Chapter 609: Originally, he only wanted to live as an ordinary person

The small restaurant was now overflowing with fragrance. The film crew staff sitting in the booths, like genuine customers, began to enjoy their morning tea...

"The taste is actually quite good!" "Why does mine feel like it's not working?" "Some were made by the actors, some by Naoki-san..." "Naoki-san's cooking isn't great~" "Nonsense! Naoki-san comes from a family of chefs; his culinary skills are incredible!"

Some of the more familiar staff members were filling in the new employees on their boss's background.

The fact that Naoki Nagayama's father owned an izakaya had been mythologized into him coming from a culinary dynasty. Combined with the rumors of his underworld background, the powerful contrast suddenly gave him the image of a "Yakuza Cook"...

"Naoki-san... why do we have to actually cook..." Masataka Komori asked, a bit puzzled, "Some of the actors' cooking..."

"Hahaha, it's just to create the atmosphere for the scene," Naoki Nagayama said. "To play a role well, isn't the most important thing to experience it... I don't have the energy to help the actors slowly immerse themselves in the character's background, so I might as well just have them do it for real."

"Uh..."

Ah, could this be the reason why Naoki-san's previous film shoots went so smoothly?

Masataka Komori seemed to feel he had discovered Naoki Nagayama's secret, untold technique! His entire spirit was invigorated!

Come to think of it, for *Crows Zero*, he went straight to being a student! For *Ringu*, he really went to find a haunted house!

Once he fell into this line of thought, all the previous films seemed to align with this idea...

The bustling restaurant even attracted real customers to come in and order. A pair of young people, looking like a couple, walked into the restaurant...

"Sumimasen, are there any empty seats?"

Naoki Nagayama didn't chase them out. Instead, acting like a real restaurant, he had Muwa Takeshita go to greet the guests and required the other crew members to act normally.

"Hai, customers, please this way..."

As an actor with extensive performance experience, Muwa Takeshita performed without a single flaw. Whether it was his enthusiastic demeanor or his practiced movements, it was as if he had been working at this restaurant for years.

Although the young man who entered found it strange why this shop manager, who looked like an old handsome guy, seemed so familiar... and why it felt like the other customers were looking at them strangely...

But since it was a restaurant, as long as they could eat, it didn't really matter!

"Please give me a coffee, a cappuccino; and then give her a strawberry parfait..." The young man ordered, while the girl opposite him looked at the manager nearby, becoming increasingly suspicious.

"Hai, please wait a moment..."

After Muwa Takeshita took the order, he bowed slightly and returned to the kitchen. He could make the coffee himself, but for the parfait...

"Kobirumaki Kaoru-chan, can you make it?"

"Ah, daijoubu!" Kobirumaki Kaoru Kobirumaki had also worked part-time at a dessert shop; a simple parfait couldn't stump her.

Just then, the young couple outside was whispering: "You say... have we seen that manager somewhere before? Although he's dressed very plainly, his face looks quite handsome!"

"....... Reina-chan, when did your taste become so heavy... An old man?" The boy was a bit unhappy.

"Who said that? If you don't believe me, look closely! He's really handsome!"

"Could he be more handsome than the young, handsome guy in front of you!" The boy said, frowning.

"Pfft~ *cough cough*"

Hearing this, the crew members sitting in the next booth couldn't help but laugh, quickly coughing to cover it up.

Hearing this, the boy turned his head slightly, didn't say much, and said to the girl opposite: "I haven't seen this restaurant before... why does it feel weird? I even saw a lot of strange equipment in the corner, covered with black cloth..."

(Cameras and tripods, fearing they would get dirty while cooking, had been put away, and some tripods were placed directly in the corner.)

"Eh? What's weird about it? It just feels like a general restaurant~ Maybe it's a newly opened shop~"

After looking around again, the boy said: "The customers here are all unfamiliar faces, and they're all so quiet, not even chatting. Why does it feel like they aren't here to eat..."

As soon as he said this, the crew members instantly started chatting, and the whole restaurant became lively...

"......."

The boy was shocked; this restaurant really seemed to have a problem!

Just then, Muwa Takeshita and Kobirumaki Kaoru Kobirumaki happened to deliver the coffee and parfait, bowing slightly and smiling:

"Please enjoy your meal~"

Feeling the surrounding gazes drifting over again, the instinct to read the room made the young man and woman suddenly nervous.

"Hai, arigato~"

After saying that, they started eating hurriedly... The man was scalded and grimaced, the woman shivered...

