After being elected as the governor of Tokyo, he will debut as a band!

"I am chihaya Aion, I am fine, thank you."

"?"x4

Everyone present stared at her in astonishment, except for Kensuke Komikado, whose attention was completely focused on Bernidet Knox and who didn't notice what Ayane Chihaya said.

Chihaya Aine realized what was happening, and her face flushed bright red. If her hand hadn't been still being held by Ms. Nok, she probably would have already run out the door, trying to escape this humiliating experience by getting away from this painful place.

Ichika Hoshika and Iwashita Shima also realized that Chihaya Aine's spoken English might not be very good.

Oh no! If Chihaya Aine can't fulfill her role as English translator, then today's negotiations won't be able to continue.

Oh, right, Attorney Komikado!

As if grasping at a straw, Ijichi Hoshika cast a pleading look at Komikado Kensuke.

Attorney Komekado shrugged, indicating that he was unable to help.

Komikado occasionally throws in English words or phrases during debates or sarcastic remarks, but these are mostly common words in legal or everyday situations. They are more for the purpose of enhancing his tone or provoking his opponent to disrupt their thinking. His own spoken English is not outstanding, which is why, as a top lawyer with a near 100% win rate, he rarely participates in international cases that require fluent English.

Of course, his spoken English is still much better than Chihaya Aine's, and he can complete basic conversations... But Attorney Komikado values ​​style very much. If he feels that his spoken English level is not commensurate with his status as a top lawyer, he would rather not use this skill.

In fact, Attorney Komekado also felt that he had miscalculated. When he called Ichichi Hoshika yesterday to arrange a time, he asked her if she would bring a translator. Her answer was "it's already prepared," so he didn't worry about it anymore.

Unexpectedly, the "translator" they found turned out to be a high school student, and a high school student who could only say "I am fine, thank you".

What a miscalculation! If I had known this would happen, I should have brought that naive girl Dai along too... Although her spoken English wasn't professional enough, she didn't care about her image. It didn't matter if she stumbled over a few words of English or was treated like a clown.

Attorney Komekado thought to himself.

Just as Ichiji Seika and Iwashita Shima were at their wits' end due to the language barrier, Toyokawa Shoko finally couldn't help but speak up.

"Ms. Nok, as Aine said, she is not Ms. Hiroi Kikuri, but a talented junior in music who is highly regarded by Mr. Hack. She came here today to learn how to deal with a record company executive like you... The ones who can truly represent Mr. Hack's opinion are Ms. Iji Tomoka and Ms. Iwashita Shima here."

She spoke these words, of course, in English.

Shoko Toyokawa, after all, comes from a wealthy and influential family and has had many opportunities to be exposed to English-speaking societies since childhood. Unlike Aine Chihaya, she doesn't have a psychological barrier to using English in conversation. In addition, her English grades are already quite good, so she is able to express herself clearly in English.

"Oh my God!" Ms. Nok realized she had made a blunder and quickly let go of Chihaya Aine's hand, apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry, but you Japanese people all look so alike, so..."

She turned and walked towards Ijichi Seika, and warmly shook Seika's hand. "My grandmother said, 'A misunderstanding is the beginning of a destiny.' Miss Ijichi, we might become friends someday."

"Aha..."

Ijichi Hoshika opened her mouth with a blank expression, and Ms. Nock's attempt to ease the awkwardness was like throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind man.

“Ms. Nock, you’d better bring a translator with you. Although we have five people here, none of them are capable of fluent English conversation…”

"That's what Toyokawa Shoko said."

Actually, her spoken English was quite good, but on the one hand, she wanted to protect Chihaya Aine's self-esteem, and on the other hand, she was worried that when they talked about professional topics, her vocabulary would not be enough to handle it, and she would delay Aoyama's plans.

Therefore, it's best to leave translation to professional translators.

“I’m so sorry,” Ms. Knox patted her forehead and hurriedly went out to have the staff at Tokyo Columbia arrange a translator. When she returned, she expressed her apologies again, “I didn’t think it through. I heard that Mr. Hack’s English was very good, and I thought that the person he sent today would be able to communicate with me without any problems.”

This statement was actually somewhat impolite. Since it was a cross-border business deal, it was only proper to bring translators. However, after hearing Toyokawa Shoko's suggestion, the other party immediately made a change, which showed that they did not mean to belittle the two people Mr. Hack had assigned. Therefore, Toyokawa Shoko did not say anything more.

However, after today's discussions conclude, she will definitely instruct Ijichi Seika to relay the other party's words and actions to Aoyama Mukai.

Japanese people are always particularly tolerant of American rudeness, but some people may not be without the ability to fight back.

