I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 161 A Turbulence Strikes! Hiroshi Nohara's Countermeasures! Using Black Traffic Techniques!
Sunday afternoon, Tokyo TV Studio 1.

This is the recording site of the hit variety show "Starry Night," a battleground for fame, fortune, and popularity that takes place every week in the Japanese entertainment industry.

The dazzling lights illuminated the futuristic stage as if it were daytime, revealing every detail.

Below the stage, hundreds of professional fans, who had been rigorously selected, were waving their idol support signs. Their young and enthusiastic faces were filled with boundless anticipation for the upcoming carnival.

The air backstage was thick with a sense of oppression, a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere on stage.

"Takeda-san, have you remembered everything?"

The program's director, Yasui Takashi, a close associate of the Tokyo faction, was standing in front of the monitor in the control room. His face, which always carried a touch of playboyish nonchalance, was now shrouded in a cold gloom.

He didn't even turn around; he just stared intently at the screen, at the man practicing his signature "healing smile" repeatedly in front of the mirror.

Yuichi Takeda, who has been in the industry for over twenty years, is widely recognized as the "King of Controlling the Stage" in the Japanese variety show world.

His face, always adorned with a warm smile, carried a perfectly measured touch of professional humility.

"Don't worry, Director Yasui." His voice was gentle and warm, like a piece of jade that had been polished a thousand times, without the slightest hint of sharpness: "It's all about praising someone to death. We've been using this tactic for almost twenty years. We'll make sure to elevate that kid named Nohara to the heavens, so much so that he can't back down from his pedestal."

“Very good.” Yasui Takashi nodded in satisfaction: “Remember, the timing is crucial. We just need to casually drop a spark called ‘class’ into his arrogant powder keg. The rest is up to those foolish people; let them fan the flames.”

"Understood," Yuichi Takeda replied with a smile.

Just then, the side door of the studio was slowly pushed open.

One after another, imposing figures filed in.

Leading the way was Eiji Kurosawa.

This master, revered as a "living legend" in the Japanese film industry, stood like a silent mountain, stopping as soon as he entered the studio and quietly following behind the young man.

His sharp eyes, which had captured countless classic shots, now held only undisguised admiration and...trust for the young man beside him.

Behind them stood seven men, each with a distinct aura, yet all equally charismatic.

They are the seven main actors of "Seven Samurai".

And walking at the very center of this "samurai legion" was Hiroshi Nohara.

He was still dressed in his simple casual clothes, with a gentle smile on his face, as if he were attending a pleasant weekend tea party.

"Hey, isn't this our 'Samurai Legion'?"

Yuichi Takeda was the first to greet them, his face, which always wore a warm smile, now radiating an almost fawning enthusiasm: "Director Kurosawa! It's an honor for our entire program to have you here! And Manager Nohara! Oh my, you are... a hundred times younger and more handsome than on TV!"

This exaggerated compliment, full of "variety show flair," only earned Kurosawa Eiji a faint nod in acknowledgment.

Famous directors have always looked down on variety shows.

Just like the division of knights in the Western Middle Ages, how could a battlefield knight, who fought in real battles, possibly look down on those court jesters?

Of course, Yuichi Takeda understood why.

He showed no anger whatsoever.

She still invited them in with a smile.

"You flatter me." Hiroshi Nohara smiled calmly and sat down at the guest seat that had been prepared for them.

Soon, the recording of the program officially began.

"Good afternoon, viewers! Welcome to 'Starry Night,' exclusively sponsored by Qilin Real Estate! I'm your old friend, Yuichi Takeda!"

Under the spotlight, Yuichi Takeda, like a master conductor, used his captivating voice to instantly bring the atmosphere to a small climax.

After a brief opening, he focused his "well-intentioned" gaze on the young man who had been calmly smiling throughout.

"Today, our program team is very honored to have invited a heavyweight guest who can be said to be from the entire Japanese television industry, no, even the entire cultural industry!"

His voice was filled with an aria-like exaggeration and adoration: "He is the legendary genius producer, Director Hiroshi Nohara, who completely overturned all of our preconceived notions about the word 'television' with just three works!"

Let's welcome him with the warmest applause!

