Chapter 1240: Of course we can! And we have already done it!

When Watanabe Eiichiro strode into the editorial department of the *Tokyo Sports* with his subordinate, Ishikawa Susumu, everyone turned their heads to stare with surprised gazes, making him feel as if his entire person were shrouded in a halo...

That was the massive, radiant entity known as Shu-Yu!!!

*Cough, cough, cough*... That was just Watanabe Eiichiro's fantasy; in reality, when the two walked in, they didn't attract much attention.

As one of the highest-circulation newspapers in Japan, the *Tokyo Sports* editorial department was extremely busy. Reporters, editors, and business staff were all busily exchanging content, finalizing advertising layouts, and submitting drafts for review... They had no time at all to look at strangers.

Only the receptionist remained very professional as she asked:

"Welcome to *Tokyo Sports*. Is there anything I can help you with?! Or do you already have an appointment?"

Watanabe Eiichiro had set off immediately after receiving instructions from Fushimura Otomo, so he had no appointment. However, that didn't matter; as a senior member of the Shu-Yu publicity department, he was very familiar with the editor-in-chief of *Tokyo Sports*.

"I am Watanabe Eiichiro from Shu-Yu. Please notify Editor-in-Chief Imamura Junichi and tell him I have something to discuss with him!"

"Uh..."

The receptionist had originally intended to use the usual routine to stall someone without an appointment, but the Shu-Yu name was truly resounding; in the current entertainment industry, it was absolutely not to be underestimated.

"Hai, please wait a moment..."

Saying this, the receptionist went directly to the editor-in-chief's office to inquire.

It wasn't the Shu-Yu building; the *Tokyo Sports* headquarters didn't have such a large office area.

Before long, the *Tokyo Sports* editor-in-chief, Imamura Junichi, was seen walking out:

"Isn't this Watanabe-kun..."

He extended his hand and welcomed Watanabe Eiichiro very enthusiastically, leading him toward the reception room while shaking his hand.

"It's so hot today, why did you come so suddenly without calling ahead..."

"It was a sudden matter... I just came over directly..."

Looking at the smiling Imamura Junichi, Watanabe Eiichiro did not keep a straight face, but instead followed him into the reception room with polite pleasantries, showing no sign of coming to settle scores.

Sitting down in the reception room, pouring iced lemonade, and adding some snacks, it really looked like a friendly negotiation.

"Editor-in-Chief Imamura, actually, I came here today for a matter..."

Watanabe Eiichiro signaled for Ishikawa Susumu to take out the newspaper and pointed it out to Imamura Junichi.

"I came for this news report about Yamaguchi Momoe..."

Looking at the newspaper on the coffee table, Imamura Junichi's expression stiffened slightly. He hadn't expected Shu-Yu to come knocking so soon after it was published.

"Hahaha, Watanabe-kun, this is just entertainment news... It's very normal in the entertainment industry~"

Imamura Junichi laughed it off.

"You know, now that it's summer, readers want some eye-catching news. We saw some tabloids reporting it for a few days and saw that Shu-Yu didn't care, so we published it!"

Watanabe Eiichiro set down his glass of lemonade, making a crisp sound on the coffee table, interrupting Imamura Junichi's explanation:

"Editor-in-Chief Imamura... I didn't come here today for any explanations..."

"Before Yamaguchi Momoe's comeback, Naoki-san personally visited the heads of every media group and reached a consensus: try not to report on news leaks regarding Yamaguchi Momoe, and if you absolutely must, consult with Shu-Yu first... That was how he gained Yamaguchi Momoe's trust and got her to agree to a comeback."

"Now, Editor-in-Chief Imamura, *Tokyo Sports* has violated that agreement..."

Hearing this, Imamura Junichi's temples broke into a slight sweat; this report indeed hadn't been discussed with Shu-Yu.

The reason was actually that he had previously lost a lawsuit against Nagayama Naoki, and he himself had been severely reprimanded by his superiors, so he had always harbored some resentment toward Shu-Yu and Nagayama Naoki.

Japanese people are like this: they fear power but do not cherish virtue; they dare not confront directly but remain unconvinced, always bottling up resentment, which sometimes leads to extreme decisions.

So when a reporter asked if they should consult with Shu-Yu first before this report, he had directly vetoed it...

"Watanabe-kun..."

Now seeing Shu-Yu at his door, Imamura Junichi recognized the severity of the problem and explained somewhat frantically,

"These reports are already all over other tabloids; the rumors of Yamaguchi Momoe's relationship changing didn't start with *Tokyo Sports*!"

"..."

Listening to this nonsensical explanation, even the least experienced member of the publicity department, Ishikawa Susumu, shook his head and couldn't help but speak up:

"You don't produce rumors; you're just carriers of rumors! *Hehe~*"

"Ishikawa!"

Watanabe Eiichiro scolded him in a low voice, then turned back to continue speaking to Imamura Junichi.

"Editor-in-Chief Imamura, regardless of the cause, it is a fact that *Tokyo Sports* violated the previous agreement!"

