Chapter 53

Shen Zhenghui had a restless night and woke up with red eyes. When he went to find Fugita Mitsumi to prepare for the subsequent negotiations with Lin Jian, he unexpectedly found Fugita Mitsumi, Liu Xin, and last night's Kuroishi Ayaka chatting happily in the office, as if they were old friends.

"What's going on here?" Shen Zhenghui was a bit dazed.

"I found that Ayaka has considerable talent in music and plan to sign her," Fugita Mitsumi said matter-of-factly.

You discovered that in one night? What did you do all night? Sing karaoke and find a singing machine?

"By the way, that five million doesn't count as a loan to me. It's Ayaka's signing fee, and this matter has nothing to do with you," Fugita Mitsumi reached out and touched Ayaka's face, "She's mine now."

Do you think this is human trafficking? What do you mean by 'she's mine now'?

The young Ayaka seemed unaccustomed to this way of interacting, different from the Japanese, and she bowed timidly to Shen Zhenghui, "Mr. Shen, thank you for last night."

"You're welcome. Last night's scene fulfilled my dream of being a real hero, though it was a bit less thrilling," Shen Zhenghui smacked his lips, earning a disdainful snort from both Fugita Mitsumi and Liu Xin.

"I still have to go to the company to check on the animation production progress. I'll be off." Liu Xin said and walked towards the door.

"She's working so hard now." Shen Zhenghui glanced at Liu Xin's back and said casually.

"Harder than you can imagine." Fugita Mitsumi shrugged and tapped the table, "What are you planning to do in the meantime? You can't just stop preparing because Aizawa isn't back, right?"

"Let's deal with Hong Kong first," Shen Zhenghui said, "If you want me to direct a TV drama, you need to find me an assistant director first!"

"Already found one?"

"Who? Sono Takashi?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Kitano Takeshi?"

"Are you still half asleep?"

"By the way, when is Sono Takashi's horror film coming out?"

"Probably by the end of the year, around Halloween," Fugita Mitsumi replied, "Speaking of which, this director is actually a junior of Sono Takashi."

"Really? He must be quite young!"

"About your age, maybe a year or two younger."

"Uh? Just graduated?"

"Apparently, he has a lot of experience and has directed several films."

"Really? He's not unknown! What's his name?" Although Shen Zhenghui didn't know many Japanese directors, he still asked.

"Miyanaga." Fugita Mitsumi answered simply.

Shen Zhenghui waited for a while but didn't hear the full name.

"Miyanaga?"

"Yes, it's a stage name."

"Do directors need stage names?" Shen Zhenghui was surprised.

"Because he directs that kind of film—" Fugita Mitsumi pouted, "Adult films."

"That's quite interesting," Shen Zhenghui sat down and stroked his chin, "When can I meet him?"

"He still has some paperwork to finish with his old company, but it should be done in a few days."

"How did you discover such talent?" Shen Zhenghui asked, "Is he a promising newcomer? Have you seen his work?"

Kuroishi Ayaka seemed a bit uneasy, and Fugita Mitsumi glanced at her, "I just know."

"Your extensive network of information." Shen Zhenghui took a deep breath, "He's called Miyanaga, and I'm called Sasaki. We're a perfect match!"

"Hey, speaking of which, I want to ask you," Fugita Mitsumi waved at Kuroishi Ayaka, "How do you think we should promote a singer?"

"I have no idea," Shen Zhenghui spread his hands, "You know my music skills are quite poor, and my taste is still at a very low level."

"Yes," Fugita Mitsumi nodded, "But the majority of consumers are at that level, right?"

"Hey," Shen Zhenghui rubbed his chin and looked at Kuroishi Ayaka carefully from head to toe, "Aren't you confident in her musical talent?"

"That's why I'm asking you how to promote someone."

"I think music shouldn't be treated purely as music. Of course, there are songs that are obviously great just by listening, but those are rare. Generally, classic works need a broader background, like being the theme song of a classic TV series or anime. It's not an era of entertainment scarcity; song production has entered the era of commercial mass production, and female singers are mass-produced like on an assembly line."

"Is that so? Then help me mass-produce some!" Fugita Mitsumi said calmly.

"Morning Musume is already a good example, right?"

"You mean a group?"

"As long as they have some unique features, it's not hard to become popular. But to stay popular, they need sufficient ability." Shen Zhenghui spread his hands, "The key is to have growth potential. Their careers need to be thriving, and fans need to see their idols growing. If they stay stagnant, it's usually limited." Shen Zhenghui, unfamiliar with future Japanese idols, spoke purely from his impressions, "Like Morning Musume, the members' development is quite restricted. The group is popular, but the individual members struggle after graduation. A talent agency's capabilities are very limited."

