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

Now that President Takenaka has chosen me as his partner and even given me 20% of the original shares of Xia Ying Society, it is clear that he greatly appreciates my talent. He has also entrusted me with full authority over all of Xia Ying Society's business. What a great trust this is! It's as if my lord is alive again. I, Zhuge Liang, will do my utmost to serve him.

However, he still has to do the work he's supposed to do... For example, after the wrap party, the promotional activities before the movie's release and on its premiere day can't be done without him, since he's the male lead and we'll have to take him on a nationwide promotional tour.

Thanks to the energy drink, the filming schedule sped up considerably. Both actors and crew were highly focused and energetic, completing every scene in a single take. Tanaka Yutaka couldn't even find an excuse to yell "Cut!" Of course, while he no longer had an excuse to criticize President Takenaka, he was still incredibly excited about the smooth progress.

The final scene returns to the villa in Karuizawa, where Hitomi Kuroki, who plays Rinko, and Katsuhiko Kuki, who plays Hisaki, are to entwine here and drink poison, dying in the throes of extreme pleasure.

In late autumn, October, the villa was surrounded by lush larch forests, interspersed with patches of maple leaves that had turned red.

The atmosphere was indeed quite poignant.

Because filming for this scene would wrap up soon, followed by a wrap party, and Katsuhiko had promised to personally fund a hot spring trip to Izu for the next few days, the entire cast and crew, big and small, were present. Of course, Katsuhiko also inquired with the wives. Currently, Mikoto, Sayuri, Shiraki Masa, Kotoha, and Kanzaki Yuma, the five wives, were quite heavily pregnant and not suited for long trips or attending such a large event, so they stayed at the convenience store.

Following them were Eiyo, Kanzaki Yumi, Oriko, Haruko, and the five energetic members of the "Aurora Five Girls" girl group. Tanaka Yutaka had planned to bring these singers along to the film's promotional events.

Of course, when Katsuhiko mentioned that he would personally pay for the entire crew to go to Izu for a hot spring bath, quite a few extras also tentatively asked if they could participate.

Tanaka Yutaka calculated the number of people and his face immediately darkened. Who the hell could afford a hot spring trip for more than 800 people? You extras are lucky to have a wrap party here.

Chapter 147 Money That Never Ends

As evening fell, filming began for the final scene.

Katsuhiko, who plays Kuki, and Hitomi Kuroki, who plays Rinko, both removed their unnecessary clothing, sat on the floor embracing each other, crossed their legs, and then fell down in each other's arms... Then Katsuhiko tilted his head and took the red wine that Haruko, who was wearing a mask, put to his lips, drank it, and then turned around and poured the red wine in his mouth into Hitomi Kuroki's slightly parted lips... Then the red wine in Hitomi Kuroki's mouth returned to Katsuhiko's mouth... Basically, the red wine was moved back and forth, and this close-up shot was the only thing happening.

The director wanted to use a rather artistic yet erotic scene to depict the two people's unwavering love until death, a love that would bind them together even in death, a love that no one could separate them from...

Perhaps because there have been many cases of infidelity in recent years, the public saw themselves in these two, empathized with them, and thus enjoyed this kind of illicit love story in a romantic drama, believing it deserved praise and celebration...

At some point, Yutaka Tanaka shouted "Cut!" and the entire movie was finished.

Since the actors were not yet dressed, the staff quickly evacuated at Tanaka Yutaka's command.

Kuroki Hitomi's female manager came running over quickly, carrying a large, pure white cotton bath towel.

Hitomi Kuroki clung tightly to Katsuhiko's neck, her chin pressed against his neck, and whispered, "Will you still act in movies in the future?"

"I'm definitely not filming anymore, it's too much trouble." Seeing that she still wouldn't let go, Sheng Yan took the large bath towel that the junior manager brought and wrapped it around her, reminding her, "After filming, let's go eat."

Although the two of them took off all their unnecessary clothes for filming, they still covered or covered certain sensitive areas with cloths such as band-aids and tape, mainly to prevent any embarrassing accidents.

“I don’t think we’re done filming yet,” Hitomi Kuroki whispered in Katsuhiko’s ear, then turned to her female manager and said, “Ayaka-chan, go talk to President Tanaka. I’d like to spend some time alone with President Takenaka.”

With a blushing face and an expression that seemed to say, "I knew it would turn out like this," Ayaka whispered, "Didn't you say you were going to dump him after filming? Is this how you dump him? You're practically clinging to him..."

