I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema!

"I know Takeshita Ai. She has a sharp eye and never does anything meaningless." Takada Shunying said slowly, "I just checked. She and another deputy director, Asumi, were college classmates."

"Deputy Director Asumi?" Masao Iwata frowned.

Asumi, another powerful figure in the TV station, has never been in the same faction as Takada Toshihide, and the two have been competing openly and secretly on many projects.

"Besides, Suzuki Seito and that Asumi are both veterans who were promoted from Kanto TV when the station acquired it." Takada Shunei's voice deepened. "I wonder if they're trying to unite and take a bite out of the late-night horror show business."

Takada Toshihide's words were like a bolt of lightning, splitting the fog in Iwata Masao's mind.

He pursed his lips and felt that he understood.

This isn't just a competition for a project; it's a power struggle within the TV station's top brass. The approval of "An Zhi Ju" is likely a pawn used by the Asumi faction to counteract Deputy Director Takada.

"Your goal is to be promoted to Level 2 Director and then secure that S-ranked live-action horror project for the second half of the year." Takada Shunei's voice carried a hint of warning. "That's the most important thing. You can't let a trivial obstacle trip you up at this critical juncture. Do you understand?"

"Yes! I understand, Deputy Director!" A layer of cold sweat broke out on Masao Iwata's back.

After hanging up the phone, the smug look on Masao Iwata's face had long since disappeared, replaced by a gloomy look.

On the other side, Takada Toshihide put down the phone and tapped the table rhythmically with his fingers.

Asumi and Seito Suzuki...

He narrowed his eyes, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

If I remember correctly, before Asumi came to Tokyo TV Headquarters Production Department as deputy director, he was the deputy director of the production department of the acquired Kanto TV.

Seito Suzuki is also a third-level director of Kanto TV, and is deeply appreciated by Asumi, the deputy director of the production department.

It was Asumi who promoted him to the production department of Tokyo TV.

"After all these years of silence, have you finally been unable to hold back?" Takada Toshihide's eyes narrowed slightly, then he picked up another internal phone on the desk and dialed Yamamoto in the projection department directly.

"Yamamoto? I'm Takada."

"Hello, Deputy Director Takada!"

"Just now, the review department approved an animation called 'Anzhiju', you know that?"

"Yes, I just received the notice."

"Very good." Takada Shunying curled his lips into a cold smile. "If I remember correctly, the station will give up a horror show scheduled for late night next Monday, right? Make room for me and let Suzuki Seito's program be arranged for me!

Yamamoto on the other end of the phone was stunned for a moment: "Next Monday? But Deputy Director, it's so hasty..."

"It's precisely because of the rush that a program's true quality is tested." Takada Shunei's tone left no room for argument: "Let's schedule it for Monday morning at 12:20."

"But..." Yamamoto's voice was a little trembling.

But then, before he could say anything else, Takada Shunying interrupted him directly: "No buts, remember, Yamamoto, it was me who spoke well of you in front of the director last time. If it weren't for me, do you think you would still be the director of the projection department now?!"

"...Yes, Deputy Director Takada, I will always remember your kindness. I understand." Yamamoto responded slowly.

At this time, Takada Toshihide didn't say anything, just made a slight "hmm" sound from his nose and hung up the phone.

Then he leaned back in his leather boss chair with a mocking smile on his face.

He wanted to make Suzuki Seito and his "An Shibaju" debut at the worst time, in the most embarrassing manner, and then have the ratings dropped to the dust, completely nailing them to the pillar of shame!

And tell everyone.

Tokyo TV refers to the people from Tokyo TV headquarters, their own station!

It has little to do with the defeated subordinates of Kanto TV who were taken in after the acquisition!

Chapter 15 First Play

"Yamamoto-kun?" Suzuki Seito was stunned. The projection department? Why would they call?

"It's like this, Section Chief Suzuki. Section Chief Takeshita just called and gave a very high evaluation of your 'Anzhiju'."

Yamamoto's tone was calm. "We've taken a look at the recent schedule, and there's a slot for the late-night show next Monday. So, I'd like to ask, if we start broadcasting at 0:20 every day starting next Monday, can you keep up with the production schedule?"

"Next Monday? Every day?" Suzuki Seito's head buzzed.

"Yes, our broadcasting habit here is to broadcast continuously seven days a week. If possible, we hope that you can prepare the tapes of the first week, that is, seven episodes, and submit them to us before this Friday."

Yamamoto said, "This is a very good opportunity, Section Chief Suzuki. Although the competition in the late-night slot is not as good as in the prime time slot, continuous broadcasting can accumulate audiences and reputation the fastest!"

After hanging up the phone, the ecstasy on Suzuki Seito's face was quickly replaced by a serious expression.

He looked at his subordinates who were cheering just now and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, we have a new mission."

When he told the projection department what they wanted, the atmosphere in the office, which had just been extremely warm, instantly cooled down.

Producing six new episodes of animation within a week?

What a joke!

They produced the first episode of "The Talisman Girl", and although it was completed today, it was entirely because of Nohara Hiroshi's drawing board.

