Chapter 546: You really know how to surprise people!!

"Share transfer plan, program proposal..."

Otomo Yoshimura took stock of the materials he was going to bring tonight. Although Haruki Kadokawa might not necessarily look at them tonight, as an experienced worker, Otomo Yoshimura always did his best to prepare everything.

Shuichi Ido was counting the judges he had already secured on his desk, calculating the approximate winning rate. Seeing Otomo Yoshimura's appearance, he couldn't help laughing:

"Otomo-san, why are you so nervous? Isn't Haruki-san your old friend?"

"Shuichi-san, business is business."

Otomo Yoshimura was still very clear. Their old friendship was just a stepping stone. As a successful businessman, Haruki Kadokawa was still very shrewd when it came to interests.

Shuichi Ido didn't say much after hearing this, but sighed instead: "Speaking of which, exchanging Kadokawa Pictures' shares for the future Shuyu Group's shares, I always feel a bit unwilling!"

"After all, it has dropped from 25% to 10%. It has been reduced a lot." Otomo Yoshimura said, "This is still looking at Naoki-san's genius creativity."

"Isn't it because of the agency's growth?" Shuichi Ido said, "Idols and other entertainment businesses."

"Those are just Naoki-san's appendages." Otomo Yoshimura saw it very clearly, "Thanks to Naoki-san, we have stood at a relatively high starting point. Shuyu's main goal in the future is to create a mature business model that can feed back to Naoki-san, instead of relying on Naoki-san to survive."

Otomo Yoshimura's words surprised Shuichi Ido. He originally thought everyone was at the same level. I didn't expect you, Otomo Yoshimura, to have surpassed me so much!

"Hai!" Shuichi Ido nodded heavily, "The film department must also work hard! We must produce more popular movies this year!"

Otomo Yoshimura looked at him, his eyes full of approval. The atmosphere in the office became gay for a while...

But not long after, a knock on the door interrupted their mutual appreciation.

"Shuichi-san." Xing Jiahua Xing opened the door, "Mr. Toshihiko Sugiyama from Kadokawa Pictures is here."

"Ah, it's him." Shuichi Ido nodded, "Please let him in."

Seeing Xing Jiahua Xing go to lead people, Otomo Yoshimura asked: "Shuichi-san, what is Toshihiko Sugiyama here for?"

"Of course, preparing to join the company." Shuichi Ido said, "Starting tomorrow, this person will be the section chief of our Shuyu Pictures distribution section!"

"Oh? So active?" Because Shuichi Ido had always been in contact with him, Otomo Yoshimura didn't know the progress.

"Hai, Sugiyama-san is a practical person."

After understanding Toshihiko Sugiyama's experience and resume, this evaluation could not be considered low.

Soon, Toshihiko Sugiyama knocked on the door and walked in, asking very respectfully: "Shuichi-san, Otomo-san."

"Haha, Sugiyama-san, welcome to Shuyu Pictures." Shuichi Ido welcomed him very enthusiastically, "Otomo-san, you already know, Naoki-san is not here today... Today, let's handle the entry procedures for you first, and then introduce you to others in the company tomorrow."

"Hai!"

Toshihiko Sugiyama's attitude could be considered respectful. Under the leadership of Shuichi Ido, he successfully completed the entry process. Then, when he was in the office, he showed a professional attitude:

"Shuichi-san, since I have joined the company, I will build the personnel of the distribution section as quickly as possible."

"Hmm, you have experience in this, but teach Masataka Komori more while building it."

Shuichi Ido said. The distribution section naturally needs someone who knows the roots. As Shuichi Ido's confidant, Masataka Komori already has rich experience in film production, and it is time to contact other areas.

"Hai!" Toshihiko Sugiyama nodded in agreement. As a section chief who parachuted halfway, he had long been mentally prepared to cooperate with others, "Shuichi-san, since I have joined the company, I want to know, does the company have any projects that need to be prepared for distribution recently?"

The preliminary preparation for film distribution even starts from the project establishment of the movie and continues until the movie is off the screen.

Shuichi Ido scratched his head: "This... only *Ring* and *Love Letter* are in the finishing stage. As for new projects, they haven't started yet."

"..." Toshihiko Sugiyama was a bit confused, "Then... doesn't Shuyu Pictures have a schedule for movies to be shot in the next few years?"

Generally speaking, the time from project establishment to release is determined one or two years in advance. With the size of Shuyu Pictures and the movies released without interruption before, Toshihiko Sugiyama thought it had been planned five years in advance.

