I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 247 Storm! Storm! Storm! A storm no one expected! Now it's blowing!

At 9 p.m., just halfway through the rebroadcast of the first episode of "A Bite of Japan," a deafening cheer suddenly erupted in the data monitoring room of Kanto TV.

The technicians, holding the freshly printed viewership reports, ran frantically towards the conference room, the papers rustling in the wind as they ran.

"Broken! Record broken!"

The technician pushed open the conference room door, his voice trembling with excitement, "The real-time viewership across Japan has reached 24%! It's broken 18% in the Kansai region, and 15% in Hokkaido. This is the highest viewership for a documentary in nearly ten years!"

The group, who were discussing the follow-up publicity, froze instantly. Suzuki Kiyoto's cane slammed to the ground with a thud. He quickly walked over, took the report, and didn't even bother to adjust his reading glasses, which had slipped down to the tip of his nose.

Upon seeing the glaring figure of "24.1%", the gray-haired executive deputy director suddenly teared up, his voice choked with emotion: "Good...good! Kanto TV has finally produced another film that all of Japan can remember!"

Takashi Yamada snatched the report, his fingers tracing the numbers repeatedly as if to confirm it wasn't an illusion: "24%! That's 5 points higher than the highest ratings of 'Kanto Fishermen's Song' back then! Mr. Nomizu's fish shop just called to say that the door is packed with reporters, even NHK is interviewing them!"

Hiroshi Nohara stood by the window, holding the pager Misae had just sent him—"Hiroshi-kun! The whole manga club is cheering! We've decided to go to Chiba for sashimi tomorrow!"

He looked out the window at the Tokyo night view, where the Tokyo Tower in the distance was lit up with warm yellow lights, and on the street below, some young people were even cheering.

Asumi patted Hiroshi on the shoulder, her tone full of admiration: "Hiroshi-kun, you've created another miracle. Who would have thought that a documentary without stars or gimmicks could drive all of Japan crazy?"

Hiroshi turned his head and smiled, his eyes still calm: "It wasn't me who created the miracle, it was the stories of ordinary people that touched everyone. Nomizu-san's perseverance, Sato-san's persistence, and the warmth of the Takahashi family—these are all the most authentic aspects of life, and the audience can feel the warmth within them."

Just then, Yuichi Matsui rushed in carrying a camera, his face still covered in seawater salt—he had just returned from Masayoshi Nomizu's fish shop.

"Hiroshi-kun! Look!" He connected the camera to the TV, and on the screen, Masayasu Nomizu was surrounded by reporters, holding up a can of tuna that Hiroshi had given him earlier, and said excitedly, "I'm so happy that more people can know about the lives of fishermen! Starting tomorrow, I will keep more fresh tuna every day so that everyone can taste the flavor of the sea!"

Sakurako Honda, clutching her notebook, quickly jotted down notes: "Chiba Prefectural Government just sent a message that a 'Taste of the World' bus service will be launched tomorrow, specifically to take tourists to the fish shops in Nomizu-san; in Gunma Prefecture, travel agencies have already started pre-selling 'Soba Noodle Culture Tours' in the old town, and the phone lines are practically overflowing with calls to register!"

Takada Toshihide pushed up his glasses, a rare genuine smile appearing on his lips: "Marui Soy Sauce just contacted me, saying they want to add another 50 million yen in sponsorship and also want to sell their 'A Bite of China Limited Edition' soy sauce nationwide; Shueisha also sent word that the sales of the 'Midnight Diner' manga tripled tonight, and they want you to take advantage of the momentum to launch a manga of the same name as 'A Bite of China'."

The atmosphere in the meeting room grew increasingly lively. Everyone gathered around the report, discussing the follow-up plans. Even the usually quiet Saito Shigeru spoke up, saying, "Next time we shoot a wagashi shop in Kyoto, I want to try using a soft light to highlight the texture of the frosting. It should look even better."

Looking at the bustling scene before him, Hiroshi suddenly recalled the day he had traveled back in time—he was lingering outside TV Tokyo with his resume in hand, not even confident of securing a position as a fourth-level director.

Now, he not only has his own production department, but he has also produced films that have caused a sensation throughout Japan.

He took out his phone and dialed Misae's number. The girl's excited voice immediately came through the receiver: "Hiroshi-kun! Did you hear that? The ratings have broken 24%! Can we really go eat sashimi tomorrow?"

“Of course we can.” Hiroshi’s tone was gentle. “I’ll have Matsui-san drive tomorrow, and we’ll go together.”

After hanging up the phone, Hiroshi turned to everyone and said, "You've all worked hard. Get some rest tonight. There's still a lot of work to do tomorrow."

His gaze swept over the smiles on everyone's faces, and he knew in his heart that this victory was just the beginning—he wanted to film more heartwarming stories so that more people could see the beauty in ordinary life.

……

At the same time, the monitoring conference room of Tokyo TV felt as if it were shrouded in the dead of winter.