"The meal hasn't even started yet, so it's not over..." Kuroki Hitomi looked away guiltily, then muttered softly, "This is the last time, we should leave some memories... President Takenaka, we've been colleagues for more than half a year, and this will never be like this again. Don't you feel a little sad? Don't you feel reluctant?"

The filming process typically spans from one year to two or three years, or even four or five years. The actors on set experience a mix of joy and sorrow. When filming suddenly wraps up, many sentimental people feel like it's graduation season, and there's always a sense of sadness, like the feeling of things have changed after the party.

"The thought of never contacting each other again is really hard to bear. Why don't we go to that room and sit for a while longer?"

Katsuhiko felt no sadness or reluctance whatsoever. He was free, able to go wherever he wanted. He no longer needed to be busy with work, clock in and out at set times, or deal with a boss, pay cuts, or layoffs. His wives all had their own careers, and he no longer worried about money…

For the next two weeks or so, it was all about the film's promotional tour. So there was even less sadness and reluctance to say goodbye.

Of course, since the time is still locked on Kuroki Hitomi, and there are four days left, we naturally have to use up that time and transfer it to the ladies before we can let her leave.

"You...you..." The junior agent blushed, then lowered her head, pursed her lips, glanced at Katsuhiko, and whispered, "President Takenaka, I heard that Vice President Tanaka Yutaka is planning to produce 'White Night.' Considering that Ms. Kuroki Hitomi has sacrificed herself like this, could you please give her a break? For example, perhaps another lead role or something..."

"I don't concern myself with company affairs; everything will be based on Tanaka Yutaka's plans..."

Katsuhiko handed over the operation of Xia Ying Society to Tanaka Yutaka, and since he was no longer in that position, he shouldn't interfere.

“There’s no conflict of interest between me and President Takenaka,” Hitomi Kuroki said, looking rather displeased. Wrapped in a white bath towel, she jumped off Katsuhiko and turned to walk into the dressing room. “And ‘White Night’ is completely unsuitable for me to play the female lead… The way you put it makes me feel embarrassed to continue… How annoying…”

The female lead in "Journey Under the Midnight Sun" is initially introduced as a girl of twelve, thirteen, or fourteen years old, but later appears as a high school girl of seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty-one, twenty-two, three, or fourteen. Kuroki Hitomi is actually thirty-four years old, and she exudes elegance at first glance, without any sense of childishness, which might distract the audience.

Hitomi Kuroki's acting style has been set: elegant wives' extramarital affairs and the desires of middle-aged women, mainly in art-house films about society, morality, and ethics.

The wrap party ended with cheers and toasts.

Tanaka Yutaka was quite drunk, but he was still very excited. He called out: "Ladies, go back to the villa to rest. Gentlemen, come with me to the next event. Destination: the nightclub. Let's go see a striptease. I'll pay!"

Before Katsuhiko could even stand up, Eiyo and Kanzaki Yumi had already grabbed his arms on either side. Haruko and Oriko were also watching expectantly, and even Kuroki Hitomi, who had been pulled into her seat by her manager, kept turning back to look at Katsuhiko.

Tanaka Yutaka had intended to use his drunkenness to drag Katsuhiko along to the next event, but Kanzaki Yumi kicked him to the ground, so he got up and told the rest of the crew to leave.

"Do you really need to go to a place like that to watch striptease?" Kanzaki Yumi grabbed Katsuhiko's arm, then gestured with her eyes to Eiyo beside her, Haruko behind her, and the Aurora Five girls hiding in the corner. She then said with a grin, "Aren't all of us prettier than those women in brothels? Everyone's really looking forward to it. Have you imagined the super exciting scenes...?"

Katsuhiko didn't go to the nightclub, but instead returned to the large bedroom on the second floor of the villa...

Early the next morning.

Katsuhiko sat on the cushioned bed, rubbing his forehead and reflecting on himself.

"This is too decadent, utterly too decadent. Is this what the upper class lives like...?"

He didn't know how many bottles of [Recovery Potion] he took out last night, but anyway, he didn't sleep all night, and everyone was full of energy.

There was someone wrapped in the sheet next to him. Katsuhiko casually lifted it, revealing a pair of shy eyes. It was Ayaka, Hitomi Kuroki's little manager.

Katsuhiko was slightly taken aback, but immediately recalled what had happened last night.

At that moment, Hitomi Kuroki was probably thinking, "This is the last time, I should at least leave some memories." Her interaction with Katsuhiko was rather crazy, a kind of reckless fighting style. She quickly cried out for help, but no one came to her aid... Then, Ayaka, probably bursting with a sense of justice, shouted, "If you're so capable, come at me! Don't torture Miss Hitomi Kuroki..."

