I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema!

"Furthermore, this number continues to grow at a terrifying rate! I estimate that by the time registration closes next week, the total number of applicants will reach at least... 300,000!"

Three hundred thousand!

This number made everyone present who heard it gasp subconsciously.

This is no longer a simple variety show.

This is a true carnival for all the people!

"very good."

Nohara Hiroshi just looked at the report calmly, with a faint smile on his lips.

He knew the war had begun.

And the result...

It's destined!

From the moment he decided to bring that plan that could revolutionize the times from that future time and space to this world.

The ending is already determined!

"Let the notification go."

He stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the steel city below that had long been crazy about him. His voice was calm, but with enough confidence to attract the attention of the entire era.

"The second season of Super Change, the national auditions, have officially begun."

“Let the entire neon sky burn for our creativity.”

PS: I'm still asking for votes~ If any brothers can subscribe here, I'd be very grateful~

Chapter 120: The Elephant Dance Heirloomed by the Elephants! Nohara Ginnosuke's unique skill!

Osaka, Kansai Television (KTV) Headquarters Building, Production Department.

The air in the conference room seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, so heavy that water could be wrung out of it.

The ashtray was already filled with burnt cigarette butts, like small graves, burying the inspiration and patience of everyone present.

"So, after almost a month of hard work, this is the result you gave me?"

Ichiro Agaya, the deputy director of the production department who is known for his iron fist and bad temper in the Osaka television industry, threw a thin plan in the middle of the conference table as if it were garbage.

That face, which looked a little swollen from giving orders for a long time, was now filled with undisguised disappointment and anger.

"'New Tales of Strange Stories'? Did you get kicked in the head by a donkey? This old-fashioned name sounds like the late-night ghost stories my grandparents watched! Are you trying to make the audience fall asleep early while watching our show?!"

His roar, like that of an enraged lion, resonated throughout the conference room.

The section chiefs and directors sitting below, who usually acted arrogantly in their respective territories, now looked like a group of quails that had done something wrong, with their heads lowered and silent as a cicada.

"Deputy Director...this...this can't be blamed on us."

A seemingly gentle section chief finally mustered up the courage to defend himself in a tone that bordered on pleading: "'Urban Tales' is a simple subject to talk about, but actually doing it... is simply too difficult."

"Difficult? What's difficult about it?!" Ichiro slammed the table, and the loud noise made everyone subconsciously shrink their necks.

"It's... it's 'Nohara Hiroshi' that's too difficult!"

The gentle section chief's voice suddenly rose, his flushed face filled with the helplessness and despair of being forced into a desperate situation. "He... he's not telling a ghost story at all! He's defining it! With 'Dark Zhiju' and 'The Strangest Stories of the World,' he defined this brand-new genre, 'urban ghost story,' a definition that none of us can escape!"

"We tried! We really tried!"

The other screenwriter in charge of the script also chimed in with a mournful expression, "We found the best horror novelist in Osaka. We even went to ancient temples in Kyoto and looked through centuries-old strange stories! But compared to Nohara Hiroshi's, what we came up with just feels... so fake! So contrived!"

"That's right!"

The polite section chief nodded heavily, his voice filled with despair. "His fear is rooted in life! It's the kind of fear you get when you walk into a convenience store late at night and see a blurry figure in the mirror! It's the kind of fear you get when you receive a silent, harassing phone call, only to discover the next day that the number doesn't exist! This kind of thing isn't made up, it's... it's ingrained in him! We... we can't imitate it!"

"Can't imitate it?"

The corner of Ichiro's eye twitched. He suppressed his anger and changed the subject: "What about 'The Wonderful World of Tales'? That one can always be imitated, right? Isn't it just a twist? Just hire a few more screenwriters and make the ending a little more outrageous, right?!"

"That...that's even more difficult!" The screenwriter's face instantly fell like a bitter gourd.

"Do you think it's just a simple reversal? There...there's an analysis of human nature and a satire of social phenomena! The first episode, 'The Touch of Terror,' talks about 'prejudice'! The second episode, 'The Legend of Macchio,' talks about 'rumors'! The third episode, 'Shogi', talks about 'fate'! Each story is like a scalpel, precisely cutting open the most hypocritical abscesses in our society! This kind of depth...this kind of intention...how can we...how can we possibly learn it?!"

This statement caused the entire conference room to fall into a long silence.

Ichiro opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

He felt like a stupid tribal leader commanding a group of primitive men armed with sticks to challenge a futuristic warrior driving a Gundam.

The feeling of powerlessness that came from the bottom of his heart made his already anxious heart even more depressed.

"Then...what about 'Super Mutant'?"

As if grasping at straws, he asked in a dry voice, "What do you think of that national audition? Is it... just that brat playing tricks?"

"This... we've studied it, too." Section Chief Sven pushed his glasses up, his eyes filled with confusion. "From a formal perspective, this is truly an unprecedented model. It takes the auditions from the closed studio directly to the streets and alleys across the country. It's more like... conscription than selection."

"Recruiting?" Ichiro Goya's brows frowned even deeper.

