Tokyo: The evil god doesn't want to be the top star

It can be seen from the popularity voting data that as the program airs, Xia Fan's popularity increases with his exposure, and his ranking in keyword searches is expected.

But what Akimoto Manjiro did not expect was that many people came just for Xia Fan and watched the entire international version of the theme song MV, which had poor production and strange painting style.

The style of this MV, compared to the sweet and cool theme song MVs of talent shows in the past five years, can be regarded as a "mudslide"...

It was this "mudslide" that inexplicably tickled the funny bones of netizens and became a "famous abstract work" that has been in high demand recently.

There were even calls online for "trainees from nine countries to withdraw from the program and debut as a group where they are."

Even passers-by who don't usually watch idol auditions and otakus addicted to games have been attracted by secondary creation videos such as "Tianmo Ranbu" and "Too Complex Men's Group"...

Although they did not debut as a group, the MV performance of a boy group with such complex international elements was indeed the first in District 11, as it included members from many countries including Dragon, India, Thailand, the United States, and the Philippines.

Then, many of the spectators became fans of Xia Fan, who was praised as "untainted by the mudslide".

That’s right, Xia Fan’s personal popularity boosted the number of views of the international version of the MV…

The international version of the MV also used abstract jokes to attract traffic, which in turn attracted more fans for Xia Fan...

A kind of "fully automatic closed-loop drainage matrix" was formed naturally and strangely.

"That is to say..."

"We spent so much money, produced so many trailers, and put so much traffic on it, but the effect is worse than an abstract and low-quality MV?!"

After browsing the real-time discussion forum of the "Idol Birth Festival" several times and repeatedly confirming the background data feedback from various channels, Manjiro Akimoto still looked incredulous.

"Perhaps young people are tired of traditional idols and want to change their tastes occasionally?"

“Although the specific reasons are unclear, according to big data statistics, users who had been constantly leaving the idol industry for the ACG and gaming industries are returning for the first time. This is a phenomenon that has never occurred in the industry before!”

Although assistant director Cao Tai couldn't figure it out, in his opinion, the international version of the MV did create a phenomenal wave of traffic for the program...

As long as the results are encouraging, there is no need to delve into the underlying principles.

"It seems that the era of dominating people's hearts with faces, thighs and breasts is over."

"I am really old. I don't understand what young people want nowadays..."

Akimoto Manjiro seemed to have his values ​​severely damaged, and he dropped his chopsticks without any appetite...

"Give me one of your cigarettes."

He had quit smoking many years ago, but he rarely took the cigarette from Cao Tai's pocket and put it in his mouth.

"Xia Fan..."

"The source of these changes... is all Xia Fan..."

"This kid has a strange charm that even I can't understand. It's not just ordinary 'light'..."

After smoking in silence for a while, Akimoto Manjiro's phone rang.

"President Matsudaira... Thank you for the compliment. Such good data is the result of everyone's hard work."

"Let me explain. The international version of the MV had a better promotional effect. It was an accident..."

"What? Three quarters of the international trainees will be eliminated in the first performance? Isn't that too much?"

"Yes, I understand."

"You said Xia Fan is too popular and you're worried that it will affect the original development plan?"

"Well, I'll find a way to deal with it in the next show..."

He stood there, nodding and bowing for a long time before hanging up the phone.

"Humph, this Xia Fan... I don't believe that the production team that controls the 'rules' can't suppress the popularity of a trainee..."

"Could it be possible that he is possessed by a god?"

Gazing at Xia Fan in the MV, who was as dazzling as a star but made people reluctant to look away, the cigarette butt in Manjiro Akimoto's mouth flickered and burned out quickly in the fierce white smoke.

……

Just when Akimoto Manjiro's long-standing smoking addiction relapsed...

Xia Fan, who caused all this, was standing at the intersection of Ikebukuro Commercial Street wearing sunglasses and a mask.