……

In conclusion, Bernie Dett Nock was very satisfied after listening to the finished product of "Rolling In The Deep" and immediately offered a price that was surprisingly good for a "newcomer who had just entered the European and American music market".

First and foremost are the royalties from single sales and the royalties generated from digital downloads of streaming music.

Mrs. Knok received 11% of the single's sales royalties, while digital royalties were calculated at $0.5 per thousand plays...

This was lower than Aoyama's expected price, after all, he knew how successful the song was in his previous life, and the song was fully worthy of a 15% copyright share and a digital royalty of $1 per thousand plays.

However, Columbia Records wasn't entirely unconvinced; this price was significantly higher than what most overnight sensations in the music industry could command.

Besides the copyright revenue sharing model, Bernie Daughter's boss, Carlton, had previously suggested to Aoyama through Coburn's agent that they buy out the overseas rights to the song, but Aoyama naturally did not agree.

Only musicians who lack confidence in their own singles would choose to buy out the song. Aoyama knew that this song had a very high probability of success, so why would he choose to buy it out? Wouldn't that be foolish?

Although Bernice Daughter Knox offered a high price, Ijichi Hoshika still remembered the numbers Aoyama had told her and negotiated with her.

Ijichi Hoshika wasn't good at this kind of thing, but Toyokawa Shoko seemed to have a special talent for it. After a few subtle questions, she managed to get Bernie Dett Nock to slightly raise her bid.

Of course, this is not without conditions.

For music companies, singles are far less profitable than albums, so Bernie Daughter Knox hoped that Aoyama Kou and SIC would...

Khack could release an all-English album based on "Rolling In The Deep," but the other songs on the album could not use the same copyright revenue sharing scheme as "Rolling In The Deep" and would need to be one or two tiers lower.

The album sales revenue sharing ratio will be discussed after all the songs are produced.

Bernie Dett Nock's final proposal met Aoyama's bottom line regarding Ijichi Seika, so the two parties reached an agreement smoothly. Attorney Komekado and the legal team from Tokyo Columbia went next door to review the contract. Once the review was complete, Ijichi Seika and her team would take three Japanese contracts and three English contracts back to Aoyama for his signature... The three contracts covered three aspects: record sales revenue sharing, digital copyright revenue sharing, and licensing revenue sharing. There were still many parts that needed to be clearly stipulated in writing.

……

The news that Columbia Records had bought Sickhack's new song quickly spread throughout the Japanese music scene, much to the dismay of many in the mainstream music industry.

On the one hand, they look down on the creative abilities of independent bands and do not believe that these guerrilla groups, which are detached from capital support, can produce any masterpieces that move the world; on the other hand, Columbia Records paid more for "Rolling In The Deep" than many established veterans and superstars who are extremely popular in China.

As is well known, Japan is a country that places great emphasis on seniority, whether it's among office workers, in schools, or in the entertainment and music industries...

What kind of band is Sick Hack? They came from the underground scene, a relatively unknown and unconventional band, and their debut was very short-lived—performing in small showrooms hardly qualifies as a band's debut. They should at least start performing in concerts with over a thousand people, which effectively halves their debut time. Most importantly, they lacked significant awards.

Many people think that awards are unimportant, purely something for people in the industry to amuse themselves, and that no award is as useful as album sales... But if you don't have any awards, it's inevitable that you'll give people the feeling that you're not accepted by the industry, and if others don't like you, there's really nothing you can do.

In a variety show on Fuji TV, a rock-to-pop band had their guitarist and lead singer make sarcastic remarks about Sickhack in front of the host and other guests.

People are saying things like, "These days, the core competitiveness in the music industry really is 'connections and musical scales'!", "Actually, some bands are probably just recording compilations of compliments on some big star, right?", and "Some bands can crush us country bumpkins who can only write chords just by riding on the coattails of American stars!"

Because this band had a powerful composer supporting them, the host and guests on that show also sang along with the lead singer.

Isogachi Music Awards: 124 Plagiarist Kakimoto

The band that appeared on a popular variety show on Fuji TV's evening slot is called SOID. They are a former indie rock band that successfully transitioned to commercial success with the support of renowned composer Takatsuka Kakimoto.

They abandoned the members who were initially in charge of songwriting and composition in the group and turned to Takatsukasa Kakimoto, who not only provided them with high-quality commercial songs, but also used his network of contacts to arrange more exposure and performance opportunities for them.

In return, they could only perform songs provided by Takatsuka Kakimoto, and they had to pay extremely high royalties for the songs written for them by Kakimoto, which accounted for almost 90% of their band's net income.

SOID is nominally a rising star with hundreds of thousands of fans, but in reality, they are just tools for Takatsukasa Kakimoto to make money.

