Traveling through the Tokyo bubble era

Chapter 947 An Unexpected "Assist"

Dentsu is still a long-established giant in the Japanese advertising industry, although it was caught off guard by the triple whammy of Storm Advertising, EI International, and the documentary.

However, after an all-night discussion among senior executives, a response was issued the following day.

This is exactly what the Japanese media, industry peers, and the general public want to see.

After all, a back-and-forth advertising war is what makes it truly exciting.

It happened to be the weekend, and the Japanese stock exchange was closed. Since people couldn't join the stock market's "bottoming out and rebounding" bull market, watching an advertising war was quite entertaining.

As for what Dentsu's counterattack includes.

First, a clarification press conference was held specifically regarding the documentary on Cloud Satellite TV, stating that all the cases in the documentary had been investigated by the authorities at the time and confirmed to be unrelated to Dentsu.

The fact that the documentary is now airing these cases is simply spreading rumors and misleading the public. It's a malicious lie fabricated against Dentsu.

You might ask what the effect was after Dentsu's public clarification?
Look at the protest groups that gathered at the entrance of Dentsu this morning, consisting of ordinary citizens and various non-profit organizations.

And the curses they hurled, and the signs held up by the audience that read "Justice," "Fairness," "Severely Punish Bullies," and "Defend the Rights of Women in the Workplace."

It can be seen that Dentsu's public clarification and explanation in the face of the documentary by Cloud Satellite TV that stirred up public sentiment had some effect, but it was not entirely ineffective.

Of course, among these protesters were people arranged by the Cloud System.

In fact, it can be said that the vast majority of the protesters were organized and arranged by the cloud computing system.

After all, even if ordinary people are angry and full of a sense of justice, they can't spend all their time protesting because of work and life.

Moreover, no matter how strong the sense of justice and anger in the hearts of ordinary people are when watching documentaries, it is destined to gradually fade away over time.

Therefore, for the cloud computing companies that are driving all of this, it is very necessary to unite with professional non-profit organizations to protest.

In addition, in order to maintain the anger and sense of justice of ordinary people, the Cloud Group must continue to expose Dentsu's scandals.

Therefore, on Sunday, in addition to Cloud Satellite TV rebroadcasting the documentary, media outlets belonging to the Cloud Group, as well as traditional media that chose to side with Cloud Group, all began to report on Dentsu's dirty secrets.

Of course, at this stage, the battleground for public opinion, apart from cloud satellite TV stations, is still limited to print media.

Behind NHK, two opposing forces are vying for power, leaving NHK, the neon-lit CCTV, to temporarily turn a blind eye.

As for the major private television stations, they were either still observing or felt it wasn't the right time to get involved, so they all ignored the news.

However, the cloud-based group has media influence, and the long-established advertising giant Dentsu naturally does as well.

After Dentsu spent the entire night on communications and public relations, a very interesting phenomenon appeared in Sunday's print media.

The entire traditional Japanese media landscape has been completely divided into three camps.

One side supports the cloud computing group and relentlessly exposes various scandals of Dentsu.

One side is speaking up for Dentsu, urging the public to remain calm and not be swayed by public opinion.

The other side remained neutral and did not participate in the matter at all.

In addition to its media defense, Dentsu also launched a counterattack in its business operations.

Ai International announced the termination of all cooperation with Dentsu. Dentsu, feigning magnanimity, expressed regret and wished Ai International all the best.

However, several well-known Japanese local brands announced that they would not be affected by public opinion and would continue to cooperate with Dentsu, while also stating that they would terminate all cooperation with Storm Advertising.

These brands include Suzuki in the automotive industry, Citizen in the watch industry, Shiseido in the cosmetics industry, ASICS in the sports industry, Nintendo in the gaming industry, and so on.

The list of brands reveals that they are either affiliated with Yunshang Group or have no connection with Hideki Hanyu, and they are not afraid of Yunshang Group or Hideki Hanyu.

Or it's in direct competition with cloud computing companies.

For example, Shiseido originally had a very good cooperative relationship with the cloud computing group.

