I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 160 The Publicity Arrangement! Takada Toshihide's Blind Faith in Capital!

"And these Akita dogs are exactly the same as the Akita dogs you drew in the sketches you gave me, Hiroshi! What are they called... adorably silly! They're definitely the kind you described... the kind that know to go home when the cherry blossoms bloom in their hometown!"

Nohara Sashi spoke with considerable pride and enthusiasm.

“Very good, brother.” Hiroshi Nohara said with satisfaction, “The land matter will continue to proceed according to the original plan. Money is not a problem. As for the Akita dogs… not enough.”

"Huh? Not enough?!" Nohara Sashi on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback by the answer.

There are now 800 Akita dogs at the breeding base!

"Hmm, not enough." Hiroshi Nohara's lips curled into a smile. "My goal is to make our 'Nohara Kennel' the largest and purest Akita breeding base in all of Japan by next year. By then, I'll naturally have ways to turn them into true 'golden dogs' that lay golden eggs. In my opinion, the breeding scale needs to reach at least eight thousand!"

“Eight…eight thousand?!” Nohara Sashi was shocked.

How much does it cost just for the food we eat every day?
"Yes, just listen to me, brother."

Hiroshi Nohara didn't explain much, because he knew that the ultimate weapon, "Hachiko Monogatari," was enough to ignite the emotional resonance of the entire society, although it wasn't time to unleash its power yet.

But as long as it is offered up.

That would be the decisive blow!

"Okay! I'll listen to you!" Nohara Saji nodded, his voice filled with absolute trust in his younger brother.

After ending the call with his older brother, Hiroshi Nohara let out a long sigh of relief.

Agriculture, kennels, television stations, comic book studios...

Including the upcoming movies.

The five industries will eventually converge into a single force under his control, and this is not far off; it is already underway.

Everything is moving in the best possible direction.

"minister."

As Hiroshi Nohara was pondering, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

Kitagawa Yao walked in and respectfully placed a well-organized schedule on Nohara Hiroshi's desk: "At 10:30, Deputy Director Asumi is waiting for you in his office. He said he wants to hold a meeting to discuss the promotion of the movie 'Seven Samurai'."

"Understood." Hiroshi Nohara nodded and glanced at the time on his wristwatch.

It's exactly 10 o'clock.

So he picked up the cup of premium Blue Mountain coffee that had been prepared for him and sat in the leather chair that symbolized his ministerial status, enjoying this moment of tranquility.

……

At 10:25, Hiroshi Nohara appeared precisely at the door of Asumi's office.

However, when he pushed open the heavy mahogany door, the scene before him caused a playful smile to unconsciously appear in his usually calm eyes.

In the office, besides Asuka, who had been waiting for a long time, sat two "old acquaintances" he hadn't seen in a long time.

Those two variety show directors from the Tokyo School.

Yasui Takashi was still his playboy self, wearing a bright pink Versace suit with three buttons casually undone at the collar, revealing his bronze skin and a faint gold chain underneath.

Beside him, Ito Choan wore a perfectly tailored dark gray suit, with sharp eyes and a composed demeanor.

Upon seeing Hiroshi Nohara approach, both of them displayed a palpable awkwardness and embarrassment.

They all stood up from the sofa and bowed their heads in stammering respect.

"No... Minister Nohara."

The two men actually bowed their heads in a humble salute to Hiroshi Nohara, a young man almost twenty years their junior.

Hiroshi Nohara's lips curled slightly.

Of course he remembered how, not long ago, at the door of this very office, those two arrogant guys had used their superior attitude to ridicule his nascent variety show idea.

And now...

His show, "Super Transformation," which they considered "amateurish nonsense," has maintained a stable viewership rating of over 40%, becoming a national masterpiece worthy of being recorded in the history of Japanese television.

Their two flagship programs, "Starry Night" and "Hilarious Wednesday," which they were so proud of, only managed a pitiful 15% viewership rating in the face of the overwhelming dominance of "Super Transformation," barely surviving.

As one gains and the other loses, the superiority or inferiority becomes immediately apparent.

This stark contrast, brimming with dark humor, was like an invisible slap in the face, stinging these two former "variety show duo" with a burning pain.

