Tokyo: They say it's just dating, but they're serious about it.

"Hey, stop taking off your clothes and changing them all the time. Tell me what to do?" Yingdai was so nervous and flustered.

She was already anxious about not being able to conceive, and now she had done something so disobedient to her elders, even pulling Mrs. Saionji's hair and hitting her buttocks. It was simply outrageous... Would her husband be so angry that he would banish her to the cold palace?

"What else can we do? We've already done it."

Kanzaki Yumi held a bra in her hand, measuring it against her chest, looking at herself in the mirror again and again. It was too small. It used to be exactly the same size as Yuma's, but it suddenly grew bigger after Yuma got pregnant. If she had a pair of breasts as ample as Hideyo's, she wouldn't be so nervous today. "It would have been better if he hadn't come. As soon as he walked in, we'd pounce on him before he could even say a word… And when he brought it up later, we'd promise not to do it again… I've never seen another breast as big and shapely as yours. What's there to be nervous about?"

As the two were talking, the doorbell suddenly rang. Yingdai's hair stood on end. "My husband's here! My husband's here! Answer the intercom, I'll hear his attitude first, I... I'll play it by ear..."

The doorbell was rung by Haruko and Oriko, who brought takeout food... If it were anyone else, they would have given Eiyo and Yumi a fright, but unfortunately, the two of them were just too honest.

Eiyo and Yumi were naturally caught off guard, but they were also somewhat annoyed at their guilty and hasty escape. Knowing Katsuhiko's personality, he might very well take advantage of the situation...

Once Katsuhiko entered the house, he indeed took the opportunity to make his move, using several bottles of [Recovery Potion] to give Eiyo special care.

After all, today is Wednesday, Eiya's special day. Kotoha said she's become a little depressed because she can't conceive, so she should cheer up...

The next morning, Haruko and Oriko went into the kitchen and worked together to make breakfast.

Haruko's face remained flushed, and whenever her eyes accidentally met Oriko's, she would quickly look away.

Oriko's behavior last night was truly eye-opening; just thinking about it sends chills down my spine...

Of course, Oriko's expression was more natural. Although her eyes were occasionally unfocused, you could still see the longing and anticipation for the next time.

Although she behaved meekly and reservedly in front of the other wives besides Kanzaki Yumi, she didn't care about reserve at all when she was in Katsuhiko's presence. After all, Katsuhiko-kun said he liked it...

While the two were making breakfast in the kitchen, Katsuhiko, Yumi Kanzaki, and Eiyo in the bedroom also woke up.

Katsuhiko went into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, while Kanzaki Yumi was squeezed into a corner by Eiyo and sprawled out. Eiyo, meanwhile, was lying sideways, her buttocks on Katsuhiko's lap, then propped her legs up against the wall, crossed her arms over her chest, closed her eyes, and muttered, "Please, God, grant me a child..."

The doctor said that if I do an inverted position after the procedure, the chances of getting pregnant would be higher, but I forgot last night. I should be able to make up for it this morning... right?

After breakfast, Katsuhiko made his usual rounds around each store, saying hello, and then accompanied Sayuri, Mikoto, and Shiraki Masayuki, who lives at Mikoto's house, to the convenience store. Finally, he drove his black minivan, with Kanzaki Yumi, Eiyo, Haruko, and Oriko in tow, to the company.

These days, Mikoto, Sayuri, Masayuki Shiraki, Yuma Kanzaki, and Kotoha have been regulars at the convenience store, spending their days playing cards, eating sunflower seeds, reading news magazines, and gossiping about entertainment news.

However, today, Yuma Kanzaki didn't have time to play with the three of them. She sat alone in a corner, busy sponsoring other people's manga, submitting it, serializing it, and seeking fame... She would trample Yumi Kanzaki underfoot and stop at nothing to defeat her...

The car arrived at the company, and Eiyo went to the president's office of "Takenaka Food Processing Plant." Because Kotoha was pregnant, she would be taking on the role of president as well...

