Chapter 842: The news that echoed through the late night in Tokyo!!!

When the news reached Tokyo, even though it was late at night, it erupted, keeping many people awake all night.

Ma Sai had been waiting for the results from Cannes all day. After receiving the news, he immediately notified Lu Mian, who was still working overtime, to start the publicity plan!

Although the morning editions of the major newspapers had already been printed, he had long communicated with the newspapers he was on good terms with to print an extra page... to have the long-prepared report appear in the morning paper as soon as possible.

He walked out of the office full of excitement and shouted at Lu Mian's workstation:

"Lu Mian-kun, you can start!"

"Honto?" Lu Mian's eyes lit up, and the fatigue of staying up all night vanished, "I'll go do it right away!"

Ma Sai nods. Just as he was about to return to his office, he saw other employees working overtime in the studio. They were all people from the distribution of *Don't Stop the Camera! *, and they were all looking over curiously.

So a smile appeared on his face: "Minna-san... Naoki-san has won this year's Palme d'Or!!!"

"Ohoho!" "Hontoni?!" "It really is Naoki-san!" "Naoki-san saiko!!!" "Sugoi!"

In an instant, everyone's emotions were ignited!

"Haha, this is a great happy event!" Ma Sai says excitedly, "Everyone working overtime today, hurry up and finish what you have in your hands. Half an hour later, let's go to Roppongi for the whole night! My treat!!!"

"Ooooo!"

Everyone's mood was even happier! They came to work overtime mainly to pay attention to the effect of the advertisements, the articles in the newspapers, the feedback from the theaters, the fans' calls, etc., and it's fine to put them aside for a while.

Ma Sai returned to his office, began to pace back and forth, rubbed his face, and started to dial the phone... close friends, Shuyou's partners, acquaintances at TV stations, all must be notified, and then they have to prepare for celebrations!

However... Naoki-san's own relatives should be notified by himself...

Apart from Shuyou, the newspapers and magazines on 24-hour standby, the international channels that have been paying attention to foreign news, and the interested people in the film industry... waited until three or four in the morning just to know the news as soon as possible.

Telephone lines extended like spider silk to every corner of the entertainment industry, and now the trembling threads made the whole web begin to shake.

Each relevant node was conveying one piece of information:

"Naoki Nagayama has won the Palme d'Or!!!"

After receiving the news of the final results in Cannes, the vast entertainment industry began to roar and operate like an engine being ignited.

The telephone ringing that echoed through the late night in Tokyo was like the earliest alarm clock, waking up Tokyo, which was still asleep, in advance...

"Ring ring ring~"

In the spacious top-floor apartment of the 80 Building, a telephone ringing suddenly sounded.

Immediately after, two pairs of green-glowing eyes quickly wandered to the telephone, making the originally quiet space instantly terrifying~

The telephone ringing didn't stop. Finally, with a *clatter*, the living room lights were turned on. Akina Nakamori walked out of the bedroom, sleepy-eyed, and looked at the living room vaguely:

"Eitaro, Nyataro... don't you know how to hang up the phone?! It's so late, who on earth is still disturbing the people!"

The dog next to the phone wagged its tail, while the cat looked bored and turned away.

Akina Nakamori looked at the phone that showed no sign of stopping and sighed... Ever since Naoki Nagayama filmed *Ringu*, anyone with a bit of sense wouldn't call in the middle of the night!

"It wouldn't be a harassing call, would it..." Akina Nakamori picked up the receiver, "Moshi moshi, this is the Nagayama residence..."

"Akina-chan! This is Akira Hanami!" The voice of her own president actually came from the receiver.

"Eh? President..." Akina Nakamori suddenly became nervous. Generally speaking, when the president calls late at night, it must be a big event, "Did something happen?"

"It seems Akina hasn't received the news yet!" The voice in the receiver was also a bit excited, "Akina-chan, Naoki Nagayama has won the Palme d'Or!!!"

"....... Oh~"

So it was just this thing. Akina Nakamori, who rubbed her eyes, replied flatly. Isn't it a matter of course for Naoki-san to win an award? Is it necessary to call in the middle of the night? I still want to sleep!

"???" Akira Hanami was stunned. Such a big thing, Akina-chan, you only have one "oh"?

I got the news in the middle of the night and called you as soon as possible!

Do you know that the entertainment industry has gone crazy?!

This is the only Palme d'Or award won by a young director since World War II. Although Japan's economy has developed rapidly after the war and entered the ranks of developed countries, the spirit and culture as a defeated country have had their spines broken.