The head of the technical department, holding the newly printed viewership report, nervously approached Kazuo Takahashi, his voice barely audible: "Vice President Takahashi, the final viewership ratings are in... Our station got 1.9%, and the Kanto station got 24.1%..."

"Bang!" Kazuo Takahashi slammed his hand on the table, knocking over the coffee cup. The brown liquid spilled down the edge of the table, soaking the "1.9%" figure on the report.

He grabbed the report, his eyes glued to the number, his fingers turning white from the pressure: "1.9%? How is that possible! What about Shenmu-san's fan support? What about Qilin Group's publicity? Did they all go to the dogs?"

Shunsuke Kamiki suddenly stood up, the chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.

He snatched the report, and when he saw the number "24.1%", his face turned deathly pale, then flushed purplish-red.

"Impossible! This must be fake!" He tore the report to shreds, scattering scraps all over the floor. "How could Hiroshi Nohara's lousy documentary have such high ratings? Kanto TV must have fabricated it!"

“Fake?” Sato Takashi, sitting in the corner, finally couldn’t help but speak, his tone full of sarcasm. “The entire Japanese audience is talking about ‘A Bite of China,’ even NHK reported on it. How could it be fake? Look at the comments online. Everyone says your variety show is ridiculously fake. You even have to do more than ten takes to cut sushi. And you still have the nerve to criticize others?”

"you shut up!"

Kamiki Shunsuke turned and glared at Sato Takashi, his eyes filled with anger. "If you guys hadn't made such a terrible show, how could my variety show have lost? You were a loser on Kanto TV before, and now that you're on the city TV station, you're still a piece of trash!"

Jun Yamada quickly stood up to smooth things over: "Shunsuke-san, Sato-san, this is not the time to argue. We need to find a way to salvage the situation, otherwise we won't be able to explain it to Mayor Tanaka..."

"Turning the tide? How can we turn the tide?" The director of the city's TV planning department slumped in his chair, his voice filled with despair. "A mere 24% viewership? How can we catch up? Everyone in Japan is watching 'A Bite of China,' who's going to watch our variety show?"

"It's all your fault!"

Suddenly, Nanako Suzuki, the director of the city's TV station, pointed at Kazuo Takahashi, her eyes red-rimmed, "If we hadn't clashed with TV Kanto, our ratings wouldn't have been so terrible! You insisted on going against Hiroshi Nohara just to please Mayor Tanaka, and now look what's happened, you've completely disgraced the city's TV station!"

"Blame me?"

Kazuo Takahashi sneered, his eyes filled with resentment. "If it weren't for Shunsuke Kamiki's inability to even make sushi properly, and if you guys could produce decent content, would we have lost? Hiroshi Nohara used television drama techniques to make a documentary, how come you couldn't think of that? You're all just good-for-nothings!"

"You still have the nerve to talk back to us?" Kamiki Shunsuke stepped forward, pointing at Takahashi Kazuo's nose. "You were the one who said you'd give me my own variety show if I cooperated. And now? The ratings are so terrible, and you still have the nerve to blame me? I think you're just a useless deputy station manager!"

"How dare you insult me?" Kazuo Takahashi was so angry that he trembled all over. He raised his hand to hit Shunsuke Kamiki, but Jun Yamada held him back tightly.

"stop fighting!"

Yamada Jun shouted, his voice filled with exhaustion, "What's the use of fighting now? Mayor Tanaka gave us three days. If we can't come up with a solution, we're all fired!"

The meeting room fell silent instantly, with only the heavy breathing of the group remaining. Resentment, despair, and bitterness were etched on everyone's faces—they had thought they could easily beat the documentary by relying on Shunsuke Kamiki's popularity, but they hadn't expected to lose so badly, with no chance of recovery whatsoever.

Shunsuke Kamiki slumped in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.

He recalled what he had said at the press conference earlier that day—"I will make Hiroshi Nohara taste the bitterness of defeat"—and now, looking back, it was an absolute joke.

He took out his phone, scrolled through his chat history with Watanabe Toru, and typed a line with trembling fingers: "Immediately release the 'material' from Yesui Seitai Fish Shop. No matter what means you use, you must ruin 'A Bite of China'!"

Looking at the scraps of paper scattered on the ground and the resentful eyes of the crowd, Kazuo Takahashi suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

He knew that this defeat would not only cause him to lose Tanaka Mikami's trust, but might even cost him his position as deputy director.

He took out his pager and quickly sent a message to Tanaka Mikami: "Mayor, we will come up with a solution as soon as possible and will definitely not let you down."

But he knew in his heart that this was just self-deception—faced with a 24% viewership gap and the recognition of "A Bite of China" by the entire nation, they had absolutely no chance of turning the tide.

……

At 10 p.m. that night, the viewership data for "A Bite of Japan" spread like wildfire across all television stations in Japan.

