Chapter 1169: Momoe Yamaguchi... A Limited Comeback?!!

After finishing discussions with the two executives regarding the Tokyo Film Association and the bribery case, Naoki Nagayama suppressed his extraneous thoughts and focused his attention on a more urgent matter at hand.

The male lead for "Departures" had already been decided, yet the selection of the female lead had been delayed for quite some time; it was finally time to make a decision!

Naoki Nagayama placed two resumes with attached photographs on his office desk, preparing to select the female lead from among them:

"Should I choose Kanako-san, or should I choose Mieko-san?"

Speaking of which, Kanako Higuchi's looks were slightly superior to Mieko Harada's, yet Mieko Harada's acting skills were far more outstanding... this left Naoki Nagayama in a dilemma.

"Mieko-san just starred in 'House on Fire,' so she has considerable insight into portraying the image of a wife."

Silently stroking his chin, Naoki Nagayama compared the merits and demerits of the two in his mind,

"Kanako-san possesses a more gentle temperament, giving off more of the feeling of a virtuous wife...."

"So hard to choose!"

"Naoki-san... I heard that if one faces a difficult choice, one can try tossing a coin!"

Xu Mudao Xu spoke up with a suggestion,

"What matters is not the result of the toss, but that once the result appears, you will know your heart's true choice!"

"Mm, that makes sense... Eh?!!!"

Naoki Nagayama first nodded in agreement, then started in sudden alarm,

"Xu Mudao?! When did you enter the office?!!"

"......."

Xu Mudao Xu's expression immediately turned resentful,

"Naoki-san... wasn't it you who asked me to deliver the casting list...?"

"....... Ah..."

Only then did Naoki Nagayama remember that Xu Mudao Xu had indeed delivered the casting meeting materials just moments ago... it was simply that he had been so deeply engrossed in thought that he had forgotten...

"Haha, I completely forgot!"

Seeing Xu Mudao Xu's resentful gaze, he laughed it off, saying,

"Xu Mudao-kun, you should have shown off that gold Rolex too! Scaring people like that could frighten someone to death!"

"......"

Xu Mudao Xu remained silent but pulled up his sleeve... He had originally assumed Naoki Nagayama would always be aware of his presence, but it now appeared that Naoki-san's perception had dulled!

He glanced at the photos of beauties on the desk... It seemed Naoki-san's mind had been obscured by worldly troubles and the temptations of the mortal realm~

"That's more like it!"

Seeing a flash of dazzling golden light, Naoki Nagayama nodded in satisfaction, then took out his wallet to find a ten-yen coin to determine which actress he truly wished to select as the female lead.

Just at that moment, the mobile phone on the office desk suddenly rang.

This was his private number, known to very few people, so Naoki Nagayama answered it:

"Moshi Moshi Moshi Moshi..."

"Naoki-san, this is Tomokazu Miura!"

Tomokazu Miura's voice came through the phone, surprising Naoki Nagayama; upon reflection, it must be regarding the script sent over yesterday?

"Tomokazu-san..."

Naoki Nagayama asked curiously,

"What's wrong? Suddenly calling me... did something go wrong with the script?"

"No, no, the script is excellent; I studied it late into the night yesterday."

Tomokazu Miura denied this, then spoke with some embarrassment,

"Naoki-san, I called to ask whether the choice for the female lead has been finalized?"

"The female lead, huh..."

Naoki Nagayama took a coin from his wallet and unconsciously spun it around in his hand,

"Not yet... let me make another selection..."

Tomokazu Miura on the other end of the line seemed to breathe a huge sigh of relief:

"That's wonderful!!!"

"??? Tomokazu-san?"

What are you up to, kid?! Naoki Nagayama felt that Tomokazu Miura was getting carried away!

"Ah... it's like this!"

Tomokazu Miura quickly said,

"Naoki-san, I would like to recommend an actress to play the female lead in 'Departures'!"

"This actress has starred in many excellent films and television dramas, garnering very positive social reception; although she temporarily retired from the screen in recent years due to family reasons, her understanding of the role of a wife has deepened... Her acting is superb, her image and temperament are elegant yet resilient, and her age is very suitable; I believe she is perfectly fit for the role of the wife in 'Departures'!"

"Oh?"

