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

"What? The Bureau of Culture and Lifestyle is holding an expert research meeting on the theme of 'Revitalization and Promotion of Popular Arts' and has invited the two of us to participate?"

When Hiroi Kikuri received this news from Iwashita Shima, she was certain that the "question mark" in her mind had already materialized on her face.

"Shima, your joke is way too lame. It's not as good as the one I heard from two middle-aged men at the next table when I was drinking yesterday. They were talking about an assassin who said he sells a single bullet for 10... Waaah?"

"Stop!" Iwashita Shima pinched Hiroi Kikuri's lips with her hand, then threw two invitations in front of her. "They officially sent invitations to Mr. Yoshida. Look closely, the invitations are stamped with the seal of the Bureau of Life and Culture. No one would dare to forge this."

“But why are only Kikuri and Shima here? I’m a member of Sickhack too,” Eliza picked up an invitation and examined it for a while before muttering to herself, “It’s like I’m being ostracized by you two.”

"Well... it's probably because Eliza is a foreigner. Normally, foreigners wouldn't be invited to meetings that involve the implementation of local government policies."

Shima explained.

"I know, but your government is really stingy."

Eliza accepted Shima's explanation.

She wasn't really interested in attending any expert seminars; she just felt it was a bit of a letdown not to be able to act with the band members.

"But this is also quite strange. It's understandable that Eliza, being a foreigner, wasn't invited, but why didn't Mr. Hack receive an invitation either? Because of his song 'Yellow,' which charted earlier, he's quite famous now."

Shima was somewhat puzzled by this.

Recently, she visited many music companies and interacted with staff from various entertainment agencies regarding the sale and distribution of song copyrights. Upon learning that the lyrics and music for "Yellow" were written by "Mr. Hack," they all showed great interest in him.

This might be a bit discouraging, but among the four members of Sickhack, Hack received the most attention, even though he was also the one who joined the band the shortest... Following him is Kikuri Hiroi, who has the ability to write lyrics and compose music and is also the lead singer of the band. The only problem is that she is too unpredictable, and because of her great fame in this area, her commercial value has plummeted, to the point that most entertainment agency executives would hold their noses and turn away when they hear her name.

In conclusion, given the current level of attention Hack is receiving, the Bureau of Life and Culture should have sent invitations to Kikuri Hiroi and Hack.

Instead of skipping over Hack, send it to yourself.

“Well…” Hiroi Kikuri scratched her cheek awkwardly, “Maybe the Cultural Affairs Bureau knows that Mr. Hack is too busy to attend the seminar.”

"No, no, Hiroi rarely deals with these public institutions, so he might not understand... Even if they know you don't have time, they will still send you an invitation. Of course, it's okay if you don't go, but they won't leave any grounds for 'not doing their job properly'."

“Maybe…” Hiroi racked his brains for a while, then gave a “I’ve got it” look, “Maybe Hack has scolded the head of the Cultural Life Bureau to his face because of their poor performance in recent years, something like, ‘How can you insects improve the cultural life of Tokyo citizens?’ And then the bureau holds a grudge and deliberately doesn’t invite him…”

"...You're just attributing your drunken ramblings while lying next to the trash can to Mr. Huck, aren't you?"

Shima looked at her speechlessly, a sense of worry rising within her—

Don't go on stage and pull this stunt at the seminar. The Bureau of Culture and Tourism might think you're there to cause trouble, and that would be a real mess.

Say goodbye to the audience in Tokyo!

Would it be better to start practicing the Kansai dialect now?

……

"Snapped."

In the Tokyo Governor's office, Aoyama threw the draft of the arts and culture revitalization plan, which the Bureau of Life and Culture had spent a month preparing, into the wastebasket next to his desk.

Standing directly in front of the desk was Takeuchi, the current director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Culture, Lifestyle and Sports, and his secretary.

"Clichéd and empty rhetoric. Is this the result of your work over the past month?"

“Private Marseille with red bean paste!”

"What else do you know besides bowing? Drafting a plan requires brains! If you know you're not smart enough, then beg for help! What's the point of bowing to me here?! Put your hand on your chest and ask yourself honestly, is this something the trust the citizens have placed in you?! Tokyo is not only the economic and political capital of Japan, but also its cultural and artistic capital. If Osaka and Kyoto gain the upper hand under our management, you, me, and everyone in this building will have to kneel before the citizens and apologize!"

"Red bean paste, a secret recipe! Lord Aoyama, could you please give me some pointers?"

“Go to meetings, go to research, and listen to the voices of frontline workers. The reason you can’t come up with good plans, and the reason you lack sensitivity and judgment to truly popular projects, is because you are too far removed from the real performers and audience. Listen carefully to what they really want... and then you should know where to start with this project.”

