Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

A large number of praise comments and analysis articles from different perspectives, which look very professional and sincere, have flooded into major social platforms and forums like a tide, quickly seizing the high ground of public opinion.

They focused the discussion on positive aspects such as artistry, breakthroughs, stage appeal, and members' charm, deliberately creating an atmosphere where everyone felt that the unveiling was great and that it was a performance that would go down in history.

In this carefully manipulated and one-sided public opinion environment, most people just go with the flow.

Even if some fans feel uncomfortable or think that removing their masks goes against the band's purpose, they will subconsciously question their judgment when they see all the praise around them: "Am I the only one who feels this way?" "Am I too old-fashioned?"

Most people will choose to remain silent, or simply be persuaded and join the army of praise. As for those few who insist on their own opinions, they will soon be drowned in the ocean of information and will not make any waves.

This is a common tactic used by public relations, simple and crude, but effective.

Of course, the premise of all this is still based on the fact that the performance itself is indeed good enough.

If the performance itself is a mess, no matter how much you control the comments, it will only backfire and become a laughing stock.

Fortunately, Toyokawa Shoko's talent and the hard work of the members provided the perfect background for this "capital operation".

The excited atmosphere in the lounge lasted for quite a while, until the staff came in to remind everyone that the restaurant for the celebratory banquet they had booked was ready and the vehicles were waiting outside. Only then did everyone come back to their senses from their excitement.

Yutenji Wakamai took a last reluctant look at the praise comments that were constantly refreshing on the screen of her mobile phone, and was then dragged up by Chuhua half-pulled and half-persuaded to change into her performance clothes.

After taking off their heavy stage makeup and changing into relatively comfortable yet still fashionable and decent private clothes, the girls who just looked like dolls from another world finally had a bit more of the fresh breath of reality.

Vehicles shuttle through the colorful streets of Osaka at night.

The celebration banquet was held in a luxurious private room of an elegant teppanyaki restaurant located on the upper floors of Umeda Sky Building, overlooking the dazzling night view of Osaka.

Unlike the hustle and bustle of street shops, this place is more intimate and refined, but the menu still retains the rich Osaka flavor and has been improved to a higher level.

The long teppanyaki table occupies the main position in the private room. The skilled chef is working methodically in front of it. The ingredients make an enticing sizzling sound on the hot iron plate, and the aroma fills the air.

"Wow! This Kobe beef looks amazing!"

"And this okonomiyaki! It's different from what we usually eat! It's covered with caviar!"

"Well, this is a modified version of 'Modern Yaki' with fried noodles and seafood added."

Mutsune became interested in the "octopus ball boat" placed on the corner of the table as an appetizer.

The octopus balls here are made particularly delicately, each one is round and plump. In addition to the traditional sauce and bonito flakes, they are also decorated with small edible gold foil.

She silently picked up the small skewer, poked one up, and began to eat it in small bites, her cheeks bulging like a satisfied little hamster.

"cheers!"

"Cheers~"

The crisp sound of glasses clinking could be heard, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

Perhaps it was the joy of delicious food and success that made people relax, and everyone's interactions became more casual and interesting.

Looking at the scenery outside the window, Jiujo Renji suddenly seemed to have thought of something and laughed:

"By the way, do you know what other ways people in Osaka greet each other besides 'ni hao'?"

"Huh? Is there anything else?" Chu Hua asked curiously.

"Um..."

Kujo Renji imitated the Osaka accent and said with a hint of laughter:

"Sometimes they make gun shapes with their fingers, and then, 'bang!' The person who gets hit makes an exaggerated 'Ah! I got shot!' It's a fun way to say hello. It's called 'Bang!'"

As he spoke, he stretched out his finger, made a gun shape, and pointed it at Wakaba Mu:

"Bang!"

Mu was stunned for a moment, then... very seriously, very slowly, as if completing some important task, he leaned back and uttered a silent, emotionless sound:

"...ah."

"puff--"

Chu Hua couldn't help laughing.

"Huh? Is this real or fake?"

Toyokawa Shoko also became curious.

She didn't know much about the Kansai region, most of which came from books, and she seemed quite interested in such "little-known facts".