A mini truck drifted out from the corner and stopped in front of him with the sound of screeching tires.

"Sorry for the wait, Mr. Xia."

The car window rolled down, revealing a muscular, short middle-aged man.

"President Saejima, you're welcome. I've only been here a few minutes."

"But I finally managed to squeeze out half a day to rest. I hope you won't let me down."

Xia Fan pressed his sunglasses onto his nose and looked at the other person deeply.

"Don't worry, this time, I am fully prepared and will definitely help you choose the right 'goods'."

The middle-aged man opened his coat, revealing a thick stack of documents inside.

"I hope so……"

The two looked at each other sharply, and sparks seemed to fly where their eyes met.

That’s right, the person who was chatting with Xia Fan from a distance like a criminal meeting was the boss of "RPG Real Estate", Tetsuo Saejima.

Because the theme song MV shooting was completed and he had a short break, Xia Fan finally had time to keep his appointment and continue looking for houses...

After all, there are less than two weeks left before a certain god’s “time-limited oracle” requiring the purchase of land.

"Well, I brought a companion with me today to help with some reference. Is that convenient?"

Xia Fan glanced behind him and asked politely.

"You are too polite. It is normal to bring relatives and friends to help look at houses. Why would I mind..."

"But my car can only carry two people?"

Tetsuo Saejima waved his hands heroically and looked at his narrow compartment with some embarrassment.

In fact, this mini truck with only two doors and a cargo bed was a little difficult for him with his bulging muscles to fit in. Last time, Xia Fan was able to sit down thanks to his thin body.

"Hello, Mr. Saejima. I am Xia Fan's companion, Aoi Jinguji."

"I have arranged a car and a driver. Please lead the way for this house viewing..."

Wearing a red and white miko costume, carrying a longbow and a black umbrella, and a waist full of talismans, Jinguji Aoi walked down from a black commercial vehicle next to her with ease...

On the other side of the cab, Higurashi, dressed in a neat suit, also came down and nodded to Tetsuo Saejima.

"You two, this is..."

Saejima stared at the two of them in amazement, his expression frozen.

"If you care about my outfit, this is actually my personal cosplay hobby..."

Apparently having extensive experience in dealing with issues regarding clothing, Aoi Jinguji, in her "fully armed Shinto form," skillfully spoke nonsense with a serious expression.

"COSPLAY? Could it be, could it be..."

After thinking about it for a while, Tetsuo Saejima slapped his head suddenly.

Chapter 238: Purchasing a Wedding House

2024-07-13

"I should have thought of it earlier. It's normal for a young, handsome and promising man like Xia Jun to have such a beautiful girlfriend who likes cosplay..."

"The single-family house you want to buy must be used as your future wedding house, right?"

He looked at the two of them ambiguously, as if he had suddenly realized something.

"Boss Saejima, what on earth did you misunderstand..."

Xia Fan wanted to explain, but didn't know where to start, so he could only sigh silently.

"Wedding...wedding house? A single-family house... it's actually pretty good..."

Aoi Jinguji's cheeks turned slightly red, but there was a hint of intention in her eyes.

"Don't worry. It's rare to have such a happy and normal business as 'Purchasing a Wedding House'. Since you two have placed such a heavy trust in me, I will definitely not let you down..."

"Let's get going without delay! Mr. Driver, please follow me closely..."

With tears in his eyes, Tetsuo Saejima released the handbrake with full energy and rushed out with his foot on the accelerator.

……

The black commercial vehicle followed the mini truck and sped towards the west of Ikebukuro.

"Mr. Xia Fan, you are now a popular 'Seven Star International Trainee'. You took the time to come and assist in the investigation. I am really grateful."

Inside the car, Aoi Jinguji thanked Xia Fan softly.

"Don't tease me. If everyone hadn't been 'overdoing it', how could I have been promoted to the center position? I've been recognized several times on the street recently. I don't feel as comfortable as before..."