Hearing Tomokazu Miura praise someone at such length, Naoki Nagayama also became interested, searching his memory for relevant actresses... Unfortunately, his knowledge of proper Japanese actresses was actually quite limited...

"Then I must see who it is... to earn such high praise from Tomokazu-san! One more audition is certainly acceptable!"

"Naoki-san, you will definitely not be disappointed!"

Tomokazu Miura's tone over the phone was excited,

"She is my wife—Momoe Yamaguchi!"

"???!!!""!!""....."

With a loud bang, Xu Mudao Xu, who had been listening silently beside him, dropped the cup in his hand onto the office desk, emitting a crisp clatter.

Having heard the words over the phone, he was now utterly shocked!

A few days ago, when he notified Tomokazu Miura that he had secured the role, he had indeed mentioned that if Momoe Yamaguchi were to play the female lead in "Departures," she would be extremely suitable.

But back then, that was just an offhand remark made in the heat of the moment! Deep down, he never believed Yamaguchi Momoe, who had completely retired, would ever make a comeback...

And now, what was he hearing?!

"Cough, cough..." Nagayama Naoki was also shocked; when he had been searching his memories just now, he hadn't even included Yamaguchi Momoe in his calculations. "Tomokazu-san, you're not joking, are you?!"

"Of course not!"

Miura Tomokazu's voice over the phone was extremely serious.

"I truly believe Momoe is perfectly suited for the female lead, and if Yamaguchi Momoe stars in this, it will generate immense buzz for the film!"

"That would indeed create huge buzz..."

Nagayama Naoki had not the slightest doubt about this; the mere headline that the completely retired national superstar Yamaguchi Momoe was returning to star in 'Departures' would keep the media headlines occupied for several weeks.

Not to mention the fans who had waited anxiously for Yamaguchi Momoe, or the general public who had witnessed the influence of Yamaguchi Momoe at her peak...

"But... is Momoe-san even willing to make a comeback?!"

Nagayama Naoki asked.

"Didn't she want to stay far away from the entertainment industry?! She only chose to retire after marrying you, Tomokazu-san..."

"Actually, there are many reasons... In truth, this time Momoe is simply attracted by the script and wants to act in a movie; it's not a full-scale comeback..."

"So it's a limited comeback..."

"Yes!"

Miura Tomokazu explained.

"On one hand, the script for 'Departures' is excellent and very moving; the resulting film will surely be outstanding... More importantly, both Momoe and I are familiar with Naoki-san and trust Juyue Pictures implicitly...

On another note, since I am the male lead, Momoe probably doesn't want me playing a husband to anyone else... Haha~"

When he said this, Miura Tomokazu's tone was somewhat humorous, but his following words turned somewhat somber:

"When Momoe chose to marry and retire, she actually had very strained relations with her former agency and other partners... In the end, although we barely reached an agreement, we had to pay a large amount in breach-of-contract penalties..."

"If she wants to film movies, then at any other agency, Momoe-san would surely be forced to take on more work and become a money-making tree again..."

Listening to Miura Tomokazu ramble on with his reasons, Nagayama Naoki also sighed.

In the Neon entertainment industry, these old-established agencies could almost be considered semi-monopolies; even if an artist from an agency retired and wanted to return, unless under special circumstances, they would never be allowed to join another agency.

Even if other agencies could withstand the pressure and accept Yamaguchi Momoe's comeback, they would definitely demand greater benefits...

But with Juyue's current strength, there was no need to worry about those agencies; moreover, Juyue's good treatment of artists was universally acknowledged in the industry, and given the private friendship between the Miura couple and the Nagayama couple, Yamaguchi Momoe didn't need to worry about signing an indenture contract.

After explaining all this, Miura Tomokazu asked:

"So, Naoki-san, what do you think about Momoe playing the female lead... is it acceptable? Should we arrange an audition?!"

Beside the desk, Kimudao Xu watched with hopeful eyes, while Nagayama Naoki, deep in thought, spun the coin he had just taken out with one hand.

When the coin flipped to his thumb, he subconsciously flicked it hard, sending the coin rolling and flying in his hand... According to what he had said earlier, once the coin landed and he saw whether it was heads or tails, he would be able to judge his own heart.

However, this time, before the coin could even hit the ground, Nagayama Naoki reached out and caught it:

"No problem! Let Momoe-san play the role!!!"

