I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 166 Sato Tokugawa's Thoughts! Deputy Director Takada's face stiffened!

However, while Hiroshi Nohara's independent production department was filled with a celebratory atmosphere of victory and joy, on the other end of TV Tokyo, in the office of the executive deputy director, the atmosphere was like a volcano.

It's about to erupt, or rather, it has already erupted!

Takada Toshihide, at this moment, resembled a lion that had been completely enraged, his face so contorted that it seemed as if water could drip from it.

He slammed the newspaper he was holding onto the mahogany desk with a loud bang that shook the entire office!
"Garbage! Is this what you produced for me?!" His roar was deafening, startling the three core members of the film project team—Iwata Masao, Ashikaga Takashi, and Asano Kita—so much so that they trembled!
The newspaper prominently displayed the pitiful opening day box office figures for "The Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree," followed by a barrage of merciless and vicious film reviews—"An idol's celebration, a film's tragedy," "The worst samurai film ever," "Two hours wasted on life"...

Every film review was like a resounding slap across the face of Toshihide Takada, which was already flushed red!
"Ashikaga! Aren't you supposed to have the most gorgeous cinematic language?! What do I see besides those meaningless slow motion and rotating shots?! Are you making a movie or a music video?!" Takada Toshihide pointed at Ashikaga Takaji's nose, spitting almost onto his face.

Ashikaga Takaji's face, which usually carried a hint of arrogance, was now deathly pale.

He instinctively took a half step back, his voice trembling as he protested, "Deputy...Deputy Director, this...this can't all be my fault! It's...it's that guy, Kamiki Shunsuke! He...he just won't listen to orders! Even when we were explaining the scene to him properly, he got impatient. We've already done our best!"

"Exactly!" Asano Kita chimed in, his usually amiable face now filled with grievance: "And Kitagawa Miyuki! She's just a pretty face! She doesn't know anything about acting!"

As if they had found an outlet, the two rushed to shift all the blame onto the two "arrogant" lead actors.

However, Takada Toshihide was clearly not buying it!
"Enough!" He slammed his hand on the table, the loud noise shaking the office once again! "I'm asking you! You're the directors! The ones in charge of the entire film set! The actors don't listen to you, and you can't do anything about it?!"

His voice sounded like he was speaking through gritted teeth:

"I said it before! I said it! 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 boy is! I only want one result—a timeless classic that can completely crush that old man and that arrogant brat!"

"But what about you?! The stuff you produce doesn't even have the most basic narrative logic! It's simply... a pile of dog shit!"

Takada Toshihide's roar echoed in the office, filled with despair and resentment.

He vented all his anger on these two trusted lieutenants he had once placed high hopes on.

Although that's a bit of an exaggeration.

The actual film was indeed somewhat poor.

However, it wasn't as bad as Takada Toshihide described, so bad that it was unacceptable and like dog shit.

Of course, this is not in comparison to Seven Samurai.

Compared to other period dramas or samurai films, "The Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree" is actually quite well made.

But that's the problem.

Ironically, their "The Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree" has now clashed head-on with Hiroshi Nohara and Eiji Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai"!

He was smashed in, his head was bleeding profusely, and he suffered a terrible, horrific accident!

So Ashikaga Takashi and Asano Kita were severely criticized, but they couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

They knew that no matter how difficult the lead actors were to please, the ultimate responsibility would indeed fall on the shoulders of the directors.

However, just as Takada Toshihide's anger subsided slightly, something twisted on Ashikaga Takaji's pale face.

He suddenly turned his head and pointed his spear at Iwata Masao, who had kept his head down the whole time, like a transparent person.

“Deputy Director! This…this can’t all be blamed on us!” Ashikaga Takashi’s voice trembled slightly, yet it was filled with a “righteous” accusation: “You…you mustn’t forget! Iwata is the chief director! It’s him! He was the one who confidently assured you that he could handle Kamiki Shunsuke and Kitagawa Miyuki! It’s him! He holds the power of life and death over the entire project in his own hands! We…we’re just two executive directors, we have no say at all!”

"Exactly!" Asano Kita quickly chimed in, his eyes looking at him like he was a scapegoat: "Back then, to curry favor with Kamiki Shunsuke, he even went so far as to personally massage his legs! To ingratiate himself with Kitagawa Miyuki, he ran off in the middle of the night to buy her cosmetics! He... he's practically a lackey! He's made our entire film project team lose face!"

This accusation, which was full of the intention to shift blame, was like two loud slaps to Iwata Masao's already fragile nerves!
Iwata Masao's body trembled violently. He subconsciously raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat seeping from his forehead. His already pale face was now completely bloodless, and sweat dripped down his cheeks onto the ground, making a soft sound.

