Chapter 1364

Universal Studios in Los Angeles.

When Shuichi Itō came over for the first time, he excitedly went to the Walk of Fame and walked a circle.

"Ah... leaving my handprints here was once my dream!"

Looking at the handprints on the Walk of Fame, Shuichi Itō turned his head and said to Genta Nakai and Yoshihiko Sugiyama beside him,

"However, it's very likely that only Naoki-san has the possibility of leaving his handprints here!"

"Actually, I remember when I was drinking with Naoki-san before..."

Genta Nakai spoke up,

"He said he didn't want this kind of handprint on the Walk of Fame... said it felt like being trampled on by ten thousand people..."

"Uh..."

Shuichi Itō was suddenly a bit angry,

"This is an honor, an honor of the film industry... how can Naoki-san, this guy, think like that?!!"

"How many people never get this kind of opportunity in their whole lives!!!"

And just at this moment, Yoshihiko Sugiyama suddenly coughed:

"Ahem... Itō-san..."

"?"

"Actually, spending a few hundred thousand dollars can leave handprints on the Walk of Fame! If needed, I can help contact..."

Hollywood is, after all, a vanity fair where everything can be traded... a few hundred thousand dollars in this era is indeed a not-so-small number.

"Ha?!!"

Shuichi Itō stared fiercely at Yoshihiko Sugiyama,

"Sugiyama-san, do you know what you're saying?! Are you saying that as long as you spend money, you can tarnish one of the highest honors in the film industry?!"

"Uh..."

Yoshihiko Sugiyama regretted being a big mouth, but still spoke up,

"This... Itō-san..."

"Aren't we coming to Hollywood this time to tarnish the highest honor of the film industry?!"

"!!!" X2

Genta Nakai on the side looked at Yoshihiko Sugiyama with an expression of "you kid really dare to say that," wondering in his heart who gave him the courage... is it the overly open atmosphere in America? Or Liang Jingru?

And Shuichi Itō on the other side was completely stunned!

Yoshihiko Sugiyama's words exploded in Shuichi Itō's mind like a thunderclap on a clear day, dealing a huge blow to his original worldview...

It's true; they came this time precisely to get Naoki Nagayama's *Departures* an Oscar!

It really is to use money to tarnish this highest honor in the film industry!

His lofty beliefs shattered all at once...

"Itō-san... Itō-san?!"

Seeing Shuichi Itō looking so devastated, Yoshihiko Sugiyama finally felt afraid,

"I was just saying... actually, Naoki-san's *Departures* has real strength itself..."

"!"

*Departures* having real strength itself was like a beam of light shining into Shuichi Itō's broken heart, re-ordering his logic!

"That's right! Naoki-san's *Departures* has this strength itself! It should have won an Oscar in the first place!"

Shuichi Itō felt his logic was flawless,

"But it's very likely to be snatched by a film that doesn't live up to its name! We are now... we are correcting the wrongs!!"

"Yes, correcting the wrongs!"

Yoshihiko Sugiyama also nodded in agreement; no matter what he thought in his heart, he only wanted Shuichi Itō to return to normal now.

Genta Nakai on the side felt like he had watched an absurd manzai performance; the two people in front of him were actors who weren't mentally normal...

How did a simple exchange of money for fame get so complicated? And it had to be wrapped in a skin of "justifiable and well-founded"?!

Sigh... as expected, the financial circle is simpler; everything just looks toward money...

These guys in the entertainment circle need face in addition to money...

The three of them walked on the Walk of Fame like this and soon returned to their hotel.

And at the entrance, Shuichi Itō was still saying to Yoshihiko Sugiyama:

"Sugiyama-san, make an appointment with the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tomorrow; I want to talk to him personally..."

"As for the evening, let's go to the Japanese-style club from yesterday..."

"Hai, I understand!"

When the three walked into the lobby, suddenly, a shout called them to a halt.

"Mr. Nakai!"

A middle-aged white man with somewhat thinning hair walked toward the three with big strides, his face full of relief,

"Finally found you!"

