Chapter 75

The officially signed adult film by Miyamoto was met with an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm after its release. Miyamoto made no attempt to hide the fact that he had once been and might continue to be an adult film director, even though the regular TV drama he directed was also a hit, with consistently high ratings. The investors and TV stations had already clearly stated their intention to produce a sequel.

Thus, Miyamoto, who had a dual identity as both a regular TV drama director and an adult film director, to some extent, became a topic of discussion. This topic further boosted the ratings of the two films he was involved in. Shen Zhenghui was completely ignored, of course, which might have been exactly what he had hoped for.

When Miyamoto participated in several variety shows, he openly stated: "Although I graduated from a prestigious school, it was difficult to stand out in the industry. I had no choice but to resort to directing adult films. However, I was fortunate enough to be noticed by Haruhi Eiga and directed films like 'My Sister's Boyfriend.' Even though I am now considered a success, I will not hide my past. I continue to direct adult films to prove that I face my past squarely and will not forget the directing experience I gained from making adult films."

If one were to read this interview without knowing the background, it would give the impression that Director Miyamoto had worked hard and overcome numerous difficulties to finally achieve his dream. At the very least, the audience and the host were taken aback by his words. Miyamoto's bold statements in the program, such as the problems in Japan's entertainment industry and the need for a fresh and new atmosphere to stimulate its development, were particularly striking. He mentioned that in the 1980s, crosstalk actors entering the entertainment industry had a significant impact, especially on the film industry. Now, it seemed to be another turning point, and the only ones who could save the Japanese entertainment industry, besides the adult film industry, were the professionals from the anime industry. Only these two vibrant and productive sectors could generate passionate creativity.

Overall, this episode was quite engaging, aside from Miyamoto's performance, which was somewhat like a shaman's. His words were full of感染力, inspiring many people involved in adult film production to regain their enthusiasm and anticipation for their work. However, his remarks were likely intended to provoke controversy. This made him unpopular with the "morally upright" veterans in the entertainment industry, who were unhappy about being so easily relegated to the dustbin of history. Moreover, they felt ashamed that the person poised to usurp their position was an adult film director. As a result, the Japanese entertainment industry felt as if it had been attacked, and one by one, they launched their counterattacks. However, Miyamoto had already achieved his goal, as both the regular TV drama and the adult films he was involved in received attention.

'My Sister's Boyfriend' continued to boost ratings, while the sales of the video and DVD of 'That Certain Trend Reading' skyrocketed like a rocket. The adult film production company, which had initially worried about losing money, now regretted allowing Shen Zhenghui and Miyamoto to invest in the production of this series under their personal names. 'That Certain Trend Reading' featured reading videos by nine actresses, each averaging about seven minutes, with the entire film lasting around an hour. The entire process did not show any explicit scenes, only the actresses' expressions and trembling voices, and the actresses reading stories like 'Snow White.' Despite this, the series received enthusiastic support. In less than a week, 15,000 copies were sold, and the 5 million yen investment (mostly for actor fees) turned into 30 million yen in sales, and this was just the first week's income. It was foreseeable that sales would continue to grow in the future.

Thus, the other series planned by Shen Zhenghui and tested by Miyamoto, which featured only female actors without male actors, was quickly released. These two series puzzled the entire adult film production industry. Both series lacked male leads, and 'That Certain Trend Reading' showed nothing, only the actresses' self-defense expressions and trembling cries. The solo performances, despite having nude scenes, had no close-ups or exaggerated acting, and were completely casual, yet they achieved extremely high sales, which was completely illogical.

Especially after other companies followed suit, the sales of their productions could not compare to Miyamoto's two series. Only a few well-known actresses could generate purchasing interest. Thus, this type of production was generally abandoned as a temporary novelty. Only a small company uniquely hired several male actors to shoot the same 'That Certain Trend Reading,' which attracted some female viewers and had a decent sales performance.

On one side, the regular TV drama was a hit, and on the other, the adult films were selling well. These two scenarios concentrated in one person, making people feel jealous and speechless. Finally, a journalist found the same name, Shen Zhenghui, in the cast and crew list but could not interview him. So, Miyamoto was interviewed again about Shen Zhenghui's role in 'My Sister's Boyfriend'—in the adult films, Shen Zhenghui did not even use a pseudonym, leaving everything to Miyamoto.

