National Tide 1980.

Chapter 1372 No Precedent

"I say, you are my agent. Why don't you consider me?"

Yasuko Sawaguchi never expected that her agent's attitude would be so bad.

He was usually a very kind and nice guy who always encouraged her and was a very warm person, but this time he turned against her because of her private meeting with Ikuo Suho.

Not to mention helping her plan, as soon as he heard the whole thing, this guy started scolding her. Such a reaction was completely beyond her expectations.

"I'm saying this just for your sake. You're an artist of Toho Entertainment, so what's the big deal about you meeting someone from another agency in private? And you're even contacting a TV artist agency like Burning. What's even more outrageous is that you even dared to agree to quit your job at Mist Studio. If the president finds out about this, what will happen to you? What are you thinking?"

The agent was still preaching, and he was also very depressed, thinking that Yasuko Sawaguchi was simply crazy.

Although he is from a film company, he insists on flirting with those artist agencies that focus on television.

Doesn't she know that the decline of the film industry is largely caused by these emerging talent agencies?

Since the 1970s, many well-known artists from film studios have been poached by these up-and-coming agencies.

To some extent, there are irreconcilable contradictions between the two factions in the film and television industries.

From the perspective of Toho Entertainment, we have the obligation and must stand on the side of Kiri Studio. This is a matter of principle.

So the agent was not polite at all when scolding Yasuko Sawaguchi, and did not even take into account how popular and famous she was now.

"Your success is not your own achievement, but the achievement of all the staff of Toho Entertainment. You are successful because Toho Entertainment has invested a lot of money and human resources in you, and has always given you opportunities. But not only are you not grateful, but you have contacted other agencies privately. Don't you understand what kind of behavior this is? This is betrayal."

Yasuko Sawaguchi's face turned blue and white after being scolded by her agent, and she was so depressed that she almost wanted to vomit blood.

"Okay, stop scolding me and stop accusing me of this. What can I do when I encounter something like this?"

She interrupted her agent indignantly and said, "The person who asked me to meet is President Suho of the Burning Department. What kind of person is he? Don't you know? He even messed up the Fog Studio. How can a small person like me afford to offend him? Moreover, the other party suddenly found me and asked to talk. How dare I refuse his request? I couldn't contact you at that time. I just left and contacted you immediately. If this happened, I should blame Toho Entertainment for not even sending me a car. I should blame my agent for sharing it with others. I was alone at the scene. Otherwise, how could I end up in such a situation?"

The agent was suddenly speechless.

In fact, what Yasuko Sawaguchi said is also an objective fact on one side.

She has not yet completed her two-year rookie period, and this is how the company treats her.

But she became famous very quickly and her salary had not been adjusted in time, which was quite embarrassing.

With a helpless sigh, the agent's attitude softened a little and he finally spoke a few words to comfort her.

But I still couldn't agree to her wish to quit the show.

"I will bring up the issue of allocating a car to the president. But listen to me, don't even think about quitting. Not to mention that your current salary is so high, if you quit, you will have to pay double the penalty. Even if we don't mention the legal effect of breach of contract, we can't do this even if it's just going back on our word. Otherwise, how will others view the credibility of our agency? How will they view you? Aren't you afraid that your reputation will be ruined in the circle? And from the standpoint of Toho Entertainment itself, we will never help the Burning Group to oppress other studios. As for the threats from the Burning Group, you don't have to pay attention to them. After all, Toho is one of the five major film companies and it is not so bad that it can't protect its own artists. During this period of time, you should not be disturbed, think about the role carefully, and wait for the restart with peace of mind."

Once he said this, it was almost the final word.

Yasuko Sawaguchi, whose mood had improved a little, suddenly became angry again.

  I cursed in my heart, damn it!

What does the compensation for breach of contract have to do with me? Anyway, I only get 100,000 yen in pocket money, and I don’t get a penny from the film remuneration. If there is any compensation, of course it is the company that has to pay for it!

Things like "you can't go back on your word" and "you can't be an accomplice" sound nice.

