Tokyo Sound

The main feature is a mix of Eastern and Western styles. On Mondays and Tuesdays, they sell French food with sauces painted on plates. On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, they sell Japanese food with seafood made into building blocks on rice balls. On weekends, they serve Chinese specialties with heavy ingredients and flavors.

The specifications are mid-to-high-end. It is not shabby for the president to meet and discuss business in the private room, and the petty-bourgeois office workers in the hall can also act like bosses. Everyone is happy.

The middle-aged store manager has superb knife skills. The sashimi he prepares is as thin as a cicada's wing and melts in your mouth, but the sashimi is often missing. It is purely a matter of luck to get a piece of fish fillet.

Such a good store naturally deserves a two-star Michelin certification, but the person in charge thought it was too much trouble and took the initiative to withdraw the star.

Serve with heart and take revenue for granted. That is why they often recruit hardworking and attentive workers like Matsuoka Yoshitsugu.

This time he entered the store as a customer, feeling a little nervous, and almost went to the employee area to change clothes out of habit. After all, the consumption here could be equivalent to his monthly newspaper subscription.

"Here, here." The agent, who had been waiting for a long time, stood up and waved.

Kashiwai Ippudo usually wears a senior employee outfit of gold-rimmed glasses and white trousers, but today, after putting on the halo of entertaining guests, his temperament of a successful person is even more pronounced.

The food on the table was glowing and looked amazing, and I also bought a bottle of red wine to match the atmosphere.

"My agent finally realized that steak, pigeon and caviar are more filling and warming than chicken soup for the soul. I feel very relieved." Yin Ze slowly tucked the napkin in front of his collar and prepared.

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu estimated the price of this table based on his experience. "It's too expensive. We can eat at the izakaya until next week..."

"What are you talking about?" Kashiwa Ippei pretended to be dissatisfied. "Except for the welcome party, the three of us have never had a meal together. You know, agents and voice actors have a symbiotic relationship. They prosper together and suffer together. No one is more looking forward to you than me. The industry is full of swords and swords. You fight and kill, and I am here to do the social things. It is only natural for me to treat you. Every voice actor under me is my brother. Eat more, drink more, work hard, and don't let laziness defeat you. As long as you continue to produce value and shine, you will definitely succeed in pursuing your dreams!"

"Kashiwai-san..." Matsuoka Yoshitsugu couldn't help but feel a little moved.

Yin Ze handed over the phone at the right time, and on the screen was a man with phoenix eyes and a beautiful beard, wearing a green robe and golden armor, riding a red rabbit horse, and holding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

"What?" Kashiwa Ippei asked curiously.

"Your words are from the bottom of your heart, and your loyalty is touching. I have invited Master Guan to come, and we can become sworn brothers at any time. From now on, when we have money, we can have fun together, and when we have debts, we are naturally brothers..."

"no thank you."

The brothers have turned against each other before they even have anything to do.

The man took back his phone with regret.

Kashiwa Ippei opened the red wine with a corkscrew and said, "You have been debuted for a while, and compared to the large number of newcomers in previous years, you have done quite well. Your professional level and the rate of getting work are all OK... Especially thanks to the role of Elredo and two broadcasts, Takizawa-kun has become somewhat well-known, at least he can be heard in the industry. As for Matsuoka, your performance on the set is stable, beyond the line of newcomers, and a sound supervisor told me that you have potential."

"Really?" Matsuoka Yoshitsugu was very happy to hear the compliment.

"But this alone is not enough."

Kashiwa Ippei shook the red wine glass and took a sip. His lips seemed to be stained with blood, which was quite classy.

“No matter how great an actor is, without a ‘role’, he is as meaningless as a wallet without money. The two complement each other and make each other successful. Popular voice actors all have well-known roles. To put it bluntly, popularity is created by resources and promoted by the agency.”

"That makes sense." Yin Ze ate heartily and nodded perfunctorily.

"Let's get straight to the point. The firm has decided to take care of you." Kashiwai Ippei said, "We will allocate more resources to you."

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu's face suddenly became serious when he heard this.

"There is also good news today, but don't be too happy after hearing it." Kashiwai Ippei said with a snort.

"What's going on? Is the company paying your year-end bonus?" Yin Ze asked while pulling a piece of tender steak.

"…Yes, the characters are coming. Do you know the game Idolmaster?"

He almost raised his nose to the ceiling when he said this, and the meaning of showing off filled the table. But after waiting for a long time, there was no "oh" sound, Kashiwa Ippei looked down, and both of them waited quietly for him to continue.

"You don't know?!"

The two shook their heads in confusion.

"The king of idols! He's the one who can train beautiful girls to sing, dance, wear new clothes, and compete with others. The ultimate goal is to help them reach the top of idols! He's so popular, you can find all kinds of related videos if you just search on the Internet!" Kashiwai Ippei said, slamming the table.

