Chapter 385: Chapter 107: Trip to Japan (4)

Without a doubt, Suzuki eventually agreed to Adrian’s terms. The title of Miracle Director was very prestigious in Japan, and Sony’s people persuaded him from the sidelines. Moreover, Suzuki himself was likely keen to see Japanese culture create a buzz in Hollywood. What remained were various clauses and details, which could be handled by the lawyers of both parties.

“Thank you for your help, Mr. Sugigi, I won’t forget it,” Adrian said to the Sony employee who had been running around assisting him after they had settled the deal and Suzuki had left.

Although it was just a nicety, there was a bit of sincerity. After all, the novel “The Ring” was quite popular in Japan, and if they had approached without prior arrangement, they probably would have had to exert at least twice the effort.

“It is my honor to be of service to you,” Sugigi bowed respectfully.

Indeed, his manners were impeccable and quite beguiling. Adrian chuckled inwardly, then pointed to the stack of manuscripts on the table: “So, what do you think of this, Mr. Sugigi?”

“It’s unfortunate that, due to the outline being too simplistic, I cannot make more judgments. However, just from the concept, it is quite innovative,” Sugigi commented after a moment’s thought regarding the synopsis of the story called “Ju-on.”

Adrian smiled dismissively. Sugigi was very competent in his work, but somewhat lacking when it came to commenting on such a straightforward story outline. The main reason he said this was likely due to Suzuki’s earlier expression of surprise. Nonetheless, Adrian didn’t say much, merely pushing the manuscript across to him: “Then, I’d like Mr. Sugigi’s help with another matter. Please find a talented Japanese writer to flesh it out, whether as a novel or screenplay.”

He paused before adding, “And if possible, please scout for a suitable director. This story is definitely going to be made into a movie. But unlike ‘The Ring’, I hope to produce it as a completely Japanese-style film. I need to use ‘The Ring’ to draw attention to this type of Japanese-style horror movie, so during the adaptation, it will necessarily be Americanized a bit. Of course, I won’t change the novel’s most fundamental elements, which is a promise I made to Mr. Suzuki. That’s why I hope that both the completion of the story and its direction will be by native Japanese talent.”

“Understood, I assure you that I will satisfy Mr. Adrian,” Sugigi promptly agreed, his expression shifting as if he had just thought of something.

“I’ve said it before, I need to use ‘The Ring’ to draw attention to Japanese-style horror movies, so the adaptation of ‘Ju-on’ into a film has to come after that.” Having guessed Sugigi’s thoughts, Adrian laughed and then put a hand on Sugigi’s shoulder, “Don’t overthink it, Mr. Sugigi, I have my own arrangements. I’ve had a pleasant time recently.”

“Yes!” Sugigi, hearing the implication in his words, nodded vigorously. They seemed to prefer expressing their compliance in this manner.

Indeed, everything had been arranged, but Adrian wouldn’t give Sony too many sweets. He couldn’t be one hundred percent certain of the future because he had found some more interesting things in Japan.

When Adrian first came to Japan ostensibly to explore the market, his main intention was to somewhat spite or tease the Japanese with “The Ring” and “Ju-on.” But once here, he quickly developed more ideas–certain things truly required field research to uncover.

Take Avex, for example, a company that would snatch up most of Sony Records’ Japanese market share several years later, despite having been founded only in ’88. Perhaps it was their youth that enabled them to achieve such success. Many of Japan’s long-established companies provided excellent benefits, treating their employees similarly to a lifetime employment system. Once you were in, you wouldn’t leave. While this could foster employee loyalty, it also constrained their own development.

Avex was currently in a phase of rapid growth, in need of a large influx of capital, and getting involved would not be difficult. Of course, Japanese businesses were intertwined and, like the United States, xenophobic. Even if they didn’t have the backing of major Japanese financial groups now, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t in the future. Intervening would not be an easy task for Adrian.

However, first of all, Adrian didn’t necessarily have to deal with Avex, and he also had no intention of taking control of Avex; having a seat on the board would suffice. Although Avex was independent of the other major five record labels, its influence only extended to East Asia, so at most, it was just a stepping stone for Adrian’s expansion into East Asia. His focus was still on Europe and America, so getting involved was good, but failure would be inconsequential.

Moreover, he wasn’t without negotiation capital. ABC and TBS were his best assets. The Japanese animation industry was indeed growing rapidly, but it hadn’t fully consolidated yet. As long as Adrian hinted at the possibility of broadcasting Japanese animation on his network, he wasn’t afraid that the Japanese wouldn’t be eager.

Keep in mind that TBS had quite a few subscribers in Europe, too, and they owned a good amount of attractive content in the animation department, like partial rights to “Tom and Jerry” and “Smurfs.” Its Hanna-Barbera animation studio might not be very famous, but it had produced a number of popular works such as “The Powerpuff Girls,” making it very appealing in the realm of animation.

One must admit, Japanese animation was quite popular worldwide and might even surpass domestic American animation in a few years. This rise was related to the large number of superheroes making it onto the big screen, but Japanese prowess played a part as well. Securing the overseas rights to Japanese animation at this time would definitely be a boost for his broadcast companies’ development.

