Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 394 I must take up your time
(The previous text has been slightly modified. Takeshi Kitano did not come; instead, Zhen Zidan accompanied him. It was more appropriate for Master Ye to do the things that the protagonist was not comfortable saying.)
The meal was naturally very enjoyable.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Gu Ming wasn't in a hurry to leave at all. He simply sat down, leaned against a shady spot, and chatted with his companions in Japanese, with an interpreter in between, inquiring about local customs and traditions. He wasn't in a rush to leave at all.

Zong Daochen was almost frantic with worry. Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he ran over to find Gu Ming and whispered to himself.

"Furuya-kun, should we be done by now? We need to hurry! We still have to deliver the bell to Hanshan Temple."

His words instantly drew the attention of several other workers who were also sitting and eating nearby.

Japanese!

Gu Ming feigned surprise: "Why are you in such a hurry? It's not even New Year's yet. I'm not here to play some silly games like visiting mountains and presenting bells. I have serious business to discuss!"

After speaking, Gu Ming did not look at Zong Daochen, but turned to his entourage.

"Let me give you a brief self-introduction. My name is Gu Guming. I am an actor and also run a small company that has produced some works. I wonder if your area has any plans to purchase my works?"

At this moment, not only Zong Daochen, but even his entourage were completely stunned.

Dude! Are you even thinking straight?! You've come all the way to Zhou Kingdom to sell TV dramas!

Everyone in the world knows that Zhou Guoju is dirt poor in this era; how could he possibly afford to buy your TV series?

But Gu Ming wasn't in a hurry; he even brought Zong Daochen along.

"Please put in a good word for me. I have so many excellent works, so naturally I want to sell as many as possible. Come on, have a bowl of this noodle dish too."

Zong Daochen was not in the mood to eat noodles.

"No, I don't want to eat it."

"Madam, please have a bowl of these noodles."

"I really won't eat it."

"If you don't eat, are you disrespecting me? Zongjun, you invited me here, you wouldn't refuse me even this much face, would you? Do you think I don't even deserve this much face? Fine, then..."

Zong Daochen wanted to cry but had no tears.

If it were anyone else, Zong Daochen would have dared to turn around and leave.

But the person in front of me is different.

Not to mention that the two don't belong to the same circle, one is in the martial arts circle and the other is an actor.

Judging from the experience that Furuya Akira has shown, this kid doesn't seem human at all. He might be an alien's posthumous child left on Earth!

It is true that Zong Daochen had practiced martial arts.

But Shaolin Kung Fu is something only humans can learn; how can it fight against aliens!
After Gu Ming's unreasonable and nonsensical arguments, Zong Daochen had no choice but to silently stay and slurp his rice noodles.

After finishing his meal, Gu Ming finally looked towards the stall owner.

Actually, from the moment the two of them started speaking Japanese, Gu Ming noticed that the stall owner had been glancing over here.

Gu Ming simply started gesturing back and forth in his full Peking Union Medical College (PUMCH) dialect.

"Madam, how much will these bowls of noodles cost?"

The woman hurriedly wiped her hands on her apron, looking somewhat uneasy.

"Oh dear, our foreign friends are here to eat, how can we charge them! No charge, no charge!"

"No, it must be given, it must be given."

As Gu Ming spoke, he gestured to Tanaka to prepare to take out his money.

"No, really, no!" The female stall owner gave as friendly a smile as possible: "All the other foreign friends do the same!"

"You have to pay for everything – meals, lodging, you have to pay for everything. Friend, how much is this meal?"

The second half of the question was directed at the local people accompanying him.

Tanaka remained in the position of reaching into his wallet, looking at Tani Akira.

Zong Daochen finally finished slurping up the last mouthful of noodles, then leaned over and whispered, "Just give her 100 yen. People in Zhou don't earn much money; a person's monthly salary is only a dozen or so yuan. Giving her 100 yen is enough to cover the cost of this meal."

Gu Ming gave him a deep look: 'So you only pay 100 yen for a bowl of noodles in Tokyo?'

"That's different!" Zong Daochen was speechless with anger: "How much do Japanese people earn in a month! How much do Zhou people earn in a month? One hundred yen, that's not a small amount!"

The entourage's eyes darted back and forth, but they didn't say a word.

Since they were sent to accompany us, they must understand Japanese. Apart from not understanding the dialect, they can communicate freely in other languages.

One hundred yen is quite a lot, but Munemaku's words sounded rather jarring.

Gu Ming ignored him and turned to Tanaka, gesturing back and forth with his hands a few times.

Tanaka understood and took out five thousand-yen bills from his wallet.

"Thank you for your hospitality. This money is nothing but an extra charge for your trouble."

Gu Ming was the first to stand up, and the others hurriedly followed suit.

The accompanying personnel were prepared to report the matter and, while they were at it, exchange the five Japanese yen notes for RMB to pay the bill.

