049, how can we take our things without paying the price?
It is a fine day, with bright sunshine and clear sky.
There is not much traffic on this road back to Tokyo.
From time to time, you can see lush shrubs and bunches of blooming flowers on both sides of the gray-brown road, scattered among the green-brown background.
Driving alone, Nagayama Naoki turned on the radio in the car,
The popular citypop started to play, and the bright rhythm blew into my ears with the breeze, and my mood became particularly cheerful.
Isn’t it this kind of comfortable life that you have been pursuing before?
Recently, it seems that my mind has been occupied by things like opening a store, a girl group, and activities, and it seems that I have returned to the life I used to worry about every day.
When summer comes, you can try to go to the beach to escape the heat~
The scenery along the coastal road must be better!
...
...
Nagayama Naoki's good mood lasted until home.
Until I heard the message from Fangcun Dayou on the phone:
"Naoki-san, there's something I need to tell you in person! If it's convenient, please call me back."
Yoshimura Otomo's tone sounded very low, with some suppressed anger.
Nagayama Naoki dialed back and quickly answered the phone.
"Otomo-san, what happened? It sounds like very heavy news."
"Hey, it's cats' problem, the agency's problem... they... want to sell this girl group!" Otomo Yoshimura's voice was full of unwillingness.
"Naoki-san, let's have lunch together at the same place. I'll also call Itou Shuichi. I'll tell you more about it then."
"Hi, let's meet and chat later."
Sounds like the executives are selling the Wildcats?
Why? The future of the girl group is becoming increasingly clear, and the time to make money is on the way, right?
Nagayama Naoki was a little puzzled, and he still had to wait for Yoshimura Otomo to explain everything in detail.
...
We then came to the izakaya where the trio often drank.
Itou Shuichi and Yoshimura Otomo were already in the box. Unusually, they did not drink, but smoked silently.
It wasn't until Nagayama Naoki sat down that Yoshimura Otomo spoke:
"Now that Naoki-san is here, let me tell you the specific situation."
"Naoki-san and Shuichi-san, you two must know the relationship between the Starlight Office and the Burning Department."
"Isn't it said that it is just a small branch office?" Nagayama Naoki asked, "Is it possible that there is a deeper relationship?"
"Hi, yes, the president of the agency, Hino Kenichi, was actually the younger brother of Ikuo Shufu. Because he didn't have much talent, he started a small advertising business after he was separated."
Itou Shuichi seemed to know a little bit about the content: "So, it is actually the Burning Firm that wants to buy Cats this time?"
"To be precise, it's a mutual exchange, using part of the advertising business to replace the Wildcat Group's management contract."
Nagayama Naoki was a little curious: "According to previous habits, shouldn't the burning departments support each other? How can someone directly grab business?"
"This is usually the case, but this time it seems that Burning Agency has directly taken a liking to the girl group format. It is better to start from scratch and directly take over a mature team."
"Then the president also agrees?"
"Yes, President Hino Kenichi originally entered the idol business with the idea of making a fortune and leaving. This time there was an exchange of advertising business, and he agreed without saying a word."
Yoshimura Otomo remembered what Hino Kenichi said to him two days ago.
On one side is the mature advertising business with long-term profitability; on the other side is the idol business with unclear profitability and competitive pressure from established firms. It should be clear how to choose.
Moreover, Burning Office is more capable of developing the idol business of girl groups.
Hino Kenichi said grandly: "Otomo-kun, handing over Cats to Burning Agency is a better approach for both the girl group itself and the agency!"
"That's it..." Naoki Nagayama understood. As the president of a small firm, from a businessman's point of view, he couldn't say he had done anything wrong.
"Hey, Naoki-san, Shuichi-san, I'm sorry, even if I try hard, I can't change the president's mind." Yoshimura Otomo was very disappointed.
“The Cats’ management contracts are all with Starlight, so if the president decides, I can’t do anything about it.
I’m so sorry!!!”
Itou Xiu was very free and easy when he arrived: "Otomo-san, what are you talking about? It's not your fault."
"After all, it was the hard work of the three of us... it was taken away in vain... I'm really sorry for you two." Even though the group was sitting in a private room, Yoshimura Otomo still bowed deeply, with circles in his eyes.
All turned red.
After several months of hard work, the germination finally came to fruition, and unexpectedly...
What's more, this was the hard work of three people, and in the end, only Starlight Office benefited.
Nagayama Naoki also lamented: "Alas... Although I am a little reluctant to leave, the person who feels the most disappointed must be Otomo-san. Obviously he is very busy, but the hardest one is Otomo-san...
..”
In fact, in the operation of the Wildcats, Naoki Nagayama is the creative, Shuichi Itou is the training package, and the one who truly treats the girl group as his own children and cares about all aspects is Otomo Yoshimura.
He truly regards the idol career as an ideal.
Now that the girl group has been taken away, he must be the most saddened.
Perhaps in the eyes of President Kenichi Hino, this is an ordinary business operation, but in the eyes of Yoshimura Otomo, this is indeed a betrayal.
For the longing of the past,
Regarding the experience during this period,
For all the effort spent,
A betrayal of the friendship between three people.
.......
In the following time, Yoshimura Otomo drank one glass after another. Although Itou Shuichi and Nagayama Naoki also kept comforting him, the middle-aged man's frustration and pain could only be slightly comforted by the wine.
Looking at Yoshimura Otomo who was drunk and still mumbling something, Naoki Nagayama said to Itou Shuichi: "You have such a bad drinking capacity and you love to drink...it looks like I have to send him to your place again, Shuichi-san."
"How can we cultivate? It won't work if we don't go..."
After Yoshimura Otomo settled on the recliner in the office, Shuichi Itou and Naoki Nagayama took a bottle of beer and drank it slowly.
"The girl group was given to Burning Agency. Does Shuichi-san have any thoughts?"
"In such a big office, there are professionals for all packaging and manufacturing work, so there should be no need for a dabbler like me..."
"Haha, if Shuichi-san is a dabbler, how can there be so many producers who can be called professionals."
"Haha, Naoki-san is really good at complimenting people...but I really don't need to invest in a girl group anymore."
When Yi Tangxiu smiled, he could actually hear some reluctance.
"Actually, I still like directing and filming. I have always wanted to officially enter the TV and film industry."
"That's it, let's congratulate Director Itou on winning the Palme d'Or!" Naoki Nagayama raised his beer.
"Hahahaha, Naoki-san is really..."
Although Nagayama Naoki doesn't really care about the Wildcats' affiliation, he is still unwilling to accept that the original girl group he created was taken away like this.
"Xiu Yisang, I remember that the Cats brand, the contract with Livehouse, and the peripheral authorization... are all under the leather bag company GG, right?"
"Hi, I guess so. What's wrong?"
"That leather bag company seems to be in my name, and Shuichi-san and Otomo-san are only in their names?"
"Indeed, what's going on?"
"The patent rights for cat ear hair accessories are also under the name of my personal studio Halo."
"You mean?"
"If I don't agree, they can only ask for the past five photo models!"
"But they can also start another brand? The members haven't changed?"
"Shuichi-san, this is different from the previous kingly idols. Fans of girl groups do not necessarily gather around each idol." Naoki Nagayama's eyes sparkled with confidence.
"If there are no characteristics of cat ears and cats, they are just five former members of the Wild Cat Group. We can create another Wild Cat Group at any time!"
"This..." In the past, poaching idols meant poaching all the idol's resources. Itou Shuichi had never thought about the special nature of girl groups.
"When Otomo-san wakes up, let him use this point to negotiate."
"How can you take our things and not pay any price!"
