Chapter 26: Undercurrents Surge
In Toshihide Takada’s office, the expensive sandalwood desk gleamed, and the huge floor-to-ceiling window overlooked the prosperous Tokyo cityscape, but none of this could dispel the icy cold chill in the room.
Masao Iwata kept his head low, like a student who had made a mistake, standing in front of the desk, not even daring to breathe heavily.
Toshihide Takada did not sit down; he clasped his hands behind his back and paced back and forth in front of Masao Iwata, each step like it was stepping on Iwata’s heart.
“Useless!”
Finally, Toshihide Takada stopped, spitting out these two words. The voice was not loud, yet it was like two heavy hammers smashing ruthlessly onto Masao Iwata’s self-esteem.
“I told you to suppress Suzuki, to crush him, and what did you bring back? A 2.98% rating! A late-night slot ratings miracle! Masao Iwata, are you using this way to show me your incompetence?!”
“Deputy Director, I…” Masao Iwata wanted to explain, but was silenced by an icy cold glare from Toshihide Takada.
“Do you know what this 2.98% means?” Toshihide Takada’s face was ashen; he walked behind the desk, picked up a ratings report, and slammed it down in front of Masao Iwata.
“Look clearly! This isn’t just the highest premiere week ratings record for our Tokyo Television Station since opening the late-night slot! It’s also the highest rating last night across all seven television stations in Tokyo Metropolis in the same time slot! The highest! Do you understand?!”
Boom!
Masao Iwata’s brain buzzed, going blank.
He… he only knew 2.98% was high, but he didn’t know it was high to this extent!
In the late night across all of Tokyo, that “slideshow” he regarded as trash had actually defeated all opponents and become the true king!
A bone-chilling cold rose from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head. He panicked; this time, he was really panicked.
“You know Suzuki Kiyoto came over from Kanto Television Station!” Toshihide Takada’s voice was full of fury as he glared at Masao Iwata: “That guy Asumi also came from Kanto Television Station! Those two already have a connection! Do you want them to team up and defeat us, who everyone at Tokyo Television Station knows are close?!”
Masao Iwata’s body began to tremble slightly uncontrollably.
He knew this matter had escalated from simple project competition to the level of factional struggle. And he was the stupid chess piece in this struggle that had put their side on the defensive.
“Speak! Why did this happen!” Toshihide Takada slammed the desk hard, staring at him intently: “You spoke so confidently before!”
“I… I don’t know… I thought…” Masao Iwata’s tone was trembling.
“You thought?!” Toshihide Takada sneered: “I’m telling you, from now on, put away that arrogant mindset! I don’t care what method you use, your《Oni-bō Samurai》 airs next Monday, and you must deliver results surpassing this number! Do you have confidence?!”
“Yes! Yes! Deputy Director, rest assured!”
Masao Iwata was like grabbing the last lifeline, nodding and bowing hastily as he guaranteed: “My《Oni-bō Samurai》 has excellent production, top team, and it’s the prime late night slot at ten p.m.! Breaking 3% rating, I’m very confident! I will definitely… definitely trample that old guy Suzuki Kiyoto!”
He really was very confident.
After all, from the script, it was done by a professional team, and the animation production was the same—not only beautiful visuals, but also full character portrayals.
Otherwise, how could Masao Iwata be so arrogant?
Toshihide Takada stared at him intently for a long while before slowly sitting back in his chair, waving his hand in an extremely fatigued tone: “Get out, remember what you said today; if you can’t do it, I’ll let you know what cruelty means.”
“Yes! Yes! I understand!”
Masao Iwata was granted amnesty and scrambled out of the office.
Only after exiting that heavy door did he realize his expensive suit had been soaked with cold sweat on the back.
……
In stark contrast to the icy suppression in Toshihide Takada’s office, on the other side of the television station building, in Deputy Director Asumi’s office, it was a scene of spring warmth.
Aiai Takeshita held a cup of steaming Uji matcha, sitting elegantly on the sofa with a faint smile on her face.
Opposite her sat a middle-aged man who looked over forty. He wore a well-fitted dark gray suit, had a refined face, steady demeanor, and eyes deep like an ancient well—he was the other deputy director of Tokyo Television Production Bureau, Asumi.
“2.98%,” Asumi put down the ratings report in his hand, a mild curve at the corner of his mouth: “Takeshita, you’ve brought me a big gift this time.”
“I just did what I should.” Aiai Takeshita took a sip of tea and smiled: “Gold can’t be thrown away as a stone. The ones truly to thank are that young person named Hiroshi Nohara and Section Chief Suzuki who persisted.”
“Suzuki…” Asumi’s gaze looked out the window, a trace of nostalgia in his eyes: “He’s still the same, stubborn and tough-tempered, but his eye for works is always so sharp. Back at Kanto Stage, it was he who pushed against opposition and discovered several proposals that later succeeded big.”
He paused, turned back, looked at Aiai Takeshita, appreciation in his eyes: “I brought him from Kanto Stage here because I believed in his ability. Unfortunately, he’s been suppressed too much by that guy Takada these years, with no chances. This time, it’s his accumulated strength bursting out in a beautiful comeback victory.”
“More than beautiful.” Aiai Takeshita smiled: “It’s textbook-level victory of the weak over the strong. Now the entire production bureau is probably discussing this. Deputy Director Takada’s face this morning must have been quite a sight.”
Hearing this, Asumi couldn’t help but laugh.
He had fought Toshihide Takada for so many years, rarely having such a refreshing victory.
He picked up the internal telephone on the desk, thought for a moment, and put it down.
“Here’s an idea.” He said to Aiai Takeshita: “You arrange for me to meet Suzuki, say at noon today, I want to treat him to a meal. Some words are better said in person.”
Aiai Takeshita nodded, a flash of understanding in her eyes.
She knew Deputy Director Asumi was personally stepping in to back Suzuki’s Classroom and that《An Shizhi》 which created the miracle.
PS: Brothers, please give some recommendation votes, on my knees, everyone knows new book period data is important, must click more follow reads. Kneeling thanks here!
