"I'm in Tokyo, and this is some kind of movie star comeback system?!"

Shinjuku Jazz Tea House.

The shop is located on the basement floor of an old building in Shinjuku. It has no fancy signboard, only a faded vermilion lantern hanging at the entrance of the stairs with the small characters "ジャズ" (Jazz) written on it.

As I pushed open the door and went downstairs, a faint smell of tobacco filled the air.

The ceiling was low, with several spherical lights emitting a warm orange hue.

There are only a few booths that are about half a person high.

A dark gray record player emitted a deep saxophone sound.

Sakamoto Yu immediately spotted Suzuki sitting in a booth.

Suzuki seemed to be thinking about something, but when he saw Sakamoto Yu, he quickly waved.

"Would you like something to drink?" Suzuki asked, holding a cigarette between her fingers.

"Black coffee is fine."

Sakamoto Yu glanced at the various documents on the table.

"So you're finally planning to go it alone?"

Nozomi Suzuki exhaled a straight plume of smoke and nodded slightly.

"People naturally strive for better things."

After saying that, she smiled and looked at Sakamoto Yu:

"Congratulations! The series has aired and the response has been very good."

"Several girls in the Kitty Club are completely smitten with you."

"Some people even want your autograph, but Kudo keeps a close eye on them all the time."

Sakamoto Yu shook his head slightly: "It's just a small-scale affair."

He didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "You said you wanted to talk to me, what is it?"

When it came to serious matters, Suzuki Nozomi immediately stopped smiling, stubbed out her cigarette, and looked at him seriously.

"I hope to sign a long-term contract with you and officially become your agent."

Just then, the black coffee arrived, and Sakamoto Yu thanked him.

He did not answer the question immediately.

He simply picked up the cup and took a sip.

Savor it thoroughly on your tongue.

Nozomi Suzuki didn't urge him, and quietly waited for his reply.

My answer is—I'm sorry.

Sakamoto Yu put down his cup and refused bluntly.

"You should also know that it is very difficult for women to break into the inner circle in this industry."

"You are indeed very capable, but what I need most right now is an agent who can connect me with resources."

Nozomi Suzuki remained calm and even nodded in agreement.

That's just the reality of this industry.

"Take a look at this first." Suzuki Nozomi picked up a formal contract.

It was a contract related to the establishment of the firm, with the founder's name printed in black and white on it—

Mayumi Watanabe.

Sakamoto Yu frowned. "Watanabe Mayumi?"

The other person nodded slightly, speaking calmly: "Suzuki Nozomi is my pseudonym. You should have heard of Watanabe Producer."

Sakamoto Yu was stunned on the spot.

How could Watanabe not know about it?

It is a large-scale entertainment company led by industry heavyweight Shinichi Watanabe, one of the few in Japan with a complete industry chain. Its business covers various fields such as film, music, stage plays, and GG, and it has a large number of popular actors and hosts.

This was at the peak of his career.

Watanabe, Ken-On, and Horipro – the three giants!

Johnny's Entertainment is strong, but it only focuses on male idols, so its overall scale is slightly smaller.

Sakamoto Yu stared in astonishment at the woman in front of him:

"You mean...you're Watanabe Susumu's second daughter?"

Sakamoto Yu quickly recalled the events in his mind.

Historically, in 1987, Watanabe Susumu, the founder of Watanabe Productions, passed away, and the two sisters took over the family business.

The eldest daughter inherited the company, while the younger daughter started Top Coat from scratch, attempting to forge a differentiated development path.

The two women did not get caught up in the family feud.

They worked together seamlessly to resolve the inheritance crisis.

The older sister protected the parent company and upheld traditions.

The younger sister is breaking out into new markets and expanding into the next generation.

It is a rare example of a smooth succession in the Japanese entertainment industry.

Sakamoto Yu glanced at Watanabe Mayumi, surprised that at this point in time, she had already begun to contact grassroots artists under an assumed name.

Her later-founded Top Coat has always followed a "few elites" approach, avoiding blind expansion. She personally plans the career paths of each artist and maintains a high degree of trust with them, focusing on talented actors and artists with strong personalities. It is a completely unconventional boutique approach.

It was precisely because of her keen eye that when Sakamoto Yu's drama aired and he gained popularity for his handsome villainous role, Watanabe Mayumi immediately recognized his unique potential.

She was worried that Sakamoto Yu would be signed by another company, so she had to act first, and luckily she had an extra layer of agency relationship compared to others.

While Mayumi Watanabe has potential, she is currently starting from scratch and doesn't have many resources to offer.

"Can you leverage your father's company connections and resources?" Sakamoto asked.

Mayumi Watanabe shook her head slightly.

"cannot"

"Then could you use your father's influence to help me?"

"No, not either."

"So what can you do now?"

"I can personally help you find resources and connect with production teams."

After hearing this, Sakamoto Yu shook his head regretfully:

"Like I said, what I lack most right now is real opportunities and auditions." Sakamoto Yu took a sip of his coffee, his eyes honest. "Without Watanabe Productions, without your father's connections, how can you get me these?"

The two fell into a brief silence.

After a moment, Watanabe Mayumi looked up and made a serious suggestion:

"How about this, I'll help you get a role. In return, if you pass the audition, we'll officially sign a contract."

After a moment's thought, Sakamoto Yu understood.

This can be considered a test.

Finding resources represents her work ability, and auditions test her acting skills.

This is fair and beneficial to both parties.

Sakamoto Yu did not refuse, but looked up and made a request:

"But you can't just pick any play you want, otherwise I'll be the one who suffers in the end."

He paused, then added:

"I demanded that I be the lead actor in this drama, that my salary be no less than 200,000 yen, and that it be an NHK production."

Can you do this?

Watanabe Mayumi looked somewhat embarrassed, but quickly composed herself and nodded firmly, "Okay."

Sakamoto Yu nodded slightly, his tone becoming more relaxed: "Then I look forward to your resources."

As he spoke, he stood up, took a 500 yen note from his wallet, and placed it on the table.

"I have an audition this afternoon, so I won't stay with you any longer."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the exit of the tea shop.

...

In the meeting room of the audition site for "My Mom Is an Idol" at TBS TV station, directors Endo, Ito, and Yoshida are sitting together discussing audition-related matters.

Not long ago, a TBS producer specifically recommended an actor to audition for the role of a father in the drama, and the three of them are currently discussing the candidate's information carefully.

"Is the other party a newcomer?" Endo held Sakamoto Yu's resume in his hand, his brows furrowing slightly, his tone hesitant.

Ito waved his hand and added, "He just played the leader of the violent gang in 'Dangerous Detective'."

In the latest episode, his appearance immediately caused the ratings to soar to the highest point of the entire series.

"Oh! It's him." Yoshida's eyes lit up as he realized who it was.

"My daughter has been discussing it with her classmates every day lately, but he's in a yakuza drama, while we're doing a teen idol drama. Will the styles be too mismatched?"

"However, he is indeed quite good-looking."

Endo looked at the photo on the resume and slowly began to speak:

"Since he can help crime dramas break out of their established audience and attract so many female viewers, then at least in terms of image, he must be able to meet the needs of our drama."

Ito chimed in, "Besides, he's still a newcomer. If we sign him, we can lower his salary and free up more budget."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a knock sounded on the conference room door.

The staff informed us that it was time to begin the interview.

The group exchanged glances and nodded.

Afterwards, the actors who came to audition entered the conference room one by one as their numbers were called.