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

Chapter 273: The Declaration of Election Victory and the Boiling Headquarters

The clock in the campaign headquarters of Tokyo City TV pointed to twelve noon exactly. Sunlight passed through the slits of the blinds, casting bright spots of light on the floor.

The telephone on the long table suddenly rang rapidly, breaking the momentary peace.

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Nohara Hiroshi reached out his hand almost simultaneously with the liaison of the Election Commission, and ultimately it was he who picked up the receiver.

"Hello, this is the Shimazu Yoshihiro Campaign Headquarters." Nohara Hiroshi's voice was steady, yet his fingertips unconsciously exerted a slight force.

From the receiver came the clear and formal voice of the liaison, spreading throughout the room via the speakerphone button: "Congratulations! According to the final vote count, Mr. Shimazu Yoshihiro has defeated Mr. Tanaka Mikami with a total vote share of 53.7% and is officially elected as the new Mayor of Tokyo City! The Election Commission will hold a press conference at 2:00 PM to officially announce the results to the public. Please be prepared."

"Thank you! Thank you for your hard work!" Nohara Hiroshi hung up the phone, turned to look at Shimazu Yoshihiro, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

"We won? We really won?"

Shimazu Yoshihiro abruptly stood up. His eyes were full of disbelief, which was immediately overwhelmed by wild joy.

He grabbed the hand of Sakata Nobuhiko beside him and shook it vigorously, his voice carrying an excited tremble. "Sakata-kun, we won! We really did it!"Sakata Nobuhiko's eyes instantly moistened. He patted Shimazu Yoshihiro's shoulder and laughed heartily: "We won! Shimazu-kun, you won! This is the will of the people, well-deserved!"

The headquarters instantly boiled over!

Takada Toshihide excitedly picked up Asumi beside him and spun around in place. His usual shrewd and calculating appearance was completely gone, leaving only pure joy: "I said so! We would definitely win! That guy Tanaka Mikami finally lost!"

Asumi smilingly pushed him away, his tone full of emotion: "The hard work these past few months was not in vain! From the setup of the information cocoon, to the promotion of people's livelihood policies, and finally to the security preparations, every step was not taken easily. Now it has finally paid off!"

Hashimoto Ichiro jumped up excitedly and hugged Yamamoto Takeshi beside him: "Section Chief Hashimoto, we succeeded! From now on, the cultural industry of Tokyo City can finally develop properly!"

Yamamoto Takeshi also found it hard to conceal his excitement, patting his back: "This is all thanks to Hiroshi-san's strategic planning and Mr. Shimazu's firm belief! Without you two, we fundamentally wouldn't have reached today!"

Kurosawa Eiji leaned against the wall, a gratified smile on his face. He picked up his teacup from the table and raised it toward the crowd: "Excellent! Excellent! Tokyo City finally has a mayor who truly thinks for the people! Let me toast everyone to celebrate our victory!"

Asano Takata took out his camera and continuously photographed the lively scene before him, muttering to himself: "I must record this moment! This is a new starting point for Tokyo City, and also the glory of all of us!"

Shimazu Yoshihiro walked up to Nohara Hiroshi and bowed deeply: "Hiroshi-kun, thank you! If it weren't for you, there's no way I could have won this election. Your wisdom, your foresight, and your dedication—I will engrave them in my heart forever!"

Nohara Hiroshi quickly helped him up, a gentle smile on his face: "Mr. Shimazu, you don't need to be so polite. This is what you deserve. Your concepts of people's livelihood moved every voter. I only did what I was supposed to do."

He paused and continued: "Right now is just the first step. Moving forward, concerning economic transformation, employment support, and affordable housing construction, there is still a lot of work to do. We cannot slack off. We must throw ourselves into the new work as soon as possible and not let down the trust of the voters."

"You are right!" Shimazu Yoshihiro nodded. The excitement in his eyes gradually settled into determination. "After the press conference this afternoon ends, we will hold a working meeting to research and formulate specific implementation plans. I want the citizens to feel the changes as soon as possible, let them know their choice was not wrong!"

Right at this moment, the television in the headquarters suddenly played a burst of impassioned music, and the news logo of Tokyo City TV appeared on the screen.