Bang bang bang bang——!
A thunderous round of applause erupted from the audience and lasted for a long time!

Hiroshi Nohara simply smiled and waved gently at the camera.

However, Yuichi Takeda clearly did not intend to let him off so easily.

"Minister Nohara, to be honest, I'm a huge fan of yours!"

His face was filled with the fervor of meeting an idol: "I've watched every one of your works at least ten times! Whether it's the horror of 'Yamishibai,' the mind-blowing ideas of 'Tales of the Unusual,' or the joy of 'Super Transformation,' they all make this old guy, who's been in the variety show industry for almost twenty years, feel... ashamed of himself!"

“I often wonder what kind of family and what kind of education could have produced such a ‘true elite’ as you, who at such a young age has already reached a height that none of us can reach?”

Ok? !

When the word 'elite' was uttered, Eiji Kurosawa's sharp eyes narrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

A hint of wariness unconsciously appeared on the faces of the seven "warriors".

They know it too well.

In a society already suffocating from rigid class structures, what exactly does the word "elite" mean?

That was a tall hat that looked glamorous but was actually full of deadly poison!
Once you put it on, it's like completely separating yourself from the vast "common people," the ordinary class, who form the cornerstone of this society!
Eiji Kurosawa subconsciously gave the young man beside him a wink.

The meaning in his eyes was clear—be careful! Something's fishy!

However, Hiroshi Nohara seemed not to see the warning look in his eyes.

He simply looked calmly at the host, who was "sincerely" waiting for his answer, and a gentle, helpless smile returned to his face.

“Host Takeda, you’re really… giving me too much credit.”

His voice was like a clear spring, gentle and without a trace of pride or arrogance, just like a babbling brook speaking softly.

"If I can be considered an 'elite,' then my father, that old farmer who still lives in the countryside of Akita Prefecture, dealing with soil and crops every day, is probably... going to become the most deeply hidden, behind-the-scenes emperor in our Japan, right?"

"puff--!"

This self-deprecating answer, like a perfectly timed joke, instantly ignited the entire audience!

The audience burst into good-natured laughter!
A barely perceptible stiffness appeared on Yuichi Takeda's face, which always wore a warm smile.

He never expected that this young man would so easily defuse his first question, which was full of traps, in such a way that was almost "exposing his own shortcomings"!
"Hahaha, Minister Nohara, you are truly... witty." He forced a smile to smooth things over, then turned his calculating gaze toward the movie that was about to be released.

"Speaking of which, Minister Nohara, I heard that your latest collaboration with Director Kurosawa, 'Seven Samurai,' tells a story about 'samurai' saving 'farmers.' In your opinion, what is the biggest difference between 'samurai' and 'farmers,' these two completely different social classes?"

"Could we say that 'samurai' represents the 'elite' of that era, the heroes who propelled history forward? And 'peasants' are more like... a group of ordinary 'commoners' who need to be guided and saved?"

This problem is a hundred times more vicious than the one before!
It is no longer a simple case of "praising to death," but a naked attempt to use "class antagonism," the ultimate weapon capable of tearing the entire society apart, to dig a huge pit for Hiroshi Nohara that could lead to his utter ruin!
As long as he dares to nod, even if it's just a slight indication of his approval of the "elites" and his contempt for the "common people".

What awaits him is the fiercest verbal attack from the entire public!
But if you deny it.

Then it will also fall into the rhythm of 'hypocrisy', and will ultimately be seen as the 'hypocrisy of the elite'.

Yuichi Takeda was a master of this kind of tactic!

“Host Takeda, that’s a very good question.”

However, Hiroshi Nohara's face remained calm and composed.

Then, he slowly began to speak.

"In my view, there has never been any distinction between 'samurai' and 'peasant.' They are all just pitiful people who have been ruthlessly crushed by a larger wheel called 'time.'"

"The story of Seven Samurai is never about the opposition between 'elites' and 'commoners.' It's about the end of an era."

"The samurai, the class that once represented honor and order, were ruthlessly abandoned by the times with the advent of firearms and the consolidation of centralized power."

"And the peasants, that seemingly humble yet primal class, survived with their cunning and resilience and became the masters of the new era."

"So, you see."

Hiroshi Nohara's lips curled into a smile.

