How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 198 Honesty in Returning Lost Property
The world is a unified whole composed of a constantly moving, changing and developing process, rather than a simple accumulation of static and unchanging isolated things.

Therefore, people must seek patterns in the changes of the world.

The message from Morita Ryu is part of what's meant to promote change, but it shouldn't be a bad thing.

He's like a chocolate wrapped in shit; nobody gets any benefit from touching him.

Wang Yao was still waiting to use it to catch big fish.

After dinner, Wang Yao didn't join their hot spring activities. Instead, he went to the hotel next door where the film crew was staying to meet with Kwan Kam-pang and others to discuss filming issues.

Since they were going to film on location, Kwan Kam-pong suggested that the night view of Edo would be an iconic scene, so they could go there to scout locations beforehand. Wang Yao contacted Li Xiaomu and asked him to help take the crew to several famous spots in Shinjuku for filming. Wang Yao and Kwan Kam-pong also went there to experience Shinjuku's night culture.

Kabukicho, a place name that brings a smile to one's face, is a place where the decadent nightlife behind the towering buildings and bustling prosperity divides this core entertainment area of ​​Edo into two contrasting sides.

Before the Toho Building was even built, the area in front of the former Koma Theater was also filled with all sorts of flamboyant Japanese youths, whose exaggerated styles were even more eye-catching than the increasingly outdated "Shamate" subculture in China.

However, the "Shamate" group itself originated from Japanese subcultures. Its source was visual kei rock, which was born in the Japanese art and literature circles in the 1980s. This new style combines the characteristics of Western hippie culture and glam rock with the dark and crazy features of East Asia.

It has even influenced the aesthetics of subcultures worldwide, with prominent examples being G-Dragon from Korea and the "Shamate" subculture from China.

The temperament of this group is easy to identify, namely 'decadent'. The new generation of visual kei group in East Asia has spread from the art circle to society. This is because after the millennium, Japan experienced the problem of 'internet cafe refugees'. Due to the economic downturn, the number of unemployed people surged. These people could only live in cheap internet cafes and could not afford the high rents in Edo.

Therefore, the internet cafes in Japan have become unique "homestay-style" establishments, equipped not only with tatami mats but also with shared showers, microwave ovens, and other facilities. With a scale of nearly 10,000 people, they have also become homeless communities.

Initially, these people were unemployed middle-aged individuals, but later, due to the overall economic situation, many teenagers also embarked on this path due to family changes caused by the economic recession. In the following years, the number of these teenagers grew larger and larger, eventually forming a group called "Toyoko Youth".

They are roughly the same as the young men and women in China who are considered "spiritual youths." Most of them have been abandoned by their parents or have suffered violence and other forms of abuse, forcing them to flee and become homeless. Although this group is full of vices, they also have a "survival culture" of mutual help and support.

Because of a long period of speechlessness, after discussing their original environment, they were influenced by street visual culture, so their clothing and appearance became very exaggerated. Their purpose was to use eye-catching bags to tell the world that their existence was not worthless.

Wang Yao and his group walked through three streets and encountered at least a hundred solicitations from sex workers, most of whom were visual kei girls who worked as fathers.

Even though some of them are painted like ghosts, you can still tell they have a good foundation.

Kubota Shi of AKS probably saw the potential and low cost of this group, thinking that with a little packaging, they could make several times the profit, which is why they created the idol training system.

It's hard to say for a moment whether it's good or bad.

Compared to the future era of short videos, those young men and women in China who have accumulated wealth and changed their fate by taking advantage of the trend and their eye-catching image are the ones who have truly experienced hell on earth.

"So many teenagers, doesn't Japan care?" Guan Jinpeng has been out of the closet for many years. Although he often comes to Japan, this is his first time visiting the Kabukicho area. He frowned as he saw this situation.

Hong Kong also had many escorts in the past, and even now, brothels are still legal, but the situation doesn't seem to be as exaggerated as in Japan.

"Manage? The means of management is expulsion." Li Xiaomu scoffed.

"Aren't they facing a high birth rate? Why aren't they taking it seriously?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow.

"How can we pay attention to an environment where the birth rate can't keep up with the livestock rate? This seemingly prosperous city is actually rotten to the core. However, they deserve what they got; karma is a cycle." Li Xiaomu sneered.

