I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema!

"Are you here?" Sakata Nobuhiko didn't turn around, his voice was flat and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.

"Director." Nohara Hiroshi bowed slightly, neither humble nor arrogant.

Nobuhiko Sakata slowly turned around, and all the smiles on his fat face that was always smiling disappeared at this moment, leaving only an unfathomable calmness as he looked at the young man in front of him.

That look was no longer the scrutiny of a superior towards his subordinates.

He was more like an experienced old hunter observing a young beast that had entered his territory and was so powerful that it made him feel a little nervous.

After a long time, he slowly exhaled, and in that breath, there was a feeling as if he was exhaling the weight of an entire era.

"Nohara-kun, do you know? This morning, I received twenty-seven calls."

He held up three fingers, his voice filled with helplessness:

"From Osaka to Fukuoka, from Nagoya to Sapporo, almost every local station director called me personally. Their messages were remarkably consistent. First, they congratulated Tokyo TV on launching another incredible show. Then, they launched into a roundabout way of accusing you of your 'national auditions,' which have driven young people throughout their region to lose focus on work and become obsessed with getting on TV and winning the 100 million yen prize."

"They said you were...disrupting the local economic order."

Nohara Hiroshi knew it was just an excuse, so he just smiled calmly: "So, what's your response, Director?"

"Me?" Upon hearing this, Sakata Nobuhiko couldn't help but break into a foxy, smug smile on his chubby face. "I told them this is the market's choice, the audience's choice. If they have the guts, they can come up with one. If they can't, just watch."

As he spoke, he walked up to Nohara Hiroshi, his narrowed eyes flashing with undisguised admiration:

"Well done, Hiroshi-kun! This is a stroke of genius! Without bloodshed, our Tokyo TV brand influence has penetrated the very core of those local tycoons like never before! This is ten times more effective than if we had spent tens of billions of yen on advertising!"

He patted Nohara Hiroshi's shoulder heavily, and there was a hint of real solemnity in his voice, belonging to an ally.

"But I didn't come to you today to talk about this."

He turned around, picked up a gold-stamped invitation from the desk, and handed it over: "Put on your best suit and come with me to a cocktail party tonight."

Nohara Hiroshi took the invitation. On it, printed in elegant Song font were a few large characters that made his eyes narrow slightly - [Neon Film and Television Culture Promotion Association Autumn Exchange Reception].

Organizer: Neon Film and Television Association.

Co-organizer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Public Information Department.

This is no longer a simple industry gathering.

This is a real power feast, organized by the government and bringing together all the top film and television forces in Japan.

……

As night falls, the lights are on.

The Imperial Hotel, this legendary palace that has witnessed the vicissitudes of neon for nearly a century, is tonight shrouded in an unprecedented brilliant light full of power and glory.

One after another, black luxury cars with special license plates flowed silently into the open square in front of the hotel like a silent river.

The names that came down from the car were enough to make the whole of Neon take notice.

President of Toho Pictures, Chairman of Shochiku Pictures, Founder of Toei Animation...

The director of Fuji TV, the director of TBS TV, the chief producer of TV Asahi...

They are the leaders of this country's cultural industry and the giants behind the scenes who control the fate of countless stars and directors.

They are usually elusive, but now they have gathered here as if they were on a sacred pilgrimage.

When Nohara Hiroshi followed Sakata Nobuhiko and stepped onto the red carpet that was large enough to reflect people's shadows, he could clearly feel countless gazes full of inquiry, curiosity, jealousy and awe, like invisible spotlights, instantly enveloping him.

"That's... Nohara Hiroshi?"

"So young... Looks even younger than in the newspapers."

"He's the one who turned the entire television industry upside down with just three films?"

Whispers came from all directions like a tide.

Nobuhiko Sakata seemed to be in his own back garden. He had a warm smile on his face and shook hands and greeted every important figure who came up to him with familiarity. His posture was like a king showing off his most proud collection to his guests.

"Hahaha! President Matsuoka, long time no see! Come on, let me introduce you to this, that useless little guy from our station, Nohara Hiroshi."

"Oh? This is the legendary Nohara-kun? Heroes are indeed born young!"

"Director Gosha! You're here too! I grew up watching your movies! This is our newcomer, Nohara Hiroshi. I hope you'll continue to support us."

"Hmph, Sakata, you got such a treasure, but you're still hiding it. Nohara-kun, I've seen your work, it's very interesting."

Nohara Hiroshi was like a puppet being led onto the stage, smiling, bowing, and mechanically repeating the action of exchanging business cards.

Those gold-stamped business cards, like tickets to a whole new world of power, piled heavy in his hands.

He could feel the complex emotions contained in the gazes behind those business cards.