In the end, they hurriedly handed over two large bills and ran out without even asking for change...

"Hahaha~" "Too funny~"

Once the two left, the restaurant instantly erupted in laughter~

Naoki Nagayama walked out and clapped his hands: "Alright, alright... they're gone, and everyone has eaten well~ Let's prepare and start the official filming!"

"Hai!" XN

Ito Shuichi Ido, who had rested for a long time, also regained some energy and asked, looking at the busy crew:

"Naoki-san, do you want to talk to the leads about today's scenes?"

Naoki Nagayama looked at the filming schedule in his hand: "The first scene scheduled for today... happens to be the lively restaurant scene, as well as the scenes with the staff at the front desk and in the kitchen~"

"Yes, it needs to be divided into several shots: customers, manager, staff... It needs to show the busy scene while also reflecting the visual sense..." Ito Shuichi Ido drew storyboards on the draft paper and began to analyze.

"....... Looks like a lot of trouble......" Naoki Nagayama scratched his head looking at the storyboard draft. "If that's the case, every time the surrounding environment has to be reset... 6 or 7 shots, our restaurant theater needs to perform 7 times..."

"It's really difficult to have everyone fully focused and not make mistakes every time."

Masataka Komori sighed from the side: "It's not just 7 times; each shot might need many takes..."

"Eh? Why?" Naoki Nagayama was a bit surprised.

Masataka Komori then realized who was in front of him—Naoki Nagayama, whose number of NGs during filming was very low:

"Ah... if it's Naoki-san, then there's no problem~"

Ito Shuichi Ido on the side seemed to feel the sarcasm... but he couldn't say anything, only rolling his eyes at Masataka Komori.

However, the filming still had to be done. He said to Naoki Nagayama:

"Naoki-san, let's still talk to the actors about the scenes one by one~ Rehearsing in advance should reduce the possibility of some NGs."

"Hmm..." Naoki Nagayama looked at the storyboard and compared it with the images in his mind. "I think a long take would be better."

"A long take?" Masataka Komori and Ito Shuichi Ido looked at each other, both starting to think. "Aren't long takes used more in documentaries?"

Naoki Nagayama continued:

"Ito Shuichi-san, do you remember the final duel in *Crows Zero*? Wasn't there a big melee scene that was filmed using the long take method?"

"You mean the shot of the two gangs fighting each other?" Ito Shuichi Ido nodded. "But that was one scene, only needing to show the fighting, just switching the camera angle. This time there are 7 shots!"

Naoki Nagayama finished recalling the images in his mind and smiled: "So what if there are many shots? The audience only has one pair of eyes. We just need to follow the lead and use the game's first-person perspective..."

"First-person perspective?" Ito Shuichi Ido muttered to himself. "Isn't that a term from literature... how does it relate to games?"

"Ah!"

Naoki Nagayama realized that in this era, there weren't even large-screen visual games, and everyone didn't know the difference between first-person perspective and god's-eye view.

So he could only explain: "It's just treating the camera as an audience member... Anyway, wait for me to design the route, and then just film according to this trajectory!"

"The other actors just need to act like normal shop opening! It already looks like a normal restaurant business~ Only the actors for a few shots need to start performing at the right time."

Hearing Naoki Nagayama say this, Ito Shuichi Ido and Masataka Komori didn't say much, just waiting to see what method he would use to start.

The crew's stagehands and props team followed Naoki Nagayama to design the camera route along the kitchen's flow, while the camera operator, Xu Xu Mudao, listened to his special instructions:

"Xu Xu Mudao-kun, when turning here, the camera height needs to be raised to see the full view of the kitchen."

"Hai!"

"At this time, the actors in the kitchen need to show a bustling atmosphere... Yoshida!" Naoki Nagayama turned back to look at another part-time supporting actor. "It doesn't matter if you act clumsy at this time!"

"Eh... Hai!" The young actor answered immediately.

The camera trajectory continued to change, turning out from the kitchen: "At this time, the waiter enters!"

"Hai!"

Continuing along the aisle towards the front hall:

"At this time, Kobirumaki Kaoru-chan enters..."

After the preliminary explanation was completed, Naoki Nagayama had assistant director Masataka Komori rehearse with the actors a few times before they started the actual filming.

In the brilliant sunshine, the camera followed the heroine, Tachibana, into this busy restaurant:

After pushing open the small kitchen door, in the lively and noisy kitchen, the young waitress ran nimbly to greet customers...

The newly hired part-time cook clumsily burned the toast and was called by the chef to wash dishes...