The future AKB48 caused a stir in the Japanese idol industry because they were more than just singers. Akimoto Yasushi's network, influence, and operational skills in the entertainment industry far exceeded those of a talent agency.

"I think my company has great potential!" Fugita Mitsumi said seriously.

"I agree, but you need a clear understanding of what you want to achieve and the ability to manage it well." Shen Zhenghui scratched his head, "You need someone with a broad vision and a deep understanding of the entertainment industry to handle this."

Shen Zhenghui noticed Fugita Mitsumi staring at him, "Let me make it clear, I'm not the right person for the job."

"Alright," Fugita Mitsumi nodded, "I'll think about it myself."

"Actually, finding a group of young, beautiful girls, dressed in shorts or skirts, singing and dancing while showing their legs, can make them popular instantly."

"That's not difficult, let's try it." Fugita Mitsumi said, "What should we call the group?"

Shen Zhenghui resisted the urge to suggest names like Girls' Generation or AKB48, "How about something like HF?" HF are the initials of Fugita Mitsumi's name.

"Mr. Shen, do you think I'm that narcissistic or that my taste has dropped that low?" Fugita Mitsumi glared at Shen Zhenghui.

"Then how about 'Sailor Moon' or 'Flower Fairy' groups?"

"Better to call it 'Hunter x Hunter,' specifically for hunting men."

"Mr. Fujimoto would be angry, and wouldn't you be provoking all the other women in Japan?"

"Then how about the SOS Brigade?"

Shen Zhenghui was taken aback, "What does that mean?"

"The Sasaki Brigade, to shock the world." Fugita Mitsumi looked at Shen Zhenghui, "You're called Sasaki, right? It's like borrowing your name. Besides, SOS is simple and memorable, as if our members are waiting for their fans to save them."

Shen Zhenghui was completely distracted by the SOS Brigade and didn't pay attention to Fugita Mitsumi's selection of members.

"Ayaka, you be the first leader and artistic director! I'll prepare the contract, and we'll sign it!" Fugita Mitsumi's playful gesture surprised Kuroishi Ayaka. Do rich entertainment industry bosses really act so whimsically?

Kuroishi Ayaka glanced at Shen Zhenghui and nodded, "Okay, I can. But I think I need to learn more."

"We'll hire more professional teachers to teach you," Fugita Mitsumi continued, "This way, you save on tuition. Come, pick your members." She glanced at Shen Zhenghui, "Choose some with long legs."

At that moment, the secretary knocked and entered, "President, Mr. Lin from Hong Kong has arrived. He wants to meet you."

"Is he alone?" Fugita Mitsumi asked, and Shen Zhenghui, distracted by the secretary, came back to his senses, "Did he bring his girlfriend?"

"Not alone," the secretary paused, "He brought a man, who seems to be his translator."

Fugita Mitsumi smiled and looked at Shen Zhenghui, "Your dinner last night was very effective!"

"What do you mean?" Shen Zhenghui was puzzled.

"Ask Manager Iwayama to meet him first. I'll wait for him in the meeting room with Mr. Shen." The secretary bowed and left.

"Ayaka, I'll have Miss Fujiko show you around the company and introduce you to the girls we've signed. Get ready to work hard!"

Fugita Mitsumi's favor left Kuroishi Ayaka at a loss, and she bowed deeply, "Thank you, President."

"No need to be so formal," Fugita Mitsumi turned to Shen Zhenghui, "Mr. Shen, right?"

Shen Zhenghui spread his hands, indicating his innocence and lack of interest, and changed the subject, "What do you think Yongsheng will choose for profit? Buyout or profit-sharing?"

"Given that profit-sharing requires a long preparation time and we have too few theaters, Yongsheng, considering the hassle, might choose a buyout, even though they might be tempted by profit-sharing, especially if I offer a very fair price."

Sure enough, after some pleasantries, Lin Jian's first question was, "President Fugita, if we want to buy out 'Gambler 1999' and 'Gambler vs. Las Vegas,' what price are you prepared to offer?"

"We are willing to have a long-term cooperation with Mr. Lin. Why don't you name a price?"

Lin Jian chuckled and asked tentatively, "One million Hong Kong dollars per film, including all Japanese language rights, video, and merchandise?"

Fugita Mitsumi and Shen Zhenghui remained silent, and Iwayama Moto opened his mouth, "Mr. Lin, your price is too high..."