Actor: Thank you.

The former island nation's top leader was quite surprised by his arrival and request for a visit.

Now that everyone's back, are there still people willing to contact me?

And soon after he came down, the first "Air Force Island" incident of the new century occurred.

Air force, that's what fishermen love most...

Against this backdrop, he never expected that this Chinese boy would still remember him.

If Zhang Yuan had requested an audience while in power, the other party might not have agreed.

They'll give you the cold shoulder; one visit is enough.

The key point is that Zhang Yuan did not possess the political or financial resources that the other party needed.

Things are different now. If we're not busy, someone might be willing to come. What if there's an extra opportunity?

I'm not busy anyway, so I might as well meet up with him.

However, Zhang Yuan was also a bit more cautious. He contacted the people from the Court of State Ceremonial he knew beforehand, saying that he was going to Japan on business and would like to meet that person there.

Although the former number one has stepped down, he is still an important figure and has not retired.

The people at the Honglu Temple said it was okay to go, but conversations should be limited to daily life and should not involve any sensitive topics; it should be treated as a cultural exchange.

Finally, they arrived safely at the former number one's house.

When watching movies or anime, the homes of Japanese tycoons are always depicted as grand, traditional Japanese-style mansions.

There were no two-story buildings, only single-story wooden houses. It took several young men bending over and running back and forth to clean the floors.

There is an inner courtyard with a Japanese garden style, stone lampposts, and a small pond surrounded by stones.

There is also a bamboo tube that keeps "nodding" and makes a "plop" sound every now and then. This thing is called a "wake bamboo" and was originally used for timekeeping.

This is roughly how people around the world imagine luxury homes in island nations.

But this is just imagination, or perhaps a traditional-style mansion in the suburbs.

It's equivalent to a Suzhou-style garden villa in China; while it may not exist, it's certainly quite rare.

Zhang Yuan arrived at the door according to the address and took a look at the house.

"Hehe." He nodded, that's more like it.

Completely Western style!

This house is located in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, the area where the University of Tokyo is located, a well-known luxury residential area.

Wealthy families in island nations and countries like South Korea love Western-style houses, after all, they have all studied Western culture.

The traditional Japanese mansions mentioned earlier are actually extensions of the Tang Dynasty style from China.

By observing their words and actions, and by looking at their clothing, food, housing, and transportation, you can tell which culture they currently endorse more.

Don't harbor the delusion that we are all part of the Han cultural sphere, share a common cultural foundation, and can understand each other.

Zhang Yuan was led to the reception room by the butler.

A maid served him black tea and pastries, as well as a few wagashi (Japanese sweets).

pity!

Zhang Yuan glanced at the maid's retreating figure.

She's about the same age as the cook in my house.

Where are those cute teenage maids?
A maid who shouts "Dog Xiu Jin Sama!"
Where did this scallion come from?

Zhang Yuan put aside his stereotypes and waited a while before the other person appeared in casual clothes.

He politely stood up to greet them and presented them with a gift.

Regarding gift-giving, the assistant had acted as a "wise man" before the trip.

"This guy doesn't like Chinese calligraphy, so why don't you buy him a piece of calligraphy by a famous artist?"

Zhang Yuan immediately pointed and flicked his assistant on the forehead.

"I'm going to give antique calligraphy by famous calligraphers from our own country to people from an island nation?"

"If the common people find out, I'll be labeled a traitor!"

You can't act like a street urchin, carrying two boxes of milk to meet people.

So I prepared a "Ip Man 2" DVD gift box and told the other party that it had not yet been released.

There is also a jade seal engraved with the other person's name.

Holding the items, Zhang Yuan asked his assistant to take a group photo for him.

The other party was quite polite, brought out the Four Treasures of the Study, and wrote a piece of calligraphy together with him.

Zhang Yuan watched as this person's skill level showed no improvement whatsoever...

Otherwise, how could it be a hobby?

The other party exchanged pleasantries and asked what he was doing in the island nation.

He responded by saying he was handling the music copyright dispute.

The former number one leader had no intention of interfering, and simply said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Zhang Yuan understood that the other party had no reason to help him for no reason; he was just saying it.

He replied that the other party should make sure to receive him well next time he comes to China, and invited him to visit his home.

The brief meeting lasted about an hour.

They weren't at all pretentious, and seemed more relaxed than when we last met.