The heroine made a tropical parfait and sent it to the front hall on a tray...

The front hall, almost full of customers, was bustling, looking like a prosperous business...

One by one, the shots were connected by Naoki Nagayama. A full 7 shots, all condensed into one take—this was a long take!

Masataka Komori, while arranging the actors' positions, recorded such superb operation, while Ito Shuichi Ido, looking at such images, could only sigh silently in his heart:

"Naoki-san... as expected of you!"

The progress originally expected to take a whole day was condensed and completed in two hours! No wonder other films could be shot so quickly...

After filming the initial impression of the restaurant, Naoki Nagayama let the crew members rest for a while, while he and Ito Shuichi Ido arranged the subsequent filming process.

"There are quite a few scenes in the restaurant... Ito Shuichi-san, have the other actors arrived?"

"Because I didn't expect to shoot so fast before, some didn't come... but if we notify them now, it shouldn't be too late." Ito Shuichi Ido signaled Masataka Komori to call the staff staying at the studio to notify the extras.

Just as Masataka Komori went to the office next door to make the call, he ran over hurriedly:

"Naoki-san, Otomo-san is looking for you urgently."

"? Looking for me?"

Naoki Nagayama walked over curiously, and then returned after a while with a somewhat heavy expression.

Ito Shuichi Ido asked with concern: "Naoki-san, what's wrong?"

"Something seems to have happened at the Harajuku KTV. Shigeaki Araki called the studio to find me." Naoki Nagayama didn't hide it from Ito Shuichi Ido. "He didn't say what it was on the phone, but it should be quite urgent."

"Since they already called Naoki-san, it must have happened suddenly..." Yin Yin Tangxiu nodded.

"Xiu-san, it looks like I can't continue helping this afternoon," Naoki Nagayama said. "I need to go to Harajuku to take a look."

"Hai, daijoubu. I've already recovered quite a bit after the morning anyway," Yin Yin Tangxiu naturally wouldn't stop him. "Take care, Naoki-san~"

"Hai!"

After nodding to Masataka Komori and Kijima Xu, and greeting Mu Wu Zhu Xie and Kobirumaki Kaoru Kobirumaki, Naoki Nagayama drove his convertible and sped off toward Harajuku.

Outside the three-story building at the corner of Harajuku, a police car was parked. Several uniformed police officers were inside the bar-like lobby, arresting several punk-styled young men and women, while Shigeru Araki was explaining something to the police.

After Naoki Nagayama arrived, the shift manager, Tetsuhiro Kurita, hurried over.

"Naoki-san, you're finally here~"

"Kurita-kun, what exactly happened?" Naoki Nagayama naturally had to ask for clarification first.

"Those young people came over this morning," Tetsuhiro Kurita said, pointing at the people being arrested. "Although they were a bit strange, we still opened a private room for them."

"However, after waiting for a while, police-san suddenly stopped at the entrance of the KTV, saying they received a report that someone in our shop was using contraband..."

"?" Naoki Nagayama was speechless. "Could it be that they got high and called the police themselves..."

"We don't know what's going on either..." Tetsuhiro Kurita hurriedly explained. "But they actually claimed the contraband was obtained from our shop, so the police are still questioning the manager."

"....... Such a clumsy frame-up......"

Naoki Nagayama understood immediately; someone was trying to cause trouble for the KTV... but were the methods really this low-quality?

Shaking his head, he walked over to Shigeru Araki, who was being questioned by the police: "Mochi-san, how is it?"

Shigeru Araki said: "Police-san still has some doubts and is asking some questions."

The officer, who looked like an assistant police inspector, looked over and asked aggressively: "Who are you? What is your relationship with this shop?"

"I am the owner of this KTV," Naoki Nagayama didn't intend to hide it. "This Mochi-san is the manager I hired."

"So you're the owner!" This assistant inspector didn't seem to care much about the entertainment industry, or perhaps he deliberately didn't recognize Naoki Nagayama, and said viciously, "The KTV is harboring others to use contraband; please come with us to the police station to assist in the investigation!"

As he said this, he even wanted his subordinates to bring over a pair of silver bracelets.

Is this guy also part of this frame-up?! Naoki Nagayama pondered silently.

Hearing this, the KTV staff became anxious and gathered around one after another.

Having spent so much time with those old members of the Nagayama Group, they had picked up a bit of the yakuza style. With their boss in trouble, they suddenly looked like they were going to fight.

"What are you doing! Are you trying to assault the police?!" The other police officers became tense instantly. "Back off, back off!"