"Director Yasui, Director Ito, how have you been?"

Hiroshi Nohara didn't kick him while he was down; he simply smiled calmly and sat down on the sofa in the main seat.

A composed demeanor.

This nonchalant attitude and magnanimity are more damaging than any sarcastic remark.

Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagao's faces flushed red instantly, and they sat down again with embarrassed expressions.

"Hahaha! Hiroshi-kun, you've finally arrived!"

Asuka saw it all.

That felt so good!
He walked up with a smile, carrying three steaming cups of fragrant tea, and handed them to the three men. He then got straight to the point: "I called you all here today mainly for the promotion of 'Seven Samurai'."

He said, "I have already discussed it with Director Sakata. Starting next week, we will use all the station's publicity resources to conduct a month-long, comprehensive pre-release campaign for this movie!"

He paused, then turned his gaze to the two variety show directors who were already sitting upright, a meaningful smile curving his lips.

"Among them, the two most important platforms are your 'Starry Night' and 'Hilarious Wednesday'."

"I need each of you to produce a special episode themed around 'Seven Samurai.' I will arrange for Director Kurosawa and Mr. Nohara to personally bring several of the main actors to your shows as guests."

This arrangement was like two heavy hammer blows, striking hard into the hearts of Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagayasu!

Let them go and promote the new work of that "outsider" they once humiliated?
This is practically a public execution!

But now they have no power to refuse.

After all, not to mention their own variety show, they have been overshadowed by Hiroshi Nohara's "Super Transformation," making them the losers.

Take my superior, the executive deputy director, Takada Toshihide, for example.

just now.

Didn't they also choose to lie low and avoid the aggressive and imposing edge of the Asuka and Kanto factions?
"Yes, we'll follow your instructions." The two bowed their heads.

However, at this moment, Hiroshi Nohara slowly spoke up: "Deputy Director Asumi, I have some immature ideas about the details of the publicity."

Hiroshi Nohara put down his teacup and looked at Takashi Yasui and Nagasu Ito.

"Director Yasui's 'When Stars Shine' focuses on the interaction between idols and fans. My suggestion is that we could group the seven main actors from 'Seven Samurai' according to their personalities. For example, the 'Leader Group' could include Kanbei and Shichiroji, the 'Swordsman Group' could include Kyuzo and Katsushiro, and the 'Comedy Group' could include Heihachi and Kikuchiyo... Let them participate in games and interviews that fit their characters in the show. This way, we can satisfy fans' curiosity about their idols while subtly planting the charm of the characters in the audience's minds in advance."

"As for director Ito's 'Laughing Wednesday'..."

He turned his head, looked at the man who was completely stunned by his terrifyingly professional analysis, and said with an even more pronounced smirk:

"...At its core, it's about 'contrast' and 'pranks.' My suggestion is that we can do the opposite. The actors pretend to be samurai and audition for director Kurosawa's film crew, trying to get the lead role. This way, we can prank the actors and also promote our new samurai film."

"After all, who in Japan doesn't know director Eiji Kurosawa? At this time, director Eiji Kurosawa's fame is quite useful!"

Hiroshi Nohara chuckled: "This is what you need to cooperate with."

No request was made.

There was no room for negotiation.

Only the most direct arrangements.

But the implication was that Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasuan should simply follow orders.

“…Okay! Okay! Okay!”

Asumi nodded in satisfaction: "Let's do it your way! Hiroshi-kun! Your idea... is simply... brilliant!"

Then he looked at Takashi Yasui and Choyasu Ito, two directors from the Tokyo school.

At this moment, the two directors remained frozen on the sofa.

Look at each other.

They looked at the young man as if he were a demon in human skin!
"What do you guys think?" Asumi frowned slightly when she saw that the two of them hadn't said anything.

"Then...then we...it's settled then?" Yasui Takashi reacted instantly, his voice trembling slightly as he answered.

“Hmm.” Hiroshi Nohara simply nodded calmly. Looking at these two Tokyo-based “variety show duo” who had offended him in the past, a faint smile returned to his face. “I’ll have Section Chief Tanaka deliver the specific implementation plan to your offices later. I look forward to your guidance then.”

