Tokyo Bubble Life

“Didn’t the weather forecast say it will be sunny today? Why is the rain getting heavier and heavier?”

Nagayama Naoki stood in the eaves of Yamazakura Garden, watching the fine raindrops falling continuously from the sky, drawing ripples in the small puddles in the yard. Looking up, the gloomy sky starts in front of me and continues to the end of the sight. Occasionally, you can even hear dull thunder coming from the distance, as if there is a kind of implicit power contained in the clouds.

  Reaching out his hand to hold down the eager Ying Tailang, Naoki Nagayama said with disgust: "Ying Tailang, the dog playing in the water will not have dog food to eat!"

“If I see you getting the ground wet when I come back, I’ll use the hair on your body as a mop and mop the ground dry!”

 “Woof woof!”

The dog barked pitifully twice. Nagayama Naoki felt that he understood it, so he drove out with confidence.

Seeing the car's taillights disappear at the end of the road, Yutaro curled up his mouth, stuck out his tongue, and immediately rushed into the yard, shaking his head, and then spun and jumped towards the small puddles, as if there was something interesting in them.

Over here, Nagayama Naoki happened to stop in front of the traffic light, watching the raindrops gather into streaks of water, sliding down the windshield, but what he was thinking about was the two parties today.

“TV Asahi is in Akasaka. Isn’t there a lot of delicious food there? It’s a pity that I have to drink today.”

“Akina said there was an announcement from TV Asahi today, but it’s a pity that I can’t see it in the afternoon~”

“Why is the closing banquet held in Azabu Juban at night? Shuichi-san is really stingy.”

 Various thoughts took turns playing in his mind during the few minutes he was waiting for the traffic light. For a short period of time, Nagayama Naoki even forgot that he was still on the road, until the sound of the horn from behind woke him up.

 It was almost 9 o'clock when he arrived at the studio, but he didn't have working hours now, so he was still very leisurely~

“Zhi Shusang, you’re here~” Xing Jiahua still showed a smile, which made people feel happy early in the morning.

 “Huajiang~It’s also very fashionable today~”

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After Kuchihuahua teased the little girl at the front desk, Naoki Nagayama walked into the office easily. What is different from the past is that Yoshimura Otomo is drinking tea and reading a magazine~

 “Otomo-san? Are you so leisurely today?”

“Ha, do I have to be so busy every day that I can’t lift my head?” Yoshimura Otomo said, and then handed over the magazine, “Has Naoki-san seen today’s magazine?”

Nagayama Naoki took the magazine and said, "Movie Newspaper, I remember you came here for an interview before, right?"

 As he spoke, he started to look through it, and sure enough, there was a report on "Love Stops Like the Rain".

"Unexpected shooting locations" "Refreshing actors" "Corporate culture shaped by Naoki Nagayama" "The story that Shuichi Itou and "Love Stops" must be told"

Looking at the strange subtitles one after another, Nagayama Naoki couldn't help but marvel: "These reporters are really smart!"

Yoshimura Otomo also laughed: "But it's still interesting to read the article. This guy said Naoki-san, you make the staff of Shuyou have clear eyes and speak... ahem sincerely!"

Nagayama Naoki raised his eyebrows, secretly wondering if he had broken the unspoken rules of the workplace.

The concept of equality that comes with later generations has been silently imbued by Naoki Nagayama. The hierarchy of Shuyu Pictures has never been too obvious, and there is not much distinction between top and bottom. Even junior employees can drink and joke with the president. This The workplace in the Showa era was a breath of fresh air.

Coupled with the lifelong employment system, it is foreseeable that this culture will be passed down to Shuyou.

 The relaxed and lively working atmosphere, plus the salary is not low. It is almost the same as a Nordic company with high benefits.

But forget it, life is only a few decades, and if you can make the people around you a little more relaxed, then why not do it?

The two of them chatted in the office for a while, then they heard the doorbell ringing, and Kawahara Takeharu walked in:

“Naoki-san, Otomo-san, the car is ready and ready to go at any time.”

 “Hi, please Mr. Wu Chun.”

Yoshimura Otomo said he understood, indicating that he would be notified when he set off, and then said to Naoki Nagayama next to him,

“Asking Wu Chunjun to help with driving also allows him to get to know more people, which will facilitate further communication in the future. Masamin Inada is now running the agency alone, and the pressure is a bit high.”