"This..." Shuichi Ido and Otomo Yoshimura looked at each other, "Our Shuyu movies are all started after one ends."

"???" Toshihiko Sugiyama seemed a bit puzzled, "But... what about the script confirmation, production committee establishment, and investment promotion before that? These all need to be prepared for a long time."

"Ah... Hahaha, our Shuyu movies are basically self-funded!" Shuichi Ido touched his nose and smiled awkwardly, "The script is also written directly by Naoki-san, so basically no extra time is needed..."

"Uh... okay..." Toshihiko Sugiyama only thought that the company's own funds were sufficient and strong, "Then... casting, preliminary publicity? The schedules of stars are not easy to coordinate..."

Otomo Yoshimura beside him laughed: "Haha, currently all our artists are basically amateurs... The only exceptions are Naoki-san's confidantes... cough cough cough, they are all Naoki-san's personal relationships."

You just wanted to say confidante, right?! Or scandal object?

Toshihiko Sugiyama's mouth twitched, selectively forgetting the second half of the sentence: "So that's it, they are all newcomers..."

Shuichi Ido felt that it couldn't be like this anymore. The more he listened, the more irregular Shuyu Pictures sounded!

"Ahem, Sugiyama-san, in fact, we do have two shooting plans this year." Shuichi Ido said the two scripts he discussed with Naoki Nagayama before, "One is a TV series called *Tokyo Love Story*; the other is the movie *Rainy Day*."

"Oh? Two?" Toshihiko Sugiyama barely returned to calm, "Then I will work based on these two projects. Does the TV series already have the intention of the TV station? May I ask if the movie already has a project establishment book?"

"Ah, this is not urgent, Sugiyama-san... Don't be so urgent. During this time, let's take over the follow-up distribution of *Love Letter* first, and understand the style of Shuyu well..." Shuichi Ido hurriedly interrupted, "Then build the distribution department..."

"Uh... Hai!" Toshihiko Sugiyama finally nodded. After all, his direct supervisor was Shuichi Ido.

After Toshihiko Sugiyama went to his workstation, Shuichi Ido breathed a sigh of relief:

"This Sugiyama-san, is he so oppressive? As expected of coming from a big company..."

This is similar to a manager of a big factory like Ali or Tencent, who suddenly entered a startup company. A set of words, a set of words, bluffed the private boss who fought from the grassroots stage.

Ot

"Otomo-san, say no more. Just in that short while ago, I was about to break into a sweat on my forehead..." Shuichi Ido laughed, "But he does look like he has plenty of experience... it just depends on whether he can adapt to Shuyou Film later on."

"Hahaha, are you afraid that he'll end up like Ren Bo Qingshui and go off to join the yakuza?" Otomo Yoshimura laughed.

"What's wrong with joining the yakuza? Isn't our boss a third-generation scion with a clean and upright background..." Shuichi Ido said, then remembered Naoki Nagayama, "By the way, where did Naoki-san go? We have to meet with Haruki-san this evening."

"He said he went to have lunch with a friend~" Otomo Yoshimura shrugged, "He didn't even bother to mooch a company bento; he probably went off to find a girl~"

"......."

Sometimes~

Even though he only intended to take a short nap at noon, when he opened his eyes again, the sky outside the window was already filled with red clouds, making one marvel at the brevity of a winter afternoon.

After Naoki Nagayama opened his eyes, he discovered that he didn't know when he had ended up lying on his side on the sofa, with his head resting on Akina's lap, and a hand seemed to be gently covering his face; he only felt that it was soft, supple, and very comfortable.......

The legendary lap pillow achievement unlocked!!!

He hurriedly sat up and saw a stack of manuscript paper placed next to Akina; it looked like she had been reading the novel for the whole afternoon~

Akina Nakamori said with a smile, "Naoki-san is awake?"

"I accidentally fell asleep, and for so long too... haha~" Naoki Nagayama laughed a bit embarrassedly, "Has Akina's leg been pressed by me for the whole afternoon? Is it numb?"

"Not really..." A playful smile hung on Akina's face as she leaned in, and he could even feel her warm breath, "At first, Naoki-san was leaning against the sofa, but after I got up and came back halfway through, you leaned against my shoulder, and only then did you slowly slide down onto my lap~

How was it? Was it comfortable sleeping on my lap pillow?"

"I slept so soundly......" Naoki Nagayama reached out to pull Akina into his arms, smiling as he gently rubbed the spot that had served as his temporary pillow, and sincerely thanked Akina, "In any case, many thanks to Akina's lap! Hahaha~"

"Naoki-san!"