"In this war, there have never been any true victors. What has lost is the old, decaying era. What has won is the new era that is about to begin, full of infinite possibilities."

“Each of us, whether so-called ‘elites’ or so-called ‘commoners,’ is nothing more than an insignificant ripple in the tide of this era.”

"What we can do is not complain about the rigidity of class structure, nor be envious of the success of others. Instead, we should, like me, seize every opportunity that this era has given us to change our own destiny."

"After all, I, Hiroshi Nohara, am just the son of a farmer from the countryside of Akita Prefecture."

"I seized the opportunities that the times gave me."

"That's how we achieved our current success!"

silence.

Deathly silence.

The entire studio was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone stared blankly at the young man, their faces filled with disbelief and horror!
They never imagined that a seemingly simple entertainment interview would be elevated to a philosophical level by a young man in his early twenties, a level that could prompt deep reflection from the entire society!

"..." Takeda Yuichi, the "King of Control" who has dominated the variety show industry for nearly twenty years, stiffened slightly on his usually warm smile.

He stared blankly at the young man, his eyes looking at him as if he were looking at a monster in human skin!

All the traps he laid, all the poisons he prepared, seemed so naive, laughable, and utterly vulnerable in the face of this young man's all-seeing, godlike vision!
Is this really just a 23-year-old graduate?!

"well said!"

In this deathly silence filled with shock and absurdity, a hearty exclamation, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, finally shattered the frozen air!
Eiji Kurosawa, a master craftsman who had always been like a silent mountain, suddenly slapped his thigh, his weathered old face filled with heartfelt appreciation and pride!
"This is the kind of movie I, Eiji Kurosawa, wanted to make! This is the core spirit that we at Seven Samurai truly want to convey to all viewers!"

This definitive conclusion, brimming with "official certification," was like a resounding slap across Yuichi Takeda's already pale face!
This also completely and utterly declared the utter failure of this "praise to death" plan, which was full of scheming and conspiracy!
……

When the recording of the program ended, the "Samurai Legion," who had been completely impressed by Hiroshi Nohara, escorted their "Commander-in-Chief" as they marched out of the studio filled with the smell of gunpowder. On every face, there was an barely suppressed excitement and... lingering fear, as if they had survived a disaster.

"This is unreasonable! This is simply unreasonable!"

Shunpei Makino, who plays Kikuchiyo, is a young man with a fiery temper just like his character. He couldn't hold back and smashed the mineral water bottle in his hand to the ground!
"That bastard surnamed Takeda! He's not even human! Every word he says is a trap! Every word is a knife! If it weren't for your quick thinking, Minister, we would probably be trapped and killed by him today!"

"Exactly!" Veteran actor Taiji Miyoshi, who played Kanbei, nodded with lingering fear, his usually composed face filled with solemnity: "These guys from the Tokyo faction really... will stop at nothing. They even dare to use poison like 'class antagonism,' which is enough to shake the foundations of the country. They really want to destroy us."

"Minister, what do we do next?" All eyes were focused on the young man who had been calmly smiling throughout.

"How to do?"

Upon hearing this, Hiroshi Nohara chuckled softly, a chilling glint flashing in his clear eyes.

"Simple."

Looking at the group of elites from the Guandong faction who had long been completely won over by him, a gentle smile returned to his face.

"Everyone, don't worry. If they want to play, we'll play along. The more they try to push us into the pit of 'class,' the more we'll hold the banner of 'the times' high."

"Dirty traffic is still traffic. The more they make a fuss, the more curious the audience will be about our movie. When the movie is released, all the conspiracies and tricks will fall apart."

"Because the truth is always the best weapon."

This confident and composed declaration, like the gentlest warm current, instantly soothed all the unease and anxiety in everyone's hearts.

“But…” Kurosawa Eiji, this master who had seen through the vicissitudes of life, still had a deep worry flickering in his sharp eyes: “The human heart is the most unpredictable thing. What if… what if those incited people simply don’t want to go to the movie theater to find the so-called ‘truth’?”

"They will."

Hiroshi Nohara's lips curled into a knowing smile, the kind of smile that comes from the master of the game.

"Because we still have a second trump card."

