novelraw Chapter 97: Black Humor! Turns out Everyone Got Poached!
Chapter 97: Black Humor! Turns out Everyone Got Poached!
The last week of July, the midsummer of Tokyo, exactly like an ignited smelting furnace, broiled the entire city to the point of heatwaves rolling about.
And what was even more scorching than this weather, was still that wave stirred up by this name of Nohara Hiroshi, sweeping through the entire Neon, viewing craze concerning 'Urban Legends'.
The viewership rating of "Tales of the Unusual", exactly like a lofty mountain incapable of being shaken, stably, even carrying somewhat of arrogant posture, entrenched at the terrifying high position of 21%.
It is already no longer a simple number, it has become a kind of weekly fixed ritual, a kind of cultural phenomenon deeply penetrating the bone marrow of Neon nationals.
Countless families, at nine o'clock in the evening from Monday to Friday, all would uniformly without prior agreement, lock the channel at TV Tokyo, waiting for that mysterious man wearing sunglasses, to open a door leading towards a bizarre world for them.
And what caused all industry insiders to be even more completely shocked, is that "Yamishibai True Season Three" initially already sentenced to death, yet at this moment miraculously reborn ascending from nirvana.
After experiencing the king's return of 8.35% in the first week, its viewership rating, not only didn't fall back due to the fading of audiences' novelty sensation, instead exactly like a vine injected with god-tier nutrients, utilizing a kind of posture almost bordering on madness, rising steadily.
9.12%!
9.58%!
When the night of the final Sunday of July, after the broadcasting of the seventh episode "The Woman Behind" of "Yamishibai True Season Three" concluded, that freshly baked viewership rating report, exactly like detonating a true bomb.10.01%!
"Broke... broke 10%?!"
"A late-night time slot horror animation, viewership rating actually broke 10%?! This... is this fucking making a joke?!"
"Monster! That Nohara Hiroshi, he is fundamentally exactly an unreasonable monster!"
The entire TV Tokyo Production Bureau, upon seeing this number, thoroughly fell into a patch of speechless state.
Everyone exactly like being grabbed deadly at the throat by an invisible hand, upon those faces one after another, only remained undisguised, profound bottomless reverence.
"I comprehend..."
A certain senior analyst of the Data Analysis Department, looking at those two exactly like two dragons entering the sea, advancing together viewership rating curve charts, softly mumbled, inside that voice, carrying a kind of trembling having seen through the truth: "This is... dragging effect!"
"That terrifying viewing stickiness of 'Tales of the Unusual', has already nurtured a batch of audiences possessing extremely high loyalty. After they finished watching that god-tier work in the nine o'clock time slot, feeling unsatisfied, then, exactly will subconsciously, continue to wait for ten-thirty, that 'Yamishibai' identical deriving from the hands of Nohara Hiroshi!"
"He... he used two works, at the evening time slot of TV Tokyo, forcibly, constructed a... viewership kingdom naturally belonging to himself, unquestionable by anyone!"
This spiel, caused everyone hearing it, to all feel a gust of chills, from the tailbone, shooting straight up to the crown of the head.
And at the center of that storm, inside the office of [Nohara Hiroshi Special Production Team], yet was a patch of carnival of victory.
"Section Chief! We won again!"
"10% of the late-night time slot! This is simply unprecedented, and behind... estimated to also be very difficult to possess a successor!"
Everyone excitedly flushed red-faced, upon those faces one after another, brimming with a kind of sharing the glory, pride originating from the bottom of the heart.
Nohara Hiroshi merely peacefully watched that report sheet, corners of his mouth hooking up a smear of satisfied arc.
Everything, is all within his expectations.
In reality also not possessing too much within his expectations, some matters are still somewhat exceeding Nohara Hiroshi's expectations.
For example exactly this viewership rating breaking 10%.
"If remembering correctly, 'Yamishibai' seemingly doesn't possess such high viewership ratings." Nohara Hiroshi, slightly furrowed his brows.
The successes of Season 1 and Season 2 of "Yamishibai", at the peak of the viewership ratings, the conclusion of Season 2 due to the climax and conclusion, plus everyone not working on the subsequent Saturday, breaking 8% viewership rating, this is within his expectations.
Obtaining the top parameter of breaking 8% viewership rating, this is quite natural and right.
But in his previous life broadcasting effects were clearly not good, inside the viewership rating rankings of the first five seasons belonged to the worst season.
Arriving at this parallel Neon world, instead obtained the highest viewership rating.
"Truly letting me feel somewhat astonished." Nohara Hiroshi rubbed the back of his head, feeling exactly quite pleasantly surprised still.
