Entertainment: Since 1990

Chapter 331 The Japanese Devils' Wool

At 11:30 a.m., Cao Jian's plane finally landed slowly amidst everyone's anticipation.

As soon as Boss Cao stepped out of the cabin, he was stunned by the scene before him.

There was a dark mass in front of me, and it looked like there were at least four or five hundred people.

I'm not a leader, there's no need for such a grand spectacle.

However, I also admire the Japanese when it comes to business; they are really ruthless and pragmatic when it comes to profit.

Of course, this is also because the One Piece manga is selling so well in Japan right now.

"Cao Jun, welcome, welcome!"

"Mr. Cao, on behalf of Dongbao, I welcome you."

"I am a representative of Songzhu Films. Our president has prepared a grand banquet and would like to invite Mr. Cao to grace us with his presence."

As soon as Cao Jian stepped down the spiral staircase, representatives from the three companies crowded around him.

The other two companies scoffed when they heard that Songzhu, a company that started in the entertainment industry, was also trying to poach talent.

It's as if we didn't prepare a feast.

Nearby, Cao Jian's fans in Japan greeted their idol with screams.

Faced with the enthusiastic invitations from the three companies, Cao Jian said, "Let me greet my fans first."

"Alright."

The three companies naturally couldn't say anything about such a request, since these fans were organized.

Cao Jian approached his fans and waved, saying, "Hello everyone! It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

"King Cao!"

"Cao Tianwang! I love you!"

When the fans saw their idol arrive, they went wild, screaming even louder.

While there are many idols in Japan, none have fans as crazy as Cao Jian's, which left the representatives of the three companies quite impressed.

If this man weren't the boss or a billionaire, he would definitely be a cash cow if he signed with my company.

Cao Jian shook hands with each of his fans warmly and signed autographs for them, showing no airs whatsoever.

The three companies could only keep smiling and stand by and watch.

After nearly half an hour of fussing, Cao Jian finally shook hands with almost a hundred fan representatives and signed their autographs.

"Cao Jun, can we go to our company now?"

"Mr. Cao, our president has been waiting for a long time."

Three more companies extended invitations, and Cao Jian chuckled and said, "Thank you for your kind invitations, but I have other plans today. I will visit your companies separately tomorrow. I'm truly sorry."

"Alright."

The three companies understood that this Chinese man was someone they didn't want to offend, which was why he said that.

They understand this decision.

The president's task was to invite Mr. Cao Jian over, but Mr. Cao had other plans, so the three companies couldn't force him. As long as they could get him there and show him their sincerity, that would be enough.

A representative from Dongbao thoughtfully asked, "Mr. Cao Jian, do you have a place to stay? Would you like us to help you arrange it?"

As he spoke, he gave Cao Jian a meaningful look, implying that they had arranged for beautiful women to be with them.

"No need, I'll stay at a friend's place."

When Cao Jian came to Japan, he naturally had to accompany Izumi Sakai.

"Go to a friend's place?"

Upon hearing this, all three companies were slightly taken aback, and then looked somewhat incredulous.

Mr. Cao Jian doesn't stay in hotels, but instead stays at a friend's place. Does he not own property in Japan?

This is very important information.
After saying goodbye to his fans, Cao Jian did not visit any of the three companies. Instead, he went straight to Izumi Sakai's home after leaving the airport.

"My dear, you are finally here!"

Izumi Sakai hasn't seen her beloved man for almost a year.

In the past two years, she has sung theme songs for many anime and released many albums, becoming a Japanese pop diva.

However, she remains very low-key. She usually sings or writes songs, but she doesn't hold concerts or make many public appearances. She just quietly waits for her man to come.

She only lets her lively nature shine through when she's with her man.

“I’m sorry, baby, I’ve been too busy this past year and haven’t had time to come to Japan.”

Cao Jian looked at the woman, who had lost a considerable amount of weight, and asked, "How have you been lately?"

"I'm fine, what's wrong?"

"I want you to have a child for me."

Cao Jian wasn't sure if the woman would get sick again, but for her condition, having a child might change something.

"Darling, do you know how long I've been waiting to hear these words?"

The thought of giving birth to a child for the man she loved immediately made her cling to him, unable to wait until now.

You are still as clear as spring water.

In China, there was a time when Western and Japanese songs were very popular.

Back then, a radio station in the Northwest had a popular program among young people called "From New York to Tokyo," which played popular American and Japanese songs.

Cao Jian also enjoyed listening to this program, and his two favorite Japanese singers were Izumi Sakai.

She has also sung theme songs for many comics, which is why she is so popular.

Sadly, he died young.

Now, Cao Jian needs to do everything he can to prevent this from happening.

Even if it happens, let this woman be a mother for once and become a complete woman.

That night, the spring water, thoroughly irrigated, became even more charming and mature.