Haruko went to the music club with Kanzaki Yumi and Oriko.

Now, Qingzi has more than ten original songs that have been proven successful in the market. She's going to the recording studio to record them and then prepare for their chart performances...

Tanaka Yutaka was very supportive of Haruko's musical career, providing her with operating funds, a public relations team, and media support.

Unlike Yumi Kanzaki, Haruko doesn't give up on things. She doesn't participate in variety shows, hold concerts, ignore fan meetings, or even accept endorsement deals where she only makes a brief appearance. She also doesn't talk nonsense during interviews.

If "Xia Ying She" hadn't failed to provide her with any effective resources, they would have definitely fined her...

Haruko is different; she has her mother's manager, so she's firmly under her control. Because Mrs. Saionji dreams of making Haruko famous so she can rake in a fortune. No matter how much money they make, the lion's share will always go to Xia Ying She. Of course, Mrs. Saionji also needs to be warned: Haruko can't accept every magazine offer. If she were to shoot some kind of erotic photobook, not only would Xia Ying She's reputation be ruined, but it might also anger President Takenaka's wives.

Hitomi Kuroki is a prime example; in the end, she could only end up like him, becoming a rumored girlfriend.

Katsuhiko continued filming "Paradise Lost." Because the female lead wasn't appearing, the scenes he filmed were rather bland and uninteresting. He found it incredibly boring and wanted to finish quickly, so he took every scene very seriously. While other actors were yelled "Cut!" and then scolded by Tanaka Yutaka, all of his scenes were completed in one take.

After the morning's filming ended, the crew dispersed and busied themselves with lunch.

"Wow, President Takenaka, you're amazing~" Kuroki Hitomi used the excuse of "loving to go to work" to visit the set. She quietly walked up to Katsuhiko with her lunchbox, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "You're so incredible, I admire you so much~"

Although Katsuhiko's rude act of hanging up the phone yesterday was extremely impolite, the more I thought about it afterward, the more manly he seemed. I thought about it all night, feeling terrible… He was too crazy in Karuizawa. In just one month, he not only created over a hundred songs but also five manga series with hundreds of chapters each. He wasn't human; he was an animal, because he was too insane…

Perhaps it was because of my experience in Karuizawa that my damaged brain suffered some kind of aftereffect. Just now, when I was watching Katsuhiko filming, looking at his lips, his eyes, his nose, his chin, his neck... some unpleasant images kept flashing through my mind.

"President Takenaka, don't you think this place is a bit messy? I found a secluded little room. Shall we go there for a quiet meal? Wouldn't it be better if it's just the two of us?"

"I also think it's a nice place, let's go!"

Anyway, Kuroki Hitomi wasn't filming today, and Katsuhiko wanted to use up the time locked on her as soon as possible. Then, in just two short hours, Kuroki Hitomi kept getting Easter egg coins, which wasn't bad. She could use them to expand the alternate dimension and open a zoo in it.

In the afternoon, when Katsuhiko was filming again, Hitomi Kuroki was nowhere to be found. She did, however, have Tanaka Yutaka deliver a note saying she was going back to her hotel to rest, and specifically added that she shouldn't be looked for in room 603 of a certain hotel at a certain address…

After finishing filming at 5 p.m., Sheng Yan went straight to room 603, determined to use up all the time he had to spend on her tonight.

Tanaka Yutaka drove Katsuhiko to the hotel, then dialed Kuroki Hitomi's room number from the car. He told her to come downstairs and pick him up so he could take two scandalous photos in the car. One of them walking into the hotel hand-in-hand, and the other of them leaving. They absolutely had to look incredibly happy, like Rinko in a movie, acting completely out of their minds. He wanted to ride on the coattails of Takenaka, the bestselling author…

Katsuhiko's copy of "Journey Under the Midnight Sun," which he had previously mailed out, has also been published.

