novelraw Chapter 52: Promotion to Level 4 Director
Chapter 52: Promotion to Level 4 Director
Top floor, Deputy Bureau Chief's office.
That door that was always heavy like the incarnation of authority, today revealed an aura of dead silence.
Takada Toshihide didn't lose his temper, even lacking the suppressed gloominess from the past few days.
He merely sat quietly behind that gigantic office desk, holding a cup of coffee that had long gone cold in his hand, looking out the window at the city skyline he once thought was completely within his grasp.
His gaze was somewhat blank.
Iwata Masao was like a soulless wax figure, standing stiffly to the side, even his breathing seeming cautious.
He didn't dare to look at Takada Toshihide's face.
Because he knew, beneath that extraordinary calmness, was a true towering rage sufficient to thoroughly burn him to ashes.
Not until a long time passed did Takada Toshihide speak slowly, his voice as hoarse as if sanded by sandpaper: "I heard, that guy Asumi, this morning, personally went to the Personnel Department."
Iwata Masao's body trembled violently."Using the reason of 'discovering and cultivating a genius newcomer who created a viewership myth', he formally submitted an application to the station for an... exceptional promotion."
The corners of Takada Toshihide's mouth curved into a highly mocking arc. Within that smile, carried the icy self-mockery of someone who had been publicly humiliated.
"He wants to let that intern named Nohara Hiroshi directly skip all procedures, be promoted to a Level 4 Director, and furthermore, establish an independent, specially responsible for 'urban legend' genre projects... Special Production Team under his name."
Boom!
Inside Iwata Masao's mind, something seemed to have exploded.
He raised his head in astonishment, his face written full of disbelief thicker than when hearing the number 8.12%.
Independent production team?
Named after an intern?
This... this was no longer a simple promotion, this was making a god!
This was Asumi declaring to everyone using a most direct and most unreasonable manner that he had found the sharpest weapon sufficient to overturn the power layout of the entire Production Bureau!
"We... we cannot let him succeed!" Iwata Masao's voice carried despair. That was the wail after being completely robbed of all hopes.
"It's too late."
Takada Toshihide slowly leaned back into his genuine leather boss chair. Those eyes that always flashed with astuteness and calculation, at this moment, for the first time, revealed a trace of true weariness.
"Over at the Board of Directors, more than half the people have already been persuaded by that number 8.12%.
They don't care about factional struggles, they only care about who can bring profits to the television station, bring the next myth."
He closed his eyes, like an idol in a shrine whose incense had completely burned out, leaving only an icy stone body.
"Iwata, you can go out first. I want to... be alone for a bit."
...
Inside the Suzuki Section, that bustling joy belonging to victory had finally, under the washing of time, gradually settled into a profoundly deeper joy.
Nohara Hiroshi currently resided in his own personal break room, which was also equivalent to his office, seemingly turning a deaf ear to all the glory and disturbances of the outside world.
Spread out in front of him was a brand new sketchpad.
On it, were no longer the hot-blooded battles in "YuYu Hakusho", nor the bizarre lines in "Yamishibai".
But rather a 5-year-old boy wearing a yellow top, red shorts, sporting a crew cut, and possessing two comically thick eyebrows.
He was grinning, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, laughing heartlessly.
The tip of Nohara Hiroshi's pen lightly tapped on that boy's face, as if touching a long-lost, warm dream belonging to another world.
"Shin-chan." The corners of Nohara Hiroshi's mouth revealed a smile.
He had fallen in love with this world.
'Knock knock knock——'
Right at this moment, the office door was lightly knocked.
Suzuki Kiyoto walked in. Behind him followed a middle-aged man wearing an exquisite suit with an elegant demeanor.
It was Asumi.
"Deputy Bureau Chief!"
The office instantly went quiet. Everyone subconsciously stood up, respectfully lowering their heads and bowing.
"Mhm." Asumi acknowledged lightly, then his gaze swept over everyone, ultimately landing on that young man in the corner who had been reminded in advance and called out from his office.
He didn't put on the airs of a Deputy Bureau Chief. Instead, carrying a gentle smile on his face, he walked straight to Nohara Hiroshi.
"Nohara-kun." In his voice, carried a heartfelt appreciation: "I came today to formally, in front of everyone, express my gratitude to you, for unearthing a treasure like you for our TV Tokyo."
He even lightly lowered his head to express his respect.
"Thank you for your appreciation! Deputy Bureau Chief Asumi!"
Nohara Hiroshi bowed and bent his waist, not having the slightest error in etiquette because the other party lowered his head to express gratitude.
Neon heavily values etiquette, heavily values seniority, and heavily values hierarchy.
Nohara Hiroshi still understood this.
"Very good."
Hearing this, the smile on Asumi's face deepened.
He looked at that sketchpad drawing Crayon Shin-chan on Nohara Hiroshi's desk. A trace of curiosity flashed in his eyes, yet he didn't ask much.
But a trace of curiosity indeed surfaced.
He knew, true geniuses always have their own worlds unbeknownst to outsiders.
He took out a document from his pocket and lightly placed it in front of Nohara Hiroshi.
"This is a resolution just passed by the station." His voice wasn't loud, yet clearly entered everyone's ears: "From today onwards, you, Nohara Hiroshi, will formally be promoted to Level 4 Director of the TV Tokyo Production Bureau. Simultaneously, establishing the 'Nohara Hiroshi Special Production Team', specially responsible for the planning and production of 'urban legends' and related innovative genres. Personnel and budget are entirely for you to decide, just report it to me then."
He paused. Those profound eyes, as if looking at an uncarved piece of jade, flashed with an unprecedented light.
"Nohara-kun, the future of this television station, perhaps, is grasped in your hands."
Asumi spoke extremely earnestly.
"Applause!"
And at this time, as the Section Chief, Suzuki Kiyoto directly opened his mouth to remind those surrounding section members, then vigorously clapped his hands himself.
"Clap clap clap clap clap clap——"
Following that, whether it was Minamura Hoshi or Haseji Kakeru, or Kitagawa Yao, as well as those two newly added production staff, and Hashishita Ichiro, all vigorously clapped their hands.
Every single one was blushing red with excitement, and their vigorously clapping hands turned red from the smacking within a short time.
They were truly too excited!
It wasn't that the TV Tokyo Production Bureau had never had someone jump rapidly from an assistant directly to a Level 4 Director.
But those people, without exception, were all illustriously famous grand directors of the TV Tokyo Production Bureau Headquarters!
Now, Nohara Hiroshi actually also achieved this step.
It could be predicted.
Nohara Hiroshi...
His future was also extremely boundless!
Therefore they were so excited, feeling proud for having followed such a powerhouse and worked together.
Even other people outside the section who noticed the news arrived at the door at this time.
Astonishedly seeing Nohara Hiroshi promoted to a Level 4 Director.
Hence, they all also applauded one by one.
This was the time for people to uplift people.
One couldn't indiscriminately offend others.
Moreover, with Nohara Hiroshi's current name, relying on this morning's 8.12% viewership rating, who in the TV Tokyo Production Bureau would dare not give some respect?
One must know, quite a few Level 3 Directors hadn't been able to achieve an 8.12% viewership rating in their entire lives!
Even those Level 2 Directors wouldn't dare say the TV dramas or films they directed could steadily have as good of a result as "Yamishibai Season 2".
Out of respect, they already considered Nohara Hiroshi as one of their kind.
Not that director assistant.
Nor this current Level 4 Director!
'How could it be like this!' Yet within the crowd, although Hashishita Ichiro was also rapidly and vigorously clapping, his heart, increasingly... was swallowed by the fires of jealousy!