A female anchor, with a smile on her face, broadcasted excitedly: "Dear viewers, we are interrupting for an important news bulletin! The Tokyo City Election Commission has just announced the final vote counting results! Mr. Shimazu Yoshihiro successfully won the election as the new Mayor of Tokyo City with a total vote share of 53.7%! This is a victory for the concept of people's livelihood. Mr. Shimazu's policies such as 'Employment Support,' 'Affordable Housing Construction,' and 'Economic Diversification' received the enthusiastic support of the vast citizenry..."

The TV screen switched to Shimazu Yoshihiro's campaign posters and his brilliant moments during the debates, accompanied by uplifting background music that made one's blood boil.

The people in the headquarters gathered in front of the TV, watching the news broadcast with faces full of pride and joy.

"This is great! The TV station has already started broadcasting!" Takada Toshihide said excitedly. "Now all of Tokyo, all of Japan will know Mr. Shimazu has been elected!"

Sakata Nobuhiko smiled and said: "This is just the beginning. Next, NHK, Yomiuri Shimbun, and Asahi Shimbun will all follow up with reports. Shimazu-kun's policy concepts will spread to every corner."

The news broadcast spread rapidly throughout all of Tokyo City as if it had grown wings.

In streets and alleys, cheering and jubilant crowds were everywhere.

On the streets of Shinjuku, young people spontaneously gathered, holding up Shimazu Yoshihiro's campaign posters and shouting slogans of "People's Livelihood is the Foundation! Go Tokyo!";

at the intersections of Shibuya, vehicles honked in tribute, and drivers stuck their heads out, waving their arms to share the joy of victory;

even in remote suburbs, old people sat at their doorsteps, listening to the news broadcast on the radio with gratified smiles on their faces.

At the entrance of a small convenience store, the boss was pasting Shimazu Yoshihiro's poster in the most prominent spot, saying to the customers lining up to pay: "Mr. Shimazu is elected! In the future, it will be easier for young people to find jobs, and housing prices can be controlled. This is a tremendous good thing!"

"Indeed!" a young office worker responded with a smile. "I finally have hope of applying for affordable housing and won't have to squeeze into a capsule apartment anymore!"

"My son just graduated from university this year and hasn't found a job. Mr. Shimazu's youth entrepreneurship fund policy is truly sending charcoal in snowy weather!" a middle-aged woman sighed with emotion, her eyes full of expectation.

In front of the newspaper kiosks on the streets, people crowded to snatch up newspapers.

The front-page headline of the latest newspaper boldly printed "Shimazu Yoshihiro Wins Election! Tokyo Ushers in a New Era of People's Livelihood," accompanied by a composed photo of Shimazu Yoshihiro.

The newspaper vendor was pleasantly busy, handing out newspapers while saying: "Today's newspapers are selling like crazy! Everyone wants to see the new mayor's policy plans!"

Inside the office building of TV Tokyo, it was even more jubilant.

Employees spontaneously gathered in the lobby, waving small flags and shouting the slogans "Congratulations President Shimazu! Congratulations TV Tokyo!"

The employees who previously supported Shimazu Yoshihiro excitedly hugged each other, sharing the joy of victory.

"This is great! Former President Shimazu is elected mayor;

our TV Tokyo will definitely receive more support in the future!" an excited young director-editor said.

"Yes! In the future, our cultural programs and people's livelihood programs will finally have more room for development!" another employee chimed in.

Sakata Nobuhiko stood by the window in his office, watching the celebrating crowds downstairs with a gratified smile on his face.

He picked up the phone and dialed Nohara Hiroshi's number: "Hiroshi-kun, do you see it? The citizens are celebrating. This is the greatest affirmation for us. You must accompany Shimazu-kun to the press conference this afternoon."

"Understood, Station Chief Sakata." Nohara Hiroshi's voice came from the receiver, still steady as ever. "I have already communicated with Mr. Shimazu. We will set off for the Election Commission exactly at 1:00 PM."

Hanging up the phone, Sakata Nobuhiko walked to his desk and picked up a document. It was the "Cultural Revitalization of the City" planning proposal previously submitted by Nohara Hiroshi.

Looking at the detailed plans in the proposal, his heart was full of expectation. He knew that under the leadership of Shimazu Yoshihiro and Nohara Hiroshi, the future of TV Tokyo and the future of Tokyo City would relentlessly keep getting better.

In stark contrast to the jubilation at the TV Tokyo campaign headquarters was the VIP lounge on the top floor of Tokyo City TV.

It was deadly silent here. The air seemed to have solidified, oppressively thick and hard to breathe. The TV was still playing the news of Shimazu Yoshihiro's election victory. The female anchor's impassioned voice sounded to everyone's ears right now like a ruthless mockery.