"President David Lu De?"

Genta Nakai frowned,

"What do you want with me?"

"I have some words I want to communicate with you! In private..."

David Lu De glanced at the two people beside him; the meaning was obvious—these two couldn't hear it.

Yoshihiko Sugiyama nodded very wisely and said goodbye to Shuichi Itō and Genta Nakai:

"Itō-san, Nakai-san, I'll take my leave first... I'll communicate by phone once the specific arrangements are confirmed!"

"Mm..."

And Genta Nakai glanced at Shuichi Itō and introduced:

"This is Shuichi Itō... an executive of the Tree Friend Group, and also a staff member of the Japanese visiting delegation... Itō-san, this is..."

"President David Lu De!"

Shuichi Itō instantly switched to a politician's business smile:

"We met once at the party a few days ago..."

"Oh?"

David Lu De was a bit confused; like most white people, in their eyes, all Asians looked the same... however, since he was a staff member of the visiting delegation, he was a diplomat!

Combining this with the previous words of Treasury Secretary Baker and his current relationship with Genta Nakai, he realized that this guy in front of him was very likely one of the reasons he came to Los Angeles!

"Hello, hello... since Mr. Itō is also involved, let's communicate together!"

Saying this, he invited the two to a relatively quiet booth in the hotel...

"Mr. Nakai, how is the relaxation in Hollywood?"

David Lu De, who had drunk a small glass of tequila, relaxed quite a bit,

"I took a flight for several hours just to find you..."

"Hehe... of course it's very relaxing..."

Facing one of the culprits who trapped him in America, Genta Nakai wasn't too polite either,

"There are many beauties here, good service... and I can see famous stars... it's incredibly lively!"

"Hahaha, that's good, that's good... as long as Mr. Nakai likes America..."

David Lu De laughed and echoed, then changed the subject,

"However, having been away from home for so long, don't you miss Japan?!"

"......"

These words suddenly made Genta Nakai silent; indeed, it had been half a year since he left home... his wife, parents, and friends were all in Tokyo; how could he not miss them!

Shuichi Itō on the side saw Genta Nakai not speaking and took over:

"Isn't that because America is too enthusiastic! This reputation has spread to Japan, making those who want to come afraid to come... afraid they won't be able to go back...

President David Lu De... am I right?!"

"....."

Now it was David Lu De's turn to be silent; Japanese capital wasn't coming to America... it was because of this that he was forced by Treasury Secretary Baker to resolve this matter with Genta Nakai as soon as possible!

"Ahem..."

Pausing for a few seconds, David Lu De had no intention of continuing to beat around the bush,

"Mr. Nakai... let me be blunt!"

"For the sake of friendship between the two countries... we have decided to drop the lawsuit against the US branch of Tree Friend Capital... as long as we sign a non-prosecution agreement, then all of this will end!"

"Non-prosecution agreement?" Genta Nakai frowned, "Is it still that same old settlement agreement routine?"

"No... it has already been prosecuted, so it is led by the Department of Justice..."

David Lu De explained,

"The signed agreement has legal effect and will directly cause the case to be withdrawn... so there will be no criminal record."

Shuichi Itō keenly pointed out:

"Then what about the future? Will it be re-filed?!"

"....." David Lu De paused, "It can be added to the agreement!"

"Oh? So good?"

Genta Nakai looked at Shuichi Itō with some surprise; is the pressure from the visiting delegation really that great?!

"Of course... naturally, there are some constraints on Mr. Nakai!"

David Lu De said quickly,

"We have waived compensation and withdrawn the lawsuit, but Tree Friend Capital still needs to improve its corporate compliance mechanism... we will send a third-party compliance officer to ensure that Tree Friend Capital establishes a compliance mechanism that meets American systems..."

Without a settlement fee and without admitting any guilt, Genta Nakai thought it sounded okay.

But at the very end:

"Isn't this still that same old routine of sending independent directors! By what right do you supervise our company's internal investments?"