What judgment was needed?! Of course he agreed!! This was Yamaguchi Momoe!!!

Her acting skills and fame went without saying; just thinking about the massive traffic Yamaguchi Momoe's participation would bring to the film, no film director would need to hesitate!

Nagayama Naoki directly decided on the female lead, then spoke into the mobile phone:

"Tomokazu-san, I'll have the legal department draft the documents immediately to transfer Momoe-san's artistic registration to Juyue. You don't need to worry about pressure from other agencies at all..."

"Also, the matter of Momoe-san's 'limited comeback' will be clearly stated in the contract!"

"This..."

Miura Tomokazu was somewhat surprised by Nagayama Naoki's decisiveness.

"Naoki-san, shouldn't you consider it a bit more?!"

"Hahaha, Tomokazu-san... do you know how many people are longing for Yamaguchi Momoe's comeback?! I am one of them!"

His predecessor, Nagayama Naoki, had even become depressed over Yamaguchi Momoe's retirement!

"..."

Miura Tomokazu was somewhat speechless; he felt as if many people were coveting his wife... and the Nagayama Naoki on the other end was the biggest threat among them...

"Actually, both Momoe-san and I know that once you enter the entertainment industry, completely retiring is impossible..."

Miura Tomokazu sighed.

"Even though Momoe stays at home every day and doesn't even dare to go out... paparazzi and fans still come to harass her... and there are always media outlets wanting interviews... it's very troubling..."

Nagayama Naoki spoke up:

"There's no need to worry about those paparazzi either... we will apply pressure to the relevant media; none of them will dare to accept any photos they take..."

After saying this, Nagayama Naoki looked at the sky, then checked the calendar:

"Tomorrow..."

He said to Miura Tomokazu over the mobile phone:

"Tomokazu-san, let's arrange a meeting tomorrow... No matter what, I must communicate with Momoe-san personally... before proceeding with further steps!"

"As for the location, how about Yamazakura-in? Akina has mentioned many times that she wants to invite you both over for dinner!"

"Yes!"

Miura Tomokazu nodded.

"Tomorrow I will bring Momoe-san along to pay a visit!"

"Haha, bring Yutaro and Takahiro as well... the cherry blossoms at Yamazakura-in have already started to bloom; they are very beautiful!"

"Alright!"

After hanging up the phone, Nagayama Naoki took several deep breaths to calm his mood, then looked at Kimudao Xu, who had been eavesdropping nearby the whole time.

"Kimudao-kun..." Nagayama Naoki's tone was somewhat ambiguous, "You heard everything, didn't you?!"

"Ah... does Naoki Nagayama-san mean that Momoe Yamaguchi plans to come out of retirement to star in Departures?!"

Kijima Kyo's eyes lit up at that moment, and he nodded repeatedly in excitement.

"I heard it all! This is truly astonishing! If this news leaks, the entire entertainment industry will explode!"

"Yes... it will definitely explode!"

Naoki Nagayama nodded in agreement.

"So, Kijima-kun, if I discover during this period that other media outlets have obtained this news... your head will explode too! Do you understand?!"

"Eh?!!"

Kijima Kyo instinctively shrank his neck, then asked cautiously,

"Why? Shouldn't this kind of news be heavily publicized?!"

"It will only be announced after everything is settled! Until then, we have much to do!"

Naoki Nagayama rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a business card case containing contact information for various big shots in the entertainment industry whom he had met at numerous social parties.

He sifted through them, finding the contact details for Takeo Hori, the president of HORIPRO, along with the presidents of several other major agencies and representatives from Sony Music.

These people needed to be contacted in advance and briefed, ensuring they were aware of Momoe Yamaguchi's limited comeback for Departures... while also securing their cooperation in pressuring the media to suppress any negative reports.

At the same time, Juyou also needed to consider giving advance notice to the media and paparazzi, instructing them not to harass the Miura Tomokazu family...

Regarding this point, Naoki Nagayama felt very confident; even though his grandfather had passed away, the rumor that "the Nagayama family would send offending paparazzi to become monks" still circulated among the paparazzi. Whenever the ascetic monks from the family temple came out to perform rituals, they would repeatedly confirm this rumor!