He wanted to refute, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Because what both of them said was true.

He truly humbled himself to the dust for this project, for the sake of returning to the poker table.

But wasn't all of this done by Masao Iwata according to Toshihide Takada's plan?
"enough!"

Takada Toshihide snorted coldly, his icy eyes sweeping over the three of them, filled with disappointment.

He knew that none of the three guys wanted to really take responsibility.

He slowly turned around and cast his angry gaze at Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasu, who were also sitting on the sofa with their heads down, as if trying to shrink into a ball.

"And you two!" His voice, like an icicle in the dead of winter, pierced them fiercely: "What kind of terrible idea did you come up with?! What 'praise to death'?! What 'class antagonism'?! Did you really think you could defeat that brat Hiroshi Nohara with such underhanded tactics?!"

Takada Toshihide pointed at the newspapers on the table praising "Seven Samurai" and trembled with anger!
"Now look what's happened! Not only did Hiroshi Nohara not get killed by your 'praise to death,' he's turned your 'poison' into his own 'tonic'! He's turned those malicious rumors into the best publicity for his 'Seven Samurai'! You two are simply... idiots!"

Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasu were embarrassed by the scolding. They glanced at each other and saw a tacit understanding of bitterness in each other's eyes.

They wanted to refute, but couldn't utter a single word.

There was no way to refute it.

Their meticulously planned "praise to kill" scheme was indeed easily thwarted by the monster Hiroshi Nohara, who even turned it around and used it as the best promotional "Easter egg" for "Seven Samurai".

Now, everyone praises Hiroshi Nohara to the skies, regarding his "Easter egg" as a "stroke of genius."

The two of them became "clowns" in everyone's eyes.

This stark contrast was like an invisible slap, landing hard on their already frozen faces.

"I'm asking you! Who will take responsibility?!" Takada Toshihide's roar echoed in the office, filled with anger.

Looking at his subordinates who were shirking responsibility and shirking their duties, his already anxious heart was completely overwhelmed by a huge sense of powerlessness!

"Should I tell Chairman Sato that Tokyo TV is employing a bunch of useless people who only know how to shirk responsibility?!"

The office remained silent.

Everyone was trembling with fear.

The key point is that no one dares to speak up now, after all, they know Takada Toshihide quite well.

This executive deputy director is the kind of leader who likes to make his subordinates take the blame!

'Jingle Bell--'

Just as the tension was reaching its peak and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive, the black internal telephone on Takada Toshihide's desk rang urgently!
Takada Toshihide glanced subconsciously at the name flashing on the phone screen—[Sato Tokugawa]!
His heart sank to the bottom!

The real storm has finally arrived!

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly beating heart, and then answered the phone.

"Hello... Chairman Sato." His voice, though he tried to remain calm, still carried a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

On the other end of the phone, Sato Tokugawa's voice was like a cold wind from hell, instantly shattering Takada Toshihide's last remaining hope!
"Takada Toshihide! Explain yourself! The opening day box office for 'The Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree' was a mere 35 million yen?! Tell me, what happened?! Didn't you claim that this movie was a 'timeless classic' capable of crushing everything?! Didn't you claim that you could fill the theaters to capacity with Kamiki Shunsuke's tens of millions of fans?!"

"How did it get so trashy? It's made me lose face in front of all my friends!"

Sato Tokugawa's roar could be clearly heard by everyone in the office, even through the phone!

That voice was filled with overwhelming rage at being deceived.

"I...Chairman...please let me explain..." Takada Toshihide's voice carried a clear hint of panic.

"An explanation?!" Sato Tokugawa's voice grew even colder: "I'm giving you a chance to explain! Now! Immediately! Right now! Take your three useless directors and get to the Qilin Group headquarters! I want to ask them myself! What happened to my 500 million yuan investment?!"

“Chairman…you…” Takada Toshihide tried to explain, but Sato Tokugawa interrupted him mercilessly!

"Enough with the nonsense! I want to see all of you in my office within an hour! Otherwise... Takada Toshihide, I will fight you to the death! I'll make you understand the rage I feel after you made me throw away 500 million!"

"Beep-beep-"

The call was abruptly ended.

Takada Toshihide stood there, stunned. The phone in his hand felt like a red-hot iron, burning his palm.

He slowly put down the phone.

He knew he had really messed up this time.

He thought he controlled capital, controlled public opinion, and controlled everything.

He thought he could easily crush that arrogant brat and that old man whose hero had long since faded into obscurity.

