Chapter 194: Shock At The Sakuruda Home! Hiroshi Nohara’s Ambition! Akita Dog Prices Skyrocket!
“And what about the other one?” Sakuruda Ikuna asked curiously.
“The other one,” Hiroshi Nohara’s mouth curved into a confident arc: “is the ‘purebred Akita Dog’ defined by Nohara Family Co., Ltd.!”
“We have the most authoritative ‘bloodline evaluation standard’ hand-drawn by Hiroshi himself! We have the movie The Tale of Hachiko, which gives them a unique ‘cultural connotation’! We have the Mayor, the Governor, and even those important people from Tokyo Metropolis endorsing their ‘social status’!”
“So, Ikuna, do you understand?” Hiroshi Nohara’s voice carried excitement: “What we’re selling now isn’t the Akita Dog itself! We’re selling a standard! An authority! A… right to name and price that can control the entire Neon Akita Dog market!”
Sakuruda Ikuna listened in a daze, her intelligent mind momentarily unable to process it.
She vaguely felt that her seemingly honest and simple fiancé was playing a game she couldn’t comprehend, yet was incredibly grand and shocking… a big game.
“So… so amazing!” she murmured to herself, her bright sparkling big eyes now filled only with worship and awe from the depths of her bones.
She looked at Hiroshi Nohara, her eyes full of worship.
“And the Mayor said that for the next city council election, he’s saving a spot for you!” Sakuruda Ikuna said excitedly, her cheeks flushed red from excitement: “Hazashi-kun! You’re… you’re going to be a city councilman! This… this is simply unbelievable!”
Hearing this, Hiroshi Nohara’s face showed a honest smile.
He reached out and gently held his fiancée’s hand, the warmth and strength instantly putting her at ease.
“This is all the Mayor’s arrangement.” He spoke softly, his tone calm and humble: “However, we can’t casually tell outsiders about this. No one except our two families, understand?”
“Yes! I understand!” Sakuruda Ikuna nodded vigorously, her feminine intelligence allowing her to instantly grasp the stakes.
She knew that such matters must not be publicized before everything was settled.
The car slowly entered a quiet residential area and finally came to a gentle stop in front of a single-family home with warm lighting.
“Vroom—”
The powerful engine roar stood out especially clearly in the quiet night.
“Brother-in-law!”
Before Hiroshi Nohara could get out of the car, a boy who looked about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in sportswear, rushed out of the house like an arrow off a string.
His face, which resembled Sakuruda Ikuna’s but was more sunny and handsome, was now brimming with irrepressible excitement and enthusiasm.
It was Sakuruda Ikuna’s younger brother, Sakurata Ikuki, still in high school.
“Ikuki.” Hiroshi Nohara greeted with a smile as he stepped out of the car, his tall figure giving the boy a strong sense of security.
He casually took a beautifully wrapped gift box from the back seat and handed it to the boy.
“Here, this is a gift for you.” He said with a smile, his indulgence as warm as an older brother.
“Wow! It’s the latest model of ‘Shiroi Koibito’ chocolate from Ginza, Tokyo! And the limited edition baumkuchen cake from ‘Baumkuchen House’!” Sakurata Ikuki’s eyes lit up instantly, he excitedly took the gift box, his ecstasy almost bursting out: “Brother-in-law! You’re the best! I love you to death!”
As he spoke, he impatiently tore open the packaging, his greedy cat-like appearance making Sakuruda Ikuna beside him both annoyed and amused.
“Look at you! You’ve spoiled him again!” Sakuruda Ikuna gave Hiroshi Nohara a playful glare, her voice filled with inseparable sweetness: “Now you’ve fed him so well that his tastes are picky, and he doesn’t eat the food at home properly!”
Though she complained verbally, the happy smile on her face revealed her inner delight.
“Oh my! Hazashi-kun, Ikuna, you’re back.”
At that moment, the door of the house was pushed open.
A middle-aged couple who looked around fifty, with kind faces, walked out smiling.