During the conversation, he also mentioned that he loves watching movies starring Chen Long.

Just show some kindness; this person is going through a low point right now.

Because he was impeached and removed from office, not only foreigners, but even people from the island nation are not willing to see him.

After getting into the car and leaving, Zhang Yuan asked his assistant to transfer the group photo to his phone.

In the early days, transferring photos from an iPhone was a hassle; you had to use Apple's own software.

"Brother Zhang Yuan, are you planning to scare people with group photos again?" The assistant knew it immediately.

It doesn't matter if a method is old, as long as it works.

"No, this time we're playing an upgraded version."

Zhang Yuan smiled and looked at her: "Watch me do it in a bit."

Before long, we arrived at a four-story Japanese office building, which is the location of the music company that owns the copyright of the original singer, Takuya Ohashi.

Zhang Yuan specifically hired a Chinese-Japanese translator to accompany him.

Although he speaks Japanese, he plans to keep a distance to increase the mystery while pretending not to understand Japanese, thus lowering the guards of the Japanese.

The other person was very enthusiastic when they saw him and recognized him.

I never expected that a Chinese movie star would come forward to talk to me.

The other person asked for a photo first, grinning and giving a thumbs up. Zhang Yuan responded with an awkward but polite smile.

Now let's get to the main topic: the copyright issues surrounding the song "Old Boys".

The troublesome part isn't just the music copyright; if the other party makes a big deal out of using this song in a short film, the film could easily be taken down.

This is something Zhang Yuan cannot tolerate.

Especially since he has many rivals, it would be troublesome if someone were to exploit his weaknesses.

The key issue is related to Youku. With the platform about to go public, getting involved in a cross-border lawsuit is not a good thing.

We chatted for quite a while.

The Japanese soldiers' overall character was polite, but their politeness was a bit off.

Westerners call it hypocrisy, which means being outwardly compliant and kind while inwardly suppressing anger.

Zhang Yuan doesn't believe this is just hypocrisy.

Because he had seen a dog with a very bad temper at the construction site.

After you feed it the leftovers, it turns hostile and barks at you.

No matter how you try to raise them, they'll never become tame; it's their nature.

Until a "dog lover" from Yulin, Guangxi, came to the construction site.

Most people love dogs by breed, but he loves them by weight.

After this person arrived, the world became quiet, and the barking of dogs was no longer heard.

Therefore, this is human nature, not hypocrisy.

There are also specific methods of treatment. One is to light a fire and boil water, and the other is to find a stronger dog to subdue the other dogs.

That's exactly what the United States does, one rule at a time.

Zhang Yuan was kind enough to not only boil water but also prepare firewood.

So his method was to go straight for "King of Dogs".

The translator stammered a reply, explaining that the other party expressed indignation at Chinese singers releasing commercial works without their consent. The translator spoke very politely, and Zhang Yuan nodded in agreement.

In fact, he understood all the curses and swears the other party was spewing.

"You Chinese have no integrity whatsoever."

"They don't understand copyright law at all!"

"You are all cultural thieves."

Zhang Yuan: …

Are we cultural thieves?
Which of the three companies—China, Japan, and South Korea—is stealing from whom?

That's how the Japanese devils acted. Taking advantage of the fact that he "couldn't understand" Japanese, they started to speak recklessly.

But he didn't care and continued negotiating with the other party while wearing a business smile.

"1000 million yen..." In the end, the translator turned over the price offered by the other party.

Zhang Yuan mentally did some calculations. Right now, the Japanese yen was worth about 7 to 8 Chinese yuan.

100 Japanese yen can't be exchanged for 10 Chinese yuan.

The price of 1000 million sounds alarming, but the other party actually wants less than 80 Chinese yuan.

This price isn't excessive for a song as popular as "Old Boys".

This song has a commercial value of at least tens of millions.

Of course, this is just Zhang Yuan's opinion; the song and the film are still generating buzz.

Furthermore, you've already sold the copyright to Huaxia Company, yet you still want to collect this "change of address fee."

80 yuan as a "change of address" fee... So I've married a woman from Jiangxi?
The domestic copyright holder, Meili, wants 35 yuan, while the Japanese want 80 yuan.

You guys are really good at making money!

The reason they included a clause in the contract, requiring the island nation's consent before the sale could proceed, was precisely this.

The translator was shocked when he heard the price was 1000 million yen.