"Hai, we'll get started on preparations as soon as we get back. Secretary Taguchi, you've remembered what Lord Aoyama said, right? Just do as he instructs..."

When facing Aoyama, Takeuchi bowed and scraped, but when facing his secretary, he still maintained his authority.

This is also a characteristic of Japanese politics. The heads of the gubernatorial departments are directly appointed by the Governor of Tokyo. As the highest-ranking elected official in Japan, the Governor of Tokyo is, in principle, not subject to the leadership of any person or institution. Even the Prime Minister can only reprimand him in a cabinet meeting, but cannot dismiss him. That's right, although the Governor of Tokyo is not a cabinet minister, he has the power to attend cabinet meetings.

In other words, the political lives of the officials in the governor's departments are entirely determined by the word of the Tokyo governor. The department heads may not be afraid of the prime minister, but they cannot be afraid of the governor.

Of course, if the governor does whatever he wants, the parliament can punish him, and the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office can even take his life, which is another matter altogether.

"Takeuchi, are you still trying to stall for time with excuses like 'we'll start preparing once we get back'?"

Aoyama is not going to let Takeuchi off so easily.

"You've misunderstood, I just..."

"That's good. It's been a month already. I don't want to wait for your draft any longer. Let's start working on it right now..."

"But……"

"There are no buts. The application for the '50 Towns Grand Prize' by the Neon Dance Troupe has been sent to me. The Cultural Life Bureau will begin cooperating immediately. Please submit the work report to Utsunomiya every three days. Also, I have seen the list of invitees for the expert research meeting on 'Revitalization and Promotion of Popular Arts'. Your judgment is quite good. Let's decide on the first step of the 'Artistic Revitalization Plan' based on the results of the research meeting."

Make way for me: 068 Unboxing!

These past few days, Shima Iwashita has been disappearing as soon as the band practice ends in preparation for her speech at the expert seminar.

As for Eliza, ever since Aoyama gave her an official Toei Kamen Rider transformation belt during the last practice session, she has been obsessed with it. In order to buy matching equipment to achieve the perfect cosplay, she spends money like water. She is currently in a spinning top state of working three jobs a day and has no time to spend with Hiroi Kikuri.

As for Aoyama, well, let's not even mention him. He manages Tokyo's political affairs, plays in a band, and writes lyrics and composes music. The only reason he doesn't work himself to the bone and end up in the hospital is because the author gave him a cheat code. He doesn't have a single spare second.

Unable to find anyone to play with, Hiroi Kikuri had no choice but to go to the Starry Night Auditorium to bother the sharp-tongued but kind-hearted senior, Iji Tomo.

however……

"What?! Senior Ijichi! She actually went to the... district library?!"

“Yes, my sister said she has a responsibility to the citizens of Tokyo and that she needs to have something to say at the seminar, so she went to the library to enrich herself,” Nijika nodded gently with an expression that said, “My worrisome daughter has finally grown up.” “Although I think it’s completely useless, she hasn’t seriously read a book without pictures in years, but she insists on going, and I can’t stop her. There’s just no way to stop her.”

"Looks like my senior got an invitation too... Yizhen-kun, you've really gone too far with your connections, it's practically a garage door!! What will the future of Japan be like?!"

Hiroi Kikuri covered her eyes and muttered under her breath.

Goodness! I didn't drink enough today, and now I'm starting to worry about societal developments again. I need another sip of something delicious...

Oh right, when I went to get money from Sister Bai just now, she gave me two bottles of Moutai, which I put in my bass amp. Now I'll take them out and drink them!

"Hiroi-nee, don't drink here. If you make the performance hall smell of alcohol, she'll beat you up when she gets back."

When Nijika saw Hiroi take out a drink, she warned her expressionlessly. But for Hiroi, even if Ichiji Hoshika herself were there, she wouldn't be able to stop her from drinking, let alone Nijika's warning, which was just a show of force.

The only thing in the world that could stop her from drinking was poverty.

Without any instruction, Guangjing untied the slightly complicated cap of the Moutai bottle, and a rich aroma wafted out.

Moutai, as a typical representative of sauce-flavored liquor, may not be to everyone's liking for its taste, but its aroma is something no one finds unpleasant.

The little glutton Yamada Ryo was immediately lured over by the aroma.

"Hiroi-nee, can I have a sip too?"

"No way, kids should go to the bar and drink their drinks in a pitiful way!" Hiroi turned his back to Yamada Ryo and took a big gulp.

"Wow! That feels great!"

However! Moutai is not like Japanese sake, which is soft and limp.

That stuff is a spirit with an alcohol content of 53%—in fact, it's illegal to sell spirits of that strength in Japan. The two bottles that Hiroi Kikuri is holding were given to Aoyama by Tokyo University of Agriculture's Keizo Teiki.