Looking at the bewildered expressions on everyone's faces, he slowly uttered the name of that brand-new battlefield, filled with joy and magic.

"Let's go, everyone. Next stop, 'Hilarious Wednesday'."

……

Compared to the witty banter and high-society interviews of "Starry Night," the recording studio of "Hilarious Wednesday" was more like a large children's playground full of whimsy and imagination.

The traps here are no longer the subtle, linguistic tricks, but rather various kinds of physically-based, malicious pranks.

When Eiji Kurosawa, a highly respected master in the Japanese film industry, was arranged by the program team to wear a comical samurai armor and scream as he slid down a giant foam slide...

When the seven handsome "warriors" were asked to use chopsticks to pick up the mudfish that were jumping around on the ice...

When Hiroshi Nohara was probed by the equally seasoned host with a suggestive question, "Mr. Nohara, I heard your film had an investment of nearly 300 million yen. How much of that do you personally expect to get?"...

He simply smiled calmly, then pointed to the director beside him, who was already laughing so hard he was doubled over, completely losing his composure, and said slowly in a tone full of Versailles-like annoyance: "Split the money? I wouldn't even dare to think about it. Just being able to keep this former senior, like Gugugumi, happy and prevent him from dragging me out drinking all night every now and then, I'm already... thank God."

This was full of "juniors teasing seniors," which instantly drew laughter from the entire audience!

And with ease, the trap, rife with the stench of money, was dissolved into nothingness.

This promotional battle, filled with joy and unexpected charm, ultimately declared a complete victory for the Kanto faction in an almost overwhelming manner!
……

A week later, it was as if an invisible depth charge had been dropped into the air in Tokyo.

Beneath the seemingly calm surface, turbulent currents and lurking dangers were already brewing.

【Nohara Hiroshi·Independent Production Department】.

That office, once brimming with energy and laughter and hailed as a "holy land" for young people at TV Tokyo, is now shrouded in a suffocating atmosphere of oppression.

The young interns were no longer chattering away about the latest ideas as usual. Instead, they lowered their heads and silently organized the documents in their hands. Their young faces were filled with confusion and... wavering.

Those experienced veteran employees, though still typing rapidly on their keyboards, had long since replaced their fervent admiration and worship of their manager's godlike abilities with a more complex and skeptical sentiment.

The entire department is like a precision machine with its core gears removed. Although it is still running on inertia, it has long lost the momentum that was once capable of crushing everything and forging ahead.

"minister……"

Kitagawa Yao carefully entered the minister's office, carrying a cup of freshly ground premium Blue Mountain coffee.

She looked at the young man who was still sitting calmly behind his desk, constructing one wondrous world after another on the snow-white drawing paper with effortless grace. His usually bright eyes were now veiled with a layer of moist mist.

In her hand, she was still clutching several newspapers and magazines that she had already read countless times, the edges of which were slightly curled.

It was printed with a title in the most striking and vicious font, a title that would infuriate anyone with a conscience.

[A farmer's son, a traitor who forgets his roots? Genius producer Hiroshi Nohara, in a drunken spiel: The common people are nothing more than lambs to be guided!] — Weekly Bunshun

[Exclusive Scoop! Shocking Twist in the Script of "Seven Samurai"! Hiroshi Nohara, through the voice of a samurai, vehemently denounces farmers as "cunning, stingy, and murderers!"] — FRIDAY

From Akita's pride to Tokyo's "elite": Hiroshi Nohara's path to ruin! —Asahi Geino

Reports filled with malicious speculation and misinterpretation, like poisoned knives, stabbed viciously at the young man they had recently elevated to a pedestal.

"Minister, you..." Kitagawa Yao's voice was choked with suppressed sobs, "These... these are all lies they're making up! They're just jealous of you! They're deliberately trying to smear you!"

She gently placed the coffee cup on the table, her usually energetic eyes now filled with heartache and grievance for her department head.

“We…we all believe in you! We know you’re definitely not the kind of person they’re talking about!”

"I know."

Hiroshi Nohara finally put down his pen.

He looked up at his most loyal little fan, who was already on the verge of tears, and his gentle smile remained unchanged.

He didn't even look at the newspapers that were already causing a huge uproar outside; he simply calmly picked up the still steaming cup of coffee and took a small sip.