Has the First Sino-Japanese War started again?

Are we going to have to pay that much?
Fearing Zhang Yuan would turn on her, she saw that he showed no sign of panic.

Big stars have a different kind of charisma.

"Tell someone who's doing well in Japan that I need to go to the restroom." After chatting for a while, Zhang Yuan got up to say hello.

He left, but his phone remained on the table.

Ding Ding!

A soft sound came, a message notification tone appeared, and the screen lit up.

Leave your phone behind, that's what we do.

The two islanders immediately saw his photo with the former number one player as their screensaver.

"Hey!"

"Oh!"

The two Japanese soldiers immediately widened their eyes and communicated with their expressions.

Not long after, Zhang Yuan returned.

The tactics are similar to those used against the creditors last time.

After Zhang Yuan sat down again, he struggled with the other party for a while.

Although they didn't budge, their attitude had clearly improved a lot.

His eyes became much clearer.

"Chinese people like island music, but they shouldn't use this kind of method."

They stopped saying "stealing," but they were still complaining.

Then, Zhang Yuan picked up his phone and glanced at it.

The assistant understood and turned to leave.

Not long after, his phone, which was still on the table, started ringing.

After seeing the group photo earlier, the two islanders became extremely sensitive to his phone.

Upon hearing the sound, they immediately turned their gaze in that direction.

I saw it was a call.

Zhang Yuan even squinted and reacted a few beats slower so they could see clearly.

Because the caller ID showed "Akiyama XX"!
"Moshi moshi!" Zhang Yuan paused for a moment before answering the phone under the gazes of the two Japanese soldiers.

And they replied in Japanese!
"Ah, Mr. Akiyama."

"Yes, I have arrived in the island nation."

"Negotiations are underway, but we've encountered some minor problems."

"Hi, hi... Daddy tape, I'll be there on time for the dinner."

"I look forward to seeing you and your wife again."

Zhang Yuan spoke on the phone in Japanese that wasn't very fluent, but was clear.

The little devil's eyes widened in disbelief!

Do you speak Japanese?
Zhang Yuan glanced at the two of them out of the corner of his eye. Guess why I hired a translator?

That's so you can speak rudely!
it's good now.

The two Japanese soldiers knew that Zhang Yuan had heard everything they had just said with a smile.

It doesn't matter if you hear it; at most, you'll just get up and bow insincerely.

Red bean paste private Massa!
An apology is all that's needed.

Anyway, I've already apologized. If you don't forgive me, then you're the bad guy.

But now it’s different!
The other party understood and was still on the phone with the former boss.

He heard that the other party had even invited him to a banquet.

What should I do if I tell the former top leader about being "humiliated" at a banquet?
This is called a series of interconnected schemes.

First, use a photo from your phone's screen saver to attract the other person's attention.

Then, through the phone call, I revealed two key pieces of information: I understand Japanese, and a big shot invited me to dinner.

Of course it's fake, just a hoax.

How could I possibly call him?

Zhang Yuan switched his phone to Japanese mode beforehand and changed his assistant's caller ID to the name of the top leader.

Zhang Yuan had a firm grasp on the mentality of this kind of person who wanted to take advantage of him and was indecisive.

If they had real ability and ambition, they would have taken action long ago instead of making a fuss and forcing domestic companies to help them with copyright cases.

Zhang Yuan finished his call and put down his phone.

He looked at the expressions of the two people opposite him with great interest.

Well, very energetic!

It seems the Japanese haven't quite mastered Chinese culture; they don't understand concepts like "borrowing the tiger's might," "feigning weakness to lure the enemy," or "secretly plotting a move."

"I have a banquet to attend later."

"I must excuse myself for now." Zhang Yuan said, then looked at the translator: "Translate?"

translate:……

Why did you call me here?

Your Japanese isn't very fluent.

"Yuansang, please wait a moment." The two Japanese soldiers quickly got up.

"No, I will deeply reflect on the matter of plagiarizing culture," Zhang Yuan said with a look of shame.

"On another note," Xiao Rizi said with a smile, "how can cultural exchange be called stealing?"

Then came a string of incomprehensible words.

What about China and Japan sharing the same origin?

What do you mean by friendly relations between the two countries?

What about friendship and harmony?

This caused Zhang Yuan, his assistant, and bodyguards to burst into laughter.

The office was filled with a cheerful atmosphere... (End of Chapter)