But he never expected that his proud "capital" would become his biggest death warrant!
He never expected that his carefully planned "public opinion war" would be so easily turned around and exploited by that kid, becoming his own biggest laughing stock!

Five hundred million yen!
That's no small amount!

The 300 million yen investment in this film was brought in by the investment bureau of TV Tokyo. The 500 million yen from Sato Tokugawa was for publicity expenses. It was real money that was poured in to promote Kamiki Shunsuke and to undermine Nohara Hiroshi!
Now I've lost everything!
He knew he had to offer some extra benefits to satisfy this real estate tycoon who had connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles.

Even if this would put him at a direct disadvantage in this war against the Kwantung faction, there was nothing he could do.

He slowly turned around, his cold eyes sweeping over the five subordinates who were also standing there dumbfounded, their faces filled with fear.

"Did you all hear that?" His voice was icy cold. "Go! Iwata, Ashikaga, Asano, all three of you get out of here! To the Kirin Group headquarters!"

Although Takada Toshihide was somewhat uneasy, he knew that with the influence of the executive deputy director of TV Tokyo, he could still appease Sato Tokugawa.

Besides, the other party definitely has no intention of truly breaking off relations with me.

Otherwise, it wouldn't just be a phone call requesting a meeting.

"I wonder what that greedy Sato Tokugawa wants?" Takada Toshihide clenched his fists, his anger burning even more intensely, especially as he looked at the three directors beside him, whom he had originally placed his hopes on, who had now produced such garbage for him.

They were absolutely furious!

However, thinking of this, Takada Toshihide seemed to relax and couldn't help but let out a slow sigh: "As expected, I failed again in front of that monstrous young man?"

……

The headquarters of the Qilin Group, the top-floor private club "Golden Pavilion".

The air here is still thick with the rich aroma of top-quality cigars and aged whiskeys. Every inch of carpet and every painting silently speaks of the arrogance and luxury of money.

However, at this moment, in this tea room that symbolizes absolute power, Kamiki Shunsuke, the idol who is incomparably handsome in the eyes of countless girls, is kneeling on both knees.

His meticulously groomed handsome face was covered in tears and snot, and he looked pitiful as he cried.

"Chairman Tokugawa! You...you must do me justice!"

His voice was filled with grievance and resentment, like a Persian cat abandoned by its owner, howling hoarsely: "I...I tried so hard! I looked so handsome in the film! So perfect! Wasn't I good enough?!" As he cried, he pointed with his trembling hands at Kitagawa Miyuki, who was also kneeling on the ground not far away, and the three directors who were already ashen-faced with fright.

"It's all their fault! It's all because of those useless people! They don't know how to make movies at all! They ruined my acting skills, my charm! I... I was so perfect! It's them! They're the ones who ruined me!"

Kitagawa Miyuki trembled violently in fright. She instinctively wanted to speak up and defend herself, but was glared back by Kamiki Shunsuke's venomous gaze.

She could only bury her small head even deeper into her chest, trembling.

Directors Takashi Ashikaga, Takata Asano, and Masao Iwata looked at each other, their faces filled with anger and resentment, yet they couldn't utter a single word.

They wanted to refute this, to shift all the blame onto these two "arrogant" idols.

But looking at Kamiki Shunsuke's tearful appearance and Sato Tokugawa's calm, unwavering eyes, they knew that speaking now would be tantamount to courting death.

Who doesn't know that this Kamiki Shunsuke is Sato Tokugawa's favorite?
Sato Tokugawa, the absolute emperor of Kirin Real Estate, was sitting cross-legged in the main seat.

He didn't speak, but calmly watched the farce unfold before him, a glint of intriguing light flashing in his narrowed eyes.

"Junsuke, you're just...so cute."

He slowly reached out and gently patted Kamiki Shunsuke's fluffy little head, as if soothing a grumpy pet.

"It's just a mere 500 million yen, I can just throw it away. I'll just consider it... I'll just consider it a failed investment by Mr. Tokugawa."

These words, brimming with the allure of Versailles, acted like a powerful reassurance, instantly calming Kamiki Shunsuke's anxious heart.

He suddenly raised his head, and a fawning smile, sweeter than cherry blossoms, instantly bloomed on his tear-streaked face.

"Chairman Tokugawa! You...you're so kind! Junsuke...Junsuke knew that you were the person who cared for him the most in the world!"

Kitagawa Miyuki felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She raised her head, her eyes, red and swollen from crying, filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.