In the production department meeting room of Yomiuri TV in Osaka, the department head, Kiyoshi Matsumoto, held the viewership report, repeatedly rubbing his fingers over the number "24.1%", his eyes filled with shock.

“24%…” He sighed, his tone full of admiration, “That kid Hiroshi Nohara has truly created a miracle. Who would have thought that a documentary about humanities could have such high viewership?”

Director Keisuke Yamada, standing nearby, nodded in agreement: "I just watched the replay, and I have to say, Hiroshi Nohara's filming techniques are amazing. He made the documentary feel like a TV drama, with build-up, climax, and emotional resonance. Look at the scene of Masahiro Nomizu hauling in his nets; it shows the fishermen's hard work while also highlighting his reverence for the sea. We should learn from this kind of delicate emotional expression."

"Yes."

Another director, Takashi Sato, added, "In the past, when we made food programs, we only thought about filming the production process, but we neglected the people behind it. Hiroshi Nohara is different. He puts people first, and food is just a medium. This 'people-oriented' filming philosophy is the key to the success of 'A Bite of China'."

Matsumoto Kiyoshi put down the report, his eyes full of determination: "We'll hold a department meeting tomorrow and let everyone see the finished product of 'A Bite of China.' We need to learn from Hiroshi Nohara's filming techniques and revise the 'Osaka Food Stories' project proposal. We'll focus on filming the artisans behind okonomiyaki and takoyaki, and capture their stories and emotions."

……

The atmosphere in the conference room of Nagoya Chubu Nippon Broadcasting was exceptionally lively.

Holding the viewership report, the station director said to the directors, "Hiroshi Nohara has taught us a lesson! We used to think that no one watched documentaries, but 'A Bite of China' proved with a 24% viewership that as long as the content is good, the audience will buy it. What we need to do next is to study the narrative structure of 'A Bite of China' and make a food documentary that belongs to Nagoya."

"I think we can start with Nagoya's eel rice."

A young director excitedly said, "I know an eel restaurant that has been open for fifty years. The owner started learning to grill eel from his father when he was fifteen. Now his son doesn't want to take over, and the father and son often quarrel. This story is very compelling, just like the story of Kosuke Sato and his son in 'A Bite of China'."

The station director nodded: "Okay! Let's start filming from this eel rice restaurant. You go and talk to the owner tomorrow. Make sure to film their real story. Don't stage it, don't try to be sentimental. Like 'A Bite of China,' use details to move the audience."

……

In the conference room of Hokkaido Broadcasting in Sapporo, the directors were also having a heated discussion.

"The background music in 'A Bite of China' is absolutely amazing!"

One director said, "The sound of the waves and the piano music are perfectly combined, neither overshadowing the other, but enhancing the atmosphere. When we film a seafood documentary in Hokkaido, we can also use local traditional instruments, such as the shamisen, to accompany the sound of the waves and highlight the characteristics of Hokkaido."

"And the language of the camera!"

Another director added, "Hiroshi Nohara used side lighting to film Masayoshi Nomizu's hands, highlighting the texture of the calluses, which made them particularly story-like. When we film fishermen catching salmon, we can also use this technique to highlight the scars on their hands and show their hard work."

The success of "A Bite of China" has shocked all television stations in Japan. People no longer underestimate documentaries, but have begun to seriously study Hiroshi Nohara's filming techniques—from narrative structure to camera language, from music selection to character development, every detail has been repeatedly studied.

Many TV stations have even set up special research groups to cut the finished product of "A Bite of China" into segments and analyze them frame by frame, hoping to learn from the experience and create their own excellent works.

All of this was within Hiroshi Nohara's expectations.

He knew that the success of "A Bite of China" could not only drive the development of documentaries, but also encourage more creators to focus on the stories of ordinary people, making the film and television industry in Japan more humane.

……

The next morning, Hiroshi Nohara was stopped at the door by Tadashi Hattori as soon as he arrived at Kantodai.

The head of Tokyo’s public relations department came here specifically for this purpose.

Holding a thick document in his hand, he smiled broadly and said, "Hiroshi-kun, congratulations! The success of 'A Bite of China' has exceeded everyone's expectations. Governor Koike specifically asked me to come and discuss with you the idea of ​​promoting 'A Bite of China' as a cultural calling card for Tokyo, both nationwide and even overseas."

Hiroshi took the document and quickly flipped through a few pages. It detailed the promotion plan, which included showing "A Bite of China" in primary and secondary schools across the country as material for local cultural education; showing trailers of "A Bite of China" at Tokyo's international airport to attract foreign tourists; and translating "A Bite of China" into multiple languages ​​to participate in international documentary festivals.

"no problem."

Hiroshi nodded, his tone full of agreement, "It's a good thing to let more people understand Japan's food culture and the stories of ordinary people. However, I hope that the promotion process will not be overly commercialized and will not compromise the authenticity of the film."