This caused his little girlfriend to playfully bicker with Naoki Nagayama in annoyance.

After laughing and playing for a long time, the two leaned against each other, and Naoki Nagayama held the soft body in his arms, steadying his breathing:

"Akina, have you finished reading the novel?"

"Not yet...... there's still half left..... I want to read it during the breaks in recording."

Akina stacked the manuscript paper into a pile and placed it to the side.

"Ah..... I have a recording tonight....." Naoki Nagayama subconsciously glanced at the alarm clock, "16:26?! Yabai! I also have an appointment to visit someone else!"

He had agreed with Otomo Yoshimura in the morning that they would visit Haruki Kadokawa in the evening; besides discussing news related to the company's restructuring, he also needed to get Kadokawa to support the award nominations for "Love Letter".

Akina also realized: "If it's already this time, Fangze-san should be coming over soon too!"

Suddenly feeling a bit anxious, the two began to prepare in a rush.

Borrowing the phone in Akina's apartment, Naoki Nagayama learned that Otomo Yoshimura and the others had already left, and he hurriedly put on his clothes:

"Akina, I have to go first~"

"Hai, take care on your way~" Akina stood at the entrance, watching her boyfriend leave.

Naoki Nagayama stopped, however, and pointed to his face with a smile: "Something is still missing!"

"Mua~"

A gathering with an old-school playboy like Haruki Kadokawa naturally takes place at a high-end membership club.

This time, they arrived at an office building on the busiest street in Ginza; after going up from the second floor, the space inside suddenly opened up.

Pure red booths and dark-colored tables and chairs decorated the room, revealing a low-key luxury amidst the magnificence.

It was very different from the flashy atmosphere of other nightclubs; although there was drinking, most people were chatting in low voices, and each booth had two or three young ladies in kimonos interacting with guests, as serious as a salon.

"Naoki-san, Otomo-san, Shuichi-san...... over here." Isao Morikawa greeted them from a booth; for some reason, it seemed that whenever Haruki Kadokawa was at the club, he was always by his side.

"Morikawa-san, Haruki-san~" Naoki Nagayama and the other two greeted them after sitting down in the booth.

"Haha, everyone is here!" Haruki Kadokawa was in a very good mood, a smile hanging on his face, "This is Misato-san, the mama-san here, and beside her are Ai-chan and Momonaga-chan...."

After introducing each other, the mama-san, Misato, said with great surprise: "So it's Fujii Itsuki from "Love Letter"; many of our young ladies are your fans!"

The two hostess ladies beside her, Ai-chan and Momonaga-chan, also cast their gazes over.

"Haha, that is truly flattering~" Naoki Nagayama could only laugh it off; after all, this wasn't the first time he had encountered such a situation, and he was almost getting used to it after gaining fame.

Haruki Kadokawa smiled and said to Isao Morikawa beside him: "Look, as expected, as soon as Naoki-san arrives, the young ladies' gazes are all focused on him!"

The mama-san, Misato, was very tactful and hurriedly pulled Haruki Kadokawa's hand and patted it, as if comforting a child: "Not at all, I have always been paying attention to Haruki-san~"

"Ah hahaha~" Haruki Kadokawa seemed to really fall for this, happily holding the mama-san's hand....

Sigh..... the quirks of rich people are sometimes truly hard to understand......

The people in this booth exchanged pleasantries for a while, and after drinking a few glasses of wine, the entire atmosphere began to become very harmonious.

Haruki Kadokawa brought it up first: "Naoki-san, Otomo-san, regarding the share swap, I have already looked it over. 5% of Kadokawa Film shares, plus the previous Shuyou Film shares, in exchange for 10% of Shuyou Group shares—I have no objections."

"Haha, that's good. If there are no objections, we will sign the contract later." Otomo Yoshimura toasted a glass of wine, "From now on, our relationship with Kadokawa will be even closer."

"That's right, let's make money together!" After drinking the wine, Haruki Kadokawa's face was glowing.

Shuichi Ido also toasted and said: "I will have to rely on Haruki-san's guidance in the future!"

"No problem, no problem~" Haruki Kadokawa didn't refuse anyone and drank another glass of wine.

Coupled with the flattery and banter from the hostess Misato-san and the two young ladies, the atmosphere became even more heated.

Seeing that the mood was just about right, Naoki Nagayama also let his guard down and chatted casually: "By the way, Haruki-san, does Kadokawa Shoten have any connections with the Japan Jiyu Kokuminsha in the publishing industry?"