Wang Yao glanced at him. Although he had already acquired Japanese citizenship, it seemed that his roots were still secure.

These streets are all under Li Xiaomu's management. I heard there are two or three hundred shops here, employing over ten thousand people. This is his real territory, and his entire demeanor has changed.

The crew members, accompanied by his younger brother, dispersed. Li Xiaomu led Wang Yao through various streets and alleys, introducing anecdotes and history.

After touring the entire Kabukicho area, Wang Yao saw in the group of homeless people a microcosm of the future 'slow-moving culture'—the world's mute population is destined to remain a minority.

However, due to different environments, people with the same fate can have different destinies.

"This is a treasure trove of material from which countless stories can be written," Kwan Kam-pang concluded.

"It's precisely because there are too many stories that there's no need to confide or express them," Wang Yao scoffed.

Kwan Kam-pang paused for a moment, then laughed, “That makes sense. Nobody wants to read stories that are too common. People prefer stories that they don’t usually see.”

"If you don't look up at the moon, you can't move an inch in the mud," Li Xiaomu smiled.

"Brother Xiaomu is quite the philosopher," Wang Yao joked.

"It's just a spontaneous thought. After all, who would want to walk at night if they could walk in the sun during the day?" Li Xiaomu shook his head and said.

"If we give these people a job opportunity, I wonder if it would be worthwhile," Wang Yao said, rubbing his chin.

“Mr. Wang, there’s no need to feel sorry for them. It’s possible that there are indeed pitiful people among them, but most of them are pitiful for a reason. Some people are just born bad, and it’s hard to tell them apart.” Li Xiaomu quickly shared a few stories about farmers and snakes.

For example, there's the story of a kind-hearted middle-aged man who, seeing the pitiful girl with landmines, gives her food and drink. Then, the girl turns around and gathers another group of people to rob his house clean and eventually kills him.

Moreover, this was not an isolated incident; in the early days, similar cases occurred almost every week on average.

"No wonder Japanese films and television shows are so outrageous; they're based on reality, huh?" Guan Jinpeng wiped the sweat from his brow after hearing this.

"I'm not being kind; I just think these people have plenty of free time and energy, and they make a great group of digital nomads," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Huh?" Li Xiaomu and Guan Jinpeng were both stunned.

How can such a high-tech term as "digital nomads" be associated with these non-mainstream street activities?

But what many don't realize is that the establishment of the vast penguin empire owes much to the non-mainstream groups.

Wang Yao drew inspiration from the characteristics of the "slow-paced culture" users and felt that this group was indeed very suitable to become the foundation of a certain internet platform.

If Ms.Platform wants to enter the Japanese market, it needs a group of loyal users. The "her power" approach is basically not feasible in Japan because the Japanese version is too advanced and it is difficult to achieve the same instant success as in Korea.

However, street subcultures are indeed a great source of traffic and resources.

They have the time, the energy, and the anger to completely immerse themselves in the internet world. All it takes is to ignite their anger, and they will become the most consistent content producers.

The mobile era is about to begin for smartphones, which will greatly reduce the cost of internet access for everyone. In the past, you had to go to an internet cafe or buy a computer to access the internet. Now, with smartphones, you only need a mobile device to do it.

With the hardware requirements met, the remaining issue is the network.

"Brother Xiaomu should know what an online marketing company is, right?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Of course, it's been quite popular in recent years, but it's usually monopolized by newspapers." Li Xiaomu nodded.

"I have an idea. Brother Xiaomu could set up a company in a relatively remote area that offers mobile phone rental services. No money is no problem; all you need to do is post enough ads on online platforms to earn phone/computer usage time."
Unlike internet cafes, it doesn't require a large space. It only needs to provide equipment and Wi-Fi. According to industry standards, each post can generate about 5 to 8 yuan in revenue to cover costs. Of course, it's impossible to make a profit from this.

The goal is to identify talented individuals with leadership skills or persuasive writing abilities among this group, recruit them to generate greater profits, and compared to the traditional employment system of online marketing companies, Brother Xiaomu is essentially sitting on a gold mine.” Wang Yao wore a warm smile. Li Xiaomu’s brow twitched upon hearing this.