"Don't worry!" Hattori Tadashi said with a smile. "Governor Koike specifically instructed that everything should be based on the quality of the film. In addition, the governors of Chiba, Gunma, and Saitama prefectures have all contacted me, wanting to collaborate with you on filming local specialty foods. What do you think?"

Hiroshi thought for a moment and said, "Okay. However, I want to finish filming the wagashi shops in Kyoto first. Kyoto has many traditional wagashi crafts, such as the making of 'nama yahashi,' which requires exquisite handcraft skills, and the owners all have their own stories that are worth recording."

Hattori Tadashi nodded: "Okay! I'll communicate with the governors of the three prefectures and we can collaborate again after you finish filming the Kyoto part. By the way, Mr. Shimazu Yoshihiro contacted me yesterday. He said he wants to take advantage of the popularity of 'A Bite of China' to hold a 'Food Culture Festival' in Chiba and invite Nomizu Masayoshi and Sato Kosuke to participate. Would you be willing to serve as an advisor for the festival?"

"Of course I'm willing," Guangzhi said with a smile. "I'd be happy to help if it can get more people to pay attention to traditional crafts and support the careers of ordinary people."

After seeing Hattori Tadashi off, Hiroshi entered the conference room and found that everyone had arrived early, with the filming schedule for the follow-up episodes of "A Bite of China" laid out on the table.

Matsui Yuichi said excitedly, "Hiroshi-kun, Nomizu-san just called and said he wants to collaborate with us to open a 'Taste of China' themed fish shop, selling fresh tuna and limited-edition soy sauce. What do you think?"

"can."

Guangzhi nodded, "However, we must be careful not to over-exploit the 'A Bite of China' IP. We must ensure the freshness and quality of the ingredients and not betray the audience's trust."

Sakurako Honda continued, "An editor from Shueisha just contacted me, wanting you to write a manga of the same name as 'A Bite of China,' focusing on the stories of Nomizu-san and Sato-san. Do you have time?"

Hiroshi thought for a moment and said, "I can find the time to write it, but I need the help of the manga club. Misae and the others have helped me with the coloring of 'Doraemon' before, so they have a lot of experience. Let them get involved."

"That's great!" Sakurako Honda said with a smile. "Misa-chan was complaining to me yesterday that she wanted to participate in the production of 'A Bite of China,' so she'll definitely be very happy now."

The meeting lasted all morning, during which everyone discussed and finalized the filming plan for the remainder of "A Bite of China": first filming wagashi shops in Kyoto, then filming specialty foods from Chiba, Gunma, and Saitama prefectures; at the same time, launching a comic book and related products based on "A Bite of China," such as "A Bite of China Limited Edition" soy sauce and canned tuna; and also planning to hold an offline exhibition of "A Bite of China" in Tokyo, showcasing props and photos from the filming process, allowing the audience to gain a deeper understanding of the production process of the film.

During his lunch break, Hiroshi received a call from Misae.

The girl's excited voice came through the receiver: "Hiroshi-kun! Everyone in our manga club is ready, we're going to Chiba for sashimi tomorrow! Matsui-san said he'll drive to pick us up, right?"

"Yes."

Hiroshi smiled and said, "I'll be waiting for you guys at the manga club entrance at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. By the way, the editors at Shueisha really liked the illustration you drew of Kumamon and soba noodles before, and they want to use it as the cover for the 'A Bite of China' manga. Would you be willing?"

"Yes! I'd love to!" Misae's voice was full of excitement. "I'll go revise the illustrations right now and make sure the editor is satisfied!"

After hanging up the phone, Hiroshi looked at the sunlight outside the window, his heart filled with warmth.

He knew that the success of "A Bite of China" was not the end, but the beginning—he wanted to continue making films, bringing more stories of ordinary people to the audience, and letting more people feel the beauty and warmth in life.

And this is the meaning of his journey to this world—to use his talent to create heartwarming content and illuminate the ordinary moments of life.

At 8:30 a.m. on October 16, a beige bus was parked in front of the "Future Comics Club".

Yuichi Matsui, wearing a gray jacket, was leaning against the car door checking the camera. When he saw Hiroshi Nohara coming over, he immediately smiled and waved: "Hiroshi-kun, the equipment is all set up. We can set off as soon as Misae-chan and the others come out."

Hiroshi nodded, and just as he stood still, he heard a commotion behind him—Misae, wearing a pale yellow dress, led seven or eight young manga artists briskly toward him, each carrying a small backpack and looking excited.

Rina Sato was still taking pictures of the bus with her camera, muttering, "I have to take lots of pictures so I can draw them in the fan comics for 'A Bite of China'!"

"Hiroshi-kun!" Misae ran to Hiroshi's side, holding up a drawing. "Look at the Kumamon cover I revised! The editor said it's cuter this way. What do you think?"

In the artwork, Kumamon is holding a tuna sushi, with the words "Limited Edition for the Taste of China" written in pink next to it. The lines are much rounder than the last one.