"Don't worry, Kitagawa." His voice was calm: "This little storm won't capsize the boat."

This calm and collected demeanor, this composure as if everything is under control, is like the most powerful reassurance.

It gently soothed all the unease in Kitagawa Yao's heart.

Looking into her minister's calm and unwavering eyes, her wavering heart regained its resolve!
That's right!

This is Nohara, the department head!
He's that god-like man who turned the entire Japanese television industry upside down with just three works!

How could a mere public opinion storm possibly bring him down?!

However, just as she was looking at him with adoration, the office door was suddenly pushed open.

Asahi's intelligent and beautiful secretary walked in quickly, her face showing an unprecedented seriousness.

"Minister Nohara." Her voice carried a hint of barely suppressed anxiety: "Deputy Director Asumi requests that you go to his office immediately. Director Kurosawa, and... Director Yasui and Director Ito, have already arrived."

"Yes, I understand." Hiroshi Nohara's lips curled into a knowing smile.

He put down his coffee cup and walked over.

……

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

This deputy director, who could silence any producer in the outside world, was now pacing back and forth in front of the huge mahogany desk like a thoroughly enraged lion.

The Cuban cigar in his hand was already slightly deformed from being squeezed, and his usually refined and composed face was now so gloomy that it seemed as if it could drip water.

Opposite him, Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasu, the two "variety show duo" of the Tokyo school, were now like two children who had done something wrong, heads bowed, silent and trembling.

Those two faces, which always carried a hint of arrogance, were now filled with just the right amount of bitterness, brimming with "grievance" and "innocence."

Beside them, Eiji Kurosawa, a master revered as a "living legend" in the Japanese film industry, sat quietly on the sofa like a silent volcano.

He didn't speak, but his eyes burned with a furious rage that could set the entire office ablaze!

When Hiroshi Nohara pushed open the door, and that calm and composed figure appeared in the doorway, everyone's eyes were drawn to him like iron filings attracted by a magnet.

"Hiroshi-kun!"

Asuka was the first to go forward, her eyes filled with barely suppressed anger and...heartache.

"You...you've been wronged!"

This opening statement, brimming with a sense of protectiveness, carries more weight than any bureaucratic interrogation.

“Deputy Director Asumi.” Hiroshi Nohara simply smiled calmly and sat down on the sofa in the main seat.

This nonchalant attitude, this air of complete control, caused Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasu's already anxious hearts to sink uncontrollably!
They looked at the young man, their eyes filled with worry.

They were clearly the hunters who set the trap, so why did they now feel like two pitiful prey whose every move had been seen through by their opponent?
"Hmph! Feeling wronged?!"

Eiji Kurosawa finally couldn't hold back any longer. He slammed the copy of Weekly Bunshun in his hand onto the center of the conference table, the loud noise shaking the entire office!
"This is called a grievance?! This is clearly murder! It's blatant character assassination!"

He pointed at the two variety show directors, who were already pale with fright, and his sharp eyes blazed with fury that could burn a person alive!

"I'm asking you two! How exactly did you edit your show?! Why did Nohara-kun's insightful and wise words become a pile of 'elitist' filthy, nonsensical garbage in your show?!"

"And another thing! That line about 'farmers'! That's the most profound and accurate interpretation of the tragic fate of our nation that I, Eiji Kurosawa, have ever heard in my life! But in your mouths, how did it become that Hiroshi Nohara was 'denouncing the farmers'?! Have you all lost your conscience?!"

These blunt and fierce questions were like two resounding slaps to the faces of Yasui Takashi and Ito Choan, leaving them stinging with pain!

"Director Kurosawa! You...you've misunderstood! We...we really didn't!"

Yasui Takashi was the first to react. His face, which always carried a touch of playboy arrogance, was now filled with innocence: "We... all the content broadcast on our program has been strictly reviewed! There is absolutely no malicious editing involved! We... we just broadcast every word that Director Nohara said on the spot, verbatim!"

"Exactly! Exactly!" Ito Choan quickly nodded in agreement. "As for those reports in newspapers and magazines, well... well, they have absolutely nothing to do with us! It's the viewers, the media themselves, who took things out of context and misinterpreted them maliciously! We... we are victims too!"

