurita said,

"But if it goes to court, that requires evidence and facts... then there's no way."

"Then... does that mean this wave of public opinion won't affect the box office of Shuyou's new movie?" Nobuo Asai was a bit anxious.

During this period, Ito Shuichi Itou of Shuyou, relying on the company's good box office and Shuyou's great future potential, had been connecting with people everywhere to establish the Tokyo Film Association and set up a support fund, talking about supporting the development of the film industry... it had already seriously affected Nobuo Asai's Japan Film Producers Association!

The functions were almost the same, so why not listen to a boss who had experience in film production?

Moreover, Naoki Nagayama, Sadanaga Kiba, and Yasuko Ikenobo seemed to have connected, and they had also proposed similar ideas at the Ministry of Education, clearly intending to compete for the next high-ranking position in the Ministry of Education...

Sadanaga Kiba wanted to be the Vice Minister of Education just like him, and Yasuko Ikenobo was aiming for my position as Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs!

This made Kenki Kurita of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Nobuo Asai feel the pressure, so after the incident occurred, they directly let *Tokyo Sports*, which they supported, break the news~

They wanted Naoki Nagayama of Shuyou to stumble on his new movie.

The love between Naoki Nagayama and Akina Nakamori was considered very fulfilling in the industry; this time, in the promotional drafts for *Ghost*, the love between the two was also bundled with the male and female leads in the movie for promotion, plus the previous *Love Letter*...

It made many people believe in love~

If news of a change in their relationship or one of them cheating broke at this time, it would definitely be a major blow to the box office of *Ghost*!

But they didn't expect that, in the face of this public opinion offensive, Naoki Nagayama didn't even give a single explanation, but instead fought back directly!

"Then let *Tokyo Sports* delay the lawsuit process?" Nobuo Asai said, "Delay it until after the release before fighting the lawsuit, then the impact on the box office will have already been caused!"

Kenki Kurita shook his head,

"He called earlier, saying the demands in the lawyer's letter were very harsh... if there's no mediation or negotiation, they'll definitely lose if they go to court!"

"Can't they hold out for a month?"

"Do you think you're the financial backer behind *Tokyo Sports*? Breaking news can still be said to be for exposure and sales... holding out is directly declaring war on Shuyou...

I have a good relationship with Editor-in-Chief Imamura of *Tokyo Sports*... but not to the point where he would risk his life for me!"

"Then what should we do?"

"Nothing, if it doesn't work once, there's always next time... anyway, this time it scared Naoki Nagayama a little bit!"

"..."

"Wanting the position in the Ministry of Education, there's still a lot to fight for!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)