Hiroshi took the drawing and pointed to Kumamon's ears: "Add two wavy lines here, like they're being blown by the wind, it will make it more dynamic."

Misae immediately took out a pencil to make corrections, and other manga artists gathered around. Keisuke Yamada looked at the drawing and exclaimed, "Hiroshi-kun can even notice such small details. No wonder Doraemon is so popular."

One by one, the passengers boarded the bus, which slowly drove away from the city.

As soon as they got on the highway, Rina Sato couldn't help but stand up and shout to the people in the car, "Everyone, don't sit down! Let's ask Hiroshi-kun about the fun things that happened while filming 'A Bite of China'! I've always been curious about how many takes it took to get the shot of Nomizu-san pulling in the net?"

The carriage instantly became lively, with everyone joining in the discussion.

Misae sat next to Hiroshi, swinging her legs, and asked, "Hiroshi-kun, what made you decide to film the story of fishermen? I thought you would film the trendy restaurants in Tokyo first."

Hiroshi leaned back in his chair, speaking calmly: "Last year, when I went to Chiba to gather material, I saw Nomizu Sang going out to sea at three in the morning. When she was hauling in the net, her calluses on her hands were bleeding, but she still persevered. At that time, I felt that compared to glamorous restaurants, the perseverance of these ordinary people deserves to be recorded."

"Wow!" Rina Sato pulled out her notebook and quickly took notes. "Were you very nervous when filming the tuna auction? I saw the auctioneer bidding so fast in the video, how did you manage to capture such a clear shot?"

“We communicated with the auction market three days in advance, and Saito-san even specially adjusted a telephoto lens,” Hiroshi recalled. “On the day of the auction, we went to reserve a spot at five o’clock in the morning and took eight shots before we captured the most natural bidding scene—the speed of speech that the auctioneers had practiced for years was even harder to capture than the lines in a TV drama.”

Keisuke Yamada rested his chin on his hand, his eyes full of admiration: "Hiroshi-kun is amazing! When you were filming the samurai duel in 'Seven Samurai,' I heard that you specially invited a 10th-dan kendo master to guide you in order to recreate the realistic kendo movements? When I was making short manga, I couldn't even draw the details of the samurai's armor properly. I'm far inferior to you."

Hiroshi smiled and said, “Every field requires dedication. When you draw armor, you can go to a museum to see the real thing and pay attention to the arrangement of the armor plates and the way they are tied. The more realistic the details, the more the reader can immerse themselves in the story.”

The discussion in the carriage grew increasingly lively. Some asked about the scriptwriting of "Tales of the Unusual," while others were curious about the inspiration for "Super Transformation." Hiroshi patiently answered all their questions.

Looking at Hiroshi's composed demeanor, Rina Sato secretly said to Misae, "President Misae, Hiroshi-kun is so calm no matter what he says. No wonder everyone says he's like a politician—I could never learn that kind of composure in the face of a collapsing mountain."

Misae proudly raised her chin: "Of course! Hiroshi-kun is the kind of person who can make documentaries with 24% viewership!" As she spoke, she took out snacks from her backpack and shared them with everyone. The carriage was filled with the aroma of snacks and cheerful laughter, and even the farmland passing by outside the window seemed particularly lovely.

At 11:00 a.m., the bus arrived at Chiba Seafood Market.

As soon as they got off the bus, everyone was stunned by the scene before them—the fish stall of Ye Shui Zheng Tai was packed with people, with the queue stretching from the door all the way to the market entrance, and reporters were conducting interviews with cameras, their flashes going off incessantly.

"My God, so many people!" Rina Sato exclaimed in surprise. "It's even more crowded than the Tokyo anime convention!"

Nomizu Masayasu, dressed in dark blue fishing pants, was busy packing tuna for customers. Seeing Hiroshi and the others approaching, he immediately waved with a smile: "Hiroshi-kun! Misae-chan! You've finally arrived! Come in and sit down, I specially reserved the best tuna belly!"

The group followed Masayoshi Nomizu into the fish shop, which was even more lively inside than outside—several tables were full of customers, some taking photos of the sashimi with their phones, and others saying while eating, "This must be the tuna from 'A Bite of China'! It's definitely fresher than other shops!"

Nomizu Masayasu led everyone to a small table in the inner room and sighed helplessly: "Hiroshi-kun, this is the trouble of being famous. We used to sell only 30 catties of tuna a day, but now we have to sell 200 catties a day. The fishermen are almost overwhelmed. Yesterday, a travel agency came to me and wanted to turn the fish shop into a tourist attraction. I don't know how to refuse."

Misae smiled and said, "Nomizu-san, this is a good thing! It's wonderful that more people can taste your tuna!"

