I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema!

In recent years, as audience tastes have changed, his narrative style, which is full of ritual and heaviness, has gradually become out of date.

Several of his movies failed at the box office, and the TV series he directed also received mediocre responses.

They are all lukewarm.

But after all, this is the king of the last era, and Hiroshi Nohara still intends to express his respect.

"Good morning, Director Kurosawa."

So Nohara Hiroshi walked up to this senior in the industry without any hesitation and gave a standard 90-degree bow. His posture was humble and there was no arrogance caused by his current success.

"Oh?" Kurosawa Eiji seemed to have just come back to his senses from his own world.

He slowly turned his head, and in his cloudy eyes, when he saw the young and handsome face of Nohara Hiroshi, a hint of imperceptible surprise flashed across his face, and then turned into a gentle smile.

"You are...that Nohara-kun, right?"

His voice had a certain hoarseness that only old people have, but he was still full of energy. "The young are truly formidable. I've seen 'Dark Zhiju', it's very interesting. The thoughts of today's young people are indeed different from those of us old folks."

There was no jealousy in his words, only a sense of loneliness that came from someone who had experienced it.

"You're too kind, Director Kurosawa." Nohara Hiroshi straightened up, a gentle smile on his face. "I've been watching your works since I was a child. They are the masterpieces that truly represent the spirit of Neon. I, the younger generation, still have a lot to learn from you."

These words were flawless, expressing respect while also putting himself in the right position.

The smile on Kurosawa Eiji's face grew even wider. He nodded with satisfaction, stood up, and said to Asumi beside him, "Asumi, I just came to say hello. I know the station has its own difficulties regarding prime time, so you don't have to worry about it. I'll go back and polish the script."

After he finished speaking, he left the office with steady steps.

That back figure is still upright.

Yet, there was an unconcealable sense of desolation.

The office fell silent.

Ming Rihai did not speak immediately. He waited until the secretary closed the office door again before he stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window. He looked at the bustling city downstairs and let out a long breath after a long time.

There was fatigue and helplessness in his tone.

"Did you see that, Nohara-kun?" He rubbed his brows and said in a hoarse voice, "Mr. Kurosawa is my most respected senior. His film 'Samurai' is still a classic that I cannot surpass. But..."

He turned around, and for the first time, a hint of bitterness appeared on his face, which was always elegant and calm.

"Times have changed. Audiences' tastes are becoming more sophisticated and more responsive. They no longer need grand narratives or ponderous reflections. What they want is excitement, resonance, and topics they can discuss with colleagues on the train to work the next day."

"Mr. Kurosawa still wants to make ancient samurai films and tell those old stories about loyalty and honor. It's not bad, it's just... outdated. Unless he can come up with something new. But that's too difficult."

It seems that Asumi's words were not spoken to Hiroshi Nohara so much as to himself, a silent elegy for the twilight of a hero.

Nohara Hiroshi listened quietly without interrupting.

He knew that this was not a request for his opinion, but a rare display of emotion from a superior facing a junior whom he admired and who might be able to understand his thoughts.

As expected, after a brief moment of emotion, Ming Rihai quickly regained the composure that belonged to a deputy director.

He walked back to his desk and sat down, motioning for Nohara Hiroshi to sit down as well.

"Tell me, how was the meeting?" His tone became relaxed, as if he was chatting about an insignificant family matter.

Nohara Hiroshi then repeated in detail the conditions for copyright transfer from yesterday's meeting.

From a huge sum of 10 million yen, to a house in Minato Ward or Setagaya, to the Tokyo household registration that countless young people from other places are scrambling for.

Asumi listened quietly, with a gentle smile on his face.

When Nohara Hiroshi finished speaking, he nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad, very good conditions. House, household registration, and 10 million in cash. That old fox Takada has invested a lot of money this time. It seems that he really wants the "Anzhiju" brand."

"It should be Section Chief Iwata who wants more." Hiroshi Nohara added calmly.

"Haha, you kid, you see things very clearly." Upon hearing this, Asumi laughed out loud, and his laughter was full of admiration for Nohara Hiroshi's keenness.

"But don't be complacent."

Asumi's laughter faded, and his eyes grew serious. "Takada didn't snatch 'Anzhiju' to gild its reputation. He wanted to use a 'glorious failure' to prove that your success was but a flash in the pan. Then, the media's vitriol and the audience's skepticism would be like a tidal wave, completely drowning your newly rising legend."

"I understand." Nohara Hiroshi nodded, his face still calm.

That calmness made Asumi secretly praise it in his heart again.

"Very good." He took out another document from the drawer. On the cover of the document, there was a big "S" printed in bold black letters.

