Tokyo: My obsession with China led me to become the king of Japanese entertainment.

"...How did you know I value things so much about China?"

After a long silence, when Jun Sakurada finally spoke, there was a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Hideaki Takizawa immediately perked up.

After all this time... have you finally cracked open this incredibly hard walnut?

"You might not believe it, but everything about what you did in China was pieced together by Xiaoling bit by bit based on the song you performed," he said with a smile, suppressing his excitement.

"She also discovered that your Chinese proficiency in those videos far exceeded that of the average non-native speaker, reaching almost the same level as that of a true Chinese person."

"Therefore, there is a high probability that you have very grand ambitions for China."

Sakurada Jun was silent for two seconds, then murmured, "I see..."

Just as Hideaki Takizawa was about to declare victory in forty seconds, he slowly raised his head.

Then Hideaki Takizawa stopped laughing.

As his body slowly relaxed, Jun Sakurada completely shed the restraint, indifference, and naivety that belonged to a young boy.

Instead, he exuded an extremely aggressive aura and had eyes that looked like those of an eagle and a wolf.

The demonic part that Sakurada Jun had always hidden so well was no longer present at this moment, and the resulting shock was terrifying.

Not eating cilantro is the lower limit for now; the next step is not eating beef.

Hideaki Takizawa's pupils contracted slightly, probably because he had learned a lot about the game while investigating Jun Sakurada these past few days, and now a sudden thought suddenly occurred to him:

Could it be that I... triggered the second phase of the boss?

"Clap! Clap! Clap!" Jun Sakurada clapped slowly, his tone slightly playful:

"Vice President Takizawa, you're really good at making promises..." He emphasized the word "vice" in his tone.

Before Takizawa could reply, he continued speaking to himself:

"The title of Goodwill Ambassador for Culture and Tourism between the two countries is indeed very tempting, and I would love to have it too."

"But—" He grinned, but the smile no longer carried the warmth of youth; instead, it had a chilling quality.

"I'm sorry, I can't enjoy this piece of bread."

He spread his hands, and while slowly pacing, he analyzed:

"As a title that is only effective for 2020, the appointment of this ambassador will be announced by the end of this year at the latest."

"This means that unless I can achieve something within this year that can rival a nationally renowned veteran group like Arashi, thus silencing their fans,"

"Otherwise, even if you're willing to force this title on me, I'll be ruined by the angry Arashi fans for being unworthy of the position, having connections, and stealing resources!"

Takizawa Hideaki could no longer contain his shock and blurted out, "How did you know about the expiration date of this title, and who we've selected?"

He knew that by asking this question, he was essentially handing back all the initiative that Sakurada Jun had previously gained by breaking through his defenses, but he had no choice but to ask.

Neither the Japanese government nor Johnny & Associates has ever revealed details about the ownership or specifics of this goodwill ambassador title. The fact that Arashi has been temporarily chosen as the group is unknown to anyone except the highest levels of management.

How did Sakurada Jun know that?

"Is it possible that this kind of thing can be guessed without gathering intelligence?" Jun Sakurada scoffed.

"The only reasonable explanation I can think of for an ambassador to be an idol rather than an athlete is the Tokyo Olympics next year, which specifically includes the title of 'sports'."

"Since it's an Olympic-specific product, its validity period is naturally unlikely to exceed the Olympic year."

"As for why it's Lan... you don't have any other cards to play."

He held up one finger and shook it with a hint of mockery:

"To put it bluntly, at least in your perception, apart from the disbanded SMAP and Takuya Kimura, you have absolutely no 'national recognition' in China."

"Except for a very small number of fan groups, the vast majority of people, no matter which group you switch to, will not know who Johnny's is."

"Since that's the case, you might as well let Lan ruin it. After all, Lan is your face."

"Even if Chuangzhong is destined not to gain much profit, at least he can use this official title to create the illusion for fans that 'Chuangzhong is very powerful' to shut up the career-oriented fans."

It's no wonder that Jun Sakurada is arrogant. As a monopolistic company that has dominated the Japanese idol market for decades, they are used to achieving their goals in the simplest and most brutal way. Once they step out of their comfort zone, their methods become ridiculously clumsy.

In Jun Sakurada's memory, this assertion has been proven countless times.

Johnny's Entertainment can't function outside of Japan; that's the reality for them now.

As for the future... they are even gradually losing ground in Japan.

Turning around, Jun Sakurada stopped looking at Hideaki Takizawa and took small steps to leave: "Although I am quite confident in myself, I am not so arrogant as to think that I can grow to the point of being able to rival Arashi within a year."

"So, let's just leave this title to Lan!"

However, since he had already said all that, how could Takizawa Hideaki dare to let him leave?

"Wait a minute, Sakurada-kun, what do you mean by 'ruined in Arashi's hands'?" He quickly stepped forward to stop Sakurada Jun.

Fun fact: As of January 2019, Johnny & Associates' official business in mainland China was limited to one digital album by Takuya Kimura and the copyrights to a very few films and television series.

In total, Johnny's Entertainment's official, publicly accountable income in mainland China is only a few million RMB, which is even less than what Jun Sakurada earns.

While there are definitely some fangirls who travel overseas to watch live performances and buy CDs, Johnny's Entertainment doesn't need to explore that kind of fandom in the first place.

Therefore, in Johnny's' eyes, Jun Sakurada is undoubtedly a leading figure in the industry.

Despite being directly denied by him, even though Risako told Hideaki Takizawa that Jun Sakurada was most likely playing hard to get, he still didn't dare to gamble on that possibility.

Sakurada Jun, who had been called back, chuckled inwardly, but when he turned around, his expression remained one of impatience.

"What does that have to do with you, Vice President Takizawa? I remember that Arashi's affairs aren't under your jurisdiction, are they?"

Arashi is the next president of Johnny's Entertainment and the confidant and ace of the new empress, Fujishima Keiko. Of course, he is not someone that Takizawa Hideaki can control.

However, he wasn't so easily provoked as to fall for such a blatant challenge, and he said righteously, "As a senior executive at Johnny's, of course I am responsible for the company's important business."

"Take responsibility? How will you take responsibility?" Jun Sakurada retorted sarcastically.

"Even if I clearly lay out all of Arashi's flaws, Vice President, how can you convince President Fujishima to wrong her trusted ace?"

Hideaki Takizawa was speechless, while Jun Sakurada seemed to belatedly realize something, his eyes suddenly turning somewhat amused:

"Or... are you, Takizawa-san, planning to take over and just have some fun with the president's position?"