If you don't let me quit, aren't you using my interests as a favor? Wouldn't it be more convenient for you to promote your other actors to the Hewu Studio in the future?

At the same time, he couldn't help but refute.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot agree with your point of view. The current Mist Studio is already in trouble. No one knows their situation better than me. Recruiting actors again? Almost no agency has sent artists to apply. Moreover, President Suho also said that Miura Tomokazu and Utsui Ken are both actors under his Burning Department and will quit soon."

"I want to ask you to tell me, how can we restart the filming under such circumstances? When can we restart the filming? Even so, do you still think that we should continue to wait for death with Producer Wu? So, all my waiting now is a waste of time. Instead of wasting time with the crew, I might as well get out of here and shoot other movies or TV series. Otherwise, over time, even my reputation will be damaged in vain."

"President Suho also promised me that if the agency supports me to quit, he will use media publicity resources to make up for our loss of liquidated damages, and there will be no problem for both parties to cooperate more in the future. If we are bound together, the artist's interests will definitely be greater. Think about it, the so-called liquidated damages are only 30 million yen at most. Isn't it worth it to exchange for more resources? Just think of it as publicity expenses."

"Besides, as long as I'm famous enough, this little pay won't matter. I can make up for this little loss by taking an advertising endorsement. Instead of worrying about these liquidated damages, why not help me get more advertising. I saw in the newspaper that Yakushimaru Hiroko took a Shiseido endorsement and received 45 million yen for a year. If it were me, it should be about the same price, right?"

"As long as I accept two endorsement ads like this, won't the penalty be paid? I can also make a lot of money, which is better than filming any movie or TV series. So can you find me a similar one? The ads I accepted before were too small and simple..."

The more Yasuko Sawaguchi spoke, the more confident she became, and the more justified she seemed. She completely regarded her own thoughts as the truth.

However, her words left the agent completely confused.

The agent didn't expect Yasuko Sawaguchi to be so stupid, so gullible, and so whimsical.

He only knows how to calculate simple economic benefits, but takes favors, credit and industry rules seriously. He couldn't help but scold again.

"What nonsense are you talking about! What do you think of our contract with Mist Studio? You think it's a child's game. It's a mutual trust and commitment. If you break the contract, how will we at Dongbao Entertainment cope with it? Who will ask you to shoot commercials in the future? Who will ask you to be their spokesperson?"

"Besides, can we just trust someone like Suho Ikuo? He's only nice on the surface, but he's full of calculations. He's ruthless! He just said it casually, and he doesn't have to pay any actual price, so naturally he only said nice things. Can he keep his promise? Only God knows."

"On the contrary, the sincerity of Mist Studio is obvious to the naked eye. They gamble with real money when making films. Even making a TV series requires at least 500 million or 600 million yuan. When no one knows what the ratings will be, Director Nomura chose you to participate. That shows his trust and respect for you, and he is expecting you to help support the ratings."

"This is an honor for an actor. Don't you have any gratitude in your heart? You insisted on quitting the role. Have you ever considered the feelings of the crew? Have you ever considered the feelings of Director Nomura? Not to mention that it was thanks to the last movie of Fog Studio that you became famous overnight and have such a reputation. If it weren't for this, who would ask you to shoot commercials now? Who would ask you to be a spokesperson? But this is how you repay them?"

The agent's words were powerful and righteous.

Yasuko Sawaguchi was not a good speaker and could not think of how to refute for a moment. Her face turned from blue to red, almost turning the color of liver.

That’s not all. The agent couldn’t stop talking and continued to blame Yasuko Sawaguchi for her mistakes.

"Why do you think about making money by shooting commercials all day long? You didn't even go to the acting class that the company hired you to attend, and you were perfunctory in your music lessons. There should be a limit to your willfulness, right? You still have a long way to go, and the most important thing to do is to focus on improving yourself first. Instead of being too eager to cash in on your fame. How long have you been famous? It's only been two months and all you can think about is money. You're such a fool. Use your brain! Let me tell you, the company doesn't want to squeeze you dry right now. It hopes that you can stay in this industry for a long time and become a good actor. Do you understand? But you're simply committing suicide with your own future!"