He gave these people a space out of pity. These homeless youths were considered his subordinates. Sometimes when the gang was short-handed or the store was short of staff, he would assign them some work.

Therefore, Li Xiaomu actually has absolute control over this group of people. The reason he is unwilling to use them is because the risk is too high, and they are likely to go bankrupt before they reach the age of employment.

However, Wang Yao's rental model is no different from the ancient "work relief" program. It does not fall under the category of employment, nor does it fall under the anti-addiction rules. Moreover, renting a mobile phone is a huge blatant violation of the rules!
No wonder Wang Yao is so young and accomplished; his mind is truly exceptional.

"It seems like it really works," Li Xiaomu said, suppressing his excitement.

If there's nothing wrong with this industry, then it's like finding an opportunity to connect with Wang Yao.

He knew perfectly well that when Wang Yao said he wanted him to do it, he actually wanted to invest in him.

"Brother Mu, how many people do you think you can guarantee each day?" Wang Yao asked with a smile.

“Given Shinjuku’s size, there must be at least a thousand people every day. However, managing it might incur some additional costs, which I will handle,” Li Xiaomu said in a deep voice.

There are actually very few management costs. Providing some leftovers and water for free, along with the lure of free internet access, is enough to turn these troublemakers into good boys.

But he has to say it's difficult, otherwise how can he highlight his value?
“I had been keeping an eye on it before, and the price of a used Sony Ericsson SO-01B phone should be around 1200 yuan. It just so happens that I found 15 US dollars in the villa that Brother Xiaomu provided. Isn’t that a coincidence?” Wang Yao curled his lips.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaomu's breathing quickened.

In just a few words, Wang Yao helped him collect $15?!
This is far too hasty! Aren't they afraid of running off with the money?
"Mr. Wang, you're so honest!" Li Xiaomu said, his mouth moving slightly.

"With this money, Brother Xiaomu can buy some phones first, then some computers, and keep some as a reserve, because the price of used smartphones may fluctuate after the release of Apple phones in the second half of the year."
I happen to have a few orders that require data processing. All I need to do is publish 5000 messages a day. I can hand them over to Brother Xiaomu, but we can't sign a contract.” Wang Yao shook his head.

“Of course, we never sign contracts in our industry,” Li Xiaomu said seriously.

5000 messages per day, or 10 messages per person, that's a scale of 500 people.

“Once the rental company grows and becomes profitable, we can also get involved in the used smartphone/iPad rental business. I think high school students in Japan have a lot of academic pressure. If they can’t play computer games, playing on their phones or tablets can help them relax. If the volume of used equipment is large enough in the future, we can also create an online used trading platform. Anyway, Brother Mu has the advantage of offline channels,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

Li Xiaomu felt a chill run down his spine. He had only thought that Wang Yao wanted to develop him into a downstream online army, a cheap labor force.

But to everyone's surprise, Wang Yao directly planned a sustainable industry for him!
Renting smart devices is currently a completely untapped and borderline business in Japan. The millions of students in Japan represent a market he has a clear understanding of, as he already has a group of people doing business with students, selling things like game tokens and pinballs.

However, the potential market of online second-hand trading platforms was beyond his imagination. But even with his limited business acumen, he could realize that this was an industry related to e-commerce!
Amazon, Yahoo, Alibaba—names that seemed unattainable flashed through his mind, stirring a tremor in his dark world.

"Don't worry, Mr. Wang." With a thousand words on his lips, Li Xiaomu could only utter these four.

Guan Jinpeng listened quietly from the side, but from his perspective, he saw another purpose behind Wang Yao's actions.

It's still compassion.

"I've noticed that drugstores are very popular in Japan," Wang Yao suddenly changed the subject.

“I’ve noticed that too, and many traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies even have traditional Chinese medicine logos,” Guan Jinpeng said with a smile.

"That's true. Japan is probably the region that has best inherited and promoted traditional Chinese medicine. Moreover, the major Chinese medicine companies in Japan are giants, and 70% of the people in Japan use Chinese medicine."

Especially after the relaxation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law last year, all kinds of drugstores and traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies have sprung up everywhere. Our local stores have also taken on a lot of men's health products. The cost is 30 yuan, but they can sell for 300 yuan, with huge profits and very good sales.

