I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 47 Recruitment
When Masao Iwata returned to his home and basked in the light of his favorite desk lamp again, the determination that had just been forced into him deflated silently like a popped balloon.

He didn't know how to do this.

do not know either.

What identity should I use to do this?

A defeated general who had just used all despicable means in the battlefield of ratings, but was still completely defeated mentally by the opponent in an almost humiliating way?
He seemed to be able to see the young man named Nohara Hiroshi's sarcastic look when he heard the purpose of his visit.

Especially when you have mocked the other person.

This is difficult to do.

……

The atmosphere at Tokyo TV became somewhat subtle over the next few days.

The farce about the ownership of the "No. 1" position was like a stone thrown into a deep pool. Although it quickly returned to calm on the surface, the ripples that spread out quietly changed the direction of the water flow beneath the surface.

Iwata Studio remained high-profile, launching an overwhelming publicity campaign that covered every corner of Tokyo like free snowflakes, with the name of "Onibo Samurai" plastered all over the place.

Their ratings, driven by the huge influx of capital, have indeed remained at a fairly decent level.

However, anyone with a discerning eye could see that it was just the last gasp of a dying force.

on the contrary.

It was the unusual quietness of Suzuki's classroom.

They did not refute, argue, or even respond to the insinuations from the outside world.

They are like a group of giant whales diving in the deep sea, completely ignoring the noise of the boring seagulls on the surface.

They were just quietly doing their own thing.

Because they know that when the second season of "An Zhi Ju" comes to the late night time slot of 11 o'clock and the planning proposal is still on the desk of the production bureau's review department, who is the real winner is already self-evident.

On Wednesday afternoon, Masao Iwata finally arrived.

He did not choose to meet in the crowded office, but instead made an appointment with Nohara Hiroshi to meet in the cafe downstairs through Hashiji Ichiro.

He changed into the most low-key grey suit, and the arrogance on his face was completely restrained, replaced by a kind of gentleness and calmness that was deliberately created, belonging to a senior.

He even arrived a quarter of an hour early and personally ordered a cup of expensive Blue Mountain coffee for Hiroshi Nohara.

When Nohara Hiroshi walked in slowly and sat down opposite him, he even stood up and bowed slightly, showing full courtesy.

"Nohara-kun, nice to see you again."

Iwata Masao wore what he thought was his most sincere smile. "I apologize for the intrusive invitation."

"Section Chief Iwata, it is indeed a bit presumptuous. After all, our relationship was not a pleasant one before." Hiroshi Nohara just looked at him calmly without saying a word. His eyes were like he was watching a drama whose ending was already known, without the slightest ripple.

Because he guessed what Masao Iwata meant.

"I'll get straight to the point." Seeing this, Iwata Masao dropped his unnecessary politeness. He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke in a tone that he thought was sincere: "Nohara-kun, you are a smart person and a true genius. I've seen your 'Anshiji Residence', and it's very wonderful. To be honest, I even think it's much more creative than my 'Kibo Samurai'."

He first gave praise generously, which was the first step to winning the heart.

"But you should also know that talent alone is not enough in this place."

He changed the subject, adding a touch of experience and compassion: "Section Chief Suzuki is a good man and a visionary producer. Unfortunately, he followed the wrong person. Although Deputy Director Asumi has good intentions, he is ultimately powerless at Tokyo TV. Section Chief Suzuki's future is doomed."

He paused, carefully observing Nohara Hiroshi's expression, and seeing that he was still calm, he frowned slightly.

This was different from what he thought.

But at this time he still extended his olive branch.

"I'm here today on behalf of Deputy Director Takada to formally invite you. Deputy Director Takada greatly admires your talent and believes that a genius like you shouldn't be buried on the icy seabed with a doomed ship."

"If you're willing to come, the position of deputy head of the Iwata Department is yours. All resources and all publicity will be directed towards you. We can work together to create that S-level live-action horror project, a truly historic and great work." "Furthermore, you will be promoted to a Level 4 director as soon as possible, and to a Level 3 director within five years, with your own independent production team."

"Nohara-kun, you are a smart man. You should know how to choose."

After he finished speaking, he picked up his coffee cup and took a sip with an elegant posture, as if he had already won.

Because this is really a very generous condition.

He himself felt that he was being too generous.

After all, Iwata Masao only has this condition. And how old is Nohara Hiroshi?

He's just a recent college graduate!

So Iwata Masao drank his coffee while waiting for the young man in front of him to show the shock, hesitation, and ultimately the desire for power and the future that he expected.

However, he waited for nothing.

Nohara Hiroshi just listened to him quietly, then he picked up the cup of steaming Blue Mountain coffee in front of him, but did not drink it. He just put it to his nose and sniffed it gently.

"Section Chief Iwata," he said slowly, his voice as calm as if he were discussing the weather. "Do you know what the difference is between this cup of coffee and the instant coffee brewed from the vending machine in our classroom?"

Masao Iwata was stunned, not knowing why he asked this question.

"This cup smells delicious and will surely be quite rich. It comes from a noble family, carefully roasted and ground, just like your 'Ghost Shop Warrior'. It looks truly noble."

Hiroshi Nohara put down his coffee cup, and for the first time, his clear eyes truly and seriously looked at Masao Iwata.

“But it has no temperature.”

"It's just a soulless liquid brewed with hot water. Drinking it might refresh you, but it won't warm your heart."

The corner of his mouth curled up into a faint arc filled with endless sarcasm.

"And that one-dollar cup of instant coffee in our classroom, though cheap and bitter, was brewed by Kitagawa-chan for each of us every morning. It holds the flavors of the nights we endured together, the lunch boxes we shared, and the struggles we put in together for a common goal."

He leaned back in his chair, his posture relaxed.

His eyes were like a sharp scalpel, peeling off layer by layer of Masao Iwata's hypocritical disguise.

"Section Chief Iwata, the ship you're talking about is huge and magnificent, and its decks are presumably covered in gold. I'm a bit seasick, though, and I'm especially afraid of ships that smell only of copper and not of wood."

"I'm still more accustomed to my own small sampan. Even though it's a little damaged, I can control the wind and decide where to go to the sea."

He stood up and gently pushed the untouched cup of Blue Mountain coffee back in front of Masao Iwata.

"You should keep this cup of coffee for yourself."

"After all, you might...need it to refresh yourself on the road ahead."

After saying this, he turned and left without any reluctance.

"You!!!" Only Masao Iwata was left sitting there, with an extremely distorted expression on his face.

Of course, it doesn’t matter to Hiroshi Nohara what Masao Iwata is like.

He is not a child.

After being baptized by the entertainment industry news in later generations, would Nohara Hiroshi really be so foolish as to believe that such generous conditions would come to him without any other conditions?

I am already deeply tied to Seito Suzuki.

Of course, with my own abilities and the works in my mind, it doesn’t matter if I jump ship, I can still live well.

But so what?
"I'm afraid they'll be eaten up completely," Nohara Hiroshi said as he returned to TV Tokyo's production headquarters, his face sneerful. "Do you really think I'm a recent college graduate?"

(End of this chapter)