wavenovel Chapters 1331 and 1340: Can we really be bullied when it comes to money?!
Chapters 1331 and 1340: Can we really be bullied when it comes to money?!
Chapters 1331 and 1340: Can we really be bullied when it comes to money?!
Shibuya, Ken-On headquarters.
After returning to Tokyo and resting at home, Akina went to her agency.
While discussing the preliminary selection for the record awards, she also bought some local specialties from Kyoto and brought them over to give to her colleagues at the agency.
In Japan, such social interactions are very important. If you don't know how to do it, you will be considered impolite. Even Naoki Nagayama would bring back some local specialties as gifts when he went out to play.
"Where did Akina-chan go in Kyoto this time?"
Tanaka Yoshiaki asked with some curiosity,
"Are we following the route of the autumn foliage viewing?"
“Not many places.” Akina shook her head. “Mostly in the Red Fish Garden, maybe I’ll go to the Rurikoin Temple for a bit.”
"It's not suitable to bring flower jam to places with too many other people."
Given Akina's current fame, if she were recognized in a crowd, it might cause a commotion. If her daughter, Natsuka, were recognized, then all the paparazzi in Kyoto would come running!
Naoki Nagayama does have a lot of influence over major media outlets in Tokyo, but the local Kyoto media don't care about that. They only care about popularity and exposure, and they'll publish it whenever they want!
"That's true, this is a problem that only celebrities would encounter!"
Yoshiaki Tanaka lamented that if it were his son dancing in the street, probably no one would even give him a second glance.
"You're back in Tokyo this time to prepare for your performance at the Japan Record Awards, right?"
"Um"
Akina nodded. She would also need to alter her old performance outfits when she returned, as her belly would be clearly visible in about a month!
As for next year's songs and albums, Yoshiaki Tanaka didn't ask any further questions. It's obvious that Akina, now with two children, will definitely focus more on her family, and she'll have to wait until the children are born before she can release a new album!
Just as Akina was exchanging pleasantries with her colleagues, Hanami Kaku rushed back from outside and immediately called Akina into the meeting room.
"What's wrong, Hanami-san?"
Akina was somewhat puzzled.
"You look terrible."
"It's about the record awards!" Hanami He didn't hide anything and said it directly, "An acquaintance gave me a heads-up last night, saying that someone has been secretly plotting against us for a long time."
"Today I visited several members of the judging panel. They were fine a while ago, full of support for 'Nanpasen', but now they're saying things like it's biased towards enka, a rehash of old songs, and doesn't represent the trend."
At this point, Akina understood:
"In other words, someone lobbied the jury to give the award originally intended for 'The Shipwrecked' to another song?"
Having figured this out, Akina became somewhat curious:
Whose song is it?
If it were Yoshikizo's "Snow Country" or Eiko Segawa's "I Don't Want to Live," Akina would be more convinced, since both enka songs did have high sales and a great impact.
Moreover, veteran singers still have a significant influence in the music industry.
“It’s the light of Johnny’s, GENJI,” Hanami Hyuk said.
"?"
Akina was increasingly surprised.
"But...didn't Hikaru Genji only debut this August?!"
“Yes.” Hanami Hyuk nodded with some difficulty, “They want their debut song, ‘STAR LIGHT,’ to win the Grand Prize!”
"!!!"
Hearing this, even the good-natured Akina couldn't help but feel annoyed.
If it were a rookie award, I wouldn't say anything, but a newly debuted boy group actually wants the most prestigious music award?!
"But... Genji has only just debuted!!!"
This is a move to climb to the top by stepping over all the Japanese singers!
If a newcomer wins the grand prize, what about the singers who worked so hard to win it?!
"Reaching the pinnacle of idol status in just three months! Debuting at the peak!"
Hanami Hyuk nodded in confirmation.
"A headline like this would blow up the entertainment industry!! It would attract so much attention and generate so much exposure."
"This will also bring a lot of criticism!"
Akina can imagine how outraged her fans would be. If the internet existed at this moment, they would definitely storm Johnny's official website!
"And the authority of the Japan Record Awards will also be destroyed!"
"After I die, who cares about the deluge! It's very likely the judges all received substantial bribes."
Hanami looked at Akina, who was still captivated by the record awards, and shook her head.
"After all these years, the record awards have long since become a business. Akina, all the rankings in the entertainment industry are business; you should have known that a long time ago!"
The rankings are exposure, sales, and money!
However, when everyone was making money before, they at least wore a mask and maintained a reputation for fairness. But just like the theater effect, once someone takes the lead in lowering their standards, then what follows is a bottomless competition in the entire entertainment industry!
Just like the future online movie rating rankings, which one can be trusted anymore?!
"."
Akina stared blankly. Yes, the entertainment industry is a place of fame and fortune, where everything is about profit. She actually knew this not long after her debut.
However, under Naoki Nagayama's protection over the past few years, these things have not affected her.
"So, we'll just give the record award to Johnny's this time?"