The journalist's underlying message was that he did not believe the adult film director was really that capable. Before this, he had specifically interviewed Shimizu Takashi, who had praised Shen Zhenghui's intelligence. The journalist merely wanted to suggest that the success of 'My Sister's Boyfriend' was not solely due to Miyamoto, but that Shen Zhenghui, a Chinese person living in Japan, was also an important figure.

"Sasaki is a very good investor! He is very knowledgeable and does not suppress the director. He cooperates very well with the director, especially in terms of production costs, where he is very generous," Miyamoto replied.

"Isn't he a director himself? Didn't he exercise his directorial authority during filming?"

"Ah, rather than a director, he is more like a producer. Having such a producer is a blessing for a director. I understand why Shimizu-senpai praised him," Miyamoto answered, of course, after getting Shen Zhenghui's approval. "Speaking of generosity, when the two adult films were a huge success, he even prepared red envelopes to give to each actress, an attitude and mindset that every Japanese person should admire!"

The journalist was speechless. The standards for admiration in Japan were so low...

"You actually did such a thing?" Fukuda Miharu looked at Shen Zhenghui with surprise after reading the report.

"The money was my own," Shen Zhenghui replied.

"I'm not concerned about the money, but the fact that you and Miyamoto went to each actress's home to give them red envelopes," Fukuda Miharu rubbed her chin, looking down at Shen Zhenghui from her position, as if in a judgmental manner.

"Miyamoto suggested having a celebration, but we couldn't gather everyone, so I gave red envelopes to every staff member."

"Fortunately, Liu Xin wasn't here, or she would have criticized your lack of focus."

"It's not like that. Through Miyamoto, we have connected with the Japanese adult film industry, and after such publicity, the adult film industry has become a backup resource for us, hasn't it?"

"You actually consider the adult film industry as a backup resource?" Fukuda Miharu looked incredulous. "Do you think there are too few people in the regular entertainment industry?" Then she narrowed her eyes. "Is this your way of showing affection for Aizawa-san?"

"Don't go there." Every time Fukuda Miharu mentioned Aizawa Chizuru, Shen Zhenghui felt uncomfortable. "I just think we shouldn't underestimate the market for adult content."

"Alright, a return rate of more than three times in a week, with countless subsequent earnings. I have never underestimated the power of the adult content market," Fukuda Miharu raised her eyebrows. "But if you and Miyamoto are done playing, can we start filming the second season of 'My Sister's Boyfriend'?"

"The second season can be renamed 'My Sister's Man.' Miyamoto is already writing the screenplay based on the literary script. Of course, the second season will focus more on adult content, and the scenes with the children can be cut from the first season."

"Do you mean I can assign other work to the three girls?"

"Of course, we shot many extra scenes in the first season that can be used in the second season."

Fukuda Miharu nodded. "Alright, now Aizawa Chizuru has work to do. Have you considered who will play the lead in 'Meteor Garden' in Taiwan?"

"Is there any news from Taiwan?"

"Chairman Shibata has convinced Mr. Wang," Fukuda Miharu pursed her lips. "He hopes our lead actress can go to Taiwan soon for pre-production."

"I already said Aizawa Chizuru is not possible," Shen Zhenghui licked his lips. "What do you think?"

"I hope you can soon determine the focus of your career and not let your lower half control your brain like an adult content consumer," Fukuda Miharu rolled her eyes. "Although shooting adult films is profitable, we have more important work to do."

"Understood, my fault!" Shen Zhenghui raised his hand in response. "I probably didn't take Fukuda Miharu's words to heart."

"What do you think of this actress, Kawai and Tsumi?" Fukuda Miharu handed over a file. "She's a bit old, but just right for this role. And she, like Aizawa Chizuru, speaks Chinese."

Is 21 years old considered old? Looking at the familiar face, Shen Zhenghui squinted. "How did you sign her?"

"She's not under my agency yet, just a part-time hire," Fukuda Miharu said. "You know, I pay a high salary for part-time work. She has been working here for almost a year to raise tuition for her boyfriend. I think I should give such a hardworking young person a chance."

"Uh..." Shen Zhenghui didn't know what to say. "Alright, I have no objections."

"Oh, and that girl, Horiguchi Nagumi, seems very useful," Fukuda Miharu continued. "If you have no objections, I plan to sign her officially."

Shen Zhenghui's mouth dropped open. "You plan to enter the adult film industry?"

"Who said that having talent means you have to enter the adult film industry?" Fukuda Miharu countered. "She can be my female secretary."

"Oh..." Shen Zhenghui pressed his temples hard.

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