I really just want to grind for entries related to crossover anime/manga.

Genkawa Yu's personal income injection: After deducting various taxes and fees, most of his income from advertising endorsements, magazine shoots, variety show appearances, and other entertainment activities is directly injected into [Star Engine] as operating and development funds. However, recently, due to the filming of "Extreme Fox" taking up most of his energy, the frequency of such commercial activities has decreased.

The upcoming project "Love Like a Bouquet": The film has not yet been released and there is no box office revenue sharing yet. His contract is a revenue sharing arrangement, not a salary, so he needs to wait for the final box office results to recover his funds.

Literary copyright income: Yu Genkawa's novels "Love Letter" and "The Wind Rises" previously brought in considerable royalties, but as the publishing boom gradually subsided, royalties have entered a stable period and are showing a slow but continuous natural decline.

Other investments and businesses: [Star Engine] has some small-scale industry-related investments and incubation projects, most of which are currently in the investment phase or can only maintain a slight profit.

As for expenditures, there are quite a few options.

This includes: the company's daily operating costs, the production and distribution expenses of the music department, the reserve fund for subsequent distribution of the film department, and the early development costs of other projects.

Genkawa Yu's gaze finally settled on the "available working capital" at the bottom of the report: approximately 49 million yen.

This figure, while not exactly tight for an entertainment company in a period of rapid growth, is certainly not abundant either.

It needs to support the company's basic operations for the next few months and reserve some flexibility to deal with unforeseen circumstances.

Based on industry practice and the current market popularity and award potential of "Crying Out Love in the Center of the World," the benchmark price for its film and television adaptation rights is likely to be in the range of several million yen.

However, according to the regulations governing the publishing industry, the copyright of a published work can only be set at a maximum of ten million yen. Therefore, very few companies would invest that much money to purchase the copyright, since the loss would be huge if the final adaptation flopped.

Currently, of the 49 million yen in available funds on the company's books, after deducting the necessary operating security fund and risk reserve fund, the amount that can actually be invested in copyright bidding is optimistically estimated to be around 5 million yen.

This budget does not have an overwhelming advantage when faced with potential "price crushing".

If [Zhongyan Pictures] were to spare no expense and directly offer the maximum copyright fee of ten million yen, then [Star Engine] would be in a very passive position.

"To gain sole control, we still can't borrow money from Suoh Hayato..."

Genkawa Yu leaned back, sinking deeply into the large leather office chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the smooth desktop, his brain racing.

The sunlight moved slowly across the tabletop, and the air seemed to grow heavy with his contemplation.

Just then, Kato Megumi, who had been standing quietly to the side like a shadow, suddenly spoke softly, breaking the silence in the room.

"Mr. Genkawa... are you experiencing financial difficulties?"

Genkawa Yu snapped out of his deep thoughts and looked up at Kato Megumi.

The girl was still dressed impeccably in her professional attire. As his personal assistant, Kato Megumi had access to the core work schedule, and seeing the financial statements on his desk, it was perfectly normal for her to deduce what was troubling him.

Genkawa Yu had no intention of hiding this from Kato Megumi.

The other person is one of the people closest to the core of his work and life. Many things need to be handled by her, and they have worked together and been tested for a long time.

Genkawa Yu trusted her completely.

"Yes, it's a business opportunity that requires a significant capital investment."

Genkawa Yu rubbed his slightly sore temples and chose to be frank and honest.

“Currently, we have a literary work that we plan to acquire for film and television adaptation. However, our competitors have strong backgrounds and are likely to be more financially powerful than us. This could turn into a head-on price war. At present, our Star Engine’s working capital is somewhat stretched to ensure normal operation.”

His description was quite clear, and Kato Megumi understood it immediately.

However, the girl showed no surprise or curiosity; she simply nodded slightly to indicate her understanding.

The office returned to silence, with only the faint sound of the central air conditioning blowing air.

Then, Kato Megumi raised her head again, looked calmly at Genkawa Yu, and said a sentence in her uniquely gentle tone.

If that's the case...

She paused slightly, her eyes as clear as ever, yet beneath the calm surface of the lake, a certain indescribable emotion seemed to be surging.

"Mr. Genkawa, I can lend you money."

Genkawa Yu's fingertips, which were tapping the table, suddenly stopped in mid-air.

He looked up, somewhat astonished, even a little incredulous, at the girl in front of him who always handled everything quietly and efficiently.

Lend me money?

Who?

Volume 3: I Am the Knight of the New Era - Chapter 21: I'm the King of Inspiration, You Know? (2-in-1 5k)

Kato Megumi's words, "I can lend you money," stunned Genkawa Yu.

His statement about financial pressure was merely a psychological reassurance; he had no intention of directly borrowing money from anyone.

In his subconscious, if the funding gap is truly difficult to fill in the short term, there are certainly alternative solutions.

For example, Mai Sakurajima is a must-have option for someone who lives off a woman.

