Chapter 48

Shen Zhenghui did not just come up with an idea; he also supervised the Japanese programmers to implement his ideas and designs. The Japanese programmers had no technical issues, but Shen Zhenghui found it extremely difficult to change their deeply ingrained Japanese habits. This is perhaps why Japan later suffered a crushing defeat in the internet world, with internet companies outside Japan almost completely overwhelming them without much resistance.

Of course, if Shen Zhenghui was interested, he could have followed Yahoo's model to create a Japanese portal site. However, he was not interested in such a large, comprehensive website, as it could easily turn the boss into a mere figurehead. Of course, this was just Shen Zhenghui's personal impression; perhaps Boss Ding really knew that his subordinates had turned the website into a pig farm.

Because he proposed too many plans at once, Shen Zhenghui was extremely busy for a while. The ratings of "Re-take" continued to rise along with the buzz, but the Army Knife Group, which had been calling for the execution of the same-sex fan fiction authors, remained inactive. This frustrated Shen Zhenghui—Japanese otakus should not be overestimated. He thought there might be a serial killer among them, but in the end, all he saw were people talking big. No wonder the Japanese police were not very motivated to solve the case. Just think about the chaos on Chinese internet forums; if not for the higher-ups' requirements, the police would probably treat those who talk big online as just a nuisance. In comparison, the paid internet trolls and promoters were much more effective.

Fukuda Mitsumi bought a small building in a remote part of Tokyo (if such a place still existed) and housed all the internet companies there. The first to be set up was Youtube, a simple video-sharing site. Once the framework was in place, it required only a few people to maintain. Shen Zhenghui ambitiously wanted to create both Japanese and English versions of the site, but the poor English skills of the Japanese forced him to start with a Japanese version. The first content uploaded by the administrators was the post-episode performances of the voice actors from "Re-take." The site relied on Gonzo's official website for promotion and quickly attracted the attention of otakus, with the number of registered users increasing and new self-shot videos being uploaded.

A simple comprehensive anime forum and a light novel starting point were also quickly set up. Shen Zhenghui played a role in setting the operational modes according to his preferences, and these sites also relied on Gonzo's official website for promotion, quickly gaining popularity.

Different otakus of all genders created their own discussion areas in the anime forum, learning from the future to give them a sense of ownership. The official site categorized news and discussion areas, setting up general discussion areas in addition to those for various anime. Popular discussion areas in the forum could be upgraded to the same level as official areas. In short, Shen Zhenghui ambitiously hoped to capture all anime enthusiasts, and the site was called 2D.

The light novel starting point straightforwardly claimed to be a platform for everyone to write and share their literary dreams. The current focus was on "EVA" fan fiction, while also encouraging original novels, with excellent works to be published by publishers.

Only the Babel website proved to be a challenge. It required high-level talent and substantial funding. The Japanese had abysmal foreign language skills, and those who were truly proficient had proper jobs. If they were to translate, it would be very expensive. After discussing with Fukuda Mitsumi, they decided that the only way was to collaborate with the Ministry of Education and fully utilize the labor of university students. Therefore, there was a lot of work to be done before the site could officially run.

Shen Zhenghui finally finished his immediate tasks, and Fukuda Mitsumi, with the help of a headhunting company, began recruiting staff to maintain the current operations of the websites and to attract high-level website management talent. There were not many experienced website managers, and often young people fresh out of school had to take on major roles. This was an era of rapid internet development, with Google already established and growing at an astonishing rate. Yahoo, at its peak, would later be swept away by the surging tide of the internet, and the internet bubble was rapidly expanding.

After handing over the work to his Japanese subordinates, Shen Zhenghui had some free time. It was then that he realized he had not seen Aizawa Tomoaki for a long time. When he called her, no one answered, and when he asked the agency, her agent informed him that Aizawa Tomoaki had gone to China to study at the Beijing Film Academy.

"What's going on? Why didn't I know about this?"

"It was arranged by President Fukuda," the other party replied.

Shen Zhenghui felt a bit surprised but had to ask Fukuda Mitsumi.

"Indeed, I sent her to study," Fukuda Mitsumi said casually. "She felt her acting needed improvement, so she did this."

"Then the script I wrote hasn't started filming yet?"

"Oh, you mean that? I almost forgot," Fukuda Mitsumi took out a stack of papers from the drawer. "But you asked me to adapt the story to a Japanese setting, and I have completed it."