"This... this is just a misunderstanding; we didn't intend to break the agreement..."

Imamura Junichi could only be stubborn.

"How about this, we won't continue to follow up on this matter!"

"That is a matter for later."

Watanabe Eiichiro shook his head, sat up straight, and stated the purpose of his visit today.

"Editor-in-Chief Imamura, I came today to convey the opinion of President Fushimura Otomo and Chairman Yin Tangxiu..."

"Because your company violated the agreement by reporting on Yamaguchi Momoe's news, harming Shu-Yu, President Fushimura has decided that for the next month, artists under Shu-Yu will refuse any interviews from *Tokyo Sports*, and *Tokyo Sports* will not be able to obtain any latest news on any artists under Shu-Yu..."

"How can you do that!"

Imamura Junichi stood up excitedly.

"How can Otomo-san do this?! This is unfair to *Tokyo Sports*!"

He knew very clearly that without the latest reports on top-tier idols like Kudo Shizuka, or second-tier idols like Saito Yuki, Ito Junko, and Kikuchi Momoko, *Tokyo Sports* would fall far behind competitors like *Yomiuri Shimbun* and *Asahi Shimbun* in entertainment content!

Moreover, the national idol drama *Long Vacation* was reaching its finale this month; if Aoyama Chikako, Fukuyama Masaharu, and the others didn't accept interviews, they would miss out on a huge wave of exposure!

Furthermore, *Tokyo Sports* itself relied on entertainment news to attract attention; to put it more severely, *Tokyo Sports* might not even be able to complete its marketing targets for this year!

Causing major losses for two consecutive years—never mind the year-end bonus, his position as editor-in-chief might have to be handed over to someone else!

"Watanabe-kun, you Shu-Yu people cannot do this! This is an infringement on freedom of the press!!!"

Imamura Junichi's face was somewhat ferocious.

"We certainly can do this! And we have already done it!"

Watanabe Eiichiro's face no longer held its initial peace; it had turned cold and sharp.

"There's no need... there's no need for it to be this serious!"

Imamura Junichi felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

"It was just one report... at worst, we can fire the reporter who wrote it!"

"This is our punishment for *Tokyo Sports* breaking the agreement; for now, it is only for one month!"

"If you continue to violate the agreement afterward, the duration will be extended!"

"Also!"

Watanabe Eiichiro stood up and straightened his clothes, and Ishikawa Susumu beside him stood up as well.

"Chairman Yin Tangxiu asked me to tell your side... if the apology measures do not satisfy him, *Tokyo Sports* will also be excluded from the Tokyo International Film Festival in October!"

"!!!"

Imamura Junichi was left speechless...

The Tokyo International Film Festival, which lasted for a month, was a carnival for the entire media world!

World-renowned stars would all be present, and the opening ceremony red carpet could be said to be one of the places with the greatest exposure in the world!

If *Tokyo Sports* were excluded, it wouldn't even be able to maintain its status as a first-rate newspaper afterward!

The key was that Yin Tangxiu, as one of the three giants of Shu-Yu and the chairman of the Tokyo Film Industry Association, could truly manage to exclude *Tokyo Sports*!

"Watanabe-kun!!!"

Imamura Junichi immediately grabbed Watanabe Eiichiro's arm.

"Please let me personally apologize to President Fushimura and Chairman Yin Tang!! I will definitely do everything in my power to gain their understanding!"

"That is Editor-in-Chief Imamura's business!"

Watanabe Eiichiro pushed his hand away and bowed slightly to indicate his departure.

"I have already conveyed the opinions of the two; I shall take my leave now!"

Saying this, he resolutely led his subordinate out of the meeting room... leaving Imamura Junichi behind in the meeting room, his face pale and unable to speak~

When he walked out of *Tokyo Sports*, Watanabe Eiichiro turned his head to glance at the editorial department, feeling refreshed~

"Watanabe-san..."

Ishikawa Susumu asked somewhat puzzled,

"Was our reaction this time too big? It was just one report; it feels excessive..."

"Hmm, it was indeed an excessive reaction."

Watanabe Eiichiro nodded.

"But there is a purpose to it!"

In fact, such a severe punishment was also a measure to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.

Under the huge temptation of Yamaguchi Momoe, a top-tier traffic generator, *Tokyo Sports* was just a probe from the media world.

After all, the agreement was built on the foundation that both sides could protect themselves. If Shu-Yu didn't have the determination or the ability to punish the party that broke the agreement, other media would naturally not let go of Yamaguchi Momoe, this huge source of heat.

"In the past, Shu-Yu was relatively soft toward the media; even when Naoki-san was slandered, he chose to file lawsuits...

But lawsuits only represent Shu-Yu's defensive means...

And the entertainment industry hasn't seen Shu-Yu's offensive means in a long time!"

Guys who only defend passively will only make people worry about restraint, while active attacks make people afraid and unwilling to provoke them.

Just like if a certain major country only ever protests, even the small countries nearby dare to talk back, and even the so-called Four Great Families of the underworld dare to stroke the whiskers of that major country...