It's probably because it doesn't have any exciting sex scenes, and it's not as popular as "Paradise Lost".

However, the plot is very suspenseful. It is a crime thriller that tells the story of two teenagers who make extreme choices under the influence of family tragedies and subsequently embark on different paths in life.

…Perhaps it's because it's quite realistic. Especially in Japan's current economic downturn, there are many such tragedies in hidden corners, which resonates with the public and makes it exceptionally popular.

One mainstream magazine commented: This novel, *Journey Under the Midnight Sun*, has the potential to win the Naoki Prize; it's very likely to be shortlisted, or even win it outright. It's much more respectable than that extensively erotic *Paradise Lost*, which mainstream awards don't recognize…

Such authoritative reports also imbued Katsuhiko Takenaka with the identity of a respectable writer.

Some gossip media outlets joked that Mr. Tanaka Yutaka, the current vice president of "Xia Ying She" (侠映社), is still working hard to vindicate the company. He probably chose the wrong film; he should have made "White Night" (白夜行) instead of "Paradise Lost" (失乐园)...

Chapter 146 Filming wrapped

Yutaka Tanaka practically dedicated his life to the film and television adaptation of "Paradise Lost".

To promote his movie, he placed advertisements whenever he could find an opportunity. Although he couldn't afford TV advertising slots, he could get his hands on street advertising spaces.

For example, the packaging of Blue Bull energy drink. Didn't Yumi Kanzaki buy an advertising space on a building out of her own pocket? One advertising space for two ads, that's great.

Newspapers and magazines have it easy: they send people to take photos of the male and female protagonists meeting secretly in a hotel and spread their scandal. The female protagonist has a husband, and the male protagonist has a wife—this is the kind of "cheating" show that the public enjoys, and it even matches the movie plot.

Recently, the public's discussion has shifted from their "illicit affairs" where they both betrayed their marriages to when they will drink poison together.

Tanaka Yutaka made no comment and refused all interviews. Due to the heated discussion, many paparazzi followed Katsuhiko and Kuroki Hitomi with their reports…

Newspapers and magazines were giving them free advertising, and they were happy to cooperate, even benefiting from it, resulting in quite good sales.

They also contacted the publisher of the novel "Paradise Lost" for a joint commercial promotion, which was something both parties were happy to do, as it was a win-win situation.

Of course, Tanaka Yutaka's promotion of the film and television series did not stop there.

He also added promotional posters for the movie and TV series "Paradise Lost" to all newly released pornographic films, hentai anime, and pre-made lunch boxes from Takenaka Food Processing Plant.

Even when Haruko and the Aurora Five appeared on variety shows or held concerts, they were made to say it at least twice on camera. Anyone who forgot to say it had their salary docked…

Haruko, along with the Aurora Five-Member Girl Group, has become Tanaka Yutaka's darling and the face of Xia Ying She.

They rose to fame quickly due to their high-quality original songs, and invitations to various programs, commercial performances, and advertising endorsements poured in. They earned more money and demanded higher fees than actresses like Mai Asakura and Hitomi Yuuki, who transitioned from acting in films.

Most of the advertising revenue that Tanaka Yutaka spent came from their earnings.

According to Tanaka Yutaka's plan, the future of the music department should be Haruko, Aurora Five, and Kanzaki Yumi, standing side by side, with the three giants competing with each other.

But the current situation is somewhat abnormal.

The "Aurora Five Girls" have the lowest status, Haruko is second, and Kanzaki Yumi is even above them.

I don't know if it's because Yumi Kanzaki refuses all offers and endorsements, making her seem rare and sought-after, or because she's good at playing tricks and talking nonsense in every interview, which keeps her in the spotlight.

She's been hailed as a top-tier singer with the "most commercial value." Meanwhile, Tanaka Yutaka got away scot-free after Kanzaki Yumi broke a teacup in his office. Some gossipy person spread the word, and he was ridiculed by many media outlets as "the most blind and undignified company executive," unable to manage Kanzaki Yumi or utilize her commercial value.