"Besides, I was going to look at the house anyway, so it's no problem for me to help with the investigation."

Looking at the witch's smiling eyes that showed no sign of "gratitude", Xia Fan took off his sunglasses and mask and sighed.

The international version of the theme song MV broke through the circle and attracted traffic. Standing in the center, he gradually stepped out of the "Danmei circle" and began to break through the two-dimensional and abstract circles. The recognition of passers-by rose sharply...

According to the recording agreement of the "Idol Birth Festival" program team, trainees cannot have any exposure unrelated to the program content during the recording of the program, not even taking photos with passers-by or signing autographs.

This also led to him wearing a mask in convenience stores, streets and other public places in the past two days to avoid being recognized by passers-by.

"By the way, regarding the organization that believes in 'Amabie', after the previous clearing operations, they were obviously on guard and sent the believers back home. Our people only tracked down a few empty houses with traces of multiple people's activities..."

"Also, the cemetery and haunted house you marked last time have been exorcised, and soul-soothing stones have been placed to prevent future troubles."

"After your reminder, Section 9 has started the 'haunted house cleanup' work on the existing houses in Tokyo, but due to the fact that the houses are too dense, there are too many of them, and there is a shortage of exorcists, the progress is very slow..."

Jinguji Aoi put away her smile and reported her recent work situation to Xia Fan in a serious manner.

The supernatural cases in Lesson 9 are mostly about dealing with cases that have already happened. Because of Xia Fan's report of the "haunted house", it was realized that the large number of "accident properties" hidden in District 11 are actually "supernatural bombs"...

Generally speaking, "earthbound spirits" will not actively attack people, and ordinary people without inspiration cannot see them. It's like the two sides live in parallel time and space, with no possibility of contact...

However, as foul energy and obsession accumulate, there is a possibility that the earthbound spirit will "evolve" into a more ferocious existence, which can be regarded as an unstable "supernatural risk factor."

However, because there are too many "suspicious houses" and there are few exorcists who are able to identify them, the investigation work of Lesson 9 is progressing very slowly.

"Indeed, there are too many 'haunted houses' hidden among the people. Even with the efficiency of Section 9, there is no way to solve them in a short period of time."

"So today, should I hope that President Saejima will be helpful or not?"

Looking at the mini truck speeding flexibly in front of him, Xia Fan felt extremely conflicted for a moment.

Originally, Jinguji Aoi wanted to take advantage of the time when he finished recording to make an appointment to discuss the case in person.

After hearing that Xia Fan was planning to go and see a house, she asked Rimu to be her driver and followed him with great interest.

The reason given is...

If you encounter a "haunted house", Lesson 9 will close and seal it off, waiting for "purification"...

If it is a normal house, then just act as a friend and ask for your reference.

……

"We're here, Mr. Xia, Mrs. Xia, this is the first house we're going to see today..."

After driving for half an hour, Tetsuo Saejima and a few others arrived in front of a brand new all-wooden one-family building.

"My last name is Jinguji..."

Jinguji Aoi blushed slightly and introduced herself.

"Oh, sorry, you haven't completed the formalities yet, so you haven't changed your last name? Sorry, sorry..."

Saejima spoke in the tone of a middle-aged uncle and cupped his hands in a teasing manner.

"This house is located in Toda City. The subway station is about a ten-minute walk away. It's a little far to drive to Ikebukuro, but it's within an hour..."

Then, he nimbly climbed over the one-meter-high courtyard wall, hooked a key from the gap in the stairs, and opened the door for the two of them with his backhand.

Higurashi did not get out of the car, but waited in the cab with a vigilant look on his face.

"The house is only three years old, and the real estate developer has already done all the renovations. You can just adjust the interior and electrical appliances to your preferred style and move in..."

"Originally, there were some unknown problems with the circuit of this house, and there would be occasional power outages for no reason, but after installing the rooftop photovoltaic and energy storage system, these problems were basically solved."