Chapter 794: Easier than raising pigs~~

The sky was dim, and the night breeze blew... in the kitchen of Shanying Yuan.

Naoki Nagayama was carefully slicing the black truffles that had just been delivered. At the same time, the tender beef and foie gras had already been prepped and were waiting to be cooked with a controlled flame.

On a whim today, he wanted to try the black truffle, foie gras, and beef fried rice he had eaten in his past life... Seeing such a long and strange name, you can tell how rich the ingredients are, right?!

He stir-fried the marinated beef over high heat. A few seconds later, he crumbled the leftover rice from the previous night and tossed it in. Finally, when plating, he added the finely chopped truffles, and a rich, unique aroma instantly filled the dining room.

After brushing the frying pan with oil and heating it to medium-high, the sizzling foie gras was the true test of heat control; it had to be cooked just until it was tender and not quite fully done~

After searing it, he placed a tiny bit of caviar on top as a garnish, set it onto the steaming beef and truffle fried rice, and used the residual heat to bring it to full doneness... This was the perfect moment to eat it~

"Woof woof woof~"

Eitaro sat at the kitchen entrance, his black nose sniffing the aroma incessantly, his thick tail thumping against the floor as if cheering for his master.

There was no way he, Eitaro, was going to miss out on this feast!

"I'm home~"

Just at that moment, the door opened from the outside. A figure carrying the chill of the night walked into the room and immediately caught the scent.

"I was wondering why Eitaro didn't come to greet me today!"

After taking off her coat, Akina Mori happily ran into the kitchen. While ruffling the dog's head, she smiled at her boyfriend:

"So Naoki-san was making something delicious!!"

"Akina, you're back early? Didn't you have a rehearsal?" Naoki Nagayama asked in confusion. "Have you had dinner?"

"Because the rehearsal went smoothly... I had a little something for dinner~" Akina Mori leaned affectionately toward Naoki Nagayama, stretching her neck to look at the sizzling frying pan. "Is Naoki-san searing foie gras?"

"Yeah, it's black truffle, foie gras, and beef fried rice today..."

Every time he said the name, it felt like he was making a three-star Michelin menu...

"Wow~~~"

Akina Mori let out an indescribable sound of awe, her eyes darting between the two pieces of foie gras and then back to Naoki Nagayama... making Naoki Nagayama feel a bit guilty...

"Uh... Akina, do you want to taste a little?"

"Eh? This... is it enough?" Akina looked hesitantly at the fried rice in the pan.

"Because I planned for Eitaro to have some too, the portion is doubled..." Naoki Nagayama couldn't help but laugh as he looked at his lively girlfriend. "If Akina eats some, let Eitaro have a little less... He's so fat anyway, eating less is healthier for him..."

"Mm-hmm, then I'll just have a little taste!" Akina Mori was full of joy. "For Eitaro's health!"

And then she happily washed her hands, set the table, and prepared to eat~

"Woof?" The dog still didn't understand what was about to happen to him~

The freshly made black truffle and beef fried rice, paired with the freshly seared foie gras, was a mix of rice fragrance, sesame aroma, the scent of fats, and the unique aroma of truffles.

Taking a spoonful into her mouth, the grains were distinct, soft, and delicious, mixed with the tender, smooth beef, colliding in her mouth. The rich, layered texture and the savory meat juices stimulated the diner's taste buds every single moment.

The foie gras was seared to perfection; the tender meat was like tofu, delicate and silky, melting in the mouth... yet leaving behind a rich, buttery aftertaste that made one crave more.

Naoki Nagayama ate with great relish, feeling that the taste in his memory might not even be as good as what he was making now~

And as everyone knows, girls have a Schrödinger's stomach, the capacity of which depends entirely on whether the food is to their liking.

So when Naoki Nagayama saw a bowl full of fried rice and a not-so-small piece of foie gras all eaten up, and then Akina finished a bowl of miso soup, he was truly a bit shocked...

Eitaro only got a taste today; the rest had been eaten by his girlfriend!

"Akina... didn't you already have dinner?"