They have won the Palme d'Or before, but the content was all ancient, *Gate of Hell*, *Kagemusha*, *The Ballad of Narayama*... none of them were modern stories, and even the directors were old people... everyone avoided talking about the post-war period.

And Naoki Nagayama's award represents the rise of a new generation! It is undoubtedly a boost to Japan's confidence!

So this news spread crazily in the entertainment industry. I heard that even the Prime Minister and the Imperial Family have received the news.

"Chotto matte... why is President-san notifying me?" Akina Nakamori asked, "Naoki-san?"

"Uh... currently he should still be accepting media interviews..." Akira Hanami knew a little about this award, "There is also a celebration party afterwards... As the winner, he shouldn't be able to get away for a while."

"Is that so... Then, when can Naoki-san come back?"

"It is expected to take two or three days..."

Akina Nakamori, who hung up the phone, was stunned for a while, and then suddenly reacted... Her own boyfriend has won a big award!!! And it's an international big award!!! It's a rare big award in the film industry!!!

"Naoki-san has won the Palme d'Or!!!"

It seemed that she had just woken up at this time. Akina Nakamori only felt that her brain seemed to be suddenly excited, and her heartbeat began to accelerate...

There was an emotion rushing wildly in her chest, making her eyes red and tearful. For a moment, she just wanted to tell others...

"Eitaro! Naoki-san has won the Palme d'Or!" Akina Nakamori grabbed the dog next to her, shaking the dog's tongue until it was about to fly out!

"Wang wang wang!" Eitaro barked wildly, seemingly asking for help.

But Akina Nakamori couldn't understand it at all. Sharing joy with a dog naturally had no feedback. She only felt her heart pounding, her chest seemed to be about to burst, and if she didn't tell others, it seemed like it was about to explode!

After thinking about it, she finally couldn't hold back, picked up the phone... and dialed the number...

After a long wait...

"Oka-san!" Akina Nakamori shouted in surprise, "Naoki-san has won the Palme d'Or!!!"

"......."

Chieko, who was woken up in the middle of the night to answer the phone, was full of confusion...

The next morning, the sun in late May was already a bit hot~

In a slightly irritable mood, countless office workers got up in a hurry. Those who subscribed to newspapers took out the morning paper from the newspaper box, and more people hurried out, buying a copy if they saw an interesting front page at a newsstand on the road.

As an ordinary office worker, Yoshihiro Kumagai was the same. In the morning, he even only ate a rice ball and squeezed into the subway toward the company. After finally walking out of the subway station, he saw a group of people surrounding the newsstand outside the station.

"What's wrong?"

Relying on his height, he looked inside, only to find a row of the latest issue of *Kinema Junpo* hanging in the newsstand.

"*Kinema Junpo*? Isn't it not the date yet?"

Yoshihiro Kumagai naturally knows about this most authoritative film magazine in Japan, and he usually buys it to see the latest news.

I saw the word "Special Issue" written on today's cover... and the cover picture was the scene where Naoki Nagayama, accompanied by Tian Huizi, Takeshi Kitano, and others, walked on the red carpet.

"Congratulations! Naoki Nagayama wins the Palme d'Or!"

That's what the cover report says!

"Naoki Nagayama won the Palme d'Or?!" Yoshihiro Kumagai was full of surprise and immediately took out money to buy a magazine, "This is... incredible!"

There was no time to watch it here and now. Yoshihiro Kumagai stuffed the magazine into his backpack and quickened his pace toward the company building.

Soon he arrived at the office... and slapped Yoshihiro Noda, who was sitting next to him, on the shoulder.

"Do you know? Naoki Nagayama..."

"Hai hai hai, won the Palme d'Or!"

Yoshihiro Noda turned around helplessly and raised the newspaper in his hand. *Yomiuri Shimbun* was interspersed with an extra page, which was exactly the scene of Naoki Nagayama winning the award, and even the acceptance speech was written out. It really is a big newspaper!

"Several people have already told me today!"

Yoshihiro Noda is a film enthusiast, so everyone naturally wants to share this news with him, so his shoulders suffered today.

"I was already very optimistic about *Kikujiro's Summer*... I didn't expect it to really win!"

He flipped through the extra page happily and said to Yoshihiro Kumagai,

"And look... this guy Naoki Nagayama, his acceptance speech when winning the award is really bold! He said 'I did it'!"

"What a man radiating light!"

"Yeah yeah~"

"But I think it's better to be a little more humble when winning such a big award..."