"I don't even follow the popular BKB48 [Note: derived from the famous Japanese female idol group AKB48] in the three-dimensional world, how could I know this?" Yin Ze sighed.

"...I usually don't take the initiative to contact women." said Matsuoka Yoshitsugu.

"Okay, it seems I need to tell you about the value of this project first. As an original arcade game backed by a big company, it has been well received and has been ported to other platforms. There is even a multimedia project started around it."

Kashiwai Ippei pushed up his glasses.

"This is a series with a huge volume and a large scale, and it also has a wide range of radiation in other fields. Entering it is equivalent to getting a long-term meal ticket, and it is a meal ticket for games, events [note: variety shows], performances, broadcasts, and other types of things. Because it is essentially an idol development game, when cultivating characters, as a carrier of reality, voice actors will naturally receive more attention. By participating, you can quickly increase your exposure and easily enter the fan base that the project itself has accumulated, thereby quickly gaining a group of your own supporters and consumers."

"Such a good thing is for the newcomer to get it?" Yin Ze asked.

"It just so happens that this project itself takes a lot of time to incubate. It needs to fit the role and have a young voice. Otherwise, after six or seven years, you will be in trouble if you lack the energy and can't run fast."

"So, what's the price?"

"Work hard, learn, and let go!" Kashiwa Ippei said solemnly, "This is an opportunity for all-round improvement. In addition to your voice dubbing duties, you will also have to sing and dance on the big stage, attend events, fan meetings, and broadcast live..."

"Does it mean being an idol and a voice actor at the same time?" Yin Ze asked again.

"It won't be like Johnny's where dating is banned and there are lots of rules and regulations. Fans know exactly who they like and who they are pushing. The purpose of this project is for the producers and the players to work together to create a virtual perfect idol. Although voice actors are an important part of this, there won't be excessive expectations or demands on them."

"Then why not just promote idols from the real world?" Yin Ze was speechless.

"Virtual idols are absolutely pure and innocent." Kashiwai Ippei waved his hand.

"Do you want to sing and stand in front of the stage?" Matsuoka Yoshitsugu raised his hand weakly.

"That's right! There's even a stage for tens of thousands of people!" Kashiwai Ippei said generously.

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu's face turned even paler. "No, my legs are shaking just thinking about that scene."

"So this is a rare opportunity to improve yourself in all aspects. Under normal circumstances, can you invite a professional team to train you and organize large-scale activities to hone you? As long as you grit your teeth and persevere, and overcome difficulties and obstacles, you will be sublimated. Don't you want to change, Mr. Matsuoka?" Kashiwai Ippei coaxed.

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu nervously poked his trouser legs with his hands, bit his lip and nodded vigorously.

"I have one last question." Yin Ze said calmly.

"I can't refuse, especially you." The agent quickly stated.

"Is it impossible to refuse before I'm selected?" Yin Ze was confused.

"You two have already been chosen." Kashiwai Ippei said quietly.

"?"

"Things like this..." Matsuoka Yoshitsugu widened his eyes and wanted to say something.

"Instead of worrying about whether it's fair or not, why not play your best and let everyone know that you definitely deserve it." Kashiwai Ippei interrupted him nonchalantly.

"Since it is a task assigned by the company and the targets have been set, I have nothing to say, but..." Yin Ze frowned.

"what happened again?"

"This project focuses on training beautiful idol girls. What can we do on stage? Are we going to use false voices to perform?" Yin Ze scratched his head in confusion.

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu suddenly thought of the scene in which he was singing and dancing on the stage in a short skirt and dress with his voice held back. At that moment, his face completely lost color.

This is the first time I had this thought in my mind: voice actors are so scary.

"What are you thinking? Of course you are playing the role of a male idol."

"Ah? Isn't the main body oriented towards men?"

"This is an important pioneering battle towards the entire market. Besides, you don't need to be so clear about the decisions of the bigwigs above you. Just do your job well." Kashiwa Ippei said in an official tone and took out two stacks of photocopied paper. "Here are the materials. Take a look for yourself."

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu took it and the first thing he saw was the character's name, and he muttered unconsciously.

“Is there a name…?”

"Of course, this is not just a small part, but an opportunity for you to take off." Kashiwai Ippei said with a snort.

"Really? Give me this chance?" Matsuoka Yoshitsugu said softly, "There are obviously many excellent people who are struggling in the mire."

The agent looked at the unconfident young man and sighed, "So do you want to do it?"

"I want to do it!" Matsuoka Yoshitsugu raised his head suddenly, his eyes burning with fighting spirit, "Please leave it to me!"

"What about you, Takizawa?" The agent couldn't help but long to hear the same passionate, steely and ambitious "yes"!

"Me? I'd like to order another serving of roasted pigeon, is that okay?" Yin Ze said cheerfully, his mouth full of oil.