This humble attitude, full of the demeanor of a "junior," carries more weight than any words filled with sarcasm.

Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasuan's faces were flushed, but they couldn't say anything.

Strength itself represents authority.

Hiroshi Nohara is currently enjoying great fame, and they can only grit their teeth and force themselves to put on a smile using the hypocritical politeness and etiquette of the Japanese:
"No... I don't deserve it! I don't deserve it!"

"Minister Nohara, you...you're too kind!"

Then the two said goodbye and left.

Asahi finally let out a sigh of relief when the two figures, filled with a sense of utter dejection, disappeared through the office doorway.

He looked at the young man who had been calmly drinking tea the whole time, and a bitter smile appeared on his refined face.

"Hiroshi-kun, you really are something else, you never suffer a loss."

Hiroshi Nohara just smiled and didn't say anything.

The game has just begun.

……

Takada Toshihide's office was filled with smoke, and the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like you could wring water out of it.

The number two figure in the Tokyo faction was standing in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window. His face, which always carried a hint of gloom, was now so somber that it seemed as if it could drip water.

Behind him, Masao Iwata, Takashi Ashikaga, and Kita Asano, the three core members of the "film project team" on whom he had placed high hopes, were now like three defeated roosters, each with their heads bowed and silent as if trembling in fear.

"So, after almost a month of hard work, this is the result you gave me?"

Takada Toshihide slowly turned around and casually tossed a thin filming progress report, filled with various technical terms but empty and soulless, onto the center of the conference table as if it were trash.

"Ashikaga, you told me your camerawork was the most gorgeous in the entire production team. But what I see besides those meaningless slow-motion and rotating shots? Are you making a movie or a music video?!"

"Asano, you told me you're best at capturing the inner world of characters. But what I see, besides those dry, didactic lines, is nothing else! Are you making a period drama or a government propaganda film?!"

"And you too! Iwata!"

His gaze finally settled on the man who was already trembling like a leaf, and his eyes became even more sharp!

"I entrusted you with the power of life and death over the entire project! I told you to satisfy all the demands of our sugar daddy! But what did you do? Besides groveling like a dog behind that pretty boy, what else can you do?! The stuff you produced doesn't even have the most basic narrative logic! It's simply... a pile of dog shit!"

This humiliating roar, like a series of machine gun shots, swept out, completely crushing the self-esteem of the three men into dust!
“Deputy…Deputy Director…” Ashikaga Takashi, the usually arrogant second-level director, now had a face full of resentment on his usually haughty expression: “This…this can’t all be blamed on us! It’s…it’s that Kamiki Shunsuke! He…he can’t act at all! Besides posing and looking cool, what else can he do?! When we try to explain the scene to him, he won’t listen at all! He keeps using Chairman Sato to pressure us! We…we can’t do anything about it!”

"Exactly!" Asano Kita chimed in with a long face, "And that Kitagawa Miyuki! She... she's just a pretty face! Besides crying, laughing, and glaring, what else can she do?! We asked her to act out a scene of inner struggle, and she actually... she actually asked us if we wanted eye drops!"

This complaint, full of dark humor, not only failed to quell Takada Toshihide's anger, but instead made him even more irritable!
"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

He slammed his hand on the table, the loud noise shaking the entire office!
"I don't care what methods you use! I don't care how difficult that pretty boy is to please! I don't care how stupid that pretty face is! I just want one result—"

He looked at the three of them, and a chilling madness flickered in his cold eyes!

"—During the New Year's Eve season, I'll crush that old bastard and that arrogant brat under my feet!"

"If you can't do it, then pack your bags and get out!"

"Isn't this Shunsuke Kamiki the hottest idol among Japanese teenagers right now? Doesn't he have tens of millions of die-hard fans? If he can't even win over that old man and Hiroshi Nohara, then what use are you guys to me!?"

In this atmosphere filled with oppression and despair, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasu, the two figures who had just escaped from the "public execution," walked in with strange expressions on their faces.

They looked at the tense "trial" scene, then at Takada Toshihide's already distorted face. They exchanged a glance, and in each other's eyes, they saw a tacit understanding...

There will likely be a 'public execution' and 'trial' here as well. "Deputy Director Takada."