They were Sakuruda Ikuna’s parents, Sakuruda Ken and Ryoko Sakurata.
Seeing Hiroshi Nohara and Sakuruda Ikuna, their faces were filled with sincere smiles.
“Dad, Mom.” Sakuruda Ikuna called sweetly.
“Uncle, Aunt.” Hiroshi Nohara also hurriedly bowed in greeting, his humility and politeness making Sakuruda Ken and his wife even more satisfied.
“Come in, come in, it’s cold outside.” Ryoko Sakurata greeted warmly, holding her daughter’s hand while glancing at the tall and steady prospective son-in-law beside her, her eyes filled with the satisfaction of a mother-in-law who liked her son-in-law more and more.
In the living room, hot tea and sweets were already prepared.
The family sat together around the low table, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.
“Dad! Mom!”
Before Sakuruda Ken and his wife could ask, Sakuruda Ikuna eagerly recounted tonight’s “dreamlike” family banquet to her parents in vivid detail.
“You have no idea! Tonight, we had dinner with the Mayor of Omagari City and his wife! And it was a family banquet! Just the four of us!”
As soon as she finished speaking, shock that was hard to believe appeared on Sakuruda Ken and his wife’s faces!
“Eh?!”
“What?! A family banquet… with the Mayor?!”
Sakuruda Ken’s eyes widened instantly, he even subconsciously put down his tea cup, the shock making this usually steady middle-aged man somewhat lose composure.
Last time he learned that the Mayor of Omagari City visited the Nohara family home, he was already very surprised.
Now he never expected that his son-in-law, Hiroshi Nohara, had already attended the Mayor’s family banquet, and it was a private invitation from the Mayor, even bringing their own daughter.
It was simply unbelievable!
Ryoko Sakurata was even more excited, standing up from her seat, covering her mouth, her usually gentle eyes now filled with incredulous shock!
“Ikuna! You… are you telling the truth?!” Her voice trembled slightly, as if she had just experienced an illusion.
“Of course it’s true!” Sakuruda Ikuna nodded excitedly, holding her mother’s hand, her pride and happiness overflowing: “The Mayor and his wife were so nice to us! They didn’t talk business, just family matters, and asked us a lot about the wedding!”
She paused, then dropped another bombshell that could petrify her parents on the spot.
“Moreover, the Mayor said that when we get married at the end of the year, he… he will personally officiate our wedding!”
“What!?” Sakuruda Ken and his wife’s hearts exploded!
The Mayor personally officiating their wedding?!
This… this was supreme glory that brought honor to ancestors and glory to the family!
They stood dazed in place, all expressions on their faces frozen in an instant, leaving only ecstasy from being overwhelmed by immense happiness…
“This… this is too good! Too good!” Sakuruda Ken was so excited he was incoherent, looking at Hiroshi Nohara with eyes full of indescribable satisfaction and pride.
“Yes! Yes!” Ryoko Sakurata nodded repeatedly: “Hazashi-kun! You really… have made it big! Our Ikuna marrying you is the greatest blessing of her life!”
Hiroshi Nohara’s cheeks flushed from their praise, he bashfully rubbed the back of his head, his simplicity and sincerity making him especially charming at this moment.
“Uncle, Aunt, you’re too kind.” He spoke softly, his tone calm and humble: “This is all because the Mayor thinks highly of our Nohara family.”
However, his humility did nothing to quell the excitement in Sakuruda Ken and his wife’s hearts.
“And, Dad, Mom!” Sakuruda Ikuna spoke again, seeing her parents’ uncontrollably excited expressions, a cunning smile appeared on her face: “The Mayor also said that for the next city council election, he’s saving a spot for Hazashi-kun!”
“What?! City… city councilman?!”
Sakuruda Ken and his wife’s bodies trembled again, their eyes widening instantly, their faces filled with ecstasy!
They looked at Hiroshi Nohara, their eyes as if gazing at a hero who had stepped out of legend!
