Chapter 564: Meeting the right person, one glance is enough~

"Hahaha, Naoki-san, well done!" Yin Tangxiu praised Naoki Nagayama very happily. "Not only did you say it yourself, but you also persuaded Miss Nakamori Akina to help promote it. It's really killing two birds with one stone!"

"I didn't... I'm not... Don't talk nonsense!" Naoki Nagayama denied it in one go, but at this time, it was too late to say anything!

After the awards ceremony for the Japan Film Blue Ribbon Awards ended, the look in Akina's agent Mingxing Fangze's eyes said it all... That was the look of a scumbag who used an innocent girl for profit.

Hey... an idol of Nakamori Akina's level, an advertisement is estimated to cost millions of yen!

Yin Tangxiu sat in the back row of the car and kept chattering: "The Film Academy Awards two days later, Naoki-san must keep it up!"

".........."

The awards ceremony was only about two hours long. Naoki Nagayama didn't go to the subsequent banquet salon; he really couldn't afford to lose face. He was currently in Shuyou's car driving towards the studio.

The car drove slowly on the roads of Minato Ward. The magnolia trees on both sides were already covered with flower buds, like white light bulbs, emitting a faint fragrance;

Under the sunshine, the trees that died in winter sprouted new buds, and the low, dark green shrubs looked lush, as if they had changed their leaves.

The footsteps of spring were approaching unknowingly.

Looking at the city that was regaining its vitality, Naoki Nagayama felt that his mood was much better, so he threw the events of the Blue Ribbon Awards aside and asked Fangcun Dayou, who had been silent and looking at some documents:

"Dayousang, didn't you say we would go to Horikoshi and Nichu for auditions after the awards ceremony? Are we going now?"

"Now?" Fangcun Dayou was a little surprised. "Doesn't Naoki-san need to rest?"

"Haha, I am full of energy right now." Naoki Nagayama laughed. "Besides, the news of *April Story* was spread by Akina today. If we go to cast in a while, it might cause a riot."

Knowing that a well-known director who had just won the Best Director Award was coming to cast, and it was the lead role for his next romance film. The female students at the performance school would definitely be crazy~

Maybe there would even be people who would offer themselves up for unspoken rules~

"This... then let's go, let's go to Nichu first~"

Fangcun Dayou directly dialed the contact number of Nichu Women's High School on the car phone and said that they were going to the school to meet the candidates.

And the people there seemed to agree very readily... After all, they were all in school.

Nichu Women's High School, known as the excavation ground for Japanese idol artists, was founded in 1903 and is a key aristocratic school.

The point is, it recruits all female students... and most of them will enter the entertainment industry.

Just like that very interesting film last year—*The Girl Who Leapt Through Time*, the lead actress Harada Tomoyo graduated from this school.

Speaking of which, the plot of *The Girl Who Leapt Through Time* is actually very interesting, and the adapted novel is an enduring bestseller, but the shooting level is a bit poor... The special effects of this era are really hard to describe.

The car carrying the three Shuyou Group bigwigs, Naoki Nagayama, Yin Tangxiu, and Fangcun Dayou, stopped at 1-chome, Meguro Ward.

"I say..." Naoki Nagayama looked at this unremarkable, even somewhat old high school, and was a little disappointed. "To pick actors here, do we need the three Shuyou giants to come together?"

"......."

Fangcun Dayou was speechless. You were the one who said you wanted to come halfway! Originally, he should be drinking hot tea in the office of the studio and slowly processing documents at this time!

Yin Tangxiu was very interested: "Just treat it as reserve talent for later. My *Love Like the Falling Rain* also needs some other actors."

"Alright..."

The three chatted as they entered the school, and the dean, Konno Narikazu, received them at the door.

"Congratulations to Director Naoki Nagayama for winning the Best Director Award at the Film Blue Ribbon Awards!" Dean Konno Narikazu congratulated them very diligently.

"Did Dean Konno know so quickly?" Naoki Nagayama laughed. "We just came from the venue."

"Hahaha, as a school aiming for the entertainment industry, we naturally pay close attention to these."

Konno Narikazu didn't explain his source. Batches of students went out from their school, and they naturally had powerful connections.

"By the way, regarding the audition, we have already notified the candidates who meet the conditions, and everyone is in a classroom..." Konno Narikazu said.

"How many people?"

"According to the previous conditions, we selected 25 people!"

Naoki Nagayama was surprised: "That's almost a class..."

"Haha, yeah, because the age of this batch is just right..."

"How does Director Naoki want to audition? Give them a script, or let them show themselves first? It's not that I'm bragging, my students all have special skills..."