"Don't stay cooped up at home all the time, go out more often."

The next morning, before leaving, Cao Jian reminded the homebody Izumi Sakai to get more outdoor exercise.

Staying at home all day will definitely take a toll on your health.

After leaving the residence where Izumi Sakai lived, Cao Jian first went to Toei.

Although Toei's strength cannot compare with Toho's, it is ahead of the other two in the field of animation.

"Mr. Cao, thank you for visiting our company first."

Toei's boss, Shigeru Okada, personally greeted Cao Jian upon his arrival.

When Cao Jian heard this name, his first thought was of the goofy coach of the Ryonan team in "Slam Dunk".

Did the comic's creator use this person as a model when creating the character?
After all, their names differ by only one character.

After exchanging pleasantries, Okada Shigeru said, "Mr. Cao, your company's 'One Piece' and 'Naruto' are both excellent manga. I'd like to buy both of them and adapt them into manga. What are your requirements?"

What are the requirements?
It all depends on whether the money arrives or not.

Cao Jian asked, "How much copyright fee are you willing to pay?"

"A licensing fee of 100 million yen, plus a 15% share of the profits, that's the highest percentage we're offering."

Although Okada Shigeru offered a large gift in addition to the profit sharing, if Boss Cao can accept the profit sharing, then the large gift can be omitted.

To further entice the Chinese man before him, he added, "Mr. Cao, as you know, Toei Animation has always been at the forefront of animation and has produced many excellent works. Collaborating with us is the best choice."

"Okay, I see."

Cao Jian neither agreed nor refused, but said, "I'll listen to the conditions from the other two companies before making a decision."

Upon hearing this, Okada Shigeru could only offer a generous gift, saying, "I heard from the foreign affairs manager yesterday that Mr. Cao is staying at a friend's house in Tokyo. I really didn't expect that."

As he spoke, he took out a document: "This is a villa of mine in Tokyo. I'll give it to Mr. Cao to stay in temporarily."

"This is unacceptable!"

He who takes advantage of others' kindness is bound to be obligated to do so. Besides, does Boss Cao really need a villa as a gift?

In the 1990s, Japan experienced a real estate bubble, and housing prices plummeted. Now, houses are very cheap. If Mr. Cao really wants a place to live, wouldn't he buy it himself?
Anyway, houses in Japan aren't expensive for him. "Mr. Cao, from now on, our two families will be partners, just friends, so why be so polite?"

Okada Shigeru thought Cao Jian was just being polite and insisted on giving away the house, but Cao Jian ultimately declined.

"Mr. Cao is rich, yet he doesn't care about houses. Does he prefer women?"

Although Toei has many voice actors with nice voices and quite a few good-looking ones, would someone like Mr. Cao be interested in an ordinary woman?
Even so, Toho absolutely cannot be allowed to benefit from these two promising comic book copyrights.

After Cao Jian left, Okada Shigeru immediately instructed, "Contact talent agencies with good relationships and select a group of young and beautiful girls to send to Boss Cao."

When Cao Jian arrived at Toho Co., Ltd., Chairman Osamu Tezuka and his men welcomed him inside.

"Toho's strength is really impressive."

Although Toei has produced many anime, Toho is naturally more powerful in terms of production strength.

This company not only has its own television station, but also a film company, producing not only animation, but also movies and TV series.

In addition, it also has an artist management company, and has been holding the Toho Cinderella talent show since the 1980s, with a wealth of talented artists under its wing.

"Of course, we feel most at ease working with a company like ours."

Seeing Cao Jian acknowledge his company's strength, Dongbao's chairman looked a little smug.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he brought up the matter of wanting to buy out the film and television rights to Cao Jian's two best-selling comics.

As for the terms, he offered a high price of five million US dollars to buy out the film and television rights to Cao Jian's two comics.

Based on the copyright price of the manga, this is more competitive than Toei's 15% cut.

"Tezuka-kun, five million dollars is a bit low."

But Cao Jian's trip to Japan wasn't just for the Japanese girls, but also for the money, so he was naturally dissatisfied with the price.

"Mr. Cao, how many do you want?"

Dongbao also wanted to test Cao Jian's bottom line and see what method he would use.

"Five million US dollars is good, but I can't buy it outright. I can only license it for use, and I also want a 10% share of the revenue."

"impossible!"

Dongbao decisively refused Mr. Cao's exorbitant demands.

No comic book company would dare to ask for that.

"Hehe, as a seasoned film and television company, the film and television value of my two comics is definitely no less than fifty million US dollars. Is five million too high?"

Cao Jian chuckled and said, "Besides, I'm not short of money right now. I just want a steady, long-term business. Now it's all about who offers the highest licensing fee."

"We'll think about it."