However, the money that these commercially successful bands earn, whether it's appearance fees, concert revenue sharing, or commercial endorsements, is unimaginable to ordinary people. Even if they only get one-tenth of it, it's enough for them to live the life they dreamed of back then.

In other words, if they don't want to be these tools, there are plenty of others who would... So, even now that they're famous, they don't dare disobey Takatsuka Kakimoto's orders. It's easy for Takatsuka Kakimoto to replace them, but if they lose Takatsuka Kakimoto's resources and works, they'll be forgotten by fans and the industry immediately. The competition in the Japanese music scene is fierce; there are always younger, cuter, and more talented newcomers emerging. For older bands to maintain their popularity, the support of respected seniors and capital is indispensable.

The remarks made by Takatsukasa Kakimoto on the variety show today were also arranged by them.

sickhack has consistently refused to be courted by major talent agencies and entertainment companies, and even established its own studio, maintaining only a distant yet close cooperative relationship with Haruka Sawamura's DC Entertainment.

Aoyama's demonstrated talent in his collaboration with Coben Coolidge, and his signing with Columbia Records, prove that he and his band Sickhack possess extremely high commercial value.

Their refusal to join any entertainment company or talent agency, and their decision to remain an independent band, has led major talent agencies and entertainment companies to believe that they do not want to share their enormous commercial value and instead want to monopolize it.

Eating alone is a major taboo in Japanese society.

Therefore, Takatsukasa Kakimoto became the vanguard in the fight against Sickhack, and the SOID band was the weapon he used to test the waters.

The show quickly garnered a lot of support after it aired.

Major agencies and entertainment companies all have their own media partners, and these media friends will still speak well of them. At the same time, their artists must maintain a consistent stance with their companies, especially those artists who have limited talent and are highly dependent on company resources. Even if they do not support such views, they have to express their opinions against their conscience.

Of course, most celebrities remained silent on the matter.

Soon, Kikuri Hiroi and her team discovered that they were receiving fewer performance invitations. Most of the venues and concert organizers had close ties with entertainment companies and talent agencies. In this critical period, even if they didn't speak out, they had to reduce their contact with Sickhack.

However, the number of fans who like them has not decreased. Many of Sickhack's die-hard fans are people with a rebellious spirit. The mainstream music industry's doubts about Sickhack have only made them stand more on Sickhack's side.

"Gurgle... Hoo-ha, who can stand this?! (Yadera Naiwa)"

Hiroi Kikuri sat sprawled on the sofa next to the bar in the Starry Night Showroom, took a big gulp of Asahi Pure Draft Beer, and let out a comfortable sigh.

"Living too many of these good days of not having to work and having alcohol to drink every day can make people feel guilty."

She smiled at Ijichi Seika, who was wearing a sour face behind the bar.

Unlike musicians with lofty musical ideals, Kikuri Hiroi is not worried about having fewer performance opportunities. On the contrary, she enjoys these leisurely days.

"Can't you go somewhere else to drink your lousy liquor? You may not have to work, but our performance hall still needs to operate."

Ijichi Hoshika glared at Hiroi Kikuri, but didn't chase her away like before. Hoshika also knew that Sickhack was being boycotted by many performance halls in Tokyo, so while she seemed extremely annoyed with her, she felt a little sorry for her.

However, she also knew that the current situation was only...

It's temporary. Aoyama has plenty of ways to deal with that composer Kakimoto, and then use this as a warning to those in the music industry who are blindly pessimistic about Sickhack to shut up.

"Well, I'm just killing time anyway, and by coming here, I can at least take some time to mentor these lovely juniors. With a good teacher like me, your performance skills will improve dramatically in a short period of time."

Hiroi Kikuri pulled out another can of beer from behind her, popped it open with a "click," and once again gulped it down.

"How can you, a bassist, help Hongxia, a drummer, improve her performance skills? It would be more appropriate if it were Iwashita or Aoyama."

Ms. PA went out to buy food, leaving only the two of them in the store, so Ijichi Hoshika directly said the name "Aoyama".

"Hehe, I'll teach Ryo how to better coordinate with Hongxia on stage, so that Hongxia can play the drums more comfortably. I guess that's also a way to improve Hongxia's performance skills?"

"That's utter nonsense and fallacy."

As the two were talking, the door to the Starlight Performance Hall was pushed open, followed by a series of somewhat chaotic footsteps.

A tall, beautiful woman with short hair, but whose eyes revealed a kind of naivety, walked in. As soon as she saw Hiroi Kikuri sitting on the sofa, she smiled and rushed over, holding a stack of documents in front of Hiroi.

"Miss Hiroi, I've finally found you! Take a look at this!"