Zong Daochen was both anxious and angry, shaking his head repeatedly.

Gu Ming must be crazy. He gave someone 5,000 yen for just a few bowls of noodles. How can he be so rich? Gu Ming glanced at him but naturally didn't offer any further explanation.

He earned a million, ten million, a hundred million. He earned all the money of the Japanese people.

What's wrong with taking 5,000 yen back to my hometown to eat noodles?
"Furuya-kun, we've eaten and shopped enough, shouldn't we go to Hanshan Temple now?"

"Huh? What does your going to your Hanshan Temple have to do with me?" Gu Ming shrugged. "I'm going to talk business with the local TV station!"

Zong Daochen's vision went black.

Of course Gu Ming has to go! If Gu Ming doesn't go, how can he carry out the work alone!
Gu Ming, however, acted as if they were old friends and hooked his arm around Zong Daochen's neck.

“What’s the rush? The bell hasn’t been delivered yet anyway. Why are we going so early? To be honest, I’m not that familiar with this area. It might be troublesome to start a business deal here rashly. Why don’t you come with me, Mr. Zong Daochen?”

'I'm not going!'

Zong Daochen tried to shake off Gu Ming's arm, but soon he felt that the arm draped over him was as heavy as Mount Fuji, making it hard for him to breathe.

Even if they wanted to break free from Gu Ming, they couldn't.

Zong Daochen could only force a smile.

"Well, let's go take a look then, but Furuya-kun will still be going to Hanshan Temple, right?"

"Yes, I'll definitely go. I'll go after I finish my business!"

Gu Ming then gave Zong Daochen a quick squeeze on the shoulder.

Press him down and get to business!

……

……

Gu Ming knew that Zhou Guo was currently broke, and Zhou Guo also knew that Zhou Guo was currently broke.

It doesn't matter, Gu Ming isn't really here to sell TV dramas, he's just dragging Zong Daochen along.

He simply entrusted the matter entirely to Tanaka, letting Tanaka handle the negotiations himself, while Gu Ming kept Zong Daochen at bay, wandering around aimlessly, making Zong Daochen extremely anxious but unable to defeat Gu Ming.

We had a really great time on the trip, but we also spent quite a bit of money.

As evening fell, Tanaka returned and brought news to Taniaki.

“Brother Gugu, I have already talked to some local businesses about buying the show. They said it was not very convenient for them, but they also suggested a place that might buy the show, a place called ‘Haishi’.”

Gu Ming nodded.

Haishi, that's not surprising.

Historically, Shanghai was also one of the first cities to introduce Japanese dramas and films. For example, Akira Kurosawa's "Sanshiro Sugata" was first introduced to Shanghai in the 1960s.

The TV drama version of Sanshiro Sugata caused a sensation in Shanghai.

As for later works like "The Chase" and "Blood Suspicion," needless to say, Shanghai has always been at the forefront of the country.

"Speaking of which, who's in charge of things in Haishi right now... ugh!"

Gu Ming gasped as he recalled the events.

No, I can't go see that person.

Something bad is going to happen if you see it!
Although people probably wouldn't even meet a foreign actor like him.

“Since we have news, that’s the best news. Tanaka, you handle this matter. I trust you to get things done. Go and talk to them about buying the dramas. Don’t worry about the price, as long as the works are sold, that’s good. It would be best to sell the rights to all the dramas we brought. Oh, and take Xiao Jie with you.”

Wan Gujie pointed to himself with his finger.

"I?"

“Yes, it’s you.” Gu Ming said, “If they’re going to buy Gui Man, they’ll definitely buy the other works as well. You’re from the Wangu family, so of course you can negotiate and sell the other dramas as well, which will also help supplement Wangu’s finances.”

Wan Gujie suddenly realized.

Such a thing is unbelievable! Gugu is truly farsighted; he never even thought of that.

After making the arrangements, Gu Ming felt completely relieved.

If we went to the market to negotiate, we could definitely sell it. It's a pity he couldn't go with us.

Gu Ming looked at Zong Daochen and smiled, "Is there anything else, Mr. Zong Daochen?"

Zong Daochen's eyes were filled with tears.

Me? I want to go to Hanshan Temple!

Gu Ming just chuckled.

Not in a hurry!
Why go to Hanshan Temple? Lan Jing is so big, shouldn't we have a few days to explore?
Zong Daochen's two streams of tears gushed out instantly.

He regrets it now.

If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have gone to find Gu Ming!

At the time, he considered that Gu Ming had a certain reputation, but at the same time, he didn't have a deep connection with his circle. Bringing Gu Ming along would be like using his influence to his advantage, and it would also help him advance his work smoothly.

Unexpectedly, Gu Ming grabbed him and wouldn't let go. If this continues, how will he be able to work!
(End of this chapter)