"But... but what if Takada Toshihide comes?" Kamiki Shunsuke was still somewhat uneasy: "He just asked these three directors to come up and apologize first, and then said he had a meeting to attend to. Isn't that obviously an attempt to abandon these three guys?"

As he spoke, he gave the three directors a look of disgust.

He thought he was some good director.

This is how it turned out!

There's not a trace of Seven Samurai in it!

What rubbish!

"Hehe." Sato Tokugawa chuckled, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his narrowed eyes.

“Takada Toshihide? Him… he’s not here to interrogate me.” Sato Tokugawa’s voice was full of amusement. “He’s here… to beg me.”

He paused, then turned his gaze to the brightly lit Tokyo night view outside the window.

"Don't worry, Junsuke. I will make Tokyo TV pay back all the losses they incurred this time, with interest."

"And..." A sly smile played on his lips, "Next, I have several large real estate projects launching in the Kanto region. Naturally, I'll have to rely on TV Tokyo for the advertising. For that astronomical advertising fee, they'll have to beg me not to withdraw my investment."

"So, Junsuke, all you need to do is obediently contribute your fame and your online following. Then, Mr. Tokugawa will give you double the fame and fortune!"

"This is just a minor setback. I can easily make back ten or even a hundred times the money by opening a new real estate development!"

"Chairman Tokugawa! You're amazing!" Kamiki Shunsuke's eyes lit up instantly!

He flattered her again, like a little bird that had found shelter, full of flattery and admiration: "Junsuke... Junsuke knew it, Chairman Tokugawa, you are the most, most, most amazing person in the world!"

In this atmosphere filled with ambiguity and flattery, there was a gentle knock on the door of the tea room.

"Chairman, Deputy Director Takada has arrived." The female service manager asked, "What are your instructions?"

“Let them in,” Sato Tokugawa said calmly.

Soon, as footsteps sounded, the door to the tea room slid open silently.

Takada Toshihide walked in, dressed in a suit and tie, his face bearing just the right amount of respect and... weariness.

He glanced at the three directors, Masao Iwata, Takashi Ashikaga, and Kita Asano, who were kneeling with their heads bowed. His face twitched slightly, and he sighed inwardly. He knew that they had been waiting for him, the main person in question.

Takada then spoke up, saying, "Chairman Sato, I'm sorry I'm late."

“I understand, Managing Director Takada is very busy.” Sato Tokugawa said calmly, giving a wink to Kamiki Shunsuke beside him.

"Deputy Director Takada! You've finally arrived!" Kamiki Shunsuke immediately realized what was happening, and then said with a hint of grievance in his voice, "Look at them! Look at what they've produced! It's them! They ruined my movie! They made Chairman Tokugawa lose so much money!"

He then pointed to the three directors kneeling there with their heads bowed.

"Shunsuke Kamiki! What nonsense are you spouting!" Takashi Ashikaga suddenly raised his head, his pale face filled with anger and resentment: "It was you! It was you who didn't listen to orders at all! It was you who kept using Chairman Sato to pressure us! It was you! It was you who made a mess of the whole crew! It was you! It was you who ruined this movie!"

"Exactly!" Asano Kita quickly chimed in, "Besides posing and looking cool, what else can you do?! You can't even do the most basic kendo stance properly! You're not a qualified actor at all!"

"Shut up, you two!" Iwata Masao, though usually timid, exploded at this moment. He pointed at Kamiki Shunsuke and Kitagawa Miyuki, his voice trembling as he roared, "You two! You two are the culprits! What can you do besides act like divas, cry, and glare?! You've disgraced our entire film project team!"

Without the support of Deputy Director-General Takada, they chose to keep their heads down and remain silent.

Now that Deputy Director Takada has arrived, they still choose to bow their heads and endure the scolding.

Then Takada, the Executive Deputy Director, came for nothing!

In an instant, the tea room descended into chaos.

The five of them were talking at once, blaming each other and shifting the blame. Their ugly behavior was simply disgusting.

"enough!"

Takada Toshihide finally couldn't hold back any longer. He slammed his hand on the table, and the loud noise made the entire tea room tremble!
"All of you! Shut up!" His voice, like an icicle in the dead of winter, pierced each and every one of them: "Look at the state of you all! What kind of behavior is this?! You have no manners whatsoever in front of Chairman Sato!"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Sato Tokugawa's icy, emotionless voice slowly rang out: "Deputy Director Takada is right."

Sato Tokugawa slowly stood up, his calm eyes sweeping over the five young men who were already trembling with fear. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "All of you, get out of here right now. This is not a place for rude people like you."

"I'd much rather have a proper talk with Deputy Director Takada!"

