How to raise a random guy's wife

"Yes, yes, yes, let's eat first." Kaito Rikihiko smiled broadly, his face amiable.

You really can't judge a book by its cover.

Beef, first grilled at a low temperature over charcoal to medium-rare with a clear, matte snowflake pattern, is wrapped in seaweed and shredded onions, dipped in a secret sauce, and then eaten. The tender and fresh taste is a delight to the taste buds.

Kobayashi Sora closed her eyes, seemingly enjoying the food, but her mind was rapidly processing information.

Abuse of power, harassment of subordinates, and embezzlement...

The other party's sanctimonious appearance made it impossible to tell that he was a scoundrel.

However, such people are everywhere in the workplace, and it is almost impossible to achieve your goal by using them as a threat.

These are all traditional skills, and the public is used to them being exposed.

Octopus, salmon, crab roe, tuna, yellowtail... eight kinds of seafood plus eight kinds of seasonal vegetables, generously covering the rice. The moment the lid of the Yixing Secret Recipe Sushi Rice is lifted, the presentation is quite stunning.

Wrap a spoonful in the versatile seaweed, take a big bite and enjoy the sweet, oily aroma, as if you're eating a whole ocean.

Beneath the cherry blossom wind chimes, plump mashed potatoes lie in cream soup, concealing a secret: break open the slightly browned mashed potatoes, and a blue-yellow egg, like the color of a sunset, slowly flows out.

The crispy on the outside and soft on the inside potatoes, the thick egg yolk liquid, and the cream soup—the three textures blend and collide in the mouth, creating a delightful experience.

The highlight is the dazzling sashimi platter, made by Bamboo Dragon Boat. The magnificent sashimi platter consists entirely of thick-cut sashimi, with three slices of each type of fish. Each item is genuinely air-freighted, ensuring the safety and freshness of the food to the greatest extent possible.

The latter, Kobayashi Sora, is certain, but the former is less certain.

Rich yet not greasy yellowtail, freshly shucked live sea urchin, plump and succulent Norwegian salmon belly, Arctic surf clams about the size of a palm, Canadian botan shrimp, and sea urchin sashimi with plump and distinct grains...

There's also refreshing cold buckwheat noodles, served in ice bowls carved from ice cubes, with crushed ice underneath—one bite and you're instantly chilled.

After the dishes were scattered, Akane Akasaka leaned back in her seat and gently kicked Sora Kobayashi with her foot, which was encased in black stockings, before letting out a soft snore.

Motonaga Takashi was taken aback for a moment, "Akasaka-sensei?"

"Don't worry, the teacher has been working on a new project lately and is a bit tired," Kobayashi Sora chuckled. "Regarding the second season's anime adaptation..."

“It is a great honor to be the director of the second season,” Motonaga Takashi said, raising his glass. “I will dedicate my life’s passion to this animation.”

"That's great," Kobayashi Sora said sincerely. "I was worried that the second season might not be produced because of Director Oishi's departure, but it turns out it was just a personnel change. Speaking of which, why did Director Oishi leave?"

“Well…” Kaikaku Rikihiko’s smile remained unchanged. “It’s a bit of a pity, but we had to take this action because of some of Oishi’s violations.”

"Is the violation referring to the short film that Director Oishi made before? I quite liked that one."

“Indeed.” Kaikaku Rikihiko said seriously, “They produced a short animation for promotional purposes without authorization, which violated the production committee’s information-sharing principle. They also used company resources to create fan works... So in the end, this was the only way to deal with it.”

"I see." Kobayashi Sora nodded. "I thought it was workplace bullying."

Yuan Yonglong shook his head, "How could such a thing be possible? Even if it were, it would absolutely not affect the production of the animation."

“Speaking of which, Motonaga-san has a good friend.” Kobayashi Sora pulled out a printed sheet from the folder. “[If you think you’re the only one making the animation, you’re doomed.][Nobody knows the truth.][I was supposed to announce two directorial works today, but Director Oishi took them from me. But that’s fine.] He said a lot of interesting things on social media.”

Yuan Yonglong's face stiffened. "Me and him..."

"We went to the same middle school, and we kept in touch during university. When we first collaborated on a project, we even went to celebrate at Fumoden Ryotei," Kobayashi Sora said, recounting the story with great familiarity. "Right? Want to see some photos to reminisce?"