“The Mayor just nominated me, the election hasn’t happened yet.” Hiroshi Nohara smiled honestly, trying to “cool down” for himself.
However, his “cooling down” did nothing to quell the fanaticism in his father-in-law and mother-in-law’s hearts.
“Nominated?!” Sakuruda Ken slapped his thigh hard, his voice full of unquestionable affirmation: “The Mayor has personally nominated! Isn’t that a sure thing?!”
“Yes! Yes!” Ryoko Sakurata chimed in, looking at Hiroshi Nohara with eyes full of indescribable satisfaction and pride: “Hazashi-kun! You’re really… amazing! Our Sakurada family having a son-in-law like you is… truly accumulated virtue from our ancestors!”
They looked at Hiroshi Nohara, their eyes filled with indescribable satisfaction and pride.
They knew their daughter had found a man truly worth entrusting her life to.
They also knew that their Sakurada family would welcome an unprecedented glorious future because of this man!
…
Hiroshi Nohara didn’t stay long at Ikuna’s house, after about half an hour, the domineering Land Cruiser cut a steady arc through the night toward West Omagari Village.
Outside the car window were familiar country lanes, the fields still retaining the warmth of the day, the air filled with the fragrance of soil and green grass.
This tranquility unique to his hometown gradually calmed his heart, which had been slightly excited from the Mayor’s family banquet, returning to a solid and warm state.
The Nohara family old house stood like a silent guardian in the night, only the window with orange lighting indicating someone waiting inside.
Hiroshi Nohara parked the car steadily and pushed the door open.
A wave of warmth mixed with the aroma of food and faint alcohol scent hit him.
However, what greeted him was not the expected warm welcome, but a somewhat desolate scene.
His father, Ginnosuke Nohara, sat alone by the low table, with a small sake cup and a plate of simple pickled vegetables in front of him.
His signature bald head reflected a bit of loneliness under the lighting, his usually energetic face now wore a grievance-filled expression, like a stray dog whose bone was taken by its owner.
He tossed peanuts into his mouth sporadically, occasionally sipping from the sake cup, then letting out a long sigh full of sorrow.
“Sigh—”
The sound was drawn out long, full of resentment.
Seeing Hiroshi Nohara return, Ginnosuke Nohara’s eyes lit up briefly, but soon the light dimmed, replaced by even deeper sorrow.
He raised his shifty sneaky eyes pitifully toward his eldest son, sighing long again.
“Sigh… Hazashi, you’re back.” His voice was slightly hoarse, as if bearing great grievance: “Look, look at your dad, I have no status in this house anymore! I can’t even have an extra cup of ‘Juyondai’ that my own son gave me! Your mom is getting more and more domineering!”
As he spoke, he secretly glanced toward the kitchen with the corner of his eye, his pitiful look of wanting to complain but afraid of being caught was simply amusing.
Hiroshi Nohara looked at his father’s comical antics, feeling only helpless amusement.
“Dad, what happened?” He sat down in front of Ginnosuke Nohara.
At that moment, the kitchen door curtain was flung open with a swish.
Tsuru Nohara came out with a bowl of steaming rice and several exquisite side dishes, her face wearing a “hate iron for not becoming steel” expression.
She gently placed the rice and dishes on the table in front of Hiroshi Nohara, then glared irritably at the old man still acting.
“You have the nerve to say that!” Tsuru Nohara’s voice was crisp and forceful, like the sharpest knife piercing Ginnosuke Nohara’s fragile pretense: “This afternoon, if I hadn’t dragged you back, were you planning to spoil Hiroshi’s entire movie from start to finish to everyone in the village? Look at your smug look, tail almost up to the sky! Afraid others wouldn’t know your son has made it big!”
“I… I wasn’t showing off!” Ginnosuke Nohara’s mind was exposed, his old face reddened, he stuck his neck out in rebuttal, but his voice lacked confidence: “I call it… sharing! Sharing our family’s joy! Letting the villagers share the happiness! What’s wrong with that?!”