Being a driver for your boss is not an ordinary job these days. Even Ikuo Sufang of Burning Agency worked as a driver for the mafia politician Hamada Koichi in his early years.

Generally speaking, the boss’s driver is a confidant. Not only do they know the boss’s various secret itineraries, but they are also a helper in handling some private matters.

 “Well, Mr. Yamin hasn’t seen anyone for a long time~”

As a management firm with several popular artists as well as new artists, the GG firm now owned by Shuyou actually has a lot of things to do, and the various relationships it deals with are also very complicated.

 After talking for a while, Naoki Nagayama looked at the time: "Otomo-san, we are having dinner at noon, right?"

“Hey, we’ll be ready to go at around ten o’clock~”

 In the headquarters building of Fuji TV, in the office of the preparatory team of "Twilight Mew", Sugiura Oyasu and Akimoto Yasushi are watching the first draft of the latest issue of "Twilight Mew".

On the TV screen, the contestants with neat half-long hair, handsome appearance, and some bad vibes are very eye-catching. One of them, who occupies the C position, looks like a newcomer who has just joined the Kitten Club - Shizuka Kudo.

 Akimoto Yasu pursed his lips, as if he was also immersed in the show.

“Akimoto-san, although such a rebellious style is very effective, it has also caused some controversy.” Sugiura Oyasu chatted with Akimoto Yasu while watching.

Just like Akina Nakamori's "Girl A" was banned by NHK, "Twilight Meow Meow" released unsavory content with great fanfare, and coupled with its huge ratings, it will naturally arouse resistance from some conservative viewers.

“There is no way to do this. If you attract one group of people, you will definitely offend another group of people.” Yasushi Akimoto already has some opinions of his own about the show, “In short, it just depends on the choice.”

Otasu Sugiura sighed. As a program producer, he is not only responsible for the ratings of the program. There are also checks and balances in all aspects. If we only look at the ratings, don't the producers of the TV station know that being censorious can greatly increase the ratings? ?

 Why do late-night shows have such a large audience base? Isn’t it because of the hard work of the ladies and sisters? !

However, as a daytime program, Fuji TV also needs to consider its reputation!

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ifies.

Sugiura Otaishi sighed again. He has made a lot of choices these days. For example, he rejected Nagayama Naoki's TV series cooperation for Minister Takano, so he still has no shame to call Nagayama Naoki.

 At this time, Akimoto Yasu said:

“Dear Taisang, the rebellious style can only last a few months. With the frequency of one issue a day like "Dusk Meow", the audience will soon fall into aesthetic fatigue again. "

“Yeah. A program like "Dusk Meow" needs a steady stream of fresh ideas!"

As he spoke, he looked at the other screenwriters in the preparation room. They all had dark circles under their eyes and looked haggard. The high-intensity creative pressure had made them overwhelmed!

“This group of D-grade consumables can no longer be exploited~ It seems that we need to report to the upper management to replace a new batch.”

 Silently condemning these guys to death, Sugiura Otaisan looked at Yasushi Akimoto next to him. This guy still looked full of energy, and even his plump figure had not changed much.

“It’s true that they are not at the same level and there is still a lot of value to be exploited.”

Akimoto Yasushi didn't know what Sugiura Otasu was thinking, and continued: "Judging from the current situation, the high ratings of "Dusk Mew" will last until the end of the year at most. What should we do after that?"

Sugiura Tai Tai subconsciously replied: "Let Naoki-san come and see if there are any new ideas."

ˆ “.”

As soon as the words came out, the preparation room fell into silence for a while. Only the sound on the TV kept ringing. Soon, the transition song of the program "Let's Learn to Meow Together" rang again.

Unconsciously, several producers of "Dusk Meow Meow" seem to have forgotten that Naoki Nagayama is the soul of this popular show. All the main framework of the current show was set up in advance by him.

 Even if he goes against the grain, this is the direction he proposed before

But now Fuji TV seems to be in an awkward period with Naoki Nagayama. Who will bow first?

 After a long time, Sugiura Oitai spoke again:

  "The "Newspeak Buzzword Awards" planned by Naoki-san was just aired last month, and the ratings are still very good."

 “Yes, yes~”

Akimoto Yasushi also recalled that the program at the end of the month once again proposed a combination of several popular buzzwords, entertainment and text, which made the program full of life and already has a group of loyal viewers.