Hanami looked at the pillar of his agency speechlessly, sighing that she was truly spoiled like a little white flower by someone. So he asked:
"Doesn't Akina-chan want the Japan Record Award anymore? Doesn't she want to pursue the triple crown?"
"Of course I want to!"
Akina pursed her lips in rebuttal. She probably wouldn't have much energy to appear in public for the next year or two. Before semi-retiring, she still wanted to have a perfect farewell.
Winning the triple crown of the music awards can be considered a milestone in her music career.
"But Ken-On can't afford to bribe all the judges, can he?"
It's true that Akina Nakamori and Yukiko Okada of Ken-On are very profitable, but Johnny & Associates almost monopolizes the male idol industry, constantly launching one boy group after another to harvest fans and relentlessly exploiting its artists. That's what makes them the real money-making machine in the industry.
If Ken-On earns at most a few billion yen a year, Johnny & Associates, by monopolizing boy bands, now earns almost five billion yen a year.
This was back in the 80s. When Johnny's Entertainment truly reached its peak in the late 90s, it could even reach hundreds of billions of yen annually!
That's the power of a monopoly!
The entire Japanese boy band scene is Johnny's money-printing machine!
"Our public relations expenses are naturally not as high as Johnny's."
Hanami looked at Akina with disappointment and frustration.
"But Akina, your husband is super rich!!"
"He thinks Johnny's would bully him financially?!"
"Forehead"
Akina was speechless for a moment. She had no idea how rich her husband was. She only vaguely remembered that a few years ago, his annual income exceeded 10 billion yen!
It seems like Nakai Genta has so much money these days that he's been restricted from leaving the United States!
"But," Akina still hesitated, "isn't it going too far to ask Naoki-san to pay? He's clearly not Ken-On's student."
Hanami Kagami shook her head when she saw Akina's hesitation:
"Even if Akina-chan doesn't say anything, Naoki-san, as the president of the Kiyu Group, will find out very soon."
"The artists under Tree Friends are also eyeing this record award!"
Not to mention Shizuka Kudo, the most popular idol under Shuyu, Yutaka Ozaki, Kazumasa Oda, Izumi Sakai, and so on, all of them are music-oriented and value record awards like the Japan Record Awards.
“Yeah.” Akina pouted. “Isn’t it a bit strange to have the president of Ken-On’s company support an artist at this time?”
"oops!"
Hanami Kagami really wanted to tap Nakamori Akina on the head.
"Don't you know that husband and wife are one?!"
Given Naoki's current status, if Akina were bullied, he would lose face!
What's that saying again? A wife is a husband's pride!
This saying has always been considered a golden rule in Japan. Under the strong influence of traditional customs such as husbands and wives following each other, it is taken for granted that husbands should spend money on their wives.
"."
Akina was still a little hesitant. Naoki-san was so busy these days, and she didn't want to bother him with her own affairs.
Deep down, she might be a little sensitive, as she already considered herself to be marrying into a very desirable family and didn't want to cause Naoki any trouble.
"Anyway"
Hanami Kaku concluded by saying...
"Even if Akina-chan doesn't want to, Naoki-san will probably step in!"
"Instead of letting him find out from the company and think you've fallen out with him, you should just tell him directly!"
"Akina, based on my experience of over ten years of marriage, let me tell you: sometimes, a little bit of playful teasing to get your husband's help can make him feel accomplished and contribute to harmony in the marriage."
"."
Akina glanced up at the usually stern-faced company president, a hint of mockery in her eyes.
"Hana-san's experience is a bit too much!"
"I offered some helpful advice, and you're criticizing me?"
Hanami He angrily waved her hand.
I don't want to see you anymore!
"Haha~"
Akina, whose mood had inexplicably improved, went straight to the costume design studio downstairs after leaving the president's office to discuss improvements to her stage costume with Hiroshi Ochi!
On Jurassic Island, Naoki Nagayama, who was preparing to film, suddenly sneezed several times uncontrollably.
"Naoki Mulberry"
Masataka Komori cares about Dao,
"Did you catch a cold from the temperature drop? The temperature has indeed dropped quite a bit today."
"No no."
Naoki Nagayama touched his nose, somewhat puzzled, and shook his head, saying...
"Maybe someone is cursing me, or maybe no one is thinking about me!"
"??"
"Anyway, it's nothing serious."
Naoki Nagayama didn't say anything more, instead watching the preparations on set.
This is an exhibition hall displaying numerous dinosaur skeletons, the largest of which is clearly a Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil skeleton, of course, made of plaster.
The scene we filmed today was actually a Tyrannosaurus Rex hunting in the exhibition hall and then smashing the fossil!
Since there were no scenes for them, Yuko Tanaka and the others all rested on the sidelines.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex model is now in place on site. Thanks to the ingenuity of the prop team, it can open its mouth, bite things, and then throw them out.
The genuine leather Velociraptor model is also ready to be used as a punching bag, to be bitten and smashed into the fossil!
"Naoki-san!"