“Sharing?” Tsuru Nohara’s eyebrows shot up in anger, hands on hips scolding: “Excessive sharing is annoying! Didn’t you see those old guys playing chess at the village entrance, fleeing like they’d seen the plague god as soon as you approached, all making excuses to slip away? If you keep going, I’m afraid tomorrow the whole village will avoid our house!”
“I…” Ginnosuke Nohara was left speechless, his old face flushed red.
He knew his wife was speaking facts.
This afternoon, he had indeed been carried away by immense joy, grabbing every villager and enthusiastically recounting his youngest son Hiroshi Nohara’s “glorious deeds,” his pride almost bursting from every pore.
Finally, after everyone kept their distance from him, he was reluctantly dragged home by his wife.
Seeing he couldn’t win the argument, Ginnosuke Nohara immediately changed tactics, turning his grievance-filled sneaky eyes to his only “savior.”
“Hazashi…” His voice instantly became pitiful, full of loneliness and helplessness from being abandoned by the world, “Look, look at your mom! She’s… treating me like this now! I… I really have no status in this house anymore!”
Hiroshi Nohara looked at his father’s dramatic performance and couldn’t help but laugh helplessly.
He shook his head helplessly, his dark face full of indulgence for this treasure of a father.
“Alright, alright, Dad, Mom, stop arguing.” He smiled and mediated, then turned his gaze to his mother with a soothing look.
Tsuru Nohara looked at her eldest son’s steady yet slightly fatigued face, her anger subsiding greatly.
She sighed softly and sat beside Hiroshi Nohara, her usually stern face now showing concern and curiosity.
“Hazashi, never mind your dad.” She asked gently, her tone full of concern: “Tonight… how was dinner with the Mayor? No mishaps? He… he didn’t make things difficult for you, right?”
In her view, dining with the Mayor was like entering a dragon’s den, fraught with peril, one misstep could provoke wrath.
Hearing his mother’s question, Ginnosuke Nohara immediately perked up his ears, his sneaky eyes staring unblinkingly at his eldest son, curiosity almost bursting out.
“Mom, don’t worry, everything went smoothly.” Hiroshi Nohara smiled honestly, picking up chopsticks to take a bite of his mother’s side dish, the familiar taste reassuring him.
While eating, he recounted tonight’s events in detail.
“As Hiroshi instructed, I delivered the twenty-five best-looking Akita Dogs to the Mayor. The Mayor was very pleased and immediately decided to treat me to dinner at ‘Shofutei’.”
“Shofutei?!” Tsuru Nohara exclaimed involuntarily upon hearing this, her usually gentle eyes filled with shock: “That’s… the most expensive restaurant in Omagari City! I heard one meal there costs an ordinary person several months’ wages!”
“Yes!” Hiroshi Nohara nodded, feeling proud seeing his parents’ shocked expressions: “And at the end, when settling the bill, the Mayor paid personally. He said it was a small gesture and we shouldn’t stand on ceremony.”
“What?! The Mayor paid personally?!”
Ginnosuke Nohara’s eyes widened round, he slapped his thigh hard, the sound almost shaking the whole house.
His slightly tipsy face from alcohol was now filled with incredulous ecstasy!
“Hahaha! I told you! I told you!” He laughed loudly, his voice full of triumphant exhilaration: “Even the Mayor treats my son to dinner! And pays proactively! What does this mean?! It means our Nohara family is no longer what it used to be! We’re… important people with status now! Hahaha!”
This pride from the bottom of his heart made him feel as if he was floating in the clouds, overlooking all of Omagari City.
However, Tsuru Nohara’s face still showed a trace of worry.
She frowned, her face full of unease: “Hazashi, tell Mom honestly. Is… is there something off here? What we gave were just some village dogs from the countryside, no matter how groomed, they’re not worth much. But the Mayor is treating us to dinner, offering to officiate your wedding, talking about city councilman—my god, this… this is too unusual. My heart just doesn’t feel settled.”