“Let’s wait until the next time Naoki-san comes to visit~” Sugiura Oitai said, “Anyway, Shuyu and Fuji still have a framework agreement for cooperation~ There will be opportunities for cooperation every year for five years~”

“The Newspeak Buzzword Awards is this year’s award, right?”

“It’s the first issue at the beginning of the year, so of course it’s this year.”

TV Asahi’s building is in Akasaka, not very close to Shuyu’s studio, and it takes more than half an hour to drive.

 On rainy days, this time is even longer.

By the time we arrived at Moto Akasaka, the rain had stopped, but the weather was still gloomy. Among the high-rise buildings, Yoshimura Otomo took Nagayama Naoki to an office building, and then started walking towards the basement.

“Is this kaiseki restaurant actually in the basement?” Nagayama Naoki knew that he was here to eat kaiseki cuisine today, but he didn’t expect that it was actually in the basement.

 “Yes, Kaiseki Tsujiru, you didn’t expect it~”

Go down the narrow stairs, turn around a corner with a small pool, and you will see a small traditional wooden sliding door. Except for the wooden sign "Tsujidome" hanging in the corner, it is completely invisible from other aspects. It looks like a restaurant.

But when I opened the sliding door and walked in, my line of sight suddenly became wider. The large entrance hall could accommodate about ten people, and everything inside was covered with solid-color tatami mats.

Hearing the sound, a female general in kimono came out of the small cubicle next to us and asked us very gently about the room we had reserved.

After finishing speaking, Yoshimura Otomo said to Nagayama Naoki: "It seems that people from TV Asahi have arrived."

 “Actually earlier than us?”

 “They are in Akasaka after all.”

Yoshimura Otomo doesn't mind either. It doesn't matter if he eats kaiseki a little earlier or a little later. This is just a gathering among friends.

The whole interior of Tsujiryu is a room structure. Different guests are in Japanese rooms separated by lattice doors. If you want to expand the area, you only need to open the sliding door to create a large room.

Two people were already sitting at the low table in the Japanese-style room. As soon as Yoshimura Otomo entered the door, he greeted him warmly:

“Mr. Nakano and Section Chief Otake, I’ve kept you waiting for a long time.”

“Minister Yoshimura is joking, we are just close, and we can’t wait for Tsujiru’s cooking. Haha~” the older man responded with a smile. Yoshimura Otomo also smiled and said a few polite words, then stepped aside, revealing Naoki Nagayama behind him:

“Director Nakano, Section Chief Otake, this is Naoki Nagayama, the president of Shuyu. Naoki-san, this is Yosuke Nakano, Director of the Planning Department of TV Asahi, and Hiroshi Otake, Section Chief of the Production Bureau of TV Asahi.”

“It’s the first time we’ve met, I’m Naoki Nagayama, please give me your advice!” “The first time we’ve met.” X2

After finishing speaking, he turned to Kawahara Takeharu aside: "This is my assistant, Kawahara Takeharu, who is responsible for coordinating artist-related matters."

Kawahara Takeharu no longer bowed to each other. Kawahara Takeharu asked for advice and respectfully handed over his business card, then sat aside without saying a word. It was his job to serve the wine at the wine table today.

Of course, it was impossible to talk about anything serious at the wine table at the beginning. A few people sat together and started chatting about this kaiseki restaurant called "Tsujiryu".

"This is a store opened by the second generation of 'Tsuji Kaichi', and it has been more than 30 years ago." After all, Nakano Yosuke is a little older and is more familiar with this place. "When I first came here, the female general who served was The daughter of 'Kaichi Tsuji' was still a young girl at that time! She was also very beautiful and had a good temperament."

 “Really? Haha~”

The Japanese-style room with all men in it instantly felt relaxed. When the middle-aged female general wearing a kimono came in, I couldn't help but sigh. Sure enough, time is a knife, and now my temperament is still very good.

Like other kaiseki cuisine, Kaiseki Tsujiryu’s cuisine retains the traditional and serious tea ceremony cuisine. It is famous for its strict requirements on ingredients and cooking techniques, and is famous for its small but refined cuisine.

 The Huaili cuisine here tends to be light, without too many exciting seasonings, focusing on sweetness and freshness, pursuing the most authentic taste of the ingredients.

Nagayama Naoki and others tasted seasonal sashimi, pickled side dishes, rich soups, and perfectly grilled beef. They were all in a bite size, and at most they tasted ordinary.

However, during this period, Nagayama Naoki became familiar with two people from TV Asahi, and the chat became very relaxed.