However, when Aiyi International decided to enter the beauty industry, made a large-scale acquisition of internationally renowned beauty brands, and ventured into the retail industry, Shiseido's relationship with Yunshang Group quickly cooled due to the influence of its behind-the-scenes boss, Hideki Hanyu.

As for the complete breakdown of the relationship, it happened not long ago.

In order to help Ophelia develop and effectively restrain Bernard Arnault, Hideki Hanyu formulated an Asian strategy for Ai International.

Under Ophelia's leadership, the first battle of Aiyi International's Asian strategy was the successful defeat of beauty giant Procter & Gamble at the beginning of the year, completing the acquisition of the Japanese skincare brand SK-II.

That's right, it's the "SK-II" that later made a fortune selling Facial Treatment Essence in China, and it's now a brand owned by Hideki Hanyu.

Ai International's move to extend its reach into Shiseido's sphere of influence has made the two sides irreconcilable enemies, and naturally, it has also affected Hideki Hanyu's other businesses.

Aside from Shiseido, Nintendo needs no explanation; it's always been Elf Entertainment's arch-rival, so naturally it's impossible for it to side with Hideki Hanyu's company in this advertising war.

However, Hideki Hanyu nowadays doesn't take Nintendo seriously at all.

After the Xbox Series X console, a collaboration between Nintendo and Sony, failed to gain traction in the market, Nintendo's business suffered another blow, and its market share was further squeezed.

With the sales of the PS2 console continuing to rise and 3D games gradually becoming mainstream, Nintendo, which can only rely on its first two generations of consoles to survive, will only see its business situation get worse and worse.

Rumors are circulating in the industry that Nintendo is considering "deepening" its cooperation with Sony in order to overcome its difficulties.

Perhaps it won't be long before we see news of Nintendo being acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment, or even a direct merger between the two companies.

As for why the sports brand ASICS sided with Dentsu, it's naturally because of the Supreme Sport (S&S) black label sports brand.

In fact, it's not just ASICS; almost all Japanese domestic sportswear brands are now being defeated by S&S.

Especially after S&S and Uniqlo became strategic partners, S&S's development in Japan can almost be described as rapid.

With its deep pockets, Supreme Sport sponsors various sports around the world. In Japan, Supreme Sport is a sponsor of almost every sport that can be named.

Because of its collaboration with Supreme Sport, Uniqlo has now become almost a "traitor" to Japan in the apparel industry.

Of course, Japanese consumers don't care about any of that.

Supreme's rapid rise to prominence is inseparable from its continuous efforts in building, promoting, and marketing its brand culture and corporate image.

Originating from the American streetwear brand Supreme has, over the years, cultivated a strong brand image associated with "cool," "trendy," "sporty," and "youthful" by hosting rap competitions, various street sports competitions, and sponsoring sports and extreme sports.

This makes them very popular among the main consumer groups, especially young people, and they have an unimaginable influence.

Over the weekend, Dentsu, through its defense of public opinion and support from external brands, seemingly withstood the onslaught of Storm Advertising and Cloud Platform in both public opinion and the business world.

That same evening, Hideki Hanyu, who had just arrived in Taiwan by plane and had just finished the third "Grand Plan Meeting," also received the latest news from Japan regarding the "First Victory" plan.

At this moment, Hideki Hanyu was walking alone in the Chinese-style courtyard of his rebuilt mansion in Yangmingshan.

The bridges, streams, covered walkways, pavilions, rockeries, and lush greenery that were built with a large investment make Hideki Hanyu feel as if he is walking in an extravagantly large ancient garden.

Alongside Hideki Yuzuru was Lee Chia-hsin, who happened to be in Taiwan for a TV program and whom he had brought along as his female companion.

And then there's his assistant, Chiba Kaoru, who reports to him.
After reporting her work, Chiba Kaoru glanced at Li Jiaxin beside her and deliberately said in Japanese, "Mr. Yuzuru, judging from the current situation, Dentsu seems to have withstood our attack, making the situation evenly matched."