Her agency, Sakura no Umi, is not a large corporation like Genkawa Yu's Star Engine, but a small artist studio with consistently strong cash flow.

But... why would Kato Megumi suddenly say that?

Isn't she a working-class woman?

Besides being surprised, Genkawa Yu was more hesitant because he was unsure of the other party's attitude.

Kato Megumi, who was standing to the side, had long since gotten to know Genkawa Yu's habits and emotions after spending so much time together. Upon seeing his gaze, the girl immediately spoke up.

“Mr. Genkawa, my aunt gave me a savings card before, telling me that I could use it whenever I needed to make an emergency or improve my personal situation while living and working in Tokyo.”

The "aunt" she mentioned is none other than Kato Arashi, the head of Hoshino Agency, the talent agency of Genkawa Yuhara, and one of the key shareholders of [Star Engine] Entertainment Company.

Like Suoh Hayabusa of the Burning series, she each holds 12% of the shares in [Star Engine], making her not only an important capital supporter but also a trustworthy ally in the development of Genkawa Yu's business.

"There are probably around 20 million yen in that card."

Kato Megumi added, her tone flat.

"Twenty million?"

This time, Genkawa Yu couldn't completely control his expression, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly involuntarily.

Kato Arashi's favor towards this niece clearly exceeded his expectations.

However, given Kato Arashi's current wealth and status, and his affection for his niece, it is not difficult to understand why he would set aside such a generous "living security fund".

The key point is that the amount of money precisely addresses his most pressing financial need at that moment.

However, the hurdle of "professional boundaries" still exists in Yu Genkawa's mind.

He looked at Megumi Kato, trying to express his attitude in a more tactful way.

“Kato, I am very grateful for your kindness, but this is, after all, a personal loan from President Kato, which carries the implication of a senior’s care... Moreover, I am your employer, and it seems a little inappropriate for me to borrow money from you.”

"This money can be seen as a loan I made to Genkawa-san in my personal capacity."

Kato Megumi interrupted him gently but firmly, speaking slightly faster than usual and losing her previous calm tone.

"Besides an employment relationship, can't we have other kinds of connections? Can't we support each other when needed?"

Genkawa Yu was slightly taken aback again.

He gazed into Kato Megumi's determined eyes and suddenly realized that he might have been too fixated on formalities and labels, neglecting the purer relationships between people.

"Really..."

The next moment, Genkawa Yu smiled with relief, a smile that carried a hint of self-deprecation and sudden enlightenment.

"You're right. I was being too polite and almost let you down. Thank you so much, Kato."

He paused for a moment, then followed up on her topic of "other relationships," asking with a relaxed and curious tone, as if they were friends.

"However, I am indeed a little curious. In your opinion, besides being work partners, what other kind of relationship do we have?"

The questions were asked casually, more like natural banter between close friends.

A sweet smile appeared on Kato Megumi's face; it was the first time she had ever smiled like that.

That smile softened her usually rather plain facial features, like the first melting of spring snow, revealing a rare gentleness and sincerity.

"Of course we're good friends."

This is the only answer the girl can give right now, but she is already making progress and she is satisfied.

"Does Genkawa-san not want to be my friend?"

"of course not."

Genkawa Yu immediately shook his head in denial, his smile deepening, "It's my honor to have a capable friend like you, Kato."

"So..."

Kato Megumi followed up smoothly, her logic always clear: "Isn't it normal for friends to help each other out when they encounter temporary financial difficulties?"

"Well..."

As Genkawa gazed into Kato Megumi's open and clear eyes, the last lingering resentment in his heart finally vanished.

He nodded solemnly, his smile becoming incredibly sincere.

"You're right, we're friends. So, I really need to trouble you this time, Kato. I'll pay you back the money as soon as possible, plus interest..."

"No need for interest."

Kato Megumi shook her head slightly again, her tone returning to its usual professional and efficient manner.

“As long as it can genuinely help Mr. Genkawa,” she then changed the subject and continued, “According to the industry intelligence I’ve gathered recently, there are already regulations in the publishing industry that the film and television adaptation rights for top-selling books cannot exceed ten million yen. I imagine that if someone is competing for them, they won’t immediately drive the price to the maximum.”

"Yes."

A glint of approval flashed in Genkawa Yu's eyes. He took over the conversation and shared his in-depth analysis based on more information.

"Therefore, while we need to be fully prepared financially, we don't need to reveal all our cards at the beginning of negotiations and get caught up in a pure numbers game."

"Completely correct."

Genkawa Yu's gaze sharpened slightly, and his expression calmed down.

"We need to present a combined offer that is both emotionally persuasive and commercially competitive at the crucial moment when our opponents think they have the upper hand. More importantly, we also have a trump card that they are completely unaware of, but which is enough to overturn the negotiation situation."

The two then had a private conversation that lasted for an hour in the president's office, where they discussed various possible negotiation scenarios.

That's about right.

Genkawa Yu watched as Kato Megumi wrote down several general negotiation proposals and nodded in satisfaction.