Having lived half a lifetime, the old lady knew well the principle of “no reward without merit.”
This sudden “favor” made her uneasy.
“Oh come on! You old woman, long hair but short sight!”
Ginnosuke Nohara waved his hand impatiently upon hearing this, pursing his lips, his sneaky eyes now flashing with shrewd insight into the world.
“What do you know!” He put hands on waist, smugly saying, looking like a strategist pointing at the map: “Those officials are all sly as monkeys, would they do losing deals? The reason the Mayor is so good to our Hazashi is because… our Hazashi now has value to exploit!”
He paused, his tone even more smug: “Didn’t you hear Hazashi say? The Mayor wants to recommend him for city councilman! What does that mean?! It means the Mayor wants to win over our Hazashi, wants our Nohara family to be his people!”
Hiroshi Nohara looked at his father’s “brilliant calculation” appearance and showed a honest smile.
He knew his father seemed unreliable usually, but on key issues, he always hit the nail on the head.
“Dad is right.” Hiroshi Nohara nodded, looking at his still worried mother and explaining with a smile: “Moreover, Hiroshi already calculated all this. He said what we need to do now is sell Akita Dogs externally.”
He paused, slowly uttering the number that could petrify the old couple again.
“And one head, for one million yen.”
“Oh my—!”
Tsuru Nohara almost jumped from her seat, her usually gentle eyes now filled with incredulous shock: “One… one million yen?! For… those village dogs we raise in the backyard?!”
She felt her worldview completely overturned at this moment.
“Yes, one million yen.” Hiroshi Nohara nodded, amused by his parents’ shocked expressions.
“This… isn’t this too expensive?” Tsuru Nohara murmured, her well-maintained face full of confusion: “What kind of person would spend so much money to buy a village dog?”
Hiroshi Nohara looked at his mother’s puzzled expression and showed a brilliant smile.
“Tokyo people will definitely buy.” He said softly, his tone calm and firm.
“Tokyo people?” Ginnosuke Nohara and Tsuru Nohara exchanged glances, both seeing the same confusion in each other’s eyes.
“Are Tokyo people… really that silly?” Ginnosuke Nohara muttered, his voice full of simple and direct doubt toward “city folk”: “Spending one million yen for our Akita countryside village dogs?”
Hiroshi Nohara looked at his parents’ adorably baffled expressions and finally couldn’t hold back, laughing honestly.
“That’s what my brother said.” He scratched his head, a shy smile on his dark face, imitating his brother Hiroshi Nohara’s “profound” tone, slowly uttering that term he himself only half-understood.
“He said it’s called… ‘port premium-enhanced Kyōya consumer mindset’.”
“Port premium-enhanced… Kyōya?”
Ginnosuke Nohara and Tsuru Nohara murmured the unfamiliar term, their weathered faces filled with even deeper confusion.
They felt their long-outdated brains completely short-circuited at this moment.
Seeing his parents’ silly and cute expressions, Hiroshi Nohara stopped teasing.
He laughed honestly again, then revealed the answer in the simplest and most straightforward way.
“He said it means… people are silly, money is plenty.”
“Pfft—Hahahahaha!”
After a brief silence, the room erupted in earth-shattering laughter!
Ginnosuke Nohara laughed so hard he doubled over, tears almost streaming. Tsuru Nohara covered her mouth, shoulders shaking nonstop, her usually dignified face now full of amused mirth.
They looked at their eldest son’s honest yet slightly cunning face, their hearts, somewhat numbed by countless shocks, now completely filled with the purest emotion called “joy.”
They knew this family, though simple, was full of the most sincere family affection and trust.
…
Two or three days passed, in the Tokyo Television Production Bureau Building, in Hiroshi Nohara’s office that was like an independent kingdom.
Night had fallen deep, but the office was still brightly lit.