Hiroi took three sips in a row and immediately got tipsy.

"Wow, this feels so good... Senior, that academic failure, and Shima, that hypocrite, were actually studying behind my back! This is blatant betrayal! I'm going to find Ms. PA! Tonight is our night of utter folly!"

"Don't bother Ms. PA, she has work to do tonight!"

Hongxia looked at her coldly.

"Tch, the face of a capitalist... Wait, little sister, when did you start wearing pigtails? Hmm? Ryo, why are there two? Hey, number 2 Ryo, what's that blue octopus on your head... Is this the popular style for high school students these days? Waaaaah, I feel so light, I'm going to fly..."

"boom--"

Kikuri Hiroi was easily defeated by the 53-proof liquor and fell fast asleep on the ground.

"Hiroi-nee, really! Lying here sprawled out like that, how are we supposed to do business... Ryou, move the bottle off! Don't even think about sneaking a sip!"

"I just thought this liquor was really powerful. It could get a drunk like Hiroi-nee in just three sips, so I wanted to try using this lighter I found on the roadside to see if I could light it."

"Don't pick up things from the roadside! And playing with fire will make you wet the bed!"

"That's true! I feel like I need to pee right now."

"Whoa!"

Hongxia sighed, squatted down to observe Hiroi Kikuri for a while, and found that the girl was really drunk and completely incapacitated, so waking her up was obviously impossible.

She hesitated for a moment, then smiled and asked for help from Toyokawa Shoko, who had only started working at the Starry Night Auditorium a few days ago.

"Um, Xiaoxiang, could you please help me drag Guangjing to the break room? I'm so sorry to ask you to do such a troublesome job on your first day here."

"It's alright, I'm quite good at dealing with drunks..."

Toyokawa Shoko shook her head, and then began to demonstrate her level 5 or higher skills in dealing with drunkards.

"Because a drunk person can't control their center of gravity, we end up pulling her from behind. First, we lift her upper body up like this, which helps prevent her from choking on her own vomit. Then we hug her under her armpits and use our legs to lift her up. This makes it easier to drag her down!"

"Oh, oh, so professional! Next time something like this happens, I'll leave it to you, Hiroi-nee!"

"Um, um, it's still a bit difficult, the stockings..."

"I'll have my sister give you the bonus!"

"If Ms. Hiroi gets drunk at the shop again, I can't just leave her like this..."

"Then please."

After dragging Hiroi Kikuri into the break room with Yamada Ryo, Toyokawa Shoko returned to the bar to continue working.

She was actually somewhat bothered by what Hiroi Kikuri said before she got drunk.

Invitation letter, Yi-zhen, and "backdoor" connections...

So, during her spare time at work (as a former "king of migrant workers," Xiangzi was quite adept at the low-intensity work at the Starry Night Performance Hall), she casually inquired with Hongxia about it.

"Oh, you're asking about the invitation letter? It's an invitation letter from the Bureau of Culture and Life to my sister, saying that it's an invitation for her to participate in an expert seminar on 'Revitalization and Promotion of Popular Arts'. I don't know the specifics."

"Then, who is this 'Yoshizaki-nii' that Ms. Hiroi mentioned?"

"It's Mr. Hack. I heard that Mr. Hack was good friends with Hiroi-nee and my sister in high school."

Is it really Mr. Hack?

A series of clues began to come together in Toyokawa Shoko's mind—

It is enough to make Rui Hachishio, a senior student from a very wealthy family with a high social status and high standards, treat her with utmost respect.

List of invitees who can influence the expert seminar of the Cultural Life Bureau.

Most importantly, he and two women, aged 26 and 29 respectively, were friends from high school.

Could it be...

Toyokawa Shoko took out her phone and randomly opened a news website.

The image of Aoyama giving a speech at the Boso Peninsula Development Conference is prominently displayed on the screen.

Make way for me: 069 Are you guys all this addicted to forming bands?

The Governor of Tokyo.

Toyokawa Shoko felt her head getting hot.

Her father was kicked out of the family with nothing because he caused the Toyokawa family business to lose 168 billion yen, and he became completely despondent.

168 billion yen—what a terrifying sum of money!

Whenever Toyokawa Shoko thinks of this number, she feels suffocated by its weight.

However, the Governor of Tokyo has an annual budget of 13 trillion yen.

That's 773 times 168 billion yen.

In other words, this huge sum of money, which had ruined her father's life and caused her own life to fall apart and become completely out of control, wouldn't even last half a day in the hands of this other person.

Someone like that actually plays in a band, and even forms a band with someone as awful as Ms. Hiroi... such an unconventional person...

What a waste of time!

This isn't a girl band anime! The idea of ​​the world's richest person forming a band and then going on stage to dance and sing is simply nonexistent!!