Chapter 994: You two really have suffered

In the blink of an eye, it was March.

As the late spring chill faded away, the weather in Tokyo grew warmer day by day, and the winter jasmine was the first to bloom.

A string of small yellow flowers adorned the branches, forming a curtain of yellow blossoms and green leaves that radiated a delightful, vibrant energy against the backdrop of the foliage.

The entertainment industry seemed to have regained its vitality as well; all sorts of news began to circulate in a concentrated burst. Both veteran and rookie idols in the idol industry started releasing new albums to compete for popularity, big stars vied for exposure on television and in the media, and a variety of fresh programs were also fighting for the audience's attention.

Even more surprisingly, everyone found that money seemed easier to earn this year. Foreign trade orders were pouring in one after another, processing plants couldn't keep up even with three shifts, and goods that had previously been sitting in inventory were now being bought up as soon as they hit the shelves...

Even the yakuza didn't want to go around fighting people to collect protection money anymore; they could just push a small cart out to sell street food and make a fortune...

Naoki Nagayama visited Akihabara for the first time in a long while. He hadn't paid attention to one of his shops here for a very long time; to be precise, he hadn't paid much attention to any of the commercial properties under his name.

Operations and the like were all centralized under his personal studio, and things like collecting rent and filing taxes were handled by the Tree Friends finance department.

He came today because this place, being a hub for small electronics, had the latest mobile phones and computers.

"Naoki-san..."

Genta Nakai, who served as his full-time driver, was now also moonlighting as a porter, moving the items Naoki Nagayama had purchased into the car.

"This Sony laptop, it doesn't have a tower case, what can it even do?"

"It can be used to play games..."

In reality, Naoki Nagayama had bought it for his collection; after all, it was a first-generation laptop, a Sony product. Its processing power and storage space were both very small, at most useful for making spreadsheets or processing text, and there were only a few games for it.

In his past life, he had only ever seen one in a museum...

"Play games..."

Genta Nakai shook his head. Spending so much money to buy a large game console—he felt it was a bit of a loss.

Wouldn't it be better to just buy the latest Famicom? Swap it for a bigger TV, one that's in color, too...

Naoki Nagayama didn't bother with the thoughts of his "tool man." He excitedly went to the mobile phone shop to look for the latest model, only to find the same old shoulder-strap mobile battery phones—which were really just car phones taken out and carried on one's back. The "Big Brother" brick phones hadn't even come out yet.

"Sigh, looks like I'll have to wait another year or two..."

A disappointed Naoki Nagayama went to browse the latest game console market, bought the newest *Super Mario* game cartridge, and after picking up a few more electronic products, he prepared to head back.

He had originally intended to return to Shan Ying Yuan, but halfway there, he received a call on the car phone. Otomo Yoshimura told Naoki Nagayama to return to the Tree Friends building first, saying there was an important matter to discuss, so he hurriedly turned the car around and headed back to the company.

After arriving at the Tree Friends building, Naoki Nagayama instructed Genta Nakai to take the items back to his home first:

"Nakai-san, take the things I bought today back to Shan Ying Yuan first. I'll settle them when I get back."

"Hai~"

Xing Jiahua Xing, the receptionist on duty, looked at Naoki Nagayama in surprise:

"Naoki-san... why are you back?"

"Otomo-san called me... said there was an important matter." Naoki Nagayama was puzzled. "Doesn't Hua-chan know?"

Generally speaking, if something major happened in the company, Xing Jiahua Xing, who served as both receptionist and administrative assistant, would certainly be informed.

"I don't know... but earlier, it seemed like Munao Ruosong and Yukiyuki Nishimoto came to the company in a rush... and went into the office..."

"..."

Those two... Naoki Nagayama remembered that he had told them to go experience the life of the truly wealthy!

"Then I'll head up first..."

"Hai~"

Upon reaching Otomo Yoshimura's office, he saw Otomo Yoshimura and several others inside, along with Masataka Komori... he was currently comforting the two young men, Munao Ruosong and Yukiyuki Nishimoto...

When Naoki Nagayama walked in, he even heard him saying things like "Young people should experience everything," "It's good to have your eyes opened," and "Just forget about it from now on."

"Otomo-san, what's wrong?" Naoki Nagayama asked.

"... Naoki-san is here~" Otomo Yoshimura's expression was strange when he saw Naoki Nagayama arrive. "Actually, it's not that I have something to discuss with you, but rather these two..."

"?"

Naoki Nagayama looked at Munao Ruosong and Yukiyuki Nishimoto.

"Munao-kun, Yukiyuki-kun, didn't I tell you to go experience the life of extreme luxury? Are you back already?!"

"Wuu wuu wuu... Naoki-san!!!"

Munao Ruosong burst into tears upon hearing this.

"We almost got slept with by someone!!!"

"???"

Naoki Nagayama was shocked.

"Nani?!"

Yukiyuki Nishimoto, however, was slightly better off:

"Naoki-san, we were on that yacht for five days and four nights... we were truly worried every single night we slept!!! There was an entire cabinet full of baby oil in the cabin!!!"

"... Uh..."

