My daily life is getting weird because I am caught between being in a band and being an idol.

However, Cai continued to shout loudly.

"Please give me your support! ... I want to try harder. You guys go back now."

"Xiao Cai! There won't be anyone on the street in this weather, it's pointless... It would be bad if you caught a cold!"

Even the Japanese food couldn't stand it anymore and started to persuade her.

But Maruyama Aya didn't care and continued shouting into the almost deserted road.

"You all get in the car first!"

Chaoyang realized that Maruyama Aya was the kind of person who was soft on the outside but tough on the inside. So he persuaded others to get on the bus first.

Seeing that the rain showed no signs of stopping, everyone had no choice but to get into the car.

"Phew, the rain is really heavy."

Chaoyang took a dry towel from the plastic bag in the front passenger seat and handed it to the girls in the back.

What about Caijiang?

"Respect her choice first, and I will bring her back by force later."

Chaoyang answered in this way.

But Chisato kept staring at Maruyama Aya, who was shouting in the rain.

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, he cursed under his breath, opened the car door, and rushed out.

"Thousand Saints..."

The group exchanged glances and nodded, reaching a tacit understanding before rushing out of the car together.

"Pastel* concert tickets are now on sale. Please enjoy our songs."

Chaoyang got off the bus with an umbrella and secretly filmed the girls selling tickets in the rain with his phone. Then he posted it on 5ch to see five idiots shouting at thin air, who are they trying to fool? At the same time, he used a secondary account to repost screenshots of the insults from the past few days, along with today's video, to other social media platforms.

Finally, I put my phone away, hoping that their efforts and my actions would be appreciated.

Chapter 76 After that.

That's a bit too much.

The insults were really harsh.

They're selling tickets in this downpour despite the cursing... Are they even going tomorrow? I'll buy one.

The speed at which information spreads online far exceeds expectations. Chaoyang's strategy has indeed been effective, with excessive insults directed at those screenshots paired with images of pitiful idols struggling in the rain.

Public opinion has completely changed.

I initially thought they were just a lip-syncing band, but I was surprised to find they were actually working hard.

"...Haa... It would be even better if you didn't have a fever..."

Chaoyang said this to them on the way home.

"Ugh, it feels so bad..."

"Me too... I wish I hadn't gone with you guys to buy tickets."

I still found a place for them to shower and change into dry clothes, even though they kept sneezing. But when I took their temperature with a thermometer I bought on the spot, they still had a fever.

After taking fever-reducing medication, they could only be sent home one by one to rest.

"The performance is coming up soon, so you all need to be extra careful. You should all get some rest during this time."

. .

The tickets were ultimately sold by the agency, but as expected, the remaining hundred or so tickets were all sold out within a day.

a few days later.

Having recovered from his illness, Qian Sheng came to the office and was naturally very happy to hear what Chao Yang had said.

"...How amazing. She's someone who can't do anything right, isn't good at performing on stage, and is the kind of girl who cries the moment something happens...yet she unexpectedly possesses the power to change people."

Chaoyang gently shook his head.

"That's true, but it's not entirely Cai's doing. Without you guys, and without Qian Sheng supporting them, they wouldn't have gotten this far. Many of the people who bought tickets online are your fans. There's still a long time until the official performance, so you'd better practice hard so as not to tarnish the reputation of the band that kindly invited you to perform."

"Of course... But producer, are you deliberately erasing someone's achievements?"

"someone?"

Chaoyang became somewhat puzzled.

"Hmm? Well, Aine, Maya, Hina, I didn't mention them separately."

"It's not them."

Chaoyang looked puzzled and frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"Producer, you... don't forget I've been keeping an eye on the online comments about us... those photos, the angles they were taken... and the video filmed in the rain—if they paid even a little attention, they'd realize it was you being filmed... Honestly, you actually led the charge in insulting us online, that's a heinous crime! Should I tell everyone that the producer called the five of us idiots?"

"So that's how I'm exposed? Haha, sorry, sorry. Please forgive me."

Chaoyang scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward laugh.

As Qian Sheng stepped forward, he crossed his arms, tilted his head slightly, and smiled.

"Hehe, just kidding. I originally thought you were just an amateur producer, but I didn't expect you to be so skilled at manipulating online public opinion. You first turned us, who were originally tainted, into victims, and then amplified everyone's malice, fueling the flames. Until the extreme insults aroused the resentment and rebellious mentality of normal people."

"Don't make me sound so amazing. This kind of thing is like playing with fire. It's best to avoid it if you can. This time, it's just that your situation is really difficult to resolve. The company didn't stop the source immediately after the lip-syncing incident and let it escalate, otherwise things wouldn't have turned out like this."

Qian Sheng nodded slightly, her gaze gentle as she smiled.

"Anyway, it's so great to have met a producer. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't know where to go. Now that I think about it... that day... when we were paying the bill after dinner... did the producer intentionally drop that thing out?... He didn't want to have an overly intimate relationship with his idols, so he did that... But for those artists who really rely on sex work to get jobs, this kind of tactic is practically offering them a contract, so please don't do it again."

Chaoyang awkwardly rubbed his cheek, looking at Qiansheng who was trying to defend him. While he could accept it by keeping quiet, he didn't want his moral character elevated; otherwise, wouldn't it be inappropriate if he were to do something in the future?

"No, it just fell out."

"..."

"Foreword retracted... Producer, you really are still a bit terrible."