Kujo Renji smiled.

"Of course, but the reality... might be more realistic?"

During the expansion period of the Canglong Society, such "greeting" methods were not uncommon.

And the "gun" he uses to greet people is not just fingers.

"What do you mean by the truth is more real...isn't it the same as not saying anything?"

Miss Xiangzi was somewhat amused by Kujo Renji's nonsense literature and did not realize the deeper meaning of his words.

Of course, Kujo Renji did not explain further.

..

The celebration ended in a relaxed and joyful atmosphere. The night view of Osaka remained dazzling, but upon returning to her hotel room, Yutenji Wakamugi fell into a new round of turmoil, and the excitement she had just felt faded considerably.

Xiaoxiang's promise was indeed fulfilled—she successfully unveiled her name at the finale, and the online popularity of the name was unprecedentedly high, with countless praises and attention pouring in for the name "Meow Dream." All of this made her feel extremely satisfied and excited.

But... there's one more thing...

Ruomai carefully opened her phone and refreshed the interface that she was once very familiar with but now showed "account abnormality".

Still no changes.

Her account, the "Meow Dream" account that carries all her past efforts and hard work and has millions of fans, has not been unblocked yet.

Xiaoxiang had previously promised that after the tour, he would end her "punishment" based on her "performance," which would include unblocking her account.

Logically speaking, her performance this time... should be considered pretty good, right? The reveal was so successful, and the online response was so positive...

Shouldn't the account be unblocked?

However, there seemed to be no movement from Xiaoxiang's side.

Should she ask?

Ruomai sat on the bed with her knees hugged, her fingers unconsciously scratching the sheets. A little drama began to unfold in her mind, as if a little angel and a little devil were fighting.

[Ask! Of course you should ask! You deserve it! You've been so good, why wouldn't they unblock you? Go ask Xiaoxiang! Maybe she's just waiting for you to take the initiative!]

[No, no! Wouldn't it seem too utilitarian if I asked proactively? It's like I'm doing all this just for the account...Will it leave a bad impression on Xiaoxiang? Will he think I'm only concerned with profit?]

[What's the point of being utilitarian?! The account is yours! And Xiaoxiang agreed to it before! Why not ask? It's only natural! Besides, if you don't ask, what if Xiaoxiang forgets? That would be a huge loss!]

[But...what if Xiaoxiang thinks I'm too impatient? Thinks I'm getting cocky after just a little success? Besides...the reveal is already a success, so one should be content...wait a little longer? Maybe Xiaoxiang has already made some arrangements?]

[What are you waiting for?! The popularity waits for no one! Now is the best time! Ask now!]

...

It was as if there were two little people fighting in Ruomai's head, making her so confused that her brows were furrowed.

Sometimes she felt that she should ask with confidence, but sometimes she felt that she should be reserved and wait a little longer.

She even began to imagine what tone Xiaoxiang would use to reply if she asked... What if his tone was cold? What if he found her annoying?

Ahhhh, this is so annoying! What should I do?

In the end, after half an hour of inner struggle and self-tug-of-war, the realistic consideration of "not missing out on the popularity" prevailed.

She took a deep breath and, like a thief, carefully opened the chat box with Xiaoxiang. After a long time of deliberation on her wording, she deleted and revised it several times before finally sending a message in a tone that was as tactful and as unprofitable as possible:

"Xiao Xiang, the performance is over. Was my performance okay? Um, about the account we agreed on earlier..."

However, to her surprise, Kujo Renji replied almost instantly.

There was no comment on her performance, nor was there any mention of unblocking her. Instead, a file was directly thrown at her.

Ruomai was stunned for a moment, then clicked on the file with trepidation.

The content of the file is very concise, but contains a huge amount of information. It roughly means:

Due to the complex reasons behind the previous account ban, a complete restoration is unlikely. Therefore, we recommend that she capitalize on the immense buzz and buzz generated by the recent unmasking and create a new "Meow Dream" account. The agency will fully support the launch of this new account, leveraging official resources to drive traffic and help her quickly build popularity, potentially even surpassing her previous account.