　After taking the last sip of tea, Fangcun Otomo said: "It really tastes good."

“Yes, it really lives up to the name of kaiseki cuisine.”

“However, I didn’t eat much in the morning, and it’s far from enough now~” Yoshimura Otomo said with a smile, “Director Nakano, Section Chief Otake, let’s go to the next show!”

“Haha, okay!” Yuzhi Otake, who is in his thirties, laughed, “I am still a young man, how can this be enough!”

“Shameless! Obviously the real young people are here!” Nakano Yosuke pointed at Naoki Nagayama and said.

Nagayama Naoki also joked: "Yeah, I'm still growing."

 “Hahaha~”

A few people left the basement chatting and laughing, and soon found a banquet restaurant in Akasaka, a place full of delicious food, which is famous for its various drinks during the banquet.

 After a few glasses of sake, it became easier to talk.

While chatting, the topic of TV programs came up. Yoshimura Otomo said:

"TBS's "TEHBESTTEN" and Fuji TV's "Night Hit" are both very famous music programs, and their rankings have great influence on the entire entertainment industry."

Nakano Yosuke sighed: "Yes, in comparison, our Asahi is a bit inferior in this aspect."

TV Asahi during this period also had a music program, but it did not even have a name left in history, leaving no impression at all in Naoki Nagayama’s future memory.

Naoki Nagayama comforted him: "TV Asahi is the leader in criminal investigation dramas and medical dramas. In addition, it has a long-lived program like "Tetsuko's Room", which is still very important in the hearts of the audience."

“Alas, we can only rely on these traditional TV series and cartoons to survive. They are only slightly better than TV Tokyo, but”

Nakano Yosuke glanced at Nagayama Naoki,

“Since “The Three Cat Eye Sisters”, TV Tokyo has become more and more active in the late-night segment. Variety shows and TV series have also made progress in addition to cartoons.”

 Naoki Nagayama was a little embarrassed. Suddenly he heard the name "The Three Cat Eye Sisters". Has TV Tokyo actually begun to pay attention to the late-night slot because of this drama?

 “Well, it was just an accident.”

“I heard that Naoki-san is also very successful at Fuji TV. Not only did he plan "Dusk Meow Meow", but also the recent interesting "Newspeak Buzzword Award" was also planned by Naoki-san?"

 “Haha, it’s just the right time.”

“There are still two TV series with very good ratings!” Yosuke Nakano exclaimed: “It’s really enviable that Fuji TV can cooperate with such an outstanding creator as Naoki!”

Otake Yushi, the head of the first section of the production bureau, said through the drunkenness:

“I heard that in addition to Fuji TV, Naoki-san also cooperates with TBS and TV Tokyo. Apart from NHK, it is the only one that has no interaction with TV Asahi. Is it because he looks down on us, TV Asahi?”

“This is nothing!” Nagayama Naoki quickly explained and quickly toasted to the two of them.

 Then he looked at Yoshimura Otomo and asked with his eyes→_→:

“Didn’t Otomo-san mention to them that this time he came to discuss program cooperation?”

Yoshimura Otomo also gave a look (◎o◎):

“No, it’s just a meeting with friends today to get acquainted with each other for a while. Regarding the program, I think it’s better to talk about it after we get familiar with it.”

 In fact, according to Yoshimura Otomo, today is just the first meeting. Only after we meet a few times in the following months can we talk about the program. Generally speaking, this is the normal negotiation process in the entertainment industry.

 Just like falling in love, how can you say "I want to sleep with you" as soon as you get started! It’s not Ah Q!

Seeing that the faces of the two TV Asahi people were a little red, and they were still wondering why they didn't get to know each other earlier, Nagayama Naoki felt that it seemed that his attitude could be a little higher!

 He drank the wine in the glass in one gulp and said vaguely:

“Yes, if we had gotten to know Director Nakano and Section Chief Otake earlier, we might have been able to collaborate with TV Asahi on the good idea we just planned.”

 “What’s a good idea?”

“Ah, it’s a program that was originally agreed with Nippon Broadcasting Corporation to compete with “THEBESTTEN” and “Night Hit”.

Nagayama Naoki pretended to drink too much and spoke fluently, "Nippon Television (NTV) has been suppressed by Fuji and TBS since its establishment. I'm very unhappy!"

 Yinfan? NTV? Fight in the ring?