Hiroshi Nohara sat behind the desk, holding a cup of hot tea, his calm gaze scanning the just-faxed statistical report on the first-week box office of 《The Tale of Hachiko》.
On the report, the staggering numbers shone like the brightest stars, illuminating the entire Neon Film Market night sky.
First-week box office—three point five billion yen!
This number had already surpassed the total box office of 《Seven Samurai》 after one month of release!
It not only set a new box office record but also raised the box office ceiling for Neon domestic films to a terrifying new height never seen before!
“Not bad.”
Hiroshi Nohara only commented faintly, setting down the report, his clear eyes showing no ripples.
This composure and steadiness made it seem as if what he saw wasn’t a number that would drive anyone mad, but just an ordinary work report.
At that moment, the office door was suddenly pushed open.
Yō Kitagawa, the liveliest and most gossipy young employee in the Nohara Independent Production Department, stood panting at the door, her face full of irrepressible excitement and ecstasy.
She waved a document in her hand, as if it bore the fate of the entire Tokyo Television Station.
“Minister! Minister!”
Yō Kitagawa’s voice trembled slightly, the peak of excitement: “Big… big news! Huge news!”
Hearing this, Hiroshi Nohara raised an eyebrow slightly, amused by Yō Kitagawa’s incoherent excitement.
“Oh? What big news? Could it be that The Tale of Hachiko’s box office broke another record?” Hiroshi Nohara asked lightly, his tone cooperatively fitting.
“No! No! No!” Yō Kitagawa shook her head vigorously, her sparkling big eyes now flashing with near-mad light: “Bigger than box office records… a hundred times more explosive!”
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her ecstasy, then said in a near-pilgrimage tone the news that would drive anyone mad.
“Minister! Nohara Family Co., Ltd.’s Akita Dogs… are selling like crazy!”
“What?!”
Even Hiroshi Nohara, who had anticipated the Akita Dog market, felt his calm heart tremble slightly at this news.
He looked at Yō Kitagawa, a flicker of surprise in his clear eyes.
“Selling like crazy? Tell me details.” He asked in a deep voice.
“Yes!” Yō Kitagawa responded vigorously, her young face full of proud honor: “Minister! You wouldn’t believe it! Since The Tale of Hachiko premiered, our department’s phone has been ringing off the hook! Everyone asking where to buy Akita Dogs! They all want one like Hachiko, silly and cute Akita Dog!”
She paused, her tone even more excited: “Then this morning, as per your instructions, President Hiroshi Nohara announced the sale of the first batch of fifty Akita Dogs! And the price… one million yen per head!”
“And the result?” Hiroshi Nohara pressed, his heart lifting slightly.
“The result…” Yō Kitagawa’s face bloomed with a brilliant smile, her ecstasy almost bursting out: “In less than an hour! All fifty Akita Dogs sold out! And countless people queuing for the second, third batches!”
“Even some bidding two million, three million, even five million yen, just for the purest bloodline Akita Dog!”
“Oh? That good?” The corner of Hiroshi Nohara’s mouth curved slightly.
Though he anticipated the Akita Dog market, he never imagined it would explode to this degree!
One million yen per Akita Dog, sold out in an hour?!
Even bids up to five million yen?!
Advertising effects and hunger marketing really work!
“And, Minister!” Yō Kitagawa’s voice rang out again, her ecstasy nearly flipping the office: “You wouldn’t know! Now outside, rich people and celebrities take pride in owning a Nohara Family Co., Ltd. Akita Dog! They say it’s not just a pet, but a symbol of status! A mark of taste! A… best proof of their ‘loyalty’ and ‘family affection’!”
Listening to Yō Kitagawa’s description, the shock on Hiroshi Nohara’s face gradually turned to deep satisfaction.
He knew he had succeeded.
He had successfully turned the ordinary Akita Dog breed into a highly sought-after cultural symbol.
He had successfully propelled Nohara Family Co., Ltd., this obscure agricultural company, onto the stage of all Neon and even the world.