Yasui sighed, "You... seem to be in trouble?"

Takada Toshihide didn't speak, but stared at him with his cold eyes.

“Perfect timing.” Ito Nagaan adjusted his glasses, his tone equally helpless. “We’ve run into some trouble here too. Perhaps… we can discuss some solutions together?”

Takada Toshihide knew that the two people in front of him had returned from Asuka Island, and it seemed that they had been forced into a corner.

Otherwise, how could someone make such an expression?

At that moment, Takada Toshihide inexplicably felt a sense of shared misfortune and sympathy...

He slowly sat back in his seat, the rage fading from his gloomy face.

All that remained was a cold, resolute determination, as if everything was already lost.

"Go ahead."

Takada Toshihide spoke calmly: "I know that Asumi asked you to come over; she wanted you to help promote her on variety shows. So, what are your thoughts?"

Takada Toshihide's eyes fell on Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasu.

It was as if all the air in the office had been sucked out at that moment.

It was a silent pressure.

Yasui Kina's face was filled with an aggressive light as she gritted her teeth and said, "Deputy Director, what that old fox Asumi is thinking is nothing more than using the popularity of our two programs to promote his precious son's new movie. He's playing this game quite cleverly."

"After all, 'Super Transformation' is indeed a top-tier national variety show, which is undeniable."

"but……"

Yasui then changed the subject: "This program has a major flaw, which is that it cannot promote anything through hard-sell product placement like my programs 'Starry Night' and 'Hilarious Wednesday'."

"While their public participation is good, it is limited to the level of stage play performances, and their ability to promote through variety shows is very weak."

"Therefore, the chessboard of propaganda is ultimately still in our hands."

His words earned the approval of Toshihide Takada.

"Very good." Takada Toshihide felt much better now, and nodded, "Continue."

“My idea is very simple.” Yasui Takashi extended two slender fingers and tapped them lightly on the coffee table made of a single piece of golden nanmu wood, producing a dull yet rhythmic sound: “To praise someone to death.”

"Praise to kill?" Takada Toshihide frowned slightly; he had used this tactic many times before.

“That’s right, it’s a case of flattery to kill.” Ito Chōan chimed in from the side.

"If Tomorrow Sea wants us to be his ladder, then we'll go with the flow and help him build that ladder to the sky."

Ito Chōan's voice was like a venomous snake, every word carrying a deadly chill: "We'll praise him to death on the show! We'll extol him as a 'once-in-a-century genius in the Japanese television industry'! A 'god of all-powerful crossovers'! The 'best work of the new era samurai film'! We want all the viewers to have the highest and most unrealistic expectations for his so-called movie!"

"And then?" A hint of amusement flashed in Toshihide Takada's eyes.

"Then, at the most crucial moment, we'll dig a pit for him that will lead to his utter ruin." A cold, devilish smile curled at the corner of Ito Nagao's lips.

He looked at Takada Toshihide with the gaze of a strategist presenting poison to a king: "Deputy Director, don't forget what the most deeply rooted and easily swayed emotion in our Japanese society is?"

Before anyone could guess, he decisively answered his own question:
"It's a class."

These three words came out of his mouth.

Light and airy.

Yet it also carries a terrifying power capable of tearing society apart.

“During the interview, we subtly steered him toward the topic of ‘elites’ and ‘commoners.’” Ito Chōan’s voice was sinister: “We wanted him to unconsciously reveal that sense of superiority that belongs to ‘geniuses’ towards us ‘mortals’ when he was being praised and flattered.”

“We want him to say it himself: those ‘warriors’ in his photos are the real ‘elites’, the heroes who drive history forward. And those ‘peasants’ are nothing but ignorant, cunning ‘commoners’ who only deserve to be saved.”

“As long as he says it…” A cruel smile spread across Yasui Takashi’s face: “We won’t even need to lift a finger. The spittle of those enraged ‘commoner’ viewers alone will be enough to drown him and his film, which is filled with the stench of ‘elitism’!”

"Well... well, what a perfect example of 'class antagonism'!"

A terrifying glint flashed in Takada Toshihide's eyes!

He looked at the two capable henchmen before him, one responsible for fanning the flames and the other for handing over the butcher's knife, and a genuine smile of appreciation appeared on his gloomy face.