Tanaka Yutaka was furious about this and approached Kanzaki Yumi, hoping she would cooperate. Even if she didn't participate in any commercial invitations, could she at least hold a concert? Don't embarrass your father's former brother like that.

Tanaka Yutaka hoped that Kanzaki Yumi would give him face out of consideration for their old friendship... Kanzaki Yumi simply didn't respond and wouldn't let him into her office. This was because he had previously opened her desk drawer without permission and stolen the dead rat he had painstakingly found to scare Kanzaki Yuma...

Having no other choice, Tanaka Yutaka secretly approached Katsuhiko, hoping he could put in a good word for Kanzaki Yumi. He said, "Don't let your partner and subordinate lose heart."

Katsuhiko said that she was unwilling, and he couldn't force her; she could go talk to her herself, and he wouldn't care if he chopped off her little finger...

The matter was dropped, and Tanaka Yutaka was forever branded as "blind to talent".

Of course, he transferred this frustration to the filming and promotion of "Paradise Lost." As long as the movie and TV series became hits and won major awards, all other shortcomings could be covered up.

Katsuhiko's nonchalant attitude also made Tanaka Yutaka very unhappy with him. In order to vent his pent-up grievances, he shouted "Cut!" several times while Katsuhiko was filming, and then cautiously tried to scold him, "As the president, how can you be so casual! What do I make movies for? Isn't it to make our 'Xia Ying She' bigger and stronger? You idiot, you don't care about the company at all... Do it again."

The result was fantastic. Although President Takenaka looked embarrassed, he didn't say anything and cooperated perfectly. Tanaka Yutaka was pleasantly surprised and excited, calling out "Cut!" several times and scolding him a few times.

As a subordinate, it felt so good to berate the company president in front of the entire crew. This kind of behind-the-scenes footage must be exposed; I, Tanaka Yutaka, am not the most undignified executive.

See? I berated my boss so badly that he didn't dare utter a word and obediently cooperated... This is the perfect example of "subordinate overthrowing superior".

Of course, Katsuhiko's cooperation stemmed from his belief that Tanaka Yutaka was overworked. He was under immense mental pressure, constantly smeared by competitors, ridiculed by the media, and managing the company's operations, social interactions, and planning all by himself. If he wasn't allowed to release some stress and enjoy himself, what if he developed a mental illness? What if he died from exhaustion?

However, it was quite unsettling to be constantly scolded without retaliating. So, Sheng Yan secretly added [Recovery Potion] and [Focus Potion] to the crew's meals. After filming a scene, the entire crew felt completely refreshed and couldn't fall asleep at all.

Katsuhiko seized the opportunity to suggest that everyone continue filming, memorizing the script while filming, and resting whenever they felt tired, aiming to finish the movie and TV series in the shortest possible time. He added that once filming wrapped, he would personally treat everyone to a hot spring trip in Izu…

Katsuhiko's suggestion received the support of the entire crew, especially Tanaka Yutaka, who dreamed of the movie being released as soon as possible.

The subsequent filming schedule was arguably illogical. The entire crew worked for seven days and seven nights without sleep. Some staff members were so shocked by their own incredible abilities that they considered taking leave to go to the hospital for a checkup to see if they had any health problems…

Katsuhiko remained silent, but gave Tanaka Yutaka a meaningful look. Tanaka Yutaka immediately understood and, to allay the concerns of the entire crew, arranged for them to go to the hospital for a medical check-up... The results were, unsurprisingly, that they were even healthier than normal people.

Tanaka Yutaka is used to it now, but at first, he was so frightened that he went to the hospital for a full check-up.