Of course, the document also implicitly mentions that this new "Meow Dream" account will be more deeply integrated with Ave Mujica, sharing resources and risks. Future development needs to take the band's overall planning into consideration.

After reading the document, Ruomai was a little stunned.

It was completely different from what she expected, which was "unblocking the old account".

This means that everything she has accumulated in the past, those videos, those interactions, those fan messages... may really be gone forever.

This made her feel lost and regretful.

But...starting over? Taking advantage of the current buzz? The agency pulling in all the leads? Deepening its connection with Ave Mujica?

Ruomai quickly weighed the pros and cons. Losing the old account was a shame, but starting over also meant new opportunities!

Moreover, being closely associated with a band like Ave Mujica, which has unlimited potential and is a hot topic, will definitely benefit her future development! It can even be said that this is a more stable and promising path!

"Okay! I agree!"

Without much hesitation, Ruomai immediately replied in the affirmative.

The feeling of loss was quickly replaced by anticipation and excitement for the future. She had already begun to conceive the first post to be published on her new account!

.....

On the other side, Jiujo Renji looked at Ruomai's crisp "agree" in the chat box, and a barely noticeable arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Great, first step, done.

He closed the chat interface with Ruomai, and with a tap of his finger, quickly switched to another encrypted communication software and found the familiar contact - Ishikawa.

[New plan. Set up a shell entertainment company, package it in a glamorous way, and approach Yutenji Wakamu. Under the pretext of "helping her rebuild her career," offer her a seemingly generous contract with hidden terms.]

The message is sent.

Ishikawa replied almost immediately: [Received. Any details?]

Kujo Renji: [The contract trap must be concealed, focusing on the breach of contract clause and image ownership. Our goal is to ensure that regardless of whether she renews her contract, the use rights and commercial value of the "Meow Dream" image remain firmly in our control. Give her a little sweetener to make her more susceptible to the trap.]

Ishikawa: [Understood. Leave it to me.]

After finishing the conversation with Ishikawa, Kujo Renji leaned back in his chair with a calm look in his eyes.

Yes, he did not completely let down his guard because of Ruomai's "outstanding performance" and "loyal attitude" this time.

In other words, the last "failure" was just an accident and his judgment was not wrong.

In his view, cooperation without the binding of interests and the constraints of back-up will always be an unreliable castle in sand.

Yutenji Wakamugi is ambitious and intelligent. She might succumb to temporary favors or pressure, but deep down, she longs for a bigger stage and more control.

Once the time is right, or there are greater benefits to be gained, who can guarantee that she will not "betray" again?

In order to avoid future troubles, some "gray methods" are necessary. The olive branch thrown by the "shell company" controlled by Ishikawa is a carefully designed trap.

If Ruomai is content with her lot and satisfied with the resources provided by Ave Mujica, this trap might never be triggered. But if she becomes dissatisfied and attempts to access external resources, hoping to "go solo" or seek greater autonomy...

Then, this seemingly tempting contract would become a noose tightening her neck, completely tying the commercially valuable image of "Meow Dream" to his chariot.

This is the foolproof way of control that he believes in.

"Hmph...what a weird personality."

At this moment, Toyokawa Shoko's comment, which was a bit subtle, rang in my mind.

At this moment, the girl felt a little angry and a little amused.

After spending so much time together, she has a deeper understanding of Kujo's character.

If the other party was truly certain that Yutenji Ruomai was an ungrateful person who would bite back at any opportunity, he would never use this kind of "testing" method.

With his methods, if he wanted to trick someone into signing a contract to sell themselves, there were countless more covert and direct ways that the other party would not be able to detect at all.

So in Toyokawa Shoko's opinion, what Kujo did was not purely "preventive" at all.

But in...looking forward to it.

Kujo was hoping that Yutenji Wakame would not disappoint him, that she would be able to resist the temptation, and that she would be able to prove that his theory of 'human nature is evil' was wrong.

But he couldn't bring himself to admit it, so he did this to leave himself a way out.

——If she takes the bait, it will prove that he 'didn't make a mistake in choosing her'; if she doesn't take the bait, he will probably just say stubbornly 'she's lucky', right?