Chapter 77 No, do you have to write about her in every book?

With Pastel*'s public relations crisis resolved and tickets sold out perfectly, all that's left is for them to perform and prove themselves. However, from a revenue perspective, this performance is definitely going to be a complete loss. Not only can they not sell merchandise on someone else's turf, but they also have to subsidize a lot of money themselves.

All I can say is that this money is an investment in the future.

However, there are more important things to deal with right now than the two concerts.

Inside the Ikebukuro office meeting room.

Chaoyang sat in the main seat of the conference room, looking at the various creditors seated in front of him. It wasn't exactly a lie; ultimately, they just wanted their principal plus interest back.

However, the majority of the burden actually falls on other people in the bank, and the bank can handle that separately. As for these other people...

The theater owner, a middle-aged man with a fuller figure, spoke first.

"Your company owes me six months' worth of theater rent. I don't want to hear any more nonsense. The total amount owed to me, including interest, is 20 million yen. What do you suggest we do?"

Sitting to the side was the owner of the stage equipment company, a casually dressed man with a full beard.

"...I'm sorry, Mr. Hiraishi. Although you are the new president, it's bad luck to say 'sorry' right away, but the equipment rental fees from last year haven't been settled yet. These past few years have been tough for everyone."

Two or three other creditors also started arguing, since none of them were from big companies.

But today, Chaoyang doesn't intend to say anything.

Xiangzi, standing beside him, had an icy expression on his face, his hands crossed over his chest, and his sharp gaze swept over the creditors present.

"If you continue to demand payment, our company will be unable to continue operating. At that time, we will immediately file for bankruptcy liquidation."

She paused, seemingly observing the creditors' reaction, before continuing.

"According to relevant laws, after paying off the employees' back wages and year-end bonuses, what you will receive is nothing but a blank sheet of paper, not a single penny will be left."

The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly, and the creditors exchanged glances. Xiangzi seized the opportunity to continue.

. .

The result is self-evident: everyone was only after money.

Chaoyang is the boss who needs to maintain his image, so he has Xiangzi play the villain.

After the creditors and Chaoyang signed the repayment agreement, Chaoyang watched as the group left the meeting room. He sighed.

"...Why waste time doing something like this?"

Xiangzi said this while tidying up the documents.

"Their goal is also to get a definite repayment commitment. However, given your excessive pampering of your artists, I don't think you'll have the money to pay them back next quarter."

Chaoyang smiled smugly and said confidently.

"Of course I have a way."

. .

"Is this the solution you were talking about?!"

Xiangzi hunched over her desk, looking helpless. Her hands flew across the keyboard; the title was "Business Plan," intended for submission to the bank. Not in the company's name, of course, but rather as a loan secured by Chaoyang's own shop. Although Chaoyang had vaguely mentioned this before.

But most people who knew about it didn't take it seriously. In fact, he had already prepared the documents needed for the loan: proof of shop ownership, financial status, and his personal credit history.

"You're suspected of having a bridge loan. If the bank finds out, you're finished."

As Xiangzi typed on the keyboard, he didn't forget to remind himself.

"We'll talk about it when we find out."

"...My father had the same mentality as you, which is why he acted this way."

"Yes, but the difference is that I have your help, Xiangzi."

"whatever."

Chaoyang actually made up his mind after seeing that there were corresponding tasks in the system.

System mission: A desperate battle!

Task Description: Running a business is not just about strategy, but also about taking a do-or-die approach. Use your shop as collateral to obtain a loan, thereby achieving efficient cash flow for your operations. (Contains financial regulatory risks)

Mission objective: Successfully mortgage the shop and obtain a loan.

Task Reward: ¥1,000,000 in funds + Buff: 20% increase in employee work efficiency in the "Do or Die" campaign.

Task Evaluation: Search, search, you have to search to do business!

Just as Chaoyang was doing everything it could to keep the company running.

In another place, someone is throwing a tantrum because Chaoyang's interference has prevented them from going on stage.

Inside the Shinjuku FOLT lounge.

Captain SIDEROS was furious.

"This is absolutely unacceptable!!! Why didn't the sister choose us this time, but instead sent out some random idol band to perform on stage and warm up the crowd for them!!!"

Meanwhile, his teammate, who was sitting to the side playing on his phone, spoke up nonchalantly.

"Huh? Are we still talking about this? Isn't this Ms. Hiroi's prerogative? Yuuko-senpai, please stop messing around. We've been to so many private shows already, I'm almost sick of seeing the fans' faces... Mainly, there are just too many perverts... Last time someone actually wanted to buy my used face mask. It's because Ms. Hiroi does those weird things at every show that the fans are getting weirder and weirder."

Unfortunately, their leader, Daechan, Park Boo-young, ignored him and muttered to himself.

"Because she's the older sister, her decisions can't be trusted; she might have just made a drunken, offhand decision. We must tell Ms. Shima and make her cancel this decision!!!"

"Senior Yuyuko, sometimes I really don't understand whether you respect Ms. Hiroi or not."

. .

In the blink of an eye, Yuyuko found Shima drinking tea.

"That matter? It was indeed Hiroi who agreed without permission. By the time I tried to stop him, it was too late... But he was a very nice person, and we owed him a favor. In fact, we didn't lose anything. He even gave us the ticket money in advance and gave us extra money."

"How can music be bought with money?!"

"But Hiroi lost her wallet and didn't have any living expenses for the month. This money saved her life."