Tanaka Mikami slumped on the sofa, his body sunken deep into the soft leather seat, yet he felt not the slightest comfort.

His eyes stared dead at the TV screen playing Shimazu Yoshihiro's victory declaration. Every word was like a sharp knife stabbing his heart.

His face was as pale as paper, his mouth twitching slightly, and his eyes were full of unwillingness, anger, and despair.

Takahashi Kazuo stood in the corner, his head lowered almost touching his chest, his hands nervously wrung together.

His forehead was covered in cold sweat. His shirt on his back was soaked through, clinging tightly to his skin.

He knew that Tanaka Mikami had fallen from power, and he, an Executive Deputy Station Chief who had relied on him to climb up, was also about to face the fate of unemployment, and might even be purged by the new government.

Yamada Ichiro and Suzuki Kenta stood side by side against the wall, their faces bloodless and their eyes hollow.

They watched the celebrating crowds on the TV screen, their hearts filled with complicated emotions.

Fear, regret, and also a trace of relief.

Having followed Tanaka Mikami for many years, although they gained quite a few benefits, they were also restricted by him everywhere. Now that Tanaka fell from power, they could finally break free from control, yet they didn't know where they should go in the future.

Onodera kept his head down, tightly clutching the final vote counting results in his hand. The paper was already crumpled by him.

He had followed Tanaka Mikami the longest and knew many of his secrets. Now that Tanaka fell from power, he worried he would be implicated, his heart full of anxiety and unease.

"Enough!" Tanaka Mikami suddenly roared. He abruptly grabbed the coffee cup beside him and smashed it viciously at the TV.

With a loud "crash," the coffee cup shattered against the TV screen, glass shards flying everywhere, and coffee spilling all over the floor.

The TV instantly went black, the originally impassioned voice abruptly stopping, leaving only dead silence.

Everyone was startled into trembling by this sudden explosive rage. They hastily lowered their heads, not daring to look at Tanaka Mikami's eyes.

Tanaka Mikami violently stood up, his chest heaving fiercely, his eyes full of crazed anger.

Pointing at the TV screen, he roared hoarsely: "Shimazu Yoshihiro! You old thing! Do you think you've won? Do you think you can change anything? Without real estate, Tokyo City's economy will collapse sooner or later! Just you wait, it won't be long before the citizens regret it! They will know who is truly capable of leading them towards prosperity!"

His voice echoed in the spacious lounge, carrying endless resentment and unwillingness. He paced back and forth, the sound of his leather shoes striking the floor exceptionally piercing, as if venting the anger in his heart.

"And you all!"

Tanaka Mikami suddenly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "You bunch of trash! Usually, you all flatter and fawn over me, saying you would follow me to the death. But what happened? At the crucial moment, not a single one could help me! Sato Tokugawa betrayed me, the Cabinet abandoned me, even you people are watching me make a fool of myself!"

Takahashi Kazuo was so scared his legs went soft, almost collapsing to the floor. He hurriedly waved his hands: "Mr. Tanaka, we didn't! We are absolutely loyal to you! It's just—it's just that the general trend is gone, and we are truly powerless!"

"Absolutely loyal?"

Tanaka Mikami sneered, his tone full of mockery. "Absolutely loyal means watching me step by step towards failure without even a single word of warning? Absolutely loyal means when I need help, every single one of you shrinks back? I see you are just a bunch of snobbish sycophants!"

Yamada Ichiro and Suzuki Kenta still kept their heads down, not daring to speak. They knew that right now, any explanation was superfluous. Tanaka Mikami's head had been addled by anger, and he wouldn't listen to anything.

Onodera gathered his courage and said softly: "Mr. Tanaka, now that matters have reached this stage, we should still think about the path forward. The election is over, you—you should also make some plans for yourself."

"Make plans for myself?"

Tanaka Mikami violently looked at him, the anger in his eyes almost swallowing a person. "What else do I need to plan? Tokyo City, which I managed for over ten years, has been snatched away by that old thing just like that! My wealth, my status, my everything, is gone! It's all because of you! Because of you bunch of trash!"

He rushed forward abruptly, grabbed Onodera tightly by the collar, yanked him in front of himself, and roared angrily: "It's all you! Back then it was you who said Shimazu Yoshihiro was not to be feared, who said our real estate policies would definitely win the election! And now? You tell me, what do we do now?!"

