Tokyo Soft Rice King.

"It's already over a hundred... That's incredible."

New voice actors are already lucky to get even one project, so to have a hundred projects thrown at them like this is unprecedented.

In fact, Kuroba Akira was also a little puzzled. Although Shion's talent was indeed exceptional, she did not have enough fame. Why was she so highly regarded in the industry?

"Because the new staff put a lot of effort into artist promotion, they have already packaged Shion from Shiki Agency's ace newcomer into a rising star in the voice acting world."

"I see, it's the publicity department that's putting in the effort."

"Yes, thanks to Amin's help with recruitment, most departments of the Four Seasons Agency are now back to normal operation."

"That's true, but these guys are really something. I only hired the bare minimum staff to keep the department running, and it's amazing they didn't run away under the pressure..."

As an external employee, Akira Kuroba has already acted as an interviewer several times and helped bring in some talent, but the number of people recruited is actually not very large.

Because Kuroba Akira only recruits two types of people: those with a relevant proficiency level of three or above, or those with talent level of D or above. One type is ready-made combat power that can immediately participate in the work, while the other type is future reserve combat power.

With the addition of new gears, the staff of Shiki Productions finally caught up with the pace of expansion, initiating a virtuous cycle.

Even Kuroba Akira didn't expect them to be so motivated; they started working like crazy right from the start.

"It's precisely because there are fewer people that they are more motivated, because it means that if the department continues to grow in the future, they will be able to become leaders."

"I see, so you're optimistic about the company's future..."

"Actually, they only got enthusiastic after seeing Shion. You could say that the entire agency is now working around Shion."

"A gamble involving a massive investment of resources... So now it's my turn to choose a direction...?"

"That's right, her future is still up to you to decide."

Akira Kuroba began to look through the proposal.

"They already have an advertising plan? Well... they're probably after Shion's looks."

It's not uncommon for celebrities to shoot commercials before they've even debuted or have a representative work, but they usually use extras rather than celebrity endorsements.

Then there are actors who have become famous through popular advertisements... but advertisements can easily label artists, so they have to choose carefully.

"These few are not good enough. Although the money they offer is quite high, the creativity of the advertisements themselves is very average. Moreover, once we accept one of these advertising proposals, all the manufacturers will flock to us, which is very annoying. Let's just pass them all."

Japanese advertising creativity is still very trendy. For example, the Pocari Sweat ad is very well made, as if it's a completely different Japan from the one that produced the "Olympic Games Demon Show".

If Ziyin wants to shoot commercials now, she still has to choose ones that can mutually benefit her.

Skip the advertisements, and we'll move on to the animation and film projects.

"Speaking of which, Sister Hong, Ziyin's voice acting for the anime is probably in its later stages now, right?"

"Yes, it should be finished this month."

"Okay, now that my schedule is open, I'll see which project I should take next... Oh, so many familiar works, they're all anime adaptations of popular titles."

"What! Let me see too... Wow! Isn't this the first love promise?! It's going to be made into an anime?!"

In the future, she also came over to look at the new project, her eyes sparkling.

For an anime otaku like her, knowing in advance about the anime adaptation would still be very exciting.

"Wait, does that mean Sister Ziyin will be involved in the voice acting for these anime?! That's amazing! Doesn't that make her a top voice actress in the industry overnight?!"

"Calm down. In the future, these are just audition invitations. Whether you can get the role depends on Ziyin's ability... But it is indeed unusual that so many popular anime have sent you audition invitations."

Shion started her career as a lead voice actress in her first anime, which was already considered a leap forward. Now she has made a third leap, directly entering the realm of mainstream voice actors.

"Because the animation director and the original author both praised Shion highly, and with the publicity from the PR department, everyone knows that Shiki Productions has such a treasure of a new talent. So, while the price is still low, everyone wants to give it a try."

"Is it an opportunity, or a test...?"

If she fails to maintain her reputation this time, the industry will think she is unworthy of the title, and Shion's popularity will plummet, even becoming just another face in the crowd. Conversely, if she can shine in the new anime, she can ride this wave of popularity and become a highly sought-after voice actress.

"In short, I'll reread these original works a few more times to see if there are any roles that are particularly suitable for Shion. At this stage, securing a role is the most important thing."

"Yes, just give me a reply before the middle of this month. Most auditions don't start until the second half of the month."

"it is good."

At this moment, Shion and Moe, who had just finished showering, returned to the room wrapped in towels. Shion saw Kuroba Akira looking at the project proposal and asked him a question.

"Has the wise ruler already decided which project I should participate in next?"

"Not yet, but no matter which one you choose, the next one will be a severe test for you, Ziyin."

Ziyin simply nodded, accepting everything, while Wei Lai asked curiously.