They can almost just copy it.

Nohara Hiroshi's drawing board only covers the first three episodes. Even if he drew the remaining four episodes on the spot, could he have done it?

"This... this is impossible?" Nancun Xing's face turned pale: "Our budget and manpower are simply..." As he said that, he looked at Nohara Hiroshi.

"Yes, Chief, this is too rushed."

Everyone looked troubled. This was no longer a challenge, it was simply a fantasy.

Suzuki Seito's brows knitted tightly together. He knew the difficulty of this task. However, the opportunity was right in front of him. Once missed, it would be gone forever.

Just when everyone felt desperate, a calm voice sounded.

"できます."

(OK.)

Everyone turned their heads and looked towards the source of the sound.

Nohara Hiroshi.

He still stood there, his expression calm, but his eyes revealed an unquestionable determination.

"Nohara-kun?" Suzuki Seito looked at him.

"We've discussed many potential stories before, and we've basically got the outline of the script." Nohara Hiroshi walked over to the whiteboard, picked up a pen, and quickly wrote down a few titles, saying as he wrote: "'Tragedy Worship', 'Family Instructions', 'Hair', 'Alternate Stages', 'Net Shed', 'Contradiction'... and I have a complete idea."

He turned around, his eyes sweeping over everyone. "As long as we have a clear division of labor and focus all our energy, we can accomplish this. The stylized style allows us to shorten the production time."

His words were like a shot of adrenaline, injected into everyone's heart.

Looking at the strange names on the whiteboard and Nohara Hiroshi's confident look, everyone's originally panicked hearts miraculously calmed down.

After all, Hiroshi Nohara is a cartoonist who has become somewhat famous recently.

The production of "An Shibaju" was even approved by the Tokyo TV headquarters, the production bureau review department, which is always famous for its difficult review.

This is enough to illustrate Nohara Hiroshi's ability and talent!

Now that Nohara Hiroshi has said so...

Then how could they possibly retreat?!

"Okay! Let's do it!"

Suzuki Seito looked at the young man before him, his eyes filled with admiration and satisfaction. He slammed the table and issued a battle order: "Hashita, you will immediately go to the projection department to confirm all the details! Minamimura, Hase, Kitagawa, all of you, from now on, follow Nohara-kun's orders! We'll settle down here for this week! I'll take care of food and lodging! Everyone, cheer up! By the end of the day on Friday, produce all the videotapes and hand them in!"

"Yes!"

A unified roar announced the beginning of an extreme challenge.

For the next seven days, the Suzuki classroom turned into a high-speed war machine.

The floor was littered with empty takeout boxes and instant noodle bags, and the air was filled with a strange smell mixed with coffee, paint, and sweat.

Hiroshi Nohara became the absolute core of this small team.

His workstation is covered with storyboard sketches, each of which uses the simplest lines to outline the most accurate horror atmosphere.

"Nancun-kun, here, the weird atmosphere of the hospital in 'The Worship of Misfortune' should be more intense. It should feel like you're about to bang your head into the ground."

"Kitagawa-san, in the episode 'Hair', don't use pure black for the hair. Use several different shades of gray overlaid on top of each other. This way, there's a sense of movement in the still image."

"Hase-kun, the perspective of the staircase in 'Stairs of Otherworldly' needs to be more distorted, so that it makes people feel uncomfortable at first glance."

He rarely spoke loudly, but every instruction he gave was clear and precise, getting to the point. His brain was like a sophisticated computer, perfectly splitting and combining the production processes of the six stories and assigning them to each person.

He himself took on the most arduous task - drawing the original paintings of all the key scenes.

When others were so tired that they fell asleep on their cots, the desk lamp at his workstation was always on the latest.

Anyone who looks over can see that Nohara Hiroshi's hands are always painting.

Without any hesitation.

Time flies by in this extreme busyness.

On Friday afternoon, when Hashimoto Ichiro handed seven brand new videotapes neatly to Mr. Yamamoto in the projection department, he felt his legs go weak.

In Suzuki's classroom, everyone seemed to have been drained of all their strength. They slumped over the chairs and sofas and fell into a deep sleep.

……

Sunday, late night.

There's less than half an hour left until Monday.

Suzuki's classroom was pitch black, with only an old TV emitting a dim light, illuminating the tired yet extremely excited faces sitting in front of it.

There was cold pizza and a few cans of beer on the table, but no one touched them.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the ticking time in the lower right corner of the screen.

00:18:45

"It's...it's coming." Hashijitaro's voice was trembling, and he was rubbing his hands nervously.

"I don't know... if anyone will watch." Beichuan Yao said in a low voice, holding on to the cushion beside her.

Suzuki Seito didn't say anything, he just stared at the screen. His weather-beaten face was filled with the tension and anticipation of a parent waiting for their child to be born.

Hiroshi Nohara sat in the corner, leaning against the back of the sofa, his hands crossed in front of him, staring calmly at the TV. Only his eyes, still bright in the darkness, revealed his inner unrest.

Time passed by second by second.