Of course, Adrian also didn’t forget to have a bit of fun at the Japanese’s expense. He planned to acquire one or a few small anime studios in Japan. After integration, he would hand over the concepts of the three major “blue-collar comics” to them to mess around with; it didn’t matter if they were hits or not. He just wanted to know what popular anime the Japanese would churn out after using those concepts. Obviously, he didn’t believe that if the blue-collar comics were meddled with in advance, the Japanese wouldn’t have any other animations.

Just as Hollywood had continued to produce great movies despite his many plagiarisms, Japanese animation had its own robust system.

But all these were things to be discussed with Claude upon returning to his country. Moreover, Adrian didn’t want to owe anything to Sony, even if that meant starting from scratch. So after wrapping up the rights to “The Ring,” he continued to enjoy his leisurely life in Japan.

That evening, Nakama Yukie and Takako Tokiwa stayed by his side, their subservience making it all too normal for a menage a trois. They also played plenty of role-playing games, like Tokiwa acting as the teacher and Yukie as the student, with Adrian naturally playing the supervisor. However, Tokiwa appeared a bit too fragile, falling short in her teacher guise. If Matsushima Nanako had been there instead, it might have been better, as she was currently popular for playing a teacher’s role.

Adrian inevitably felt some regret at this thought. If he could get Matsushima Nanako on board as well, then he would have gathered the three queens of Japanese dramas from the mid-90s onwards. After Tokiwa, there was Matsushima Nanako, and following her was Nakama Yukie; it sure would’ve been interesting to have them all.

But he just let his mind wander. Although he was quite sure that Nanako had already entered the Japanese entertainment circle and he could make it happen just by dropping a hint to Sugigi, biting off more than he could chew was never wise, and it would also mean owing favors.

“I’ve never actually gone up there. For one, I’m always busy – I made two films last year alone and really didn’t have much free time; and for the second, it’s always crowded with tourists. If I wanted to go up, I’d have to queue and shuffle like a zombie,” Adrian said while rolling his eyes and raising his hands with a mock “oh” sound.

This comical gesture immediately set off a burst of laughter from Nakama Yukie. Although she quickly covered her mouth, her curved eyes still betrayed the girl’s distinctive innocence and playfulness, making her look particularly charming and adorable. Coupled with the long white dress, despite wearing sneakers, her flowing long hair gave her an aura of ethereal grace.

“So later, do we have to shuffle like zombies to get up Tokyo Tower? There are quite a lot of tourists here,” she asked cheerfully, her English not very fluent but clear and pleasant to hear.

“Let’s not. If we were going up, I’d just lease the whole thing first,” Adrian laughed. “Sharing something can be fun, but if there are too many people sharing, it’s no longer enjoyable.”

“Is that so?” Yukie replied softly, brushing her hair beside her ear and casting her gaze towards the towering Tokyo Tower in the distance, saying no more.

Adrian stared at her unwaveringly for a long moment before suddenly asking, “Do you want to make it in the United States, Yukie?”

“Go… to the United States?” The girl turned around, her face showing a look of surprise.

“Yes, go to Hollywood. That place is the world’s movie factory; anyone who gets recognized there is a bona fide international superstar,” Adrian said earnestly, not at all resembling the big bad wolf trying to lure in Little Red Riding Hood.

Nakama Yukie looked at him dumbfounded, unable to react immediately.

“Of course, it’s not an easy thing to do. There’s exclusion everywhere, and Hollywood is no exception. It’s rare for a foreign actor to carve out a niche there,” Adrian continued, speaking quite candidly, but then he shifted gears, “But it’s different with me involved. I believe you must know something about me. If I wish, I can make any actor famous, whether from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, or Japan!”

“Why… why me?” Yukie stammered, raising her hand and then lowering it, utterly flustered, her cheeks full of disbelief.

“It’s simple,” Adrian lifted her chin with his hand, looking down at her with the gaze of a conqueror, “I like you.”

To tell the truth, Adrian had never expected that Nakama Yukie, who was the centerpiece of that night’s party and then sent to attend to his bed, would still be a virgin, which was unimaginable in Japan.

Although Japan maintains a tradition of male superiority, its sexual openness is unmatched. Let’s not even mention certain industries, if a Japanese girl doesn’t have a boyfriend after middle school, she’s likely to be laughed at. Even if this is a rumor that needs verification, the sight of female students on the streets seeking compensated dating is all too common.

Not long before, when Adrian was out shopping with Takako Tokiwa and Nakama Yukie, they unexpectedly ran into Dennis, who was being incessantly pestered by a girl seeking such arrangements.

“I bet you’ve had quite a few romantic adventures lately, haven’t you?” Adrian joked with him to break the ice, “Be careful, if word gets back home, there’s no telling how those two of yours will react.”

“Don’t make fun of me, Ed,” Dennis replied with a wry smile, “I’ve encountered this kind of girl all over Japan recently, but never one as persistent as today. I have no idea what they’re thinking. I don’t dare get involved with them at all; if it ever got back home, the trouble wouldn’t just be with Noni and Jenny.”