Thinking about it now, perhaps exactly capable of guessing the reasons as well.
"Should exactly be that guy Iwata Masao, letting 'Yamishibai' Season 3, be truly too garbage. Letting audiences all become angry, therefore producing a kind of retaliatory viewing effect. Also possessing 'Tales of the Unusual' broadcasting in front, both are all programs of the urban legend genre, moreover all are precisely unit dramas, also produced dragging effects." Nohara Hiroshi conducted analysis.
Right at this time, the door of the Section office was lightly pushed open.
It is Hashishita Ichiro.
Just now he seemingly received some news, going out to fiddle with the Pager for a while, now actually returned anew.
But everyone all saw it, right now upon his face carrying a kind of incomparably complex, expression mixing excitement, gratitude and a trace of difficult to perceive trepidation.
He didn't participate in everyone's cheers, merely lowering his head, taking heavy strides, step by step walking to the doorway of Nohara Hiroshi's office.
"Section Chief Nohara." He deeply bowed, that voice hoarse, and also full of reverence: "Please allow me to report a matter to you."
"En."
Nohara Hiroshi gestured for him to close the door, also extending his hand gesturing for Hashishita Ichiro, to sit down upon the chair before him: "Speak, what matter?" Nohara Hiroshi's voice was very gentle.
Hashishita Ichiro slightly trembling sat down.
Complexion complex.
He looked at this young man before his eyes exactly a full twelve years younger than himself, yet at this moment seemingly capable of controlling all of his destinies, that heart already thoroughly stuffed full with remorse and reverence long ago, actually uncontrollably, violently started to beat.
He from inside the inner pocket of his somewhat shabby suit, carefully, took out several hot-stamped business cards looking exactly possessing considerable value, and... several thin, yet seemingly possessing extremely heavy weight checks.
"Section Chief Nohara..." Inside his voice arose a crying tone: "These... these, are all given by people seeking me out today."
"Possessing from TV Osaka, possessing from Kansai TV, also possessing from Nagoya..."
"They... they all want me to jump ship over, to help them, produce an... an animation resembling 'Yamishibai'."
"They... the prices they offered are very high, extremely high." He using both hands respectfully presented those several checks, those numbers upon them are all fifty thousand as a base, sufficient to let any Tokyo middle-aged man carrying heavy mortgages, to all go crazy for it.
"This... is from Kansai TV, they said, as long as I am willing to nod my head, this check of five hundred thousand Yen, is exactly my signing fee. Afterwards every month, still possessing a salary of three hundred thousand, plus project dividends."
"This... is from Nagoya, they are even more direct, saying as long as I bring the production processes and core creativity of 'Yamishibai', and go to TV Nagoya together with me, this check of one million, exactly immediately cashed..."
Nohara Hiroshi merely peacefully watched, not speaking, those pair of clear eyes, like a pool of bottomless lake water, not stirring up the slightest ripples.
That portion of peace, yet like an invisible massive mountain, heavily, pressing onto Hashishita Ichiro's heart, letting him that heart already precarious long ago, thoroughly, shattered.
"Wu..."
He couldn't hold on anymore, this thirty-five year old man, exactly like a child, helplessly kneeled down, burying his head deeply into the crooks of his arms, emitting a suppressed and also painful whimpering.
"Sensei Nohara! I... I didn't agree! I truly didn't!"
"I know, I exactly am a piece of trash! I fundamentally don't possess any talents! Back then in Iwata Section, I thought I learned it, I thought I could do it, but the result? I messed up everything!"
"I... I exactly only comprehended until now! The success of 'Yamishibai', doesn't possess half a bit of relationship with me! From start to finish, it is all you! It is all the merits of you alone! I... I am merely an, laughable imitator following behind your back!"
"I won't betray you anew! I swear! For this lifetime of mine, I all won't betray you anew!"
"I fundamentally don't want these at all! Don't want business cards, also don't want checks! I merely wish to remain in your Section! Continuing to learn from you!"
Tears seeped out from between his fingers, dripping onto the bright and clean floor, spreading out a tiny patch of miserable water stain.
Nohara Hiroshi looking at this appearance of his, that bit of estrangement produced inside his heart due to the betrayal, had vanished without a trace long ago.
What he wanted is exactly this effect.
What he wanted, is exactly an, having all pride thoroughly shattered, having clearly recognized his own true value, loyal, executor.
"Get up right."
He slowly opened his mouth, voice peaceful, yet carrying a kind of energy capable of calming people's hearts.
