Chapter 1300: Shuyou can do it, why can't we?!

Near the middle of November, the entertainment industry finally had another hot event—the closing ceremony and award ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival was about to be held!

Although it was delayed for more than half a month due to force majeure, no one wanted to condemn anything at this time. People who had just experienced the storm were looking forward to this grand event to break through the somewhat depressed public mood...

After all, it's almost the end of the year, you can't let everyone spend the New Year so heavily!

As the closing ceremony posters were posted on the streets and alleys, media newspapers also began to publish the stars and guests who were about to appear... and newspapers even started a "Most Popular Star" selection activity~

And a group of artists in the entertainment industry

"I've practiced over a dozen different ways to trip, over a dozen!!" "This time, I'll definitely capture everyone's attention!" "..."

Ever since the "mishap" of a Shuyou artist on the red carpet at the film festival opening ceremony drew all the spotlights and gained unprecedented attention, their popularity had been skyrocketing... The Japanese entertainment industry, and even the Western entertainment world, seemed to have had their meridians cleared!

Being in the vanity fair, they instantly understood that things like dignity and propriety were secondary; for an artist, the most important things were buzz, exposure, and attention!!

"If Shuyou can do it, why can't we?"

"We can definitely catch this heaven-sent wealth too!!"

"..."

Similar little schemes were spreading widely in small circles, and even unknown newcomers were being arranged by their agency managers to walk the red carpet in unconventional images...

And so, a group of newcomers looked at the bizarre costumes prepared by their agencies with faces full of resistance... transparent yukatas, tight leather outfits, mascot costumes—they all came out...

As expected of the Japanese entertainment industry; once they let go of their bottom line, they really can come up with anything!

"Do we really have to wear this?" "Isn't this cross-dressing?" "We'll be laughed at!" "..."

However, the managers at this time were coaxing them:

"You have no fame at all, so you have nothing to lose!"

"If you get famous on the red carpet this time, then you'll have everything!!"

"..."

Fortunately, the Tokyo International Film Festival Executive Committee received the news in advance and hurriedly added a patch to the red carpet regulations, banning bizarre costumes, otherwise they would be blocked outside by security!!

Naoki Nagayama only heard this news the night before the closing ceremony, and it was Akina who told him!

"Hahahaha~ Really? Is there actually someone who wants to wear a maid outfit to walk the red carpet?"

Naoki Nagayama laughed until he couldn't close his mouth.

"If that goes up there, it can't be called a film festival anymore; might as well change it to an anime festival!"

"Yukiko-chan told me."

Akina said while helping Naoki Nagayama try on tomorrow's outfit.

"She got the news from chatting with artists from other agencies... saying that many newcomers are just trying to stand out on the red carpet!"

"And they said it was all because Shuyou set a bad example!"

"Hahaha~"

Naoki Nagayama wasn't embarrassed at all; he knew how crazy future artists would be to stand out and grab attention.

Not to mention anything else, has anyone ever seen someone walk the red carpet completely naked in the vacuum?!

"What about you, Akina? Do you want to wear a dinosaur costume to walk the red carpet?!"

Naoki Nagayama asked with a smile; they had made several dinosaur mascot costumes before just to play with little Xia Hua!

"How can that be!"

Akina, who was tidying Naoki Nagayama's collar, angrily punched her husband on the arm.

"If you want to wear it, Naoki-san, wear it yourself!"

After saying this, seeing Naoki Nagayama's eager look, Akina hurriedly added:

"If you wear it, I won't walk with you!"

"..."

Naoki Nagayama's feeling of wanting to act crazy finally disappeared.

"Then forget it..."

Akina breathed a sigh of relief, then stepped back a few paces, looking at Naoki Nagayama who was already dressed in formal wear, and nodded with satisfaction:

"Sure enough, Naoki-san is more handsome in formal wear!"

"It's just a bit uncomfortable..."

Naoki Nagayama really didn't like wearing suits; for him, it was better to be comfortable in his clothes.

"Just for tomorrow..."

Akina looked him over and signaled for Naoki Nagayama to take it off.

"After it's over, Naoki-san, you can change into your usual clothes..."

After tidying up the clothes, Naoki Nagayama told Akina:

"By the way, after the awards ceremony tomorrow, I might have to leave first... to go to Shuyou Capital; I can't be with Akina."

"Is there something at the company?"

"Yes, I need to chat with someone who just returned from a business trip. I'm currently filming on Jurassic Island, and I don't have time during the day in Tokyo..."

Because of filming, he had to go to Jurassic Island every morning now; he specifically gave the crew a day off tomorrow to return to Tokyo with some of the actors.

"Hai... I understand!"

Akina smiled.

"Then after the event is over, I'll go shopping with friends!"

"... Okay~~~"

The Imperial Hotel in Tokyo is one of the most famous hotels in Japan, having hosted countless events; even the century wedding banquet of Seiko Matsuda and Masaki Kanda was held at this hotel.