In short, Momoe Yamaguchi's comeback, even if limited, was a major event.

After pondering for a while, Naoki Nagayama decisively decided to summon Yoshimura Otomo and Ido Ito Shuichi as well, dropping this huge news right in their faces!

"???""!!!""......"

The two executives exchanged glances, their eyes widening in disbelief:

"Momoe Yamaguchi... a limited comeback?!!"

"Naoki-san, you're not joking with us, are you?!"

Seeing the incredulous looks on his two friends' faces, Naoki Nagayama felt like laughing... but he still gave an affirmative reply.

"Yes... I just spoke with Miura Tomokazu... Momoe-san indeed has thoughts of returning. Kijima-kun heard it as well!"

Naoki Nagayama explained what had just happened, even bringing in Kijima Kyo as a witness.

"However, it is not a full comeback; her focus will remain on her family, but she will play the female lead in Departures!"

"So, it counts as a 'limited comeback'!"

Ido Ito Shuichi was the first to clap his hands:

"This is big news too! Momoe Yamaguchi is making a comeback! I never thought I'd live to see this day!"

Yoshimura Otomo's face was also filled with surprise, though he was more delighted that Momoe Yamaguchi was making her comeback for a Juyou project:

"With Momoe Yamaguchi starring in Departures, the starting point for this film will be sky-high!"

"We should start promoting immediately!" "Create a comprehensive promotional plan!" "We can include Tomokazu Miura as part of the package..." "......"

Watching the two of them talk over each other, as if they were about to finalize the promotional plan right then and there, Naoki Nagayama quickly stopped them:

"Ito Shuichi-san, Otomo-san... before we start promotion, we must settle certain matters first!"

"For instance, the stage name 'Momoe Yamaguchi' still belongs to the HORIPRO agency... transferring it to Juyou will be troublesome."

"Then let's buy it!" Ido Ito Shuichi waved his hand grandly. "It's just a stage name... it's merely a matter of how much money to spend!"

Yoshimura Otomo also expressed agreement. Thanks to their roster of high-quality idols and artists, plus the massive profits from their film division, Juyou could now even be called the "Cash King of the Japanese Entertainment Agency World"!

"Regarding this point, you can leave the negotiations to me!"

Yoshimura Otomo picked up the business card Naoki Nagayama had placed on his desk and looked at it.

"Takeo Hori, the president of HORIPRO, I know him very well!"

"Mm-hmm, I know you are the social butterfly among agency presidents..." Naoki Nagayama nodded. "But we still need to prepare thoroughly. Momoe Yamaguchi is a money tree... the kind that yields returns for decades! They won't give her up easily!"

"Mm, I will make the necessary preparations..."

Yoshimura Otomo appeared very confident... after all, besides his role at Juyou, he was also the Secretary-General of the Tokyo Film Industry Association!

"And..." Naoki Nagayama continued, "since Momoe-san's comeback registration will be with Juyou, we must ensure other safeguards are in place..."

"Previously, the Miura Tomokazu family was frequently harassed by media and paparazzi. I promised Miura Tomokazu that we would resolve these issues..."

"Yes, Juyou will apply pressure!"

Yoshimura Otomo nodded.

Now serving as the President of the Film Industry Association, Ido Ito Shuichi also spoke with great authority:

"I will also spread the word throughout the film industry: anyone who offends them will be ostracized by the entire film industry!"

"In short, we must consider every aspect of this comeback, make preparations in advance, and only then release the news!"

"Yes!" x3

Kijima Kyo also responded excitedly along with them, participating in the discussion about Momoe Yamaguchi's comeback with great enthusiasm. He felt that his previous actions had truly paid off; he had actually managed to encourage Momoe Yamaguchi to make a comeback!

And he had done so by urging Miura Tomokazu behind Naoki Nagayama's back... Although no one mentioned his role in the matter after it succeeded, the outcome itself was the best reward!

In the top-floor office of the Juyou building, three executives and a director of low presence were jointly plotting the major event of a retired national idol's comeback...

The occasional bursts of laughter and excited applause revealed the excitement of the group...

Surely, when the casting for the female lead of Departures is announced, it will stir up astonishing waves in the entertainment industry!

?? I have matters to attend to tomorrow daytime, so I stayed up late to finish writing this~

? (End of Chapter)