I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 154 The Persian Cat's Fear! We can't let Hiroshi Nohara be given to Chairman Sato!
As the bus carrying the Kumamoto Prefecture performance team and support group slowly drove away, accompanied by the villagers' hearty laughter and satisfied sighs, the brief liveliness at the entrance of Studio 3 quickly receded like the tide.

Hiroshi Nohara, on the other hand, took the Koyama family to continue their sightseeing in Tokyo, fulfilling his duty as the prospective son-in-law to the locals.

In a corner of the parking lot, Shunsuke Kamiki sat in his car.

The autumn wind carried a chill, blowing through the cracks in the window, ruffling his carefully styled hair and scattering the last bit of stiff smile he maintained with professional demeanor.

With a gloomy face, Shunsuke Kamiki watched as Hiroshi Nohara's Toyota Crown drove away from the parking lot.

His teeth were grinding together, making a cracking sound.

"Shunsuke-kun..."

Junichi Watanabe, the top agent, sat in the passenger seat, turned to look at him, his face filled with cautious worry: "Should we... go straight back to the agency, or..."

But Kamiki Shunsuke did not answer.

He simply turned around slowly, and his face, which was incredibly handsome in the eyes of countless girls, was now shrouded in a deep gloom.

Those meticulously drawn inner eyeliner on her almond-shaped eyes were fixed on the black Toyota Crown that had long since disappeared into the traffic. Her gaze was like that of two venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, flashing with a chilling resentment.

"Return to Qilin Group headquarters."

Finally, Shunsuke Kamiki squeezed out these words through gritted teeth.

The voice carried a suffocating sense of oppression, like the calm before a storm.

He wants revenge!

He wanted to take revenge on this young man who wasn't much older than him, yet who commanded immense respect and approval from top management at TV Tokyo, gaining everything without having to do anything shameful!
……

The black sedan drove along the wide avenue leading to the port area. Junichi Watanabe sat in the passenger seat, not daring to even breathe loudly.

He could clearly see the young man in the back seat in the rearview mirror. All the expressions on his handsome face had faded, leaving only a twisted calm like that of a demon.

It was a kind of almost pathological calm that arose after extreme humiliation and disgrace.

He knew that this most spoiled and precious Persian cat was truly enraged today.

Moreover, he was trampled underfoot in public and severely humiliated by a powerful dragon from across the river that he could not afford to offend!
The car eventually drove into the underground parking garage of a skyscraper that stood out like a crane among chickens in the entire port area, exuding an air of luxury.

[Qilin Real Estate Headquarters]

Those large characters, crafted from pure gold and exuding an air of capitalist arrogance, gleamed brightly in the dim light.

Shunsuke Kamiki didn't even bother waiting for the driver to open the car door for him; he simply pushed the door open and got out on his own.

Instead of using the employee entrance reserved for celebrities, he went straight to the private elevator that only the group's top executives were qualified to use and that required fingerprint verification.

“Jun-suke, the chairman… he might be meeting with guests right now.” Junichi Watanabe quickly followed, his voice carrying a hint of dissuasion.

"Get out of my way!" But Kamiki Shunsuke only gave him a cold glance.

That look was like he was looking at a meddlesome servant.

Junichi Watanabe could only give way.

The elevator doors slid open silently, bringing Shunsuke Kamiki into a completely new world filled with extravagance and decadence.

The top floor houses the private club "Golden Pavilion".

There's none of the cheap noise of a KTV room here, nor the distant and reserved atmosphere of a high-end restaurant.

The air is filled with the unique aroma of top-quality cigars intertwined with the crispness of aged whisky.

The carpet beneath my feet is a handmade silk rug from Türkiye, said to be worth a fortune per inch.

Hanging on the wall are seemingly random paintings, but each one is enough to cause a small stir at an auction.

A club manager, dressed in a high-end custom-made kimono and with a graceful figure, instantly broke into a flattering, sweet smile when she saw Shunsuke Kamiki.

"Mr. Shunsuke, you've arrived. The chairman is in the tea room inside, meeting with an important guest."

"Ah."

Kamiki Shunsuke merely snorted softly, giving the voluptuous club manager the slightest bit of a friendly look, and rolled his eyes before heading straight for the heavy door to the private room, carved from a single piece of golden nanmu wood.

The club manager, who had tried to stop them, stood there awkwardly.

I don't know what to do.

Because Shunsuke Kamiki didn't even bother to knock, he simply pushed open the door that was enough to separate the two worlds.

They were extremely arrogant.

Besides, the club manager also knows that Chairman Sato's Persian cat has never followed the rules.
in the room.

Sato Tokugawa, the absolute emperor of Kirin Real Estate, was sitting cross-legged in the main seat.

Before him sat a set of bone china teaware that looked quite expensive. His small, narrowed eyes were smiling as he discussed the essence of tea ceremony and business matters with the guest in front of him.

Opposite him sat a middle-aged man in a suit who looked quite capable.

"...So, Chairman Sato, what Mitsui Bank means is that if you are willing to give us the exclusive financing rights for the 'Sky Castle' Phase III project, we are willing to reduce the existing loan interest rate by another 0.5 percentage points."

The middle-aged man was speaking respectfully with his head bowed, his posture as if he were begging for a favor.

However, when he saw the young man who suddenly opened the door and came uninvited, all the words that were on the tip of his tongue turned into a soft gasp filled with astonishment.

He recognized the popular star: "Mr. Shunsuke Kamiki?!"

Sato Tokugawa also saw him and gave him a doting smile: "Shunsuke, what brings you here at this hour?"

He didn't even bother to glance at the Mitsui Bank executive again, and greeted the popular idol star like the most enthusiastic person: "Come, come here, let me take a good look at our Junsuke, isn't he as handsome as ever today?"