"Um, who are you?"

Hiroi Kikuri had been drinking beer for almost two hours. Although Japanese beer is generally not very intoxicating, the quantity was still considerable. Her eyes began to wander, and she could no longer clearly see the face of the tall woman in front of her.

“Ms. Hiroi, please don’t joke around! I’m Mayuzumi Machiko, Komikado’s assistant. We’ve met before! We even exchanged contact information.”

Dai Machiko's face flushed slightly.

She has a somewhat serious personality, so she's not very good at getting along with people like Hiroi Kikuri who just drift through life.

However, there is a case that Attorney Komikado is unwilling to take, which is related to Sick Hack, so she wants to persuade Kikuri Hiroi to help convince Attorney Komikado to change his mind.

In her memory, although Hiroi Kikuri did not have a high social status or much money, and could not meet the standards of a "high-quality client" in Komekado's mind, Komekado Kensuke valued Hiroi Kikuri as a client.

Mayuzumi Machiko believed that as long as Hiroi Kikuri asked Komikado Kensuke to take on the case she was handling, Komikado Kensuke would definitely accept it, instead of being sarcastic and even insulting her in the law firm these past few days, using words like "naive fool" to insult her character!

"Oh, I remember now! Machiko, I'm so sorry," Hiroi Kikuri said with a sheepish smile, patting her head. "I'm used to being active at night, and it's still daytime now, so all my physiological functions are down, and my memory isn't working very well either."

Ichi Seika glanced at her, thinking to herself, "Are you a vampire? And your physiological functions decline during the day... If you replaced all the alcohol you drink every day with blood, then that would be more like it."

Speaking of this young woman named Mayuzumi Machiko, she's really tall!

Even though Ijichi Hoshika was considered one of the taller women in Japan, Mayuzumi Machiko was at least five centimeters taller than her... at least 1.72 meters tall. In the Japanese society's perception, a woman of that height would be considered a female giant.

"Ms. Hiroi, I need your help with something... it's about this case."

Without waiting for Hiroi Kikuri's reply, Mayuzumi Machiko opened the file in her hand, turned to a certain page, and showed it to her.

"The musical works of Ms. Fuyuyama Mei, the party involved in this case, have been infringed upon by Mr. Kakimoto Takatsuka! And I have noticed that there is also some unpleasantness between Mr. Kakimoto Takatsuka and the band to which Ms. Hiroi belongs!"

"Wait a minute? Takatsukasa Kakimoto? That composer who's been working with Fuji TV for years? I don't have any conflicts with him, do I?"

Hiroi Kikuri asked in bewilderment.

All she knew was that the band SOID had insulted her a couple of times on a Fuji TV variety show, and she had no idea what it had to do with Takatsukasa Kakimoto.

That's the advantage of living life in a daze; you might suddenly find yourself facing an enemy without even realizing it, and only a complete outsider can remind you.

“How could there be no conflict!” Machiko Dai looked at Kikuri Hiroi’s expression, which resembled a seal lying on the ice sunbathing after a good meal, and gritted her teeth in exasperation. “Even that unscrupulous lawyer, Komekado, knows that the actual controller of the SOID band is Takatsuka Kakimoto! If it weren’t for Takatsuka Kakimoto, the SOID band would probably still be performing in some bar in the Minato Ward right now! In other words, if it weren’t for Takatsuka Kakimoto’s instructions, the members of the SOID band would never have dared to say those things attacking Mr. Hack and Sickahakc on a publicly broadcast television program.”

All of the above words were, of course, spoken to her by Kensuke Komikado.

Komekado's ability to gather and process intelligence far surpasses that of this inexperienced legal assistant who lacks life experience and social networks.

Of course, Komekado only mentioned this to Mayuzumi Machiko in casual conversation and did not imply that she should give the information to Hiroi Kikuri. In Komekado's view, if a lawyer like himself could find out about this, it would be even easier for an executive like Aoyama to know.

If Aoyama knew this news and really wanted to make trouble for Kakimoto Takatsukasa, there was a high chance that he would send someone to take action against him a few days later with Kakimoto's secrets... If Aoyama didn't have this idea, then there was no need for him to shamelessly fawn over him.

The county level is too low-class, and people might not even appreciate your gesture.

As for the case brought by Fuyuyama Meino against Kakimoto Takatsukasa for plagiarizing her musical works, lawyer Komekado believes that it is completely nonsense... Even if he really did plagiarize, Fuyuyama Meino cannot produce any evidence, and she can forget about posing any threat to a famous composer like Kakimoto Takatsukasa who has long cooperated with major television stations.

He never expected that, without him taking the initiative, his subordinate, Dai Machiko, would take the initiative for him.