Japanese Entertainment: A Comeback Beginning from Bankrupt President

With that kind of attitude, someone with absolutely no hand would definitely become a millionaire in Las Vegas.

But this is Tokyo, there's no need to hide things so deeply; everything can be discussed openly.

"You must know what I'm talking about, let's be honest, okay?" Watanabe Souta's patience was still intact, so he remained calm. "Just tell me what you need, and we can each get what we need. That's the best option right now. This isn't a threat."

"Honest? Don't you think that's hilarious?" Kazuya Sawashiro laughed out loud.

You can't only demand honesty from others when you're in danger. The attitude you need when asking for help isn't to be superior, but to offer your face and let them slap you a couple of times. That's what's appropriate for the current relationship between the two of you.

The two were never friends; they could even be considered enemies.

If the roles were reversed, Kazuo Sawashiro wouldn't think that Sōta Watanabe's attitude would be better than his own.

"It seems we can't continue our talks."

"Then you should think about your own problems. Watanabe, the executive director of Watanabe Entertainment, if we could coexist peacefully before, then of course we can coexist peacefully with you now. I think it's very clear what I'm saying. Even a three-year-old can understand it."

"Alright, alright..." Watanabe Souta's patience was wearing thin, but he had to remain calm and rational. "So what should I do to keep the conversation going? Or what kind of sincerity do you want to see?"

"I don't know, but we're having a conversation." Kazuya Sawashiro's attitude was clear.

He can gossip, he can work while on the phone, but he can't talk about serious matters, because whether or not he forgives Watanabe Souta depends on Amano Aki's attitude.

If she felt there were no problems, then Kazuya Sawashiro was willing to have a deeper conversation, such as how to deal with Yuko Yoshioka's photos. Kazuya Sawashiro believed that Souta Watanabe already knew what he had.

If Yoshioka Yuko's future could be exchanged for Amano Aki, then Sawashiro Kazuya would definitely agree.

However, Watanabe Sōta might not agree to this plan, since it was something they had spent time and effort cultivating, and they couldn't just give it up so easily.

Now it depends on what Watanabe Souta thinks.

They couldn't reach an agreement over the phone; they needed to see sincerity in person. They should choose a time when Amano Akiya was at the agency for a formal four-way meeting, because Sawashiro Kazuya felt that the third party at the agency would also like to hear these words.

"Listen, you're her boss. If Yoshioka Yuko has any issues, go to her manager, not me, someone she has no connection with. I'll only listen to matters related to Amano, because I'm her manager. Do you understand?"

Kazuya Sawashiro hung up the phone shortly after saying those words, leaving Sōta Watanabe to think.

Think things through before you call, and be as honest as he said.

...

Watanabe Entertainment Office.

The busy tone on the phone silenced Watanabe Sōta, but this was the beginning he had anticipated.

He knew before making the call that Kazuya Sawashiro wouldn't treat him well, so he was prepared before dialing. But there's always a slight difference between expectations and reality, just like how products sometimes have very attractive pre-sale pictures.

After a long silence, he called in his secretary, who was waiting outside, and asked bluntly, "If Yoshioka Yuko's photos are published, how much economic loss would it likely cause?"

Only after weighing the gains and losses can we consider more issues.

"Around 600 million yen," the secretary said, already prepared and reporting the data with ease. "Right now, she has six commercials in hand. Even if we portray ourselves as victims, our innocent image is definitely not going to be preserved, and we won't be able to keep the commercials either. The company will definitely demand compensation."

Ultimately, it's because the man Yoshioka Yuko chose was too ordinary.

If she were just an ordinary celebrity, her agency would have played the romance card, and spending the night together would have been just part of normal dating behavior. But she ended up dating a playboy, a celebrity who already had dating news.

What is this? This is a case of a third party interfering in a relationship. How can someone who does something like this still be considered an innocent female star?

The secretary mentioned the "victim card" because the man is an immoral celebrity, so they can portray Yoshioka Yuko as someone who was deceived, thereby reducing the level of antipathy from fans and viewers towards her.

It's obviously easier to actively approach a scumbag than to be approached by one; it's just a question of who would accept that.

"An ungrateful... guy," Watanabe Sōta quickly corrected himself to avoid cursing himself, then continued to ask his secretary, "A loss of 600 million is a responsibility we can't afford. I just spoke directly with Sawashiro Kazuya, and he knows 100% of what's going on. So do you have any reasonable suggestions on how to make this whole thing disappear behind the scenes?"

If possible, Watanabe Sōta doesn't want these things to be brought to the forefront.

"Do you mean... to bow down and submit to the other party?"

"It's a compromise."

To put it in a more respectable way, Watanabe Souta is currently being stubborn. He is only being forced to compromise and meet Sawashiro Kazuya's potentially excessive demands because Sawashiro Kazuya has caught him in a compromising situation.

This is a successor's assessment of the future.

The secretary nodded and went straight to the point, answering, "It's not about what we can offer, but what they need. The reason they're collecting dirt on Yoshioka Yuko is simply because they need to break our blockade on the ground and the air. Do you think this offer will be enough to protect Yoshioka Yuko?"

"Of course I hope this can be resolved, but this isn't something I can decide alone, you know what I mean."

Suddenly lifting the blockade at this time would be a heavy blow to the company's credibility. How would others view Watanabe Entertainment for doing such a thing? And who would still listen to their orders?

"I know... but judging from the recent situation, our blockade won't last long." The secretary was not optimistic about this outdated censorship.

To be honest, the changes have been quite obvious in the nearly one year since last year.

Before June of last year, there was no news about Amano Aki on the internet, but after she turned to singing and debuted, everything changed. No matter how hard we tried to suppress the voices about her, she could not be silenced. In just a few months, she became a new singer with a certain influence and popularity.

She is currently producing her new movie.

The so-called blockade only applies to areas where Watanabe Entertainment has influence; in the streaming media sector, Watanabe Entertainment's reach is limited.

She will soon break free of her constraints, so will that be enough leverage?

"Yes, I understand," Watanabe Sōta was well aware of this, which was why he was troubled. "So we need conditions that can balance the scales, which are worth 6 million yen, and it can't be explained in a single sentence."

6 million yen, not 60 billion yen.

For a typical company, annual revenue might not even reach that level; it's not something that can be solved so easily.