Nomizu Masayasu scratched his head: "That's true, but I still want to cook fish quietly. Yesterday, a customer insisted that I demonstrate how to slice sashimi, and even said he wanted to film it and send it to TV. I didn't have the heart to refuse—how could my skills be used to perform on stage?"

Hiroshi looked at Nomizu Masahiro's helpless expression and said gently, "If you feel tired, just tell the travel agency. You don't have to force yourself. Your original intention in cooking fish was to let everyone taste a fresh flavor, not to cater to other people's demands."

Nomizu Masayasu's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly: "Hiroshi-kun is right! I'll explain everything to them after I'm done with this. By the way, you guys should try the tuna belly I cut; it's freshly caught from the sea today, so fresh!"

As he spoke, he brought over a plate of sashimi. The tuna's texture glowed pink under the light, and wasabi and soy sauce were placed next to it.

Misae picked up a piece with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, and her eyes widened instantly: "Wow! It's even better than the sushi at the Tokyo sushi restaurant! It melts in your mouth and isn't greasy at all!"

Other manga artists also tried it, and Rina Sato took pictures while eating: "It's so delicious! I'm going to draw this scene and title it 'The Gift of the Sea'!"

Just as things were getting lively, a quarrel suddenly broke out at the entrance of the fish shop.

Nomizu Masayasu frowned: "What's going on? I'll go check it out."

The group followed them outside and saw three delinquents with dyed yellow hair standing at the door. The leader pointed at a customer and yelled, "You ate our boss's tuna, and now he's vomiting and has diarrhea. You have to pay us back!"

The customer, a middle-aged man, was still holding a half-eaten sashimi in his hand, his face flushed red: "I don't know your boss at all! I just bought this tuna, how could there be a problem?"

"You still dare to argue!" The blond-haired youth stepped forward, reaching out to shove the middle-aged man. "Our boss said that if you don't pay 50,000 yen today, you can forget about keeping this lousy shop open!"

Customers gathered around the fish stall, and someone whispered, "They're definitely trying to scam us. I saw them wandering around the market for ages, just waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble."

Some people even took out pagers, ready to call the police.

Misae clenched her fists in anger, walked up to the blond-haired boy, glared at him, and said, "You guys have gone too far! The tuna at Nomizu-san's place were all caught from the sea that day, how could there be a problem? It must be that your boss ate something else and felt unwell, so he's deliberately coming here to cause trouble!"

The blond-haired boy sized up Misae, then sneered, "What do you know, you little brat? If you dare say another word, I'll take care of you too!"

Keisuke Yamada immediately stepped in front of Misae, his tone stern: "Someone has already called the police. You'd better leave now, or you'll be in big trouble when the police arrive!"

The blond-haired boy's expression changed, but he remained defiant: "Call the police? I'm not afraid of you! You have to pay this money today, or I'll smash up your shop!"

As he was about to reach out and overturn the fish stall next to him, Masayoshi Nomizu quickly stepped forward to stop him, and the two were locked in a stalemate.

Hiroshi stood to the side, his brows furrowed. Just as he was about to take out his phone to contact the Chiba Prefectural Government, he heard a police siren in the distance.

Everyone turned to look and saw several police cars drive up and stop in front of the fish shop. A dozen or so policemen walked over quickly. The leader was a middle-aged man in a suit, who was none other than Kawabe Hidematsu, the vice mayor of Chiba City.

"stop!"

He Bianxiu shouted loudly, and the police immediately stepped forward and subdued the three delinquent teenagers.

He walked up to Nomizu Masayoshi, bowed and apologized: "Nomizu-san, I'm sorry you had to suffer. We didn't do a good job of maintaining order."

Then he turned to Hiroshi, smiling and extending his hand: "Hiroshi-kun, it's been a long time. I didn't have a chance to have a proper chat with you about 'A Bite of China' at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government last time."

Hiroshi grasped his hand, his tone calm: "Kawabe-san, thank you for coming all this way. What's the deal with these people?"

Kawabe Hidematsu sighed, his eyes filled with anger: "Yesterday I received news that some shady gangs were trying to take advantage of the popularity of 'A Bite of China' to extort money from fish shops, so I specifically brought the police here to patrol. I didn't expect them to still find an opportunity—Chiba City finally gained fame because of 'A Bite of China,' and I will absolutely not let anyone who dares to hinder the development of this place get away with it!"

"well said!"

The customers in front of the fish stall applauded. The middle-aged man walked up to Xiusong by the river and said gratefully, "Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor Sang, for arriving in time. Otherwise, I would have been in real trouble today. Sang's tuna is so fresh, how dare these people try to extort money from me? It's outrageous!"

He Bianxiu patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, we will investigate thoroughly and will definitely not let the bad guys get away with it. In the future, if you encounter any trouble when you come here to eat tuna, just contact the police and we will come to handle it as soon as possible."

As the police escorted the delinquent away, the blond-haired boy was still struggling: "Why are you arresting me? I just came to ask for compensation!"