Onodera was so scared his face turned deathly pale. His body trembled non-stop, and he kept muttering: "I'm sorry—Mr. Tanaka—I was wrong—I shouldn't have misjudged the situation—"

"What use is being sorry?!" Tanaka Mikami forcefully shoved him away. Onodera staggered backward a few steps and fell to the floor.

Tanaka Mikami looked at his wretched state, but the anger in his heart did not diminish in the slightest.

He looked around at everyone's fearful and dodging gazes, and suddenly felt a deep sense of powerlessness. He knew that he had completely lost, lost disastrously, betrayed by all and forsaken.

Tanaka Mikami's anger was like an erupting volcano. After venting for a long time, it gradually subsided.

Panting heavily, he leaned against the sofa, his body trembling slightly. The madness in his eyes gradually faded, leaving only deep exhaustion and despair.

The lounge was a mess. Broken glass shards were scattered on the carpet, coffee stains spread everywhere, and the TV with its black screen lay on the floor like a cold corpse.

Everyone still kept their heads down. No one dared to speak, no one dared to move, afraid of enraging this defeated politician again.

After quite a while, Tanaka Mikami slowly spoke, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible: "All of you, leave—all of you, leave—"

Takahashi Kazuo froze for a moment, raised his head, and cautiously looked at him: "Mr. Tanaka, you—what do you mean?"

"I said, all of you get the hell out!" Tanaka Mikami suddenly raised his voice, his tone full of impatience. "I don't want to see you again! Get out of here! Don't ever appear in front of me again!"

The crowd felt as if granted amnesty. Lowering their heads, they quickly walked towards the door. Takahashi Kazuo walked at the very back. He turned back and glanced at Tanaka Mikami's wretched state, a wave of complicated emotions surfacing in his heart, but ultimately he gritted his teeth, turned around, and walked out of the lounge.

After Yamada Ichiro and Suzuki Kenta walked out of the lounge, they coincidentally let out a sigh of relief. They looked at each other, both seeing relief in each other's eyes.

"It's finally over." Yamada Ichiro said softly, his tone full of emotion.

"Yeah, it's over." Suzuki Kenta nodded. "From now on, we have to make plans for ourselves. I hope the new government will let bygones be bygones and give us a way to survive."

As soon as Onodera walked out of the lounge, he immediately took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

He knew he had to find his next employer as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

Inside the lounge, only Tanaka Mikami was left alone.

He leaned against the sofa and closed his eyes. His political career of over ten years replayed repeatedly in his mind.

From an obscure council member, he climbed step by step to the mayor's throne, enjoyed countless glory and wealth, and also made countless enemies.

Now, everything had vanished into thin air.

He thought back to his past glory, thought back to the real estate projects he promoted in Tokyo City, thought back to the pursuit and love the citizens once had for him, his heart full of endless regret.

If back then, he hadn't been so obsessed with real estate, if he could have paid more attention to people's livelihood, if he hadn't been so arrogant and domineering, perhaps today's outcome would be different.

But, there was no "if."

The setting sun shone on Tanaka Mikami through the floor-to-ceiling windows, plating him with a golden halo.

But this light could not dispel the darkness and despair in his heart.

He knew that his political career was completely over. In the days to come, he would face retaliation from political enemies, legal sanctions, and might even lose everything.

Meanwhile, at the other end of Tokyo City, Shimazu Yoshihiro was delivering his election victory declaration at the Election Commission's press conference.

Standing on the stage, facing countless reporters and cameras, his tone was firm and sincere: "I promise that after taking office, I will take people's livelihood as the foundation! I will go all out to push forward policies such as employment support, affordable housing construction, and economic diversification, so that everyone living in Tokyo can have a stable job, a decent life, and a bright future! I will lead Tokyo City to throw off the troubles of the real estate bubble and march toward a more prosperous, more beautiful future!"

Thunderous applause broke out below the stage. Reporters raised their cameras one after another to record this historic moment.

Nohara Hiroshi stood below the stage. Looking at the high-spirited Shimazu Yoshihiro on stage, a faint smile appeared on his face.

It was just that this smile carried a bit of mockery.

Japan's decline was not up to Japan to decide.

It was not determined by the Japanese people.

"Phew—" Nohara Hiroshi turned his head to look east, his gaze seemingly crossing the Pacific Ocean to arrive at the side of the current number one super power on Earth, slowly pursing his lips: "Next up, America's noose will only get tighter and tighter, right?"