"Who did it?" Shen Zhenghui narrowed his eyes. "Who is the pen name 'Nidou Neko'?"

"It's a teacher who doesn't want to reveal their name! They will probably use 'Nidou Neko' as a pen name in the future," Fukuda Mitsumi looked up at the sky.

Shen Zhenghui began to read the adapted story. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I found a few young people with good ideas while setting up those websites. You can promote them to partners and let them focus on the websites."

Fukuda Mitsumi raised an eyebrow. "I understand." She glanced at Shen Zhenghui's expression. "Who do you plan to have direct the TV series?"

"Let me think about it," Shen Zhenghui scratched his head. "If possible, I want to direct it myself, but I need a strong assistant director."

"Sure, no problem," Fukuda Mitsumi agreed immediately.

"Preferably someone young, as older people don't understand our ideas."

"Of course, no problem. You can even find a director from the 1980s."

"It doesn't have to be that extreme. Someone from the 1970s would be fine. This is a test, and if it succeeds, I will have more confidence." Shen Zhenghui was still not very confident.

"I think it's a good story and should be successful," Fukuda Mitsumi added. "Even if it's average, the ratings shouldn't be too low."

"Then when will Aizawa Tomoaki be back?" Shen Zhenghui asked, and Fukuda Mitsumi narrowed her eyes.

"She will study for three months, so the official filming will start in June." Fukuda Mitsumi raised her eyebrows. "Have you decided on the male lead?"

Shen Zhenghui looked at her. "Of course, it's me."

Fukuda Mitsumi swallowed. "What else do you need to prepare?"

"A few eleven or twelve-year-old children to play the young protagonist. Do you have any?" Shen Zhenghui asked, flipping through the pages.

"Of course, plenty. Don't you know that Japanese artists often sign contracts at twelve or thirteen?"

"Oh, really? What kind of children do you have? Do you have photos?"

"There's a girl named Erika, who is as beautiful and cute as I was when I was young," Fukuda Mitsumi said. "She is now a model for my company, half Japanese and half French, but her temper is not very good."

"Erika?"

"And Keiko and Yū, also beautiful and cute models. Seeing them makes me want to produce a live-action version of 'Sailor Moon.'"

"Give it a try!" Shen Zhenghui raised his eyebrows as Fukuda Mitsumi took out a stack of photos from the drawer. The girls in the photos were indeed cute and beautiful, mature and well-developed, making otakus drool.

"Erika Sawajiri?"

"Yes."

"Keiko Kitagawa and Yū Aoi."

"Yes!" Fukuda Mitsumi stared at Shen Zhenghui with excitement. "Beautiful, right? Cute, right?"

"Koike Yui? This one... I seem to have some memory of her."

"Unfortunately, we didn't sign her. Her mother said she was too young and didn't want to sign, but we have the right of first refusal."

Shen Zhenghui was silent for a moment. "You can definitely produce 'Sailor Moon,' but what about our male lead? Where can I find a child who looks like my younger self?"

"Check out Johnny's & Associates." Fukuda Mitsumi was indifferent. "We don't sign male actors, which is why we have a partnership with Johnny's."

Shen Zhenghui looked at the photos again. "You can have your models take some cosplay photos and post them online."

"Why post them online? We can put them in magazines directly!"

"Cosplay is for otakus."

"We can start a magazine specifically for otakus," Fukuda Mitsumi looked at the photos in her hand. "With so many young girls, it would be a waste not to use them properly."

It seemed like something significant was about to happen. Shen Zhenghui was deep in thought.

"By the way, why haven't I seen Liu Xin recently?" Shen Zhenghui asked.

"She is helping you with the planning and preparation for 'Tokyo Fortress.'"

"What? That story is just an outline."

"Yes, because the production cycle for 'Battle Angel Alita' is too long, the success of 'Re-take' made President Murahama decide to prepare another ordinary TV animation. I recommended 'Tokyo Fortress.' Liu Xin is very interested in the story, and the main artists are from China."

"I was planning to use this story for a movie in the future." Shen Zhenghui was shocked.

"If the TV series is successful, we can certainly continue with the movie, and the risk will be much smaller," Fukuda Mitsumi said seriously. "If possible, I think the new series should air in July."

"You didn't tell me!"

"You were too busy!" Fukuda Mitsumi said gently.

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