"..."

Although this person doesn't do anything in private, he is still reliable once he is in a project. How can a standard idol man not succeed in the idol route? The agent can only comfort himself in this way.

"Wait, why are you cutting my share too?" Kashiwa Ippei was shocked and furious.

"I'm helping you divide it first." Yin Ze smiled awkwardly.

"How come my bottle of Commanda Cassato is only half gone?!"

"No way, I only drank three sips. It must be the invisible fairy Sang who stole my drink."

The other two people at the table were arguing fiercely.

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu faced a table full of delicious food and expensive wine, but he hadn't even touched his fork.

He just read the information in his hand silently.

Do your best to appreciate the first important, named character in your life.

At the same time, the violent beating of his heart made him feel hot all over.

Chapter 23 It Cannot Be Called Tao Yet

As the old saying goes, human beings in this world are no taller than seven feet and their life span is no more than a hundred years.

Human life is so short. Time is like a flying arrow and quicksand, passing by silently. Looking back, we can only sigh.

As the saying goes, flowers may bloom again, but people can never be young again.

Excellent and successful people are good at time management. They have the same amount of time, but they work tirelessly to make progress, while most people prefer to lie in bed and browse their phones. This is where the gap widens.

Yin Ze, who barely lived a new life, knew this and the importance of self-discipline. In order to break free from his lazy past self, he forced himself to live a multi-threaded life and tried his best to squeeze the meaning of every second of his life.

For example, when watching variety shows at night, the classic novel "War and Peace" is recited in synchronized voice in the Corridor of Life in my mind, highlighting the appeal that is appealing to both the elite and the masses.

While ordinary people were still alternating between study and rest, he had already perfectly integrated the process of study and rest. This was the ultimate combination of work and rest, which could be called the Tao.

And the voice can be adjusted... for example, it can be changed to Guo Degang.

However, the more humans pursue perfection, the more they realize their own shortcomings.

Rushing to the set, studying and improving himself, as well as the heavy workload, all left him physically and mentally exhausted.

Just like when you choose the beautiful and talented girl with long straight black hair, you will lose your childhood sweetheart with short curly hair.

Only children want to have it all; mature adults only make choices.

Today, I was finally summoned for a talk.

"In my nearly thirty years of coaching, you are not the only student who has been summoned for an interview."

The person who spoke was an old teacher with white hair. He was wearing an old dark blue suit and a pair of thick glasses that showed his age. His hands were covered with calluses, and his eyes were sharp and deep. Although he was old, he was full of energy and had a friendly and kind smile.

Faculty of Letters, Dean, Kawashima Ohnishi.

It was also the only kind person who came to comfort Yin in the cafeteria that day, thinking that he was the lonely star. Although he was finally tricked into going to the kindergarten to be a tool man for the training of the reserve service of social animals.

"I have seen many truly gifted people. When they find out that the University of Tokyo is just so-so, they will take the initiative to leave the first high school. As the rumor goes, dropping out of school is actually the real graduation, and many famous great men are like this. Young but knowledgeable child, why are you late and skipping classes?"

Although it was said to be a face-to-face meeting, the two of them were actually walking together in the spacious and quiet corridor of the main hospital. The sound of each other's footsteps echoed in the distance as they enjoyed the comfort and elegance of this place. On both sides of the wall were hung pictures of great writers who had walked out of here, including Yasunari Kawabata, Kenzaburo Oe, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and Dazai Osamu, the leader elected by depressed literary youths late at night.

"The main reason is that I am unable to be in two places at once, and the fundamental reason is Pink... The scooter can only reach a speed of 30 miles per hour." Yin Ze told the truth.

The dean looked calm and did not ask further questions. Instead, he talked about other things, "Do you like literature?"

"Of course, my goal is to enter the literature department!" Yin Ze immediately expressed his loyalty.

"Do you like Natsume Soseki?"

"Of course!"

"Which book?"

"Well, it's pretty much the same."

"What's your favorite? Don't hesitate, otherwise it won't be the 'best'."

"My favorite is Natsume-san on the Japanese yen note..."

"You are very humorous." The dean nodded calmly at the bad words, "Humor is a reflection of enjoying life. It is optimistic and positive, which is good."

"Instead of complaining, you said this kind of thing. I feel uneasy..." Yin Ze touched his heart carefully.

"You ranked 7th in the Liberal Arts Exam, and scored full marks in both World History and Japanese History. When we met before, our conversation spanned a thousand years, and you talked eloquently. If your mind wasn't as clear as a mirror, you wouldn't be able to remember the past and present so well." The dean said in a mellow tone, "You've seen the magnificent civilization of mankind. Missing classes is nothing, but there's no time to waste. You've already had a dream in your heart to devote your life to it - is that what you think?"

"I do think skipping classes is not a big deal...but I'm not that showy," Yin Ze said.