"I have a friend who works for Matsumoto Kiyoshi. He said there are almost 20,000 drugstores this year, and his company alone has about 2000 stores, with a valuation of over 10 billion yuan. It's terrifying," Li Xiaomu quickly said.

"So you just openly call it traditional Chinese medicine?" Guan Jinpeng raised an eyebrow.

"If we don't call it that, it won't sell," Li Xiaomu said with a smile.

“In this respect, Japan and Korea are indeed completely different. Korea wants to call everything Korean medicine, but Japan just swaggers around. One steals openly, and the other robs openly,” Wang Yao said with a light laugh.

"That's because we don't cherish our own good things," Li Xiaomu sighed. "To be honest, 90% of these Japanese herbal medicines originated from trade during the Tang and Ming dynasties. For example, the Eight-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill here is based on the Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill with the addition of two pigments, and the Minor Bupleurum Decoction was renamed the Major Bupleurum Decoction."

Combining modern medical technology with traditional Chinese medicine, which is now more suitable for direct consumption by modern people, I felt a strong sense of pride when I first arrived and saw rows of familiar Chinese characters representing traditional Chinese medicine in pharmacies. However, as I've spent more time here, I've come to find it somewhat absurd that our own medicine has been taken and popularized by others.

Moreover, it seems to have spread globally. Every year, tourists from all over the world who visit Japan bring back not only luxury goods and electronic devices, but also these traditional Chinese medicine supplements. What's even more outrageous is that Japan has modernized these ancient formulas and applied for copyright patents for them all. I've heard that we even have to pay them copyright fees for some of the ingredients.

"How could this be?" Guan Jinpeng was taken aback.

"It's not just Japan; Korea has also made significant improvements to traditional Chinese medicine. They not only copied the entire Chinese medicine system for UNESCO intangible cultural heritage status, but they're now heavily promoting something called 'Korean ginseng,' which is actually just ginseng from the Changbai Mountains."

However, because of its early commercialization, even the ginseng used in most Japanese herbal medicines is sourced from Korea, and they now believe that the best ginseng in the world is Korean ginseng.

However, the actual production of Korean ginseng is not high, and even domestic supply is insufficient. In the end, they can only purchase Changbai ginseng from China at low prices, and then resell it at ten times the price with great reluctance.
Recently, they also developed a health product called "red ginseng," which is touted as a liquid source of life. They claim that drinking a sip can keep you awake and prevent diseases. Through product placement in various movies, TV dramas, and variety shows, I estimate that it will gain a foothold in the international health product market next year.

Moreover, nowadays, almost everyone outside of China thinks ginseng is a specialty of Korea. This illustrates the importance of subtle, gradual product placement. Wang Yao wore a subtle smile.

Initially, Stanley Kwan was not comfortable with the forced soft product placement in films, believing it would damage the integrity of the work.

But after hearing Wang Yao's explanation, he frowned.

"Japan is very good at product placement in films and TV shows. They can add some random Chinese herbal medicine ingredient and sell it for three to five times more," Li Xiaomu said with a smile.

“Not bad.” Wang Yao smiled.

Around 2 a.m., Wang Yao led the crew to scout locations at Shanghai TV Station. At this time, apart from some evening program recordings, the TV station building was almost empty.

Li Xiaomu has quite a bit of influence; he managed to borrow the largest studio at the TV station. "22" requires two sets: one is the studio, and the other is an office. By the time the site survey was completed, it was already past 3 a.m.

As they were leaving, they ran into another production team that had just finished filming. They exchanged polite greetings, and one of the girls, a tall, sweet-smiling short-haired woman, was particularly eye-catching.

"Is that Yui Aragaki?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly.

“That’s right. I heard she’s quite popular in China. I didn’t expect Mr. Wang to know her too,” Li Xiaomu said with a smile.

"Which agency is she with?" Wang Yao asked.

“LP, a well-established mid-sized company with several representative artists, is Mr. Wang interested?” Li Xiaomu raised an eyebrow slightly.

"It would be perfect for me to endorse my clothing brand and have a cameo role in a movie. I'll see if we can arrange it tomorrow," Wang Yao said with a smile.

“No problem,” Li Xiaomu readily agreed.

(End of this chapter)