Yuan Yonglong's expression grew increasingly grim.

“These are just rumors,” Kaito Rikihiko shook his head. “The past is the past. The most important thing right now is to make a good second season.”

“I think the same way. Motonaga has participated in the animation adaptation of several games and has an excellent resume.”

Just as Yuan Yonglong's expression improved slightly, he heard Kobayashi Sora continue.

"I deliberately avoid playing the original games. Playing them would narrow my perspective and risk making me miss other interesting elements. This applies not only to games but also to manga and light novels. I always try to maintain a certain distance from the original work." Kobayashi Sora stared at Motonaga Ryuichi. "You must remember how proudly you said those words at the production committee meeting, feeling so smug back then, right?"

Chapter 96: Smashing the Cup as a Signal

“Chatting with you guys is getting a bit boring, so let’s finish this quickly.” Kobayashi Sora sighed. “To put it simply, Kemono Friends is one of your early works. I felt the sincerity of Director Oishi, so I commissioned Director Oishi to complete the work through Kaikou Bunko. The response has been so good, which is beyond my expectations.”

Yuan Yonglong uttered a sound, "This..."

"Let me finish. Don't waste time with empty pleasantries." Kobayashi Sora patted the folder. "While you're busy looking to the future, I've already gathered enough information."

Kobayashi Sora paused, and seeing that the other party did not intend to interrupt, she continued speaking.

"Simply put, Kaiko Bunko outsourced the animation of 'Kemono Friends' to Director Oishi's production team. Thanks to the team's excellent work, the series received positive reviews and generated revenue. However, Oishi's success displeased some people, so they used copyright breach of contract as a reason to exclude Oishi and his team. The advantage of doing this is that they can completely control the revenue from the next season," Kobayashi Sora summarized with a smile. "And the reason for doing this is simple: because the previous animation production failed, Kaiko Bunko's stock plummeted by 5%, and you need to reduce expenses and increase revenue."

"These young people these days are really something, quite interesting," Haijiao Liyan laughed. "However, young people are still too young. To spout such outrageous statements based on a few rumors, whether it's animation production or company operations, these are things a kid like you can't fully understand. It seems today isn't a good day to discuss business, perhaps another day..."

"In order to salvage the stock price, Kaikou Bunko will announce next month that more than ten of its works will be adapted into anime. This is something you and your lover said to each other. The company has also completed several commissions for these works." Kobayashi Sora's eyes curved into a smile, like a fox. "Was my implication too vague? After all, whether it's your lover or the employees you've tormented, there's more than one."

Yuan Yonglong opened his mouth.

“Mr. Motonaga, I respect you and don’t want to say anything more unpleasant,” Kobayashi Sora smiled, revealing her teeth. “So, don’t be impulsive.”

If the other party has achieved something, Kobayashi Sorako might be a little more polite.

However, Ryuichi Motonaga's recent works are increasingly disappointing, and it's clear that the talent and ability he had when he first debuted have been completely worn away.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to despise the original work while still taking on the task of adapting it into an anime.

Arrogant and proud, yet lacking in ability, and still self-righteous.

They're just living off their past achievements.

Attributing the failure of the animated adaptation to the original work would probably have been met with disapproval from fans of the original work.

“Adapting a large number of works into anime can indeed lead to an increase in stock price.” Kobayashi Sora tapped the table lightly. “However, the problem is that Kaiko Bunko doesn’t have enough funds right now. There just happens to be an animation production company that has experience with low-budget, high-popularity productions. After realizing the strategic vision that even low-budget animations can become hits, they changed their business strategy and started taking on animation production jobs at the lowest prices in the industry.”

“But,” Kobayashi Sora whispered, “although the stock price may rise briefly, once the anime is released, cheap productions will continue to appear before the audience, and the stock price will fall even more sharply than before. Of course, you won’t care, because you can make a lot of profits by shorting. So the worse the anime is, the more you earn. So even if I ask for a change of director and animation studio, a second season is impossible and cannot be done well.”

“You’re joking,” Kaikou Rikihiko said seriously. “Kaikou Library isn’t the kind of company you’re talking about. You’ve got the wrong person.”