He had successfully laid a crucial chess piece for the Nohara family and his own future.
“Minister! Minister!”
While Hiroshi Nohara was deep in thought, Yō Kitagawa’s face showed a shy hesitance unique to little girls.
Her sparkling big eyes scanned Hiroshi Nohara’s expression like the most precise radar, looking like a kitten wanting to steal dried fish but afraid of being caught.
Hiroshi Nohara looked at her cute demeanor and felt amused.
“What’s wrong, Kitagawa?” He set down his tea cup, asking mildly: “From your expression, is there another ‘big event’ to report?”
“Oh, Minister, don’t tease me.” Yō Kitagawa’s cheeks flushed slightly, she stuck out her tongue mysteriously: “Um… Minister… there’s something, I don’t know if I should tell you.”
Her sparkling big eyes darted around, her workplace sharpness and gossip making her especially lively.
“Oh?” Hiroshi Nohara raised an eyebrow; this hemming and hawing wasn’t like Yō Kitagawa.
“Speak, what is it?” He said lightly.
Yō Kitagawa took a deep breath, as if psyching herself up, then said rapidly in a softer voice: “It’s… Deputy Director Asumi, Managing Director Takada, and… so many Production Bureau leaders! They… they all want to ask you if… there are any more Akita Dogs?”
After speaking, she immediately lowered her head, looking like a little spy relaying messages, afraid to be caught in high-level “wars.”
Hearing this, Hiroshi Nohara showed an understanding smile.
He knew these usually lofty important people could no longer hold back, conquered by the Akita Dogs’ charm.
But due to their status, they couldn’t ask their “subordinate” directly, so they probed through Yō Kitagawa as a mouthpiece.
This superior’s dignity amused Hiroshi Nohara.
“I thought it was something big.” Hiroshi Nohara just smiled calmly, his clear eyes unruffled.
He picked up his tea cup and took a sip, as if what he heard wasn’t a request full of human relations, but an ordinary work report.
“Of course.” He said lightly: “I’ve already had my brother reserve a batch of the best-looking Akita Dogs. They’re meant for Tokyo Television Station’s leaders and those seniors who’ve always supported me.”
“Eh?!”
Yō Kitagawa jerked her head up, never expecting Hiroshi Nohara to have arranged everything already?!
“Minister! You’re… too amazing!” Yō Kitagawa was incoherent with excitement, looking at him with fanatical worship: “You’re… a god! How do you anticipate everything?!”
Hiroshi Nohara just smiled and shook his head: “It’s nothing, even if they didn’t ask, I had prepared in advance.”
“Human relations are the most important part of society. Since we’re in it, we naturally follow the rules.”
Moreover, he knew what he was giving now wasn’t just Akita Dogs, but favors, connections, the foundation for his Nohara Independent Production Department to stand in Tokyo Television Station and all Neon.
He saw this very clearly.
Hiroshi Nohara also smiled and said: “Not just Tokyo Television Station’s people, even Tokyo Metropolis leaders, like Minister of Information Excellency, Fujiwara-sama, even… Governor Koike Excellency, I’ve prepared a ‘modest gift’ for them all.”
“What?!”
Yō Kitagawa’s eyes widened again, her heart nearly jumping out of her throat.
Sending gifts to Tokyo Metropolis leaders?!
This… was too bold!
“Minister! This… this won’t do!” Yō Kitagawa was anxious to tears, waving hands frantically, tone full of worry: “This is the key period for Tokyo Metropolis Governor election! Sending gifts now would be… bribery?! If election opponents catch this handle, the consequences are unimaginable!”
Hiroshi Nohara looked at her anxious sweating cute face and couldn’t help laughing.
“Alright, Kitagawa, don’t worry.” He smiled, full of confidence: “I know this period can’t have rash moves. So this ‘modest gift’ will wait until public enthusiasm for Akita Dogs cools a bit, until the Tokyo Metropolis Governor election is settled, then deliver.”