Naoki Nagayama saw that the two were just a bit mentally exhausted and didn't seem to have suffered any physical injuries, so he sat down and asked in detail:

"Tell me in detail... what's this about baby oil?"

Next, Munao Ruosong and Yukiyuki Nishimoto told Naoki Nagayama about the scenes they had witnessed on the yacht and what happened after they met that mixed-race handsome guy.

At the beginning, the yacht party was just a bit open, which could still be considered normal—eating, drinking, dancing, and then doing the things people do.

However, starting from the second night, things began to change...

People started distributing illicit substances to those in bed, followed by drug use and orgies, regardless of gender... By the third and fourth day, the entire yacht was in chaos—bondage, SM, abuse... Even if you didn't want to partake, there were people who would drug you.

"Wuu wuu, Naoki-san... we hid in the wardrobe for two days just to escape it!"

Although Munao Ruosong was a filmmaker, he had never experienced a situation like this. Now, just thinking about the look in that mixed-race handsome guy's eyes made him tremble subconsciously.

"..."

Naoki Nagayama hadn't expected that this kind of debauched revelry could become so chaotic.

His cousin Feng Yongshan probably hadn't expected it either; he had just helped contact a friend to get these two on board.

"Do rich people really play that excessively?!"

Yukiyuki Nishimoto seemed to have a higher mental threshold. He adjusted himself for a moment and said:

"When we were about to head back, I found a few guys who had regained their senses and chatted with them... They said the most chaotic places are in Europe and America... It's said that some wealthy people, in pursuit of thrills, build estates in certain places and hold regular banquets..."

... Some island, perhaps...

In his past life, with the internet being so developed, Naoki Nagayama had naturally heard of such things.

After hearing Munao Ruosong and Yukiyuki Nishimoto's account, he patted the two on the shoulders:

"This is my fault for not considering things thoroughly... You two really have suffered this time... But fortunately, you weren't injured, and you didn't... uh... lose your chastity..."

He keenly sensed that at least on the first day, when things were normal, the two had certainly enjoyed themselves... It was just that the level of stimulation afterward was too much for them, and as straight men, they couldn't accept it...

"Then take a break for this period... Put the matter of *Tiger of Ginza* aside for now..."

"No!" Munao Ruosong finally adjusted his mood at this moment and said righteously, "Naoki-san, this trip was meant to open our eyes! If we can't write down what we saw, wouldn't it all be in vain!!!"

"... Uh, actually, the script can't be written entirely either..." Naoki Nagayama comforted them. "Excessive scenes still need to be hidden; after all, we are going to broadcast this..."

Even in the film atmosphere of Japan, overly stimulating plots couldn't be broadcast. Things like drug use were already considered quite extreme... Even *The Wolf of Wall Street* didn't deeply showcase the true life of the wealthy.

Ah... perhaps the male lead in that movie could only be considered an ordinary rich person, with a net worth of no more than 200 million USD.

Even Naoki Nagayama, as he was now, couldn't compare...

"It's okay, we will grasp the scale!" Yukiyuki Nishimoto's tone was firm. "Naoki-san, please give us this opportunity!"

"Yes, having experienced this, we also need a place to let it all out..."

"In the end, the events on the yacht can be condensed into a single shot..."

"The male lead, carrying a huge sum of money, walks onto a yacht prepared specifically for the wealthy, and then it cuts directly to him getting off the boat... with a completely bewildered expression, as if his worldview has been reshaped!"

"....."

The two of them spoke back and forth, directly laying out the general plot of the script. With this new sense of purpose, Naoki Nagayama noticed that their spirits had lifted quite a bit.

"Alright then, I'll leave the script for *Tiger of Ginza* to you two!"

"Yes!" X2

Once Masataka Komori led the two of them out of the office, looking revitalized, Otomo Yoshimura complained:

"Naoki-san... is it really okay to send company employees to do such dangerous work... They are still just young people!"

"I didn't know either... I thought it was a welfare task, a chance for them to gain some experience..." Naoki Nagayama shook his head. "I've never participated in such activities myself... Who knew rich people were this crazy... Do you know, Otomo-san?"

"This..."

Otomo Yoshimura's mouth opened slightly.

"I've heard a little bit..."

"??!!"

Seeing Naoki Nagayama's suspicious gaze, Otomo Yoshimura immediately said:

"I have never participated in one!!!"

"..... Really?"

"The most I've done is attend a club party..."

Going to clubs and adult entertainment venues is considered normal social behavior in Japan, not excessive.

Come to think of it, perhaps it's because Shuyue rose so quickly; after Otomo Yoshimura and Shuichi Ido became wealthy, they didn't even have time to learn how to be bad.

It could also be that Naoki Nagayama set such a good example that his two friends didn't fall into extravagance despite their sudden wealth, and the entire Shuyue company remained in a healthy atmosphere.

However, Naoki Nagayama still glanced at Otomo Yoshimura's lower half, revealing a suspicious look:

"Otomo-san, you're getting on in years, you should attend fewer of those parties..."

"!!! Naoki Nagayama!!!"

Naoki Nagayama hurried out of Otomo Yoshimura's office, only to run into Shuichi Ido coming over from the elevator.