However, after the resistance army "found a large amount of weapons and equipment in the forest," that small country immediately packed up the Four Great Families and sent them over...

Previously, a paparazzo was caught and made to become a monk; in the eyes of others, this was an offensive means, directly making the paparazzi in the entertainment industry afraid to spy on Nagayama Naoki's home again.

Now, taking action against *Tokyo Sports* again was to make the media world afraid to provoke the Shu-Yu Group again!

"Besides, next year Naoki-san is going to challenge the Oscars, and he needs cooperation in terms of public opinion..."

As the second-in-command of the publicity department, Watanabe Eiichiro naturally knew the promotion plans after *Departures* by heart.

"Letting other parties recognize Shu-Yu's capabilities means everyone won't have any irrational thoughts~"

"..."

Ishikawa Susumu clicked his tongue.

"So there were so many schemes behind this..."

"Hahaha, you kid still have a lot to learn!"

Under Shu-Yu's intentional dissemination, the punishment received by *Tokyo Sports* quickly spread throughout the media circle.

The media groups behind the major newspapers all received the news, and it was even heard that the political family holding the controlling interest in *Tokyo Sports* severely scolded Editor-in-Chief Imamura Junichi, ordering him to resign immediately to apologize.

As for the other large media and newspaper groups, they immediately withdrew their restless hearts that wanted to report on Yamaguchi Momoe, and instead, as if nothing had happened, began to praise the first-month box office results of *Departures* and planned special columns related to the finale of *Long Vacation*...

The managing director of the Yomiuri Shimbun Group, Watanabe Tsuneo, had once had contact with Shu-Yu and had also agreed to control news about Yamaguchi Momoe; this time, he also heard the news about *Tokyo Sports*.

"*Tsk tsk tsk*... Shu-Yu's reaction this time is a bit big!"

Watanabe Tsuneo said while drinking with the president of Nippon Television, Koga Ryuta.

"It looks like it's done for us to see... The lead writer of *Yomiuri Shimbun* wanted to report on Yamaguchi Momoe before, but now they don't dare to, right~"

"Yeah... clearly when they were begging Tsuneo-san, they were full of smiles and very polite..."

Koga Ryuta drank a cup of sake and sighed.

"Young people are truly full of youthful vigor!"

"Hahaha, if you aren't full of vigor, how can you be called a young person?!"

Watanabe Tsuneo shook his head.

"This year, the Shu-Yu Group's actions have not been small...

Just look at the Diet a few days ago; the *Labor Protection Proposal for Film Industry Practitioners* has already passed, and it is expected to pass the House of Councillors by the end of this month and then become a national law!"

"This makes the Tokyo Film Industry Association a truly wealthy and powerful industry association... capable of truly influencing the entire film industry!"

"Yeah..."

Koga Ryuta, who was over fifty, felt like it was a dream when looking at the rapid rise of Nagayama Naoki and Shu-Yu in recent years.

"Without paying attention, the entertainment industry... ah no, Japan has appeared a large company that no one can ignore!"

"The key is that this guy Nagayama Naoki is still so young!"

Watanabe Tsuneo asked with a smile:

"What were you doing when we were as old as Nagayama Naoki?"

"Hahaha, the same as now, drinking!"

Koga Ryuta raised his glass and said with a smile.

"Hahaha, right, right, right... also drinking!"

The drinking of youth and the small sips of those over fifty seemed to melt together at this moment~

After a cup of sake went down, Koga Ryuta sighed again:

"Tell me, what is Nagayama Naoki doing now?"

"Maybe drinking?"

"Hahahahaha, that's also possible!"

And at this very moment, on Jurassic Island in the Seto Inland Sea, Nagayama Naoki was spending his first night on the island with Akina.

Having an entire team to serve two adults and one child, naturally, all services were maxed out... even the somewhat tired little Ye Zi had a nanny to help watch her~

Now Nagayama Naoki was in the garden next to the hotel, grilling skewers and drinking with Akina by the campfire, occasionally dancing a step or two in the music~

The two of them hadn't had a date alone in a long time~

"Naoki-san~"

Akina, who had drunk several cocktails, had cheeks flushed in the glow of the campfire; she didn't know if it was the alcohol rising or the heat of the flames.

She pulled Nagayama Naoki to spin a few times, then sat on the seat made of a thick log to rest a little.

"Naoki-san put everything down, is there no problem? I saw Momoe-san's news before..."

"Daijobu, aren't there Otomo-san and the others!"

"I believe in them!"

"Eeeh~~~~ Naoki-san is clearly just being lazy, throwing complex things directly to them, right?!"

"Akina, you know too much!" Nagayama Naoki showed a fierce look, "I have to silence you!"

"?? Woo~~~"

Before she could react, her mouth was blocked by her own husband!

So this was the kind of "silencing" it was!

Akina only then reacted, and then wrapped her arms around Nagayama Naoki's neck, enthusiastically feeding back... ===== CHAPTER 1241 =====