"For compliance!" David Lu De insisted, "For the need of the American economic system to constantly improve!"

"!!!"

Just when Genta Nakai wanted to continue arguing, Shuichi Itō hurriedly pulled him back and whispered in Japanese:

"Naoki-san will have more investments in America in the future... we Tree Friends will also have more business in America..."

"Since that's the case, making the company system more in line with American regulations is also the general trend..."

"......"

David Lu De on the side couldn't understand Japanese, but seeing Genta Nakai's slowly relaxing expression, he knew Shuichi Itō was persuading him.

Finally, Genta Nakai nodded:

"Alright, you can send third-party personnel to assist us in establishing a compliance mechanism!"

"However, it must be noted in the non-prosecution agreement that Tree Friend will not be sued again for the stock market crash short-selling incident!"

As for the Securities Commission apologizing to Tree Friend or anything like that, that's not to be hoped for...

David Lu De sighed:

"This... usually once a non-prosecution agreement is reached, there's no going back..."

"Since Mr. Nakai has already agreed, then come back to New York with me... let's get this matter settled!"

Genta Nakai shook his head:

"I can't go back to New York with you right now... I still have some things to do in Hollywood!"

"However, I will call the legal team to explain the situation and let them review the non-prosecution agreement..."

"......"

David Lu De looked at Shuichi Itō, who was sitting calmly on the side, and sighed again,

"That's fine too... but please, Mr. Nakai, be as quick as possible! That way you can go back sooner, right?!"

"Mm!"

After drinking another sip of wine, David Lu De hurried away again.

He still had to go back to New York to communicate these things with the Department of Justice... but with the pressure from the Treasury Secretary and the President behind him, the Department of Justice wouldn't reject it!

When David Lu De's figure disappeared into a taxi, Shuichi Itō smiled and patted Genta Nakai:

"Nakai-san, congratulations... you can finally go back!"

"Ah... that's right..."

Genta Nakai suddenly felt a stone fall from his heart, his whole body relaxed,

"Thank you, Itō-san... you must have put in a lot of effort in the Cabinet, right?!"

"Ha, I didn't do much..."

Shuichi Itō shook his head,

"Naoki-san has been pushing this matter in Japan all along... the financial circle creating public opinion, the political circle bribing members of parliament to raise opinions..."

"He even considered filming *The Big Short* specifically to talk about the stock market crash, to add fuel to the public opinion!"

"Hahaha, *The Big Short*..."

Genta Nakai laughed; according to Naoki-san's ability, he could probably film and edit it in a month or two... after it's released in America, it might greatly soften America's attitude toward short-selling the stock market...

So he will definitely be able to go back before June!

"Nakai-san... for me, actually, as long as there's money, it's fine!"

Shuichi Itō said,

"If you miss home, Nakai-san, you can go to New York to sign the agreement and then go back first!"

"......."

Genta Nakai paused and shook his head,

"Forget it, it's not that urgent... you also need help during the Oscars... Naoki-san will also come to America, so it'll be just right to communicate with him about the branch company here..."

Saying this, he raised his head, his eyes firm,

"And then, go back with Naoki-san!"

Shuichi Itō was stunned for a moment, then nodded with satisfaction and laughed loudly:

"Hahaha!"

"That's right... we'll go back together, and we'll also be holding the Oscar trophy!"

Just at this moment, a commotion came from the hotel lobby; one by one, beautifully dressed foreign women were checking in... they were all here to participate in such a grand event as the Oscars!

"Haha, that's right... and we have to take Naoki-san to experience the local customs and traditions of America!!"

"....."

Shuichi Itō's expression changed,

"Tsk tsk tsk... having been in America for so long, Nakai-san, you've learned bad habits!"

"Isn't Itō-san also running wildly on the road of learning bad habits!"

"......"

Public opinion in Tokyo surged again~

Even though Naoki Nagayama really wanted to keep a low profile, the news that the *Jurassic Park* preview was held quietly still spread rapidly within the circle.