Kawabe Hidematsu said coldly, "Whether or not there's compensation, we'll talk about it at the police station. You think we don't know that your boss got diarrhea because he ate an expired bento box, and it has nothing to do with Nomizu-san's tuna!"

Everyone around laughed. Nomizu Masahiro breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to Kawabe Hidematsu: "Thank you, Kawabe-san. I really don't know what I would have done today without you."

"You're welcome." Kawabe Hidematsu waved his hand and looked at Hiroshi. "Hiroshi-kun, after 'A Bite of China' aired, Chiba Prefecture saw a 30% increase in tourists, and the seafood market's revenue also rose significantly. Governor Koike even called to praise me, saying that without you making this documentary, Chiba Prefecture wouldn't have achieved such great development."

Hiroshi smiled and said, "This is the result of everyone's hard work. Nomizu-san insisted on using fresh tuna, Kawabe-san did a good job in maintaining public order, and tourists were willing to come here to spend money. These are the reasons why Chiba Prefecture has been able to develop."

Misae grabbed Hiroshi's arm and said excitedly, "Hiroshi-kun, shall we go to the beach later? I want to see where Nomizu-san goes out to sea; maybe we can find new inspiration for our manga!"

“Okay.” Hiroshi nodded, then turned to Nomizu Masayasu and said, “Nomizu-san, when you’re done with your work, we’d like to go to the docks with you, is that alright?”

Nomizu Masayoshi immediately agreed: "Of course, no problem! I'll have the fishermen prepare, and I'll take you to see my fishing boat and teach you some fishing techniques."

The group followed Nomizu Masahiro towards the pier, where sunlight shone on the sea, giving it a golden glow.

Rina Sato kept taking pictures with her camera, muttering, "The scenery here is so beautiful, even more beautiful than the scenes in manga! When I get back, I'm definitely going to draw these in the 'A Bite of China' manga so that more people can know about the beauty of Chiba."

Misae walked beside Hiroshi, waving the sketch in her hand: "Hiroshi-kun, I'm going to draw the seaside scenery later. Maybe we can use it when we're filming the sequel to 'A Bite of China'!"

Looking at Misae's serious expression, Hiroshi smiled gently and said, "Okay, let's film it together and bring more stories of ordinary people to the audience."

A gentle sea breeze carries the salty scent of the ocean. Fishing boats glide slowly by in the distance, their laughter mingling with the chatter of others, creating a heartwarming scene.

Guangzhi knew that this was the life he wanted—to record the beauty of ordinary people with his camera, to convey the warmth of life through his stories, and the companionship of the people around him was the most precious part of this beauty.

……

At 10:00 a.m. on October 16, in the top-floor office of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the wooden desk, making the viewership report for "A Bite of Japan" on the desk stand out.

Governor Ryuichi Koike sat in his leather chair, his fingers lightly tapping the words "24.1% viewership across Japan" on the report, a smile unconsciously curving his lips.

The office door was gently pushed open, and Minister Hattori walked in carrying a stack of documents. Seeing Governor Koike's appearance, he couldn't help but smile and say, "Governor-san, it seems you've already seen the ratings data? I just came back from Kanto TV and met with Hiroshi Nohara in person. I also discovered that even the young people in our prefectural government are discussing 'A Bite of China,' and even the auntie in the break room is saying she wants to go to Chiba this weekend to eat tuna."

Ryuichi Koike looked up and handed the report to Tadashi Hattori, his tone full of satisfaction: "Hattori-kun, look at these numbers! The highest viewership for a documentary in nearly ten years! Hiroshi Nohara, that young man, really didn't disappoint us. I was worried before that no one would watch the documentary, but now it seems I was overthinking it."

Hattori Tadashi took the report, quickly flipped through a few pages, his eyes full of admiration: "Not only are the ratings high, but the word-of-mouth is also excellent. The Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun both gave it perfect scores in their reviews, and Saeki Akira even said it's 'the best humanistic documentary in Japan in the last decade.' The Chiba Prefectural Government just sent a message saying that more than 5,000 tourists visited Nomizu Masayoshi's fish shop yesterday, more than three times the usual number."

"That's the power of good content."

Ryuichi Koike leaned back in his chair, his fingers interlaced on his stomach. “Young people these days always like to chase after idol variety shows, but they forget that the stories of ordinary people around them are the most touching. Hiroshi Nohara filmed the lives of fishermen and craftsmen, letting everyone see the hard work and perseverance behind the food. This is more effective than any propaganda slogan.”

He paused for a moment, then continued, “I had the publicity department do a ‘local culture promotion plan’ before, but it didn’t work out for six months. I didn’t expect that Hiroshi Nohara’s documentary would do it—now all of Japan is talking about Chiba’s seafood and Gunma’s soba noodles. This is the best way to export culture.”