As the morning light dawned, the hotel was ready to welcome the closing ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival.

The bright red carpet was laid from the crossroads all the way to the hotel's main entrance, with fresh flowers, streamers, music, and a custom-themed background stage... A large number of security personnel were also in place, ready to catch anyone disrupting order at any time...

The staff of the Tokyo International Film Festival were naturally in place early as well, and even Yin Tangxiu had arrived at the scene early, ready to deal with emergencies at any time!

Starting from 6:00 AM, countless reporters began to gather near the hotel, and fans and tourists were endless. Gradually, the square in front of the hotel's main entrance and both sides of the red carpet were packed, and everyone was waiting for the arrival of the stars!

And in the noisy atmosphere, the time reached 8:00... Cars began to drive towards the Tokyo Imperial Hotel~

As a luxury sedan stopped at the entrance of the red carpet venue, the surrounding fans and reporters became instantly excited!

"Ah!... That's... Shizuka Kudo!!"

"How could she come so early?!"

"Yeah, yeah, could it be a special project?"

"..."

Seeing Shizuka Kudo step out of the car wearing a sharp jacket with a wicked smile on her lips, the fans began to cheer loudly, making the area around the red carpet even more lively~

While reporters were frantically pressing their shutters, they also had doubts.

You know, in the entertainment industry, no matter what the event is, there is generally an unspoken rule that "the bigger the star, the later they arrive." Sometimes, to compete for the title of "finale," agencies would even fight privately!

And Shizuka Kudo, although still a bit young, was already an artist at the top of the entertainment industry's pyramid in terms of popularity and buzz!

Just as the reporters were wondering, another car drove over...

"Hold on!"

Seeing the figure stepping out of the car, the reporters exclaimed again.

"Even Chikako Aoyama came so early?!"

"It's really Chikako Aoyama!" "Chikako-chan is so beautiful!" "..."

The clicking of shutters and the flashes that couldn't be hidden even in broad daylight showed Chikako Aoyama's current popularity!

Now adopting a mature, sophisticated style, Chikako Aoyama had completed her rise in status through the summer's "Long Vacation" and was definitely red-hot~

Seeing that two of Shuyou's popular artists had arrived early, the reporters attending the closing ceremony had a thought in their minds:

"Could it be that this time, all of Shuyou's artists have arrived early?!"

In fact, the subsequent appearance of Yuki Saito, Junko Ito, Momoko Kikuchi, and a series of other Shuyou artists confirmed the reporters' thoughts, and they were also a bit surprised:

"Could it be that Shuyou is going to stir up trouble again?!"

You know, at the opening ceremony red carpet, the strange "little accidents" of Shuyou artists really focused the entire entertainment industry's attention on them... Shuyou had snatched almost half of the exposure from the opening ceremony red carpet!

However, contrary to their expectations, the Shuyou artists were very steady this time, and until other artists began to arrive, there was no trouble...

Naoki Nagayama and Akina Nakamori appeared at such a moment!

After the car stopped, before the door even opened, the cheers of the fans had already sounded:

"Akina!! It's Akina!" "Akina Nakamori is here!" "Akina-chan is the best!" "..."

Akina Nakamori walked onto the red carpet slowly, arm-in-arm with Naoki Nagayama, with a bright smile on her face, waving to the surroundings from time to time...

Although she had been pregnant for almost three months, it couldn't be seen at all; the gown outlined her slender figure, just like a youthful girl~

"Arigato~" "Thank you all for your support!" "..."

Akina waved to the fans happily and signed autographs from time to time... Naoki Nagayama beside her was a bit embarrassed; he had no fans at the scene... or perhaps the cheers for his fans were too small and hidden in the crowd!

In the media area, the two interacted with the reporters together, and various questions kept coming, which finally gave Naoki Nagayama some participation...

"Director Nagayama, may I ask how the filming of 'Jurassic Park' is going?"

"'Jurassic Park' is currently being filmed on the island..." Naoki Nagayama replied with a smile, "The filming is going very smoothly... it is expected to be released early next year!"

"Why wasn't Akina chosen for the role this time?"

"Uh... Akina's image doesn't fit..."

Naoki Nagayama looked at his wife, whose skin was whiter than snow beside him.

"She is too young, not old enough... and she is pregnant..."

And she was looking more and more like a wealthy lady now, even her baby fat was starting to reappear!

The reporters at the scene showed kind smiles, and then a reporter asked Akina Nakamori:

"Akina-chan, what are your thoughts on Director Nagayama choosing Yuko Tanaka as the female lead?"

"Uh... Yuko-san is a professional actor with excellent acting skills. I believe her performance in 'Jurassic Park' will definitely be excellent..."

Just as the reporter wanted to probe what this celebrity couple thought about Yuko Tanaka being a "homewrecker," they happened to meet Naoki Nagayama's half-smiling eyes... and immediately shut up!