When Hideki Yuzuru heard Kaoru Chiba speaking in Japanese, he knew that his assistant didn't want Li Jiaxin to know the news.

Of course, Hideki Hanyu was fully aware of Kaoru Chiba's other ulterior motives.

Chiba Kaoru never seemed to think much of Li Jiaxin.

The reason is quite simple: other women who follow him have ulterior motives, pursuing fame and fortune, and they can at least conceal it to some extent, making their behavior more respectable.

But Li Jiaxin, this "fame and fortune" animal, besides being attracted to his looks and body, is even more blatant in her pursuit of fame and fortune than Rosamund Kwan.

For example, today, after we met, we only chatted for a few words before she started talking about how she didn't have enough money, or that she had her eye on something expensive, or that she wanted some kind of insider resources.

Hideki Yuzuru did a quick calculation and realized that this woman had already spent over ten million Hong Kong dollars of his money in just a few months since their last meeting. This amount of money, if counted as income, would be enough for Li Jiaxin to be among the top ten highest-paid celebrities in Hong Kong this year.

This only accounts for direct costs; if we include all kinds of indirect costs, the number would be even higher.

It's fair to say that even the highest-paid celebrities in Hong Kong today couldn't possibly afford Li Jiaxin's expenses. However, for Hideki Yuzuru, this amount of money is utterly insignificant.

With his earnings from Hong Kong's businesses alone, he could easily support dozens more "playthings" like Li Jiaxin.

Furthermore, Hideki Yuzuru also liked Li Jiaxin's way of doing things, which only involved money and not feelings, and she listened to his every word, maintaining a purely "business" relationship.

Li Jiaxin is now young and beautiful, while Hideki Yuzuru is having a fun and carefree time.

When Li Jiaxin grows old and loses her beauty in the future, the breakup will be quick and decisive.

However, it's normal for Chiba Kaoru, who admires strong women like Hirohashi Asako and Kitahara Eri, to look down on Li Jiaxin.

However, Hideki Yuzuru did not hide Li Jiaxin's intentions.

Although Li Jiaxin is vain and materialistic, she is a smart person who knows what she should and shouldn't do.

Especially after Li Jiaxin broadened her horizons in the entertainment industry and high society, she was very clear that once she left Hideki Yuzuru, she would never be able to live the life she has now.

Let alone the fact that those Hong Kong tycoons aren't as handsome or as rich as Hideki Hanyu, Li Jiaxin absolutely cannot accept their stinginess.

Even when Li Jiaxin spent tens of millions of dollars on Hideki Hanyu, he didn't even flinch, nor did he make any special requests.

But those wealthy people in Hong Kong, if they give you a few hundred thousand or a million, they'll practically devour you whole.

For Li Jiaxin, betraying or leaving Hideki Yuzuru would be a death sentence.

Therefore, when faced with Chiba Kaoru's question, Hideki Hanyu replied directly in Mandarin.

"I never thought that Dentsu was an easy enemy to deal with."

In the Japanese domestic market, Dentsu has simply been living a comfortable life for too long, so its reaction is somewhat slow, not because it lacks strength.

Once they have fully mobilized their resources, this advertising war will truly begin.

Of course, we can't really give the other party time to react or give them the opportunity to mobilize resources.

The evenly matched situation you see now is just part of our plan.

Because many things require time to develop.

Kaoru Chiba nodded thoughtfully. "I think I understand something, Mr. Yuzuru."

"Keep an eye on what's happening in Japan, and get busy."

After finishing speaking, Hideki Yuzuru waved his hand, indicating that Kaoru Chiba could leave.

"Yes."

Chiba Kaoru bowed slightly in farewell, then turned and left.

Then, only Hideki Yuzuru and Jiaxin Li remained in the entire courtyard.

Li Jiaxin, who only knew how to enjoy herself, didn't care at all about what Hideki Hanyu and Kaoru Chiba had just said.

When Li Meiren walked into a secluded courtyard and saw a pool of clear water formed by a stream, she excitedly pulled Yu Sheng Hideki aside and asked, "The water here is so beautiful, is it for playing in the water?"