The staff were at a loss for a moment; they weren't gang members, they just wanted to support their boss, they didn't want to go against the police!

Naoki Nagayama realized this and hurriedly waved his hands to make the staff back off, easing their anxious hearts.

Then he said to the assistant inspector in front of him:

"This police-san, my name is Naoki Nagayama, may I ask how to address you?"

The slightly cautious assistant inspector looked at the staff around him, feeling a bit of pressure, but still said sternly:

"I am from the Drug Control Division, Narcotics Investigator Yoshio Takamatsu!"

"Contraband was found in a property under your name, and the KTV is suspected of participating in contraband trafficking, so you need to cooperate with our investigation!"

Seeing this officer looking so righteous, Naoki Nagayama dismissed his suspicion.

"Investigator Takamatsu, I can guarantee that our KTV has no contraband trafficking... we are a legitimate business." Naoki Nagayama wanted to explain.

"You can say that again at the police station!"

Yoshio Takamatsu had an impartial look; he had no good feelings for these nightclub operators, as these places were breeding grounds for filth.

"......."

Sigh... I originally just wanted to explain to you as an ordinary person, but all I got was alienation. Forget it, I'm not pretending anymore. I'm a big star, I'm showing my hand!

"Ahem, this officer, I am Naoki Nagayama... a big star!" Naoki Nagayama felt a bit ashamed to boast like this. "If I'm taken back by you like this, it will create a bad impression!"

"?"

Yoshio Takamatsu showed a puzzled look. At this moment, a police officer leaned over to him and said a lot, which finally made him react.

"So what if you're a star? Public figures involved in contraband should be punished even more severely."

Naoki Nagayama smiled and pointed at the few punk-styled young men squatting in the corner: "However, according to Officer Takamatsu's experience, you should be able to see that these guys are clearly here to throw mud at us... and they are even treating you, Officer Takamatsu, like a stupid monkey..."

Yoshio Takamatsu's face tightened; he indeed felt that he had been used as a gun by criminals.

"When our KTV opened, hundreds of police officers came, and Section Chief Nan Nan Jun Xiong Minami from the Fourth Investigation Division also came." Naoki Nagayama continued to pull strings: "Logically, the guys nearby shouldn't dare to come and do this. What's going on today?"

"? Section Chief Nan Nan Jun Xiong Minami?" Yoshio Takamatsu clearly knew the name, and his heart became a bit more cautious.

"Mm-hmm." Naoki Nagayama nodded and looked at Yoshio Takamatsu. "Officer Takamatsu, can you let me ask them who sent them?"

"You?" Yoshio Takamatsu was disdainful. "Will they listen to what you say?"

"I have a friendly face~" Naoki Nagayama showed a brilliant smile.

Yoshio Takamatsu didn't answer, but he stepped aside.

Naoki Nagayama slowly walked to the yellow-haired guy who looked like the leader. Seeing that he didn't seem to be an adult yet, his arrogant expression was very punchable...

"Hey, Yellow-hair..." This nickname made Naoki Nagayama feel a bit strange. "Can you tell me who sent you here?"

"Hmph... who do you think you are? Kono yaro!" the energetic young man said arrogantly. "So what if you have connections with the police! I'm still a minor, I'll be out in a few days!"

What a stubborn young man... Naoki Nagayama sighed. Just then, he saw Kaede Nagayama bringing a few brothers back, walking in from the entrance, but they were stopped by the police... After all, the tattoos on the upper bodies of the few gang veterans really didn't look like good people...

Naoki Nagayama pointed at Shogo Hamasaki at the entrance and said: "Did you see that person?"

"So what?!" Yellow-hair glanced and his eyes shrank.

"Perhaps the person who called you didn't tell you..." Naoki Nagayama lowered his voice. "This is a Yamaguchi-gumi property! The police can't do anything to you, but that person won't be polite!"

Yellow-hair looked at the fierce-looking Shogo Hamasaki and the few strong men beside him... and swallowed.

"That guy is called Shogo Hamasaki, he is a Yamaguchi-gumi underboss... I heard..." Naoki Nagayama smiled evilly, "he especially likes young boys with bright colors like you..."

Yellow-hair's body trembled, and the few young people around him also opened their eyes wide. Having spent quite some time on the streets, they naturally knew what "like" meant...

Seeing that they were all nervous, Naoki Nagayama said: "They don't know yet that you were sent by someone. If you tell me, I won't tell him~"

"This..." Yellow-hair was clearly shaken.