Toho's chairman, Osamu Tezuka, never expected this Chinese man to be so devoted to his country.

But what they said is true, this person is not short of money.

Seeing that Cao Jian was about to leave, he immediately said, "Since you're here, Mr. Cao, you should at least have a meal before you go. I have a villa in the suburbs with a nice environment. Let's go take a look together."

"Alright."

Cao Jian glanced at his watch. It was lunchtime, so having a meal wouldn't hurt.

There's still time to go to Shochiku Corporation in the afternoon.

Arriving in the suburbs, the villa in front of us was indeed very quiet and secluded. Entering the courtyard made people feel comfortable.

But what Cao Jian didn't expect was that there were more than a dozen beautiful women in the room to serve the guests, which showed Dongbao's strength.

"Cao Jun, how do you feel about this place?"

"Good."

"I heard you're staying at a friend's place in Tokyo. If you like, this is for you."

In fact, Toho not only valued Cao Jian's comic book copyrights, but also his screenwriting skills.

That's why they're so generous.

"This is not good."

Cao Jian was taken aback. Not only was a house worth a million US dollars given away, but a maid was also included.

This one move alone puts them several levels above Toei.

"You Chinese have an old saying, 'Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?' Mr. Cao, why are you being so polite with me? This is just a small token of my appreciation."

The fact that President Toho said it was just a small matter surprised Cao Jian's translator so much that he stammered several times.

"eat first."

"Alright."

The two sides went to the living room, where the food was served quickly. Four beautiful girls came up to dance and entertain, with a beautiful woman pouring wine for each of them.

Cao Jian and Tezuka Osamu each had two companions.

"call"

To be honest, Cao Jian is very rich and has quite a few women.

But when it comes to enjoying life, I really feel like a frog in a well when I'm in front of truly wealthy people.

"Cao Jun, I've seen many of your movies, especially 'Comrades: Almost a Love Story,' which I really liked. 'Shaolin Soccer' was also quite good. I wonder if you have any movie scripts coming up? Actually, we could collaborate."

"I've been busy filming TV series lately and haven't had much time to write scripts."

Cao Jian then realized the other party's purpose: they were offering a house and a woman, not only for the comics but also for his script.

He laughed and said, "However, a while ago, I came up with a script and planned to film it in South Korea."

"Why film in South Korea? We can do it in Japan too!"

Osamu Tezuka immediately became anxious.

A good movie starts with a good script.

“I’ve thought about it, but the script is set in Korea, so it wouldn’t be right to film it in Japan.”

Cao Jian was referring to the first Korean movie he ever watched, "My Sassy Girl," but this movie would definitely not be suitable for Japan.

South Korea has a strong feminist movement, but in Japan, if a woman dares to be barbaric, she will definitely be heavily criticized.

"That's it."

Having no other choice, Osamu Tezuka could only say, "Then Mr. Cao, if you have time, please create one for us. I will definitely not treat you unfairly."

"I'll think about it when I have time."

There are indeed many classic Japanese films; Cao Jian plans to think of one when he gets back.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Cao."

Osamu Tezuka immediately felt that the house and these beautiful women were well worth the money.

However, the licensing fee for the comic is really quite high.

Cao Jian enjoyed the meal very much.

After finishing his meal, he left and headed to Shochiku Corporation, but Osamu Tezuka completed the transfer of ownership of the house to Mr. Cao that same day.

"Your presence is an honor to our humble abode."

Although Shochiku Corporation is the smallest of the three, their sincerity is indeed the greatest.

After Cao Jian arrived, he was taken directly to a private club, where they didn't talk about business at all, but only about romance.

Shochiku Corporation originally started as a theatrical performance company, and this time they gave Cao Jian a high-level reception, with not only delicious food but also Kabuki performances, with the main goal of making Mr. Cao relax both physically and mentally.

However, the woman with the white face made Cao Jian feel drowsy.

"Mr. Cao, this Kabuki play tells the love story of a Tang Dynasty man and a Japanese woman during the Tang Dynasty."

Originally, Nobuyoshi Otani, the president of Shochiku, intended to use this story to get Cao Jian to take a liking to this year's top courtesan and consummate their relationship that night.

But seeing that Cao Jian wasn't interested at all, he could only say, "Since Mr. Cao doesn't like watching, let's go have some tea, go to the sauna, and relax."

Anyway, the main thing is to keep them comfortable first and not talk about serious matters.

He even instructed the courtesan to give Cao Jian a massage later.

"Let's see how long you can hold out. The longer you keep going like this, the more money you'll probably lose in the end."

Since the other party wasn't in a hurry, Cao Jian wasn't in a hurry either; he would just wait and see when the other party would speak first.
When three companies compete, the only one who can ultimately benefit is themselves.

We must fleece the Japanese devils this time!
(End of this chapter)