Almost forgot, this is Naoki Nagayama! He is very strict with reporters! He definitely didn't want to be shaved and turned into a monk!

Thus, the interaction at the scene passed peacefully, and after taking photos, Naoki Nagayama and Akina Nakamori entered the banquet hall of the main venue...

By around 8:30, more and more artists began to appear, and even foreign stars appeared one after another!

"That's Meryl Streep!!" "Stallone! That's Stallone, he's really muscular!" "Why did he come too?!" "..."

Hollywood in the United States was also hit very hard by the stock market crash; many project producers and investors went bankrupt overnight, and many film projects were abandoned halfway. The entire entertainment industry was in a slump and in urgent need of revitalization.

But Hollywood didn't have any large-scale event planning now, so when they received the invitation to the Tokyo International Film Festival, a film extravaganza, many stars rushed over overnight just to maintain their exposure and popularity.

"Jackie Chan is here too!" "That's Leslie!" "..."

Hong Kong stars also came, including Leslie Cheung, who had worked with Naoki Nagayama...

Of course, as the local snakes, the stars of the Japanese entertainment industry were the most numerous... Due to the previous rule patch, there were no eye-stinging bizarre costumes on the red carpet, but the artists all had their own little tricks.

Someone picking up a work permit, someone touching up their makeup, someone accidentally bumping into a friend, both looking surprised, and some even really trying to trip over their clothes...

In short, the atmosphere of the entire closing ceremony was even more lively than the opening ceremony, and from time to time, exclamations could be heard from the onlookers, adding some surprises to this grand event~

In the main venue, Akina had already sat down and was chatting with Shizuka Kudo.

The age gap between them wasn't big, and at the beginning, they both followed a rebellious path, so they had quite a few topics.

As for Naoki Nagayama, he didn't sit in his seat, but instead went to find Tomotomo Arafune and Yin Tangxiu, who were in charge of the big picture.

"Xiu-san... Otomo-san..."

"Naoki-san!" Tomotomo Arafune smiled as he looked at Naoki Nagayama. "I don't know why, but I feel like I haven't seen you in a long time!"

In fact, the two were always on the phone, but Naoki Nagayama was always at Shuyou Capital some time ago, and now he started filming again... so they hadn't met.

"Haha, so have I become more handsome?!"

Naoki Nagayama responded with a smile, which naturally drew collective disdain from his two friends... "Your skin is getting thicker!"

After a few pleasantries, Naoki Nagayama asked:

"Otomo-san, Xiu-san... is your progress going smoothly?"

"Hmm... Yoshihiko Noda already trusts me very much!"

Tomotomo Arafune said with a smile.

"I am already a founding member of the 'Noda Brotherhood'!"

"'Noda Brotherhood'?"

"Yes, it's a political association just like the Takeshita Keiseikai..."

Tomotomo Arafune continued to smile.

"A group of young people with hot heads imitated and built one! Just like a delinquent club~"

This kind of association is generally established when taking political sides, for the sake of unifying the camp. A group of young people without power or strength, even if built, is just a joke!

"Hahaha..." Naoki Nagayama laughed. "Not necessarily. Youthful loyalty is a non-renewable resource..."

Naoki Nagayama patted Tomotomo Arafune on the shoulder.

"Since Otomo-san is a founding member, then put a little heart into this 'Brotherhood'!"

"Establish an entry mechanism, get some benefits, increase the sense of ritual...

For example, shouting 'Loyalty~' during collective decision-making..."

"The camaraderie of youth, if developed well, might become the most important thing in a lifetime."

Tomotomo Arafune shook his head and didn't take this association to heart, but still decided to follow Naoki Nagayama's words, get some norms out, get some benefits for the members, just like a fan club...

Anyway, Shuyou is not short of money now!

Then Naoki Nagayama turned to Yin Tangxiu:

"Xiu-san, how did the official promotion of the Tokyo International Film Festival internationally go?"

"The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are very willing!"

Yin Tangxiu said with some pride.

"After talking with the members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs I met before, I found that they are also lacking materials for external publicity..."

"It just so happens that our Tokyo Film Festival has great value in both cultural and commercial attributes, so we are preparing to package the Tokyo International Film Festival as one of Japan's business cards..."

"That's really great!"

Naoki Nagayama also nodded with satisfaction. In this case, as the initiator and organizer, the Shuyou Group, which is deeply bound to the Tokyo International Film Festival, will definitely be able to obtain national-level support internationally...

If Shuyou is bullied, for the sake of face, Japan must also speak up; gestures like condemnation and protest must always be there!

Next, we still have to wait for the cabinet to have a powerful faction close to Shuyou to come to power before we can further help Shuyou!

The three chatted for a while outside the banquet hall and greeted other acquaintances who came, making Shuyou's presence in the entertainment industry even stronger.