At that time, Ayaka's expression went from surprise to bewilderment, to astonishment, to shock, and then to "help me"... and now her expression clearly shows that she is "finally fulfilled".

Katsuhiko asked, "Did you take advantage of me for free?"

Cai Xiang's eyes suddenly froze, and she jumped up, wrapped herself in the bed sheet, and ran out of the bedroom... A suppressed "pfft" of laughter, as if she were embarrassed and annoyed, drifted over...

By noon, the film crew began to assemble.

The first event was a wrap party funded by the production team; the second was a cabaret party hosted by Yutaka Tanaka; and the third was a hot spring trip to the Izu Peninsula hosted by Katsuhiko.

The Izu Peninsula isn't far from Tokyo; it's only an hour by Shinkansen. Of course, we're currently in Karuizawa in central Honshu, so we need to get back to Tokyo first.

Tanaka Yutaka was very perceptive and let Katsuhiko drive the seven-seater van. The passengers in the van were Eiyo, Kanzaki Yumi, Yumi's manager Oriko, Haruko, Kuroki Hitomi, and Kuroki Hitomi's manager Ayaka.

Meanwhile, the five girls from the "Aurora Five" group who danced for Katsuhiko last night obediently boarded the bus...

As for the question many extras had asked about "whether they could also join the free hot spring trip," Katsuhiko did not refuse. He registered them on a roster and told them to go first, and that they could get their travel expenses reimbursed upon arrival by presenting the receipts. Then, he would arrange hot spring hotels for them all.

Although a hot spring trip involving more than 800 people is indeed quite expensive, Katsuhiko has recently received all the royalties, publishing fees, and copyright revenue sharing from his works "Paradise Lost," "Journey Under the Midnight Sun," and "Naruto."

There are also the fees for the manga series sponsored by Yuma Kanzaki.

Perhaps it's because her conscience bothered her; she felt that simply adding a name to the bill was already excessive, let alone asking for more money? That would be utterly shameless...

Then, the royalties from the more than twenty manga series that Kanzaki Yuma was serializing, such as "One-Punch Man," "One Piece," "Detective Conan," and "Demon Slayer," which were destined to be huge hits in the future, all went into Katsuhiko's bank account.

Yuma Kanzaki is now considered the "most talented manga artist in history." During her pregnancy, she simultaneously serialized more than twenty manga of different styles, which is simply... she must have hired a ghostwriter.

Haters suspected she used a ghostwriter, and because the controversy was huge, almost the entire comic book industry filed a complaint.

In a fit of anger, Yuma Kamisaki used the special effects of the [Focus Potion] to memorize the manga she was simultaneously plagiarizing. She then held a press conference, invited television reporters, and announced that she would be live-streaming her creation process in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Anyone who disagreed was welcome to challenge her!

The TV station didn't take it seriously at first; they just wanted to ride on the popularity of Sheng Yan's girlfriend and film a short video. Unexpectedly, the ratings tripled and continued to grow steadily, becoming more popular than some prime-time dramas.

Yuma Kanzaki has now become a major draw for various TV stations.

This also put the TV station in a dilemma at the time. If they broadcast live all day, what would happen to other programs?

Then, at Katsuhiko's suggestion, they let interested TV stations bid for the project, selecting several stations to broadcast the story in rotation. The bidding fee was equivalent to the appearance fee for inviting "the most talented manga artist in history."

It's not just about boring comic drawing; "Xia Ying She" will occasionally arrange for the company's contracted celebrities to sing or dance to entertain the audience.

Alternatively, you could install several telephones to answer calls on-site, allowing audience members to request songs by deducting phone bills. You could even use phone bills to tip your favorite artists. Of course, when tipping, don't let the audience say how much money they want to give, as that would seem vulgar. Instead, let them suggest what gifts they want to give, with each gift having a different price. The specific procedures can be discussed.

You can also insert scrolling ads above or below the live stream, or you can directly ask interested manufacturers to send people to the site to advertise. If the manufacturers can't find suitable candidates, our celebrities can help advertise! We can discuss the splitting of advertising fees and tips later.

In addition, our Xia Ying Society will also occasionally give away a batch of [Focus Blue Bull Energy Drink], or even autographed copies and albums by Kanzaki Yumi, Haruko, and the Aurora Five, in a lucky draw to give away to the audience.

Nowadays, Blue Bull energy drink no longer needs any advertising; it has become a product of word-of-mouth. The aforementioned singers have become top-tier celebrities with a large group of loyal fans.

This is simply a groundbreaking idea...