"Put these things away, in the future, if possessing this kind of matters anew, exactly directly reporting to me then will do."
He paused, inside those pair of clear eyes, flashed past a trace of appreciation.
"Hashishita-kun, you did very well. The bonus for this month, I will apply towards Deputy Bureau Chief Asumi, to double it for you."
"... Hai!"
Hashishita Ichiro heavily knocked a resounding kowtow against the floor, that sound, muffled, and also full of the rejoicing of surviving a disaster.
When he stood his body up anew, after wiping away the tears upon his face cleanly, walking out of that office, what welcomed him was no longer icy disdain, but rather a burst of, although still somewhat sparse, yet full of well-meaning applause.
"Hashishita, beautifully done!"
"This time you finally didn't let us be disappointed!"
Inside the office, that group of Kanto Faction veterans, upon their faces all revealed knowing smiles.
That single office belonging to Nohara Hiroshi inside the Section, saying it is single, yet actually exactly utilizing a thin layer of plastic board to cover it acting as a partition, fundamentally completely lack sound insulation.
Of course they heard that conversation just now entirely.
They looked at that man whose eye sockets were flush red, yet upon his face radiating out somewhat of brilliance anew, that gaze, finally, carried a trace of true, recognition belonging to colleagues.
"Not merely Senior Hashishita ah."
Right at this time, that hoarse voice of Yamamoto Takeshi identically rang out inside the office, he swayed those several similarly hot-stamped business cards inside his hands, upon his face revealing a smear of dumbfounded bitterness: "My side here, also received several calls. The prices offered, compared to Hashishita-kun's, only high not low."
"Me too."
"My side here also, there's even a more outrageous one, saying as long as I am willing to go over, directly giving me a Level 2 Director position."
For a time, inside the office, those echoing voices rising one after another, converged into a torrent full of black humor.
They exactly only realized now, those guys supposedly revealing true feelings towards them, mouths speaking of appreciating their talents, their very first chess move, actually was this simple and crude—— poaching people.
Moreover not precisely themselves, exactly everyone was poached.
"This bunch of guys, truly think highly of us." An old pal responsible for photography, self-mockingly laughed: "Also not thinking, back then when we were in TV Tokyo, muddling along to the point of being worse than dogs, exactly who took us in? Now seeing us rising up following Section Chief Nohara, exactly wanting to come pick the peaches? Dreaming!"
"Exactly!" Another colleague responsible for arts, also coldly snorted a sound: "The money they gave is plentiful indeed, but that money is scalding enough! Ten thousand to one we go over, messed up, when the time comes, not being human on both ends, then that exactly is true eternal damnation!"
Saying so some people still looked towards Hashishita Ichiro whose complexion became miserable, one by one also smiling well-meaningly towards him.
Isn't this exactly an example?
"Speaking to the end, exactly still us ourselves lacking that capability ah."
Yamamoto Takeshi let out a long breath, inside that breath, carrying a kind of sighing having seen through the essence.
He looked at that tightly shut office door, inside those pair of sharp eyes, full of reverence originating from the bottom of the heart.
"You guys think about it, when we filmed 'Tales of the Unusual', we... truly put in how much effort?"
"We merely are, exactly like a group of artisans possessing passable craftsmanship, acting according to an impeccably perfect blueprint, reproducing an artwork that had been designed a long time ago."
"All of our successes, all honors, are all merely reflecting exactly upon the body of that young man, one in ten thousandth of the radiance."
This spiel caused the entire office, to all sink into a long silence.
Everyone all subconsciously threw their gazes towards that tightly shut door.
Inside that gaze, all pride had already faded away, substituted by it, is a kind of, after clearly recognizing cruel reality, originating from the bottom of the heart, towards absolute genius... looking up to.
They know, as long as the sun inside that door, is still burning.
These planets of theirs revolving around the sun, exactly will never lose radiance.
And at this moment, that young man treated as the sun by them, yet already thoroughly isolated the hubbub of the outside world behind his back long ago.
Before him, spread a massive piece of white paper.
Inside his hand, holding a pencil unable to be more ordinary.
His gaze, peaceful, and also scorching hot, as if storing a, brand new universe impending to be born.
Upon that piece of white paper, lacking storyboards, lacking lines, only possessing one by one simple drawings full of childlike innocence and imagination.
And at the very top of that piece of paper, utilizing unique artistic fonts, written several massive words full of demonic nature.
——"Kasou Taishou" Season One, Project Proposal (Final Version).
He knows, it's time, to add a handful of, raging blazes sufficient to burn down all old rules, for this television industry that had already been stirred entirely upside down by him long ago.