Akina Mori only then reacted, wiping her mouth with a napkin in a very demure manner, and said a bit embarrassedly:

"I only had a little snack in the evening... I was planning to go on a diet... It's all Naoki-san's fault for making the fried rice so appetizing... I'm going to get fat again!"

"......"

Should he say it's no wonder she's a girl? This blame-shifting was incredibly natural~

However, looking at Akina's shifty eyes, Naoki Nagayama knew she was lying... At the very least, dinner couldn't have been just a little snack!

"Is it that easy to get fat eating my cooking?" Naoki Nagayama laughed. "Looking at it this way, raising Akina isn't much harder than raising a little pig~"

"Naoki-san, you..."

Akina Mori couldn't think of a retort for a moment and could only glare at her boyfriend with her bright eyes.

In reality, before coming back tonight, the production team had organized a dinner of seafood sushi, and Akina had eaten quite a bit~

After cleaning up the kitchen, the couple finally sat down on the sofa. Akina took a sip of tea that wasn't too hot and let out a satisfied sigh~

"Ah~~~ truly satisfied~"

She looked just like a little granddaughter who had just been fed by her grandmother~

"Haha~ Akina, look at Eitaro's expression~" Naoki Nagayama suddenly pointed at the resentful dog to the side. "He's very sad; Akina stole his rations~"

Upon hearing this, Akina Mori's face flushed slightly. Looking at the dog's resentful eyes, she could only gently pat his head:

"Eitaro, be good~ I'll add canned food for you later!"

"Woof woof!"

"It's a deal!"

Naoki Nagayama watched from the side and laughed. It wasn't until Akina had finally negotiated the compensation terms with the dog that she began to playfully bicker with her boyfriend again.

After things finally quieted down, Akina Mori leaned into her boyfriend's arms again...

"Naoki-san~~"

"Hm?"

"The new song has been recorded... but the agency says it's best to go to Brazil to shoot the promotional visuals for the new album," Akina Mori said softly.

"Brazil?"

"Yeah, because 'Meu amor é (My Lover)' is a song full of exotic flair..." Akina Mori explained. "The passionate carnival atmosphere in Rio de Janeiro is very suitable..."

"Rio de Janeiro, huh..."

Naoki Nagayama's impression of this city was that huge Christ the Redeemer statue and the passionate samba.

"There's a huge carnival in mid-to-late February~ The whole of Brazil participates; it's a massive festival!"

"The carnival there is indeed very famous..."

"Yeah, I heard there's even a samba parade!" Akina Mori continued. "And the fruit is also very delicious..."

Listening to Akina Mori's step-by-step description, Naoki Nagayama found it a bit strange. Why did she make it sound so attractive? It felt like she was seducing him.

He lowered his head and happened to meet Akina's sparkling eyes:

"Naoki-san, let's go together, okay?"

As expected! He guessed right; his girlfriend wanted to go on a trip together! She was just coveting his body!

Naoki Nagayama naturally had no objections to traveling abroad, but at a time like this, he naturally had to be a little reserved:

"Hm... Akina, you're going with the work team, right? With so many people... wouldn't it be a bit strange if I tagged along..."

"......"

Akina Mori stared at her boyfriend's profile and then took a bite of Naoki Nagayama's neck.

"Clearly, before we were dating, when I went abroad for work, you even secretly followed me! Why didn't you say it was strange then!!!"

"Now you're clearly making excuses! Tell me, are you going or not?!"

"Alright, alright, alright, I'll go! Let's go together!"

Naoki Nagayama dodged repeatedly.

"Akina, are you a dog? You actually bite people?!"

"That's more like it!"

After the little girlfriend got her answer, she finally stopped, satisfied.

And Naoki Nagayama only then began to think... "Love Century" was on the right track, and there was nothing else in his other work that required constant worry...

At most, there were just the Blue Ribbon and the Japan Academy Film Prize award ceremonies... Once those were over, he could truly say he was free of all burdens!

Rio de Janeiro...

This year's trip abroad, it's decided to be you!

Not a word was spoken for the rest of the night~

The next day, after arriving at the studio, Naoki Nagayama informed his two good friends about the matter.

"Traveling abroad?" Otomo Yoshimura asked in surprise. "It's only February!"

