My Name is Hiroshi Nohara, Star of Neon Film and Television!

Chapter 103: Surprise Attack on Tokyo! Nohara Hiroshi's Palpitations! This World's Mom, Dad, and Big Brother!

When Tanaka Kei brought that scattered but newly motivated group of defeated soldiers back into that familiar yet unfamiliar Nohara Section Room, what greeted them was no longer the strange gazes of their colleagues, but a thick, pillow-sized final version of the project proposal.

Nohara Hiroshi didn't spout much nonsense;

he merely distributed that blueprint, which could be called the bible of variety shows, handing one copy to each person.

"One hour, finish reading it." His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable majesty. "In one hour, we'll hold our first production meeting."

In the meeting room, Tanaka Kei and his nine subordinates, who had just climbed out from the bottom of their lives, were like nine prisoners about to face final judgment. Holding their breath and concentrating, they focused all their attention on those seemingly thin but incredibly heavy pages.

Then, this small meeting room was completely overwhelmed by a succession of suppressed gasps of extreme shock.

"This... this is... a script?"

The former genius variety show scriptwriter, a man named Kenta, looked at the flowchart that detailed every single punchline, every twist, and even marked precisely at which second the guests should exclaim. For the first time, a completely unbelievable shock surfaced in those eyes that had long been clouded by alcohol.

"Can variety shows... still be filmed like this?"

The art director, once famous for his attention to detail, looked at those creative illustrations full of unconstrained imagination, yet annotated with unparalleled detail regarding props and scenes. He felt his worldview thoroughly ground into powder at that moment.

They were all seasoned veterans who had immersed themselves in the variety show industry for years. They knew too well how much traditional variety show production relied on the hosts' impromptu performances, the guests' spontaneous reactions, and that unpredictable "live feeling."But this project proposal before them was like the sharpest scalpel, mercilessly and cleanly excising all "unpredictable" factors.

It was exactly like a movie script with a pre-written ending;

every link, every rhythm, was precisely arranged in the most appropriate place by an omnipotent hand of God.

This was no longer producing a variety show.

This was using an almost industrialized, assembly-line-like precision operation to produce a flawless entertainment product destined to detonate all the audience's laugh points!

"This is truly too detailed. It fundamentally teaches us how to act in a variety show, rather than participating in one..."

Tanaka Kei let out a long sigh, as if that breath carried away all the confusion and bewilderment of his first half of life.

He raised his head, looking at the young man sitting calmly in the main seat flipping through actor profiles. His gaze, like a seeker who had just caught a glimpse of heavenly laws, was filled with awe from the depths of his soul.

"Section Chief Nohara." His voice was hoarse but carried an unprecedented determination. "Do you want... to film a variety show in the way of filming a movie?"

"Indeed, you can say that." Nohara Hiroshi put down the documents in his hands and raised his head. A faint smile flickered in those clear eyes. "I just want the audience to watch it and feel completely satisfied."

"In traditional variety shows, the audience's 'points of satisfaction' are random and uncontrollable. It relies on the personal charm of the stars and unexpected events on set. What I want to do is turn this 'satisfaction' into an inevitability."

"I want the audience's emotions, from the first second the program starts to the last second it ends, to be firmly in our hands. When to laugh, when to gasp in amazement, when to be moved, when to strike the table in admiration... all of this is designed by us."

"This is the true spirit of entertainment, serving the audience."

"As for some soul of variety shows, we don't need it at all. I just need you, the filming team, and the team of actors we find, to completely, entirely, and perfectly follow my proposal!"

These words landed with a resounding thud, like lightning tearing through the night sky, instantly illuminating the minds of Tanaka Kei and his subordinates, which had long been imprisoned by the old rules.

They looked at that young man, their gazes increasingly filled with amazement.

"Alright, the time is about up."

Nohara Hiroshi checked his watch and stood up, his posture like a general about to head into battle. "I have already prepared the actors for you. They are all highly skilled, underappreciated talented actors from within our Kanto Faction. Your task is to perfectly present every detail of this proposal in front of the camera."

"Yes!"

Tanaka Kei and those nine subordinates, who had already been thoroughly won over, stood up together and bowed deeply to him. Their voices carried a life-entrusting resolve!

Although they weren't sure whether doing this would actually attract audiences, for them who had already hit rock bottom in life...

What qualifications did they have to say no?

Besides, this young man named Nohara Hiroshi had already created two miracles in viewership ratings. They had no right to doubt him.