"As you know, these third-rate newspapers love to fabricate stories! You also know that their sales rely entirely on borderline news and fake news!"

"So what does this have to do with us?"

This sophistry, brimming with "professionalism" and a sense of "innocence," is a textbook example of shifting blame.

They easily shifted all the blame onto the "stupid" audience and the "unscrupulous" media.

They portrayed themselves as two innocent white lotuses who were also hurt by public opinion.

"fart!"

However, Eiji Kurosawa was clearly not buying it!
He slammed his hand on the table, his weathered old face filled with undisguised contempt and disdain: "You two have really mastered the art of editing! Misaligning sound and image, splicing together contexts, and adding suggestive subtitles and background music... Do you think I, an old man who has been making movies all my life, wouldn't see through such underhanded tricks?!"

"You are insulting the word 'director'!"

This "professional" and incisive exposé, like the sharpest knife, precisely sliced ​​through the veil of falsehood and innocence that the two had disguised themselves with!

Yasui Takashi and Ito Choan's faces froze for a moment.

They never expected that this stubborn old man, who seemed to only know how to make movies, would actually... actually know so much about these "unspoken rules" in their variety show industry!
"enough!"

In this tense atmosphere, Asumi's cold, emotionless voice finally rang out slowly.

He slowly stubbed out his cigar, his eyes calmly fixed on the two clowns, whose every move he had already seen through.

"Yasui, Ito."

His voice was soft and slow, like a lover's whisper, yet it carried a cruelty that could send chills down anyone's spine.

"I'm giving you one last chance."

"Get out of this office now, immediately, right now."

"Then, use the methods you are best at to put out this fire that you started with your own hands, without missing a single one."

"Can't do it..."

He paused, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"—Then I, Asumi, will tell you that if I wanted to take revenge on those two second-tier directors, even Takada couldn't protect them!"

This pronouncement, which carried the implication of an "ultimatum," instantly weighed heavily on the already fragile nerves of Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasu.

They knew that Mingri Hai was truly determined to kill.

However, amidst this tense atmosphere, the young man who had remained calm throughout slowly spoke again.

"Deputy Director Ming Rihai, please don't get angry."

Hiroshi Nohara put down his teacup and slowly stood up amidst three pairs of astonished and puzzled gazes.

He walked up to the two "culprits," whose faces had long since turned ashen, and a gentle, helpless smile returned to his face.

"Director Yasui, Director Ito. This matter is not your fault."

"Eh?!"

Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasu suddenly raised their heads, their eyes, which were somewhat panicked by Asumi's threat, were filled with disbelief and absurdity!

He...he's...speaking for us?!
"it's me."

Hiroshi Nohara's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile.

"It was me who underestimated the terrifyingly inflammatory power of the word 'class' in our already rigid society."

"So, since I started this fire myself..."

He paused, and amidst the three increasingly confused gazes, slowly revealed a smile:
"Then naturally it should be me who puts it out by my own hands."

He turned around and looked at Asumi, who was completely stunned by his shocking remarks, and a confident smile returned to his face.

"Deputy Director, could you please make some arrangements for me?"

"Tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM, I will hold a press conference in our station's largest studio, Studio One, which will be open to all mainstream media in Japan."

"I want them to witness it with their own eyes."

His clear eyes sparkled: "How will a brand new era, one that belongs only to me, Hiroshi Nohara, arrive?"

……

The door to Asuka's office was closed again.

Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasu walked dejectedly down the quiet corridor, where they could hear their own heartbeats, like two spineless, dead dogs.

The image of that young man, and his "kind" reminder as he left, kept echoing in their minds.

"By the way, Director Yasui, Director Ito."

"We would be honored if you both could attend tomorrow's press conference."

"After all, the real show has only just begun."

Those playful smiles and confident eyes were like two insurmountable mountains, pressing down on their hearts and making it hard for them to breathe.

"What...what exactly does he want to do?" Yasui Takashi's voice trembled.

"I don't know." Ito Choan shook his head, his face filled with unprecedented solemnity.

"I only know……"

He paused, a deep fear flashing in his eyes hidden behind his glasses: "It seems we've really messed with a monster we absolutely cannot mess with this time."

(End of this chapter)