“This plan is indeed ruthless. But…” He changed the subject, a hint of caution from someone in a superior flashing in his cold eyes: “Have you considered what if… that kid doesn’t fall for it? He’s not a brainless idiot like Iwata. I’ve heard that even that old fox Sakata has been full of praise for his composure and cunning, which are far beyond his years.”

“Deputy Director, you’re overthinking it.” Yasui Gui scoffed upon hearing this. “No matter how composed or shrewd he is, he’s still just a greenhorn in his early twenties. Having suddenly achieved such tremendous success and been hailed as a god by countless people, how could he possibly suppress the pride and arrogance that comes with youth?”

“That’s right.” Ito Choan nodded sarcastically. “We don’t even need him to say it himself. All we need to do is edit it together and ask some suggestive questions to easily portray him as an ‘elite genius’ who looks down on everyone else. Then, the audience will only see what they want to see. As for the truth? Who cares?”

"What's more..." Yasui Takashi chuckled maliciously, "He's just a TV drama and variety show producer, yet he dares to come here and point fingers at our film industry? He's practically asking for trouble! TV dramas and variety shows, to put it bluntly, are nothing more than cheap entertainment products that pander to 'commoner' audiences. But movies, that's the real art, belonging to the 'elite'! What can a layman like him, who can't even tell the difference between different types of camera lenses, possibly produce? When the time comes, we won't even need to stir things up; the abysmal quality of the final product alone will be enough to make him the laughingstock of all of Japan!"

Hearing about the two's meticulous arrangements, Takada Toshihide finally felt completely at ease.

"Very good." He nodded in satisfaction: "Praise to kill, this is the right direction. But there is one thing you must remember."

His voice also became more serious.

"The topic of 'elites' and 'commoners' can be brought up, but it must not be ignited! We only need to casually drop a spark into that pile of dry tinder. The rest is up to public opinion and those foolish people; let them make this fire burn as brightly as possible."

"We just need to stand aside and watch coldly, and then come out as 'saviors' to clean up the mess."

"Remember this: Hiroshi Nohara is now Asumi's darling, and also Sakata's precious darling, used to curry favor with the board. We can't touch him until we have absolute certainty. All we can do is dig some seemingly harmless, but actually deadly, pitfalls for him."

"Yes! We understand!" Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagaan bowed in unison, their voices carrying a tacit understanding.

The atmosphere has finally shaken off its initial gloom.

Just then, director Takashi Ashikaga, who had been silent until now, seemed to suddenly remember something and asked curiously, "Speaking of which, what's the story behind that 'Seven Samurai' that Deputy Director Takada arranged for that kid Hiroshi Nohara to work with Eiji Kurosawa on? I heard that the old guy even scrapped his previous film, 'The Samurai in the Blacksmith Shop,' which he had already filmed most of, for this movie?"

“Oh, that?” Yasui Takashi scoffed, his voice full of disdain. “I heard someone from Asuka’s side mention it. It’s about seven down-on-their-luck samurai who were hired by a group of penniless farmers to protect their village from bandits.”

"That's it?"

Ashikaga Takashi and Asano Kita exchanged a glance.

They all saw a heartfelt, superior laugh in each other's eyes.

"Hahahaha! I thought it was some earth-shattering masterpiece!" Asano Kita laughed so hard he almost fell over. His usually amiable face was now filled with schadenfreude. "That old man Kurosawa seems to have really run out of ideas! He's even dredged up this kind of old, tired trope that was already overdone decades ago! Samurai protecting farmers from bandits? This sounds like a bedtime story my grandpa's generation read! It's just... utterly boring!"

"Who says otherwise?" Ashikaga Takashi sneered, his voice filled with schadenfreude. "I reckon it was that kid named Nohara who read a few issues of Weekly Shonen Jump's shonen manga and thought he could be a screenwriter. The result? This kindergarten-level story full of chuunibyou fantasies. And that old stubborn Kurosawa, in his desperation, actually believed it! They're... a pair of idiots!"

"Um... Deputy Director, directors..."

Amidst the laughter filled with contempt and mockery, an untimely, timid voice weakly rang out from a corner.