Hattori Tadashi nodded in agreement: "You're right. I talked to Hiroshi Nohara yesterday, and he said he wants to film wagashi shops in Kyoto and old bakeries in Saitama next. The traditional crafts in those places are almost lost. If more people can know about them through 'A Bite of China,' it might attract young people to learn and pass them on."

"That's a great idea!" Koike Ryuichi's eyes lit up, and he sat up straight. "We must fully support him. I'll talk to the Kyoto Prefectural Government and ask them to cooperate with the filming; if the old bakery in Saitama Prefecture has any difficulties, we can apply for the 'Traditional Culture Preservation Fund' to help them improve their equipment. We can't let such a good project stop because of funding or venue issues."

He picked up the phone on the table and quickly dialed his secretary: "Have the planning department come over immediately. I need to discuss the follow-up promotion plan for 'A Bite of China' with them. Also, contact the governors of Chiba, Gunma, and Saitama prefectures and hold a video conference next week to discuss how to leverage the popularity of 'A Bite of China' to develop the tourism industry."

After hanging up the phone, Ryuichi Koike looked at Tadashi Hattori and said in a serious tone, "Hattori-kun, we can't just focus on the current hype. The success of 'A Bite of China' was not accidental. It showed us that what the public needs is content with warmth and depth. In the future, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government should support more projects like this, such as funding independent documentary directors and holding 'Local Culture Film Festivals' to give more people the opportunity to tell the stories of ordinary people."

Hattori Tadashi quickly wrote it down and nodded, saying, "I understand what you mean. The publicity department wanted to do a 'Exploring Old Streets of Tokyo' project before, but it wasn't launched because we were worried that no one would watch it. Now that we have the successful example of 'A Bite of China,' we can restart this project, find Hiroshi Nohara to be our consultant, and learn from his filming techniques. Maybe we can make another good work."

"That's a good idea."

Ryuichi Koike looked approvingly at Tadashi Hattori, “Hiroshi Nohara is not only talented, but also very responsible. Last time, ‘Super Transformation’ promoted neighborhood exchanges, ‘Midnight Diner’ reminded everyone of the taste of home, and this time, ‘A Bite of China’ has promoted the development of local culture and tourism. We should nurture such talent, and we can cooperate with him on suitable projects in the future.”

Just then, the secretary led the head of the planning department in.

Ryuichi Koike picked up the viewership report and said to everyone, "I've gathered you all here today to discuss the follow-up promotion plan for 'A Bite of China.' First, we want to broadcast 'A Bite of China' in primary and secondary schools across the country, using it as material for local cultural education so that children can understand the hard work of fishermen and artisans and cherish food. Second, we will collaborate with the tourism bureau to launch a 'A Bite of China Tour' route, from Chiba's seafood market to Gunma's soba noodle street, and then to Kyoto's wagashi shops, to attract more tourists. Finally, we will translate 'A Bite of China' into English, Chinese, and Korean and submit it to international documentary festivals so that people from more countries can understand Japan's food culture and humanistic spirit."

The head of the planning department nodded quickly: "Governor, we'll work on a plan right away. However, international exhibitions may require a fee, and there are also copyright issues regarding broadcasting in primary and secondary schools. We need to discuss these with TV Tokyo and Hiroshi Nohara."

"Cost is not an issue."

Ryuichi Koike decisively stated, "When allocating funds from the cultural promotion fund, we must ensure that things are done well. As for the copyright issue, let Hattori-kun communicate with Hiroshi Nohara. I believe he will agree—his initial intention in creating content was not to make money, but to convey warmth and positive energy."

Hattori Tadashi immediately responded, "I'll go to TV Tokyo this afternoon to find Hiroshi Nohara and discuss the copyright and participation in the exhibition with him."

The discussion in the office grew increasingly heated, and everyone's face was full of enthusiasm.

Ryuichi Koike stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down at the bustling street below, his heart filled with emotion. He recalled a few years ago when Tokyo's local culture was gradually being impacted by foreign cultures, and young people were becoming increasingly unfamiliar with traditional crafts, a problem that had troubled him for a long time.

But now, thanks to a documentary, all of this is slowly changing.

“Hattori-kun,” Koike Ryuichi said, turning to Hattori Tadashi, “once this is all done, let’s go meet with Hiroshi Nohara and thank him properly. He not only made a great documentary, but also pointed the way for the cultural heritage and development of Japan. Young people like him are the future of Japan.”

Hattori Tadashi nodded, his eyes full of agreement: "You're right. Although Hiroshi Nohara is young, he understands the meaning of content better than many veteran directors. He uses his camera to record the stories of ordinary people and uses stories to convey the warmth of life. This is true cultural transmission. In the future, we should support more creators like him so that Japanese culture can become more and more vibrant."

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the two of them and also on the viewership report on the table.

The figure of 24.1% seems to shine, representing not only the success of a documentary, but also a warm power—a power that is slowly changing the neon lights, allowing more people to see the beauty and preciousness in ordinary life.

(End of this chapter)