Such keywords suddenly touched Nakano Yosuke’s mind. The battle-hardened man quickly swallowed a few mouthfuls of spicy dishes to stimulate his nerves, and then continued to inquire:

 “What kind of sound is it?”

“Ah, the name is "musicstation". It is a chart-based music program sorted by a unique algorithm, and it also has many unique program modules."

 Naoki Nagayama began to talk about the general process of this program. The attractive points made Yosuke Nakano and Yushi Otake, who are professional producers, return to the high ground of reason and start to evaluate.

However, this program is a super audio program that has been tested by history, and it naturally has its excellence that people can recognize. Yosuke Nakano and Yushi Otake nodded repeatedly after listening to it.

“Just hearing this is very attractive. Has Naoki-san’s idea been perfected? I really want to know the whole show!”

Nagayama Naoki drank another glass of wine, as if he had relaxed:

“Ah, yes, I remember the planning document is in the car.”

Then he said to Takeharu Kawahara who kept pouring wine: "Mr. Takeharu, go to the car and get that plan!"

Kawahara Takeharu had a question mark on his head. Isn't the plan in the briefcase in the room? Or did you ask me to bring it over?

At this moment, Otomo Fangcun, who had long understood his friend’s thoughts, interjected:

 “Naoki-san! That’s for NTV! I haven’t shown it to them yet!”

“What!” “Minister Fangcun, you are no longer a friend!” “You don’t believe us?!”

After hearing this, Yosuke Nakano and Yushi Otake immediately became "angry" and began to drink. They said that if they didn't show it to them first today, they would be in trouble!

After having several drinks with him, Fangcun Dayou could only agree with a headache: "There is really nothing I can do to you, Mr. Wu Chun, go and get it, it's in my briefcase."

  “?” There is also a copy in Otomo-san’s briefcase? Although Takeharu Kawahara was still puzzled, he just went to get it silently.

Nagayama Naoki continued to exchange cups with the two people while still talking about Yoshimura Otomo:

“What is Otomo-san afraid of? Show Nakano-san and Otake-san what’s going on! TV Asahi has its own music program, and they won’t steal our planning!”

 “Yes, yes, we are just curious!”

Nakano Yosuke and Otake Yushi seemed to regard Nagayama Naoki as a stupid young man who had no experience in the world, and started to drink.

 “I want to see what’s so special about Naoki-san’s creativity”

Yoshimura Otomo was still complaining over there: "But it's all Naoki-san's fault for saying that it can't be made public until it's completed. I made those people who don't know anything wait for a long time! We have agreed with NTV that the program must be planned before They saw it."

Yosuke Nakano and Yushi Otake pricked up their ears. NTV still doesn’t know anything? !

 You can tell from the narration just now that this is a program with great potential!

At this time, Takeharu Kawahara came back from outside, holding a document bag in his hand, which was the copy of "Musicstation" (which was not revised in the end).

Yoshimura Otomo has always kept it in his briefcase, ready to send it out at any time.

 Nakano Yosuke and Otake Yushi suppressed their excitement and took the plan. After making eye contact, Otake Yushi immediately started to read it, while Nakano Yosuke continued to exchange glasses with Nagayama Naoki and Yoshimura Otomo.

Hunti Otake was looking at the plan book, and the surprise could be seen on his face. He flipped through it roughly, and couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes. He touched Yosuke Nakano next to him with his leg under the table:

 “Minister, take a look too!”

 “Ah, okay, let me take a look too~”

Nakano Yosuke saw the excitement of his subordinates and was also curious. Unlike himself who had already started to manage, Otake Yushi has always been a front-line producer, and he has the most say in the effect of the program.

 Speaking, it was replaced by Otake Yushi and Shuyou to drink~

As Nakano Yosuke's eyes gradually fluctuated, he patted Otake Yushi's shoulder heavily and exchanged a look:

 “We must win this project!”

 “Yeah!” Otake Yuzhi understood.

The two of them looked at Yoshimura Otomo and Nagayama Naoki, who were drunk and blurry, tightened their belts and said to the waiter:

 “I haven’t had enough to drink today!

 Waiter, bring me your Louis XIII brandy, we want to try it!

 Also, another bottle of red wine! "

I must get you two drunk today! Get this plan!

On the other side, Naoki Nagayama and Otomo Yoshimura also exchanged glances, with the corners of their mouths slightly raised.

 The best hunters often appear as prey!

 (End of this chapter)