Tokyo Bubble Life

Chapter 1414, page 1423: We are Asians, and mathematics is our second mother tongue!

Kijima Kyō found Nagayama Naoki in the Tree Friends Building and attacked him.

"Naoki Mulberry"

He watched Naoki Nagayama finalizing the lines for "Black Monday" with some surprise.
"Did this script take this long to complete?"

"As for the lines, I need to think about them carefully."

Unfortunately, this time I couldn't follow the movie script exactly as I remembered it. I had to tailor it to my own experiences and add better elements, otherwise the script would feel very disjointed.
"Kijima-kun, is there something you need from me?"

"Oh, is that so!"

Kijima stated his request directly.
"The drama 'Full House' has already filmed the scene where the male and female leads have a fake marriage. After the official announcement, weren't they supposed to film a scene of the two of them having a romantic vacation at the beach?"

"Taking photos in scenic spots is quite troublesome, so I'd like to borrow Naoki-san's Jurassic Island! The resort hotels and beaches there are great, and the port town is beautiful too!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this request, Naoki Nagayama's thoughts shifted.

Jurassic Park is currently preparing to open, and if this coincides with the release of a popular TV series, they might be able to reduce their advertising costs significantly.

Furthermore, the scenery and features of Jurassic Island could be showcased in "Full House," including the harbor light show and fireworks display.
Thinking of this, Naoki Nagayama nodded directly:
"OK, alright!"

Then he took out Naoya Sakata's phone number from his address book and gave it to him:
"Kishima-kun, just contact this person directly. He's in charge of overall coordination on the island, and I'll communicate with him."

"Hi! Arigato! Naoki-san!"

Kijima was overjoyed. He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly, and Nagayama Naoki seemed very supportive.

"Yes, by the way, make sure to film Jurassic Island to look good. The park is opening in the second half of the year, so we can use 'Full House' to attract some tourists!"

"..." Oh, I see. Kijima Kyō nodded again, "I understand!"

After recounting this incident, Kijima Kyō intended to leave, but then he saw Nagayama Naoki's script:

"Naoki-san, did you direct this film, 'Black Monday'?"

"Yes. He directed and acted in it himself!"

Naoki Nagayama smiled and said,

"It wasn't made for box office success; it was made for other reasons."

"I see."

Kijima's lips moved slightly:
"Can I learn some techniques during filming?"

"Kijima-kun, let's focus on filming 'Full House' first!"

"Okay, fine~"

After Kijima Kyō left, Nagayama Naoki also stopped what he was doing, leaned back in his office chair, looked out the window at the sky, his eyes vacant, seemingly lost in thought.

Just then, the mobile phone on the desk suddenly rang.

"Dilili"

"Moshi Moshi, this is Naoki Nagayama."

"Naoki-san, it's me, Itō Shuichi~"

Shuichi Itō's voice came through the microphone. Without wasting any words, he asked directly,
"Naoki-san, is your Jurassic Park currently going through the opening procedures?"

Oh? Another one related to Jurassic Park? Naoki Nagayama was somewhat surprised, but still nodded:
"Yes, we haven't finished exploring yet. It's expected to open in the second half of the year."

"That's good!"

Itō Shuichi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Have the person in charge of this area pay attention to the upcoming cultural industry support measures, which should be released around June or July. At that time, you can apply for the first batch of support projects. If the application is approved, you can receive a substantial policy subsidy, enjoy tax benefits, and there is also a possibility of tax refunds!"

"Has the plan been approved?"

Naoki Nagayama didn't ask whether the application would be approved; Shuichi-san had already called, so there wouldn't be any problem.

"Yes, the strategy of building a nation based on culture has been completed."

Shuichi Itō replied,
"The detailed rules are being finalized, and the cultural industry support measures are among the first to be introduced, and they will be available soon!"

At this point, Shuichi Itō's tone also became somewhat excited:

"Naoki-san, we, the tree friends, will definitely be the biggest winners in this wave of benefits!"

"Hahaha, this is all thanks to Xiu Yi-san!"

Since entering politics, Shuichi Itō has been gradually realizing his goals with the help of higher-ups!

After discussing this matter, the two chatted for a while longer, then agreed to have a drink together that evening before hanging up the phone.

Naoki Nagayama looked out the window again, reflecting on his previous thoughts, and felt a pang of emotion:
"I don't have to worry about my future anymore. I have a career, money, and love. So why do I suddenly feel a little empty?"

"What a pointless whine! Fine, I'll just go to a few more nightclubs tonight!"

