Chapter 84: 《an Shizhi Season 3》 Completely Explodes! Nohara’s Helplessness!
The coffee is indeed quite fragrant, and Tokyo Television Station is indeed wealthy and powerful; even the free perks are so excellent.
This made Hiroshi Nohara very satisfied.
Just as he was leisurely flipping through the latest issue of 《Weekly Shonen Jump》, enjoying the pleasure brought by the manga, another figure burst in from the door.
Excitedly raising her arms, she shouted: “I’m back!”
It was Yō Kitagawa.
“She’s here! She’s here! Kitagawa-chan is back!”
No one knew who shouted it, but instantly, everyone’s gazes in the office were like iron filings drawn to a magnet, all focusing sharply on the pushed-open door—or rather, on that cute girl.
Yō Kitagawa, the girl who was usually like a diligent little bee, quietly bustling about in the office, now appeared like a Valkyrie who had just returned triumphantly from the battlefield, her entire body radiating an unprecedented, dazzling radiance!
At this moment, under everyone’s gaze, her face was flushed red with excitement, and her always sparkling big eyes were now brimming with joy and pride.
She didn’t enter with her head down and quick steps as usual, but instead straightened her slender waist, slightly raising her chin, her posture like a peacock proudly spreading its gorgeous wings for the first time amid a chorus of birds.
“Section Chief Nohara! Everyone, seniors!”
Her voice trembled slightly with agitation, yet it was clear and resounding, full of confidence: “The official ratings report… I’ve got it!”
She presented the report still warm from the printer in her hands, like offering a sacred decree, to Hiroshi Nohara.
“Mm, very good.” Hiroshi Nohara took it and looked at the ratings numbers on it—
“Sub-Golden Slot unit drama proposal 《World of the Strange》, first episode ratings: 20.3…!”
“Ratings level—Myth（Broke 20-year highest record）!”
Even though Hiroshi Nohara already knew the results.
Seeing these two lines now.
The corners of his mouth also revealed a smile: “That’s great.” He showed a brilliant smile; this was indeed worth celebrating.
Hoshi Minamimura and Roji Hase, the two young men, eagerly rushed over first. When they clearly saw on that paper the bold black letters printing ‘Myth’ and ‘Broke 20-year highest record’—enough to blind anyone’s eyes—their breathing stopped in that moment.
“Broke… broke 20-year highest record? Am I seeing things?” Hoshi Minamimura stammered, gesturing at that line with his finger.
“It’s real! Myth! Broke 20-year highest record!” Roji Hase’s voice suddenly rose sharply, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, completely igniting the entire office!
“Broke 20-year highest record!?”
“Awesome!”
“Long live Section Chief Nohara!”
Mountainous cheers instantly flooded this small office.
These Kanto Faction veterans who had been rolling in the television industry for half a lifetime, their edges long smoothed by reality, knew that 20.3% ratings were extremely exaggerated and terrifying.
But now, seeing this line of evaluation from the television station again, they were still excited with faces flushed red!
Many close Kanto Faction veterans embraced each other, pounding each other’s backs, venting their long-suppressed inner emotions in the most primal way.
This was so exhilarating!
Yō Kitagawa watched all this, her rosy little face full of shared happiness: “Section Chief, you don’t know, when I went to get the report today, it was just like… just like walking a red carpet!”
She gestured excitedly, her big eyes sparkling with unprecedented brilliance: “From our office to the data center, everyone I passed on the way, no matter which department, greeted me proactively! And several male colleagues from other classrooms, who used to not even bother looking at me, actually came over today asking if I had time to eat lunch together!”
“Before, I was completely invisible, unnoticed wherever I went. But today, I felt like… like the center of the entire television station! Everyone was revolving around me!”
Her words were innocent and pure, making everyone present smile knowingly.
“Haha, that’s because you’re cute.”
Hoshi Minamimura sidled over, nudging her with his elbow, teasing with a wink: “Our Kitagawa-chan is now our classroom’s mascot; who wouldn’t want to share some of that good luck?”
“Exactly! I think those guys don’t want to invite you to eat; they want to probe our section chief’s miracle-like creative inspiration from you,” Roji Hase joined in the teasing.
“Ah! You… you guys stop teasing me!” Yō Kitagawa’s face instantly turned red like a branding iron; she stomped her foot, both shy and annoyed, hiding behind Hiroshi Nohara.
Like a kitten seeking shelter.
The office erupted in another round of good-natured laughter.
Hiroshi Nohara looked at this hard-won harmony and joy, his heart full of pride.
This Kanto defeated army, once beaten to the point of despair, had been forged into a single rope by him after this great battle, possessing cohesion and combat power that would make any opponent take notice.
He had conquered these people.
Meanwhile, Eiji Kurosawa also took the report, his sharp eyes lingering for a long time on that 20.3% ratings number and the record-breaking evaluation.
His eyes carried a sense of emotion.
“Nohara-kun.”
He said emotionally:
“I’ve directed plays my whole life and have created a few so-called ratings myths. But in the sub-golden slot, achieving 20.3%… honestly, even I wouldn’t have that confidence.”
“This is no longer just simple success.”
He handed the report to the equally shocked Kenji Sato and Tsuyoshi Yamamoto nearby, his voice tinged with fatigue: “Looks like I’m really getting old.”
“Director Kurosawa, you’re too kind.” To Eiji Kurosawa’s words, Hiroshi Nohara humbly replied: “I’d say your samurai films from back then are the true timeless works representing our Neon Spirit. This junior still has much to learn from you.”
“Enough with the polite talk.”
Eiji Kurosawa waved his hand, interrupting his humility, a mischievous glint in his eyes like he was enjoying the show: “This old guy has no interest in your flattery right now. I’m more interested in something else.”