"I want the copyright." Kobayashi Sora was too lazy to waste time talking. She'd rather spend that time with Kato Megumi... well, she's traveling, so it's best not to bother her. She'd rather bicker with Kasumigaoka Utaha. "You need funds as collateral for short selling, and RER will provide you with the funds. However, RER also needs to be involved in this matter."

Kobayashi Sora remained expressionless, realizing that her leg had been kicked by Akane Akasaka.

He subtly patted Akane Akasaka's thigh, signaling her not to make any rash moves.

"The production announcement for a second season has already been released." Kaito Rikihiko shook his head. "I can't possibly..."

"We'll find Director Oishi and have him and his team complete the animation production." Kobayashi Sora smiled, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. "We'll all make money together. I believe Mr. Kaijo isn't a stingy person, right?"

"...You have a good eye for people." Kaikaku Rikihiko stared at Kobayashi Sora. "Can you make that decision?"

"I am currently the representative of RER, and my abilities are limited." Kobayashi Sora held up one finger. "This is the limit of what I can control."

"so much?"

"The more you invest, the more you earn. We're partners, why would you harm me?"

“Well then,” Kaikou Rikihiko raised his glass, “it’s been a pleasure working with you.”

"Let's skip the alcohol, I'm still a minor." Kobayashi Sora took out the contract. "I trust a written contract more than any agreement made over drinks."

“Alright,” Kaikou Rikihiko picked up the contract. “This… um?”

"what happened?"

"Regarding the price of the copyright transfer... 1 yen?"

Kobayashi Sora tilted her head. "Is there a problem?"

“Ah, right, there’s also a supplementary agreement,” Kaikou Rikihiko continued flipping through the pages. “No?! Mr. Kobayashi, this is no laughing matter.”

Kobayashi Sora spread her hands, "We can't expect you to hand over the copyright for free."

Veins bulged on Kaikou Rikihiko's forehead. "This is practically free!"

Kobayashi Sora felt that what he said made sense. "Then it'll be free. Someone will send you the revised contract later."

Haijiao Liyan's voice was hoarse, "What do you mean!"

Kobayashi Sora pressed a button on her phone, and the conversation from the previous conversation came through the speaker: "If these words were to be released, your short-selling plan would be rendered useless. To keep this a secret, Mr. Kaito transferred the copyright, eliminating the danger at a minimal cost. This is truly commendable."

"Just for a copyright?!"

"What are you thinking about?" Kobayashi Sora's gaze was cold. "Do you think RER would play mindless stock market games with you insects?"

“You…” Kaikaku Rikihiko gritted his teeth, “It’s just a recording…”

“Right, I almost forgot.” Kobayashi Sora pointed behind her, “There’s a camera there too.”

Kaisaku Rikihiko suddenly stood up, but Kobayashi Sora first smashed the cup.

In the blink of an eye, several fierce-looking men rushed into the private room.

The one in the lead had Rin Tohsaka tattooed on his chest.

Chapter 97 Well done

“You’re not the first person to want to beat me up, and you probably won’t be the last.” Kobayashi Sora stood up and slowly put away the camera. “As you said, I’m still young, so I have no intention of participating in the adults’ schemes to line their own pockets—you guys don’t have the talent for this kind of boring financial game, and I have no interest in it.”

Haijiao froze in place with an awkward posture, sweat beading on his forehead.

"This matter ends here. I just want our things back." Kobayashi Sora tapped the contract lightly. "The means of production should be in the hands of the producers."

They successfully regained the copyright for 1 yen.

The prize money is quite substantial.

A burly, dark shadow loomed over Kobayashi Sora. The burly men who had helped him earlier now stood before him like a thick wall.

His face, covered in thick, menacing flesh, exuded a chilling murderous aura.

"Give me an address." Kobayashi Sora took out her phone. "I'll mail the life-size Rin Tohsaka figure to you later..."

"No," the burly man at the head growled, "Wrong!"

"Ok?"

The burly man pointed to the tattoo on his chest and said, "Call me sister-in-law!"

Xiao Lin Kong Qing: "..."

Although the burly men in front of them looked intimidating, they actually owned a milk tea shop.

By the way, the rival gang... cough cough! The leader of the rival company... cough cough! He's the boss, and he has Saber tattooed on his chest.

After everyone left, only Kobayashi Sora and Akasaka Akane remained in the messy private room.

"Akane-nee." Kobayashi Sora gently nudged Akane Akasaka, "It's time to go back."