"Since you understand, I won't beat around the bush." ​​Asumi pushed the document in front of Nohara Hiroshi and said solemnly, "This is the S-rank live-action horror project I mentioned to you last time. It's scheduled to air in July in the second half of the year, at 9 p.m., the prime time slot."

"I recommended you to the board of directors to serve as the chief director and chief planner of this project. They voted unanimously in favor."

"I have only one request." Asumi's gaze, like a sharp knife, stared directly at Nohara Hiroshi: "I hope that you can use this work to create a brand new 'urban horror' universe that truly belongs to you, Nohara Hiroshi."

Nohara Hiroshi did not answer immediately.

He simply took out the plan that he had prepared long ago, which also exuded the fragrance of ink, from his briefcase and gently placed it in front of Asumi.

That action was like that of a skilled chess player who, after his opponent made his move, responded without hesitation to his already planned move.

Asumi was slightly stunned, and then an even brighter smile appeared on his face.

He picked up the business plan. On the cover were several fonts designed with unique artistic fonts, which were a bit mysterious and strange.

——"Wonderful Stories of the World".

The font looked like it was bleeding or shedding tears.

It gives people a very weird feeling.

This made Asumi curious.

So he opened the first page, but his brows frowned slightly.

The business plan begins with a man in a black suit and sunglasses, who describes the scene setting of the opening remarks in an emotionless tone.

"Host?" There was a subtle hint of disappointment in Ming Hai's tone.

He recalled the late-night horror reality show a few months ago that was also hosted by their Kanto faction and also used the 'host-come-from-behind' model.

That program can be said to be a tragic Waterloo for the Kanto faction in this TV station.

The story is old-fashioned, the production is crude, and the host, who is a third-rate actor, is so greasy that it is unbearable to watch.

The show was only aired for three weeks before it was ruthlessly cancelled because its ratings fell below 1%.

The third-level director whom he had high hopes for was completely banished to the sidelines. Finally, he was kicked back to the local branch of Kanto TV Station in despair and had no chance of making a comeback.

That incident is still a thorn in his heart.

And now, Nohara Hiroshi, the young man whom he regarded as the 'rising star of the Kanto faction', is about to repeat the same mistake?

"Nohara-kun, this model...we have tried it before and failed." There was a hint of regret in his voice that he himself was not even aware of.

Nohara Hiroshi just smiled calmly and gestured to him to continue.

Ming Hai sighed and continued reading patiently.

Then watch and watch.

His expression...began to change.

That disappointment was gradually replaced by surprise, and that surprise slowly turned into shock.

When he saw the synopsis of the first episode "The Touch of Horror", his eyes, which had always been calm, finally burst into an unprecedented light.

A woman with the supernatural power of being able to sense the inner thoughts of an object by touching it.

In her eyes, he was a male protagonist who committed serial killings but acted very decently.

A handsome second male lead who seems to be a savior but is a bit weird.

And, at the last second of the story, that horrifying and shocking reversal that was enough to subvert everything——

The man she killed was a police officer investigating a serial killer case, and the handsome man who saved her was the real psychopathic killer who was at large.

Because her super powers touched the key suspect items.

This caused her to fail in judgment.

The real serial killer, at this time, when everyone thought the plot was over and the hero and heroine had a happy ending, revealed his true face and started to attack the heroine!

Big plot twist!

"Snapped!"

Asumi slammed the plan shut, the sound was crisp and loud.

He stood up suddenly, and his face, which was always elegant and calm, was now filled with undisguised ecstasy and excitement.

"This... this is the real 'urban legend'!"

He looked at Nohara Hiroshi with a look as if he was looking at a national treasure that could change history: "This is no longer just a simple horror, it's human nature, it's suspense, it's the most profound irony and analysis of our seemingly peaceful modern society!"

He paced back and forth, the enthusiasm of a producer completely ignited.

"Sample! I need a sample!"

Asumi stopped and stared at Nohara Hiroshi intently, his eyes like a geologist who had spotted a rare mineral vein: "Can your production team shoot this episode for me in the shortest possible time?!"

"Okay." Nohara Hiroshi nodded calmly.

There are ready-made shots and texts in my memory.

Find some similar actors.

How can I not feel at ease when plagiarizing "Wonderful Stories of the World" according to my memory?

"Alright!" Asumi's voice was filled with a resoluteness that brooked no argument. "I'll give you 5 million yen per episode for production! You can choose the personnel and equipment! I have only one request: I want that old fox Takada and the entire board of directors to see for themselves what a true S-rank project is!"

Five million yen!

Five million yen in 1990!

This is no longer generosity, this is a gamble!

Nohara Hiroshi looked at Asumi's face, which was slightly flushed with excitement, and slowly stood up.

Finally, a smile came out on his face, a smile that came from the heart, the smile of a general about to go to the battlefield.

"Hi!"

"I will definitely live up to your trust!"

Nohara Hiroshi bowed.