As Naoki Nagayama was planning his evening's activities, the office door opened again, and Otomo Yoshimura walked in.
"Naoki-san, is there no blessing ceremony in your new movie?!"

"???"

Today is truly amazing, so many people are looking for him. Naoki Nagayama nodded.

"Yeah, it's a low-budget film, I didn't expect it to make a lot of money at the box office, and it was filmed in an office building, so I thought I'd better just forget about it! The blessing ceremony is too much trouble!"

"This"

Yoshimura Otomo walked over to him with some concern.
"Naoki and Murata-san even called to inquire! We shouldn't miss a blessing ceremony like this, right?!"

"what?!"

Grandma Murata is the shrine that Shuyu has been seeking out. Shuyu has her perform blessing ceremonies before the start of almost all of his film and television projects. Because of this, Grandma Murata's shrine is very famous in the entertainment industry.
Her shrine has always paid close attention to the new projects of Kiyuu Films, and after Naoki Nagayama's new film was released, they frequently called to inquire about it.

However, Yoshimura Otomo, a native Japanese, is still very superstitious about gods and ghosts.
That's why he specifically came over to say this when Naoki Nagayama said there was no need to pray for blessings:
“Naoki-san, I know you don’t really care about rituals like blessing, but it’s better to have something than nothing, right?”

Yoshimura Otomo advised:

"We don't lack these few dollars, let's just do it for peace of mind!"

"Hahaha, Otomo-san, are you afraid of refusing Grandma Murata?"

Naoki Nagayama was amused.

Are you afraid that if you refuse, Granny Murata will curse your good luck?

"Don't dare say that!"

Upon hearing this, Yoshimura Otomo immediately became serious and shook his head.

"Grandma Murata, who lives with Naoki, is truly very effective. It's not just us; other people in the entertainment industry who have been there say the same thing."

"."

Seeing how much his friend cared, Naoki Nagayama shook his head helplessly.
"Okay. Let's make it simple. It's within Tree Friends Capital, so we can't disturb everyone's work."

Yoshimura Daitomo nodded earnestly:

"Alright, I'll have Matsuo Muneo contact them right away. We'll use the simplest of ceremonies!"

Muneo Matsuo, as the first director to apply to join, has already been assigned as the head manager of the production team.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore."

Naoki Nagayama called out to Otomo Yoshimura, who was about to leave.
"Otomo-san, let's go grab a drink tonight! Shuichi-san, you come too!"

"Oh? Shuichi-san is coming too?"

Yoshimura Otomo's serious expression vanished, replaced by a smile.

"Of course I'm going! Haha, let's have some fun tonight!"

The next day, in an office building in Ginza.

Matsuo Muneo was busy arranging the camera positions on set. As a representative of the third generation of young directors, he may not be as famous as his predecessors such as Komori Masataka and Kijima Kyō, but he already has a wealth of filming experience.

"Today is the first day of filming. Everyone please pay attention!"

Matsuo Muneo gave instructions to the crew members, then walked to the shrine priest Matsuzaki Toshio in front of the main hall.
"Matsuzaki-san, it's best not to disturb other employees' normal work when you're making prayers."

Matsuzaki Toshio nodded helplessly. The office space was too small, so it seemed that the reception desk could only be used as a shrine. He would have to carefully calculate the space when performing rituals.

After reaching an agreement with the shaman, Matsuo Muneo hurried off to find Nagayama Naoki.

As I walked down the corridor in front of the office, I saw Naoki Nagayama talking to Genta Nakai.
"Yuan Tai-san, relax, relax. You've been tested in America, how come you're still nervous about making a movie?!"

Kenta Nakai is getting increasingly nervous while memorizing his lines for the first scene; now he's even struggling to recite them completely.
"How the hell should I know?!"

Nakai Gen was utterly helpless.

"I was nervous about singing in front of the whole class when I was little. Who knew I'd still be like this now that I'm older!"

"And what's with these damn lines?! They're so hard to pronounce!"

"."

Naoki Nagayama felt slightly guilty, so he slightly modified the lines to make Genta Nakai's character appear more professional and shrewd, resulting in a large amount of technical jargon and English vocabulary.
They're the elite returnees from overseas, always speaking a mix of English and their native language.
"Haha, you'll get used to it after repeating it a few times!"

Naoki Nagayama patted Genta Nakai on the shoulder.

"I believe you!"

"."

Nakai Genta rolled his eyes and continued memorizing.
At that moment, Matsuo Muneo knocked on the door and entered:
"Naoki-san, the preparations are almost done, the blessing ceremony is about to begin!"