It was better to just try it like this.

What if it succeeded?

And a faint smile also lingered on Nohara Hiroshi's face. He knew this would definitely succeed, after all, this was a variety show plagiarized from the Neon world of his past life.

And it was the most brilliant first season of "Kasou Taishou".

This national-level variety show was inherently brilliantly edited, and now, with the meticulous production of Tanaka's team...

Adding strength to strength, excellence to excellence.

It would absolutely be even more spectacular.

"Plagiarizing is really handy," Nohara Hiroshi's lips curved into a smile.

...

In the following days, Nohara Hiroshi's life plunged into an unprecedented, yet completely controlled, busyness.

Like a king with boundless energy, he inspected his three simultaneously expanding vast territories.

In the morning, he would first go to the production room of "Yamishibai" to check the work progress of Hashishita Ichiro and his three "supervisors."

Everything was proceeding methodically, and that familiar atmosphere full of Japanese horror aesthetics was gradually being rebuilt bit by bit.

Then, he would go to the set of the second season of "Tales of the Unusual".

Sato Kenji and Yamamoto Takeshi, these two veteran generals of the Kanto Faction, were like two incredibly precise instruments, flawlessly replicating every detail from his manuscripts into the camera.

Their tacit understanding and efficiency had even reached a higher level than when they first started.

In the afternoon, he would pour all his energy into that brand new battlefield full of infinite possibilities—the recording site of "Kasou Taishou".

Watching Tanaka Kei and his reborn team turning his unconstrained, imaginative ideas into reality one by one with an almost pilgrimage-like fervor, he felt like a God who had personally created a new world, filled with an unparalleled sense of accomplishment.

Everything was going well, and everything was under control.

On Friday evening, as Nohara Hiroshi finished the last document on hand and watched the twilight slowly sinking outside window, a heartfelt sense of satisfaction and relaxation made the smile on his lips exceptionally gentle.

He picked up the phone and dialed Kitagawa Yao's internal line.

"Kitagawa, go book a place. That 'Toriko' in Ginza, the best private room. It's my treat tonight. Call all the core members of our three project teams."

"Yes! Section Chief!" From the other end of the line came Kitagawa Yao's crisp voice, full of happy surprise.

Following Nohara Hiroshi was just this happy;

every now and then, this Section Chief would treat them.

They could feast and enjoy grand meals.

This little girl, Kitagawa Yao, had already gained four or five pounds, but every time she heard Nohara Hiroshi say it was his treat, she would show a happy yet distressed smile.

But being able to go to a high-end izakaya to enjoy a fancy meal every time...

Who wouldn't like that?

...

Ginza, Toriko.

This top-tier yakitori restaurant, renowned for grilling with premium Binchotan charcoal and claiming to elevate even chicken tail into a refined Kaiseki cuisine experience, was currently enveloped in a joyful atmosphere full of the scent of victory.

Almost thirty core members from the three project teams gathered together.

They drank ice-cold Asahi draft beer, ate yakitori that was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with juices. Every face was glowing with a heartfelt, proud sense of shared glory.

"Come! To our omnipotent Section Chief Nohara! Cheers!"

Someone, not knowing who, was the first to take the lead in raising a glass.

Immediately, a mountain-shaking roar of responses converged into a torrent sufficient to shake the entire night sky of Ginza!

"Cheers!"

Nohara Hiroshi smiled, raised his glass, and downed the ice-cold liquid in one gulp. The hearty exhilaration belonging to a victor swept away all the exhaustion in his heart.

'Beep! Beep beep!'

Amidst this ocean of revelry, an urgent electronic notification sound rang out from his pager on the table.

He picked up that small black square, glanced at the unfamiliar number displayed on the screen, and that brief, rustic message. His entire person was stunned.

[Hiroshi? This is your brother Semashi. Mom, Dad, and I just arrived at Tokyo Station. Where are you right now?]

"...Ah?!"

Nohara Hiroshi felt as if his brain had been ruthlessly smashed by a meteorite falling from the sky.

On his usually calm and unruffled face, for the first time, a completely unvarnished, pure look of sheer dumbfoundedness appeared.

Big Brother? Dad? Mom?

Why... would they come to Tokyo?!

And... they've already arrived?!

Isn't this arrival a bit too sudden?!

...

Tokyo Station, Shinkansen Platform.

The endless stream of people was like pebbles thrown into an anthill, stirring up a flurry of chaotic ripples.