"Jiyu Kokuminsha?" Haruki Kadokawa was a bit surprised, "Naoki-san, what do you want with them? A bunch of old fogies."

"Ah, it's about collaborating on a variety show with Fuji TV."

Naoki Nagayama briefly explained the "New Words and Buzzwords Awards" program. The mama-san and hostesses sitting there only felt it was a program that sounded interesting, but Haruki Kadokawa began to take it seriously after listening.

"Naoki-san's meaning is to let the whole nation participate and decide the buzzwords or new words for each month?"

"Hai, this kind of interaction that involves everyone will mobilize the audience's enthusiasm and also expand the program's influence." Naoki Nagayama nodded.

"And then at the end of the year, choose a character that represents the overall situation of the year?"

Naoki Nagayama explained: "Buzzwords and the Kanji of the Year can be divided into different segments; anyway, it's the end of the year, so it's a summary review."

Haruki Kadokawa listened very intently, because in the past, year-end events in the entertainment industry were mostly about entertainment.

As for the annual summary of the nation as a whole, it was generally conducted by the government or the imperial family, such as the Prime Minister's speech or the imperial address—in other words, it was political and inaccessible to ordinary people.

But this approach of Naoki Nagayama's, starting from buzzwords and finally selecting a representative Kanji of the year, had a certain authority while not truly touching on political sensitivities; furthermore, it was a form of public participation and an expression of the overall situation of the year......

If the program's influence grew, the upper classes would certainly turn their eyes toward it, and might even step in to participate directly.

"So, is that why Naoki-san needs the participation of the Japan Jiyu Kokuminsha?" Haruki Kadokawa thought of his previous question.

"Haha, that's right; after all, it still needs a bit of authoritative endorsement." Naoki Nagayama laughed, "By the way, does Haruki-san want to participate in this program too? If Kadokawa Shoten joins, the influence of this program will definitely be even greater!"

Haruki Kadokawa silently put down his wine glass and began to think seriously; the drunkenness from before was no longer in his eyes.

After all, beneath the playboy of the drinking scene was the helmsman of the Kadokawa Group; the previous debauchery was just because he was happy, and when it came to major matters, he would immediately change back into that shrewd businessman.

The mama-san and the two young ladies on the side also quieted down, but she timely handed over a cool towel, allowing Haruki Kadokawa to wipe his face and become a bit more sober.

With a program that sounded so interesting, plus the assistance of Naoki Nagayama and Fuji TV, Haruki Kadokawa could already imagine the situation later on:

The public would first be curious, then participate, the influence would expand, and it would attract the attention of the entertainment industry, leading them to follow suit; but with the preconceived impression, everyone would still recognize the authority of Naoki Nagayama's program.......

The huge participation and influence would attract the attention of the upper echelons; at the end of the year, inviting well-known figures from economic, political, cultural, and other fields to recommend the final Kanji—politicians would not let go of this national opportunity to show their faces and would use this character to express their political philosophy and attitude, and other well-known figures would certainly be willing.....

Once the relevant people tasted the sweetness for the first time, this kind of program that balanced fun and politics would definitely be held for a long, long time, and the initiator of this program would definitely gain rare connections and channels through it.....

Haruki Kadokawa wiped his face with the towel:

"Naoki-san, you really know how to surprise people!"

"Haha, Haruki-san, it's just an entertainment program." Naoki Nagayama laughed, "I wonder if Kadokawa Shoten is willing to join in?"

"That goes without saying!" Haruki Kadokawa agreed readily, "I will have someone in Kadokawa Shoten who is familiar with the Jiyu Kokuminsha help bridge the connection."

"Then I am truly grateful!" Naoki Nagayama hurriedly raised his wine glass.

After this decision was made, the atmosphere in the booth became even more heated.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, Naoki Nagayama said: "By the way, Haruki-san, will you be going to the Blue Ribbon and Film Academy Awards this year?"

"If I have time, of course I will go~" Haruki Kadokawa said easily.

"Haha, let's see how many awards "Love Letter" can win then!"

Haruki Kadokawa suddenly remembered the arrogant look Naoki Nagayama had when he said "I want them all" during their previous meeting, and he couldn't help but laugh:

"It looks like Naoki-san will definitely be able to win quite a few awards this time!"

"Then I'll take Haruki-san's auspicious words!"

An exchange that didn't need to be stated was completed with a tacit understanding between the two.