Konno Narikazu was a very responsible dean, still talking about the excellence of his own students, very much hoping that his own artists could get such an opportunity.

"Auditioning one by one is too slow..."

Naoki Nagayama thought for a while, and it was just about a class, and he didn't know them...

"Why not just look at their most natural performance..."

He suddenly thought of a good idea: "Just treat this classroom as the occasion for university classmates to meet for the first time, and let the students play freely and introduce themselves to strange classmates!"

"Eh? But they all know each other?!" Konno Narikazu asked suspiciously.

"Isn't that just right? It can test their acting skills." Naoki Nagayama said. "At the same time, I can watch on the side to see if there is anyone who fits the character."

"Xiuyisang, what do you think?"

Yin Tangxiu was thinking about whether his film needed any roles to be selected from here. Hearing this, he waved his hand directly: "Naoki-san, you can handle your film yourself, but I still want to see their information later..."

Konno Narikazu immediately changed the object of his diligence: "Ah, Director Yin also wants to cast! Is it the same condition? Do you need me to bring all the candidates' information?"

"No... *Love Like the Falling Rain* is completely different from Naoki-san's *April Story*. I need to go see the students' physical education classes and daily studies, and find the right person directly..."

Yin Tangxiu said mysteriously; he seemed to have stricter requirements for his first love film.

"Ah... is that so..." Konno Narikazu was a little surprised, but he also knew that many directors had such and such quirks, so he cooperated. "Then I will have someone lead Xiuyisang to visit..."

As for Fangcun Dayou, between the 'creepy uncle peeping at female students' and the 'young director with strange audition methods', he decisively chose the latter. He didn't want to be labeled with a 'reputation damage' tag after today's casting activity.

In the multimedia classroom of Nichu Women's High School, the young girls were gathered in twos and threes, discussing the upcoming casting.

"I heard it's Naoki Nagayama's latest film!" "That handsome director? The one expected to win big awards this time?"

"Yeah, every film he directs seems to be able to push the female lead to the top of the film circle!" A female student laughed. "So his female leads have the title of 'Shuyou Girl'!"

"But... I heard that guy is very playboy!" "I wonder how the audition will be? Will it be a confession scene?!"

"So what if he's a playboy? Having a romance with such a handsome guy, no matter how you think about it, it's a profit!"

"......."

Without the opposite sex, the girls' discussions were very open. In their mouths, they quickly ate Naoki Nagayama up as a piece of 'fresh meat'!

When Naoki Nagayama and Dean Konno Narikazu opened the classroom door, the buzzing discussion stopped immediately, just like a head teacher raiding an evening self-study session.

"Minasan, this is Director Naoki Nagayama... He will tell everyone the audition content today. I hope everyone remembers it firmly and seizes the opportunity!" Konno Narikazu said very seriously.

"Hai~~"

After Dean Konno Narikazu handed the podium to him, Naoki Nagayama looked at the young girls in the classroom... and revealed a smile~

"Everyone relax~~~~~ Hahaha, you should all know me... so I won't introduce myself." Naoki Nagayama said very peacefully. "Coming to Nichu School today is to pick a female lead for my next film *April Story*. Because time is tight, there is no room for everyone to perform one by one."

"So, this audition uses improvisation."

"From now on, you are all freshmen who don't know each other. This classroom is the classroom for the first meeting of freshmen." Naoki Nagayama said to the students' confused eyes. "Get to know new classmates, communicate, introduce yourself, make new friends..."

"How should you show yourself? In what way? You can all do it according to your own ideas."

"I will only watch your performance and won't participate."

"Sa... everyone start!"

Not only were the students confused, but Fangcun Dayou and Konno Narikazu who came together were also slightly lost. However, Naoki Nagayama was already sitting in front of the podium watching, so Konno Narikazu could only wave his hand to signal the students in the classroom to start immediately.

After being slightly panicked, the graduates of Nichu Women's High School had rich acting experience after all, and immediately entered the scene of freshman enrollment.

"My name is Mikami Ayumi, from Kumamoto Prefecture! My hobby is sweets..." One of the girls seemed to want to attract the director's attention, introduced herself loudly, and began to show her personality.

Immediately after, the students began to introduce themselves one by one, and then bustlingly began to group according to hometown, hobbies, and the personality shown...

Naoki Nagayama watched the performance of these female students with great interest. Some were very raw, some were overexerting, and some were desperately showing themselves... But these didn't affect his judgment of the students.

He just wanted to find the traits that fit the character...