The bank executive's eye twitched almost imperceptibly. However, his expression instantly shifted to a warm, knowing smile.

"Oh dear, it's Mr. Shunsuke back. Look at my poor eyesight... I deserve a beating, I deserve a beating."

As he spoke, he nimbly stood up and bowed deeply to Sato Tokugawa: "Then...then I won't disturb you and Mr. Shunsuke's enjoyment any longer. As for the project, we...we'll talk about it another day, another day." With that, he tactfully scrambled out of the room, which was already filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.

When only the two of them remained in the room, a fawning smile, sweeter than cherry blossoms, instantly bloomed on Kamiki Shunsuke's face: "Chairman Tokugawa!"

He walked over with light steps, picked up the cup of premium green tea that had been prepared for the other person, and offered it to him: "Why are you talking about these boring business matters again? I have something to report."

Hahaha! You!

Sato Tokugawa was overjoyed: "No more talking, no more talking. Today, I'll just listen to what Shunsuke has to say!"

As he spoke, his eyes, narrowed to slits, inadvertently caught a glimpse of his slightly reddened eye sockets.

A gloomy look instantly settled over his fat face.

"Um?!"

He frowned, his voice no longer indulgent, but filled with suffocating authority: "Who has the guts to do this?"

A look of grievance instantly filled Shinki Shunsuke's eyes: "Chairman Tokugawa...you...you must do me justice..."

He did not embellish or distort the truth.

He simply recounted everything that happened backstage in Studio 3 today from the most objective and protective perspective of a "victim."

Of course, he cleverly omitted the details of how he initially provoked and acted arrogantly.

Not a single word was mentioned about the name of the executive deputy director named "Takada Toshihide".

He simply pointed all his anger precisely at the despicable culprit who had humiliated him in public—Hiroshi Nohara.

"...He...he also said that even if you came in person, he wouldn't give you any face. He said that in the Tokyo TV production department, he...he is the real king." Kamiki Shunsuke said, pursing his lips.

"Nohara...Hiroyuki?"

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Sato Tokugawa's narrowed eyes.

He slowly leaned back on the sofa, his large, fleshy hand, adorned with a huge jade thumb ring, gently stroking the fluffy little head in his arms, as if comforting a frightened pet.

"This name... I think I vaguely remember it."

Sato Tokugawa pondered for a moment, and his bloated brain, filled with alcohol and desire, began to operate at a speed far exceeding that of an ordinary person.

"Ah, I remembered it."

He slapped his thigh suddenly, a knowing look appearing on his fat face: "It's that young man who's been making quite a stir in the television industry lately. I heard that even that old fox Nobuhiko Sakata is quite fond of him, and even... even Mr. Fujiwara from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Public Relations Department personally summoned him and praised his show, 'Super Transformation.'"

"Eh?!"

Kamiki Shunsuke abruptly lifted his head from his embrace, his handsome face, streaked with tears, filled with disbelief and horror: "He...he's that powerful?!"

"It's more than amazing."

Sato Tokugawa smiled. "This young man is quite something. I've heard he's not only good at television, but also at writing manga. Even Torishima Kazuhiko, that arrogant guy at Shueisha, treasures his work. And..."

He paused, a hint of amusement flashing in his narrowed eyes: "I've also heard that this young man is... extremely handsome."

As he spoke, his large, fleshy hand unconsciously touched his sagging chin.

His eyes and expression were filled with a deep interest.

"!"

These words were like the sharpest needle, piercing precisely into Kamiki Shunsuke's heart, which was already riddled with holes by jealousy and unease!
"Don't you... feel that guy named Hiroshi Nohara is more deserving of funding? Chairman Tokugawa!! How... how can you praise someone else in front of me?"

Kamiki Shunsuke spoke up out of jealousy.

However, this jealousy did not disgust Sato Tokugawa; instead, it made him burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! You!" He laughed so hard he almost fell over.

He was like soothing a sulking pet. He picked up the expensive bottle of red wine he had prepared from the side, took a big gulp himself, and then handed the bottle to him: "Drink this. It's a very expensive bottle of red wine. Consider it Mr. Tokugawa's apology to you."

“Expensive red wine? I must try it.” Kamiki Shunsuke’s eyes widened for a moment, but then he smiled even more broadly.

Then he tilted his head back and slid the liquor down his throat, like the gentlest knife, temporarily numbing the humiliation and resentment that had been building up to its limit in his heart.

Looking at his obedient appearance, Sato Tokugawa still said, "But Shunsuke, we can't touch Hiroshi Nohara for the time being. Your 'The Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree' is still hoping to air on TV Tokyo during the New Year's Eve season. It won't do us any good to break ties with him now."

A flicker of resentment crossed Kamiki Shunsuke's eyes: "Are we just going to let it go like this?"

"Of course not, let's just leave it at that."

Sato Tokugawa sneered, "Once your movie is released, and once our Qilin Real Estate's latest projects need promotion, we'll have plenty of opportunities to make him cough up his principal and interest."

He paused, and with those expectant eyes, he slowly threw out a bait that could drive anyone crazy.

"Don't worry, as long as you behave and help me with the promotional activities for those properties, I'll give you the top-floor apartment with the best view in 'Sky City.' How about it?"

"Really?!" Kamiki Shunsuke's eyes lit up instantly!

"When did I lie to you?"

Shunsuke Kamiki finally smiled.

But when his gaze inadvertently fell on the huge floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the entire Tokyo night view, the face of that young man, who was even more handsome than him, uncontrollably reappeared in his mind.

An unprecedented, uncontrollable jealousy surged from the depths of his heart.

He felt that something had to be done.

I need to do something to get back to my peak.

He lowered his head, all expression gone, leaving only a chilling gloom devoid of any warmth.

(End of this chapter)