In the past, Naoki Nagayama always traveled in the summer. He had traveled in winter too, but only domestically.

"At the end of February, there's a grand carnival event in Rio de Janeiro. I heard it's very lively, so I want to go and see it!" Naoki Nagayama naturally wouldn't say he was going to accompany his girlfriend.

"Then what about the award ceremony?" Otomo Yoshimura continued to ask.

"Naturally, I'll go after the award ceremony is over." Naoki Nagayama reassured him. "It's not even mid-month yet... there's still time!"

"Hm... then what about 'Love Century'?"

"This drama has already been filmed very well by Shizhi Araki, and there won't be any big problems going forward." Naoki Nagayama explained. "Besides, I'll be gone for a week at most; I'll be back soon!"

"......." Otomo Yoshimura looked at his willful friend and had no other choice. Anyway, daily operations wouldn't have any problems. "Fine, Naoki-san, do whatever you want!"

Naoki Nagayama nodded and looked at Yin Tangxiu next to him:

"Xiu-san, do you have any problems?"

"Me?" Yin Tangxiu had been daydreaming. Upon hearing this, he immediately perked up, full of resentment. "What problems could I have? Clearly, I'm the one running around every day building connections to help someone win the Palme d'Or, while the master is going on a leisurely trip~"

"It's just a pity that my sincere heart and full enthusiasm have gone down the drain..."

"......."

Naoki Nagayama patted his forehead, regretting once again that he had taught Yin Tangxiu the "green tea" style of speaking!

"Alright, Xiu-san, don't be so passive-aggressive... This kind of expression will only make you sound more like a resentful woman!" Naoki Nagayama said to Yin Tangxiu. "I'll bring you a souvenir!"

"Heh, that's more like it!"

Yin Tangxiu's expression returned to calm, and he turned to talk about business.

"Naoki-san, I've already read the 'Squid Game' script you gave me in its entirety!"

Yin Tangxiu's eyes flashed with light.

"If this drama is to be filmed, it's actually quite simple... almost all of it is indoors..."

"It's just that those game scenes need to be built..."

"If I want to broadcast it in the second half of the year, we need to start building the set now!"

Naoki Nagayama nodded: "Yes, if we build it, it'll be around May... Filming and editing will be finished around September! Then find someone to start designing and building it!"

"The Dream Factory's factory space isn't enough..." Yin Tangxiu said. "Naoki-san, I need your budget approval. I want to buy the factory land next door... and expand the Dream Factory!"

"Oh?"

Naoki Nagayama thought about it. He had been there yesterday and it seemed there really weren't any empty factory buildings left. As a future filming base, the Dream Factory was an important part of the Shuyou Film business map.

"Fine, you submit the report, I'll approve the slip! Let's get it built as soon as possible!"

"Hai!" Yin Tangxiu was clearly excited. It looked like he really loved "Squid Game."

As for whether the set would be wasted after filming?

Naoki Nagayama wasn't worried at all.

The bubble would officially burst in the second half of the year. These few years were the time when land prices were skyrocketing. Just that large piece of land alone would be enough to make a lot of money!

What's more, the scenes in "Squid Game" were either exaggerated games or intricate, prison-like rooms...

After those scenes became famous, developing them into a theme park and playing something like an escape room wouldn't be bad either!

After finishing the communication at the studio, Naoki Nagayama came to Ginza for the first time in a long while.

On the 12th floor of Shuyou Capital, Yuko Tianzhong was still on duty at the front desk. Seeing her president, she immediately stood up straight:

"Naoki-san, welcome to Shuyou Capital!"

Naoki Nagayama looked at this young lady and found it a bit funny. "Yuko-chan, you're still so nervous seeing me!"

"No! This is respect for the president!"

Because they had a misunderstanding the first time they met, Yuko Tianzhong had always reminded herself to be cautious in her words and actions, especially when facing Naoki Nagayama.

"... Alright~ keep it up!" Naoki Nagayama shrugged. "Is Genta-san here?"

"Hai, the director is here!" Yuko Tianzhong said immediately. "However, he is currently meeting with Ms. Fujita Huizi..."

"Huizi-san?" Naoki Nagayama was curious. "What is she here for?"