"My name is Niihara Momoko, from Shinagawa Ward... I am a Tokyoite..." Suddenly Naoki Nagayama's attention was attracted by a somewhat light voice.

"Hobby... is singing! But I am very timid, so I don't dare to sing in front of others..."

This voice came from a slender girl with a little baby fat. That face with a little baby fat, round eyes containing shyness, and a slightly shy smile were also very healing. She was really like her name, as sweet as a peach.

So he spoke: "That Momoko-san... if your hobby is singing, can you sing a little?"

"Eh?!" The sudden interruption made Niihara Momoko a little panicked. "Here?"

"Yeah... just sing casually~"

"This... Hai!" Niihara Momoko thought for a while, then nodded and began to hum... It was actually Nakamori Akina's *Slow Motion*!

Listening to her singing voice, it was like drinking a cup of iced milk in summer, fresh with silkiness, and a trace of aftertaste...

Very potential!

Niihara Momoko??? Naoki Nagayama looked carefully and confirmed that this girl should have another name, called Kikuchi Momoko!

After listening to the singing, Naoki Nagayama didn't say much, but continued to watch the performance of other students for a while, and didn't leave any evaluation.

"Thank you for everyone's participation... If there is any progress, we will continue to contact you."

After saying such official words, Naoki Nagayama and Fangcun Dayou left the classroom with Konno Narikazu.

Fangcun Dayou had basically confirmed:

"Naoki-san, is it that girl?"

"Well, let it be her~ However, the name Niihara Momoko as a stage name seems a bit too plain... If it's a stage name... let's call it... Kikuchi Momoko!"

Naoki Nagayama didn't hesitate too much. The Showa female stars who could leave traces in his memory were all idols who were famous for a while, and they must have something extraordinary.

"Hai, I understand... We will continue to communicate with her later." This was the first time Fangcun Dayou saw Naoki Nagayama giving an artist a stage name... It seems Naoki-san values this girl very much!

Konno Narikazu, who was following in front, heard it and couldn't believe it: "Director Naoki, did you decide after just one look?"

"Haha, meeting the right person, one glance is enough, no need to look a second time." Naoki Nagayama laughed. "Dean Konno, take us to see Director Yin Tangxiu. I don't know if he has found the right one."

At this time, in the teaching building of Nichu Women's High School, there was a creepy uncle walking around the floors, carefully looking at every student, sometimes running to the stairs at the corner to look at the playground.

This outrageous behavior even made some classmates call the security guards.

However, after the accompanying student explained the situation, the security guard let him go.

But after walking for a long time, he still didn't seem to find the right person, and could only sigh while leaning on the railing.

"Xiuyisang!"

Yin Tangxiu heard Naoki Nagayama's call and turned his head, only to find that the three people had already walked over.

"Naoki-san... you guys have already finished?"

"Yeah, we've already found the right candidate. How about it, Xiuyisang, didn't you see anyone you liked?" Naoki Nagayama was in a good mood.

"...... I feel it's still a bit off, and there are all girls here, and I still have some male supporting roles that I haven't found." Yin Tangxiu sighed.

Fangcun Dayou comforted on the side: "Then let's go to Horikoshi; there are male students there too."

"That's the only way~"

Fangcun Dayou turned to Konno Narikazu: "Dean Konno, thank you very much for today's hospitality... Regarding Nishikawa Momoko, we will have someone specifically come to talk about the cooperation agreement later... I hope your school can help arrange a meeting with the guardian..."

"Hai! That's naturally no problem!!!"

Konno Narikazu was very happy. The biggest performance of the year had come out!

Amidst the mutual thanks, the Shuyou casting team left by car.

Konno Narikazu walked towards the multimedia classroom just now with excitement; he wanted to give Niihara Momoko a heads-up.

And at this time, in the classroom, Niihara Momoko had become the center of the topic.

"Momoko-chan, it must be you! He only asked you questions! Did you know each other before?"

"Momoko-chan is going to enter the entertainment industry a step ahead! The next 'Shuyou Girl' has appeared! Momoko-chan, don't forget us when you get rich... Be careful of being deceived by playboy Naoki!"

Words of envy or jealousy made Niihara Momoko both surprised and happy at this time, and she could only answer her classmates' questions timidly.

Just at this moment, the classroom door opened again, and Konno Narikazu walked in.

"Alright, today's audition is over, everyone go back to your classes!"

"Niihara Momoko... you stay, come to my office!"

"Hai!" Niihara Momoko's body trembled with nervousness, and she followed Konno Narikazu out stiffly.

As soon as the door closed, a heated discussion broke out in the classroom instantly. ===== CHAPTER 565 =====