This kind of thing happened so often that it became quite bizarre on the entire film set. Tanaka Yutaka himself was also a frequent drinker at the time; occasionally, when he was in the mood, he would even wear a wig while filming a scene, and when he got tired, he'd have a bottle of liquor and be full of energy again…

He was quite panicked at the time, so he organized all the actors to go to the hospital for a check-up. The results showed that their kidneys were healthier than those of many single men. The actresses' previously hidden diseases had also disappeared without a trace.

After careful consideration, he realized that the problem lay with the beverage. He then recalled his poor academic performance since he started school, and how, after drinking the "Focus Blue Bull Energy Drink," he developed a photographic memory in less than a week and became a top director—it was nothing short of a miracle.

Feeling uneasy, he deliberately went to the beverage production workshop to subtly inquire with Katsuhiko's father and Mr. Kudo about any side effects.

Katsuhiko's father and Mr. Kudo gave two mysterious, cold laughs, then each downed a bottle in front of him, saying: "Young man, this is our family's secret recipe, passed down from my great-great-great-grandfather. You don't need to worry about anything; our whole family drinks it. Just work hard with my son (son-in-law), and the future will be bright, with huge benefits. Don't ask too many questions, don't say too much, just understand. There's an old Chinese saying: 'Those who understand the times are wise…' Well, those who know, know."

Tanaka Yutaka thought they were bragging, but he also thought they were telling the truth... However, by then, the effects of the "Focus Blue Bull Energy Drink" had already been widely reported by major media outlets, and the price had soared to 50,000 yen per bottle. Some people had even conducted experiments, claiming that if you drank the "Focus Blue Bull Energy Drink" and stayed awake, you could memorize an entire book of "Paradise Lost." Of course, most people could only last a day and a night before giving up; if they accidentally dozed off, the effect would be gone.

Since its launch, there has never been a single news report about any side effects of functional beverages. The only complaints the factories receive are about low production volume and low prices; all other complaints are about order backlogs.

Tanaka Yutaka was completely relieved by this.

To this end, he specially arranged for his trusted henchmen to work as security guards in the "beverage production workshop," specifically to capture commercial spies sent by competitors. He had previously captured a female spy.

After inquiring, it was learned that she had applied for a job as a female actress in the recording studio of Xia Ying She, but because Xia Ying She at that time had attracted a large number of professional actors and young, beautiful, and unemployed recent graduates due to the successful transformation of Asakura Mai and Yuuki Hitomi, she was eliminated.

At the time, Zhuzhong Food Processing Plant was expanding and hiring a large number of assembly line workers, so she applied for a job as an assembly line worker. Then, that same day, a competitor of the beverage processing plant contacted her, saying that if she could steal the formula for "Focus Blue Bull Energy Drink," he would not only pay off her debts but also give her more money than she could ever spend in a lifetime.

Unable to resist the temptation of money, she sneaked into the adjacent "beverage production workshop." While trying to find the password by feeling around the door of the safe deposit box, she was caught red-handed by Tanaka Yutaka's trusted henchmen.

Tanaka Yutaka interrogated the man, and then, amidst his desperate pleas, called the police…

After experiencing the above events, Tanaka Yutaka silently decided that "those who know, know" regarding the question of why the beverage was so magical, suppressing all his curiosity and refraining from asking any questions.

It was precisely because of this magical drink that his attitude towards President Takenaka underwent a subtle change. If he had maintained the mindset he had when they first met at the convenience store, he would have definitely cursed out President Takenaka for his "carefree" and lazy demeanor, targeting his most embarrassing moments, such as, "Do you think you're proud of having seven wives? I think you're just a tool for reproduction." Instead, he cautiously probed for a mild insult like this.

I'm really worried that if he suddenly gets angry, terminates the cooperation, or walks away, or goes into seclusion with his wives, then I'll never be able to drink [Blue Bull Energy Drink] again, I won't be energetic anymore, and I'll lose my dignity as a man in front of my girlfriends... After all, [Energy Drink] is his exclusive secret formula. Can someone with such a magical formula be a simple person? Absolutely not.