"It should be about real estate investment..."

Fujita Huizi had been hired as a consultant for the Shuyou Capital Real Estate Investment Department, but she didn't come to the company often. Yuko Tianzhong only knew a general idea.

"Alright, I'll go ask myself~"

"Hai!"

Walking inside, Naoki Nagayama saw several traders looking at computers and checking data, occasionally making phone calls to execute a trade.

Ever since Shuyou Capital sold its shares in Fujitsu General Air Conditioning, a large amount of capital had returned to Shuyou Capital's books and was distributed to the accounts of different traders... Now, the capital each person was manipulating was several times larger, and trading was much more frequent.

Naoki Nagayama didn't disturb them and went straight to Genta Nakai's office. Sure enough, he saw Fujita Huizi explaining some documents to Genta Nakai.

"Genta-san, Huizi-san!" Naoki Nagayama knocked and entered.

"Naoki-san?" Both were a bit surprised.

"What are you two talking about?" Naoki Nagayama walked to their side and saw the documents on the table. They were several detailed reports on land plots.

"It's about real estate investment." Genta Nakai said. "The value of these land plots is very good. Huizi-san has organized the investment reports!"

Naoki Nagayama flipped through them casually. Some were in bustling areas, and some were price depressions that hadn't been developed yet. They were all land plots with great potential.

"So that's how it is~"

Once these land plots were finally chosen, he would have to sign them, so he didn't pay too much attention to them.

"By the way, Huizi-san, how is the contact going with that place next to Shanying Yuan?"

"There's no problem with that cafe; we can take it down with money." Fujita Huizi said. "However, the owner of the art studio is a bit stubborn and doesn't seem to want to move..."

"Haha, artists, right~ It's normal to have a bit of a temper... Keep contacting them, it should be fine!"

"Hai, I will!"

Having experienced a complete school and career life since she was young, Fujita Huizi was very good at reading the room. She knew Naoki Nagayama was here to see Genta Nakai about something, so she immediately said,

"Genta-san, Naoki-san, I've said enough about the reports for these land plots. We're just waiting for the final decision. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave?"

Genta Nakai reacted:

"Hai, I'll take a closer look and give you a reply then!"

"Then I'll head out first..." Fujita Huizi bowed slightly. "Naoki-san, excuse me~"

"Mm-hmm, take care~" Naoki Nagayama nodded without saying much.

Once only the two of them were left in the office, Genta Nakai relaxed and said:

"Naoki-san? Is there anything you need me for today?"

"Ah, actually it's nothing big..." Naoki Nagayama sat down. "It's just that I'm going abroad for a trip... I'm just letting you know!"

"A trip abroad!" Genta Nakai sighed. "I'm really envious, being able to just leave whenever you want..."

"Haha, you can do it too once you're financially free!" Naoki Nagayama blinked. "And that time isn't far off!"

Following Naoki Nagayama, Genta Nakai was already a multi-millionaire, and he had made quite a bit on Fujitsu General Air Conditioning stock a while ago, so he was getting closer and closer to financial freedom!

"I hope so!" Genta Nakai laughed. "Then before you leave, Naoki-san, do you have any brilliant strategies to leave behind?!"

"....... What brilliant strategies could there be..."

Naoki Nagayama smiled slightly,

"It's just... starting from March, Genta-san, you all need to pay more attention to the exchange rate changes in the international market, especially the Yen and the Dollar, and the Yen and the Pound..."

"Uh... I understand!"

Having followed Naoki Nagayama for so long, Genta Nakai had already become somewhat superstitious about Naoki Nagayama. Whatever he said must have his reasons!

"Also, in the next few months, the money from selling the shares will arrive one after another, but don't make any large transactions." Naoki Nagayama said. "Ensure that in the second half of the year, we can use enough funds at any time..."

"Okay, I'll pay attention!"

"Mm, that's good~"

Next, Naoki Nagayama and Genta Nakai chatted roughly about the current international situation, slightly adding the content of the Plaza Accord, and expressing his views on the appreciation of the Yen.

This made Genta Nakai clearly understand the future trading direction of Shuyou Capital~ ===== CHAPTER 795 =====