Tokyo: The evil god doesn't want to be the top star

Chapter 9: Cherry Blossoms Not Yet Full
In two hours, she and Xia Fan visited Tokyo Tower, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Ueno Park, and Sangubashi Park, several cherry blossom viewing spots in Tokyo...

However, only the cherry blossoms were just beginning to bloom, and the student groups were still struggling hard during the "exam week". No one wore school uniforms to take graduation photos.

"The cherry blossoms in Tokyo are not in full bloom yet, so it seems that we can't collect footage on site. I'll look for some similar videos on the Internet for your reference."

"Well, I will try to cultivate my emotions and find the feeling again."

Amid the gently falling cherry blossoms, the two walked side by side along the park trail until they came to a complex intersection where railroad tracks, roads, and zebra crossings intersected.

"Ok?"

Xia Fan suddenly felt a chill on his back, and subconsciously stopped and looked behind him.

"Are you dazzled?"

At the end of the ramp above, there was a vague white figure with long hair covering the face, but when you looked closely, there was no one there.

"Well, Xia Jun, not only did you give me such a great debut song, you also helped me with guidance over the past two days. It's really..."

Not noticing his abnormality, Xing Ming Hana's face turned slightly red. She still walked forward with her head down, muttering something in a low voice.

"Um, what did you just say?"

When Xia Fan withdrew his gaze from the empty ramp, a railway gate had already separated him and the girl.

"Ding dong, ding dong..."

The traffic lights flashed alternately, and the barrier closed before their eyes, separating the two of them. It was obvious that a train was about to pass.

"It's getting late, let's just part ways here. I'll take the subway home from over there."

Xia Fan smiled helplessly and waved to Xing Minghuajian on the other side of the gate.

Once this gate is closed, trains will continue to pass through and pedestrians will not be able to pass for at least ten minutes.

"Xia Jun... on the day of the live performance..."

Watching the sunny boy waving at me amidst the flaming sunset and the sparse cherry blossoms...

"Will you come and cheer me up?"

Hoshina Hana saw her chest rise and fall, so she mustered up the courage to ask.

"I……"

But just as Xia Fan opened his mouth to answer, trains roared past from both sides of the track, obliterating all sound and sight.

"..."

Hoshina Hanami stood there blankly, staring at the flow of trains that "swallowed" Xia Fan, and a strange emotion began to spread in her chest.

After ten minutes, there were finally no more trains passing on the track.

But on the other side of the gate, Xia Fan was no longer visible, only a few cherry blossoms were still falling.

"So, is this what it feels like?"

Xing Minghua smiled wistfully, crossed her slender fingers behind her, and turned away.

……

That night, in the recording studio.

"I'm so sorry to have you all come here so late to work overtime with me. I'm very confident about this recording..."

Hoshina Hanami bowed deeply to Tachibana Ryoko and the sound engineer through the soundproof glass.

The accompaniment sounded in the headphones, she walked to the microphone, opened her red lips, and began to sing softly.

"This... Xiaohuajian... has made such great progress..."

Outside the recording room, Ryoko Tachibana, who was monitoring the singing through her headphones, raised her index finger in surprise to cover her thick, fiery red lips.

……

On the top floor of the B building, in the president's office. "Mr. Zhou, all twelve new artists from our 'Burning Series' who signed up for the Tokyo Newcomer Music Awards have submitted their official recorded songs on time. They have been sent to your mailbox."

"The song's paid online download will be available after tomorrow's live performance. Our promotional plan this time is to focus all traffic on Sakamoto Shu, firmly lock in the top spot on the first day, and maximize the 'head effect'."

A man with glasses, wearing a wrinkle-free black suit and a tightly combed back hair, stood respectfully in front of the desk and handed over a plan.

In the boss chair opposite the desk, Zhou Fang sat facing the bustling night view of Tokyo outside the floor-to-ceiling window, leaving only an unfathomable back to him.

"We have already investigated. In this grand prize, J-company, H-company, and S-company have introduced many new talents with great potential, but none of them has the talent and popularity like Sakamoto Shu."

"Brother Zhou, this time, we will definitely be able to wipe out the shame of not being able to enter the top five in the past two years!"

Seeing that Zhou Fang didn't say anything, the man gently adjusted his glasses with a serious expression.

His name is Kawanishi Shigeo, he is one of the directors of Be Company, responsible for external publicity and promotion.

Historical data shows that newcomers who win the top five places in the "Tokyo Newcomer Music Awards" can receive continuous attention within five years. As long as they don't perform poorly, they can quickly grow into mature artists with a stable popularity base and profitability.

In the past two years of the "Tokyo Newcomer Music Awards", the newcomers sent by Bethesda have not made it into the top five.

Although this is related to the fact that Bethesda has many subsidiaries, an inconsistent training system, and the varying quality of new recruits over the years.

But in He Xichengfu's opinion, in today's networked entertainment industry, if an artist wants to stand out, he or she can rely on hard work and traffic to get the upper hand.

Internet traffic and media exposure are promotional resources that can be directly linked to money.

As the man who controls the entire Bethesda promotional resources, Kawanishi Shigeo cannot escape blame for the failures of the past two years.

"Squeak..."

After a few seconds, the huge boss chair slowly turned around.

"Mr. Zhou, you...what's wrong with you?"

Seeing Zhou Fang sitting in the chair, Kawanishi Chengfu subconsciously took a step back.

Because, this president who appears gentle and polite but is actually ruthless has two lines of tears on his cheeks.

"It's okay, I just remembered some past events when I was young."

Zhou Fang wiped his cheek, took off his hidden headphones, and looked at Kawanishi Chengfu seriously: "What did you say just now?"

"Um, the publicity plan..."

Kawanishi Chengfu obviously had not yet recovered from the shock of "the tiger crying", and he pushed the publicity and promotion plan on the table woodenly.

"As for Sakamoto Shu, we will release the promotion according to the amount agreed in the contract with him. Oh, and keep a small part of the promotion for another song..."

Zhou Fang tapped his fingers quickly on the table, which was his habit when he was thinking.

"Among the songs participating in this competition, there doesn't seem to be any other works worthy of attention. Which song are you referring to?"

Kawanishi Chengfu's expression did not change at all. He suppressed his inner surprise and quickly recalled the other songs he had participated in the competition.

"This song is called Sakura."

Suho looked down at his phone and confirmed the song title.

……

A few days later, at the New National Theatre in Shibuya.

“…Thanks to the above brands for being the title sponsors of this event!”

“As we all know, although the finished product in the recording studio is perfect, the atmosphere of live singing is irreplaceable, and it tests the artistry of the song and the professional level of the singer even more.”

"Dear audience, next, I have the honor to announce that the live performance session of the Tokyo Newcomer Music Awards has officially begun!"

The theater, which can accommodate thousands of people, was packed.

Under the focus of multiple cameras, dozens of TV stations and online media simultaneously began to broadcast the annual "Tokyo Newcomer Music Awards" live.

(End of this chapter)