"Yes, conscription."

Section Chief Sven nodded, his tone filled with awe. "He uses 'creativity' and 'honor' as weapons to transform ordinary people throughout Japan into his most loyal soldiers. He instills in everyone the illusion that 'I, too, can become a star,' and thus willingly contributes to his rising variety show empire. This method... is truly... brilliant."

"But what's the point?" another director retorted unconvincedly. "How can a ragtag group of people, no matter how many there are, ever compare to the professionally trained comedians we have? I think this is just a flashy, large-scale performance art. Once the novelty wears off, the audience will soon tire of it."

These words made everyone present nod subconsciously.

That’s the view now.

Yes, what can a group of amateurs do?

Whether it is a movie, a TV series, or a variety show, it needs a group of professional actors and stars to support the show.

A group of amateurs who have not received any acting education.

A group of so-called citizens.

Do you know what a lens is?

Do you know what theatrical language is?

"In this way, perhaps we still have a chance to breathe."

Hearing everyone say this, Ichiro felt a little relieved, but for some reason, he still felt extremely nervous.

……

Nagoya, Chukyo TV.

Fukuoka, Kyushu Broadcasting.

Almost at the same time, the same conversation was taking place in different conference rooms, in different dialects.

Those local tyrants who had once clamored to join forces to "encircle and suppress" Nohara Hiroshi, after weeks of closed-door research, finally had to face a cruel reality that made them feel despair.

They were no match for that young man at all.

Whether it was creativity, depth, or structure, they were all beaten in all directions by the other side in an almost overwhelming manner.

"Ugh!"

In the end, all the arguments and all the resentment turned into a collective sigh filled with helplessness and exhaustion.

"never mind."

A production manager waved his hand, his gesture like a fighter with a broken spine. "Let's put the 'Super Mutant Mutant Mutant' project on hold for now. Let's focus all our energy on finishing this 'Urban Tales' project first! I just can't believe that all of us elites in Kansai can't outperform a kid from Tokyo!"

"Hi!"

……

As night falls, the lights in the izakaya become dim.

Ichiro Goya, Ken Yamada, and Shigeru Tanaka, the three core members of the "Anti-Nohara Hiroshi Alliance", gathered together again.

But this time, the passion of their shared hatred for the enemy was no longer on their faces. Instead, there was only a kind of dejection that came from a mutual understanding and was shrouded in a common failure.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on in that kid's head?!"

Ichiro Gaiya downed the sake in his glass in one gulp and slammed it down on the table. His flushed face was filled with uncontrollable jealousy and resentment. "Those useless people under me have been studying for almost a month and haven't even learned the basics of a single episode! All they do is tell me it's 'difficult' and 'can't imitate'! What am I keeping them for?!"

"Same here." Yamada Ken gave a wry smile, his face now filled with exhaustion. "It's the same here. That guy called Nohara Hiroshi is like a mountain, a mountain that none of us can climb over. We can only watch him standing on the top of the mountain, looking down at us poor wretches struggling at the foot of the mountain."

"The most terrifying thing is not his talent."

Tanaka Shigeru, who had been silent the entire time, slowly let out a breath. "The most terrifying thing is his strategy. With 'Dark House' and 'World's Strangest Stories,' he established an absolute, unshakable brand barrier in the field of 'urban tales.' Then, with 'Super Change,' he carved out a blue ocean in the brand-new battlefield of variety shows, a blue ocean that belongs only to him."

He paused, and there was a hint of fear in his voice that he himself was not even aware of.

"TV series, animation, variety shows... He's only been at the TV station for less than a year, and he's already established absolute dominance in these three most important areas. Do you think, in a few years, will there still be room for us old-timers in this glamorous Japanese television industry?"

These words were like an ice-cold knife, piercing the hearts of everyone present with precision.

The box fell into a dead silence.

This is indeed worth pondering.

There are always abandoned losers in every era.

However, when it was their turn, these production bureau leaders who were used to being high and mighty felt confused and frightened.

Especially now, they can't even understand what Nohara Hiroshi is doing!

……

Omagari City, Akita Prefecture.

In stark contrast to the suffocating fast pace of Tokyo, time here seems to be stretched out by the lazy chirping of cicadas in the August afternoon, distant and peaceful.

In the Nohara family's old house, Nohara Ginnosuke was sitting cross-legged on the tatami with an unhappy look on his face, his two thick eyebrows, which were exactly the same as his youngest son's, were twisted into a knot.

In front of him was a colorful promotional poster.

On it, written in a magical artistic font were a few large words that seemed to be jumping - "Super Change Change" · Akita regional auditions, registration is now open!

"Hmph, all this fancy stuff." Nohara Ginnosuke exhaled a foul breath mixed with the stubbornness and disdain of an old farmer. He took a sip of warm barley tea, but his eyes uncontrollably scanned back and forth at the imaginative and funny pictures on the poster.

Deep in his eyes, there was a hint of eagerness that he himself was not aware of.

"Dad, you've been staring at that piece of paper all afternoon. Aren't your eyes tired?"