“What?” Hiroshi Nohara was curious.
Eiji Kurosawa’s lips curved into a playful arc: “Want to know the ratings for that so-called classic sequel next door, 《An Shizhi》 Season 3, last night?”
This sentence piqued the curiosity of the entire office.
All eyes focused sharply on Eiji Kurosawa, this famous director.
“Director Kurosawa, do you have inside info?” Kenji Sato was the first to ask impatiently.
But he chuckled foolishly after saying it.
A first-class director, famous director—even in the Kanto Faction, wouldn’t he have his own information channels?
Eiji Kurosawa stroked his white beard, a sly old fox-like smug smile on his face: “I still have a few old friends I can talk to over at the data center. As soon as the final data came out last night, they told me right away.”
He cleared his throat and, under everyone’s expectant gazes, slowly announced the number:
“6.1%.”
“…”
The office first fell into a brief silence.
Then, it erupted in laughter even louder than the victory celebration earlier, full of contempt and disdain!
“Hahahahaha! 6.1%?! I thought it was something impressive!”
“This data looks decent, but don’t forget, they followed right after our 20.3% masterpiece! That means nearly 14% of the audience switched channels right after our program! This isn’t success; it’s a total defeat!”
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto pinpointed the key issue.
You have to know.
During the previous promotions, 《World of the Strange》 was promoted first, and then Tokyo Faction people sneakily promoted the following 《An Shizhi Season 3》.
Essentially, promoting 《World of the Strange》 was paving the way for 《An Shizhi Season 3》!
Yet it only got 6.1% ratings.
Though indeed quite high.
Even matching the level of 《An Shizhi Season 2》.
But with 《World of the Strange》 leading the way and drawing so many viewers to 20.3% ratings.
《An Shizhi Season 3》 only managed a mere 6.1%…
What does this mean?
It means 《An Shizhi Season 3》 was so garbage that viewers couldn’t even finish watching, angrily switching channels, unwilling to continue!
“Exactly!”
Kenji Sato also sneered: “Moreover, this 6.1% isn’t their achievement; it’s entirely the reputation and fanbase accumulated from your first two seasons of 《An Shizhi》, Nohara-kun! They’re just eating off your old capital! I bet their next episode’s ratings will plummet off a cliff! Even… dropping below 3% is possible!”
“Not just ratings!”
At that moment, Hoshi Minamimura rushed over excitedly: “I just asked my friend in the viewer services department! Guess what? He said their phones were blown up last night! The four on-duty operators handled nearly a thousand complaint calls in one night, all cursing 《An Shizhi》 Season 3! Apparently those operator girls came to work this morning with dark circles under their eyes, looking like they wanted to devour anyone they saw!”
“Pfft—”
“Real or fake? That exaggerated?”
“Of course it’s real!” Hoshi Minamimura smugly raised his eyebrows, his young face full of schadenfreude: “And this is just the beginning! He said, this morning alone, viewer letters delivered by courier stuffed their television station’s mailbox to bursting! Those are all from local Tokyo viewers; out-of-town letters are probably still on the way! The contents are all over the place: some demanding the station stop airing immediately, some demanding Section Chief Iwata publicly apologize, and even harsher ones saying they’ll crowdfund to send that traitor Ichiro Hashishita to Hokkaido to plant rice for life!”
“Hahahahaha!”
The office erupted in earth-shaking laughter again.
That laughter was full of exhilarating relief and the satisfaction of great vengeance achieved!
These Kanto Faction people had been suppressed by those Tokyo Faction guys for too long, enduring too much frustration.
Now, seeing their opponents take such a huge fall in the field they were most proud of, getting publicly cursed by viewers, felt even better than getting 20% ratings themselves!
Especially since what they stole was the proposal brand IP that Hiroshi Nohara had already successfully created.
And they made it like this.
Looking at that young man who had been calmly drinking coffee from start to finish, as if none of this concerned him, their gazes could no longer be described simply as worship.
It was a heartfelt awe toward absolute wisdom, after witnessing true strategic planning and victory from afar!
They finally understood.
From the moment Hiroshi Nohara decided to sell the 《An Shizhi》 copyright, the outcome of this war was already destined.
That young man wasn’t selling a child.
He was merely using an old toy he had long grown tired of to craft the perfect trap for his opponents, one that would shatter them to pieces.
And they, these former defeated generals, were so fortunate to be the most loyal and proud participants in this earth-shaking counterattack.
So fortunate.
To follow Hiroshi Nohara, this extraordinarily talented… lord!
“Section Chief!” Someone shouted at that moment: “What do we do next?”
Everyone looked to Hiroshi Nohara.
Eyes bright and eager.
“Wait.”
Hiroshi Nohara stood up, holding his manga weekly with a smile: “My advice to everyone is to wait.”
Amid everyone’s stunned gazes, he shrugged helplessly: “After all, we’ve already filmed all 39 episodes in advance; there’s no work now, so we really are a bit idle. Plus, everyone was busy for so long before; now take a few days off, rotate rests, and have some fun!”
Others film while airing, but he, Hiroshi Nohara, filmed everything at once.
The 39-episode stock is enough to air for over a month anyway.
Nothing to do in the meantime.
Better to rest up.
“Long live the section chief!”
These words instantly made everyone present laugh again.
Money to take.
Time off to rest.
Following a talented section chief—who wouldn’t be happy?
But while waiting, Hiroshi Nohara didn’t plan to idle; he still had some personal matters to handle.
For example, his home phone was about to explode from calls, and pager messages kept coming one after another.
The pager was basically unusable.
“I really don’t understand why there are so many calls and meeting requests.” Hiroshi Nohara said helplessly.
This immediately alerted Kenji Sato: “Hm!?”