Then he sighed, envyingly looking towards Takako Tokiwa and Nakama Yukie, who were talking not far away, “You’re still the same, not a care in the world wherever you go.”

“If you had stuck with me instead of running off on your own back then, you could have been the same,” Adrian joked.

“I’d better not, I wouldn’t dare do anything out of line now,” Dennis quickly protested, which in turn provoked a burst of laughter from Adrian.

Well, to bring the topic back, this kind of situation is actually quite normal. Generally speaking, a country’s land area is inversely proportional to the degree of sexual openness. The United States may seem very open, but that’s mostly concentrated in the coastal areas. The whole society tends to be conservative, and there’s no shortage of conservative women who are devout Catholic believers in the inland areas. As for small countries, just look at France, look at Italy, look at the Netherlands, there’s no need to say more.

It’s precisely because of this that the female body serving ritual, initially advertised using virgins as dishes, gradually stopped mentioning this. But since Sony wanted to entertain Adrian, of course, they would use the best. Otherwise, why did he take notice of several newcomers in these past few days and choose only Nakama Yukie? From this perspective, the claims about her conservative nature were still credible. It was a pity that the demands of the higher-ups were something she couldn’t refuse. Even if she had decided to not struggle in the entertainment industry anymore, she would still need to get through this matter first. This wasn’t the United States, after all.

Thus, on that night, although Yukie was somewhat resistant, she was largely compliant. But she took the opportunity of Adrian’s entry to let out painful moans and started to sob quietly.

And who was Adrian? If he could keep several opinionated women on his roster at the same time, managing a teenage girl was just a matter of course. Don’t forget where two-thirds of his soul came from. After spending only a day and a half with him, following that night, the smiles Yukie forced were replaced by genuine ones. Although she couldn’t be said to fully trust Adrian, and her willingness to be with him was more because it was her task, she felt a lot more at ease.

Her smile was lovely. Even though she was more petite than Takako Tokiwa, her body was well-developed and proportionate. The shortcomings typical of Japanese women weren’t very apparent in her, and holding her felt particularly satisfying. Adrian, therefore, took a vested interest.

You see, among his current women, Monica and Sarah were the most obedient, but they too had their individual characters and definitely wouldn’t be molded completely by a man like Japanese women could be. Thus, having such a woman by a man’s side was undoubtedly comfortable, not to mention, her demeanor made it easy for her to get along with his other women.

The reason Adrian hadn’t made a move on Halle Berry’s Black Pearl, apart from the timing not being right, also took this into consideration. Although Halle Berry was black, her way of thinking was American. To keep peace in the backyard, besides emotional and financial interests, balancing things out was necessary, even if that balance was relative. So, if a woman of a different race–especially a black woman–appeared, achieving that balance would be difficult. Thus, the Black Pearl could only play friendly matches in the future.

But Japanese women were different. Some things were etched in their bones, and even someone somewhat atypical like Nakama Yukie was no exception. So, taking her home didn’t involve worrying about the aforementioned issues.

“I know this could be difficult for you. After all, that’s a completely different country, and no matter what, this is your homeland. Easterners have strong attachment to their native land, and you might need to start learning from scratch. But going to the United States, to Hollywood, also means there will be more opportunities, and… more freedom! There are Japanese communities over there too, and if you wish, you could even stay there, or bring your family along. With me around, you don’t need to worry about getting hurt,” Adrian said softly, looking into her eyes, his fingers intermittently gliding over her smooth cheeks as he held her chin, “I’ve said it before, I really like you, Yukie. I have many women, but I don’t want to let any of the ones I like slip away. Would you like to be my woman?”

The girl didn’t answer for a long time. It was evident that she was conflicted. Adrian didn’t press her and let go of her chin. Yukie’s head drooped down and after a while, she raised it again, “Can you… give me some time to think about it?”

“Of course,” Adrian said with a smile, “but remember to give me an answer before I leave Japan.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Takako Tokiwa’s voice came over as she had just returned from a trip to the restroom in the park. She probably thought she had been delayed a little too long and bowed immediately.

“It’s okay, it was just a few minutes. Let’s leave now,” Adrian said with a smile, then gestured for them to move on.

The two women and one man walked out together. Although Yukie, who was holding Adrian’s arm, seemed closer, there was no particular expression on Tokiwa’s face.

Ever since Nakama Yukie had also been assigned to serve Adrian, he had clearly shown more interest in her. At first, Tokiwa felt some jealousy and loss, but she quickly adjusted. In the subconscious mind of Japanese women, a powerful man having many women was quite normal–moreover, Yukie was still young and a virgin.

This is also why Adrian wanted to keep Yukie in his collection–her needs were undoubtedly much lower than Kate and the others. Of course, if Yukie ultimately rejected him, it was fine too. The world was full of women; he didn’t have to have her specifically. His possessiveness was strong, but it was always controlled by a sober mind. So, what would the final outcome be? (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (wuxiaworld.site) to vote and leave a monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)