He paused, his mouth curving faintly, his composure and confidence making him shine: “Then, it won’t be bribery, but… adding flowers to brocade, timely help, a perfectly timed favor.”
Yō Kitagawa stared dazedly at Hiroshi Nohara, her intelligent mind momentarily unable to turn.
She vaguely felt her overly young Minister was terrifyingly shrewd in human relations and political games.
“Minister… you’re… too amazing.” She murmured, her sparkling big eyes now only filled with heartfelt worship.
“Alright, Kitagawa, you can go out now.” Hiroshi Nohara said with a light smile, checking his wristwatch: “I have some things to handle.”
“Yes! Minister!” Yō Kitagawa bowed again, then left the office with light steps.
As the office door closed gently, Hiroshi Nohara’s smile gradually faded.
He knew Yō Kitagawa’s worry wasn’t baseless.
Politics is forever the most complex and dangerous game in the world.
Though he had stepped into this game step by step, he must remain fully vigilant without slack.
He picked up the phone on the desk and dialed his brother Hiroshi Nohara’s number.
He wanted to tell his brother his next plan.
He wanted to open several designated Akita Dog pet shops in Tokyo City.
He wanted to fully integrate the Akita Dog, originally a cultural symbol of Akita Prefecture, into the bloodstream of Tokyo, this international metropolis.
He wanted Nohara Family Co., Ltd. to be the biggest and only winner in this cultural and economic feast!
The phone was quickly answered.
“Hello, Hiroshi?” Hiroshi Nohara’s honest yet excited voice came through: “How’s it going there? Heard your movie’s first-week box office broke three point five billion yen?!”
“Yes, brother.” Hiroshi Nohara chuckled lightly.
Hearing this, Hiroshi Nohara’s tone grew more excited: “Hiroshi, you’re a god! Nohara Family Co., Ltd.’s Akita Dogs are selling like crazy too! One million yen each, and people are still fighting over them! These two days, my hand is sore from answering calls!”
“Yes, brother, everything is as I expected.” Hiroshi Nohara responded lightly, calm.
He detailed his plan to open pet shops in Tokyo and future directions to his brother.
Hiroshi Nohara listened quietly, his honest face full of trust in his brother.
“Good! Hiroshi! I understand!” He responded vigorously, tone firm: “I’ll do exactly as you say! Don’t worry, I won’t hold you back!”
He paused, tone with pride: “Right, Hiroshi, good news. A few days ago, Omagari City’s Mayor Kenji Ito personally invited me and Ikuna to his family banquet! He said for the next city council election, he’ll save a spot for me! And when we marry at year’s end, he’ll personally officiate!”
Hearing this, Hiroshi Nohara showed a satisfied smile.
He knew his brother Hiroshi Nohara was no longer just a farmer who buried his head in the fields.
He had grown step by step into a partner who could stand alone and fight alongside him.
“Very good, brother, you’re doing great.” Hiroshi Nohara said softly, full of encouragement: “But remember, brother, city councilman or officiant, these are just empty titles. What our Nohara family truly needs is solid foundation.”
He paused, tone more solemn: “So, brother, what you need to do now is keep steady, keep acquiring and breeding Akita Dogs. Also continue acquiring land! As much as possible! Don’t worry about spending! If possible, I hope you can become Omagari City’s, even all Akita Prefecture’s… Agricultural Association President!”
“Agricultural Association President?!” Hiroshi Nohara’s voice was surprised again.
“Yes, Agricultural Association President.” Hiroshi Nohara’s voice calm and firm: “Only by controlling land, local fame resources, and the Agricultural Association President’s management of farmers and agricultural products, can our Nohara family stand undefeated in this era’s flood.”
Hiroshi Nohara listened quietly, his heart, numbed by countless shocks, now ignited by an unprecedented emotion called “ambition.”
“Yes! Hiroshi! I understand!” He responded vigorously, his voice full of fighting [Truncated: Max tokens]