"Just tell me quietly, you're going to the police station anyway... By the time you get out, the guy who sent you might not even exist anymore~" Naoki Nagayama threatened again. "You know, the Yamaguchi-gumi always pays back tooth for tooth!....... Of course, it's fine if you want to be a hero~"

"No, no... I don't want to go against the Yamaguchi-gumi!" Yellow-hair whispered, "The one who sent me is Hisahisa Hiramatsu from the Ishii-kai! He said he wanted the KTV to close for a while!"

"?"

What is the Ishii-kai... Naoki Nagayama was puzzled, but since he asked, he didn't continue playing with the kid; it was too lacking in challenge~

"Alright then~"

He stood up and walked toward the police... but the yellow-hair behind him was still shouting: "Don't let that guy Shogo Hamasaki come over!"

Shogo Hamasaki, who had just entered, had a question mark on his head...

"Hai, Investigator Yoshio Takamatsu, you should have heard it too... someone framed us." Naoki Nagayama said to Yoshio Takamatsu.

"Hmph!" Yoshio Takamatsu stared at Naoki Nagayama. "I can still ask you to cooperate with the investigation!"

"Yes, yes, of course~" Naoki Nagayama nodded. "But we all know this is meaningless, isn't it? Even if I walk into the police station, a lawyer in a suit will soon come to bail me out...

Even if you don't want to, there might be a guy who also wears a police uniform but has a higher rank than you ordering you to release me immediately..."

Yoshio Takamatsu stared at Naoki Nagayama again, as if looking at some scum who colludes with power and money... He knew that in Japan, there really was such a class of people.

Especially if one encountered American citizenship, then it was almost like being a super-first-class citizen, who would be respectfully escorted out~

"Haha, Officer Takamatsu, just joking." Naoki Nagayama laughed it off. "You also know I was framed, so let's find the real mastermind!"

"You'd better be framed!" Yoshio Takamatsu finally left with his subordinates and the few punks.

"Naoki, what happened?" After the police left, Kaede Nagayama walked over.

"Someone framed us for suspected contraband trafficking." Naoki Nagayama said. "Are the underhanded tactics this fast?"

"Who?"

Kaede Nagayama was also surprised; the Yamaguchi-gumi had already greeted them here!

"Someone from the Ishii-kai, his name is Hisahisa Hiramatsu." Naoki Nagayama said.

"Oh?" Kaede's eyes flashed. "Since we know the name, leave this to me! I want to see who it is!"

"Kaede-aniki... it's better not to resort to violence," Naoki Nagayama said. "We are a legitimate business, and the KTV chain might encounter this kind of thing in the future..."

"Mm, I understand!" Kaede Nagayama nodded and turned to give orders to Shogo Hamasaki.

And here, Naoki Nagayama started talking to Shigeru Araki:

"Mochi-san... it seems our management is not up to par, letting someone bring contraband in..."

"Sumimasen! It's my fault~" Shigeru Araki bowed deeply to apologize. "I guarantee that I will inspect more strictly in the future!"

"Mm... besides that." Naoki Nagayama thought for a while. "See if we can find a few drug-sniffing dogs!"

"Drug-sniffing dogs?" Shigeru Araki was surprised. "They should all be under the jurisdiction of the National Police Agency!"

"Those whose training isn't up to standard, retired ones, foreign ones... there's always a way." Naoki Nagayama patted Shigeru Araki's shoulder. "We aren't customs, and guests won't hide it that well..."

"Hai, I understand!"

After talking a bit more about daily management, Naoki Nagayama and Kaede Nagayama opened a private room, drinking and analyzing the cause of this incident.

"Wouldn't it be faster to just collect protection money? Why go through so much trouble and frame us?" Kaede Nagayama was a bit puzzled; this was different from the usual yakuza.

"Kaede-aniki, do you think other groups have taken a liking to our KTV?" Naoki Nagayama said. "So they first used a frame-up, wanting to make us unable to operate, and then take the opportunity to acquire it?"

"So they want to seize the property? But this method is too low-quality! The effect is also very poor!"

"You don't know what kind of life those small operators live..." Naoki Nagayama smiled. "Most cash flows can't last more than three months!"

"As long as it leads to a suspension of business due to this or that, it will soon be unable to make ends meet... and then, someone will enthusiastically introduce you to a lending institution..."

And then... interest on interest, interest on interest, and finally, the shop has to be mortgaged...

But there is one thing: the assets obtained this way are legal! Unlike protection money!

Kaede Nagayama drank the wine in his hand angrily:

"This guy, I must find him!"