Chapter 37

Not long after the start of the school year,

Among the students of Tokyo Fuji University, Waseda University, RB Women's University, and others, a rumor began to circulate;

"Have you heard? There's a really fun disco in Takadanobaba!"

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After exiting Takadanobaba Station, walking through a commercial street, and turning into an alley, you would see a neon sign flashing "DISCO!"

From the moment the doors opened on weekends in the afternoon, a long queue would form in the alley. Due to the limited space, the venue could only accommodate up to 300 people, and once the limit was reached, a one-in-one-out rule was enforced.

However, even until midnight, the queue remained long, and there were instances where people had to wait for two hours without being able to enter.

But with two burly men in black suits standing at the entrance, no one dared to cause trouble.

After paying at the entrance, the men in black suits would stamp a fluorescent mark on your wrist, and you could then lift the curtain at the main door to enter.

Upon entering, the first thing you saw was a large, glittering "DISCO" sign on a partition wall, and the vibrations of the music could already be felt.

Going through the small doors on either side of the partition wall, you would finally reach the actual disco.

As soon as you entered the main hall, you were surrounded by rhythmic dance music.

At the beginning, it might be slow and mellow, but during the climax, you could see the dark blue dance floor illuminated by the rotating lights, casting dazzling colors. The DJ controlled the atmosphere, and a few female dancers swayed their bodies to the music.

On the background wall behind the DJ booth, the music theme for the week, "CityPop," was displayed in flashing lights.

The bar served drinks, including cocktails and a few snacks. In the few booths, people occasionally took a break, but they would soon return to the dance floor.

After having your fill or being too tired to dance, you could exit through a small door on the side, but once you left, you couldn't re-enter.

What seemed like a fairly common disco to people in the future was considered very avant-garde in this era.

Every night, groups of young people came here to release their energy to the rhythm until the place closed.

Within two weeks of opening, the disco had already sparked a significant trend among students in the Takadanobaba area.

After the first week of trial operations, the novel format and the strong rhythm of the music attracted more than 300 people every day, and even a 1000 yen entry fee couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the young crowd.

Nagayama Naoki calculated that the daily revenue was around 300,000 yen, more on weekends, and the monthly revenue was about 9 million yen. With no rent to pay, after deducting labor and other costs, the net profit was over 6 million yen.

Even after giving 10% of the net profit to Araki Shigeharu, the remaining 5.4 million yen was like making money by robbing a bank!

Having a capable partner was indeed necessary. Since the opening, they had encountered quite a few yakuza, all of whom were dealt with by Araki Shigeharu.

By giving him 10% of the profit, and with the land and DJs under contract with his own studio, he didn't have to worry about employee rebellion in the short term.

Nagayama Naoki settled into his role as the boss.

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What to do with the money now?

Of course, spend it!

But this time, he wouldn't buy a house. He had had his driver's license for some time and planned to buy a car.

After some research, Nagayama Naoki had already set his sights on a black Mercedes-Benz R107 SL convertible, the kind often seen in Hong Kong films, and also Bruce Lee's favorite sports car!

With a retractable convertible top, a black body, and light yellow leather seats, it exuded understated luxury.

Priced at 8 million yen, it was as expensive as a house!

He hadn't intended to buy such an expensive car, but after seeing it in person...

He couldn't control himself!!

After all, this car was renowned for its timeless style.

Moreover, 1981 was the peak of the R107 SL, featuring the interior of the Mercedes-Benz W126 S-Class and the latest power system, with a maximum power output of 240 horsepower.

Driving this car on the road attracted more than just the attention of young women.

At least now, Ito Shuichi, a middle-aged man, was drooling over Nagayama Naoki's car...

"Naoki-san, please, let me drive it~"

"No way!" Nagayama Naoki firmly refused, "Shuichi-san, this is my brand new car, and we haven't even passed the honeymoon period yet. How can I let another man touch it!"

"So, you mean after the honeymoon period, you'll lend it to me!" Ito Shuichi persisted.

"Shuichi-san, you can afford it, right? You made a lot from the last GG~"

"Are you kidding me? Do you think everyone is like you?"

"My pay has long been taken by my wife, and there's the mortgage, car loan, expenses for my wife and daughter, and company social obligations..." He sounded like a middle-aged man who had lost his edge.

"Ha ha, with so many expenses, let's focus on shooting the GG." Nagayama Naoki quickly changed the subject, or Ito Shuichi would have been shameless for who knows how long.

After working with Ito Shuichi so many times, Nagayama Naoki had discovered that beneath his producer-director facade, he was actually a very friendly and silly "teenager," and they had become close friends.

This time, Nagayama Naoki came to the studio to shoot the next phase of the beverage GG.

The GG for the first quarter was excellent, and this time, it was a peach-flavored soda, which was in season.

However, because the last GG was so successful, Nagayama Naoki's image was almost fixed, so the GG's main character naturally had to change.

Nagayama Naoki had known beforehand that he would only play a supporting role in this GG, and the main character would be another idol.

Of course, this was the official stance. Privately, Ito Shuichi had revealed:

Because the GG was so successful, it caused a surge in the sales of the peach-flavored soda. In the company's discussion, a department head believed that the promotion strategy was mature and could be directly replicated.

So, a senior executive was appointed to oversee all promotions for the new product, commonly known as "picking the fruit."

Typically, such internal power struggles wouldn't affect the execution, but this time, the executive brought his own confidants and had his own network of connections.

It was rumored that he had close ties with the talent agency Johnny's & Associates.

The GG shooting contract had already been signed, and Nagayama Naoki only had a one-quarter contract, so the GG's main character could naturally be replaced by someone from their own team.

Hearing this, Nagayama Naoki understood that Ito Shuichi no longer had the final say and was no longer fully representing the client.

His previous support was just a department head, and now the final decision was in the hands of the executive, making him just a GG director.

"It's okay, Shuichi-san. Let's just shoot the remaining GGs normally. I don't think I can come up with a better story than the last one, so it's a good time to step back." Nagayama Naoki, seeing Ito Shuichi's regret, quickly reassured him.

Now, the monthly earnings from the disco were higher than the share from a GG.

"I'm really sorry, Naoki-san."

"But after this quarter's GG, I don't plan to continue directing."

"Shuichi-san, don't worry about me. The business with Yumeguchi Beverage is still very profitable." Nagayama Naoki advised.

Ito Shuichi laughed and waved his hand, "Naoki-san, don't worry. Part of it is due to connections, but more importantly, it's related to the success of the previous GG."

"Naoki-san, the previous GG was innovative in terms of creativity, shooting, editing, music, and distribution, and it had a significant impact in the industry!" Ito Shuichi said with a hint of pride,

"Thanks to you, I can now be called a somewhat famous director."

Nagayama Naoki was officially just a GG model, and all the fame for the GG's production went to Ito Shuichi.

With a reputation in the industry, he wouldn't lack for business, and some even asked him to direct TV dramas.

"Also, my original dream was to direct movies and TV dramas, and I had to shoot GGs to make a living." Shuichi-san looked a bit wistful, "Maybe I'll have a chance to realize my dream in the future~"

"That's great~"

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