"Okay!"

Naoki Nagayama said to Genta Nakai,
"Yuan Tai-san, let's go participate in the ceremony first. Maybe it will help change our mood!"

".Um!"

The crew of "Black Monday" was small, with only about ten people, somewhat like a short drama crew in later times.

However, I'm not worried about the quality since people like Naoki Nagayama and Genta Nakai will actually be involved.

As the auspicious hour arrived, Matsuzaki Toshio, dressed in his divine robes, began chanting incantations and started jumping around the front desk, adding a touch of comicality to the otherwise serious and elite investment banking atmosphere. Even several clients were drawn to watch.

However, Matsuzaki Toshio paid no attention to them, instead becoming increasingly immersed in his ritual. The indistinct incantations and swirling incense smoke seemed to communicate with a deity, allowing him to glimpse a glimpse of the future.
"Wishing 'Black Monday' a smooth filming process and great box office success!"

Matsuzaki Toshio, panting heavily, looked at Nagayama Naoki with his only remaining eye.
"Naoki-san, please offer incense!"

"Hi"

At this moment, Naoki Nagayama, naturally, also looked solemn. After bowing, he placed the incense stick in his hand into the incense burner of the altar.
Are you sure about your calculations?

Nakai Genta sat in a chair, his hands clasped, and asked with a mixture of nervousness and caution.

Am I sure about my calculations?

Naoki Nagayama's expression, however, was much more varied, and even his neck turned slightly red.
"Please, we're Asian!! Numbers are our second mother tongue!!"

He pointed to Takeda Tomoaki beside him and said:
"His name is Tomoaki Takeda, my analyst. He's a top student in mathematics and won first prize in the International Mathematical Olympiad!"

"Look at him, buzz cut, expressionless, sharp eyes. If he weren't breathing, he'd be a complete robot!"

"You say I'm not sure about my calculations? Of course I am!!"

"."

Hayakawa Masaru couldn't help but laugh:

"Naoki-san, what you said is somewhat racist."

"We are all Asian, so it's okay!"

Naoki Nagayama bluntly stated that the Black Lives Matter movement wasn't as intense at that time, and the minority movement hadn't yet swept the globe.
"It's just a stereotype at most."

Meanwhile, Yukio Nakayama, sitting on the other side, spoke up:

"So you're suggesting we start shorting the stock market now?!"

"Correct!"

"Now? Now is the best time for the Japanese stock market. And it's a time when stock markets around the world are booming!! Everyone is pouring money into the stock market!!!"

Nakai Genta straightened up, leaning slightly forward, and said in a forceful and serious tone.

"Naoki-san, you're gambling, gambling on the smallest possible possibility!"

Upon hearing this, Naoki Nagayama, dressed in a suit, loosened his tie.

"Speculation and gambling are separated by a fine line. The most conservative speculation has gambling characteristics, and the most reckless gambling requires a speculative perspective!"

"Everyone, this is an opportunity that could change your lives!"

"."

Nakai Genta's expression remained grave:

"It could also be an opportunity to ruin everything!"

"It all depends on how we handle it!"

After saying that line, Naoki Nagayama added a line himself.
"Click!!"

Meanwhile, Matsuo Muneo, who was operating the camera behind the scenes, quickly announced a halt and then waited for Naoki Nagayama's next instruction.

"Yuan Tai-san, your expression and tone were very good just now!"

Naoki Nagayama smiled and said,

"However, we could add some actions, such as pressing down on the table or half-standing up, to enhance the character's traits."

".good."

Nakai Genta felt it was already very difficult; his facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language—just those few words had taken a lot of his mental energy.
At this moment, Naoki Nagayama said to Tomoaki Takeda:

"Takeda Tomoaki performed very well, he really gave off the feeling of an emotionless robot!"

"."

Tomoaki Takeda felt offended!
I'm just serious and rarely smile, and Naoki Nagayama gave me this personality! I don't know why, but I feel it suits me perfectly~
Moreover, it's very convenient during performances; you don't have to worry about any facial expressions.
You can speak your lines slowly, word by word, without even worrying about your tone!
Awesome!

After Naoki Nagayama and the others finished speaking, he clapped his hands:

"Alright, let's do it one more time. We need to get the first shot perfect!"

Hi~ x5
Naoki Nagayama gestured for everyone to return to their places, glanced at Muneo Matsuo, and received a thumbs-up in response before speaking:

"Ready. Action!"

Are you sure about your calculations?

Nakai Genta spoke again.
(End of this chapter)