Takehiko Takei from the props team rushed over excitedly and said...
"Naoki-san, the Velociraptor is programmed to twist automatically. It will still struggle when it's thrown out, but the internal motor wiring is very fragile. It will probably break after just one impact!"
"Perfect timing. It died after hitting the Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil."
Naoki Nagayama nodded, then asked Ryohei Matsuura, the prop master from the other group.
"Matsuura-san, is the work on the fossil side done?"
"Hey, it's ready!" Matsuura Ryohei, who was inspecting the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton with a ladder, nodded. "The material of the joints is guaranteed to shatter when it's hit! It'll even produce smoke."
"Uh-huh."
After waiting a while longer, seeing that the Velociraptor had been lifted up by wires and was being bitten by the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and that the rest of the props team had also left the set, Naoki Nagayama was finally ready to begin filming.
"Everyone, the props were a lot of work to set up this time. Let's try to get the best shot in one take, otherwise we'll have to bother the props team again!"
"On your marks, get set"
"Action!!!"
At Naoki Nagayama's command, the Tyrannosaurus Rex model immediately came to life, shaking its massive head from side to side, with a wriggling Velociraptor in its mouth!
Then, with a powerful thrust of its thick neck, the little Velociraptor's body was flung onto the fossilized skeleton beside it, smashing the skeleton to pieces and sending dust flying everywhere!
The Velociraptor lay motionless in the dust, and only the roar of the Tyrannosaurus Rex remained in the room.
It seems that the little dragon that provoked it is overestimating its own abilities!
Just then, the velociraptor model in the dust suddenly twitched, instantly attracting everyone's attention before falling still again.
"Click!!!"
Upon seeing the Velociraptor fall into the dust, Naoki Nagayama immediately shouted "Cut!"
"Great, it really looks just like it!!"
The first part, where the velociraptor is bitten, was computer-generated, but the scene where the velociraptor is thrown away is more realistic because it was filmed live!
If you were to render a scene of a skeleton shattering using a computer, I wonder how many resources it would consume!
Masataka Komori was also watching on the director's monitor and felt the footage was very good.
"Naoki-san, this shot."
"Of course it's over!!!"
Naoki Nagayama smiled and patted Masataka Komori on the shoulder.
"There's no need to repeat the shoot. We don't have a second moving model!"
"Haha, that's great!"
Evening, in the Yama-oka-in.
Naoki Nagayama was playfully cuddling with Natsuka when he suddenly heard Akina's words.
"What? Someone bribed the judges of the record awards?"
“Yeah, I heard it’s someone from Johnny’s,” Akina nodded, looking annoyed. “They actually want their newcomer to win the grand prize!”
"A newcomer has won the grand prize?"
I originally thought that since Akina didn't withdraw from the tournament voluntarily, and Kondo was no longer a competitor, the triple crown should have been a natural outcome.
Unexpectedly, Johnny's is up to its old tricks again.
"Yeah, they said they wanted to show that GENJI is a boy group that 'peaked right from their debut'!"
Akina sounded like she was tattlering on someone.
"We need to create a huge buzz!"
"Huh?" Naoki Nagayama asked in surprise, "Aren't you afraid of getting flamed?"
Having memories of his past life, Naoki Nagayama has little faith in the integrity of the Record Awards jury; it's highly likely they accept bribes.
But a newcomer getting a big award right away? Doesn't an agency like Johnny & Associates worry about it backfiring?!
"For celebrities, popularity, exposure, and attention are the most important things! Everything else can be put aside."
Akina glanced at her husband and muttered something under her breath.
"And they even said they learned it from a fellow tree grower!"
"."
Naoki Nagayama was speechless for a moment. It was true that he had brought the future promotional concept into the entertainment industry ahead of time. Was this a case of cause and effect?!
Turning his head to look at Akina's sullen face, Naoki Nagayama asked:
Did Ken-on say what to do?
"Hana-san said she would continue to lobby, but Ken-On's influence isn't as strong as Johnny's. It's very likely she'll fail."
Akina's face turned pitiful, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"Naoki-san~~"
"!!!"
Naoki Nagayama was instantly enraged. How could his wife be bullied like this?!
Then all that money I earned was for nothing?!
"Fine, fine, so this is a bribe, is it?! Is this how you play the game?!"
"Then let Johnny's just wait and see!!!"
"I'll contact Otomo-san right away, and I'll make sure these guys pay!!"
As Akina watched Naoki Nagayama, whose fighting spirit was off the charts, she secretly thought to herself, "President Hanami's experience with marriage is really useful!"
We should communicate and learn from each other more in the future!
Thinking of this, Akina continued to persuade her:
"Naoki-san, but you're not Ken-On's girl, isn't that a bit inappropriate~"
Naoki Nagayama shook his head directly:
"Akina, you're my wife! How can I stand by and watch you be bullied?! Leave this to me!"
"Don't worry. This grand prize is definitely yours!!!"
"I said! Even Jesus can't take it away!"
"."
(End of this chapter)