They dared not utter another word, and like five stray dogs, they lowered their heads and slunk out of the oppressive tea room.

Including Shunsuke Kamiki.

She tried to plead to stay, but was forced to back down by a sharp look from Sato Tokugawa.

The door to the tea room closed silently once again.

Inside, only Sato Tokugawa and Takada Toshihide remained.

In an instant, the atmosphere shifted from the tense standoff to a tacit understanding, a quietness befitting those in positions of authority.

"Deputy Director Takada, please have a seat." Sato Tokugawa gestured to the seat next to him, his "warm" smile returning to his face.

"Thank you, Chairman." Takada Toshihide sat down respectfully, knowing that the real negotiations had only just begun.

"Deputy Director Takada, the New Year is almost here." Sato Tokugawa picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and looked like an old man enjoying his holiday.

"Yes, time really flies." Takada Toshihide smiled, a perfectly timed compliment on his face. "Another year has passed in the blink of an eye. I hope that next year, Qilin Real Estate will reach even greater heights and make a fortune every day!"

"Hahaha! I appreciate your kind words!" Sato Tokugawa was overjoyed by these words. He put down his teacup and finally steered the conversation back on track.

"Speaking of which, Deputy Director Takada, next year our Kirin Real Estate has several large-scale real estate projects scheduled to open in the Kanto region. At that time, we'll have to rely on your Tokyo TV for help with publicity."

"Chairman, you're too kind." Takada Toshihide immediately understood and a sincere smile appeared on his face: "It's an honor for our Tokyo TV! Rest assured, with just a word from you, all of Tokyo TV's publicity resources, whether it's various programs, subsidiary TV stations, or newspapers, can be put to your service!"

He paused, his tone growing increasingly confident: "We guarantee that we will deeply ingrain the Qilin Real Estate brand image in people's minds! We'll let everyone know that Qilin Real Estate is synonymous with quality!"

"Hahahaha! Great! What a 'synonym for quality'!" Sato Tokugawa laughed so hard he almost fell over, his posture like that of an artist admiring his own masterpiece.

“However…” he changed the subject, a sly glint in his narrowed eyes: “Deputy Director Takada, you’ll have to give me a discount on the price. After all, we’re old friends.”

"Chairman, rest assured!" Takada Toshihide immediately patted his chest and guaranteed, "I will definitely give you the most favorable 'old friend' price! I guarantee you will be satisfied!"

“Very good.” Sato Tokugawa nodded in satisfaction.

This collaboration, which was full of exchanges of interests, was successfully concluded amidst the tacit smiles of the two.

"Oh, right, Deputy Director Takada." Sato Tokugawa seemed to suddenly remember something. He put down his teacup, and a barely perceptible hint of inquiry flashed in his calm eyes.

"I heard that TV Tokyo recently made a movie called 'Seven Samurai'?"

Takada Toshihide's heart sank!
He forced a smile, a "humble" one: "Yes, Chairman. That movie was directed by Eiji Kurosawa."

"Hmm." Sato Tokugawa nodded, a hint of appreciation flashing in his calm eyes: "I watched it. It was indeed very well made. Especially the script, with its profound themes and grand scope. It seems that the directors at TV Tokyo are truly full of talent."

These words were like an invisible knife, piercing Takada Toshihide's heart. He knew that Sato Tokugawa was mocking the failure of his "Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree".

His smile was stiff, and he could only say dryly, "Chairman, you flatter me. It's all thanks to Director Kurosawa."

"No, no, no." Sato Tokugawa shook his head, a glint of intriguing light flashing in his calm eyes.

"I heard that the real planner of that movie, even the screenwriter and the designer of many shots, is a young man named Hiroshi Nohara?"

Takada Toshihide's face stiffened instantly.

He hadn't expected that Sato Tokugawa would know this detail.

He suppressed his jealousy and resentment and said dryly, "Yes, Chairman. Hiroshi Nohara is indeed one of the co-directors of this film."

"Oh?" Sato Tokugawa's lips curled into a curious smile. "I'm quite curious about a young man who has achieved so much at such a young age."

He looked at Takada Toshihide, his calm eyes carrying an undeniable command.

“Deputy Director Takada, how about this? I’d like to arrange a meeting with this young man another day. After all, I’d really like to see for myself what makes him so special that even an old fogey like Eiji Kurosawa would admit defeat to him.”

"I think Mr. Takada, as the Executive Deputy Director, should be able to make it happen, right? And Deputy Director Takada, you wouldn't want my advertising investment on TV Tokyo to decrease next year, would you?"

“This…” Takada Toshihide’s face froze completely.

(End of this chapter)