This time, the pain point of vanity was hit directly, and Yasuko Sawaguchi really couldn't stand it.

She actually didn't want to fall out with her agent, but the problem was that these words were too irritating.

  She just wanted to spend more time to help herself and the company make some money, so what?

Is it against the law?

  Is it necessary to say this about her?

Other agencies help actors and crews bargain, and every penny they can earn is a penny they earn.

My own agency, on the other hand, has always been speaking on behalf of the crew.

Who are our own people?

  Why does she act like she's ungrateful and ungrateful?

Especially when she thought about how much Suho Ikuo admired her and what promises he made to her.

Comparing the two, she felt even more that Toho Entertainment only wanted to exploit her cruelly, which was nothing compared to how much the Burning Department valued her.

So she smiled coldly, without any reservations.

"Stop talking big. It's as if Toho didn't sign me just to make money from me. If that's the case, why don't I get any pay at all? Only 100,000 yen a month. I say, who should be grateful? Think about it before you speak."

"Also, what's wrong with me filming a commercial? Doesn't the company also take commissions, right? Why are you unwilling to do it? How come it's my fault? What's wrong with me quitting? I'm also thinking about the company. As an actor, I've considered the company, but you don't cooperate. How can you be an agent? Your job is to strive for the greatest benefit for me, otherwise, wouldn't the company be taking so much money from me for nothing?"

"I'm telling you again, I'm already perfect now, and I don't need to improve any more. Are you blind? Didn't you see that it was written in the newspapers that I brought the teenage Li Xianglan to life, and that I was much more in line with the character than the Li Xianglan played by Matsumoto Keiko. The credit for this movie lies more with me. The audience likes me, is obsessed with me, and worships me. How come you're saying that it's all because of me? Without me, would the box office be so good now?"

"What are you talking about long-term? You're not making money now, but trying to gamble for an uncertain future. Don't you think this is nonsense? You need to become famous as early as possible, and you need to make money as early as possible! I'm already famous and can make money, so why should I give up these opportunities? Then what's the point of improving myself?"

"I am officially warning you now that I am going to quit. If you are unwilling to help me communicate with the crew, then I will go to the president and talk to him face to face. I believe that the president will distinguish the pros and cons and make a choice. Do you understand?"

The agent was completely stunned by Yasuko Sawaguchi's rebuttal. He never expected that his artist would have such courage to confront the agency head-on.

Although his attitude just now was not very good, it was mostly out of disappointment and he was wholeheartedly thinking about Yasuko Sawaguchi.

But who knew that she was so eager for quick success and instant benefits, and so arrogant that she went crazy.

"Are you crazy? Why do you have to quit? Why are you in such a hurry to make money? You really don't have to rush. Even if I tell the president, he won't agree. Instead, he will be angry. Do you really want to be hidden by the agency? You are destroying yourself!"

Yasuko Sawaguchi's face became more and more ugly. This lousy agent didn't help much but made a lot of demands all day long.

Now he dares to threaten her. Is she afraid?

"You didn't think before you said that. If you have the guts, just do it. The so-called hiding means not assigning me any work, that's perfect. Anyway, President Suo has promised to take care of me. As long as I quit, at worst I can get a job from the Burning Department, and then we'll see who will be more embarrassed. If the president doesn't agree, then I might as well become independent and join the Burning Department from now on. Anyway, I don't get the treatment and attention I deserve in Toho. And, let me tell you, no matter what, even if I stay, I'm going to ask the president to replace you. You're an old-fashioned person with a conservative mindset, and you're no longer suitable to be my agent."

"What? You want to be independent! Just to quit the show, you're actually going to leave Toho Entertainment and join the Burning Department?"

"What? You still don't believe me? Do you really think I'm a newbie? I'm already a star. I'm Sawaguchi Yasuko! The most popular female star in the entire Toho Entertainment!"

The agent was completely stunned. These words were simply wanton and arrogant to the extreme.

An artist dares to threaten the agency. There has never been such a precedent before in Toho Entertainment!

(End of this chapter)