Given Katsuhiko's impressive resume, boasting titles such as "most successful entrepreneur," "economic forecaster," "bestselling author," and "most talented songwriter and composer in history," the television station took his suggestion very seriously. After a meeting and discussion, they ultimately decided to "give it a try. The first person to try something new will reap the most rewards, and there's no harm in it."

Of course, specific details of the cooperation, especially various fees, were discussed, and a commercial contract was finally signed.

Nowadays, no one questions Yuma Kanzaki anymore, and most viewers watching the live TV broadcast are almost no longer paying attention to the manga drawn by Yuma Kanzaki, but only to the celebrities who can be contacted and interacted with at any time. Most of them are actresses who have transitioned from pornographic films released by Xia Ying She, and they have super great figures.

Many viewers have seen their work, but during the live broadcast, they most enjoy watching their performances. They are dressed provocatively, and viewers can call them to request dances, songs, or even to be called "husband" or "onii-chan." They can also make heart gestures and blow kisses, which is very exciting…

Sending gifts and tips to your favorite female celebrities... all you need to do is send them a magic book or a sports car, and they'll get excited, clutching their chests and shouting in a cute and touched voice, "Thank you so-and-so for the sports car! Love you~"

The live TV programs have cultivated a large number of loyal fans who follow the live broadcast times of various TV stations and switch channels every day.

The major TV stations that won the bids, having invested heavily, specifically applied for TV live broadcast patents to secure viewership during their broadcasts, prohibiting other stations from imitating them. This is because TV live broadcasting was pioneered by Xia Ying She, and they had signed contracts with the TV stations. Anyone wanting to imitate them had to pay copyright fees.

Of course, the money in Katsuhiko's bank card is not just what's mentioned above. There are also copyright and licensing fees for nearly a thousand original songs, royalties from hentai anime revealed by Shiraki Masayuki, and money deposited into his bank card by all the ladies... There's so much money that he doesn't know how to spend it. He probably couldn't spend it all in ten lifetimes.

From then on, when buying work shoes, I'll just buy two pairs, one to wear and one as a spare... As for crazy consumption, crazy waste, eating only special supplies, buying only luxury goods, using gold for electrical wires, laying gold bricks on the floor, using pure gold for the dog bowl, insulating the toilet with gold trim, changing girlfriends every day, forming a song and dance troupe... that's being too attached to appearances.

Without material concerns, one naturally pursues spiritual fulfillment. However, the spiritual realm is limitless, and the threshold is constantly rising. If one cannot see through things, one cannot fill the void, and one's heart will feel empty... This should serve as a constant reminder.

Chapter 148 Hot Spring Travel

Since hot springs are not suitable for pregnant women, Katsuhiko only stopped briefly in front of Mikoto's convenience store after driving back to Tokyo from Karuizawa to say hello to the five heavily pregnant women and begin his two-day, one-night hot spring trip.

Just as we were about to drive away, Chinatsu suddenly ran out of the convenience store, yelling that she wanted to go to the hot spring too. If we didn't take her, she would lie on the ground and roll around. In fact, when she yelled, she was already lying on the ground rolling around in front of the convenience store.

Katsuhiko then had Haruko carry Chinatsu into the car.

Perhaps because Haruko used to be Chinatsu's teacher, Chinatsu was very well-behaved after getting on the bus.

Of course, the conversations between the adults also shifted from some explicit and blatant topics to teasing Chinatsu...

We arrived at our destination at 4 PM. The entire film crew, plus a large number of extras—over 800 people in total—practically booked half the hot spring town. Fortunately, it wasn't peak tourist season, so three or four people shared a room, which was manageable for the night. Those who didn't want to stay in shared rooms could simply soak in the hot springs all night…

Regarding the choice of which type of hot spring inn to choose, Tanaka Yutaka, with the intention of saving money for the president, made arrangements in advance and divided them into three levels.

First, Katsuhiko, his daughter Chinatsu, his wife Eiyo, Kanzaki Yumi, his rumored girlfriend Haruko, Kuroki Hitomi, and his many female friends such as Oriko, Ayaka, and the five members of the Aurora Five Girls group, all stayed at the most upscale star-rated hot spring hotel.

Secondly, the crew members, the main supporting actors of the film, including Yutaka Tanaka himself, lived in the middle of the river.

Finally, the extras who had played minor roles moved into the downstream area...

No one had any objections to this arrangement.

The hotel where Katsuhiko stayed was a purely Japanese-style wooden house. More than ten people booked the entire hotel, with each person having their own room.

No one knows what Kanzaki Yumi said to the landlady, but she handed the landlady an envelope containing money. Then the landlady glanced at Katsuhiko's face, nodded to Kanzaki Yumi, and dismissed all the hotel staff.