Although no media press conference was held, there were still some film critics and veteran film reporters among the invited audience; naturally, it was impossible for them to keep it completely secret.

"Very good!" "You'll definitely regret it if you don't watch it!" "It's an eye-opener!"

"Simply a movie rarely seen in a hundred years!" "...... Shocking, just one word: shocking!"

"....."

The audience members randomly interviewed by the paparazzi all expressed this view, but regarding the specific plot of the film, they could only say it was very realistic and didn't look like acting at all.

Without photos or material, even if they wanted to talk, they couldn't say much...

The specific plot was already roughly understood from the novel that had been released~

However, even so, information about *Jurassic Park* spread like a virus from the entertainment industry to every aspect of Japan!

Numerous onlookers, after watching a few trailers, had their curiosity about this film already raised to a peak... yet at this time, Tree Friend Film actually suddenly started hiding things!

But the bits and pieces leaked by the first batch of people who watched the movie all fiercely praised *Jurassic Park*!

This was as if a kitten had been put into the hearts of the public, scratching them until they were itching!

The curiosity about this film rose even more!

In the evening at Shanying Court, Naoki Nagayama was watching TV with Akina and Little Xia Hua... it was playing a program that randomly interviewed the public.

"Sumimasen, can you spare a little time for an interview?"

The interview team randomly grabbed a young person wandering around.

"Eh? Interview? Will it be broadcast?"

"Of course..."

"Then let me fix my hair!"

"......"

After the young man combed his hair, the reporter hurriedly asked,

"What do you think is the most discussed event recently? For example, Prime Minister Doi ending his visit to America and about to return..."

The reporter had already hinted so obviously, but the young man being interviewed was still very excited and said:

"That's naturally the release of *Jurassic Park*! When can I finally see it! I'm so looking forward to it!!!"

"Uh..." the reporter was a bit helpless, "Don't you care about national affairs?"

"What does that have to do with me!!"

The young man shook his head,

"As expected, movies are more interesting!!! Dinosaurs, T-Rex!!!"

"Everyone says it's very good, you'll regret it if you don't watch it!!"

"...... Alright, alright... thank you..."

"Is the interview over already?"

The young man wasn't satisfied yet,

"I still have a lot I want to say!"

"No need! Thank you very much..."

"Then can I say one last thing?!"

"......"

The reporter nodded helplessly... only to see the young man immediately raise his hand as if taking an oath:

"Nana-chan, I love you the most! My heart won't change for a hundred years!!!"

"...... Alright, alright, thank you, thank you..."

The camera finally switched!

And at this time, Akina on the sofa couldn't stop laughing:

"Hahaha, Naoki-san, is this someone you found for promotion? Is he a manzai actor?! So funny?!"

"..... No, I didn't find anyone to promote it!"

Naoki Nagayama shook his head; this person's interview really looked like a plant,

"He's performing his true self!"

"Hahaha, that's really interesting... it looks like watching *Jurassic Park* has become the wish of many people!"

"Yeah... in a few more days, it will be released!"

"What a pity~"

After Akina recovered, she felt a bit regretful, eyeing her husband,

"I can't go watch it..."

"......"

Seeing Akina's feigned pitiful look, Naoki Nagayama wasn't fooled at all,

"No means no! Wait a few months and then we'll see!"

"Tch..."

Akina hugged Little Xia Hua in her arms and didn't look at Naoki Nagayama,

"Hua-chan~~~ Daddy is so heartless~~~ he says he won't let me watch it..."

The little one didn't care about anything else; now that she loved to talk the most, she directly followed her mother's words:

"So heartless~"

"......"

Naoki Nagayama rolled his eyes and held the little one on his lap,

"Hua-chan, come here... let me spank your butt!!"

Hearing this, Xia Hua started squirming on Naoki Nagayama's body...

"No!!"

"I insist on spanking... didn't you say I was heartless?"

"Not heartless, not heartless... Daddy is the best!"

The little one was very good at reading the situation... she immediately started praising him...

"I love you the most!"