It's Masao Iwata.

He looked at his colleagues, a faint worry appearing on his already pale face.

“I…I think we should…we should be more careful. That Hiroshi Nohara…he…he’s not an ordinary person. What if…what if we…”

"So what?!"

However, before he could finish speaking, he was abruptly interrupted by a roar of impatience from Ashikaga Takashi!

"Iwata! Are you scared of that kid?! Why are you acting like a coward now?! You have no backbone at all!"

"Exactly!" Asano Kita sneered, his eyes looking at a hopeless coward: "Don't forget how he kicked you out of your section chief position! Have you forgotten that humiliation?!"

Takada Toshihide also cast that cold gaze at him.

His eyes were filled with disappointment.

"Iwata, I'm giving you another chance so you can redeem yourself, not so you can stay here and boost the morale of others while diminishing your own."

These words were like three mountains, pressing down hard on Iwata Masao's already fragile nerves!
He was silent.

His face was pale.

"In the end, it's all because you're too weak!"

Seeing Iwata's expression, Ashikaga Takashi became even more furious. Pointing his finger at Iwata, he vented all the frustration he had endured on set: "If it weren't for you, the director, who couldn't even control two little idol stars! Letting them act like divas on set and change the script! Would we have to be like two grandsons, following them around cleaning up their messes every day?! Our talent has been almost completely wasted by those two pieces of trash!"

This complaint, which was full of blaming others, unexpectedly caught the attention of Toshihide Takada.

His cold eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a cold decisiveness befitting a person in a superior position.

He knew that his film project absolutely could not afford any more mishaps.

This will be his last and most important trump card in this war against the Kwantung faction.

He remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.

"Okay, stop arguing."

Takada made arrangements.

"Iwata, from today onwards, as the director, you only have one responsibility—to keep Chairman Sato and Shunsuke Kamiki in check. As for the actual filming work on set..."

He paused, then turned his trusting and entrusted gaze to his two loyal and devoted subordinates.

"—I'll leave everything to Ashikaga and Asano, you two are in charge. I'm giving you the highest authority. Whoever dares to disobey orders or act like a diva on set, you can tell me directly. I'll handle it personally."

He looked at his two subordinates, whose faces were already flushed with excitement at this sudden "promotion," and sneered.

“I will personally call that old man, Sato Tokugawa. I will let them know that although our TV Tokyo movies are funded by them, they are not a playground where they can do whatever they want.”

"This 'Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree' must and can only become a timeless classic that utterly crushes that old man and that arrogant brat!"

Over the past six months, Toshihide Takada has been severely suppressed.

He was so desperate for a victory.

"Hi!"

Ashikaga Takashi and Asano Kita bowed in unison: "We will certainly live up to your expectations!"

"Yoshi! Very good! That's it! You need spirit to defeat your opponent!" Takada Toshihide nodded in satisfaction.

He slowly walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the steel city below, which he already considered his own, and his cold eyes gradually became excited.

He had confidence in the professional competence of the two film directors under his supervision.

I also trust the judgment of those two variety show directors.

As long as everyone works together under the leadership of Toshihide Takada—

He could almost see how, on New Year's Eve, his lavish and commercially successful film, "The Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree," would crush the poorly made and clichéd "Seven Samurai" with an unparalleled force!

He had even already planned out how he would use a victorious yet pitying gaze to "comfort" the aging hero Eiji Kurosawa and the arrogant young man.

"Hiroshi Nohara..."

He muttered to himself, the smile in his eyes growing increasingly hysterical, arrogant, and excited.

"The game has only just begun."

This time, he used one of his most treasured cards, a trump card that could make all his opponents despair.

The name of this ace is—

capital.

There is nothing in this world that money can't solve.

If so, then use more money.

This is the most real, cruelest, and only ironclad rule of this era.

He, Toshihide Takada, was the most faithful believer in this ironclad rule.

Yes, ultimately, the victor.

He firmly believed it!

Takada Toshihide muttered to himself, "Even someone who would have been a eunuch in ancient times can be turned into a national idol by capital, becoming a top star with hundreds of millions of young fans... What can't the power of capital do?"

(End of this chapter)