"Naoki-san, what's wrong? You look like you're in a hurry."

"Haha, Otomo-san is angry, better not provoke him for now!"

Naoki Nagayama said.

"Shuichi-san, what are you doing?"

"Ah... I'm here..." Shuichi Ido smiled. "*The Man with Zero Presence* has finally finished editing, I came to invite you and Otomo-san to watch it..."

"It's finished!"

Naoki Nagayama was also surprised. Shuichi Ido had been busy with this film since last year, and the progress had been constantly delayed. He didn't expect it to be completed today.

"Then I must take a good look!"

"Naoki-san, you go ahead first!" Shuichi Ido said. "Even though you said he's angry, I still have to try to call Otomo-san over..."

"...... Ganbatte!"

In the editing room, Kyo Kijima had already set up the projector and incidentally called Masataka Komori over as well.

"Naoki-san..." Kyo Kijima greeted him hurriedly upon seeing Naoki Nagayama.

"Ah, Kijima-kun, long time no see..." Naoki Nagayama nodded. "You've been busy in the editing room all these days, right?!"

Kyo Kijima looked full of resentment:

"...... Naoki-san, we were just discussing script creation a few days ago..."

"......" Naoki Nagayama paused and looked at Kyo Kijima's wrist. "Kijima-kun, you can't blame me... Why aren't you wearing your Rolex anymore?!"

"...... Shuichi-san said we need to be authentic to the character..."

"That can't be helped then..."

While Naoki Nagayama was chatting with Kyo Kijima, Shuichi Ido managed to drag Otomo Yoshimura to the editing room, ready to watch the preview version of the film.

Otomo Yoshimura glanced at Naoki Nagayama without a word... The humiliation from just a moment ago couldn't be forgotten so quickly!

"Alright, alright... Let's begin!"

Pulling down the curtains and turning off the lights, Shuichi Ido signaled Masataka Komori to start the projection.

The screen lit up, showing an apartment in downtown Tokyo, but the door had a very strange notice posted on it: "This room is rented, someone lives here, it is not abandoned, and it is not haunted"......

There were even all kinds of exorcism talismans around the door; it seemed people all thought this house was a haunted mansion~

An ordinary man pushed the door open to reveal a 1DK apartment that was empty and had very little furniture. The man changed his clothes, went into the bathroom to wash up, and then looked up into the mirror.....

He began to narrate slowly:

"I am a man with zero presence....."

The scene began to change: he was forgotten at the hospital by his parents right after birth, and was only discovered and sent back after he cried from hunger. Since he was an infant, his parents couldn't remember his existence; sometimes he would be forgotten while being carried on their backs, or they would forget to pick him up from kindergarten.....

Fortunately, his parents gradually realized this and covered their home with little sticky notes to remind themselves that they had a child....

In elementary school, he was always like air in the class; speaking suddenly would startle people, so he was always alone.....

After entering middle school, no one bullied him, and he just drifted through to high school...... and had no romances either.....

He was always the one ignored in a crowd....

Naoki Nagayama and the others watched the film's narrative, seeing the protagonist go from hating his low presence to using it to make a living after becoming an adult, and then to searching for a solution.....

Until he went to Naoki Nagayama's home and requested the Rolex watch he was wearing.....

"Naoki-san actually acted in it too!" "This is only the third film Naoki-san has acted in, right?"

"......." Otomo Yoshimura looked at the watch on Kyo Kijima's wrist. "Kijima-kun, did you pay Naoki-san for this watch?"

Naoki Nagayama hurriedly explained:

"Let's just consider this a reward for Kijima-kun... The previous few dramas achieved good ratings, and the TV station was very satisfied...."

"I see...."

In the end, the film finished, and Kyo Kijima finally found his soulmate, the other half who could pay attention to him, and the two lived a happy life.

Shuichi Ido asked excitedly:

"Naoki-san, what do you think?!"

"Hmm... I personally find it very interesting and heartwarming... But that might be because I participated in it myself~" Naoki Nagayama turned the topic to Otomo Yoshimura. "Otomo-san, what do you think?"

"Me?"

Otomo Yoshimura thought for a while, and his brow actually furrowed.

"I think I've already forgotten the plot....."

Shuichi Ido felt like he had been struck by lightning:

"It's over... It really has become a film with zero presence!"

"......"

The few people in the editing room looked at each other, not knowing what to do for a moment! How could a film that people couldn't remember possibly have box office success, how could it be a hit?!

"How about..." Masataka Komori suggested, "we market it as a thriller?!"

"A midnight screening?"

"You don't feel scared while watching it, but as soon as you walk out of the theater, you feel like a part of your memory has been stripped away!"

"Thinking about it that way, it really is thrilling!"

"Reverse marketing: absolutely no one will be able to remember the plot of this film!"

"Interesting... We can try that!"

Naoki Nagayama proposed the reverse marketing strategy, using this point as a gimmick in media and newspapers, stating in advance that after watching this film, absolutely no one would be able to remember the plot.

This would attract audiences to enter the theater to watch it, and incidentally spread the word among film enthusiasts.....

Who knows, maybe an urban legend will come out of this in the future!