"That makes sense~"

The two began to criticize based on the newspaper. Yoshihiro Kumagai also took out the special issue of *Kinema Junpo* and shared it with Yoshihiro Noda. They didn't realize at all that they were at work...

In fact, no one else cared. With the development of the economy, this era can be said to be the happiest beginning for workers. Any company can make money, you can make money even if you lie down, and you can earn a super high salary by working half a day every day...

The boss is full of smiles, colleagues are also kind, and the company's environment and atmosphere are too relaxed.

After the Plaza Accord was signed, college graduates who had just graduated had the opportunity to go to Hawaii for vacation, their travel expenses were soft, and after work, their superiors would treat them to clubs all night... That was the golden age.

Moreover, at this time, almost everyone was discussing Naoki Nagayama winning the Palme d'Or.

Yoshihiro Kumagai said for a while, flipped through Yoshihiro Noda's newspaper, and suddenly said:

"Eh? By the way, the discussions about *Don't Stop the Camera! * that I often saw before, and those negative comments, why are they gone today?"

"It seems so... I don't seem to have seen them today!"

"Ah, there is another praising report here..."

"......."

Yoshihiro Kumagai said with a smile:

"Let's go watch *Don't Stop the Camera! * again tonight. We watched it too fast last time, and many details weren't seen clearly."

"Okay! Let's go see it again~" Yoshihiro Noda nodded immediately, and then said, "Afterwards, *Kikujiro's Summer* will definitely be re-released. Summer is here anyway... let's go see it again!"

Sure enough, with the news of Naoki Nagayama winning the big award, other newspapers also withdrew their attacks on *Don't Stop the Camera! *... What's the point?!

In the office of Shochiku, Masaki Kobayashi originally came to discuss the editing and subsequent publicity of *The Empty Table*, but after arriving at the headquarters, he found that everyone was discussing the Palme d'Or.

"Kobayashi-san, did you know already?" A colleague asked.

"How could I know so early... The final result was only announced last night!" Masaki Kobayashi said with a smile. He was also the kind who was woken up by a phone call in the middle of the night, "But I have always had confidence in Naoki-san!"

"We people who have been messing around in the film industry for so many years actually have to lose to this young guy Naoki Nagayama..."

"Haha, Naoki-san is a genius~" Masaki Kobayashi smoothed things over. He didn't want his old friend to be isolated.

Not only Shochiku, but people from Toho, Toei, and Nikkatsu were all discussing this Palme d'Or award event. Kadokawa naturally wouldn't be an exception. I heard that Haruki Kadokawa has already started looking for people to plan celebration activities!

In the office of the General Manager of Toei Headquarters, Takafumi Ogasawara held a cup of coffee, his brows furrowed.

"Knock knock~"

As the office door was pushed open, Department Manager Toshitaka Yamamura brought his subordinate Toru Nakano in:

"General Manager!"

"Mm..." Takafumi Ogasawara put down his coffee cup and rubbed the corners of his eyes. He was also the kind who was woken up by a phone call in the middle of the night, "You know about the Palme d'Or, right?"

"Hai~" Toshitaka Yamamura nodded, "I didn't expect this guy Naoki Nagayama to really do it..."

"......." Takafumi Ogasawara looked at him with dissatisfaction, "Are you repeating his acceptance speech?"

"......"

Toshitaka Yamamura didn't know what to say for a while, the office fell into silence, and Toru Nakano was trembling and didn't dare to speak.

After a few breaths, Takafumi Ogasawara spoke again:

"The matter of finding people to spread negative news about *Don't Stop the Camera! * and pushing negative comments was executed by your assistant Toru Nakano, right?"

"Hai, Nakano-kun is my confidant, everything was executed by him personally! However, we used anonymous commission and didn't leave any leads."

"Mm, that's good..." Takafumi Ogasawara said, "Nakano-kun, wrap up the matter, don't continue doing it... Keep this matter in your heart, don't reveal it!"

"Hai!"

"In short... don't go against Naoki Nagayama for a short time..." Takafumi Ogasawara was a bit unwilling. As a second-generation, it's so difficult to deal with someone.

"Is Naoki Nagayama's influence so great after winning the award?"

"I heard he will receive commendation from the upper levels." Takafumi Ogasawara sighed, "Everyone is very optimistic about him..."

The "everyone" here refers to the circles that hold real power. This kind of thing that boosts national confidence is, in current terms, very valuable for the united front... and will receive support from the upper levels.

"In short, just don't let anyone get substantial evidence that our Toei is suppressing Shuyou..."

"Hai, we will go do it right away!" ===== CHAPTER 843 =====