Nohara Ginnosuke and Nohara Tsuru, these two elderly folks from the countryside of Akita, were currently like two marmots wandering into a forest of steel. They were looking around with novel curiosity at this gigantic station full of futuristic vibes.

"Wow—! Tsuru, look! That train actually has two floors!" Nohara Ginnosuke pointed at a double-decker Shinkansen slowly passing by in the distance, his tiny eyes sparkling with the excited light of someone who had never seen the world.

"Yes, yes, and that, that screen is so big, bigger than our TV at home!" Nohara Tsuru was also like a child, pointing at the massive electronic display in the waiting hall with a look of amazement.

The couple's rustic exclamations formed a sharp contrast with the hurried Tokyoites around them, who were long accustomed to such sights.

'Just a bunch of smelly outsiders coming to our Tokyo!'

Those Tokyoites curled their lips.

Only Nohara Semashi, the honest farmer, was currently looking at his wallet—which had instantly deflated by more than half from buying three train tickets—with a pained expression. His dark face was written full of annoyance.

"Father, I told you earlier, it would have been fine to just take a regular train. It wouldn't have been that much faster anyway. This Shinkansen is way too expensive. Just one ticket is enough for our family's grocery money for several days." He couldn't help but complain softly.

"Shut up! You cheapskate!"

Nohara Ginnosuke glared, his majestic patriarch persona coming online again. "We're here to see Hiroshi! To see our Nohara family's future hope! Of course we have to take the best train and arrive in style! What do you know?!"

He paused, looking his eldest son up and down with a look of someone resenting iron for not becoming steel, and curled his lips.

"With your stingy and scrounging look, no wonder you're almost thirty and still can't find a girlfriend! Serves you right!"

"I... I was being frugal!" Nohara Semashi's weathered face flushed red, and he argued stubbornly, "Besides, not being able to find a girlfriend is because girls nowadays are too materialistic! It has nothing to do with whether I'm frugal or not!"

"Alright, alright, you two, arguing the moment you see each other."

Nohara Tsuru stepped in to smooth things over, as usual. She glanced around, a trace of worry floating on her gentle face. "Semashi, did you page Hiroshi? Will he... will he come pick us up?"

"Sent it, sent it." Nohara Semashi took out his pager, which he treasured like a precious gem, and waved it triumphantly. "Mom, just relax. This is called 'doing big things with a small budget'! A page is only a few words, much cheaper than calling! That kid Hiroshi will definitely reply as soon as he sees the message."

Just as he finished speaking, the small pager vibrated again.

[Big Brother, take care of Mom and Dad. I'll be right there.]

"See!" Nohara Semashi's face instantly bloomed with a victorious smile.

Make a phone call?

Pagers and texting were much more convenient.

And cheaper too!

...

A black Toyota Crown Majesta flashed through the night like a dark bolt of lightning, cruising smoothly and swiftly across Tokyo's complex web of roads.

Since Nohara Hiroshi had been drinking, he naturally couldn't drive. The current Neon had strictly enforced drunk driving penalties.

Very strict.

Therefore, Nohara Hiroshi had Haseji Kakeru, who hadn't drunk because he had other things to do, take the wheel.

"Haseji! Faster!"

In the back seat, Nohara Hiroshi watched the street scenes rapidly receding out the window. A touch of panic, which even he hadn't noticed, surfaced on his usually unflappable face.

No matter how well one is doing, when meeting one's mom and dad, there's always an extra flutter of anxiety inside.

What's more, Nohara Hiroshi was a transmigrator.

Towards these parents and older brother...

His feelings were still very complex.

"Yes!"

In the driver's seat, Haseji Kakeru, who was usually a bit shy, was now like an experienced veteran driver. He nodded heavily, and pressed the accelerator a bit deeper.

'Vroom vroom vroom—'

The V8 engine emitted a low roar. Like an awakened beast, it rapidly sprinted forward, leaving behind the astonished faces of pedestrians who heard the commotion.

However, when they saw one by one that it was a luxury car, a Toyota Crown, they also gritted their teeth and cursed.

"Do rich people with luxury cars think they're so great? Making such noise late at night! Damn it!"

Soon, they arrived at the pick-up area of Tokyo Station.

From far away.

Nohara Hiroshi saw the three figures carrying bags of all sizes, waiting pitifully on the edge of the platform.

Nohara Hiroshi's heart fluttered. Subconsciously, he broke into a brilliant smile, waving vigorously and yelling out, "Dad, Mom! And... Big Brother Semashi!"