Hideki Hanyu replied, "Yes, it's great for playing in the water in the summer and for soaking in hot springs in the winter."

Upon hearing this, Li Jiaxin didn't take off her dress and immediately jumped into the water with a playful laugh.

When she resurfaced, Li Meiren tossed her long hair and swayed her graceful figure, immediately giving the scumbag a wet and seductive performance.

The next moment, Li Jiaxin, soaking wet, seductively pulled Yu Shengxiu into the water.

As the water splashes and the moon's reflection shatters, what happens next is up to everyone's imagination.

……

June 25th.

Just as the Japanese stock market reopened and investors were delighted to see the "rebound" continue, the much-watched "advertising war" in the Japanese business world also saw new developments.

The seemingly evenly matched battle of public opinion has now seen the arrival of a heavyweight "player".

That is the Weekly Bunshun, which dares to expose anything and is known as the "Bunshun Cannon".

It seems to be in line with Hideki Hanyu's "first win" plan, or perhaps to supplement the documentary produced by Cloud Satellite TV.

On Monday morning, Weekly Bunshun published a special issue with the same title as the documentary "Dark Empire in the Office Building".

In this special issue, Weekly Bunshun provides a more detailed report on the unethical and even criminal acts that Dentsu has committed over the years.

Not only are the written descriptions more detailed and the information more comprehensive, but the number of cases is also three times that of the documentary.

If the documentary from Cloud Satellite TV was a devastating blow to Dentsu, it put the company at a disadvantage in public opinion, and its corporate image and reputation suffered a devastating damage.

The special edition of Weekly Bunshun, bearing the same name, dealt Dentsu a fatal blow, rendering all of Dentsu's clarifications, explanations, and public relations efforts completely ineffective.

For a time, Dentsu found itself in a desperate situation regarding public opinion.

The public is no longer just protesting against Dentsu; they have gone directly to Japanese government offices to petition, demanding a thorough investigation into Dentsu's criminal activities.

Faced with this situation, the president of Dentsu was so angry in his office at headquarters that he almost smashed half of the office.

The public opinion environment, which had finally begun to improve, was completely ruined in an instant because of the special issue of Weekly Bunshun, and it is now extremely difficult to recover.

That's why the forces behind him just called and berated him mercilessly, forcing him to deal with the public opinion issue as soon as possible.

If it can't be handled, then quickly find a scapegoat to quell public opinion and give the public a outlet for their anger.

The former, Dentsu's president thought was utterly unfeasible.

As for the latter, it was clearly intended for him to be the scapegoat for offending people.

Thinking of this, the Dentsu president, somewhat annoyed, shouted at the several senior executives in his office, "Can anyone tell me! When did Bunshun and the Unsho Group become so close?"

One of the subordinates gave a cautious reply.

"I think it's just a coincidence. After all, everyone knows that Weekly Bunshun has a very bad relationship with Hideki Hanyu because of its constant exposure of his scandals."

This year, Bungei Shunju awarded the Akutagawa Prize to "I Am a Cat," and Hideki Hanyu didn't even accept the award, nor did he comment on it.

"Baka! Stop talking nonsense! What does this have to do with our business?"

Snapped!
The president of Dentsu slammed today's special edition of "Bungei Shunju" in front of his subordinates and loudly questioned it.

"Look at what's inside, and you're telling me this is a coincidence?"

……

"Yes, it is indeed a coincidence."

Our people have never contacted Wen Chun. The First Victory Plan is highly confidential, and there's absolutely no way Wen Chun could know about it.

Hideki Hanyu, who was on a tour of Taiwan with his girlfriend, contacted Shota Yoshioka, who was in Japan running the "Shōsetsu" project, as soon as he learned of the report in Weekly Bunshun.

As a result, he heard this answer from Shota Yoshioka.

While Hideki Hanyu was surprised, a playful smile appeared on his face.

Then he spoke to Shota Yoshioka.

"Since Bunshun has coincidentally given us a helping hand, we have no reason not to use it. It's a good time to start the next step of our plan ahead of schedule."

(End of this chapter)