Why? Because the competition is fiercer?

"The competition will indeed be more intense, and the director's requirements will be stricter, but these are not the main issues... The real issue is that the dark side of the entertainment industry is about to engulf Ziyin."

"No, it can't be some kind of unspoken rule or anything..."

Moe's words made everyone's expressions darken, except for Amamiya Hikari, because she didn't know what "unspoken rules" meant.

Da Hongxiang comforted everyone.

"There's no need to worry about that. Director Fuyumi said she has already weeded out those who are of bad character and have ulterior motives."

Kuroba Akira patted the proposal and said.

"Actually, I'm not worried about coercion or bribery from above. After all, anyone with a brain wouldn't want to target a top artist in an agency. If you overstep your bounds, you're likely to be exposed and ruined... So this time, I'm more likely to face targeting from my peers."

Ziyin asked.

Are you traveling together?

"Yes, Ziyin, you skipped the training school stage and went straight into the job, so it's inevitable that you'll become a thorn in the side of those orthodox voice actors who finally passed the training school's upgrade exam."

"envy……"

"That's right. She's pretty, has a nice voice, and is a good actress. Plus, she's climbed up the ladder so fast. That's why people are jealous of her, just like when you were in school."

"How boring."

"It's boring, but that's human nature. So, Ziyin, you might get sabotaged by them. Just be careful of physical harm, and don't accept other people's kindness easily, because they might use underhanded methods to ruin your career."

"Okay, I'll be careful."

"Well, it's only because you've just debuted that you're encountering such disgusting things now, because soon you, Shion, will rise to a height where they can't even see your back, and they'll no longer have the will to compete with you."

"Yes, I know, I will protect myself."

Da Hongxiang nodded with a determined look on her face.

"I'm here for you. I will protect Ziyin and I will never let her get hurt."

At this moment, Mengmeng timidly raised her hand.

"Um... since the entertainment industry is such a dangerous place, why stay? Ah, I mean, there are safer paths to choose from, aren't there?"

Kuroba Akira scratched his head and said.

“That’s true… Actually, I also think that Ziyin doesn’t need to work so hard, and it’s not that she has to achieve anything… But I still want to see her.”

"Want to see?"

The cute drawing tilted its head, and everyone was waiting for an explanation.

"Yes, I'd love to see you guys collaborate."

Kuroba Akira pointed to Moe and Shion, who had just gone to take a bath together, and continued speaking.

"Like this manga that Moe and I are working on, although it's a sports manga, it also has scenes involving a club manager and a romantic storyline. As the original author, we can specifically ask you, Ziyin, to do the voice acting... Don't you think that's interesting?"

"what……"

"However, it will probably take another two years before our comic is adapted into an anime."

In terms of IP incubation speed, the 'novel → movie or TV series' route is much faster than the 'comic → animation' route.

Kuroba Akira said with a dark face.

"Anyway, I'm the producer behind the scenes. I'll manipulate your careers ruthlessly, hehehe..."

"I'll complain about it in the future."

"That was a really sinister laugh!"

Ziyin said smugly.

"My life was originally meant to be controlled by a wise ruler."

I'll complain about it again in the future.

"What a brainwashing statement!"

Akira Kuroba simply hoped that everyone could stay in touch even when they were "outside".

In that case, it wouldn't be strange if everyone gathered together frequently.

Chapter 420 The Man Who Can't Stop

"In short, that's all for today. I will carefully read through all the original works of these proposals before choosing the next work that is most suitable for Shion's voice acting."

"Yes, I'll leave it all to a wise ruler."

Taking on the responsibility of other people's lives... even though I've been aware of it for a long time, it's a tremendous weight.

If only I could start over if I made the wrong choice.

I really wish we had a time-travel ability, so we could have room for trial and error.

Kuroba Akira grumbled inwardly as he asked the question.

"Speaking of which, it seems that Makoto and Mato have officially joined Shiki Productions as well?"

"Yes, I saw them at the office today too."

Both of them joined the agency after the New Year. Makoto joined the costume department, while Makoto naturally joined the music department.

The two sisters each have their own passions, and now that they have an opportunity to pursue a career path, they are naturally full of enthusiasm.

Hobbies are things that allow them to break free from their original family environment and enjoy themselves without distinction of social status or wealth, and they also allow them to feel the meaning of their existence.

Akira Kuroba thought this was great. Although many people say not to turn your hobby into a job, that's because an unfree work environment can put too much external pressure on you.

No matter how much you enjoy something, if someone forces you to do it or to meet targets, you'll lose the joy over time.

It's like when you're playing a game and you're only focused on ranking up and playing ranked mode. When your score stops increasing, a feeling of boredom will overwhelm you.