There is genuine appreciation, insincere courtesy, and even snake-like calculations hidden beneath smiles.

He knew that from tonight on, he would no longer be a simple creator.

He is a piece of fat meat coveted by countless hungry wolves.

In this social vortex filled with hypocrisy and temptation, Sakata Nobuhiko suddenly leaned over and whispered in his ear in a voice that only the two of them could hear:

"Let's go and see a real big shot."

Nohara Hiroshi's heart moved, and he followed Sakata Nobuhiko silently, passing through the noisy atmosphere of clinking glasses, and came to the door of a secluded lounge located in the deepest part of the banquet hall, which was strictly guarded by two bodyguards in black.

The room was very quiet, without any luxurious decorations, only a set of quaint mahogany sofas and a landscape painting with a profound artistic conception on the wall.

A man was standing at the window with his back to them.

He was wearing a simple dark gray suit, was of medium build, and looked like an ordinary, common elderly civil servant.

But when he slowly turned around, Nohara Hiroshi's heart suddenly shrank uncontrollably.

It was a face without any special features, so ordinary that it was even a little dull.

"Mr. Fujiwara."

Nobuhiko Sakata, the TV station tycoon who was able to call the shots outside, was now like a most humble student, bowing deeply to the man.

The most direct etiquette is to bow your head.

"Sorry to bother you. This is the Nohara Hiroshi I mentioned to you."

Your Mightiness.

Nohara Hiroshi understood instantly.

In Neon, this respectful title is only used when addressing cabinet members or top bureaucrats with equal level of power.

Without any hesitation, he also gave the man a standard 90-degree bow.

"Mr. Fujiwara, nice to meet you, I am Nohara Hiroshi."

"Ah."

Fujiwara Hideaki, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, simply nodded calmly in response to the bow from Sakata Nobuhiko, who was older than him. His gaze lingered on Nohara Hiroshi for a moment.

"sit down."

His voice carried the air of someone who had long held a superior position.

"I've read all of your works," he said straight to the point. "'Dark Zhiju' and 'Wonderful Stories of the World'... are very interesting. They use the concepts of ghosts and gods to discuss the evil of human nature. The techniques are a bit... extreme, but the intentions are quite good."

This evaluation is neither praise nor criticism, but it is like the sharpest scalpel, accurately dissecting the core of all Hiroshi Nohara's works.

"But I didn't come to you today to talk about this."

Fujiwara Hideaki's gaze became sharper, like two unsheathed swords, piercing deep into Nohara Hiroshi's soul.

"Super Mutation."

He slowly uttered these five words.

"Who asked you to make this plan?"

This question, like a thunderclap, exploded simultaneously in the hearts of Nobuhiko Sakata and Hiroshi Nohara!

A thin layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on Nobuhiko Sakata's face.

He hadn't expected that Lord Fujiwara would ask so...directly.

However, Nohara Hiroshi calmly faced that gaze that could have broken anyone down, and replied without arrogance or servility:

"It's me."

"Oh?" Fujiwara Hideaki's lips curled up meaningfully. "You yourself? A young man who has been in the industry for less than a year, you can come up with a national-level project that can change the entire social atmosphere?"

"I just... happened to grasp what this era needs most." Nohara Hiroshi's voice remained calm.

"What do you need most?"

"Yes." Nohara Hiroshi nodded and said, "It's 'connection'."

"After decades of rapid development, our country appears to be flourishing, but in reality, undercurrents have long been surging. Relationships between people have become increasingly cold and alienated, and the gaps between regions have deepened."

"What 'Super Mutation' does is simply provide a stage for these individuals who have long been accustomed to loneliness to reconnect and find a sense of belonging again."

"It lets people know that, besides work and family, we also have a shared identity: 'hometown'."

"It lets people know that, besides being indifferent and competitive, we can also laugh, shout, and unite for a common goal."

"This is the real purpose of my doing this show."

These words are very powerful.

Like a flash of lightning that cuts through the chaos, it instantly illuminates the entire room!

Nobuhiko Sakata stared blankly at the young man beside him, his chubby face filled with disbelief and horror.

He never imagined that behind a seemingly simple variety show, there was such a... grand, almost politically ambitious plan!

And Fujiwara Hideaki, on that face that was always as calm as water, finally showed a trace of undisguised shock!

He looked at the young man in front of him. His calm eyes seemed to contain a vast universe that could accommodate an entire era.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled: "Good... a good 'connection'."

He slowly stood up, walked to Nohara Hiroshi, reached out and patted his shoulder.

"Nohara-kun."

His voice was no longer cold, no longer judging, but filled with genuine recognition.

"you are very funny."